Malefactor Class Rework

[ifoz]

I've been playing Malefactor recently, and I have to say it's one of my favourite classes purely because of the cool outfit and the sling.
I do have some suggestions though.



Despite having the "Improviser" trait, the only improvised weapon you can make is the sling.
I think that scrap weapons should be relegated to this trait, or a slightly more sturdy version of them. It suits the Malefactor perfectly with their whole "making the best of the situation you're in" thing. I also think that maybe you could get more bandages per tattered piece of clothing, as a bit of an incentive to cut them up if you're really in a bind.
I also had the idea of a scrap bow or crossbow, though I don't know if this would be relegated to a novelty due to the existence of the sling.

Perhaps a new set of Malefactor-exclusive armour could also be added, the scrap armour. It would have the unique ability of dealing damage to things that directly melee attack you, due to it having protruding spikes. It would have pretty low durability and take a lot of scrap metal to create, but I think it could help to spice up the Malefactor's playstyle. I imagine it made from about 14 scrap metal, a pelt (1 huge / 1 large / 2 medium / 4 small) and some rope.

I really like classes with unique craftable things, it's part of why I love Tailor so much. I like it when the class goes deeper than just stat buffs and nerfs.


Mock-up for what the crafting recipe could look like.


I also think the Malefactor's late game is quite weak, and while I get that that's the trade-off for a more profitable early game, I think this could be somewhat remedied with a higher-durability sling being crafted from leather and flax twine. Rename the original rope-and-hide sling to the "crude sling" and the new one to the "strengthened sling" or something of the sort. It would have tripled durability (900), 0.5 more damage and maybe 15% increased accuracy, but other than that would function the exact same.



Just some ideas I had, what does everyone else think of these?  

Edited May 8 by ifoz

[LadyWYT]

15 minutes ago, ifoz said:

I also think that maybe you could get more bandages per tattered piece of clothing

I may steal this idea for a class idea I've been working on, heh heh. Healing is a major part of the toolkit, as there is currently no dedicated healer option, and having extra bandages from scraps would be a nifty bonus.

17 minutes ago, ifoz said:

I think that scrap weapons should be relegated to this trait, or a slightly more sturdy version of them. It suits the Malefactor perfectly with their whole "making the best of the situation you're in" thing.

I honestly forgot that scrap weapons are a thing. I think they would work well as a Malefactor exclusive too. Other classes aren't as given to that kind of improvising, except maybe Blackguards...and I expect they would probably scoff at a flimsy piece of scrap purely based on principle I'm not sure about the scrap armor though. It's a neat idea in theory, but I feel it goes against the sneaky aspect of Malefactor. Maybe craftable spike traps instead? Then you could booby-trap things, which plays into outwitting your opponents rather than conquering through sheer brute force.

22 minutes ago, ifoz said:

I also think the Malefactor's late game is quite weak, and while I get that that's the trade-off for a more profitable early game, I think this could be somewhat remedied with a higher-durability sling being crafted from leather and flax twine. Rename the original rope-and-hide sling to the "crude sling" and the new one to the "strengthened sling" or something of the sort. It would have tripled durability (900), 0.5 more damage and maybe 15% increased accuracy, but other than that would function the exact same.

I still need to play Malefactor to see how it really vibes. It's been one I've avoided so far as I don't like the aesthetics as much and the traits seem like the early game might be too easy for my taste. The weaker late game seems like a fair tradeoff for a strong early game though. I'd wager it's more of an issue in singleplayer, as in multiplayer you could befriend a Blackguard or some other class to make the dungeon delving easier.

One potential late game ability I could see them having an affinity for though is trap detection, assuming that traps are added in later patches. They could have an easier time spotting them, or perhaps just have a lower chance of setting them off, which would make them ideal to have along as scouts when exploring dangerous places like the Resonance Archive.

I'm not sure about buffing the sling; it runs the risk of edging out Hunter as the ranged class. I could see the sling doing a bit more damage than the crude arrows though. The main advantage of the sling, I think, is that there's almost always rocks lying around, so it's nearly impossible to run out of ammunition. Arrows, on the other hand, require time and resources to craft. What I could see though...slings could be used to launch objects like the Beenade, perhaps sending them further than throwing them manually.

