Classleads - January 2015

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Comments

  • Amranu said:

    such decay at a rate of minutes basically mean Shaman/Jester would get destroyed by momentum classes. 

    we can all agree would be pretty dumb. 

    I don't follow your logic
  • edited January 2015
    Limb prep classes require less than a minute of prep, during which time this prep is part of their standard offense and they are therefore able to hinder at will as well as putting pressure on some opponents to be defensive at certain points.

    Jester/Shaman are unique in that this is not possible (Maligus is an interesting attempt to bring fashioning for Shaman more in line with limb prep, but definitely needs number tweaks and to be more consistent. Jester currently have no such toy and need it before their prep would be in line). While fashioning, they are not putting any real pressure on their opponent.

    Furthermore, their prep is required for one of their full skillsets, whereas the prep required for limb damage classes only allow access to certain ability within their skills. As such until Maligus's kinks are worked out, and Jester get a fancy toy of their own vodun/puppetry prep is not comparable with limb prep, and therefore cannot be brought in line with limb prep in a way that will be properly balanced.

    As for my momentum class comment, again currently you're talking about essentially making vodun/puppetry unusable against momentum classes, as if they fail to get their momentum going, won't have any real reason to stick around when they can instead get the fashions reset by sitting in guards for a small amount of time (as opposed to currently, where they have to sit in guards for a rather large amount of time which at the very least feels punishing)

  • Xith, please classlead that for travel. That's an amazing solution to all this crying about vodun travel.
  • Just because I saw it mentioned somewhere, Jesters can lock without any prep at all, and definitely don't have a disadvantage in that sense. Mizik Jester locks faster than a lot of Shaman/Knight comboes I've fought.

     i'm a rebel

  • edited January 2015
    Xith said:
    So, here's the thing: fashions are slow prep (debatable for new shaman) but they're often competing against "fast prep". So unless they leave long enough for limbs to reset, you can still hinder and perform your kill.

    Best solutions: delay for travel completion, OR no traveling to a puppet within 15 seconds of fashioning another target (You are too focused on a puppet of X to consider doing that to Y.)

    The first step keeps it as balanced as earrings are. The second could conflict with using puppets on multiple enemies if all abilities are affected. So maybe just different areas. OR make out of area travel cost twice as much. That way you lose fashions traveling back and forth.
    A lot of these alternative solutions are wonderful fixes for one of the two problems (one being instant-fast-travel, then other being slow prep).

     I think a key trait of what Jarrod, Jovolo, myself, and others are suggesting is that it addresses both, without significantly impacting "actual" jester or shaman combat. If you make the decay only occur if you're not near the puppeted character, it would completely mitigate every concern you guys have listed.

     Not to put words in anyone's mouths here, but some of these counter-arguments seem to be implying that slow prep should remain as a viable mechanic for dolls, and I think that's a debate all of its own, however it is a debate that the jury has pretty much already come back on. 
  • edited January 2015
    Also, I don't understand at all why an opponent sitting in a city for 6 minutes (or as it currently works, one hour) canceling out combat momentum is an issue at all.  There isn't a single other mechanic in the game that wouldn't be cancelled out by this, which leads us to two points:

    1:  why should it be possible at all?
    2:  what stops puppet/doll users using this mechanic to their benefit (you make it sound like a drawback), by going back to cities themselves (as they currently often do), intentionally voiding any other classes prep while maintaining their own?
  • Amranu said:
    You're talking about denying an entire class skillset after 6 minutes of someone chilling in guards.
    We're talking about the fight restarting from fresh after 6 minutes of someone (either participant) chilling on guards, which - and I feel like this is the part some people either don't realise or are intentionally choosing to ignore - is exactly how combat works for every other class in the game (at a much shorter time than six minutes).
  • Why do shamans need to be identical to knight prep? Again, this is apples and oranges.

    Likewise, why are we trying to fix travel through decay in fashions? There are other ways to do this. 

    Big thank you to @Amranu for chiming in here and saying things in a much clearer way than I ever could.

