I didn't back the game, so I've never played it, I also am not one of the people who played the IE games an insane amount of times, haven't played all of them either. With that noted, I still feel fairly capable of commenting on the attribute system, on a broader solely conceptual level, whilst obviously I have no idea which exact numbers are needed, the main change I'm proposing isn't a numbers change.

 

Anyhow, so I was thinking, the design goal in regards to attributes was to have them focused (each only tweak one or two values, sticking to one unless that makes the attribute worthless for some classes), and viable for all classes and merely changing the tactical playstyle (and gear + stats + talents) you'll want to employ. I get why adding deflection as an attribute is appealing, it is a fun thing to be able to tweak, but it fits really poorly with all other attributes on a roleplay level, and it is a thing worth having, for everyone, on its own (once they add some proper targetting AI ofc), and thus adding it along with something else wouldn't fit with the wonderfully minimalistic attributes atm, that allow you to properly define yourself, that don't force you to take things you don't want defining you with things you do want. To me the best way to deal with deflection is to add a new attribute, called "Reflexes" or something, it'd allow a thing that can stand on its own to stand on its own, I understand that adding an attribute is probably a drastic measure that requires a lot of work, but it seems like the only way to add deflection without breaking the wonderful principles of the attribute system, without making it less roleplay-ey and intuitive.

 

If you were to go along and do this, ofc there'd now be an issue with int, and there are various ways of solving that issue, my ideal way would be upping base interrupt, upping concentrations effect against interrupt, and tossing duration back into int. There are various other viable ways of balancing the int mess a deflection attribute would cause, I obviously don't have the experience to act like my suggestion is any better than some potential others (like simply buffing ints AoE effect either by making it bigger or making the area it'd apply effects on people you don't want the effects applied to smaller), so I won't.

I think it would be fine on Resolve with Concentration, and Intellect should be kept the same as the last build, YMMV.

No, and I hate the word minimalistic with a passion.