If ultimates simply scaled with the sum of your attributes then it would be similar for all characters of the same level and impacted more by weapon/spell power and penetration than the small total stat variances. Naturally this would in no way affect the normal skill usage which would still support pure builds over all others.

The only way to support hybrids for normal skill usage would be to have a passive available for a spellblade or a warriormage which base damage of a combination of attributes rather than a single attribute. Such a formula would need to be designed such that the hybrid cannot match the heights of a pure build, but can do better than they currently can.
This passive could go into a world tree with other suitable spellblade passives and maybe even actives.

Jar_Ek wrote: »

If ultimates simply scaled with the sum of your attributes then it would be similar for all characters of the same level and impacted more by weapon/spell power and penetration than the small total stat variances. Naturally this would in no way affect the normal skill usage which would still support pure builds over all others.

The only way to support hybrids for normal skill usage would be to have a passive available for a spellblade or a warriormage which base damage of a combination of attributes rather than a single attribute. Such a formula would need to be designed such that the hybrid cannot match the heights of a pure build, but can do better than they currently can.
This passive could go into a world tree with other suitable spellblade passives and maybe even actives.

Yes. One way to do it via a passive route. Still needs to be actively designed into the system though is the point I was making.
IMHO though...
Pure builds get direct damage and direct mitigation.
At least that's something I think all can agree on.
But there is more than 1 type of damage and 1 type of mitigation.
So why not give 1 to hybrid and 1 to pure breed.

Hyrbids are all about sustain to me and long term damage mitigation rather than instant.
ie
direct damage vs damage over time.
instant heals vs heal over time
dodge roll and streak are one shot mitigation vs block and ward which are long extended mitigation.
gap closers vs movement buff
These are just some examples where one option could be scaled by parity and the other option scaled by purity.
These separate burst skills using purity from longer term skills using parity.

Would you consider instant impact (burst) vs impact over time (sustain) what seperates hybrid from pure builds ?
Perhaps I am alone in that view.
/shrugs

Anyway back on topic...
As you and @hrothbern seem to share the same opinion I agree.
Sum of stats is completely dependant on character level and is totally neutral.
(aside from weapon/spell damage which isn't a hybrid/pure issue anyway).
So I am good with that too.
ie simply scaling ultimate by character level (or sum of attributes).

Irresistable damage ?
I actually went further in one thread and suggested guaranteed % damage/heal.
That makes them the zerg busters that everyone wanted rather than normal AoE.
Elegance vs brutality I guess

Jar_Ek wrote: »

I think trying to make hybrids based around dots would be quite difficult as not all classes have the same access to dots and hots. Basically it would be too big of a design change.

As for ultimates being based solely off level and not accounting for any build elements such as weapon power, spell power, penetration, critical and also ignoring all defences? I think it would make the current GOTO ultimates even more powerful and the others would be abandoned. Also it doesn't make much sense for a heavy tank build to have the same damage power as a full DPS build. Can you imagine the chaos that low cost ultimates could cause on a tanky build?

I think the best option is to balance it based on an average of weapon/spell power and penetration AND and average of stamina/magicka for offensive ultimates.

And the kind of Damage.... Physical or Magical?

@hrothbern Well I guess that would depend on the specific morph and ultimate ... and the cp system. I would probably have gone for each class having 1 physical ult and the rest magical.

@DDemon I don't think anyone is proposing that hybrids should reach the same peaks as pure builds... but the gap is enormous.

The current stamina magicka dichotomy among character builds is the result of the 1.5 removal of soft caps.

While I don't support it, at this time I don't see what can be implemented in terms of game mechanics to improve hybrids since they don't really make a lot of sense right now.

More to the game than dealing damage. I run a hybrid, originally yo figure the game out, but grew to like it, and I ta j better than most single statters as a hybrid. No where near the top level, and I tend to hold rather than advance in PvP, but better than the average.