I am aware of that and actually am deliberately leaving it. I actually don't mind Rover. I designed the ability series and like it
Like the Emergency Kit, I don't mind too much if equipment have special "one-off" abilities. I mean, there's basically 2 types of equipment, ones that give existing abilities in some way, and ones that give something that doesn't exist as a champion ability.
I had a follow up to your response to Xirone. Do you see faction strengths and weaknesses changing over time? You mention to not think of factions as in terms of strengths and weaknesses, but then provide a static picture of what specific factions do. For instance in current plans, do you plan on KF staying the "hit and run" faction? Or will it evolve as necessary? My feeling was that each faction had options, but some options were easier to use than others. For example, FW used to only have weird/specialized healing (eg sacrificial dagger). So the faction COULD heal, but it would be harder to accomplish than a faction like FS. Same deal with SL in mobility -- having access to tunnel sand (and grant tunnel sand) gives strong mobility, but again its specialized. Where a faction like KF just has teleport.
I totally understand where @Sokolov is coming from and honestly that's how I have always thought about faction identity. The question I have for you Sok is, "Do we really need faction bonuses?" I think some people associate "Faction Bonus" with "Faction Identity" and frankly I think they are two different things. I think eliminating bonuses eliminates some stress and criticism on the designers and they don't have to worry about creating champions that will benefit from extra stats such as the +1SPD (KF), +X DMG (UD), +10HP (ST), and+2 DEF (SL). It would put every champion on the same slate. -KF could still be designed with Range and Speed in mind. (Of course this doesn't always have to be the case) -IS can still be designed with Healing and High Def stat champions. -UD can still be designed with high DMG etc. -And so on and so forth You see if they lose the bonuses that doesn't mean they lose their identity. Thoughts?
I think basically what you see now is kind of the way it is. I don't really see the faction bonus as separate from the champions themselves. In some ways, yes, it would be easier if the bonuses were removed and the properties of the bonuses more inherently combined into the runes, but that's quite a bit of an overhaul. But yea, right now, when there is a 5 SPD KF champ, I don't see it as a 5 SPD, it is a 6 SPD champion - because that's how it's going to be when played.
Ok so what your saying is if it were up to you, the bonuses would be gone too BUT, it would cost too much time and resources for too little reward. That's totally understandable.
I also see the omission of certain abilities to be flavorful as well. Currently IMO I think ST should not have homing sense, leech vitality, life siphon, balance, trickster, and 8 spd champs with range as these abilities belong to other factions which make them distinct. Just as well I do not want to see factions freezing, slowing, frosting, shrouding, majestic, fascinating and a lot of major AOE spells. As an ST player I am okay with a faction with no way to heal other than maybe ice eater and acolyte now that it has been tamed down. FW should never had gotten a DMG AOE other than AOE summoning stuff IMO, or fascinate and should never get cleanse or healing. UD should have the prominent force in absorb arrow and arrow eater. KF has the range and spd domination, SL being the tough as nails and the relic equip faction and so forth. You can have new abilities or combine core or same abilities of that faction to make the synergy better which can create different roles in themselves. How ever I do believe there are certain Poxnora Core abilities like shatter, detect and shattered summons needs to be in all factions.
Faction flavor no longer exists...most factions have strong healing ( other than ud), good utility ( other than ud ), good ranged units ( other than ud), cleanse ( other than ud), tanks ( other than ud), and high melee damage. Games a gd unbalanced mess and faction doesnt matter anymore. All have counterspells and lots of other crap ( mostly other than ud )....devs need to get their crap together
