Crafting Mods From Other Mods (Mod Synthesis)

[Thor_UK]

So the Community Hot Topics thread made me think of a new in-game mechanism, which I think would be rather good.

 

The challenge, as suggested in the Hot Topics Thread, was finding a good way of introducing (new) stance mods into the game. So here's my the idea:

 

Mod Synthesis

A NPC (let's say Cephalon Simmaris), or the market, sells Mod Synthesis Templates (to differentiate from foundry blueprints) for credits.

These are single use or reuseable "blueprints" used at the Mods workbench, to instantly craft a specific mod/core from a number of specific mods.

 

It's a pretty simple idea, and has a lot of flexibility. It could be applied to stance mods, or any other mods, as necessary for DE. You could specify the input mod rank, or you could potentially create reuseable Templates with very loose input mod criteria - for example a Template which turns 3 common mods into a Fusion core, etc.

 

Anyway, some examples:

 

Template Cost: 10k credits (single use)

Template Output: Rank 0 Rapier Stance

Template Input: Rank 0 Sundering Strike, Fury, Reach and Finishing Touch

Synthesis Cost: 25k credits

 

Template Cost: 100k credits (reuseable)

Template Output: Rank 3 Common Fusion Core

Template Input: 3x Any mod

Synthesis Cost: 5k credits

 

Template Cost: 10k credits (single use)

Template Output: Naramon Transmute Core

Template Input: 2x Rare Naramon Mods

Synthesis Cost: 10k credits

 

Obviously these are only to demonstrate the idea, they ought to be balanced and brought in line with other existing sources of these mods in-game.

[Katinka]

Sounds a bit like non-random Transmute Cores.

[UrbanShade]

OP, awesome idea. Need balancing, but btw awesome suggestion. Take my +1 :)

[Insizer]

So you want TF2's ugly crafting system? Also, why would you transmute multiple mods for a single fusion core of the same rank, don't they have same fusion power?

[Chipputer]

I'm not so sure that I can get behind this idea since the grind and trade of mods is part of what keeps the game's player-driven economy running. Removing some of that random does help the user, directly, yes, and I'm fine with that aspect, I just don't like the idea of removing one aspect of the trade chat, or severely devaluing it.

[Thor_UK]

So you want TF2's ugly crafting system? Also, why would you transmute multiple mods for a single fusion core of the same rank, don't they have same fusion power?

 

I have never crafted in TF2 (played it only briefly since I got the Orange Box back in the day, didn't enjoy it).

 

The mod synthesis system is based largely on the in-game foundry, replacing components and parts with other mods. Since other mod operations are instant, it only makes sense for this one to also be instant (in contrast to the foundry, where everything takes some time)

 

Also, when you fuse a mod into your target mod, if the polarity matches you get a better result (I calculated ocne upon a time, don't have it at hand). If you turn you all your spare, non-valuable mods into fusion cores, you don't have to worry about the polarity. Obviously, as I said above, it would have to be balanced in such a way that there is an advantage to doing so, and a potential cost (credits, or it might be more efficient to use those mods as fusion fodder for in polarity-matched fusion).

 

I'm not so sure that I can get behind this idea since the grind and trade of mods is part of what keeps the game's player-driven economy running. Removing some of that random does help the user, directly, yes, and I'm fine with that aspect, I just don't like the idea of removing one aspect of the trade chat, or severely devaluing it.

 

It's not intended to replace or remove random mod drops from the game wholesale. What it could be used for, is to take a specific subset of mods, and either replace the method of attaining them (eg stances in Community Hot Topic), or add an alternative way of doing so (for example, cores -  since I have tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of duplicate mods, and it would be more convenient to turn these into cores, so they all stack neatly into a few polarity-neutral "piles").

 

Personally I like it that there's mods that only drop from containers int he void, or as rewards from specific missions, or from specific bosses, but I don't see why there shouldn't be alternative means of getting specific mods (as we already have specific means for corrputed and nightmare mods). The advantage of the system is that you could introduce a new stance mod via the mod synthesis system, and make one of the components for it a fairly rare existing mod. Admittedly, the initial plat trade value of the new stance would be lower than in the current system. However, the plat value of the rare component mod would rise, since there would be a new sink for it. In essence it allows you to create mod sinks (transmute is just not an attractive enough mod sink at the moment), and smooth out the very sharp value spike on freshly released mods.

 

Now, assuming DE adopt this mechanic, or something similar - they could always, if they so wish, release a mod in an entirely "classic" way as they do now, it's entirely up to the content creators!

[Loswaith]

... Also, why would you transmute multiple mods for a single fusion core of the same rank, don't they have same fusion power?

3 mods would have more fusion power than a rank 3 fusion core of the same rarity, if it is a duplicate.  Without matched polarity it would be less points and with a matched polarity would be only slightly less.

 

This is mostly due to fusion cores counting as a matching polarity and growing different in power to other mods (rank 3 fusion cores are also effectively more like 3.5 mods rather than just 3).  They are usually the most expensive in credit cost per mod too.

Edited January 21, 2016 by Loswaith

[Burnthesteak87]

On the first impression I really like this idea. +1

On the second impression I fear what DE could make with it.

Its implications with RNG and "Platinum vs Time" are to be considered.

Edited January 21, 2016 by Burnthesteak87