[Idea] Deployed Mod Improvement

edited June 2021 in General

Call it what you will, replacement, upgrades, overlays etc, but we all have heard the idea of improving mods once all four slots are filled.

History

Back when Ingress first started, you could deploy four mods at 125AP each. You could also "remove" mods that you (and only you) deployed, which would destroy the mod and free up the slot.

Then came Zipcar, and they removed the AP from deploying. But you could still deploy 4 mods, and remove your own.

Then they changed it to give the AP back to us, but you couldn't remove mods, and you could only deploy a single mod.

Well.... you can guess how the last part went down with the community.

So they rolled it back to the middle ground we have now.

  • Deploy two mods.
  • 125 AP per mod.
  • No removal.

Desire

One of the requests that's been ongoing since they took away our ability to remove our mods, is to allow "Upgrading of mods" like a resonator can be upgraded. The desire is to improve on a set of mods that may have been placed in error, or without foreknowledge of changes to the situation. To make the common shields stronger etc.

Ideas

So here is a compilation of some of the ideas people have raised over the years, since the conversation came up in IUENG again today.

#1 Simple upgrades

The simplest method is to allow upgrades in place, similar to how resonators work. Where there is a Common Shield, you can place down a Rare or Very Rare Shield to 'upgrade' it. The Common Shield disappears, and is replaced with the new one, in the same way that resonators are upgraded. You can't upgrade a shield with a multi-hack etc, or change the type of mod, but the strength can be improved.

#2 Removal of personal mods

Again a simple method. Give us back the ability to remove our own mods. This does have the complication that some people will deploy less mods, for fear of being told to go back and remove them by an overbearing teammate (as happened 'back in the day').

#3 Overpower Upgrades

Similar to Idea #1, but the upgrade costs two or three times as much. To upgrade a CS to an RS would require two or three RS consumed. This is to encourage the use of higher level mods initially, and generate the continuing "choice" requirement when deploying mods.

#4 Crafted Upgrades

In the same way that we can craft higher level items in a Kinetic Capsule by walking, some sort of 'factory' element to the UI, where we can craft upgrade modules. This would be similar to #3 in cost, but would allow people to store and trade upgrade modules even when there isn't a portal in range. It would be a great way to "get rid of the excess mods", especially commons. For example, maybe you could turn 10 CMH into a Rare Multi-Hack Upgrade Mod, that allows you to deploy a CMH and upgrade it to an RMH (at a cost of 11 CMH). We all know the times when we have far too many of the 'useless' mods, and being able to make use of them without hundreds of portals in range would be great.

Anyway, those are some of the ideas that have been raised in the past. What other ideas do people have specific to the desire of "Improving the Mods already deployed"?

Comments

  • HydracyanHydracyan ✭✭✭✭✭

    #1

    It's easy, it's useful, won't benefit cheater so much and won't waste much dev time or overcomplicate gameplay.

  • gazzas89gazzas89 ✭✭✭✭✭

    1 is the best option, but I wouldn't be against number 2 as a way to fix accidental mod when the stupid app doesn't actually swing to the one you wanted

  • CrepitusOzCrepitusOz ✭✭✭

    I appreciate the efforts you have put into different ideas above, but I believe allowing mod upgrading gives too much advantage to defenders in a hegemony.

    it will allow defenders to quickly and cheaply rebuild or counter-deploy, and always be able to improve the fortress after that.

    The end result would be a single colour area after any insurgents against the hegemony get tired of the futility of their efforts, which would make for a boring game.

  • Have you been to an Anomaly? If played right it wouldn’t matter if the portal gets its mods upgraded. They’ll pop off and the defenders will be quick to restock the mods again.

  • CrepitusOzCrepitusOz ✭✭✭

    There wasn’t any mention of this being for an anomaly, and even if I hadn’t been to an anomaly my comments would have the same validity.

  • Not really, they can still pop off the portal. Upgrading wouldn’t do much if you’re using a US. Also if they’re defending then you’re going to need more of your teammates to help you out anyways, especially if there is more than 1. One on one should be no problem.

  • GoblinGranateGoblinGranate ✭✭✭✭✭

    Some ideas about crafting new mods were stated also in this post by using Kinetic recipes.

    Also, #1 seems very logic and would pair up with current resonator design. It is, actually, how one would expect it to work after understanding how resonators work.

    #4 could pair up with the Kinetic post and with #1 aswell, so if you get a crafted mod consisting in a Shield+Turret you could upgrade either a Shield or a Turret (Common or Rare).

