What I think DE can learn from games like Path of Exile

[Roujou]

I'd like to start this thread by stating that I'm not someone who likes the idea of transforming Warframe into something it shouldn't be - However, I'm not opposed to taking parts of other games that can easily fit into the development of a game, tweaking them, and putting them in.

I feel that there are two features that PoE has that Warframe can use in relation to mods and end-game character balance, but since they both solve the same (potential) problem, I'd recommend choosing one.

(A) Make mods have an 'Item level' (ilvl) of sorts depending on the level of the mod that dropped them - For example, you can get a level 30 mod now from a level 40 mob, and it will be the same as getting a level 30 mod from a level 30 mob. I believe that with end-game scaling the way it is, DE should make mods stack only additively, and let level 40 mobs drop an ilvl 40 mod with higher stats than the ilvl 30 mob, that would, of course, be equippable by level 30 warframes/weapons. This would encourage not only farming the most difficult missions that a player can handle, but would also allow room for expanding the game's end-game content without the need to re-balance mods.

(B) Make mods have levels of their own (Like PoE's skill gems). You could split the mods into different categories of lesser, average, greater, and maybe greatest (depending on how much variety you want), and give those categories base values of their own. (EDIT) For example, instead of having different rarities on the mods with white, green, and blue, you could make white the Lesser mod, give it a base and scaling value, and make it drop from, say, level 1-10 mobs (Much like runes in League of Legends). Then, you could allow those mods to level up independently of the Warframe or weapon they're in, and cap at a certain level (probably 30). This would encourage hard work in getting your character truely optimized, and if you gave the new mod tiers consistent base values and scaling values, would also erase the dissappointment of getting a below-average value on a mod that you sorely wanted to boost your arsenal.

Of these two options, I personally believe option A to be more viable and to solve more problems, but obviously I can see the appeal to B as well. There's also a way in which these two mechanics can be implemented together, but as I stated before, I wouldn't recommend it.

Thank you for reading my wall of text.

Edited February 5, 2013 by Roujou

[LudePanda]

A seems far more practical, that and it seems like it would be a great way to push us to play lvl 30+ missions, because right now there is really no point.

also the mods are already split up into categories (White,Green,Blue) so B is already kinda there, just without the leveling, witch IMO would be a little to tedious.

[Labcat]

PoE skillgems are skills, not modifications., that for alternative b.

Alternative a: When the levelcap becomes 48, The highest item will be level 48, as the highest mob. the itemlevels are good as they are currently. And we have itemranks, white, green, blue. And in the same level, they have stats compareable to colour.

[Namacyst]

Just because one game does it "so and so" does not mean every game needs to do it the same way. Sure... the skillgem and itemlevel is good in PoE but that does not mean it's good for a totally different game like Warframe also. DE has to look for beneficial features for their game type and not randomly take features from other games because they are cool.

[Strac_CRO]

I have a headache from your suggestion, thanks

[Roujou]

Edited option B for clarification - it was late when I made the post, so I may come back and tweak the post a bit more to clarify things.

[Roujou]

Alternative a: When the levelcap becomes 48, The highest item will be level 48, as the highest mob.

What?

[Roujou]

Just because one game does it "so and so" does not mean every game needs to do it the same way. Sure... the skillgem and itemlevel is good in PoE but that does not mean it's good for a totally different game like Warframe also. DE has to look for beneficial features for their game type and not randomly take features from other games because they are cool.

I'd like to start this thread by stating that I'm not someone who likes the idea of transforming Warframe into something it shouldn't be - However, I'm not opposed to taking parts of other games that can easily fit into the development of a game, tweaking them, and putting them in.

^

Option A would fit just fine into Warframe without any fuss, and would allow for expansion later. all DE would have to do is make sure that if they expand the level cap for Warframes and weapons, that they make the ilvl of the mods the true level of the mod.

Example: an ilvl 40 mod would be equippable by level 30s, but if they increase the level cap, they'd just have to make the ilvl 40 mod equippable by either the new cap level, or level 40s (depending on how high the new level cap goes).

Edited February 5, 2013 by Roujou