The Spark system is alright as-is, but it could be improved upon. I propose the following:
•Re-instate the hp-revive system, but make it a single-pip transaction of health instead of half. Subsequent revives take more health from the player doing the reviving each time, capping at half of the reviver's hp, but still only granting the recipient a single bar of hp.
Now that that's out of the way,
•Implement Spark Modules, a type of Trinket wherein the abilities of a Spark are altered with it equipped.
-Only one Module trinket can be equipped at a time
•Add the following:
-Blaze module: Upon a revive using a Spark, enemies caught in the blast recieve strong FIRE
-Caustic Module: Upon a revive using a Spark, enemies caught in the blast recieve strong POISON
-Glacier Module: Upon a revive using a Spark, enemies caught in the blast recieve strong FREEZE
-Thunder Module: Upon a revive using a Spark, enemies caught in the blast recieve strong SHOCK
-Knockout Module: Upon a revive using a Spark, enemies caught in the blast recieve moderate SLEEP
-Hex Module: Upon a revive using a Spark, enemies caught in the blast recieve weak CURSE that lasts for around thirty seconds
•Add "Sparks of Vitality", items that increase the power of a Spark.
-Sparks use the Life model, but are red.
-In the UI, they have the aggro aura.
-Vitality sparks can't revive a player on their own, but they are able to extend the attack buff of a Life spark by five seconds each.
Spark of Life modifications
GH only has a small team, so they're not going to go along with so many requests that may be a little too far fetched and awkward to the game and may take too long to actually work on, patch up and balance, and figuring the worth and everything in between.
I didn't play when there wasn't sparks of life and there was other means of reviving, but they have decided to add Sparks as they are and I don't believe they're going to be modified in any way anytime soon. They've been added for a reason, they're probably not going to change it all up after it again.
There are two ways to view sparks-
1.) A way to bypass difficult content
2.) A way to master difficult content
I prefer to emphasize number 2 over number 1 since "progress" leads to content walls, and once you pass by a level you've overcame it completely and there is suddenly less content for you to play. Take Shadowplay for example. Once past it, you don't go back because why would you? It's hard, it's punishing, and it has no payout. But Shadowplay still took dev effort and such to make. Cutting it out of the game for players by letting them bypass it with buffed sparks would be a rather negative thing.
I'm also more looking forward to more rad farming levels like dreams n nightmares, rather than qol changes.
This complicates a system a bit too hard I believe. Reviving should be straightforward, and the only part of it that isn't right now is how to revive other players. I've been proposing a "life essence" item for quite some time that acts like old health revives but acts as a rarity that will drop in place of sparks of life frequently. This would turn players back into team players, wanting to revive each other since it doesn't cost them anything to do so and the life essences can only be used on others. The fact that players would get more of these life essences than they would sparks of life would also encourage players to play in groups so that if they go down someone else can revive them with one of their items.
•In the "revive" ui, the player has the option to use the Vitality spark first, before using the actual Spark of Life. Players with a Vitality spark activated will recieve the Aggro Aura for as long as they remain downed and for until the buff wears off while alive.
•Vitality sparks cannot be used without a Spark of Life present, but are wasted if a player activates one and leaves without using a Life spark.
•A player that has recieved a Spark of Life but leaves before using it returns the Spark to the original player's inventory
•Players cannot trade Vitality sparks or grant them to downed teammates
•Vitality sparks cannot be used in PvP