  • it will allow defenders to quickly and cheaply rebuild or counter-deploy, and always be able to improve the fortress after that.

    Defense is already mathematically at the strongest it's ever been, but you can still destroy portals that are not recharged. And without US, you can't destroy an unshielded but linked portal defended by 2 or more rechargers, because of the network lock.

    So if you're worried about perfect defense, there's far more important things to address, and this would have little effect on it.

  • TrerroTrerro ✭✭✭

    To limit counter-deployment but also limit strategic nodes being stuck with with random green shields, what if it worked like this?

    1. You have a mod upgrade tool, which can hold 4 charges (enough for 1 full portal), but takes a full day to recharge (1 charge every 6 hours). It's purchased for 0 in the shop like the Kinetic Capsule, and has a minimum agent level requirement of 9. (Nothing super-high, but high enough that you've gained a full level with full item access, and should know what you're doing).
    2. A mod must be 24 hours old to upgrade it, and yes, if you replace a green with a purple, the timer starts over if someone else decides they want a pink
    3. The actual act of upgrading a mod is slow. The animation takes ~20 seconds, and the upgrade is not applied until it finishes.

    This would allow strategic replacements, and keep you from being stuck waiting for decay or attack to get a key node you want, but would have extremely limited use in counter-play, much less active combat.

  • MonkeyPeltMonkeyPelt ✭✭✭✭

    You may be on to something here! The idea of a limited number of upgrade charges is interesting. Perhaps they could refill while idle over the course of a day or two, or in-game actions could refill the charges (distance walked, XM collected/cubes used, resos destroyed/deployed, AP gained, etc), something that could encourage more gameplay. This way you couldn't hoard loads and loads of upgrade charges, but could "quickly" gain more through active play.

  • I like all the ideas and I would be happy to see any of them.

    But consider the consequences of being able to switch two mods to another class- and back.

    So then you arrive at a fully-shielded L8 own-faction portal.

    Switch two of the mods to hacking mods and hack the portal to burnout.

    When you finish put two good shields back.

    I'm not sure if this would actually be a "good" idea though.

  • 1valdis1valdis ✭✭✭✭✭

    While fighting for someone's couch portal, I often leave as soon as I see 2 common shields placed because I know they're going to be a burden for the agent to deal with if they want to farm the portal. They'll have to live with just 2 slots for farm mods or flip the portal. Would I like this to change somehow is another question.

  • grendelwulfgrendelwulf ✭✭✭✭✭

    I just want Force Amps and Turrets to follow shields in carousel order.

  • Fromlastout2Fromlastout2 ✭✭
    edited March 2022

    My latest: whoever controls the portal should be able to remove/upgrade a mod. Also, i think, removed mods, can be used again through “repair program” (see below)

    also, to everyone, i hope niantic reads this, I think niantic should fix this mod issue ASAP, because otherwise it’s not interesting to play . It can **** the game alltogether, think faster. It should’ve been done years ago. Like: I have to switch my portal to opposite team, then attack it, destroy it, then capture, then build it again, that’s not realistic, and not interesting at all. Come on Niantic, switching and destroying your own portal is very stupid, don’t ruin the game because of that!

    also idea: removed mods are “used” and can have , like, 87% functionality. And you have special capsules (“maintanence” or “ repair”) where you fix those things up to 100%


    P.S.

    I have an idea for a new mod/card. Basicly, i think it’s card, it’s very important. When you activate this card upon a portal, this portal cannot be attacked for some time, for example 1 hour, and very rare - 3 hours. It should be decided on timing, But it should be decided soon, it might take time to decide how much “invulnerability” time to give, and for many years they don’t bring the feature in the game. Also i think it should be able to be activated by portal key, rather than proximity only.


    ...

  • KarM3LKarM3L ✭✭✭✭

    So you bumped this to talk about 'problem' that doesn't exist...

    And some random, permibaf promoting mod...

  • AzhreiaAzhreia ✭✭✭✭✭


    #2 is open to other abuse as well. I have 100 common shields. I go sit at a portal, pop an Apex, and start installing shields. Remove, install, gain ap, remove, install, gain ap. Etc.

    I don't think removal should be considered at all.

    The other ideas have potential.

  • I like #1 with mod upgrades acting just like resonator upgrades.

    • Replacing your own resonator/mod is no AP and does not increment a badge (Builder/Engineer).
    • Replacing someone else's is half the AP of the original deploy, and does increment the badge.
  • Point of note, upgrading your own resonator does increment Builder. You just don't get AP.

  • Right! So upgrading your own mod should increment your Engineer badge. @Perringaiden

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