Alternatively, in keeping with the improvisation aspect of Malefactor--let them craft things like the Beenade, and maybe something like a smoke bomb(briefly confuses enemies, allowing the player to potentially escape a dangerous situation).

[ifoz]

4 hours ago, LadyWYT said:

Maybe craftable spike traps instead?

This would actually be super cool and definitely open up some creative trap designs! Though, I don't know how effective traps would be in singleplayer against drifters, and that may end up encouraging automatic drifter grinders, which is a little counter-intuitive to this game's message of working hard to achieve things.
 

4 hours ago, LadyWYT said:

I'm not sure about the scrap armor though. It's a neat idea in theory, but I feel it goes against the sneaky aspect of Malefactor.

I do now realise this and kind of agree. I think the solution would be to make the scrap armour not made for tanking and combat by giving it protection tier 0 and maybe around only 200 durability, therefore having it instead a way to make up for Malefactor's physical combat weaknesses in the early game. The reason I suggested giving it spikes was because originally it was just going to be a bland piece of early-game gear, but this would give it a super niche use beyond the early game.

 

4 hours ago, LadyWYT said:

I'm not sure about buffing the sling; it runs the risk of edging out Hunter as the ranged class.

I think the sling would offer a Malefactor alternative to bows and arrows, at least until the stage in the game where bronze and iron arrows become available. I think that the Hunter should always have the ranged advantage, though I think a higher durability sling would be a nice addition for the Malefactor. 300 max durability just seems a little bit harsh to me if you intend to be using the sling into the later game. Also, the sling has a significantly higher charge time than bows, meaning that bows will always be superior, though the sling can fire stones instead of arrows. I would like to see an improved sling, though I would hate to see Hunter's main draw become obsolete because of it.
Also being able to fire beenades and perhaps smoke bombs sounds super cool! That could definitely open up some interesting combat scenarios!
(Also being able to sling snowballs would be cool. Gives the Malefactor a sneaky advantage in snowball fights. )

[LadyWYT]

12 hours ago, ifoz said:

Though, I don't know how effective traps would be in singleplayer against drifters, and that may end up encouraging automatic drifter grinders, which is a little counter-intuitive to this game's message of working hard to achieve things.

Yeah, I agree. Though a determined player can build drifter grinders already. The workaround I can think of is causing spikes to mangle the bodies enough so they drop less loot, like how mauled animal carcasses or drifters that died to other drifters do. If that's still not enough to discourage drifter farms from being mainstream, there could be small buffs to the other ways to acquire gears and Jonas parts. Flax is already easier to get via farming. I've found that rusty gears are best sourced from selling stuff to traders. Jonas parts...I think we'll see a better way to acquire these in later patches, rather than having to rely on RNG from double-headed drifters during temporal storms. As for temporal gears themselves...maybe make them more available from certain traders, but expensive as a drawback? There's not currently much that can be done with them, and they feel like an item that should still be rather rare.

12 hours ago, ifoz said:

I do now realise this and kind of agree. I think the solution would be to make the scrap armour not made for tanking and combat by giving it protection tier 0 and maybe around only 200 durability, therefore having it instead a way to make up for Malefactor's physical combat weaknesses in the early game. The reason I suggested giving it spikes was because originally it was just going to be a bland piece of early-game gear, but this would give it a super niche use beyond the early game.

It could work, but there's a couple main issues I see. Metal scraps can be kinda difficult to acquire in the early game, as they have a low drop rate via panning, and delving for them in caves is highly risky. The Improvised Armor doesn't have the same durability, but utilizes ingredients that are a lot easier to acquire. It seems to me that Improvised Armor would still be the better option to craft for the cost, and save the metal scrap for weapons or dye. Could just be my playstyle though and metal scrap might be easier to acquire than I thought.

The other potential issue I could see with the scrap armor is that if it's a craftable unique to Malefactor, it might make them a little too strong in the early game. Maybe if it was something craftable by everyone, with a small discount for Malefactors? That way it gives other classes another option for early defense, while staying in the theme of Malefactors being adept improvisers.

