Modal abilities

Unknown

I think that a HUGE improvement to the game would be the addition of MODAL abilities for abilities that have drawbacks/tradeoffs when you level them up.
With the "radial" abilities activation's menu, it should be easy to add a second submenu (as it is seen in lots of RPGs with that kind of menus) to select the level at which you want to activate the ability. It could be all 5 levels, for the sake of simplicity, or only the "relevant" levels (i.e. levels 4 and 5 for Venom's purple).
It would have several serious benefits for the game. To begin with, it would severely improve characters with those abilities. It is not by chance that most of the more powerful characters are character with most or only "always better" abilities. That will increase teams variety (one thing that the developers say they want) and, obviously, demand for those cover, up to full levels (something that I'm sure the developers want).
Moreover, this will add more CHOICES during a match: I can opt to cast Iron Hammer now to destroy 9 tiles next turn or I can wait and try to push for the "jackpot" and destroy the full board?; and TACTICAL RESOURCES (if I need to, I can try to destroy THAT countdown next turn by spamming iron Hammer level 1; if I can resist, I can go for more destruction por AP). This would add both depth and fun to the game.
For people that prefer the simple approach that it is now, there should be and option to not use the submenu, and cast all the abilities to max level. Even better, a simple touch should cast the ability at max level, and a long press should show the submenu (this way, it could be there for all abilities, relevant or not, and therefore should be much easier to implement; it could even lead to some corner case usages, i.e. activating a dsmage ability for less damage to not trigger Raging Tempest).

over_clocked

So the AP tanks will flash in mobile versions whenever you have enough AP for the cheapest level ability, be it level 5 or 1?
I love the idea, but I'm pretty sure it will make the game quite complicated and long if you activate the option, imagine having to choose every time you try to use an ability. I can't imagine how it can only be turned on for abilities that 'have drawbacks/tradeoffs when leveled', you just mentioned any damaging abilities too, so as not to trigger Tempest. Almost any ability may become this. I can think of few non-damaging abilities that are always better when leveled and don't get pointless/redundant (Anti-Gravity Device, All Tied Up - to be fixed, Grant Invisibility, etc.). Almost all of the abilities in that context have drawbacks.
I'm sure that it's easier and more profitable for devs to let players have separate builds or respec their maxed characters and maxed characters only. It's not like not having modal abilities is critical. What the the game needs more would be the in-game MPQ wiki and stats on every char, like many have said, so that you can choose a wanted build early on.

Unknown

Something like would be really great. An alternative to consider is like 'kicker' works in MtG. Where you have a base ability and can improve it by paying up more. So Venom would be devfined as

L4: 4 purple, stun target for 1 turn
L5: gain Kicker: 3 purple, stun the whole team instead.

Interface-wise not that much work as we already have prompts like select target tiles. The kicker could be asked in a similar way, just need a checkbox there.

Unknown

I really like that implementation idea, pasa_!

Unknown

We somewhat already have this with abilities like Moonstone's Gravity Warp (If enemy special tile present, swap randomly, else destroy target tile and deal X damage). Only issue is you can't choose, but whatever. Punisher's is also somewhat 'modal' (albeit both effects go towards the exact same purpose, so it's not as modal as it would seem).

Unknown

The kicker way would also allow very cool multicolor abilities. Just as it made the big hit in Invasion (IIRC).

Unknown

cStorm's Lightning storm does this to great effect. I'd love it for IM40, MBW, and OBW, but that would be a little more complicated. I think it would be better if it didn't require additional UI. That takes away the ability to choose the lower level ability when you have enough AP for the higher level, but being able to hold off or cash in early would be a fun mechanic that could be used more.

mischiefmaker

Cool idea -- would make a few characters a lot more interesting (IM40's yellow, for one). Not sure it's worth the tradeoff in increased complexity, though. I feel like a new player without a background in RPG games is going to have a hard time grasping the concept, especially since it's not going to be immediately clear why they would ever want to do less damage. So then you either make the game more confusing, or you need to figure out a way to unlock/hide this feature, which means a lot of people are never going to find it.

Unknown

I think that the best implementation would be what I proposed in my last paragraph: single press activates the ability at max level (as it is now), long press opens submenu to choose level (always 1 to 5). Is simple for the user (can continue playing as he is playing now if he wish; and selecting levels is easy and an equal procedure for every ability) and for the developers (one implementation and interface for every present and future ability).
Kicker solution is more complex for both (case by case changes and interfaces), and it only fits well for "more cost --> more effect" abilities. It would not fit so well, i.e. for Iron Hammer's increased countdown duration.

Unknown

mischiefmaker wrote:

Cool idea -- would make a few characters a lot more interesting (IM40's yellow, for one). Not sure it's worth the tradeoff in increased complexity, though. I feel like a new player without a background in RPG games is going to have a hard time grasping the concept, especially since it's not going to be immediately clear why they would ever want to do less damage. So then you either make the game more confusing, or you need to figure out a way to unlock/hide this feature, which means a lot of people are never going to find it.

That's not hard to solve -- brute force would have a 'simplified interface' checkbox in option that gets you the old behavior or always use the most evolved power. Advanced users can turn it off.

On PC it could use shift/click or right click for advanced options, not sure what is the way on touchscreens, maybe an extra button in a corner to use together.