    Also I agree completely with @Austere:
    If they are going to nerf straight fashioning like this, I hope to see some compensation, though. On the note of fashioning wrong, if Maligus is the proper way too fashion, why not allow doll initiation with it and just remove fashion?
  • So fashions don't decay fast enough and take too long to get to warrant a faster delay? And there's no comparison between vodun and other prep classes because of the times required and lack of hindrance/offense while fashioning? All fair arguments, to be sure. Why can't fashioning work kind of like humors? Or some kind of two-way engage for the shaman? Something like a 60 second skill that damages whoever leaves the room next, during which time the doll gains fashions at a decent rate without an active fashion command? That punishes running in generalOr make fashioning a separate balance so it doesn't interfere with offense. I feel like there is definitely an answer here somewhere, if we leave out dick measuring. Also, I agree with the balance-around-appropriate-skills thing. Versatility doesn't mean you have to be able to access everything immediately. Communing with the spirits can't be much worse than spinning a full set of vibes.

  • Ah I forgot about impatience powder. Not the most necessary addition but at least it's random.

    in the end I rarely used puppetry except against serpents or people that would otherwise be too hard to hinder. You were more likely to die before getting your needed fashions. And if you do, that's a crap ton of bombs and hanged mans. Boring as hell. Jester needs a fashion boosting mechanism. something as simple as double fashions while roped, or +1 per broken limb, +5 fashions while slowed.
    That way temporarily landing aeon can pay off.
    I like my steak like I like my Magic cards: mythic rare.
  • BluefBluef Delos
    edited January 2015
    Alaskar said:
    So fashions don't decay fast enough and take too long to get to warrant a faster delay? And there's no comparison between vodun and other prep classes because of the times required and lack of hindrance/offense while fashioning? All fair arguments, to be sure. Why can't fashioning work kind of like humors? Or some kind of two-way engage for the shaman? Something like a 60 second skill that damages whoever leaves the room next, during which time the doll gains fashions at a decent rate without an active fashion command? That punishes running in generalOr make fashioning a separate balance so it doesn't interfere with offense. I feel like there is definitely an answer here somewhere, if we leave out dick measuring. Also, I agree with the balance-around-appropriate-skills thing. Versatility doesn't mean you have to be able to access everything immediately. Communing with the spirits can't be much worse than spinning a full set of vibes.
    Those are interesting ideas.

    Shamans sometimes need/want to leave the room because some of our vodun abilities work differently when used outside of the room. Unless those abilities are going to be altered (which opens a whole new can of worms) any decay rate based on movement is problematic. 

    This isn't meant to sound snarky (but I feel like it may come across that way so just wanted to clarify that it's not intended that way):
    Does spinning vibes require you to sit down, making yourself basically open to having your throat slit and head lopped off? Communing currently does. :confounded: 

  • AustereAustere Tennessee
    Alaskar said:
    Communing with the spirits can't be much worse than spinning a full set of vibes.
    Uh, no. Sorry. I have been both.
  • Bluef said:
    Why do shamans need to be identical to knight prep? Again, this is apples and oranges.

    It's not just Knight prep, it's every single prep class in the game. Momentum classes are even worse off in terms of the speed at which their offence is reset. There is a glaring disparity between a three minute reset timer and a sixty minute reset timer. The reason that we aim to bring classes in line with each other is for combat balance. No one here has suggested that shaman prep be identical to other prep classes either. The idea that fashions decay periodically over a period of six minutes while away from the person of whom they have a doll is very practically different to a limb not being hit for three minutes being reset completely back to full health. 

    Even if this were to happen, there's no need for Shamans or Jesters to be provided with compensation. They're already both very powerful classes sans the hour long decay time on their prep, and the mechanic of fashion-and-run being a viable tactical option just needs to go, because employed effectively it's totally unplayable as the opposition of the fashioner. That isn't a well designed mechanic, and you don't need anything in return.

