Kheldian Issue January 2009 post issue 13


AddamsFamily

 

Posted

Let's keep beating the horse to death. Yeah, it's already dead, but still.

Please do not quote this entire post to reply.

With Issue 13, many change and fix were brought, some directly concerning kheldians, other on a more wide scale.




Table of content
[ QUOTE ]

I - Kheldian forms status
II - Day Job discrepenancy
III - kheldian overlook
IV - Forms and costume change "fix"
V - Bugs, missing IO/enhancement bonus
IV - Sound loop on toggles
IV - Request list


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I - Kheldian forms status
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Issue 13 had an effect not expected at all, the enforcement to take at least the dwarf form, if not all forms.

From Castle :
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I tested giving a couple points protection to Human form and, honestly, there was NO REASON to take Dwarf form with human for protection.

Human form has such strong flexibility, control, heal and protective benefits with mez protection that giving up those benefits for the minute bonus to mez resist and/resistance that Dwarf form provided under these circumstances simply was not worth the power, slot and animation time costs. Why would you give up a better attack chain, access to Stamina, Hasten, Tough and Weave for a small benefit? Almost no one would.

In order to maintain Dwarf Form as a viable option I pretty much have to disallow self status protection in human form.

I'm willing to be shown that I am wrong, though. If you can provide compelling evidence that my conclusions are incorrect, I will happily revisit this topic.


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This said, giving the facts :
- nova and dwarf forms are exclusives to all other powers
- All powers aren't allowed to work or be usable while one of the form is activated (except the signature passive power, accolades, click powers and set bonuses)
- original design was meant to allow pure human build as viable solutions (thus, with a lot of power incompatible with dwarf and nova forms)

What's the actual and official status with kheldian forms :
<ul type="square">[*] Are they mandatory to both archetypes ?[*] Are they an option not necessary for the human form to be viable ?[*] Depends of the khedian archetype ?[/list]
Depending of the answer, different but important changes will be needed to both kheldians archetypes in regards to actual outdated designs.
Everything else related to lack of appealing shields, human mez protection, form capabilities, and so on is useless until this has been addressed.


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II - Day Job discrepenancy
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One of the Issue 13 main feature is day jobs, and new rewards with them, like temporary passive powers.
But no day job bonus works/is available at all while in dwarf or nova form.

Also, day job global bonus (+inf at end of mission, +prestige, +1 salvage, recipe, ...) tend to stay disabled at random for a while after switching back to human form.
This behavior is similar to what all other AT can experiment sometimes when logging, but it tend to resolve itself shortly.
For kheldians, it's each time you switch to a form.

Basically, kheldians don't have any benefits from day jobs when in forms or after using them.

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III - kheldian overlook
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Can someone pass a memo to the staff to stop forgetting the 4 years old kheldian archetype may need to be tweaked when designing new content/powers/... ?
This recurring occurrence having nearly each issue considerate kheldians in a delayed patch (if we're lucky) is getting old.


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IV - Forms and costume change "fix"
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Latest patch introduced a change preventing to deactivate a costume toggle (ie : halloween costumes temp powers) until all animation powers are finished.
This to prevent abuse from bypassing any animation/movement delay. It was first applied to all powers, but the receive was bad enough to have this reduced only to costume change powers.
In the end, both nova and dwarf toggles are still considerated as costume change power.

While the need of a fix is understandable as costume change powers are widely more available, The result on kheldian forms is overkill, especially after 4 years of using this particular mechanic.

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V - Bugs, missing IO/enhancement bonus
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Bugs :
Umbral blast/Unchain Essence is a corpse power target. Since issue #13, when no target is selected, the power keep auto targeting a living target it can't attack, instead of a corpse.
Umbral Aura/Nebulous form not normalized as of Phase shift I11 change :[/b] Invisibility/Phase Shift powers activation time got reduced in I11 from 3s to 0.5s. Nebulous form is the only power still with a 3s activation time (animation, then activation after = 3s).