13 hours ago, ifoz said:

I think the sling would offer a Malefactor alternative to bows and arrows, at least until the stage in the game where bronze and iron arrows become available. I think that the Hunter should always have the ranged advantage, though I think a higher durability sling would be a nice addition for the Malefactor. 300 max durability just seems a little bit harsh to me if you intend to be using the sling into the later game. Also, the sling has a significantly higher charge time than bows, meaning that bows will always be superior, though the sling can fire stones instead of arrows. I would like to see an improved sling, though I would hate to see Hunter's main draw become obsolete because of it.

If it has a slower charge time, maybe up the damage rather than increase the durability. The bow would still be better in most cases, having more distance, a higher rate of fire, and higher damage per shot in the later game. In the early game though, a sling might be harder to aim and have a shorter range, but hit harder per shot and have convenient ammo. A high speed rock to the head is no joke, and if I recall correctly slings remained a relevant weapon well into the Middle Ages.

I know it's Wikipedia, but the article can give a rough history at least: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balearic_slinger

[ifoz]

3 hours ago, LadyWYT said:

The workaround I can think of is causing spikes to mangle the bodies enough so they drop less loot, like how mauled animal carcasses or drifters that died to other drifters do.

That's actually a super good idea, I never thought of that! I think that players should really be discouraged from making fully automatic farms of really any kind in this game.

 

4 hours ago, LadyWYT said:

Could just be my playstyle though and metal scrap might be easier to acquire than I thought.

I can often find stacks of 6-10 scrap metal in the basements of vanilla surface ruins, and more underground.

 

4 hours ago, LadyWYT said:

The other potential issue I could see with the scrap armor is that if it's a craftable unique to Malefactor, it might make them a little too strong in the early game. Maybe if it was something craftable by everyone, with a small discount for Malefactors? That way it gives other classes another option for early defense, while staying in the theme of Malefactors being adept improvisers.

I think you are right, the Malefactor's early game is pretty strong as it currently stands. Maybe spikes or extra metal plating could be added to any armour with metal scraps, though they would only last a few hits and then break, leaving the base armour still equipped. This way, the Malefactor could improvise some quick armour modifications. One for self-defence (spikes), one for some more protection (plates) and maybe one for extra stealth, though I don't know what it would be. This could still be slightly useful late-game, though would be more suited to the mid-game, where you could have something like bronze armour with spikes, or leather armour with some extra metal plating, even if it's just for a few hits. Imagine being stuck in an underground ruin, drifters howling at the door, and being able to quickly cobble together some extra protection for your armour with some metal scraps you've found inside, giving you that little bit of temporary extra defence needed to break through the door and make a run for it.

[LadyWYT]

3 hours ago, ifoz said:

I can often find stacks of 6-10 scrap metal in the basements of vanilla surface ruins, and more underground.

Well shoot, I'm gonna have to explore the surface ruins more thoroughly now. I typically don't bother with them unless I see a cracked vessel or bony soil.

As for another angle on the scrap armor...what if instead of actual armor, the Malefactor could make a drifter disguise? It could have the same protection stats as the Improvised Armor, and utilize the scrap metal still, given that drifters seem to have rusty metal parts. The special effect the disguise could have is making low level drifters detect you from a shorter range, so it would give the Malefactor an option for sculking around at night during rift activity or in the shallower caves. The higher tier drifters(2 and up) wouldn't be fooled though, and animals/mechanicals will still see through the disguise.

[ifoz]

15 minutes ago, LadyWYT said:

As for another angle on the scrap armor...what if instead of actual armor, the Malefactor could make a drifter disguise?

This is a super fun idea, I really like it!
I imagine it could maybe be made from thatched grass and scrap metal, and could let you get within 3-5 blocks of surface drifters without drawing their aggro.
There could also be a disguise made from cloth and scrap metal, which would let you get within 1 block of surface drifters before drawing their aggro, and 3-5 blocks of deep drifters.
Just some ideas I had regarding the disguises idea! The grass one would be for the early game and the cloth for the midgame.
They would also probably take up your chest armour slot, making the player have a trade-off between stealth and protection.