EpicDuel PVP Game Design Notes

January 16, 2013

I'd like to offer up a few quick clarifications on how cores will work as we move into Omega.  I know there have been a good number of questions about how existing abilities will transition as we go forward and I'll try to offer some clarity here:

All item abilities will carry over into Omega.  If you currently have an item with a special ability on it, that special ability will be equipped on your item when you login.  You'll see a new icon inside the item details pane that visually shows any abilities your item has.  These abilities are called "Cores" in Omega.  You'll have two core slots available on all of your Weapons, Guns, Auxiliaries, and Armors when the release launches.  In the picture below, you see the Passive Core slot on the left and the Active Core slot on the right.

Above is a sample of roughly what the inventory will look like when you login.  Notice the tiny lock icon that appears on the Spreadfire icon within the item details pane.  This lock indicates that the Passive Core on Dage's Haunted Boomstick cannot currently be replaced with a new core.  Because the system is going to be new to everyone, including us, we're going to initially lock any core slots that already include a special ability.  This is a safety measure to prevent players from accidentally replacing exclusive cores that might no longer be available for sale.  As you can see in the picture, you can still edit the Active Core, upgrade the stats on the item, and reconfigure it any way you like.    

This part is really important: Just because a core slot is currently locked on a particular item does NOT mean that the slot will remain locked permanently.  The beauty of the new system is that we can lock and unlock the core slots at our discretion.  Consider a passive ability like Exoskeleton.  Exoskeleton is an "event ability" that was useful against the Delta Vault during the Infernal Infiltration War.   Now that the war is over, Exoskeleton doesn't serve much purpose in normal battle.  In Omega, when we're ready, we will unlock the Exoskeleton core slot and allow players to replace it with a new Passive Core of their choice.   The point here is that we can unlock core slots on items whenever we want or need.  This will allow a high level of flexibility for creating exclusive weapons, event items, and specialty cores, while simultaneously not junking up the database with a bunch of obsolete items. 

So if you're eagerly waiting to crack some skulls with that special item in your inventory, you're in luck.  A primary goal of Omega is make sure that all items remain viable battle options.  Like the way a sword looks but don't like it's current stats?  change'em up ...   Or maybe you own a cool set of blades but the special ability is no longer useful for your build?  Swap it out.   

The main takeaway here is that we're going to do our best to ensure you always have options to customize and improve your gear.  I'll offer up more about the process of adding a core to an item soon, but for now back to the code!

Tags: Titan