Plea for Support/Healer/Buffer (Altruistic) playstyles to be represented and viable

[VysTTV]

Hi Envoys & Developers,

I know there is not really a feedback forum (at least not one visible for accounts not in preludes) yet. But this is a topic that means a lot to me. And since my hopes and trust for a genuinely fantastic and immersive MMO//RPG experience have all but been shattered in the last decade+ by most every studio, here I am to make a plea. Please do not forget or brush aside support/healer/buffer (henceforth I will refer to the playstyle as altruistic). The gaming industry has moved away from supporting these playstyles in favor of a DPS and self sustain meta, where different class/etc. types vary in the ways they deal damage and can mitigate/sustain. Making everyone a DPS, with genuinely no true altruistic playstyles. You have 3 types of DPS: DPS glass cannons, DPS that can tank, DPS that can support/buff/heal, which replaced the previous "Holy Trinity" playstyles that are a thing of the past: DPS, Tank, Healer.

 

I know that some of the concerns/issues with supporting/enabling altruistic playstyles are as follows; with potential solutions bulleted:

1. Altruistic Playstyles can struggle to clear PvE content solo
   1. Multiple builds/classes per a single character, allowing progression when solo but still allowing altruists to fill their most rewarding role when with others.
2. Making content that requires Altruist playstyles and tanks can create throttling/group-find/progression/supply/demand issues for a role to be met to complete content
   1. Again, multiple builds/classes per a single character, will allow people to queue according to what is needed if a certain role is not being met. 
   2. Create multiple instances of the same content: one for solo players, another for group-play that enables altruistic playstyles to shine.
   3. Allow materials, gear, etc. to be obtained through different content, both solo and co-op.
3. Balancing content becomes more difficult as there are more levers to difficulty outside of a DPS gate
   1. This is a concern in that development/balancing can take more time, effort, and creativity to get right. But its also a callout in the sense that so many studios have completely ignored it for this reason, robbing their community of altruistic playstyles and group content with actual teamwork required.

What altruistic playstyles can do for a game:

1. Promote bringing together players 
2. Create skilled gameplay encounters
3. Create a wider variety of playstyles
4. Revive a niche that is underserved in the mmo//rpg landscape
5. Make me (and I'm sure others) overjoyed.

 

TLDR: Please do not forget or brush aside support/healer/buffer (altruistic playstyles). It is an underserved niche in the mmo//rpg landscape, that promotes amazing community and wider variety of playstyles.

 

Thank for reading,

Vys

[Envoy.Alex]

Me who is a solo maniac in a game that requires teamplay-Worlds *first* solo on soulframe chapter 0/1(release storyline) final boss.
Description"Now time for chapter 2 of the story(2.0 content)

[Sinest]

Nothing better than playing a support and feeling like an important part of the team.

I feel that a key to a balanced solo support is your buffs and debuffs balance the damage so one can be decent at the game solo, but when combined with DPS builds you can crank that DPS to 11.

I think something that's helpful is giving each class a specific buff or debuff so when you combine forces with another player those bonuses stack.

[VysTTV]

14 hours ago, Sinest said:

Nothing better than playing a support and feeling like an important part of the team.

I feel that a key to a balanced solo support is your buffs and debuffs balance the damage so one can be decent at the game solo, but when combined with DPS builds you can crank that DPS to 11.

That's so true, altruists being able to elevate everyone to their upmost 130%+ potential should be the design principle. And enabling risker, heavier hitting DPS builds to exist that would otherwise have to take self-sustain or mitigation in their kit.

 

14 hours ago, Sinest said:

I think something that's helpful is giving each class a specific buff or debuff so when you combine forces with another player those bonuses stack.

While it is nice for every glass to have some supporting/buffing options. That's not what I am asking for. That actually seems to be the trend in MOBAs, MMOs, and RPGs of all genres... everyone has a taste of altruistic features... and most of the time they only get used as part of a players personal sustain/mitigation, and not for teammates. I want to be able to play a class/build/etc. that is purely altruistic (without having to worry too much about personal DPS output) and it still being viable or even most optimal in group play to have a purely altruistic player on the team.

 

Thanks for engaging on this topic, love hearing all the different opinions on this topic.

Vys

[mt607]

Hi, I think you're taking some people describing the game as an 'mmo' to take it like this game is something like, lets say, Final Fantasy Fourteen, as much as I like FFXIV, this game is not FFXIV,

This game is as much a MMO, as warframe is, that being that you have a general ability set given by your selected warframe (or in this case, pact,) and your weapon is entirely separate. There is a pact that fills the role of being a healer, though it's the 'damage healer' type that you don't like, however, it does have passive abilities that make it so healing other players is something worth doing, as it'll give you charge for the Idol (the fourth ability that has to be charged up by doing combat usually), it has one ability that steals health from enemies and shares it with your team, and it's Idol, gives the entire group a buff of extra damage, and the ability to steal health on hit.

I bring up the MMO thing though, as you've said 

On 2024-09-12 at 4:26 PM, VysTTV said:

• Altruistic Playstyles can struggle to clear PvE content solo
  1. Multiple builds/classes per a single character, allowing progression when solo but still allowing altruists to fill their most rewarding role when with others.
• Making content that requires Altruist playstyles and tanks can create throttling/group-find/progression/supply/demand issues for a role to be met to complete content
  1. Again, multiple builds/classes per a single character, will allow people to queue according to what is needed if a certain role is not being met. 
  2. Create multiple instances of the same content: one for solo players, another for group-play that enables altruistic playstyles to shine.
  3. Allow materials, gear, etc. to be obtained through different content, both solo and co-op.
• Balancing content becomes more difficult as there are more levers to difficulty outside of a DPS gate
  1. This is a concern in that development/balancing can take more time, effort, and creativity to get right. But its also a callout in the sense that so many studios have completely ignored it for this reason, robbing their community of altruistic playstyles and group content with actual teamwork required.

when these apply to a game with a que and such, again, like FFXIV, where this is more a Warframe but if it's always open world situation, and without a lobby to automatchmake in.