This game could use some more...power
Demigod Forums
One thing about Demigod that i really think is lacking are powerful abilities - both graphically and what they can achieve. Before you go "but but but artifacts!!' let me explain:
When you get to the end of the skill trees you can drop a point in a skill which should by all counts be the 'ultimate' skill in that line. When you get there, you're pretty deep into the game so you would expect as your Demigod gets more and more powerful, the type of skills he's using in the latter half of the game should really either be pretty damned special, OR he should have one character defining BIG skill.
These power abilities should not only LOOK big and badass but should also achieve something pretty large.
There are various artifacts that greatly increase each players stats and abilities but they dont really add anything 'powerful'. I find most games progress from start to finish along roughly the same path. There's always the same progression of citadel and creep upgrades, along with demigods themselves slowly becoming stronger and stronger. There's nothing really endgame that has you going, "Wow, that was @%*&% mad!!"
An example of what I am meaning is this: Each character should have some kind of powerful ability at the end of the tree(something that you can only get say lvl 15+ skill point count wise) where it is an exact extension of what their character is all about. These skills would define that character.
Examples:
* Torchbearer has some huge aoe nuke skill with a longer cooldown than his regular skills - perhaps even summons a 10 second volcano - like the ring of fire on steroids.
* Rook summons a much stronger type of tower which has much increased health/damage but only lasts for perhaps 10 seconds
* Sedna casts a really powerful aoe heal which lasts for around 10 seconds - or even something like war3's starfall ability - shooting star aoe damage type thing.
* Regulus has a very powerful rapid fire ability that hits multiple targets and does much increased damage with a fairly high cooldown/mana cost.
* Unclean Beast has an aoe (much bigger graphically) version of his main spit skill that targets a number of units
* Oak channel summons a number of spirits/ghosts which are much stronger than his regular minions but only last for 10-15 seconds with a highish cooldown on reuse.
* Queen of thorns does a huge thorn related earthquake or somesuch.
* Erobus - i wouldn't have a clue with him as I haven't played him once yet.
These are only off the top of my head examples. But each should be able to really turn a particular battle at any given point, should look big and glossy - you are high level now afterall, and they should be very strategic in their use - you would save them for use at a pivotal moment etc.
I just find the end of the line skills are somewhat underwhelming. It's nice to get these huge stat increases from artifacts and all that, but they're just underwhelming for a game where you have semi-gods fighting it out. When they get to the higher levels, what they're unleashing should be controllable and huge opposed to just huge stat increases from items.
Does that make sense? Do you agree? I guess if you have played DOTA you would be familiar with what I am getting at - I haven't played it for years but I recall there being say 3 staple skills you would level up and then (lvl 10?) you'd get a much bigger/better skill which became a bit of a higher level staple.
I really think this kind of thing could add another layer again to the gameplay, rather than going through the same plodding motions round after round. A little more 'power' would work wonders.
2c
And yeah perhaps a free reward like you said but i wouldnt make it lvl 20 as you want to actually see these things ingame and being used - maybe like lvl 16 or something.
Stardock Forums