    It's hard to say goodbye to easy-mode, but sometimes it's a necessary step towards the greater good.
  • I disagree with the concept of losing fashions over time. I admit it is unfair that Shaman can keep prep for an hour when the opponent loses limb prep in 5-6 minutes. This is remnant of a time before Maligus and shaman could not vodun prep near as fast as the opponent's prep. This also assumes that the shaman will have maligus bound, and given the limitations on slots and requirements it may not be the case always. I don't believe Jester has anything like this, yet shares a duplicate skill. So, to lump them both together is a bit unfair. It should realistically apply to shaman and ideally it would be tied to having Maligus bound, but I understand the next best thing would be to simply unbind Maligus and keep your fashions. Unless Binding maligus activated a timer that destroys the doll in 5-6 minutes without more fashioning. However, losing fashions over time immediately as the oponent moves, is a bad idea. It should just happen instantly, not degrade over time. The problem with that solution is, you'll end up with a bunch of people doing a hit and run tactic in order to keep the shaman below threshold while not losing any ground themselves (in the case of limb prep). We're trying to make things better and more fun, not worse and annoying.

    tl;dr

    Either make dolls reset in 5-6 minutes of no fashioning, not gradually ticking down from the moment they leave.
    Or make binding maligus trigger a timer that resets the doll similar to above.
  • edited January 2015
    Something points a lot of people are missing:

    1) Shaman and Jester are both already momentum classes. Both classes can work pretty much exclusively from their 3rd skillset and achieve a lock on a significant amount of people. Vodun for Shamans is only necessary if you need hinder. Puppetry for Jester is never truly necessary unless you're fighting evade, more or less. If you're fashioning among your other attacks, you're adding slow prep to a momentum class that doesn't need it.

    2) If they run for X time they reset all my momentum! - This is not a valid argument. If the other person gets away from you and runs, and they have no intention of continuing the fight for a period of time, you should lose all your progress on that fight. Every class deals with this. It's called the escapability of combat. In every 1v1 situation if you're not actively hindering your opponent from running, they can at any time decide they're done with that fight and go home to guards. They lose all progress against their opponent and clear all progress against them, this is how Achaean combat is designed.

    3) Balancing Vodun/Puppetry strength over time by adding decaying fashions is not the last classlead those skills would ever receive. Right now they aren't necessary because they are very badly designed skills in the current combat scene. They do not fit with optimal combat strategies for either class, and are generally only useful for unstoppable kills or grief after the fact. Putting in doll decay is the first step to making these skills fit in with their classes as momentum classes, which they are designed to be (Recent design decisions clearly indicate this). Further changes can be things like less tedious fashion generation (like an improved Maligus) to support more fluid doll use in combat.

    Buffs to Shaman/Jester are currently unjustifiable due to the strength available in the near-infinite slow-prep of their 3rd skills. The fact that top combatants don't use these skills at all on their own speaks to the strength of the classes as a whole, but as long as that untapped (because it's exceptionally boring) potential in that 3rd skill is there why should they get any positive change at all?
    image
    Cascades of quicksilver light streak across the firmament as the celestial voice of Ourania intones, "Oh Jarrod..."


  • Seems like this one has been covered at this point, and there are a lot of other interesting classleads to talk about :p.
  • Bluef said:
    Alaskar said:
    So fashions don't decay fast enough and take too long to get to warrant a faster delay? And there's no comparison between vodun and other prep classes because of the times required and lack of hindrance/offense while fashioning? All fair arguments, to be sure. Why can't fashioning work kind of like humors? Or some kind of two-way engage for the shaman? Something like a 60 second skill that damages whoever leaves the room next, during which time the doll gains fashions at a decent rate without an active fashion command? That punishes running in generalOr make fashioning a separate balance so it doesn't interfere with offense. I feel like there is definitely an answer here somewhere, if we leave out dick measuring. Also, I agree with the balance-around-appropriate-skills thing. Versatility doesn't mean you have to be able to access everything immediately. Communing with the spirits can't be much worse than spinning a full set of vibes.
    Those are interesting ideas.

    Shamans sometimes need/want to leave the room because some of our vodun abilities work differently when used outside of the room. Unless those abilities are going to be altered (which opens a whole new can of worms) any decay rate based on movement is problematic. 

    This isn't meant to sound snarky (but I feel like it may come across that way so just wanted to clarify that it's not intended that way):
    Does spinning vibes require you to sit down, making yourself basically open to having your throat slit and head lopped off? Communing currently does. :confounded: 

    I never claimed to know much about Spiritlore, but just looking at it seems to indicate that Shamans can switch between spirits for very different goals- bashing, PvP, mobility/utility, which is awesome. I just don't think that being versatile means you have to be able to switch instantly between them. If you want to have bashing-oriented spirits bound, then you're risking the lack of capability in PvP for increased efficiency in PvE, which sounds fair. My vibes comment was merely trying to point to the fact that Shamans are not the only class that when ganked while bashing or doing something would need to escape temporarily and get to their PvP-state. Which was admittedly fixed somewhat with Magi and golems.

