So I was thinking of ways to solve some of the design flaws with turrets: their lack of mobility and usefullnes when you only run 1 or 2 turrets. And one Idea that came to mind was letting every turret utility skill spawn multiple turrets until a cap. So let me take you through the design progress:
First lets put the overcharge abilities aside, right now we just spam them whenever they are off cooldown anyway. We might look at ways to implement them passivly later, since some of them are quite usefull (see flameturrets smoke filed).
Next lets replace the overcharge ability to place another turret, for my example will I use the rifle turret.
Now lets set some variables:
- Rifle turret deplyment cap: 2 // players can only place 2 rifle turrets out at any given time
- Rifle turret construction time: 20 sec // you will passivly prepear another turret every 20 sec
- Rifle turret stock cap: 2 // you can only have 2 rifle turrets prepeard at any given time
As you can see have I added a construction timer, basicly whenever you have les turrets stocked than the Rifle turret stock cap will you get a 20 sec construction boon that will increese your rifle turret stock by 1. Only 1 rifle turret can be constructed at any given time.
This info can be shown with boons: 1 boon (stacks to the Rifle turret stock cap) shows how many turrets you can place out.
Another boon (does not stack) will show that you are currently constructing a rifle turret at the end of its durration. By the time it is done will it start over if your Rifle turret stock cap is not reached.
Placing a rifle turret will consume one stack of your Rifle turret stack boon and self destruckt your oldest turret if you already have 2 rifle turrets out (the Rifle turret deplyment cap)
While you are constructing a rifle turret and have no rifle turrets in stock will the utility skill show your current construction time.
The toolbelt skill can stay the same, except that detonate will explode all your Rifle turrets instead of only 1. There is also the options to replace the boring toolbelt skills you have while not having any turrets out with a “quickly construct rifle turret” skill that is a charge.
This system opens up for some interesting traits, think a +1 to your stock limit or reduced construction time. The turret deployment limit should not be traitable tho since it would be to powerfull compeard to untraited turrets, however it might be diffrent depending on the type of turret.
A charge system can also be applied to other skills, like mines, traps, spirits, banners, minions etc. It creates some interesting mechanincs and dosn’t force you to go all out with that type of skills and thus sacrificing important utility sutch as condition or stund removers.