Getting back into the swing of things - here's some discussion on the updates I've managed to eke out this past month, between work on the spoils system. =)
Static charge is now free, and may replenish mana/spirit.
Devil's siphon gains power versus heavily damaged targets.
There are a number of abilities which, in their current form, are very similar to each other. These abilities have a tendency to obsolete one another (lagged abilities such as static charge vs. elemental malediction), or to mirror each other with no variation or incentive for strategic use (e.g., kick, striking fist, and ashi barai kick). As as additional undesirable side effect, the lagless abilities and the inferior lagged abilities tend to be extremely poor choices for advancement beyond 100% mastery.
By differentiating these abilities in subtle ways, I can diversify their mastery benefits (making the comparison more than a numerical scaling comparison) while introducing the possibility of strategic use for some of the plain lagless 'strikes'. There are three ways I can do this: 1) introducing additional base functionality, as in the case of static charge; 2) granting additional functionality with mastery beyond 100%; and 3) through the use of inscriptions (as in the case of oblique pattern - tih).
Some abilities which were hard-capped on damage will now improve at diminishing rates instead.
Some of the more statistically inclined scripters among you have already noticed that certain abilities seem to stop scaling completely after a certain point. In addition, these "hard caps" tend to be coded into older abilities, and so they tend to cap extremely early (as the average power level of a character is much higher than it was 10 years ago). I will slowly be working on addressing these hard caps over time (the process will be slow, as a significant amount of balancing is required).
Nojohr's combat choice has been redesigned.
Nojohr's lightning choice has been redesigned.
The nojohr 'choice' abilities were used, 99.99% of the time, as simple +dam and +spe buffs. The other two choices on each ability were generally ignored due to the fact that they served similar functionality to the +dam and +spe aspects, but with poorer bonuses. I've reduced these abilities to only two choices each, but with a stronger differentiation between functionalities (pure damage output versus speed and lateral defense for the combat choice, and a defensive boost to counteract the nojohr's fusing penalty versus a situational attack for the lightning choice). The benefit to nojohrs is twofold: more diversity in combat options as well as new avenues for mastery improvement (as the new versions improve beyond 100%)
The lightning choice drains over time normally, but it increases in power instead while the nojohr has the galvanize effect up. Galvanize uptime can of course be maximized by simply keeping it charged constantly (and never discharging it with a war-strike or cleave); less obviously, a nojohr can maintain a good galvanize uptime by discharging it near the end of its 10-second duration (instead of using war-strike/cleave immediately after the galvanize).
Instrumentation of riposte improves beyond 100% mastery.
I've always liked riposte as a unique, flavorful nojohr ability. The new mastery benefit for instrumentation of riposte not only improves the base ability slightly, but it also grants a lesser riposte buff whenever the nojohr has a gambit active (currently, gambit of the warring shield or aulora's gambit). The warring shield is obviously the more popular, powerful gambit on its own merits; however, aulora's gambit has a much longer duration, and can thus maintain a higher riposte uptime.
As always, nice to hear that there's updates in the works. Keep on rocking, good sir! :D
ReplyDeleteFootpads + Peek & Steal. Could footpads ever get a peek command (view inventories) and steal or palm (able to steal items from inventories.) at this point the ability palm I see is pretty useless. Or even if you could palm (steal) from mobs atleast the skill would have a use other then picking things up without being seen (lame).
ReplyDeletehey i have a question, doesn't really pertain to this blog, but idk where else to post lol, but what's the damage increase rate on hurricane kick for +100% mastery?
ReplyDeletelevel 300 you can palm a player's corpse. This being for RKing. Something frowned upon. If steal from inventory was ever implemented, then everyone would be footpads stealing from everyone elses inventories. Potentially, killing the mud. Please think about rammifications of something like that next time.
ReplyDeleteUnless steal from inventory was manipulated into something else.
ReplyDeleteYou could have it run a check and if successful it would reward the footpad with some gold and experience then it could leave some type of affect on the target and either do some DoT, instant damage, or leave some other fun affect. It doesn't HAVE to actually steal inventory.
Please think of other solutions before you try to suggest someone hasn't thought of the ramifications of something. Be part of the solution just not an internet troll telling people what to do.
Great updates Whim.
ReplyDeleteTo which we come to the 'Please' part in front of it. Wasn't trying to troll, just mentioning what possible abuse can come of it. If it does some DoT, instant damage, or leave some other fun affect then it wouldn't be stealing ( what he was hoping for ). Closest thing I can think of would be stealing from npc inventories, but then complaints might come in that the cooldown is too high ( aka can't steal all the salvage from appropriate mobs 24/7 ). Rogues in general aren't stealers. Stealth is common though ( already in the mud ), though this mud could have a subclass of footpad as a lockpicker. Presents an extra option to add onto the barb doorman.
ReplyDeleteI was hoping to possibly talk about poliir issues? Now I know that from a lot of people that poliirs are very strong when you are big, with big pools, and big practices, but potentially useless coming from the gate? Now I know that it is not a junk class or anything like that, but would it ever be possible to drop the WALL of endurance it takes to run with Radiant strike if the guard? as 57 endurance is one big endurance drain, and truly limits poliirs that are trying to grow, as it is our only spammable. anyway I hope you take that into consideration, thanks for your time!
ReplyDelete-Poolhelm
I've already proposed lockpicking for Ninjas and Footpads for the longest time. Being master infiltrators, they are the 2 who are most likely to get it, and it has never really made sense to me why doors can ONLY be brute-forced(Zerkorian and Silvern Nojohr, if I remember), or bypassed(only once per 20-40 minutes, IIRC, via Sorc's Step of Phasing), but not "unlocked" through finesse.
ReplyDeleteVis a vis "stealing from players", perhaps a small affect that either treats the Footpad who landed it as a group member(siphoning off XP from the kill XP), or alternately, picking up a portion of the person's XP/Gold(with a hefty prevention, something like maxing around 1/3 of their current XP/Gold, for about 1/2 to 1 hour. Actual numbers up to Whim).