Rework starting perks assignment logic + New starting perks & rebalance/rework old ones

[bstar1million]

I want to streamline and improve the icons, localization and gameplay effects of the current selection of starting/squaddie/aptitude/origin perks and perhaps add new ones.

Please use this issue for suggestions, ideas, thoughts etc. (no guarantee they will be incorporated).

Additional features that might be worthwhile:

1. Adding a weighting system for starting perks
2. Making auto-assigning of starting perks smart:

• When specs and starting perks are assigned manually, don't change anything. If people want to use a melee perk without melee specs, that's their problem. There are plenty of ways to brick your character by hand.
• When specs are assigned automatically and starting perks are assigned manually, the assigned specs should be visible while the starting perks are assigned, so you can make an informed decision (is this currently the case?)
• When specs are assigned manually and starting perks are assigned automatically, either
  (A) change nothing, because people can choose fitting specs for their rolled starting perks or
  (B) roll starting perks after specs were chosen and use meta information for each perk (that needs it because it requires specific items/weapons) like bMelee and only make perks eligible for the random roll(s) that the soldier can make use of with their chosen specializations.
• When specs and starting perks are assigned automatically, see (B) above. If starting perks would be rolled instead, this might lead to weighting issues making certain spec (types) appear more or less frequently than others.

[Iridar]

Would be nice to either supply the perks with meta information so that they can be given to a soldier only if they have certain specs (Pretorian is pretty useless if the soldier can't use a melee weapon with Weapon Restrictions, although you could carry a utility slot melee weapon, I suppose, or get a melee attack from other sources).

Alternatively, perhaps all specs should be made equally useful to all weapon categories.

[bstar1million]

Absolutely agree. To that end, I think it would also be useful/necessary if/that SWO setups that limit your specializations but let you choose your starting perks would reverse the order of spec assignment/choice and starting perks choice so you could base your choice of perks on the specs.

This would require the assigned/chosen specs to be visible in the starting perk selection screen UI.

[ProfBadger]

Another thing is overlap caused by RPGO plugins, but I'm not sure thats a solvable issue. For example, Runner is +3 mobility, while there's a perk in the samurai pack that give +3 mobility and +20 dodge.

Note that you can also roll both of them, for a soldier with +6 mobility, which might also create issues, but that is admittedly a function of the Samurai Specialization plugin.

I also find myself unimpressed with perks like Marksman or Preatorian due to their smaller impact when compared to perks like Irregular that encourage unique soldier interactions even with the same trees, and would feel that similar perks could arguably be consolidated into more impactful ones. A character who does not wield a bullpup having a very solid overwatch perk is interesting and unique.

[bstar1million]

I also find myself unimpressed with perks like Marksman or Preatorian due to their smaller impact when compared to perks like Irregular that encourage unique soldier interactions even with the same trees

This was actually originally intended. Before the SWO were added to RPGO, each soldier got exactly one stronger and more impactful "Aptitude" perk and one weaker, more general use "Squaddie" perk. The issue is that with Origins, both types of perks are thrown into one pool you can freely choose from. The rework will likely address this issue in some fashion.

[1captainKek]

@bstar1million Would it be possible to color code the perks in these two categories so users could balance their own games accordingly? IE only take one of each? I know the SuperSoldiers RPGO addon has color coded specs.

Just a thought.

[Sethriel-7]

Hey there people, I'm new to the modding community (don't know how to mod) and so I don't really know how difficult these would be to implement. However, from the perspective of a gamer who loves starting perks that significantly alter the way a character plays, without pigeonholing them into specific roles, these are my ideas so far.

Note: I've recently started using the "choose starting perks" function, and I've had a lot of fun making really different and unique characters. But I'd love more options.

Feel free to be brutal with feedback, I know I won't see things other people instantly see as balance or gameplay issues (not to mention power creep). I think most of these ideas can be balanced, I'm assuming an amount of testing/balancing would be required.

