I think a better idea than power affixes is adding elemental specific affixes that give a unique effect of elemental damage, extending it in one way or another.
For example, a lightning affix could be called “super conductivity”, or a fire one could be called “solar flare”…etc
This REWARDS players for picking a build based on a certain elemental damage, and ENCOURAGES them to seek out items with these elemental affixes that give additional affixes to them. They would be different than legendary affixes which are more SKILL-based affixes.
Wouldn’t it limit builds by type of elemental damage?
I mean, to max out a Sorc i would have to stay fixed to a single element.
Exactly the same way you are saying the current stats fixes you to either Tank, DPS or Support, this would fix my sorc to either Fire, Cold or Electric.
So if I would like to play a hybrid Sorc, my bad, right?
No because it’s not stacking, so one effect for each elemental damage type is possible.
For example we can have lightning damage stuns enemies for x seconds “shock therapy”, then another one for fire burning effect of increasing damage over time “deep burns”. Then you can have another lightning effect called “shockwave” where enemies killed with lightning damage explodes to do aoe dmg, and another fire damage called “arson”, where enemies that are burning can spread to other enemies that make contact with them.
You can choose these effects as build “enhancers” rather than “forcers”. You can choose to have both lightning effects or one fire one lightning, and they will all be “situationally beneficial”, ENCOURAGING build diversity — similar builds may also choose different effects that compliment each other and sync up, or compound the effect. So you have even MORE variety in a particular build type.
And even if it does stack, it doesn’t require you to stack a certain amount to “unlock” an additional modifier, you can simply get a greater effect, but it’s not multiplicative, so having two different effects won’t be less than stacking two of the same.
The whole power affix to “unlock” idea is stupid, imagine when you need 40 to unlock a “power leap” but you only have 39… clumsy design.
And when I say power leap I don’t mean the name of an effect, I’m talking about the design mechanic of a leap in power suddenly, like set bonuses, this would just be another set “step” system but with only 3 options… super lame
I could have one lightning and one fire but if I’m a Lightning Sorceress then my fire skills are too weak to really use anyway.
Just because the option is physically there doesn’t mean it encourages build variety. The choice has to be worth using in the first place.
The reality is that there wont be a system you can design where the mere act of choosing your build automatically chooses a lot about what stats you want, unless you design a stat system where stats simply don’t matter(which I doubt any of us would like).
Yeah but the guy was specifically talking about a multi-elemental sorc. In your case you would obviously choose double lightning. Ultimately, it “enhances” your build.
But I tried to explain also, even if you’re a lightning build, you could stack the same lightning effect, or have multiple different lightning effects… it does add build diversity completely freely.
The same could also be said of the system they have now, though. If I’m using an Angelic build then I have a variety of effects to choose from based on that.
Your system doesn’t really encourage build diversity any more than what the devs have talked about. I’m still limited to a select number of effects based on my initial choice of either being a Lightning Sorceress or going Angelic.
In either system I could equip items with off-element choices, but even in your system it’ll be pretty useless since I wont be using my non-lightning spells on account of the fact that they’ll be too weak.
and there’s nothing about the angelic/demonic/ancestral thing that says hybrid build need to be flat out impossible.
Not to mention that it seems like I’ll be able to choose my power independent of my skill build out. I could be a Lightning Sorceress with any 3 of the powers, while in your build being Lightning automatically chooses my elemental power for me.
No, elemental builds are too specific. The stats should work around a more diverse level of play. You’re thinking too much in the box, akin to a Diablo 3 system. Where things enhance very specific points of play and you end up needing to stack them to be effective.
I think you’re vastly misinterpreting what I’m suggesting. Skills have elemental damage tied to them, you would still build your character around the type of skills you want to use, then add the right elemental effect accordingly. It merely adds a beneficial effect to elemental damage. It only makes sense that you can “customize” your elemental damage in unique ways, on top of your skill effects.