Grimlock wrote: Tue Sep 15, 2026 10:43 am
You say that they are "creatively bankrupt", but then proceed (well, preceded) by proposing some odd and kind of actual creative bankruptcy.
Humans don't transform at all, and if we got a race without transformation, there will be complaints, probably from you too. With the exception of Ultimate, none of those other "awakenings" change appearances. And if humans got only Ultimate (with its minimal difference from base form), there will be complaints, probably from you too. So there's no other choice other than to make Kaio-Ken exclusive to humans. Well, I guess there's that Muten Roshi's "max power" or whatever, but it doesn't compare, nor does it have the same appeal as Kaio-Ken, honestly.
No one really cared if Earthling's changed appearance when using an upgraded state. Kid Gohan, Krillin and several others in the Budokai games had Unlocked Potential which raised their stats and gave them an extra full Ki bar for major attacks. No visual difference aside from their aura spiking more. That's it. The point was having something that let them compete in some way against other characters with multiple transformations, like Goku, Vegeta, Freeza and Cell.
Also, there are far better ideas that making kaioken exclusive to Earthlings since it's a technique anyone could learn from North Kaioshin. Know what would be better? Taking inspiration from the Original Dragonball. Remember the Four-Witches technique?
Wouldn't that be cool to use as an Upgrade for Earthlings? Changes your grapple, does extra melee damage and boosts damage for Tenshinhan specific skills like Dodon Ray where you fire two at once or the Tri-Beam and Neo Tri-Beam, doubling the range, damage and area of effect.
Or you know what else? Lycanthropy. Turning into a Wolf-Man, because even the opposite existed well before the Trio de-Dangers in Super and well before Kakunsa too.
Now wouldn't this be something more unique? Your character unlocks or acquires lycanthropy and you turn into a Wolf-Man. Your ground speed goes up, melee attack speed goes up and specific Yamcha skills like Wolf-Fang Fist and Neo Wolf-Fang Fist have increased effect and damage.
There's so much more that can be done than just sectioning off something everyone's already had and used in the last few games just because the devs don't want to actually be creative.
The Namekuseijin fusion doesn't change appearance, and if we got a race without transformation or something that doesn't change appearances, there will be complaints, probably from you too. Getting giant may not change appearance, but it's still something different enough to make some difference gameplay-wise, but here you are suggesting to cut it out, in favor of another fusion that doesn't change appearance. I don't think anything you proposed for the Namekuseijins would even work. How would your character fuse with "with multiple Namekians"? I don't know, it all feels so random and weird.
Once again, a change in appearance ultimately isn't necessary. Especially for a race that never had one until it was shat out in a mediocre movie that stole all its plot points from previous DBZ movies. Piccolo had the Nail and Kami fusions in the Budokai games and each one raised his stats and ki level when used. They took this away from him in other games and it was for the worse. Following a similar path in the Xenoverse games and unlocking higher stages of power through the Namekian Merger would've been thematically appropriate, especially since they repeated it in Super during the ToP.
But do you know what's even funnier? Dragonball Online showed us a Super Namekian transformation where the only difference was the addition of red eyes in the cinematic trailer and wasn't anything we actually got in game.
https://youtu.be/eCm3TXrwT1k?t=188
Not only is the concept already there, but players could even have been presented with a choice on whether to defeat their inner evil nature and combine to become a Super Namekian or welcome that nature and an Evil or Dark Namekian. Something which could have a visual difference and it would hardly have been difficult to include it at all.
Beyond that, I know someone mentioned a transformation for Androids just being a copy of yourself and doing the whole Super 17 thing and that's just boring. Having options is better and considering how many different Androids there are in the series, we can make up for not having a Bio-Android race by having a Bio-Circuit upgrade as the transformation where the Android takes on visual aspects of a Cell-type android like the skin and tail and has access to those unique moves like grapping with the tail and stabbing someone to steal some of their health.
Or you can have a Saiyan-circuit that gives a pseudo-SSJ transformation with duller hues, making it visually distinct from a real SSJ and giving access to or changing moves to Saiyan versions. Another would be a Majin-circuit where you take on the characteristics of a Majin like Majin Android 21. Similarly you gain access to Majin specific skills while transformed. Next would be a Demon-circuit where you gain characteristics of Mira, who was an android created by Towa.
Each circuit can have specific benefits and downsides and making it so you can only acquire1 in a single characrer story would be a reason for Players to make multiple characters to acquire them all. Which, btw, we
need more than 8 goddamn CaC slots already. Another thing for Androids, instead of a circuit, could be a 2nd more powerful energy generator that you can absorb to unlock a state like that of Super Android 13. A form that would emphasize increase damage reduction and the ability to strike through normal attacks. You're a Hulk, basically (or a Broly-type).
Honestly there is so much in the series already that they can pull ideas from, and yet do nothing with any of it.
