Sparks and Potential
Enhancing Destructive Potential
All equipment classifications begin with a single base version. Artifractal Cores determine the randomized base attributes of that equipment, while Sparks enable players to customize and enhance equipment attributes to suit their goals.
Each Spark is attribute-specific, meaning it applies a single, predefined enhancement to a piece of equipment. For example:
One Spark might add +5 Damage
One Spark might add +3% Accuracy
Sparks provide meaningful progression by allowing players to fine-tune their equipment, whether they want to optimize for specific stats, adapt to their playstyle, or prepare for particular objectives. Combined with cosmetics, which alter the visual appearance of equipment, Sparks give players complete control over both the performance enhancement and appearance of their equipment.
Earning Sparks
Sparks are earned as part of a player’s end-of-mission rewards. By allocating Residuum, players can choose Sparks alongside other resources to prepare for future upgrades.
Upgrading Equipment with Sparks
Upgrading equipment in Warped Universe involves managing three key components:
Sparks: The upgrade material that determines the attribute or effect being applied.
Nexite: The resource required to apply Sparks to equipment.
Potential: A finite resource on each piece of equipment that limits the total number of Sparks that can be applied.
An Example of the Upgrade Process:
Collect Residuum during missions to claim Sparks as part of end-of-mission rewards.
Once back on the Nexus Station, locate the dedicated upgrade workstation and select the piece of equipment you wish to empower.
Apply the specific Spark(s) to upgrade the desired attribute or effect.
Spend the required Nexite cost to complete the upgrade.
A random amount of the equipment’s Potential is consumed per Spark, limiting how many total enhancements can be applied.
Potential: Balancing Upgrades
Similar to how base attributes are determined by the use of Artifractal Cores, Sparks introduce an element of randomization by consuming a variable amount of Potential. This creates strategic tension, encouraging players to carefully consider which Sparks to apply and when to reset their equipment's Potential.
Example: A player applies a +5 Damage Spark to a weapon with a maximum of 20 Potential. The Spark consumes 4 Potential, leaving 16 Potential remaining. The exact amount of Potential consumed is randomized within a specific range, and players have no way of predicting how much subsequent Sparks will use.
Disclaimer: The numbers in this example are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent finalized game specifications.
Resetting Equipment Potential
If a player is unhappy with the amount of Potential consumed by applied Sparks, they have the option to reset the equipment’s Potential by spending Nexite and an Artifractal Core. Resetting removes all applied Sparks, which are burned and cannot be recovered. Players cannot remove individual Sparks, only all of them at once.
This system introduces a meaningful trade-off, as players must weigh the cost of resetting against the loss of their previous upgrades.
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