COMBAT SKILLS | Suggestions on how to make them
Phew, finally. :eahigh_file:
Here, I have explained a view I would like to share regarding how profiles would exist in game: not only combat based. But taking what we currently have for now, combat-based skills resume Ryder's life as we know (which means I'm mainly talking about Single Player here). They are classified by ACTIVE and PASSIVE, spread among 3 natures: combat, biotic and tech.
The premise for our current options revolve from the fact that everything we have is already known, coming from MW. However, there's the potential of developing new skills in their new reality. This is little explored, although not entirely ignored. There's 1 skill in your TECH TREE that unlocks due your new reality. But I believe there's space for more and I would also suggest it even for a patch or DLC, depending on the mechanics involved.
I'll transcribe things based on my taste and point of view, although anyone is free and welcome to share and comment on your own views and expose your own suggestions, of course.
But first, let's have a list of known skills that didn't make it to Andromeda, the way they were:
- ADRENALINE RUSH – now a Profile bonus
- AI HACKING | SABOTAGE
- <ATTRIBUTE> AMMO – now consumables
- BIOTIC PROTECTOR – seems to be the base for Backlash concept
- DOMINATE
- CARNAGE
- COMBAT | DEFENSE DRONE – now a Profile bonus
- DARK CHANNEL – feels like it was the base for the Invasion idea
- DECOY
- DEFENSE MATRIX
- FIRST AID | UNITY
- FLARE
- FLASHBANG GRENADE
- FORTIFICATION
- GETH SHIELD BOOST – understandably why
- INFERNO GRENADE | FRAG GRENADE | CLUSTER GRENADE - now a part of the Omni Grenade effect
- LASH
- LIFT GRENADE
- NEURAL SHOCK
- SHADOW STRIKE – Jaal got that now
- SLAM
- STASIS
- TECH ARMOR
- WARP – had the weakening property used by other skills
I'll basically suggest the starting point of these trees and then the new skills added after you acquire new experiences, technologies and data from your new reality.
COMBAT TREE | physical, strategy, weaponry, military
<<STARTING SKILLS>>
POWERS
- CARNAGE: instant non-homing projectile (view to shoot), greater damage against organics, scalating accordingly to body mass, which considers 1 single big fiend or grouped organics. It's less effective against small and medium-sized solitary targets.
- CONCUSSIVE SHOT: homing projectile, mild damage with knocking back effect and can cause critical damage on armor. Can target ground.
- FLAK CANNON
- GRENADE
STRATEGY | SUPPORT
- BARRICADE
- TURBO CHARGE
WEAPONRY
- ASSAULT RIFLE
- HANDGUN
- SHOTGUN
- SNIPER RIFLE
PASSIVE
- FITNESS
- TOOLS
<<ANDROMEDA SKILLS>>
POWERS
- RUSH => Ryder learns this as he plays with Drack on his side more often than not, and adapts his own version of a Krogan rush. Effects: rampages from one point to another, inflicting mild damage and pushing light targets aside in Ryder's path. The momentum doesn't allow Ryder to make sudden turns while rushing, not suddenly stop, making him rather vulnerable when Rush is cancelled. The speed is 20% the regular running speed, and other powers can be activated while in motion, or even melee strikes can be performed on passing targets. Heavy damage, large enemies or great obstacle will stop Ryder on his tracks.
- TRAP: sets a buried trap that will entangle and immobilize a foe, depending on its strength, for a little while. Traps can be augmented by consumables.
SUPPORT
- TACTICAL FORMATION => Ryder is not initially a leader. Battle experience and social behavior slowly makes him reliable, enough for his crew mates allow him to direct orders upon their actions, more directly than just sending them around. Effects: allows Ryder to give direct orders of limited power usage to his squadmates. It takes 1-2 seconds of animation of 'sending orders' (a hand gesture, a nod or a short bark "Do it!"), by then Ryder's squad will execute given orders. One power from each companion is set with this skill to be used.
- SMOKE SCREEN => after fighting enough times enemies such as the Kett Destined, this tecnology is researched to help you as well. Effects: detonates a screen of smoke that will make it hard to target properly through it (both ways). The smoke screen can be ignited, though, so it can also be used as an offensive ability.
WEAPONRY
- AUGMENTED GRENADE: allows the use of consumables on your grenades, applying additional effect from the consumables on grenades.
PASSIVE
- FORTIFICATION: makes Ryder sturdier, less prone to interruptions, ignoring minor damage, also absorbing damage taken and distributing all over the body, making shields last longer and maintaining better functions when using other abilities.
- BLADE DANCE: allows melee attacks connecting in succession, building momentum for stronger finishers or imbuing primers for following detonations. Each melee weapon has a different 'dance'.
- ADAPTATION => triggers in conjunction with Lexi's knowledge of your routine and human physical capabilities, if your character visits her much and reports your experiences and hardship. Effects: improves Ryder raw HP, storm speed and melee power.
