Wx78 shadow affinity skill rework, shadow clockwork form.

[Gashzer]

Thought this idea is worth its own thread.

Dump wx's current shadow affinity, its boring, its not fun, and its visually lackluster with no thematic sense.

Instead when wx places nightmare fuel (multiple), pure horror (multiple) or a single possessed atrium into his shadow circuit slot, it gets consumed straight away slowly corrupting (or instantly corrupting with the atrium) his circuit board.

When corruption maxes out, all circuits are temporarily disabled and wx transforms into a shadow version of himself, similar to the shadow clockwork versions of clockworks. All shadow and more monster/organic looking Wx form with 3 tiers depending on the strength of the shadow part consumed. 

These forms override Wx's current circuits and stats, i feel this would make them easier to implement without screwing around trying to make the circuits work with them. Fits thematically matching how the shadow effects clockwork robots it also effects wx the same.

What these forms can do or their stats, im leaving somewhat vague because there is so much or so little that klei could add. Some suggestions below

Tier 1 could have 75hp but if you get hit you teleport away like shadows do. Boosted damage. Lasts half a day requiring 10 nightmare fuel to activate.

Tier 2 can have longer range for all weapons like shadow clockwork knight, boosted stats/speed, lasts 1 day requires 5 pure horror to activate. All weapons get a base plus 5-10 planar damage.

Tier 3 can have all of the above plus wortox teleport with a cooldown which also acts like shadow clockwork rook AoE bite attack. Even further boosted stats, speed, chopping and mining efficiency. Lasts 10days requires possessed shadow atrium.

I feel klei could implement this quite quickly stealing code from characters like woodie and wortox.

This would be 1000x more useful, fun and thematic for wx's shadow affinity.

Edit: Forgot to say, this corrupted form follows wx when he teleports using his chassis'. This would be nice as its a gameplay style that allows teleporting while maintaining your "shadow circuit" loadout.

Edited Friday at 08:44 AM by Gashzer

[-Nick-]

I like taking inspiration from shadow clockworks however i think overriding circuits completley is a shame, thats WXs whole character being disabled cause you picked shadow.

 

Also these perks are just stealing from other characters? I don't mind having similair perks but just having a 1 to 1 copy of Wortox teleport is boring. The longer range is a little more interesting i admit. Though would make more sense if you had longer range on only shadow based weapons.

Also these being temporary especially with the shadow atrium which is a very important progression item is a bad idea.

[Gashzer]

8 minutes ago, -Nick- said:

I like taking inspiration from shadow clockworks however i think overriding circuits completley is a shame, thats WXs whole character being disabled cause you picked shadow.

 

Also these perks are just stealing from other characters? I don't mind having similair perks but just having a 1 to 1 copy of Wortox teleport is boring. The longer range is a little more interesting i admit. Though would make more sense if you had longer range on only shadow based weapons.

Also these being temporary especially with the shadow atrium which is a very important progression item is a bad idea.

The reason for this is so wx players have the freedom not to invest at all into the very dominate circuit skill branch. Instead they can max out chassis' and drones.

And use these shadow forms as temporary and powerful, circuit subsitutes which can follow wx through chassis teleports.

Maybe for the shadow atrium, it doesnt get consumed but it overloads wx' shadow circuit part and puts it into cooldown after the tier 3 shadow form is over? There are ways and means around this.

Edit: forgot to address, the wortox teleport would obviously have different art effects and a cooldown so isnt spammable like wortox, it bein an attack as well all adds up to making it feel unique.

Edited Friday at 08:51 AM by Gashzer

[-Nick-]

14 minutes ago, Gashzer said:

The reason for this is so wx players have the freedom not to invest at all into the very dominate circuit skill branch. Instead they can max out chassis' and drones.

And use these shadow forms as temporary and powerful, circuit subsitutes which can follow wx through chassis teleports.

Maybe for the shadow atrium, it doesnt get consumed but it overloads wx' shadow circuit part and puts it into cooldown after the tier 3 shadow form is over? There is ways and means around this.

I just don't see how it could be fun disabling a entire character's gameplay and reason to play them. This approach would get stale and leaves no customizability which their character is all about.

(Which is the reason i have gripes with Lunar Affinity. Forcing you to take chassis perks)

I think shadow materials should change/build on existing aspects on WX and their perks. Nightmare Fuel/Pure Horror can focus on WX's utility circuits while Atrium/Possesed Atrium can focus on the more combat oriented circuits. Enhacing both in ways.

Spin-Cycle is both utility and combat so both nightmare fuel and shadow atrium can give it different effects depending on what you insert.

