Pitch A Perk

[Daithi]

Hi all,

Just wanted to open up a thread for perk suggestions. First, I feel it's worth distinguishing this from the Perk Reward from Kickstarter. With the reward, you are guaranteed a perk in the game, and I'll also spend more time than I normally would working on a perk, to give you the perk you want.

What I'm trying to do here is build a bigger pool of ideas for perks, in the hopes that with a bigger pool of ideas, the quality of the perks will be higher. Obviously, I can't offer any guarantees that suggested perks will be added, but I'd really like to hear your ideas!

[Nomad]

I originally posted all these in separate replies... but then thought it might be neater to have them all together.

I've left the requirements up to you.
Some of the requirements  would likely be quite high. I'm thinking that pretty much all of these suggestions would require other perks.
Let me know if you want me to make any suggestions on requirements.


Boom. Headshot.
+X% chance of a critical hit when attacking with firearms.

Quickload
Reduce reload time by 1 AP.


Night School
+1 Utility

Working Out
+1 Prowess

Group Training Exercises
+1 Leadership

Listen to your gut
+1 Instinct

Cross Training
+1 Fleetness

Survival Training
+1 Toughness


Presence
Bonus defence against firearms when out of cover.
You are an intimidating sight. You have Presence. The enemy panics slightly, knowing that you are coming to get them, causing their aim to be rushed.

Quickdraw
Reduce AP cost for switching in a weapon from your inventory.

Blade Sharpening
+X damage to bladed weapons.


Disarm
X% chance of disarming an opponent when making an unarmed attack.
Weapon lands in a random square around the target or in their square.
I'm thinking, maybe a 10% chance to land in any of the squares around the target, and a 20% chance to land in the target's square (to total 100%). It depends on how your random system would work. Alternatively, a 50% chance to land in the target's square and a 50% chance the computer just randomly picks one of the other squares around the target.

??Take weapon
Requires Disarm.
X% chance of taking the weapon on a successful disarm.


Deep Sleeper
Gains double the Health back on rest.

Control Breathing
+X bonus to attack with firearms this turn.
-X bonus to attack with firearms next turn.
This depends on the kind of bonuses you are happy to give.
I was thinking of something like +10 to attack, then -20 to attack next turn. Could be higher, could be lower.

[Daithi]

Some good ideas here, thanks Nomad!

[Chabbrik]

I would like to request that assault rifle and precision rifle perks are reworked. The short distance benefit is negligible in most cases. I would rather have bump to base accuracy instead.

[Nomad]

One in the Pipe
Start fights with +1 ammo in semi and fully automatic weapons, plus pump action shotguns.
By chambering a round before going out, you can take an extra shot in the field.

[Daithi]

I would like to request that assault rifle and precision rifle perks are reworked. The short distance benefit is negligible in most cases. I would rather have bump to base accuracy instead.

The AR & AR Perks reduce the penalty of shooting with an adjacent enemy, and the second PR one halves the minimum range. There will be other perks for these weapons down the line!

[Daithi]

One in the Pipe
Start fights with +1 ammo in semi and fully automatic weapons, plus pump action shotguns.
By chambering a round before going out, you can take an extra shot in the field.

Thanks will add this to the list. I'd like to add some active perks also so if you have any suggestions along these lines, please let me know. I'm going to look at adding movement AP in V13 - and some activated perks like "Charge" which grant movement AP.

[ushas]

Will try to go through perk by parts. I don't know what is or isn't sponsored. By my apology being under impression that backers will like to see their perks being used by others.

Also assuming that in the final we won't get a mountain of perk points, so would be good if the effect is worth the investment. I'll try to come with active but, on the other hand, aren't passive perks easier to utilize for builds of enemies? I mean the victory is memorable as long as there is a worthy opponent.

Feel free to hop in with anything any time.
Couldn't care less about names, don't hesitate to change to something more captivating.

Seems a lot of core stuff multiplies each other. With such behavior it's hard to come with perks outside obvious paths of skill specializations. Notably risky are perks changing CTH or DAM stats - those who need it might not get much out of it (low base) and who could get the most won't need it anymore.


Let's start with Action Points:
In Fallout-like games units with high speed (prim. Fleetness here) are faster at everything. it's a superior build option. Besides making other stats more important, to some extend can be softened by perks making a subset of actions less AP-costly or more impactful, etc.


