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B9000 -> RE: Zooka and Gun Enhancements (4/21/2011 12:27:59)
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Well, I'm not surprised by this upcoming change, though I can hardly say it makes any sense to me from a balance POV. Just ask yourself if the gap between non-v/var is: too small, too large, or just right? If you answered anything but 'too small' then introducing a game mechanism which will increase it, even IF by a single point, creates MORE balance problems. I have large doubts that F2Pers will be able to enhance the same number of stats for guns and auxs as varium players, whether limited by the cost or by the number of slots per weapon. Why increase these slots at all, let alone before allowing non varium players to have weapons of equal level?
As I've said many times before, the varium advantage could possibly be reasonably balanced if the non varium players recieved their weapons at the same time, with the advantage being the extra stats given due to the varium cost. It seems though that the MO is to not only give extra stats per level but make the non-varium players wait 4-6+ months to even recieve equipement of the same level, which by then the varium players are about ready to recive the next level weaponry.
For those who haven't noticed:
Non variums still haven't received a lvl 32 energy aux, and the phys aux is mostly unusable due to its strength stat req, yet they are to go up against lvl 33 auxs that have +4 damage and +8 stats over the graphite gun, if they were lucky enough to be around to get when it was released 7.5 months ago. The first varium level 32 guns were released 4.5 months ago, still nothing on the non varium front (and 10.5 months since the last max level non-v energy gun was released: hypertalon).
Now many varium players might not care about the balance, and that's fine too. Just realize every time they add enhancement slots, it becomes more prohibitive for you to experiment with different builds and weapons. Once you enhance, you must continue to enhance to even maintain your current power. So as far as variety is concerned, if you have a str build you will have a certain primary, armor and gun. Now to have fun and try a support build, you may need to buy a new armor/primary and gun and enhance all of them. It may cost 7k+ varium just to switch builds on the same level, just for variety, without increasing your power at all. Even if you have already purchased the other equipment, every time you wanna switch to another sidearm you haven't yet enhanced, now you will need to do so or lose stats. This doesn't sound like opportunity or power to me, this sounds like restriction, if you are on any kind of a budget.
Even with reduced cost for credit enhancements, the enhancement economy for most players, varium and non varium alike is becoming a budget sinkhole. There NEEDS to be some way to recuperate the cost of enhancements either through un-enhancing or by upping the sale value of enhanced items.
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