"Fixing" Synthesis by changing core aspects of it, with parts of delve and delirium (+Images)

https://imgur.com/a/ppHlgAv





Instead of acquiring memories, you will obtain reward nodes. This fits the rarer master mission type more, is more rewarding and allows for a less messy memory system.



Reward nodes are placed on the memory map when you pick them up. Like how delve works, hover over a node and it creates a predetermined path. Then you click to confirm you want to try to do the node.

The area levels of the other zones should be equal to the reward node.

All of the zones can be done in one go, and you can leave at any time. But the zones will decay after the first time you enter so you cannot farm them. If you leave in the middle of the path, you can teleport to where you stopped in the memory chain to resume.



TL;DR Make decay flood the map slowly, and have it show where it will go when the timer resets using a warning, cracked ground. Give the player a grace period too.

Like in the image, there will be cracked ground which works as a warning zone in front of the decay. This cracked ground will indicate what will become decayed whenever the timer reaches 0.

The decay will basically work in waves, and whenever the player touches the cracked ground a grace period is started, giving the timer a few more seconds. (Like delirium.)

Also, decay picks up your loot, so it doesn't have the same issue delirium has with looting!



In this gif i tried to illustrate how the decay could take over the cracked area every time the timer reaches 0.

This design is very clear on what will be lost, and when, which is much better since old decay previously felt very unfair and confusing.

Preferably the minimap will reflect the state of the decay as well. (in a cleaner fashion than my design lol) It is also a bit fairer toward all types of movement skills, which decay has previously not been.

The decay should use the new pathfinding algorithm to determine direction, and arrive from behind the player and not so much other directions.



Synthesiser UI rework, to be much more transparent with the results so people actually know what they are getting. Letting the player gamble without being aware of the rules really really put people off from the league!



When the desired created path is blocked by something else, it will require you to do that node first.



Instead of applying memory modifiers to the regular zones, you will apply them to the reward nodes themselves. This is to make up for no longer being able to stack regular zones, only running the areas once, and the time investment needed for memory modifiers.

now this is a real high effor suggestion. a few of my thoughts and questions if you dont mind.

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Froochu wrote:

Instead of acquiring memories, you will obtain reward nodes. This fits the rarer master mission type more, is more rewarding and allows for a less messy memory system.

is this because your general idea is oriented around getting a memory fragment every instance like Synthesis v2 or an idea to make it feel better if it gets the 10% chance to appear treatment? if the latter then I understand and I think this is a better system because you kind of get more for less which is good. if not, I still think the system is nice but I would however like a way to mix your idea + the original idea of collecting memory fragments. one of the things I really loved about the nexus was making my own paths and destinations with the fragments that I've collected. it made the nexus even more interractive as you were kind of free to do what you wanted.

"

Froochu wrote:

All of the zones can be done in one go, and you can leave at any time. But the zones will decay after the first time you enter so you cannot farm them. If you leave in the middle of the path, you can teleport to where you stopped in the memory chain to resume.

this seems pretty fair overall, but just so that I'm getting you right, if the memory chain has i.e 4 instances, and you port out in the 3rd instance without triggering the memory stabiliser, can you then return to the 3rd instance later or does it get the regular instance treatment of expiring after 8-15 minutes?

"

Froochu wrote:

Instead of applying memory modifiers to the regular zones, you will apply them to the reward nodes themselves. This is to make up for no longer being able to stack regular zones, only running the areas once, and the time investment needed for memory modifiers.

I think it would be much better if the memory modifiers applied to all of the instances in the chain instead of just the last reward instance. it was always fun running those "rare mobs have #% chance to drop fossils/quality currency" so I think making the whole chain more rewarding with the memory modifiers would be better instead of putting the emphasis on the reward instance only.

overall, I like your suggestions, probably because they are Synthesis related and the thing I want the most for the game to happen is Synthesis to return fully. I was very happy to see the bosses return as they were masterpieces and my favorite fights, but I wasnt as happy when I found out that they just brought them back without the nexus and the crafting. if Synthesis hopefully returns in any fashion, it should be in its full glory. the bosses, the crafting, the nexus, the memory fragments, all of it.

You had me at synthesis.. my favorite league needs to come back. Einhar can be a basic mechanic that appears in maps and Cavas can be a new revamped master.