Feedback for perks in v16:
Athletic
Descr: 'AP Per Turn increased by 1'
Issue: Not sure about that description, IIRC it rises AP Per Turn as well as Max AP by 1.
Criticism: req. Fleetness 6 - currently there is no reason not to rise Fleetness to 7 + take this perk for everybody.
Suggestion var A: In case not many options to minimize the dominance of Fleetness, changing requirement, eg. Fleetness 5 & Prowess 5 (ie. athletic).
Suggestion var B: Otherwise, can be a nice reward for fast ones - eg. Fleetness 9 or 11?
 
AP Bank
'Store 2 additional AP between turns'
Suggestion: Very, very handy. What about let us to take it more times if desired?

Adrenaline
'+50% AP for this turn, but lose your next turn'
Criticism: None. Only that it's slightly unfair to those with odd AP number.

Flurry (1) & Fastest Gun in Reiker (2)
Descr 1: '5% chance not to expend AP when making an unarmed attack'
Descr 2: '5% chance not to expend AP with pistol or SMG attack'
Criticism: Those two perks statistically mean that once per 20 attacks you don't spent APs (aka saving once 3AP per 20 HtH attacks or 6AP per 20 SMG bursts). Although the principle saving more from higher cost attacks is cool, all in all it's underwhelming. The most out of this will get a high Fleetness character, when enemies are nicely coming to your range so can shoot twice per turn 4AP snapshots - so in ten turns statistically saved 4AP in total. I'll pass.
Suggestion: Make it 15% (or at least 10%)
Suggestion+: Could lucky events like this boost morale? (for enemies having this perk, if morale isn't implemented for allies).


On suggestions from this thread:

Quickload
Reduce reload time by 1 AP.

Very handy for a shotgun, prec. rifle, handguns with low ammo, etc.
Suggestion: As well as un-jam time? (perhaps can be taken more times)

Quickdraw
Reduce AP cost for switching in a weapon from your inventory.

Suggestion: Can it be done like reducing all inventory actions by 1AP in a turn? (picking from / dropping to the floor and switching on hands as proposed by Nomad). For example, by making the first inventory operation in a turn for free.


Drops to the pool of ideas:
Planning Ahead
Effect: AP bonus for the first turn of combat.
Example: Adding +5AP on the first turn (req. Utility/Bypass?). If I also take 1-2 x AP Bank could transfer it for later.

Bypass the Bypass
Effect: Lets you move +X tiles more on your tactical re-position turn.
Example:  +4 tiles.

False Start
Effect: movement cost -1AP
Example: What about the first step in a turn to be free (to an adjacent tile)? So the game shows us that we can reach one tile further unless the perk was already spent (we already moved that turn).
Suggestion: Depends how implemented - can be a candidate for taking more times. Req. Instinct?

Long Distance Runner
Effect: For every X AP spent on movement you save 1AP.
Example: I don't know how easy would be to do, could it be just that the game counts movement and after each X spent (eg. X = 4 AP) you get +1AP at the start of the following turn?

Resentful
Effect: Something happens when you're hit.
Example: Each time you're hit between your turns it will add +1AP for the next time you act, provided you're able to use it. (I can imagine an underboss having this perk, could be accompanied with a bark).

Field Practice
Effect: Using items costs -1AP (eg. healing is now 2AP, so would change to 1AP)

[Daithi]

Some nice ideas here. Worth mentioning that changes to character system are very likely. Will start up a thread to cover this soon, but current thinking is reducing stat and perk points, adding some skill points (to allow more customisation of allies), and making less potent perks more powerful.

Like the idea of making some AP saving perks not dependent on fleetness, so the suggestion for athletic sounds good. Bypass the Bypass is likely to happen, and the trigger idea for resentful will likely factor in.

The hope is to customise some gang members with perks. You're right about activated abilities, it's relatively easy to add these for player use, but showing an AI how to effectively use something can be a lot of work.

[ushas]

Naturally, usefulness of perks vary with changes to char. system. I like this concept of AP Per Turn being our turn speed while the other one helps with maneuvering across turns, if that is intention. So some preliminary thoughts on stats are that you can disentangle Max AP from Fleetness.