Focused on the Kill
+3 Damage on ANY crit, -10 Defence

Heavy Grenades
+1 grenade radius, -1 mobility

Makeshift Grapple
Gain a grapple ability with 5 turn cooldown (longer then a generic grapple), cost 1 action.

Heavy Delivery
costs 2 actions and ends your turn, throw a beacon with a short range to mark a tile. At the beginning of your next turn a friendly turret will be air dropped there. (could be difficult to implement, definitely possible to balance. I feel like the heavy action cost, plus the delay is probably enough of a cost to balance it out, but I'd love to hear what other people think)
EDIT: 1 use per mission

Boils and Pustules
The soldier is afflicted with a sickness that causes large boils. These can be painfully pulled off and thrown a short distance. If anyone walks on the tile it bursts, afflicting them with acid, causing a small acid pool.
The solider is immune to acid.
Costs 1 health and 1 action to throw a boil, 1 turn cooldown.

NOTE: The above idea comes from wanting mines earlier in the game, I thought this could be an interesting and fun way to do that. Please give feedback on this. I think the health cost is fair, and will be useful by any soldier in the early and late game due to the acid effect.

Krav Maga
Free unarmed hit on anyone who moves into or uses an action in melee range. Deals 1-2 damage and has a chance to disorient. If used with bladestorm, your bladestorm hits always disorient.
I'm unsure on the balance here, may need a stat decrease, -1 mobility? Not as fast because you are always ready to fight.

Sting
2 uses per mission
Guarantee applying poison to an enemy, but does no initial damage, cost 1 action, 1 turn cooldown

Long sighted
Penalties to accuracy at short range, no penalties for long range.

Blind but no deaf
Permanently blind with significantly reduced sight radius, plus 50(?) dodge. (would need to be balanced)

I love the work you modders do, thank you SO much!

[ChrisTheThinMint]

I generally agree with the issues presented so far. I think all perks need to be balanced against each other, even if they are in different pools. I think the best solution to that would be to make all passives that are currently stronger stat-wise have some sort of condition or downside.

For example:
Warden (20 overwatch aim) could only apply to the first shot, while the reaction aim aptitude (10 aim applies all the time.
Samurai perk (+3 mobility and +20 dodge) reduces gun crit by -50
Etc

One thing i would also like to bring up is the balance of squad effects as squaddie perks. I think these are a bit too strong as bonuses (Kingpin, Overseer, War Hero, Pacifist?), and really annoying when they are penalties (Student of the Blade groan, its particularly bad because you always forget it). I would really inquire that those are looked at and reworked to bring their values in line or make them work in a different way.
Perhaps they could even be active abilities? Kingpin/Overseer/War Hero buff allies in sight, Pacifist buffs ally defense but nerfs attack, Student of the Blade does an anime line to buff themselves and nerf the squad?

[Sethriel-7]

I agree with Chris, and with what most other people here have said.
Overseer could reduce the Overseers damage by 1 in all atracks, as they are too busy directing the team. Otherwise an active ability seems viable.

Warden could also be +20 on overwatch, -10 aim on non reaction shots

[bstar1million]

One major issue that I would like to address with this rework is to ensure that each soldier gets abilities that are useful to their build (e.g. not a melee ability if they can't even use melee weapons).

There are basically two options to achieve this:

(1) Make all starting perks super generic so they provide benefits no matter your build and loadout
(2) Implement some sort of system that makes the auto assigning of perks (without Origins SWO) smart, e.g. with meta info like the specs have for Random Classes. (preferred option)

Another change/feature that I think would make sense (perhaps as a separate SWO?) is this:
When using an SWO selection that randomly assigns the specs (Random Classes or Specialization Roulette) together with Origins, the player should be able to make their starting perk decision based on the specs they got, meaning the specs would need to be rolled first and be somehow visible in the starting perk selection screen. Otherwise optimal play would be to choose perks that work with any specialization.

[bstar1million]

While / if /when reworking the starting perks system, it might be worthwhile to add a weighting system for the starting perks.