Vypie
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Having Elemental damage/resistance is a mistake for this type of game (MMO).
I bothers me so much when new games try to replicate this system from old games just because it used to be a thing, without thinking about the problems it would bring. It's a half-assed attempt at adding depth.
For example, 'World of Warcraft' also used elemental resistances in the past, but they realized that not only it was not fun, it was a bad system.
It's incredible how many games try to copy something from the old 'WoW' to their MMOs, thinking it's what you should do to be just as successful. But since then, the 'WoW' developers learned so much and got rid of what didn't function well.
Talent-trees are another thing many developers try to include in their new games, just because that's what was done back then. That too was reworked by the 'WoW' developers. It was an old system from when things and ideas were still being experimented.
Why elemental damage/resistance would not work for THIS game:
-When the answer to beating an enemy is having the right elemental stats, the focus is put out of the skills and strategy/gameplay. It should be about how the skills function and how to react to the monster's skills, rather than just FLAT stats.
-Farming for too many sets of items is a problem. And every time the level cap goes up and new content is added, all those sets become obsolete. Even if they are still used, there's the problem that you are only using an item 5% of the time.
-If elements come from "enhancements" that you can put on a single set, then you will be constantly farming for the materials back and forth to have an edge. But if the elements are made swapable at will without the need to re-enhance all the time, they why do you even have that system in the first place?
If you just swapped your resistances for every monster you would fight, not only it would be tedious to do, but the whole system would cancel itself out.
-If classes have elemental attacks or defenses, then choosing a class for a fight is brainless. Instead of choosing based on the skills and synergy, you wouldn't need to think twice. How fun would it be, really? "Undead boss! Everyone swap to holy damage class!"
-And if you made the fights hard enough to REQUIRE those elemental stats/classes, that would just put all other options out of the picture. But if easy enough so it wasn't required, players would ignore it.
-It doesn't add fun or depth. You just add numeric values and ZERO gameplay substance. Fights still play the same way, or EVEN LESS if you can just ignore elemental attacks, rather than reacting or avoiding monster abilities.
Where does it work, though?:
-In games where you control a multitude of characters, each with different elements. The opponent will likely have different elements as well, so it's not just "Water vs Fire". It's "Water/Earth/Dark vs "Fire/Ice/Lightning", and you have to balance out utility skills with elemental power to win.
-For example, some of these games include FinalFantasy, Pokemon.
-In MMOs you only play with only one character. Imagine playing Pokemon, but only 1 vs 1 fight. Guess who wins?
It's a better option if they use their resources/time to instead improve combat/gameplay in general.
< Message edited by Vypie -- 8/6/2017 9:24:43 >
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