"

kole wrote:

now this is a real high effor suggestion. a few of my thoughts and questions if you dont mind.

"

Froochu wrote:

Instead of acquiring memories, you will obtain reward nodes. This fits the rarer master mission type more, is more rewarding and allows for a less messy memory system.

"

kole wrote:

is this because your general idea is oriented around getting a memory fragment every instance like Synthesis v2 or an idea to make it feel better if it gets the 10% chance to appear treatment? if the latter then I understand and I think this is a better system because you kind of get more for less which is good. if not, I still think the system is nice but I would however like a way to mix your idea + the original idea of collecting memory fragments. one of the things I really loved about the nexus was making my own paths and destinations with the fragments that I've collected. it made the nexus even more interractive as you were kind of free to do what you wanted.

i had the 10% chance to appear in mind, especially since I think there's too many people who would be upset if Synthesis was a main league for a third time. Maybe it should show up even less than 10%, as we are starting too have too much content all at once when you reach maps.

I also agree that the puzzle aspect is actually quite fun, maybe getting 5 memories when you also get a random reward node would work instead of the predetermined path.

If you increased the memory limit and allowed backtracking, i think it could work instead of a delve-like memory map.

"

kole wrote:

"

Froochu wrote:

All of the zones can be done in one go, and you can leave at any time. But the zones will decay after the first time you enter so you cannot farm them. If you leave in the middle of the path, you can teleport to where you stopped in the memory chain to resume.

"

kole wrote:

this seems pretty fair overall, but just so that I'm getting you right, if the memory chain has i.e 4 instances, and you port out in the 3rd instance without triggering the memory stabiliser, can you then return to the 3rd instance later or does it get the regular instance treatment of expiring after 8-15 minutes?

Correct, basically making the content more "Plug & Play", as requiring the player to do all of them at once can take a while. I think part of the reason why some people don't like doing temples is that they take a while, while not being very rewarding for a lot of it, with no options for a break. Ideally, in memories, you would be able to return but it's really up to the technology GGG has.

"

kole wrote:

"

Froochu wrote:

Instead of applying memory modifiers to the regular zones, you will apply them to the reward nodes themselves. This is to make up for no longer being able to stack regular zones, only running the areas once, and the time investment needed for memory modifiers.

I think it would be much better if the memory modifiers applied to all of the instances in the chain instead of just the last reward instance. it was always fun running those "rare mobs have #% chance to drop fossils/quality currency" so I think making the whole chain more rewarding with the memory modifiers would be better instead of putting the emphasis on the reward instance only.

overall, I like your suggestions, probably because they are Synthesis related and the thing I want the most for the game to happen is Synthesis to return fully. I was very happy to see the bosses return as they were masterpieces and my favorite fights, but I wasnt as happy when I found out that they just brought them back without the nexus and the crafting. if Synthesis hopefully returns in any fashion, it should be in its full glory. the bosses, the crafting, the nexus, the memory fragments, all of it.

I could be remembering it wrong, but I think originally memory modifiers actually did work this way, where everything in one path would all get the modifiers together.
I think the issue is that it was difficult to get the maximum potential out of it, and it would lead people to not want to run their memories because they didn't want to miss out on the potential max rewards.
GGG changed it to giving you a cross pattern of memory modifiers instead.
You're right though, the rewards should be less lopsided. I remember someone saying that a trickle of steady but unexpected rewards is often better than a huge, expected reward. Because once the expectation is there, it's just not as "fun". So having a rewarding path over just one rewarding node, sounds like a good idea.
Maybe there could be something inbetween, where you sometimes get the "path" modifier, sometimes the cross pattern, and sometimes the reward only modifier?
I agree that too much of the puzzle aspect is lost with the delve design though, it was quite fun to run around in the atlas placing memories everywhere and getting your strategy game on. I just wish they had a higher limit than 10 memories.
And hell yeah Synthesis was awesome, definitely has to be my favourite league in terms of aesthetics and potential. I really hope it comes back in some form, more than just the bosses.

I hated the timed RNG content that Synthesis had in order to acquire fragments, but everything else Synthesis offered was, in my opinion, rewarding and unique.

I remember setting up a node that dropped me like 60 chisels sand 60 GCPs each time I ran it. You can't tell me that wasn't rewarding.