Skill idea for eventual WX-78 skill tree: the Wirepack (WIP name)

[BrawleyDST]

I was playing as WX-78 recently and thought about how his skill tree might work, since everyone is apparently going to have one eventually. Something I'm sure would be on the skill tree would be some way to expand his maximum number of circuits, but skills that just give number increases can be somewhat boring, if necessary at times (Woodies transformation timer comes to mind as an example of the better number increase skills). An alternative to just giving WX more base slots for circuits as a skill would be what I'll refer to as the wirepack. It would be a crafted item that goes in the chest slot like a backpack, but instead of adding inventory space, it would have a circuit UI that visibly connects via wires to the main chassis HUD, with either 4 or 6 slots depending on balance. It would have a charge meter like the main chassis, but would only charge while in WXs' chest slot and only if the main circuits are fully charged, possibly even slowly losing its own charge while disconnected. The upside of this would be that circuits connected to the wirepack don't lose durability when the pack is disconnected from WX, only when they are yanked out of the wirepack. Thus, you could have niche loadout circuits connected to their own pack, like a winter survival pack made up of thermal and hunger circuits, or a caves pack with the night vision. That way, Klei would both add more circuit slots and more modularity as a skill without giving the player a simple increase at no risk. It could even be a multi-skill path giving different tiers of wirepack, with a basic pack that has 2 slots, then 4 slots, then a full 6 but increasing heavily in crafting cost.

[Swiyss]

10 hours ago, BrawleyDST said:

I was playing as WX-78 recently and thought about how his skill tree might work, since everyone is apparently going to have one eventually. Something I'm sure would be on the skill tree would be some way to expand his maximum number of circuits, but skills that just give number increases can be somewhat boring, if necessary at times (Woodies transformation timer comes to mind as an example of the better number increase skills). An alternative to just giving WX more base slots for circuits as a skill would be what I'll refer to as the wirepack. It would be a crafted item that goes in the chest slot like a backpack, but instead of adding inventory space, it would have a circuit UI that visibly connects via wires to the main chassis HUD, with either 4 or 6 slots depending on balance. It would have a charge meter like the main chassis, but would only charge while in WXs' chest slot and only if the main circuits are fully charged, possibly even slowly losing its own charge while disconnected. The upside of this would be that circuits connected to the wirepack don't lose durability when the pack is disconnected from WX, only when they are yanked out of the wirepack. Thus, you could have niche loadout circuits connected to their own pack, like a winter survival pack made up of thermal and hunger circuits, or a caves pack with the night vision. That way, Klei would both add more circuit slots and more modularity as a skill without giving the player a simple increase at no risk. It could even be a multi-skill path giving different tiers of wirepack, with a basic pack that has 2 slots, then 4 slots, then a full 6 but increasing heavily in crafting cost.

This is the best Wx-78 idea for a skill that I've seen until now. It's by far the most creative one. The idea of having multiple "packs" of circuits that can be used instead of the backpack slot would imply more creative grounds for situational circuits without actually removing them, just attaching it.

I  believe that 6 inventory slots + 3 additional circuit slots would be enought to already make the character a great sinergy.

[BrawleyDST]

When I was talking to some Discord friends about the idea, I had the thought it could have 4 slots like a Shipwrecked thatch pack, but I ended up agreeing with them it shouldn't have any slots. I think lacking any other function of standard chest slot items would allow for more circuit space. Sort of specializing the item into the one WX function.

Though I think if there are upgraded versions with more circuit space, your version would be a perfect late-tier upgrade to the starter wirepack. Slightly higher cost, not as many pins as the other upgraded wirepack versions. On the bright side a fridge circuit makes it basically a minifridge. Or an icemaker in the rain, since other packs wouldn't be able to store it. If memory serves 3 is exactly right for the fridge.