Upgrades and ranks

[Iron_Guard8]

So this morning I've been pondering the upgrade system, especially after @Splash_damage (it won't link properly for whatever reason) mentioned that the upgrades unlock with ranks and that this puts a new player at a disadvantage.

One of many issues with Overwatch is that every character is the same as every other version of that character, i.e. every WIdowmaker has the exact same kit and stats as every other Widowmaker. In Paladins you get 15 points in cards and must use 5 different cards in your build, and a max of 5 in one card, so you can't max out all of them and have to build around a playstyle. You can also save several loadouts so you can tune your build for the match to the composition of both teams. An important note here is that once a match starts in Paladins you cannot change character or build, but you do have an ingame store to buy buffs for the match, you also choose one legendary (old name) card to use for the match that alters something about your character in a powerful way. This gives you a ton of options between the 3 things and with some issues like cauterize is super powerful when you rank it up in the store, it's a good system.

I like the idea of the upgrades here, that they all have different weights (costs), so that you can't stack up a ton of super good abilities. Unlocking them is fun too but one thing that stands out, is that almost all the super powerful ones are at top ranks, giving long term players a big advantage over new ones. The starting upgrades are mostly passable and nothing amazing, and most new people are going to grab level up for obvious reasons, but when you max a character, you won't need to use it and have not only all the upgrades, but those 3 slots in your build as well. Now, a new player doesn't have to take level up, but it stands to reason you would.

With the current system, veteran players have a large advantage over new ones, especially at max rank. And again Splash and I are in agreement that this can cause serious issues when new players get stomped by long term players, maybe for skill disparity, but it can also be simply that the veteran has so many powerful abilities they can choose from in their build. I admit that without completely redoing the upgrade system or shuffling it around, I'm not sure how to address this, but it could drive new players away. No one likes getting pub stomped and being the pub stomper isn't much better.

[spIash_damage]

Soooo many people also don’t know that upgrades even exist when they first play.  Walking around with literally zero upgrades facing people with hundreds of hours experience, map knowledge, and maxed out upgrades?

I wouldn’t expect many newcomers after 6-9 months of launch (majority of people become max rank).

Nice post.

EDIT: You can’t mention me because the”L” in my name is a capital i, if I remember correctly (can’t tell on this phone).  SpLash damage was taken in EA forums when I created my account ... I checked that no posts were made by that account in the PvZ forums.  Since there wasn’t, I made this account so that it would be the “same” EA name as my PSN Username and people could find me in game.  Hope that makes sense; I feel like Dr. Seuss.

[arit0824]

I agree with your post. There’s a similar game that has the upgrades as well, but this game has huge focus on rank, meaning new players play with new players and veterans play with veterans. Since BfN allows all players to play together, new players or young children will feel disinterested in the game, because they are being stomped at all the time. PvP but with an enemy AI team might be more suitable for a younger audience, as many young children don’t like dying a bunch of times. I think earning powerful abilities the more you play that character isn’t a good idea, especially if all players could play together and if the game is looking towards a more fair competitive play style. The game is fantastic at getting a wide-array of audiences by its art style and competitive nature. I do like promoting and feeling like I’m getting better at a character by skill, but maybe the reward should be coins and the higher up you go to almost master, you get a tiny bit of rainbow stars or something.

[newbebop]

@spIash_damage Honestly I expect a hefty influx of new players at the 9-12 month range. If they do what is typical for EA (on xbox anyway) the game will start showing up for $6.50-$7.50 on sale. This usually sees a certain amount of new players. Whether they stick around to level up is another matter entirely.

[spIash_damage]

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@newbebop wrote:
@spIash_damageHonestly I expect a hefty influx of new players at the 9-12 month range. If they do what is typical for EA (on xbox anyway) the game will start showing up for $6.50-$7.50 on sale. This usually sees a certain amount of new players. Whether they stick around to level up is another matter entirely.

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LoL... let me rephrase.  🤪

I don’t believe any newcomers will stick around long when that time comes.

[newbebop]

@spIash_damage Maybe, although perhaps the relatively small amount of effort (compared to GW2) to fully level every character will be helpful. A determined player can fully level a character in about 10 hours. If they stick around long enough to figure that out, I think they'll be hooked.

[spIash_damage]

@newbebop Cheers, amigo!  Here’s to hoping!

[Fiky39]

Sorry for off topic but do you guys, @spIash_damage , @Iron_Guard8  and @newbebop participate on reddit sub for this game because there is missing someone who expose his thoughts with right argument and don't spit fire in face because od disagreement!

Do you here maybe because, apparently, EA staff obviously read posts and react on them or something else...?

[newbebop]

@Fiky39 Sorry, but I keep away from reddit.

[Fiky39]

@newbebop I can understand you!