Weapon Core Idea

[Smallsplat]

Idea Origins
On some weapons currently in Secrets of Grindea, they have bonus stats that Buff up an ability. I love this idea, but these weapons become redundant. You end up having to trade away the cool extra ability to keep up with the games damage. This idea is an idea to try and fix that, and add to the game.

The Idea
The idea is that you can attach a "Core" to weapon or shields. These Cores attach those extra abilities onto weapons. Core can drop off enemies as another drop, and be automatically attached to weapons that already have them.

Cores should also be able to be taken off, without penalty. They should not be consumed our Soul-bound to a weapon. Should be a simple equip on and off.

Graphic wise I was thinking like, a smaller circle in the equip menu attached to the weapon/shield. Mabey even have super-duper fancy partial effect

New ability Ideas
Kinda went for something kinda inventive with the ideas, However doing stuff like +damage or +Cast speed when X or whatever also works

Weapon Core - [Element] Core - Basic attacks increase your next [Element] Spell by X% per attack (Cap X%)
Weapon Core - Critical Core - Critical strikes increase [Something]
Weapon Core - Smash Core - Can summon 1 more Smash ball.
Weapon Core - Whirling Core - Using Whirlslash while Whirlslash is active re-casts it.
Shield Core - Blink Core - Blinking causes a perfect block on landing.
Shield Core - Nova Core - Perfect guards cause a small, harmless Ice Nova.
Shield Core - Stone Core - Your shield takes X% less damage.
Shield Core - Thorns Cote - Your shield returns X% of damage taken back to the attacker.

Idea's future potential
I'm thinking a fancy RNG system maybe that can have specific enemies drop a "Sealed Core", that can be Unsealed and have random effects on them. Something that gives players something they can grind for in the late game to perfect their build, or to be thrown in Arcade to try and push off-meta building.

Idk it could be cool

 

[KoBeWi]

Core can drop off enemies as another drop [...] Cores should also be able to be taken off, without penalty.

The idea is good, but without this IMO. Obviously, unique weapons should contain their cores, but that should be their only source and extracting the core should come at a price. This can add another potential reward: Core Extractor. It would allow you to extract the core from weapon for the first time. All subsequent cores from the same weapon could be then extracted for free.
This way, unlocking all weapon cores would add another layer of progression. The idea can expand on other equipment pieces.

 

[The G-Meister]

You know what, I like this idea. I'd have to disagree with you Kodi though - if only because the current weapons with what would be "core" buffs shift the game balance off a little. It's not much, but the Flower Whip making plants last longer effectively gives more DPS when you're spamming them, and the Stinger reducing the charge time of Piercing Dash does the same.

This gives two changes to the use of these weapons which happens only to the users of these skills (and definitely more-so with the Flower Whip) - they get a greater instantaneous increase in DPS than people who don't use those skills, and as a result they end up using the weapon for longer.

You could almost include the Icicle charm in there as well, except that there are normally other, better +MATK buffs that people can pick around the same point in the game to compensate.

While this isn't necessarily a big balance issue, it's definitely a little unfair - unless these skills happen to be a little underpowered with respect to the areas these weapons are found in and the weapon effects are being used to offset that, but I highly doubt it with the power of Plant Summon

To be honest though, I wouldn't say randomisation of core drops fixes it either. It just means that sporadic buff of "Hey! I found a core that helps a skill I use!" can appear when you most or least need it. I think this either needs to be a more reliable way of getting a buff (buying them?), or removed at all as a system. There's definitely a lot of potential for fun here which is why I was interested, but also a lot of potential to balance break, meaning more (re-)balancing work.

However, if we go back to the scenario with the Icicle charm, that almost seems like a way to balance the current weapons out, as well as the randomised drop system. As long as there are equivalently buffed alternatives, it shouldn't be a problem. If these core effects were instead made into accessories such that, at the point they drop in the game, there are other accessories which give an equivalent power level of buff to all other skills, they'd fit it quite snugly. Instead of giving you a raw power buff like their alternatives, they offer a momentary change in playstyle while they're still relevant and don't have the gear of the next area to contend with.

If fact, this could go one step further. As long as these cores have their alternatives available, they could be upgraded in one way or another to still be relevant, just like accessories are effectively "upgraded" when you find the next one.

Either way, it depends on how often they'll drop. And what we'd want to watch out for is them being too common or too uncommon. Getting an inventory clogged with cores might be a little annoying, but having them so sparse and so random that you're unlikely to get what you want may mean some players miss out on what they have to offer. Just something to be aware of, and maybe the system doesn't have a nice compromise between the two.

(Also +1 for rainbow colours )