Slime Squisher
Posts: 406
Joined: Thursday, 1st March 2012, 01:42
Deep Dwarf Mini-Rework Proposal
The Problem with DD
My main problem with DD, is that on paper, they have this cool gameplay gimmick about turning HP in a strategic resource rather than a tactical one. However the reality is that this design falls flat in its implementation. This is because though HP is a strategic resource for DD, they get to use healing abilities and spells normally, which ruins the design, because there spells and abilities are designed for races that will use them tactically rather than strategically.
Thought having variety in difficulty depending on choice is fine, I think just getting to bypass your intended weaknesses by picking X is not great. It also encourages degenerate gameplay like leaving pens of weak enemies, pick up whatever vampiric weapon you found and go clear them only when you start needing some HP. This is what happens when you let players use stuff meant to be used tactically strategically.
My proposed solution.
These tools are tactical tools for other races. So make them tactical for DD too. Since for them HP is a strategic resource, make them give something tactical/temporary instead. You would still benefit from Makhled and Vampiric stuff, but you wouldn't be encouraged to herd.
An idea would be to turn sources of healing in temporary HP - but this might be complicated to implement because it would require GUI changes. Instead, I would propose that healing sources give DD a significant temporary empowerment of their shaving - very powerful in the right situations that encourages using this empowerment tactically, rather than abusing it strategically.
I would make potions still heal normally, while also giving the buff since they are limited.
This would balance out their god choices, make Vampiring Draining decebt rather than scummy.
Since now DD would be forced to rely more on their innate ability to heal out of combat, players might more often reach the endgame with cripplingly low amounts of MP. Since I don't think this is a particularly fun situation to be in, I would make lvl 27 DDs get an ability that would let them forfeit their resiliency (damage shaving, 10% of the HP and natural rN go) in return of their ability to regenerate and all the previously expended MP - IMO a reasonable trade-off. Their resiliency could be reflavored as an ancient racial curse powerful DD's can break.
I know many people would be in favor of just removing them, but I personally think that their gimmick is actually pretty cool, just not done right.