- MODCRAFTING => triggers after Ryder comes across many sets of mods and starts researching your own, and when there's a greater knowledge of many different weapons (including experience at using them), and Vetra also improve the quality with her own knowledge of black market stuff. Effects: allows crafting and researching your own mods, sometimes combining effects or/and refining consumables when used.
*BACKSTAB: a conditional power, if Ryder gets behind a target at close range without being noticed, it prompts a backstab. Let's presume these conditional powers would trigger the Action event similar to those we have in conversations.
BIOTIC TREE | combos, kinetic, physical and movement
It was only late in M2 and M3 that I really started understanding and enjoying playing with biotics. Harnessing biotics and making combos with it is a must and part of the fun, when it enhances your physical prowess with energy alone. That's the tad magician we hope for the game, disguised by a high-tech vibe; and I'm ok with that.
<<STARTING SKILLS>>
BIOTIC POWERS
- CHARGE
- NOVA
- DOMINATE => it concentrates pull, throw and slam into one skill, by tweaking timing or pressing the action button, completely dominating and manipulating a target. Effects: can either push a target, makes it levitate or pulls towards Ryder. If Ryder jumps on a levitating target, he'll will slam the target down detonating current combos AND priming for a next attack.
- SHOCKWAVE
- SINGULARITY
SUPPORT
- BACKLASH
- ANNIHILATION
WEAPONRY
- WARP COATING: augments ammo and melee weapon with a biotic charge. Constant hitting a target will build an increasing weakening effect, increasing damage from all sources. Non armored or shielded targets can be primed by constant hits from warped ammo.
PASSIVE
- CONTAINMENT
- OFFENSIVE BIOTICS
<<ANDROMEDA SKILLS>>
BIOTIC POWERS
- LANCE
SUPPORT
- STASIS: sets a small area, completely freezing targets in place, or heavily slowly them and any projectile on that area.
- TETHER: tethers Ryder and a target, which can maintain the link if not too far apart. When linked to a friendly target, it'll boost both of their speed and movement prowess. They'll also share a unique shield channeled between them protecting the one that's being shot in prior the other that's not being targeted. It can remotely revive a fallen ally. If tethered to an enemy, enemy will be locked to Ryder, will be slowed, primed, weakened. Any biotic power used by Ryder on a tethered enemy have increased effects.
WEAPONRY
----
PASSIVE
- BIOTIC LAYERING: layer priming biotics one over the other, multiplying destructive and collapsing potential of detonation combos.
- ANGARA LIFE SUPPORT: by studying Angara's structures, an improved life support is created, recovering more base health and even under attack a very slow and constant recovery is always under effect.
* FLARE: this power would be a conditional skill, only when there's a target too much primed with energy (layered), only needing a critical trigger to set the strongest and deadliest biotic detonation. Visually, when a target was primed for a Flare Detonation, you would have an indicator.
TECH TREE | strategic, tech, gadget, stealth and combat
<<STARTING SKILLS>>
TECH POWERS
- CRYO BEAM
- ENERGY DRAIN
- INCINERATE => would have Flamethrower adjusted as a secondary effect, just by holding the button, instead of considering it a completely different skill.
- OVERLOAD
SUPPORT
- ASSAULT TURRET
- SABOTAGE => make invasion and sabotage work similarly. Effects: disrupts enemy techs and weapons, making them unable to use their weapons properly and weakening their life support. It doesn't work on wild fiends or targets who are not dependable on tech.
- TACTICAL CLOAK
WEAPONRY
-----
PASSIVE
- OFFENSIVE TECH
- TEAM SUPPORT
<<ANDROMEDA SKILLS>>
TECH POWERS
- REMNANT VI => the way it works now, and from where I got the feeling that there was so much potential upon Skills adaptation from your actual experience before the unknown as you get to learn your way into this new reality.
- NEURAL SHOCK => as you get to scan and know which enemies you have, an efficient neural affecting skill can be designed and used in field. Effects: renders organic lifeforms unable to act, move and react properly due excruciating pain and confusion. The more data you have of your targets, the stronger the effects will be.
SUPPORT
- SURVEY DRONE: creates a small drone that can scout ahead an area and give an overall chart, and it can also open simple locks and chests. It cannot go too far from Ryder, for it needs a constant feeding connecting from his omnitool. It scoops up to 2 materials (only salvage), before having to get back to Ryder.
- AI HACKING => as you understand more and more the technologies around you, you can start hacking and taking control over them remotely. Effects: upon remnants and kett towers, they'll turn against their counterparts for a little while, until their controls are overridden.
WEAPONRY
-----
PASSIVE | OTHER
- TECH ARMOR => differently from the other games, Tech Armor would be tinkering with mods for armor, giving it a small set of utilities when equipped. Effects: allows crafting and researching mods for armor to be equipped: 1 helmet, 2 chest (shoulder and chest), 1 arm, 1 legs. For example, helmet mods would allow different interface, radar, heat signature etc. Shoulder mods would enhanced homing capabilities, better illumination.
- DEFENSE MATRIX => when having allied drones and autobots around, positioning Ryder amidst them grants constant rescaling and energizing of their shields, and their remote maintenance. Effects: maintain shields and improve overal output damage from all Ryder's controlled bots nearby his position. Synergy between Ryder and his drones allow them to transfer their shield to him if his shield is depleted when and his drones are not under attack.