IIRC, in v16 the formulae are like:
AP Per Turn = 4 + FLOOR( (Fleetness + 2)/3 )
                    -> Starts at 5 at F3;   +1 at F4, F7, F10...
Max AP = 4 + FLOOR( (Fleetness + 2)/3 ) + FLOOR( Toughness/4 )
                    -> Starts at 5 at F3 & T3;   +1 at F4, F7, F10...    and +1 at T4, T8, T12...
Note: There is close to 0 reason not start with F4 & T4, or F7 & T4. Max AP = 5 doesn't let you use some weapons.

An example of change:
AP Per Turn = 4 + FLOOR( (Fleetness)/3 )
                    -> Starts at 5 at F3;   +1 at F6, F9, F12...
Max AP = 6 + FLOOR( (Utility + Toughness)/4 )
                    -> Starts at 7 and increases when the sum, U+T, is wholly dividable by 4, eg. U4+T4, U3+T5, U13+T3...
Note: The motivation for higher Max AP is tactical. Also 7 lets you use a SMG or a rifle at least once per 2 turns.


As for go-around-AP perks - perhaps some symmetry with breathing space is possible:
Athletic:     +1 AP per Turn & +1 Max AP,     req. Fleetness + Prowess = X    OR   Toughness + Prowess = X
AP Bank:    +2 Max AP,                                      req. Toughness + Instinct = X   OR   Fleetness + Instinct = X
Efficient:    +2 AP per Turn,                              req. Utility + Leadership = X
Where X depends on balancing, eg. X=10. So you can take Efficient as soon as having U5+L5 or U4+L6 or U7+L3...
Additionally, if it fits can take those perks for the second time when total is 2X (eg. U10+L10 or U6+L14 or U17+L3 etc).


Have been thinking if some field medic could work here, thus the movement and healing AP savings. Another one:

Emergency (active)
Effect: No AP cost for movement in this turn, but lose your next turn.
Note: Handy for a medic!  Example for AI: The amount of HP loss on team to be used as a trigger for this perk (+bark). Then the unit goes around healing comrades and ending his turn in hiding. Now the player may want to deal with him soonish, not only because he is such a nuisance, but also source of trauma kits.
Obvious synergy: Say I'm having 8AP and activate Adrenaline + Emergency, so now can also run around and box anything on the battlefield up to 4 times (12AP). It's situationally powerful, yes, but based on how much movement we usually need and that you lose the next turn + spend 2 perk points, why not?

[Daithi]

Good ideas. Good chance the character system and enemy numbers will be tackled in V19, so it' a good time to be thinking about these things.

Am with you on splitting up the stat requirements for perks to move away from fleetness, so will take a look at this. Interesting idea to enhance medic mobility too. Probably could do with something similar for melee characters who KO an enemy.

[ushas]

Probably could do with something similar for melee characters who KO an enemy.

Getting +x AP or +x movement AP upon KOing?

Faster Delivery
Effect: All throwing costs lowered -1AP. Requirement: high explosives skill

Degree in Physiology
Effect: halving CTH penalty when targeting body parts

Sniper
Effect: You get criticals on hit when targeting body parts within effective range. This can be a precision rifle perk with very high skill requirement.

Grazed limbs
Effect: X% chance the shotgun hit will cause harmstring or shaky hands debuffs.
Note: Actually this can be inherit property of all shotgun shots instead of a perk, some of the pellets may hit an arm or a leg.


About a perk already in game:
Message sent
'Incapacitating an enemy with a shotgun has 33% chance to traumatize adjacent enemies, leading to 115% damage for 2 rounds but increasing their chance to flee'
Feedback: First enemies have to be clustered, then you have to manage down one of them and only then they have 33% chance to become traumatized. Haven't estimated exact odds, only that... let's say I haven't seen it often. But it's fun perk.
Suggestion: What about this effect becomes inherit to all shotguns like was done for % blunt/blade perks? Then Message Sent can offer something like traumatizing on hit or so. 

[Daithi]

Thanks for ideas. Grazed limbs sounds interesting.

Yeah, you're probably right on Message Sent. Will take a look at it, though it is a KS perk, so can't remove it (which linking it to the weapon type does, no longer in perk list). If you see any other perks that aren't pulling much weight, please flag them.