So I don't know how viable this idea is, but it at least seemed worth spitballing.
I was looking at the "Highway to the Danger Room" examples and I thought, wouldn't it be cool of you could rotate those triangular augments 120 degrees to get a different (but similar) effect. For instance, a 25% generic augment might be damage if one side it pointed up, or could be accuracy or endurance efficiency if you rotate it to the left or the right. Or how about using this for a Knockback effect? Put the augment in one way and you get standard knockback added to the power, or turn it to the right and it becomes knock down. Turn it to the left and it becomes knock to (pull). A Fire DoT augment might provide a standard effect, or an increased duration, or a "jumps to others" effect. A Cold advantage might provide DoT, Slow movement, and a Dex/Acc penalty, and the orientation of the augment alters which effect is primary (more powerful) than the other two. Not only could you customize powers with different augments, but you could fine-tune that customization by another layer with how you use those augments.
Another layer of spitballing:
Maybe later in the game as the level cap increases, augment slots could be enhanced to have more sides, being usable with higher level augments that have a greater number of variables. That might be more complicated than it's worth, or it might appeal to people as a great aspect of advancement.
Among other things, it seems to me like a good way to get more augment possibilities without having a tremendous list of augments to sort through.
Starhammer, our power improvement system uses 2 socketable pieces, Augments and Refinements. Augments can have up to 3 sockets into which Refinements are placed. Right now, Augments improve what a power does; damage, knock back, debuff and so on. Refinements improve how a power does what it does; energy cost, recharge, accuracy, and so on. The appearance of Augments is set up (pointing upward) to be distinguished from Refinements (pointing downward). The improved types effects of each will have their own color and symbol as well, but the purpose of the facing of the triangle on power improvements is purposeful. The system should provide plenty of flexibility in build style.
[hr]I don't use a nerf bat, I have a magic crowbar!
- Combat Mechanic -
[color=#ff0000]Tech Team. [/color]
Never mind then, sounds like it it already designed for pretty much the exact functionality I was imagining, if not the precise form my sleep deprived brain thought desirable.