Hybrid Items
The idea generally being a way to add more complex build crafting to enable characters that require multiple vectors/avenues to have an impact, but disabling the abuse of that complexity. (Some characters can really get away with going only gun or only spirit. Some can't. Or at least, some shouldn't be able too.)
This methodology could also have the effect of reinforcing spirit only or gun only builds. If I'm restricted to buy only purples to get a specific and very strong purple item for x character, then i might just buy niche items like magic carpet and find a way to make it work later(or other various less bought items).
The Bebop Problem
His builds right now require roughly 70% commitment to one branch and 30% to another(The 30% basically always being green). Too much spirit and his gun is literally useless. Too much gun and his bombs and ult may as well be unbound from your key-binds. He almost never gets to use his full kit. This is the crux of my issue.
With hybrid items you could build a Bebop that may be squishy but able to meaningfully use everything — bombs, gun, ult — without making him broken, because the threshold restrictions keep it honest(As honest as a bebop can be. #Lash).
I understand valve likes to work this game like a sandbox, so handcrafting archetypes might not be something they are very interested in. But I think the concept I'm trying to hit at could help balance nightmares like bebop.
I see holes in it,(The more I think about it, the bigger the holes get) but I think the core concept is worth the conversation.
Hybrid Example (tailored to bebop) -
Gun/Spirit item:
Shoot a target to build up stacks, when stacks reach max, proc effect.
Effect: disables the ability to block damage from an imbued ability for a small(skillful) window. (you see where this is going).
The proc would be damage based so if you aren't building hybrid then you will never do enough gun damage to proc the item, but if you build only gun damage then proc'ing the item is useless anyways.
Frankly you don't need to make it have that effect, but the act of getting the left click and abilities to work in harmony is the goal.
Last thing, I'm aware people will make comments about not needing any more items in this game because of x y z bloat issue. Honestly, I think this game could use more, and so far Deadlock has done nothing but push expectations/boundaries on what was thought possible or acceptable. Also, I think learning about more items is relatively easy compared to all the other things you need to learn in this game as a beginner. The real challenge is balancing it all. Mad respect to our Deadlock dev team.
(I posted this in the reddit, but a friend mentioned the forums was a better idea for actual idea propagation, so I copied and pasted what I had on there. That last paragraph is an obvious meant for reddit type of precautionary point. I hope that's alright.)
- Require you to have met a certain investment threshold in specific categories to enable the effects of the item(Maybe not the basic effects, but the core effects)
- If you have a green/purple hybrid 3200 item, it splits the investment deposit depending on how you(the devs) want to distribute its strength. So it could be 1600 in green and 1600 in purple (or even less if that's part of the balance they want to effect)
- Eligibility cuts both ways: you might need enough investment in one category while being locked out if you've invested too much in another
- Perhaps you can limit the amount of hybrid items one can buy to two or three. This is to stop someone from building only hybrid items (assuming there are enough of them to do so) which would obviously be a boon if they could.
- Trinity items? An item that requires an investment threshold be met in all three categories?
The idea generally being a way to add more complex build crafting to enable characters that require multiple vectors/avenues to have an impact, but disabling the abuse of that complexity. (Some characters can really get away with going only gun or only spirit. Some can't. Or at least, some shouldn't be able too.)
This methodology could also have the effect of reinforcing spirit only or gun only builds. If I'm restricted to buy only purples to get a specific and very strong purple item for x character, then i might just buy niche items like magic carpet and find a way to make it work later(or other various less bought items).
The Bebop Problem
His builds right now require roughly 70% commitment to one branch and 30% to another(The 30% basically always being green). Too much spirit and his gun is literally useless. Too much gun and his bombs and ult may as well be unbound from your key-binds. He almost never gets to use his full kit. This is the crux of my issue.
With hybrid items you could build a Bebop that may be squishy but able to meaningfully use everything — bombs, gun, ult — without making him broken, because the threshold restrictions keep it honest(As honest as a bebop can be. #Lash).
I understand valve likes to work this game like a sandbox, so handcrafting archetypes might not be something they are very interested in. But I think the concept I'm trying to hit at could help balance nightmares like bebop.
I see holes in it,(The more I think about it, the bigger the holes get) but I think the core concept is worth the conversation.
Hybrid Example (tailored to bebop) -
Gun/Spirit item:
Shoot a target to build up stacks, when stacks reach max, proc effect.
Effect: disables the ability to block damage from an imbued ability for a small(skillful) window. (you see where this is going).
The proc would be damage based so if you aren't building hybrid then you will never do enough gun damage to proc the item, but if you build only gun damage then proc'ing the item is useless anyways.
Frankly you don't need to make it have that effect, but the act of getting the left click and abilities to work in harmony is the goal.
Last thing, I'm aware people will make comments about not needing any more items in this game because of x y z bloat issue. Honestly, I think this game could use more, and so far Deadlock has done nothing but push expectations/boundaries on what was thought possible or acceptable. Also, I think learning about more items is relatively easy compared to all the other things you need to learn in this game as a beginner. The real challenge is balancing it all. Mad respect to our Deadlock dev team.
(I posted this in the reddit, but a friend mentioned the forums was a better idea for actual idea propagation, so I copied and pasted what I had on there. That last paragraph is an obvious meant for reddit type of precautionary point. I hope that's alright.)