[Suggestion] IDEA: Fix Combo fields, make PVE zerg fun

[Cloesd.3025]

Please fix the combo field mechanic. It seems like it should be a centre piece to the game, as important as say dodging to avoid attacks.

At the moment there is several problems with them that make them only important to the very end game and ignorable 90% of the time even then.

 

**Here are the problems:**

1. Visuals. There are so many particle effects that combo fields simply get lost. Worse still there are many 'circle' spells that DON'T cause combo fields so it's pretty much impossible to tell what is and isn't a combo field unless you cast in it and it makes an indicator (ie; unless you accidentally use it, which seems to be the only way to use it).

 

 

2. The effects aren't game changing. And they should be. For combo fields to take a central role in PVE zerg combat, the effects of the combofield need to make an insane difference in the game so that not using them would be like not switching to your alternate weapon, or not dodging a big attack.

 

 

3. Overlapping, combofields mean that given enough players coordinating a single field type is impossible. Any field you put down will A) not be noticed, B) not be used, C) over-written by another field that won't be noticed or used either (except accidentally).

 

**The Solution**

1. Visuals should be changed for combo fields so that they aren't particle effects, but instead physical objects. Structures in a circle. They should be 'high', for instance light field might be a circle of bricks with sunlight in the middle. A temporal field, a ring of clocks. etc.

 

2. The Combo-fields should be longer lasting (from 5 seconds to 20 seconds~) and upgradable. This is the biggest change: A combo field should have a 'bar' above it. When more combo fields of the same type are placed down ontop of it or overlapping with it.. it should 'fill up' the bar.. The bar should automatically go down as the duration counts down.

 

Filling the bar all the way should 'upgrade' the field with a bigger animation and more potent effect and reset the bar to 0 (to be filled again to the next upgrade). In a zerg situation the 'meta-game' besides button mashing at the boss.. would be to maintain and 'keep' the field up and at it's maximum 'level'.

 

3. Here's the crazy idea: What if fields.. replaced the holy trinity? Instead of a healer - tank and DPS... what if you had a group-maintained 'healing' area.. 'tanking' area.. and 'dps' area. These are combo fields that are highly upgraded and 'maintained' by the group. Standing in the healing area would give you a crazy amount of healing, standing in the tanking area would give you massive toughness and random aegis etc... and standing in the DPS area would give you might stacks, and random quickness etc... (based on what combo effects are going on inside those fields).

 

4. Won't that be OP? The numbers may have to be tuned. Remember the whole idea is maintaining the field at it's highest level which could be a challenge in itself. Furthermore if the boss drops a big AOE deadly AOE into the healing field for example.. the field needs to be quickly and dynamically rebuilt IN REAL TIME.. with subtle communication.... in a zerg. This is possible because of the 'bar' mechanic. Once a combo field is placed, other people will see the bar dropping and be eager to place their combo fields ontop to make the bar stay.

 

5. What about overlapping combo fields of different types? This problem should be addressed by either not allowing you to over-write a previous combo field, or perhaps not allowing higher 'upgraded' fields to be over-written by lower fields.. So if there's a upgrade-4 light field up.. your temporal field simply goes down as soon as it goes up, over-written by the higher upgraded field.

 

 

With these changes the entire meta-game of zerging especially world bosses changes and becomes much more fun. Instead of simply tunnel visioning your rotation at the boss until it dies... over and over... There is now a mini game to maintain, and stand in and relocate if necessary the 'groups' healing, tanking and DPS circles.

 

Bosses could then be designed around trying to 'bust' these fields that the players have striven to create and maintain.

 

PVP could be oriented around 'trench' style warfare where there are fortified positions, and a dead-zone between the two circles.