Tool and augment progression

[Gungino]

One of the best things about grounded is the progression of gear and items imo. However, the elemental augment system has been implemented rather poorly, and gear progression is strange in some areas.

Most augments don't even come into play until you don't need them anymore, Spicy is resisted by almost every upper yard enemy, with very few being weak to it, this is strange considering you have to brave tier 3 enemies in all areas (except the trash heap) where you can even get the spicy shards needed to augment any weapon down that path.

Salty is just strange because you'll need 3 different weapons that have it considering nearly every enemy weak to salty also has resistance to multiple physical damage types, the only exceptions are early game enemies with so little health that one shotting them is a very real prospect.

Mint is just generically good vs everything in the late to end game with only a few exceptions.

Sour is just simply the best generic augment, totally replacing mighty as nothing in the game actually resists it.

 

Personally I feel like elemental augments should apply special effects similar to how they do with wizard staffs with the mutation and elemental arrows with sharpshooter with enemy resistances instead resisting the special effects rather than just them acting as damage multipliers you stack on top of your physical damage type. 

Spicy applies a burning dot, salty applies a damage debuff (salting the wound crippling them with pain), Mint slows their attack and movement, sour builds up extra stun due to its powerful flavor.

 

Also I'd like to see more lower tier items along with a way to make upgrading lower tier items more worthwhile. It's very easy to get tier 3 tools in this game and players can usually skip tiers on multiple gear pieces entirely. Maybe make upgrading lower tier items have more levels or make it cost more materials to upgrade a low tier item after lvl 5 but give them much more benefit?

 

I'd also like to see the elemental candies being made available to the player sooner so they can maybe dip their toes into the system before having faced a ton of teir 3 enemies already. Maybe rotten or half eaten versions of the same candies that are non respawning in certain locations that are easier to access (maybe a half eaten spicy candy in the hedge?). Maybe they drop an inferior version of the same shard that has a different recipe to make the globs.

 

Extra credit portion: I'd love to see damage resistance be made more complex with different armors granting more or less of a certain type of resistance since enemies already do different damage types like the player and theres even mutations that gives the player specific resistances already, why not expand upon that more? 

 

I hope this isn't seen as a negative post or anything, it's just something i've been thinking about and i believe would make the game better if implemented. The design on the tier 3 tools is so unbelievably good, i'd like to see more of that love spread around to lower tier items.  

[Pigeon_Chest]

I love your ideas

 

One small comparison- I like being able to skip tiers of weapons in games- like when playing Elden Ring- I don't go for the bad weapons anymore

 

That being said- weapon balance is definitely a buff I'd love to see in the future