    Anyways, main point of what I'm getting at: Vodun/Puppetry could certainly use a refreshing/update to bring it in line with other class abilities. Further, it has some awesome flavor and I love the concept, and I think there are ways to make it more fun for everyone involved. Both puppeteer and opponent. We just need to sit and work it out together, not argue whether or not it needs to be fixed, etc.

  • I agree with this. It needs less arguing and more teamwork at making it better. I think there are a few tweaks that could go to some of the new stuff, but I'm not ready to jump the gun at screaming about things are OP. I think more time is required for people to adjust and learn how to deal with the skills. I've been sparring and figuring out the mechanics behind it all, but in my experience so far, everyone I've killed died because they didn't handle things optimally.  They didn't take advantage of serverside curing's insert cure queue, and didn't monitor their mana levels.

    I think this generation of players is kind of lazy and bank on a preconfigured curing setup and then basically wallop their heads against the keyboard. I can think of multiple ways to escape something, albeit not the ideal scenario where you just grind the opponent into the dirt mercilessly.
  • Daeir said:
    No.

    It should also include the ether disrupt affect and not affect the Magi's faction and/or mutual allies wherever applicable.

    It should also only be counterable by a 3000cr artefact called Tecton's Vacation Downpayment.
    You're a genius. That's why they're paying you the big bucks. Don't forget the 6,000 credit artefact counter to that artefact counter, however: Tecton's Retirement Plan

  • Godwin said:
    I agree with this. It needs less arguing and more teamwork at making it better. I think there are a few tweaks that could go to some of the new stuff, but I'm not ready to jump the gun at screaming about things are OP. I think more time is required for people to adjust and learn how to deal with the skills. I've been sparring and figuring out the mechanics behind it all, but in my experience so far, everyone I've killed died because they didn't handle things optimally.  They didn't take advantage of serverside curing's insert cure queue, and didn't monitor their mana levels.

    I think this generation of players is kind of lazy and bank on a preconfigured curing setup and then basically wallop their heads against the keyboard. I can think of multiple ways to escape something, albeit not the ideal scenario where you just grind the opponent into the dirt mercilessly.
    Disagree. This generation of players are way more dedicated to figuring things out and finding those nuances of a class more than in the past. Achaean combat is alot more intense and indepth than it used to be. At least for me




    Penwize has cowardly forfeited the challenge to mortal combat issued by Atalkez.
  • Old puppetry was too griefy but new puppetry is too... 'Griefable'. <br>
    Case in point: if I have about 57 fashions, I WILL put you in a slow lock and there is almost nothing that will save you. <br>
    Which means if you see my puppet hit 50 fashions and its eyes fly open. You can run and hide in your city/ship until the fashions go away. Problematic if you have, say, a contract as a jester Mark or contract on you as a jester. 
    <br><br>
    So a few rounds ago I suggested splitting fashion and truefashion into two abilities. FASHION would add 2 temporary fashions, while TRUEFASHION would add 1 "permanent" fashion. And either way a puppet would reset to 15 fashions instead of 1.
    they wouldn't be truly permanent, just decay much later. 
    I like my steak like I like my Magic cards: mythic rare.
  • Oh it's not forcing me to compose in html on the phone now. Thanks forums. 
    I like my steak like I like my Magic cards: mythic rare.
  • Alaskar said:
    I never claimed to know much about Spiritlore, but just looking at it seems to indicate that Shamans can switch between spirits for very different goals- bashing, PvP, mobility/utility, which is awesome. I just don't think that being versatile means you have to be able to switch instantly between them. If you want to have bashing-oriented spirits bound, then you're risking the lack of capability in PvP for increased efficiency in PvE, which sounds fair. My vibes comment was merely trying to point to the fact that Shamans are not the only class that when ganked while bashing or doing something would need to escape temporarily and get to their PvP-state. Which was admittedly fixed somewhat with Magi and golems.

    Anyways, main point of what I'm getting at: Vodun/Puppetry could certainly use a refreshing/update to bring it in line with other class abilities. Further, it has some awesome flavor and I love the concept, and I think there are ways to make it more fun for everyone involved. Both puppeteer and opponent. We just need to sit and work it out together, not argue whether or not it needs to be fixed, etc.
    Agreed about the need for discussion, not argument. 