Edited Friday at 09:04 AM by -Nick-

[Gashzer]

8 minutes ago, -Nick- said:

I just don't see how it could be fun disabling a entire character's gameplay and reason to play them. This approach would get stale and leaves no customizability which their character is all about.

I think shadow materials should change/build on existing aspects on WX and their perks. Nightmare Fuel/Pure Horror can focus on WX's utility circuits while Atrium/Possesed Atrium can focus on the more combat oriented circuits. Enhacing both in ways.

Spin-Cycle is both utility and combat so both nightmare fuel and shadow atrium can give it different effects depending on what you insert.

Shadow affinity has always been early game focused. Imagine all you had to do is farm some nightmare fuel for boosted damage/stats for earlygame boss fights. With greater progression as you kill bosses like nightmare werepig and ancient fuelweaver. 

It only temporarily disables the circuits, obviously when the form ends they all reactivate, maybe wx loses his charge and needs to charge up again.

Wx lacks options at the minute, maybe i want to rely on the drone skills and their upgrades instead of rangebooster? Maybe i dont want to farm circuits and want a quick, snappy way to play wx that synergizes with chassis' teleports?

Edited Friday at 09:08 AM by Gashzer

[-Nick-]

Agree to disagree sorry. My thoughts still stand.

:/

However perhaps nightmare fuel can enchnace utility aspect of drones and atrium for combat aspect. Rotomapper could be turned into a debuffer of sorts with the atrium.

Edited Friday at 09:15 AM by -Nick-

[Gashzer]

Just now, -Nick- said:

Agree to disagree sorry. My thoughts still stand.

:/

 

Fair enough but i will say Walter had this exact same issue in his first beta version. Everyone would pick all his slingshot skills and call it a day.

Right now everyone is going to pick all of wx's circuit skills and call it a day.

Skilltree should allow for drastically different ways to play characters. 

[doritosdamafia]

You know that tp away after a hit is more of a down side than a upside right? You loose your timing and a oportunity to do more damage, only in pvp or against a swarm of mobs the tp would be useful

[Gashzer]

8 minutes ago, doritosdamafia said:

You know that tp away after a hit is more of a down side than a upside right? You loose your timing and a oportunity to do more damage, only in pvp or against a swarm of mobs the tp would be useful

Not really because if you care so much for dps you shouldnt be getting hit while kiting anyway. Get gud!

Or

Give it a cooldown of 7secs so you can tank a bit if you want to.

Again pretty easy fix and teleporting away could save you from a swarm of spulmonkeys.

[Dr.Webber]

I love this idea

[Draggofroot]

Finally. Shadow Pawn.
Can they turn into a higher piece if they get to the last row?

[Gashzer]

8 minutes ago, Draggofroot said:

Finally. Shadow Pawn.
Can they turn into a higher piece if they get to the last row?

Of course, dem the rules!

[doritosdamafia]

3 hours ago, Gashzer said:

Not really because if you care so much for dps you shouldnt be getting hit while kiting anyway. Get gud!

Or

Give it a cooldown of 7secs so you can tank a bit if you want to.

Again pretty easy fix and teleporting away could save you from a swarm of spulmonkeys.

giving it the bone armor shield would be better, negate damage and stagger, saving against both swarm and just damage in general

[ZeRoboButler]

I'm still very set on the idea of Wx getting some sort of transformation similar to the ancient artifact from hamlet or anything involving the mech (even thought the mech is way less likely).

What I expect to happen is Wx will get something more technologically fitting, Wx uses tech in all through out their tree, same goes for the affinity basically stealing tech from wagstaff.

If I had to guess what klei would have planned, I would say it has to relate to the chassis some how, maintain the socketing of materials but it could have effects on either Wx's drones or it would empower the chassis that Wx is presently controlling similar to how it does now. 

I imagine since lunar is more about stealing from wagstaff and making more of a perfect being (Wx probably thinks they are the perfect machine based off the quotes lol)  I would assume shadow to be about taking a gift from Charlie making their vessel the perfect machine but there is only one permitted to be perfect. Ultimate vanity vs deranged supremacy over all organics.   

It would be funny for Wx to have a 3 form system similar to woodie, I always had it in my head that Woodie and Wx where pretty good friends, the idea of them both back to back battling things with strange forms or powers always seemed neat to me. 

[shaurun]

I love the idea so much! It looks like an absolutely different archetype to play, very cool.

[Kvetevk]

I don't think that making the tinkering skills worse would help, you are forced to pick the first chassis skill to even access the affinity, making the drones and tinkering skills less favorable. 

It would be better if each affinity would focus on either drones or circuits (tinkering skills), because the chassis skills already have uses for both affinities.

[Dr.Webber]

I wish the alignment skills also focused on Jimmy also, I think the lunar skill should give WX ability to craft  gyroscopic transduction cores