We have a significant hero powers improvement to announce that will roll out with the release of Squirrel Girl and the Spider-Man design review.
With our recent design reviews, including several in progress, we’ve identified several systematic improvements that are fairly obvious can be made in a reasonable amount of time.
1. We Want to Add New Powers
During each design review, we find ourselves wanting to add a few new powers for each hero; usually to create more build options and to give heroes tools to deal with tougher situations.
The game has evolved a lot since launch and heroes should also evolve. We have a list of powers that may not have existed at launch, but we are eager to add to the game.
2. We Want More Powers Like Ultimates, But Usable More Frequently
We like the idea of Ultimate powers. Big, impactful powers are fun. However, we would like to offer powers that fit that description, but have a shorter cooldown so they can be used more often on the battlefield.
Summary of Goals
Offer heroes more powers to unlock as they receive their design reviews.
Give heroes a power that is similar to an Ultimate Power, but with a shorter cooldown.
With this in mind, the hero design team is in process of implementing that strategy:
(a) Every new hero and every hero who goes through a design review will receive the following at least one additional build option added or buffed by modifying existing powers or adding more powers.
(b) All heroes will have power progression up to level 52. This can include a combination of new powers or reworked powers that are more capable of dealing with higher-level challenges.
(c) The existing level 30 Ultimate powers will be adjusted or replaced with a “Signature Power” with a much shorter cooldown.
For some heroes the signature power will just be their current Ultimate with a much shorter cooldown, (3 minutes or less).
For other heroes, this may be a brand new power or an existing power that’s been buffed and given the “Signature Power” treatment.
Summary of Implementation
Level 30 Ultimate replaced with a “Signature Power” with a cooldown of 3 minutes or less.
A power unlocked at levels 32, 37, 42 and 47. These could be a brand-new powers or a modification of existing powers.
An Ultimate Power unlocked at level 52, geared more towards tougher end-game content. This could be the hero’s existing Ultimate (likely with buffs) or a new design.
As a bonus: Any levels in a players Ultimate Power will also buff the damage of a hero’s Signature Power, making Ultimate Upgrades buff two powers instead of one. Note that all Ultimate levels will be retained when this system is implemented for each hero.
We’ve worked these changes into the Spider-Man design review, as you’ll see in a few days on test center. All new heroes released will have this feature built-in, including Squirrel Girl. As we review each hero, we’ll work these changes into the hero revisions, likely two per month until all heroes eventually heave this feature.
Spider-Man Example:
For Spider-Man’s rework, his previous Ultimate “Amazing Smash” has been reworked to web all enemies on screen, pull them into a pile and smash them all at once. The cooldown was reduced to 3 minutes and is now considered his “Signature Power”, available at level 30.
In addition, Spider-Man gets a new Ultimate at level 52 called Maximum Spider which will be quite useful for tougher end-game content.
Uniform 20 minute cooldowns on all ultimates was a stifling design choice; I'm glad they're looking into changing that.
This is super great to hear. Although It actually sounds like veiled "we really want to add this cool shit for characters [x],[y],[z] that we love, and will get around to others later." or "we had a really good idea for 3 minute powers for 2 characters, weill figure out the rest later"
This is great and all, but until i get a UI with more than 6 buttons at once its of limited use.
I just wanted to note in case anyone wasn't aware (cause I stupidly didn't realize it until about level 36) that medkits are bound to "m" and your ultimate is bound to "u". This helped me out when I realized I didn't have to have two of my 6 #key slots bound to those two things.
You can actually rebind each of those to almost whatever you want.
Also if you right click on the mouse buttons in the power slot it gives you a window with all possible choices. Not really that convenient but better than nothing.
@iPwnerer said: I'm gonna need some more hot bars for all this please. I struggle with the one you have given me so far, can another be added atop the one that already exists?
Yes, our UI team has smart and impressive plans for this.
-They're removing affixes off white mobs
-Summon affixes will only be on appropriate mobs (So aims guys will summon aim guys, Hydra guys will summon Hydra guys, etc. etc.)
-Patch should be out tomorrow morning
I'm not sure I'll tempt fate by trying for a random one again. Especially if I buy Emma Frost and Squirrel Girl.
I just buy randoms every time I get 175 splinters. The way I see it, if by the time I'm done levelling my current main, I still don't have someone I like, then I'll just buy one.
Gotten human torch, rocket raccoon and wolverine so far out of randoms. Contemplating levelling human torch as my next dude, but iron man is pretty tempting after his rework...
