Hello all! my name is Frank "Jaximus" Ambrose, I am the lead Designer for Valiance Online. I am opening this public thread to answer any questions you have about the VO Powers & Abilities system.

Soon, several blog posts will be presented to introduce the community to the Character Creation and Power Selection process. I am sure you are all going to descend on the power system like a school of piranhas, and I want to be here answering as many questions as possible.

I am truly excited about the upcoming features and tech that will be implemented in Valiance Online. With the project still being in the Pre-Alpha, but moving towards the Alpha phase, many parts of our tech are not fully developed yet or not yet implemented in the game. Please keep this in mind as we continue progressing towards the final release.

Thank You,
Thallo "Jaximus" Kelrune

First off, Fancy new digs. Loving the website. Hurry up so I can donate already!

Second, my question...what can we expect from the Pet System? I noticed you guys have three different archetypes that promote pets, which made me freak. Masterminds were my most loved class in CoH, and there really hasn't been anything like it since. I guess, specifically, what sort of pets should we expect at launch and during early release?

@Kriiden
Q: What can you expect from the Pet System?

A: A lot, as you noticed we have 3 different types of Special Archetypes that deal primarily with pets each one will have a different role and tools to deal with different situations. Each one will have a unique theme and play style that we think will provide an amazing experience to people that had deep respect and found profound enjoyment from the MM class in CoH.

As for more information regarding these classes, well you will need to be patient all will be revealed in time.

Hello, nice site, like the look. Great to see a place were the community can interact, besides Facebook and Twitter.

The homepage mentions over 90 power-sets? There will be 90 powers-sets to choose from?

@TheCity
Q: Are we really going to have 90 Power Sets?

A: Yes, 90 different Power Sets is the goal. At the time of this post we currently have 37 different Power Sets in game or in late stages of development.

90 sounds about right if you account for variations on similar sets I assume there will be some power overlap between sets.

If each powerset has 10 powers that doesn't mean 900 powers it's probably more like up to 100-200 powers and overlap.

This also allows for an exceptional increase in the development rate of new powersets but they can still be balanced within themselves.

How big/complex will our choices be in regards to customization of weapons and emanation points, and can they be chosen on a per power basis?

When can we expect the pet power array to be choosable? I've tried every combination I can think of since yesterday but couldn't get anything pet like to show.

Btw, the first quest guy Marcus, is missing.

Are there going to be physics objects which super strength and telekinetic characters can throw around? For that matter will there be a telekinesis powerset?

@TheCity

Please check topic name before posting general discussion stuff

thanks!

@blacke4dawn

Q:How big/complex will our choices be in regards to customization of weapons and emanation points, and can they be chosen on a per power basis?
A: We have planned a very detailed system for allowing the player to better RP with powers, you will be able to select multiple types of weapons or animations to use for your powers and this will be on a per power basis.

For example, if you pick a range fire blast set you can pick if its being shot from your hands or a weapon of your choosing(staff, ax, gun, lollipop, ext.).

I know that this is a limiting factor in some games and it is something we have had on the features list for some time.

(Just as a heads up this will probably be a feature that isn't implemented until late alpha/early beta.)


@aXe

Q:Are there going to be physics objects which super strength and telekinetic characters can throw around?
A:Yes, most power sets will have some effect on the environment, some more then others. As of yet this has not been implemented but the core code for destructible environment is done and you should see this before the end of pre alpha.

Q:For that matter will there be a telekinesis powerset?
A:Yes! what type of super hero game would we be if we didn't have this?


@AreeSoothsayer

Q:When can we expect the pet power array to be choosable?
A:Before the end of alpha, you will see an announcement.

AreeSoothsayer wrote:
Ill let the guys in the bug section know.

Powerhelm wrote:
For the initial 90 there will be few overlapping powers.

Jaximus wrote:

Mind. Blown.

Is there any chance that selecting an origin type can tag powers you take with additional info?

So say I'm a Magic type origin could my Fire Sword be tagged as Melee, Fire, and Magic? To allow for a higher crit chance or small bonus damage vs say Tech NPCs?

The thing that always bothered me about CoX was that there was no bonus damage to X type by Y damage or Origin was a pointless click at character creation. If Powers integrated origin in some way that'd be great even if it only mattered in PvE and didn't affect PvP.

@Powerhelm

Q:Is there any chance that selecting an origin type can tag powers you take with additional info?
A:At the moment the combat/stat effectiveness of origins is going to be limited, this is by design as we are shooting for the most broad level of RP depth.

We are shooting for a truly absurd amount of origins, while they are being grouped into 3 main categories(Natural, Magic, Science) that is only the first level of your origin options.

We have 2 main reasons for this approach:
1) We want to have ALLLLLL the origins and add to them regularly based on community feedback, if they had a direct impact on combat it would complicate the system to the point it wouldn't be as flexible of a RP feature as we would like.

2) The ability to customize your character's combat is going to be very in-depth and you will have all the options you mentioned and much much more. The difference is at the moment it appears integrating that system into a tool to be used for RPing would muddy up the water and really make it a "jack of all trades master of none" type of system.

Don't get me wrong, I have some plans for another option to our enhancement system that looks much like what you posted and if it appears we can add that without bogging down the system as a whole, its going in no doubt!

Great question, thanks!

Grappling, will there be a grapple power-set for the Lucha, Hulk, and Bane people? Honestly, it seems hard to implement, like if there is a 15 foot boss or something. Will we be able to take the smaller mobs to Suplex City?

Any power interaction?

Lets say Super Bob lights a bad guy on fire, while that DoT is still on could a Water power be used on the enemy removing that DoT but causing Fire and water damage (aka Steam) in a 4ft radius?

Water user gets a "Soaked" dot that maybe slows down someone slightly or reduces damage of some type then freezer hits an ice blast that has small freeze/stop chance could they interact and result in certain freeze/stop and an even greater slow?

Will there be pool powers?

Some of my favourite powers in CoH were the ones like 'phase shift,' which were available to everyone. I would sometimes build an entire character concept around those powers, and use significant resources to boost those powers until they were fantastic. I remember taunting and perma-phase shifting in a group of mobs as a form of control. Those type of strategies really took the game play to another level.

What kind of "endgame" content will you develop? I loved the system that was being developed for COH before it shut down. It game players something to do after they hit level 50 and it was developed to be really fun!

"Livestream with the Commander Archetype: This is the first of our series of pet command classes that Valiance Online will feature. Once we have an alpha build ready, we will showcase its playstyle in a livestream for you to watch and ask questions to the developers."

This will only happen if phase one is complete? Would like to see that class in action.