Shield healers haven't really been in a great spot this expansion, with the amount of barriers they provide per cast having shrunk massively. Let's brainstorm how encounter designs can fit this mechanical concept in more snugly, rather than it being a vestigial addon that seems to cause a lot of furrowed brows about its power.
So, here's an idea I had to start: Hollow damage.
Hollow is an element...
(tangent: please allow some function where players can tell what element of damage they get hit by! Phys, Magic, etc.- we need to know, in many cases!!!)
...that functions sorta like hollow-point ammunition IRL. It has low penetration, meaning it's easily mitigated against, but deals high damage against soft, unarmored, meaty targets. Enemy attacks that gain Hollow-element attributes will enjoy a damage boost, and are punishing if you're caught off guard... However, HP shields from SCH, Noct AST, PLD, etc. are twice as effective, reducing Hollow damage taken at a 2:1 ratio of shield-value-to-damage instead of the normal 1:1.
Shields suffer from a lack of integration- outside of Ultimates, encounters are entirely winnable without any HP shielding. (Maybe ults are too? I have never tried them and cannot speak for them...)
Giving HP shields a specific time to shine would help them feel more like a FF14 mechanic, rather than a system that constantly has to be tiptoed around and nerfed, I think. Would that be cool, would it suck, is my idea dumb? Please share thoughts and discussion <3
Continue reading...
So, here's an idea I had to start: Hollow damage.
Hollow is an element...
(tangent: please allow some function where players can tell what element of damage they get hit by! Phys, Magic, etc.- we need to know, in many cases!!!)
...that functions sorta like hollow-point ammunition IRL. It has low penetration, meaning it's easily mitigated against, but deals high damage against soft, unarmored, meaty targets. Enemy attacks that gain Hollow-element attributes will enjoy a damage boost, and are punishing if you're caught off guard... However, HP shields from SCH, Noct AST, PLD, etc. are twice as effective, reducing Hollow damage taken at a 2:1 ratio of shield-value-to-damage instead of the normal 1:1.
Shields suffer from a lack of integration- outside of Ultimates, encounters are entirely winnable without any HP shielding. (Maybe ults are too? I have never tried them and cannot speak for them...)
Giving HP shields a specific time to shine would help them feel more like a FF14 mechanic, rather than a system that constantly has to be tiptoed around and nerfed, I think. Would that be cool, would it suck, is my idea dumb? Please share thoughts and discussion <3
Continue reading...