It's just that, after I pick up those two, I'll be at 10/26 characters. Odds are getting worse and worse. While I wouldn't mind getting a character I don't care about, I would be incredibly pissed to get a duplicate. (Although if the Ultimates are really reworked, the tokens might go from 'useless' to just 'disappointing'.) Maybe I could just store them up until another character or two is added, when the odds would be a little better.
I bought a random box, got a Daredevil dupe
Saved up 400 splinter and bought Ms. Marvel
Got another box that had Iron Man in it
Recently got another box that had Cable in it.
I plan on having ~750 saved up by the time squirrel girl hits. If she's 600, I'll farm enough to buy a box and see if I can randomly get her; if she's 400 I'll buy two. If I do randomly get her, I'll buy a couple more boxes and see what I get, and if I don't I'll just get her outright.
I think it'd be cool to buy 4 random boxes in a row, though.
I just posted a suggestion that "Experience Orbs should be drawn to the player in combat" and was hoping you fine folks would bump the thread with your thoughts/comments/hopefully general agreement so that it might get patched in.
Didn't they already increase the pick up range? You're right, it's annoying as shit to get like three stacked ambushes in MM and know that you're losing XP by the second.
I don't know, maybe in the next patch? As of today I still had to stand on top of them to pick them up.
So the one response in the thread so far has been
Exp Orbs were put there to make you decide, get bonus exp or keep fighting. They aren't mandatory, and solutions make it no longer a choice.
My reply was do you have a source, that sounds like bad game design, here is why blah-blah-blah incentives.
It was actually on a steam interview. David [Brevik] didn't want exp orbs at all...the compromise was they had to be optional. It was during beta, so I don't have the link anymore.
The moment he said David I thought,"Yeah, I was right, bad game design." Is that bad? I don't think that guy has contributed a good idea yet to MH based on the interviews I've seen. It is like he hasn't learned anything since Diablo 2.
I didn't even know they had artifacts like that. Nothing to address, my solution essentially results in a buff to those artifacts!
Well, I'd think not, really. Ideally that's the sort of thing you'd want to space out throughout the course of a fight to keep yourself constantly topped instead of just gettin' em all at once. At least, I imagine that's what I would think IF I HAD ANY
I didn't even know they had artifacts like that. Nothing to address, my solution essentially results in a buff to those artifacts!
Well, I'd think not, really. Ideally that's the sort of thing you'd want to space out throughout the course of a fight to keep yourself constantly topped instead of just gettin' em all at once. At least, I imagine that's what I would think IF I HAD ANY
Oh agreed, that would make perfect sense if the orbs didn't disappear so darn fast. If the orbs were on a long timer, like loot, those artifacts would be much more useful.
Just got spideys unique mask and chest within 10 minutes of each other. Plus my deapool found the unique webshooter. None of its max level but still really good.
I found a Luke Cage unique the other day "Wrecker's Crowbar", only lvl 20 but it's still pretty saucy.
I also got hold of one of those codes for 2600 G from getting an nvidia card, so I blew most of it on fortune cards. Got Spider-Man's Noir costume, so that was nice.
Everyone is different. Everyone is special.
+2
MaddocI'm Bobbin Threadbare, are you my mother?Registered Userregular
Just got spideys unique mask and chest within 10 minutes of each other. Plus my deapool found the unique webshooter. None of its max level but still really good.
The Spidey unique mask is fucking incredible, and the best part is that it's basically level independant. It could be level 4 and it would still be best in slot aside from a higher level version.
Had a fortune card drop last night, got the rare wolverine costume out of it, the day after I got wolverine himself out of a random box. I think the game is trying to tell me something . So I'm going to oblige it, and am now levelling him. Does he really only have one damage rating slot? Human torch has two...
On the topic of uniques, if I had the Spider-Man mask drop I would pretty much instantly buy the hero . that's how good it is.
Also I'm assuming these new ultimate power replacements are coming in 1.4 not the patch that's currently on test realms?
They're being rolled out on a per character basis. So Spider-Man and probably Squirrel Girl will have them in 1.4; whatever characters get reworked next and Gambit in 1.5 etc. etc.
We'll have a build in Test Center tonight for our next release which should contain Squirrel Girl, the Spider-Man rework, group queueing, and a few other goodies. Most of these are in an unfinished state, but we wanted to get feedback/bug reports (even if they're dupes of our internal ones) ASAP so we can try to get this Game Update out by next week.
I'll be posting abbreviated patch notes of the main features of this patch in the (to be opened) Test Center forum, but they will not be exhaustive as we aren't ready to begin the full patch notes, but will exist as a guidance for testing.
I may also have a surprise for you tomorrow in the AM, Pacific time.
