Ranged additions

Aepas

So, we've seen a lot of nerfs hitting to the class ranged skills and a current revamp of the city war system. I am however, going to miss a lot of the potency and fear of... well mainly just cataclysm.

Cataclysm was a long sought after thing in my eyes, ever since I started playing. Actually getting one was a very rare thing unless you had a very dedicated team that wanted to always have three mages. So in those offchances that you had a chance at getting a cata, you really wanted to use it. You all knew how strong you'd be, your enemy knew, and I think it's heavy power was something that was worthwhile because of it's rarity and impractibility.

 

Well it's getting looked at and might go away, but with all the changes happening let's take a look at things that could possibly make "ranged" combat more fun or interesting for raiders or defenders.

 

Ballistas! and Catapults! and things like that! Basically while you are raiding, you can choose to build up a siege weapon for X amount of commodities and time.

Catapults launch a giant ball of fire and tar. They explode on impact, dealing fire damage and igniting every person in the room. It also causes rubble to appear at random exits for 5-10 minutes or however long walls last.

Ballistas shoot one very powerful bolt in a direction, acting like a powerful soul spear with the whole impale thing, or maybe it knocks back a room like Vayne's condemn. (From LoL)

Both take at least 2 people to use, 1 to shoot and 1 to load. Balance times are long, and the weapons themself need to be pretty powerful to be worth anything. Would I want to see this anywhere besides a sanctioned raid? no. However, I do believe that while a lot of the range being taken out is a good thing, I still believe that some of the larger yet rarer types of ranged combat should exist.

 

Yes, I realise this idea itself is somewhat far fetched and would likely not have much of a place anywhere, but what are your thoughts? Did you enjoy the idea behind things like funeralmass and cata? (not the actual implementation, just the idea) should we really get rid of the all powerful group based range? (meaning multiple people to just enact the ranged, not just having 5 people with lupine) I just know that I personally would like to see some of it stay, and possibly more content.

Blujixapug

Siege weapons. Yes. Yes. You have my full support.

Orklanishkal

I asked Makali/Maya for them once. She said no

Aepas

I can believe that, however with the war system currently being modified as well as many other game changing things happening, I'd think now is the time to start looking into ideas that could possibly add more of an interesting dynamic to "war".

I believe that "war" itself should involve more than just the group tactics. How I see it

1v1=straight combat skills

skirmish=group combat skills

war=should have more of a self identity. It already does with the tanks and destruction, but it could always use more.

Shirszae

I am so much for this. Make war something more than just skirmishes inside a city! It could be so awesome!

Rispok

It sounds pretty awesome, but balance is a key issue. It makes me think of how GW2 does their world vs world, which in the brief time I played it, I enjoyed.

Aepas

Alright alright. Nobody gave much input, so I'll fully express what I had in my head.

Catapults/ballista
Requirements:
40 wood
15 steel
2 minutes to create.

LOAD CATAPULT: Takes a few seconds of balance (5-10) and loads a tar filled ball inside the launcher
TURN CATAPULT: Is required to fire, pulling the slingshot thingy back. takes 4s balance per turn. Takes 5 turns.
CATAPULT AIM (TARGET): Targets a person
LAUNCH CATAPULT: Shoots at the specific person targeted.

So essentially, up to three people can load/launch this item, making it's reload time significantly faster.

Upon launch, this weapon would launch a meteor like projectile that gives warning and the enemy team plenty of time to move. However, unlike meteors it does not follow the target. Instead it flies to the specific room that it was aimed at. When it lands, it causes fire damage to everyone within, ignites people, and causes rubble to appear at random exits in the room. This effect lasts for 5-10 minutes and does not discriminate. all people moving in or out of that room take fire damage and are slowed on exit. Upon hitting, this does around 40% damage to all in the room, and breaks shields. This is a sizable amount of damage, especially because the object will take time to hit its location.
This item would actually not be a main damage dealing tactic, or would it be used to secure kills. It's main purpose is to cause a bit of problems with movement and displace the enemy.

LOAD BALLISTA: Load a dart just like seafaring!
TURN BALLISTA: have to wind that sucker back
BALLISTA AIM (TARGET): Gotta aim it!
FIRE BALLISTA:  let er rip.

Ballista would be similar in terms of setup and loading, however this weapon would be a line of sight only. This weapon would never miss and have a few interesting properties. First off, it will break any walls that are blocking it's path. It's like a ranged dragon, breaking down ice and stonewalls that get in its way. This stops the projectile.
Hitting your shield would break your shield and cause the shaft to splinter, dealing damage to all in the room. (very mild damage, just more of a flavor thing)
Hitting you as a person would knock you back a room, opposite the direction it came from. If there is a wall in your way there is no movement. I say it ignores mass but respects other obstacles like walls or blocking. I think this would be a midlly interesting and fun thing to use because you could target the raid leader with it, and push them away from their group with a burst of massive damage.

All this is pretty complex and kind of gaudy at the moment, but really I don't think there is too much here that is not already in the game. I have no idea how to code it, but I don't think this would be the furthest stretch to add from an actual mechanical point. We already have many skills that act like these could.

So, that's all I have for now. surely one of you other lovely chaps has an idea

Ruth

Make ships be the tools for catapult weapons! We have ballistas anyway!

Melodie

That doesn't work for the cities without sea ports!

Trust me, Cyrene's been barking up the port tree for ages.

Iocun

Who cares about sea ports. Just make a Lake Muurn port and have an armada of lake ships that can never leave it.

Arador

Agreed. The beaches can be called Chops. Only the strange beings known as "Landlubbers" have figured out how to navigate those wretched things.

Silas

I think they should add a crazy spear that does massive damage to anybody outdoors in the area.

Penwize

Silas said:

I think they should add a crazy spear that does massive damage to anybody outdoors in the area.

Totally, but make it take days of straight bashing in a low-xp, low-gold reward area to get it, and make it only have one use when they finally do!

Silas

Genius!

Achilles

I'm sure people will act reasonably and only use them responsibly so the greater good benefits!

Synbios

Iocun said:

Who cares about sea ports. Just make a Lake Muurn port and have an armada of lake ships that can never leave it.

Truly the height of Cyrenian isolationism.