    I'm not sure the change there needs to be instantaneous (in terms of shaman communion) but there does need to be something altered because right now you have to get to a safe space to sit down so you can commune uninterrupted because the bindings for day-to-day hunting, etc. are very different from those used for PvP. When it first came out, I showed a few people how it works and they immediately said, "Oh...I'm so abusing that." Anyway, I think there are some classleads up about this and spiritwalk (also needs some fixing) already, so yay!
  • edited January 2015

    The tail end of the fight:

    https://ada-young.appspot.com/pastebin/604dc789

    10minutes after the first fight ended

    https://ada-young.appspot.com/pastebin/31fece99

    Still say the doll needs to be destroyed on death. Anyone who thinks this is "working" is out of their mind.





    Penwize has cowardly forfeited the challenge to mortal combat issued by Atalkez.
  • Atalkez said:

    The tail end of the fight:

    https://ada-young.appspot.com/pastebin/604dc789

    10minutes after the first fight ended

    https://ada-young.appspot.com/pastebin/31fece99

    Still say the doll needs to be destroyed on death. Anyone who thinks this is "working" is out of their mind.

    Looks like Vrass won and than griefed you, I didn't think the BM instant kill was command-able :O

    I agree that certain things shouldn't be command-able like that, although Maligus is made to work that way too, so it's a double edged sword. Not really the shamans fault for using their abilities as intended, but it was rather douchey if you ask me. The guy has a doll of you, hire and get him killed, that destroys the doll! You can travel off plane or to a ship or into the arena even to avoid things like that. I have had people do that before too. Although through commanding you, Vrass didn't even need a full doll to do that, just 25 fashions. She probably still has at least 80 more too as it looked like she had a full doll of you :P

    I have never said an hour wasn't too long, I think the only reason a doll lasts after a person dies is because of starbursting and things like that, idk really it's not like I personally can think of a reason we would need a doll after we kill someone with it. Other than it's an actual physical object.

    I have read through the stuff written since I last read in here and just wanted to say.

    @Jarrod I use vodun to literally kill people all the time :( I never thought of it as just hindering ever since throttle was made 0 fashions in room and 1 outside of it.

    I wonder of some kind of compromise in which certain abilities in Vodun could be looked at and made similar to how throttle was changed? Maybe making less fashions needed for stuff in general and change most of the skills to area? idk what a true solution would be probably only Tecton or Makarios would really know that.

    I wonder if a solution could be in going to a city in the first place, perhaps if a vodun/puppetry user is in a city their dolls decay to a lower amount of fashions faster?

    Since standing on guards seems to be the issue here.
  • Achimrst said:
    Atalkez said:

    The tail end of the fight:

    https://ada-young.appspot.com/pastebin/604dc789

    10minutes after the first fight ended

    https://ada-young.appspot.com/pastebin/31fece99

    Still say the doll needs to be destroyed on death. Anyone who thinks this is "working" is out of their mind.

    Looks like Vrass won and than griefed you, I didn't think the BM instant kill was command-able :O

    That wasn't brokenstar, it was bladesuicide (equivalent to heartstop) because there was no way he was going to survive the bleeding. No commands involved.
  • Maybe give shaman the ability to sever tie between victim and his/her doll? Just run to a friendly shaman and have them perform the costly ritual requiring time and concentration.

    Ritual requirements: Performing shaman and victim must both be present in same room. Be mutual allies (or not). Neither moves for given amount of time (10/20/30/something seconds).

    Result: 1) No effect if the ritual is stopped or fails to complete. 2) All steps are completed but the ritual fails, in which case some fashions are lost. 3) All steps are completed, the ritual succeeds, in which case major amount of fashions are lost or the doll itself is destroyed (whichever suits the game). 4) In all above cases the owner of doll is alerted of the ritual.

    Side effects... Drain both parties for considerable mana and willpower.
  • edited January 2015
    Sounds more like something that would cost time like canceling a wormhole. 30 seconds is far too easy. 
    If this were added fashions could become permanent again. Cool idea
    I like my steak like I like my Magic cards: mythic rare.
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