*KAMIKAZE: conditional skill, making drones destroy themselves against targets when they run too low on health and cannot retreat to recover or replenish its shields.
ULTIMATE SKILLS
Don't really fancy the blase feeling the name "ultimate" has, but that's only to illustrate the idea. These Ultimate Skills are not entirely classified by any of the three skill trees alone. They are a combined effect of those, plainly designed and they grow in strength based on the synergy from other skills, passives and profiles. They are unlocked after you have accomplished, scanned, killed, experienced some unique settings throughout the cluster and evolved certain skills that fit a further development. The idea behind this feature is allowing some skills to be cast simultaneously when they seem fit, helping with the issue of only being able to set 3 powers active per time. I'll list two, but there could be more, as much as creativity goes.
ASCENDANT ANNIHILATION (AA)
Requirements:
- Scan at least 2 Ascendants
- Scan an Ascendant's Orb for a total of 5 seconds
- Be affected by Ascendant's projectiles 5 times
- Be affected by Ascendant's shield for 2 seconds
- Find N data by investigating Kett facilities
- Maxed out Annihilation
- Maxed out Backlash
- Maxed out Tech Drone
- Maxed out Barrier
- Maxed out Barricade
- Maxed out Containment
- Maxed out Auxiliary Systems
- Maxed out Sentinel and Engineer profiles (one of these must be active to make AA available)
Effects:
Reproduces a similar Ascendant Biotic Shield around Ryder, maintained by his Tech Drone, which must be destroyed to take the Shield Down. However, the shield blocks completely only biotic-plasma-energy-based projectiles, and partially diminishes physical projectile destructive power. The shield damages and slows anything that comes in contact with it, similar to annihilation, and instantly primes the target. The energy field can be charged and released against a target after it has soaked some energic damage, and it will be deactivated while the drone channels energy to form a new one. When the shield soaks too much energy from damage taken and it's not released against a target, it'll detonate like a barrier/tech armor, damaging nearby targets.
Enhances:
- Nova: depletes the shield, making the effect of Nova go twice as long and with twice the damage and power. It primes targets for detonation combos.
- Charge: upon impact, the shield is released and becomes a huge projectile that will keep going its path, pushing away and damaging targets in its path, slowing them and weaking them for a little while after.
- Overload: transfers soaked energy as damage upon Overload effects.
- etc.
P.S.: AA could be, intead of a skill, a craftable drone, after your got means to make its blueprint in a similar required list such as the one described above. It would upgrade the drone you have when the Engineer profile is activated.
DECOY
Requirements:
- Scan lifeforms/enemies/friendlies to be used as decoys
- 50% of Ryder's shields for the duration to maintain it, which corresponds its lifespan
- Uses a consumable life support
- Maxed out Tactical Cloak
- Maxed out Offensive Tech
- Maxed out Containment
- Maxed out Team Support
- Maxed out Barricade
- Maxed out Combat Tools
- Maxed out Engineer profile
- At least Lv 4 Infiltrator and Soldier profiles
Effects:
Draws fire from enemies as long as your character remains unseen or isn't directly attacking. It mimicks the Ryder's current power settings, meaning it can dodge, feign using powers, charge, jump, setting a priority not to be hit, while keeping itself in a distance that's seen as a threat. Can be primed with consumables or powers, adding a detonation capability to affect surrounding targets. If detroyed before setting a detonation, it will not detonate. It can also feign being an ally to the enemies.
SINGULAR INSTABILITY
Requirements:
- Scan the Black Hole
- Learn more by digging information upon harnessing biotics
- Uses Eezo
- Maxed out Singularity
- Maxed out Containment
- Maxed out Barrier
- Maxed out Warp Ammo
- Maxed out Stasis
- Maxed out Offensive Biotics
- Maxed out Adept profile
- At least Lv 4 Vanguard and Sentinel profiles
Effects:
Sets a singularity that emanates a feedback depending on what it absorbs. It requires time to be set and it can damage and kill Ryder if he doesn't clear out from it, after setting it loose. The unstable singularity will drift randomly around the area it was set, and any element that gets to its event horizon is consumed, transformed into deadly beams of energy and redirected to nearby targets, randomly. Only one of these singularities can be set per time and their duration is also randomic, because of its unstability. Depending on environment conditions, it can collapse itself and set random detonations on a large area. Another area out of its event horizon lenses and bends space time. Projectiles which crosses this area will have their trajetory slightly changed; deactivates any homing properties.
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These are just examples, there could be more or less, refined skills added to the set. I see no need to make all three branches having the exact same number of skills either, because they are different branches. Given you can learn any of those you want, it's not a matter of creating your prefered character or not giving attentiont to your mage: all of them makes Ryder, so they don't need balancing their own numbers, but rather complementing and proposing interesting variables and combinations.
This pretty much sums up some of the ideas I have in mind. Tried to resume and failed miserably. 🤓
