What's the point in using profiles? [ Edited ]

[Zygon]

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@zoompooky wrote:

Cooldowns aren't the real issue it's the poor design. Having to stop everything to switch "profiles" is silly.

The real solution:

1) Drop consumables off the wheel and into a menu. 

2) Use the top half of the wheel for weapons, and the bottom half for skills.

3) (Optionally) Swap the "scan" and "wheel" buttons on the controller.

This makes so much more sense, and is more fluid during combat.  They could still have "profiles" if they wanted, where you could save your hotkey 3-skills and which 6 (8?) went on the wheel.

I take no credit for the above suggestion - I've simply played all the previous Mass Effects where they used THIS EXACT SETUP.

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Oh hang on, when using a controller do you actually have to switch profiles through a menu or something? I'm using a mouse and keyboard so switching profiles is as simple as F1-F4, without the cooldown I could just switch em on the fly easily.  I actually rarely find myself using the weapon/consumables wheel at all, probably have tons of elemental ammo building up.

[PretzleMe]

From what I can tell, us controller users can't switch profiles with just a button or buttons.  But just switching favorites recently to try it out, I have to say the cooldown is a big deal to me.

But even better (worse) the powers like Annihilation and Remnant VI turn off if you switch favorites.  Sustained powers like that shouldn't turn off.

It's like they were trying to come up with a way to make the player open and fluid and ended up creating a system that promotes the complete opposite of that.

The only powers that should be in cooldown when you switch are ones you just used and would still be in cooldown even if you hadn't switched.

I'll give switching profiles a go next but as things stand, I don't see a point with that either just because the point distribution thing.  Only one profile will likely be maxed as high as I can get it based on the points I have while the others will be at a lower rank.

[zeypherIN]

I rather they just give me my 8 skill slots from get go instead of the 3x4 system we have. All it means is i have lost 5 skill slots as switching is unnecessary and cumbersome. Just give us the options to have 8 skill slots like we did in the earlier 3 games. If this the future they want to continue with of 3x4 system then im not interested and not even going to bother with dlc as it really hampers combat. What is the point of 20 abilities when one can only use 3, the entire levelling system in that regards and the freedom of choice is completely broken. 

If this is the best they can do then please just go back to classes, if you want a classless system then do not bloody murder it with 3 power system. Thats your MP system so just keep it there and not shove it down our throats. So please for the love of god just give us our 8 skill slots back. Keep the passive profile bonuses but get rid of the 3x4 system you have.

What is even worse is if you want to use the Turret or the VI they have to be on your active skill selection. If you change to a setup that doesn't have them they disappear. Meaning if one wants to use both of them then the player has a grand total of 1 slot available per favourites menu. Thats a messed up system, get rid of it and just give us the skill slots 8-12 of em from get go.

[zoompooky]

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@Zygon wrote:

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zoompooky wrote: {snipped}

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Oh hang on, when using a controller do you actually have to switch profiles through a menu or something? I'm using a mouse and keyboard so switching profiles is as simple as F1-F4, without the cooldown I could just switch em on the fly easily.  I actually rarely find myself using the weapon/consumables wheel at all, probably have tons of elemental ammo building up.

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Yeah.  On the xbox for example, the fastest "shortcut" method to switch profiles is to press "back" to bring up the wheel, then "x" to bring up the favorites.  You then choose one with the d-pad and press A.

If you just want to change a profile not a favorite, that's "Start" -> Profiles -> Choose -> "A".

So on consoles, we're already having to pause and go into menus to change things - having the ability to put skills on the wheel would actually make things more fluid for us in addition to giving us more options in combat.

I'd wager that most folks on consoles just pick their favorite 2-3 skills and use them throughout gameplay.

[Nykara360]

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@NueeArdente wrote:

They wanted an open character design with lots of options but the limiting factor they built in was they wanted to make it so it was controller friendly I suspect.

This of course negates all the advantages that a PC has over a controller which are multiple keybinds which bites for PC users as that is one of the key reasons to play on a PC over a consol. 

Ditto for the TEXT option in multiplayer being gone.  That also bites.  But then console users don't type.  So  you can't tell the fool who is chomping and grunting with an open mic to turn the darn thing off. (seriously he didn't say one word just disgusting noises all match long till I figured out how to mute him.)

The only advantage I can see to profiles is swapping them out according to enemy type.  Some are more resistant to biotics than others for example.  First Architect I encountered taught me my adept needed something else going on for that fight.  So perhaps you make a profile specifically for that situation.

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Controller shouldn't limit options as much as MEA is limited.

DAI let you have upto 8 skills equipped at once, MEA has a measly 3.

A simple button push in DAI let you swap between the first 4 skills and the second it took no time at all making all 8 perfectly viable in combat. This limited to three skills thing is annoyingly restrictive.

[PandaTar]

Is it not possible assigning pressing 2 buttons at once for additional functions? 2 buttons on the control pad like we did in some fighting games, for example? I concur this 3-power-assignment setting is things too flat, making all the other related mechanics poorly presented/explored as well.

[Kaddris]

I have never once switched profiles.  After looking at the mechanics involved, it's mildly interesting to 'unlock' profile options, but nothing more.

As a soldier, I use concussive shot, shockwave, and lance.  That's it.  I developed singularity for use later in the game.  Can kill everything with no problems.  Some things can be bullet sponges, but that comes down to weapon selection, not skill use.  If I ever need to, I've already unlocked all of the profiles anyway.

The real trick is bringing the right team with you.  Fighting worms?  Leave Drack on the ship and bring Liam, and that sort of thing.  I'm only playing on normal settings.  Maybe playing on harder settings would make it matter more, but for the most part it's no challenge at all downing groups of enemies while hardly even getting hit.

[Kaddris]

Cross-platform game design is the worst in general.  Give me an old fashioned PC game any day, and hundreds of key binds.  Reducing the number of inputs to console controllers without adding nested menus is impossible, so the game is click-click-click a lot of the time while going through menus.

[Nykara360]

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@PandaTar wrote:

Is it not possible assigning pressing 2 buttons at once for additional functions? 2 buttons on the control pad like we did in some fighting games, for example? I concur this 3-power-assignment setting is things too flat, making all the other related mechanics poorly presented/explored as well.

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Why the combats set up like it is I have no idea tbh.

Its pretty bad on a controller.

It already takes a duel button push to activate the middle skill, I think because of the jump jet. 

The jumpjet alone takes up three buttons (jump, dash mid jump and hover). Then melee attack is perm assigned to a button. Your weapon to another, reload another. The jump jet being per assigned to combat keys and required has restricted console combat a lot.

They could have added a couple more duel button presses but i think people would end up complaining, if they don't hit both right , they will end up jumping or dashing out of cover instead of using a skill.

[PretzleMe]

Oh it absolutely is.  The game controls they had for Dragon Age Inquisition were too limited for me (missing some functions altogether) so I created controller profiles that could do everything that a keyboard could do for that game.

So it is very possible.  In fact, even Inquisition's default controller scheme allowed for more abilities at once than this does if memory serves.

But I really think they kept it to 3 because they wanted people to at least be switching between 2 profiles and or 2 favorite power sets so they figured 3 would be fine.

The limitations they added were a natural reaction as they likely felt like they had to put something as a limitation but I feel like this was an overreaction and defeated the purpose of what would be a very interesting aspect of this game.

I'd even settle for being able to upgrade my connection with SAM by unlocking memories with the end result being that there is no cooldown time when switching favorites or profiles.