On a bit of a unique roll right now it seems, just got Jeannie's M'Kraan mask. The + to intelligence is kind of a waste I suspect, but otherwise it's a solid piece of kit and managed to usurp the pretty great cosmic I was using.
I also remembered how valuable Phoenix Charge was tonight, I kind of feel bad for anybody who was in midtown with me if they didn't have their graphics settings turned right down.
Me too , just got my fourth Unique ( lvl 60 guns with no name) . Maybe they accidentally raised the drop rate too much?
I like to think it's just the RNG trying to make peace with me over the fact that before the switch to shards I didn't get a single costume or hero drop in all my time playing.
Everyone is different. Everyone is special.
0
darklite_xI'm not an r-tard...Registered Userregular
Haven't found a unique in awhile now. Got my Deadpool to level 60 though, so now I've got two 60s. Think I'll do Frank next in preparation for Frankencastle.
Steam ID: darklite_x Xbox Gamertag: Darklite 37 PSN:Rage_Kage_37 Battle.Net:darklite#2197
Posts
This is super great to hear. Although It actually sounds like veiled "we really want to add this cool shit for characters [x],[y],[z] that we love, and will get around to others later." or "we had a really good idea for 3 minute powers for 2 characters, weill figure out the rest later"
I just wanted to note in case anyone wasn't aware (cause I stupidly didn't realize it until about level 36) that medkits are bound to "m" and your ultimate is bound to "u". This helped me out when I realized I didn't have to have two of my 6 #key slots bound to those two things.
Also if you right click on the mouse buttons in the power slot it gives you a window with all possible choices. Not really that convenient but better than nothing.
I was going to say, its going to be a sad day when they stop giving us free respecs after every patch
Anywho, as for the UI
Ive only used 3 or 4 retcons total but I have 55ish sitting in my stash... wish they stacked higher than 10
-They're removing affixes off white mobs
-Summon affixes will only be on appropriate mobs (So aims guys will summon aim guys, Hydra guys will summon Hydra guys, etc. etc.)
-Patch should be out tomorrow morning
Cable Colossus Ms Marvel and Spiderman so far.
New Spider-Man changes sound pretty great, I can't wait to try him out, I've basically left him benched up to this point
I just buy randoms every time I get 175 splinters. The way I see it, if by the time I'm done levelling my current main, I still don't have someone I like, then I'll just buy one.
Gotten human torch, rocket raccoon and wolverine so far out of randoms. Contemplating levelling human torch as my next dude, but iron man is pretty tempting after his rework...
I bought a random box, got a Daredevil dupe
Saved up 400 splinter and bought Ms. Marvel
Got another box that had Iron Man in it
Recently got another box that had Cable in it.
I plan on having ~750 saved up by the time squirrel girl hits. If she's 600, I'll farm enough to buy a box and see if I can randomly get her; if she's 400 I'll buy two. If I do randomly get her, I'll buy a couple more boxes and see what I get, and if I don't I'll just get her outright.
I think it'd be cool to buy 4 random boxes in a row, though.
So the one response in the thread so far has been
My reply was do you have a source, that sounds like bad game design, here is why blah-blah-blah incentives.
The moment he said David I thought,"Yeah, I was right, bad game design." Is that bad? I don't think that guy has contributed a good idea yet to MH based on the interviews I've seen. It is like he hasn't learned anything since Diablo 2.
Personally I hate the circle of victory required to pick up orbs, but the artifacts need to be address at the same time.
they are dumb and whoever thought they were a good idea is dumb.
Well, I'd think not, really. Ideally that's the sort of thing you'd want to space out throughout the course of a fight to keep yourself constantly topped instead of just gettin' em all at once. At least, I imagine that's what I would think IF I HAD ANY
Origin: RollThatKatamari
Oh agreed, that would make perfect sense if the orbs didn't disappear so darn fast. If the orbs were on a long timer, like loot, those artifacts would be much more useful.
I wish I could hate you to death.
*hrrrggg*
I also got hold of one of those codes for 2600 G from getting an nvidia card, so I blew most of it on fortune cards. Got Spider-Man's Noir costume, so that was nice.
The Spidey unique mask is fucking incredible, and the best part is that it's basically level independant. It could be level 4 and it would still be best in slot aside from a higher level version.
On the topic of uniques, if I had the Spider-Man mask drop I would pretty much instantly buy the hero
Also I'm assuming these new ultimate power replacements are coming in 1.4 not the patch that's currently on test realms?
I also remembered how valuable Phoenix Charge was tonight, I kind of feel bad for anybody who was in midtown with me if they didn't have their graphics settings turned right down.
I like to think it's just the RNG trying to make peace with me over the fact that before the switch to shards I didn't get a single costume or hero drop in all my time playing.