The missing enhancement types and IO sets on kheldians powers list, based on each power effect.
Additional effects asked for is based about changes done to other AT similar powers but wasn't replicated to kheldians

Peacebringer
<ul type="square">[*]white dwarf form/white dwarf strike : missing taunt enhance and IO set[*]white dwarf form/white dwarf smite : missing taunt enhance and IO set[*]white dwarf form/white dwarf flare : missing taunt enhance and IO set[*]luminous blast/photon seeker : /impact power missing debuff defense effect, enhance and io set[*]luminous aura/restore essence : missing endurance recovery enhance and IO set[/list]
Warshade
<ul type="square">[*]black dwarf form/black dwarf strike : missing taunt enhance and IO set[*]black dwarf form/black dwarf smite : missing taunt enhance and IO set[*]black dwarf form/black dwarf mire : missing tohit buff enhance and IO set[*]black dwarf form/black dwarf drain : missing taunt enhance and IO set[*]black nova form/dark nova emanation : knockback enhance and io set on a power without knockback effect[*]umbral blast/sunless mire : missing tohit buff enhance and IO set[*]umbral blast/dark extraction : missing slow IO set[*]umbral blast/unchain essence : missing slow enhance and IO set[*]umbral aura/stygian return : missing endurance recovery enhance and IO set[/list]
Btw, The new black dwarf mire has +acc in it's power description (long and short), while the power is giving +tohit.


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IV - Sound loop on toggles
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When power toggles with continuous looping sounds were muted or changed to go silent a few secs after, it wasn't applied to many of peacebringer and warshade powers (was reverted by inadvertence is more accurate).
Meaning there are still looping sounds attached to kheldians toggle powers, most of them with an unpleasant loud tone.
The following sounds have been identified, but all kheldians toggles should get a check anyway.

<ul type="square">[*]peacebringer/nova and dwarf form : soft looping sound : Powers\WarshadeDwarf2_loop.ogg [*]peacebringer/shining, thermal and quantum shield, photon seeker fly : all attached to the following loud sounds : Powers\glow6_loop.ogg and Powers\glow9b_loop.ogg[*]peacebringer/photon seeker : also attached to this sound : Powers\elecZaps_loop.ogg[*]peacebringer/fly and combat flight : attached to this sound : Powers\flight2_loop.ogg[*]warshade/nova and dwarf form : same as peacebringer nova/dwarf.[*]warshade/gravity, penumbral and twilight shield : seems good, no loop here.[*]warshade/orbiting death and shadow cloak : unknown loop file[/list]
__________________________________________________ __________________
IV - Request list
__________________________________________________ __________________

<ul type="square">[*]access to the kheldian sash/belt :[/b] This was asked for a long time, many kheldian players would like to be able to use the kheldian sash/belt as a costume part.[*]access to the flight and teleport powerpool [/b] : the teleport and the flight powerpool aren't available to kheldians. While the access prevention to the teleport pool is understandable for a warshade, it isn't the case for the flight pool. Same for peacebringer prevented to take the teleport pool, while it make sense for the flight pool.[*]changing human melee attacks from knockback to knockdown :[/b] Nothing new here, as it's something that tanker and scrapper asked for themselves, a lot. Knockback is not welcomed among any melee AT. Especially when it comes from aoe/pbaoe attacks. Peacebringer human form melee attack are on heavy knockback, they should be changed to knockdown/knockup only.[*]Void Killer badge :[/b] A void hunter/quantum gunner/cyst badge with a reasonable amount of kills feels needed.[/list]


 

Posted

WS &gt; Umbral Blast/ Dark Extraction: Extracted Essences still "failing" to summon if the corpse you summon them from dissapears before the power animation finishes, so if you activate it to late you still waste the power and have to wait for it to rech.


 

Posted

If you become mezzed while the animation for switching into Dwarf Form is playing, you will stop switching into Dwarf Form and remain mezzed in human form.

This is quite annoying as you're supposed to be able to switch into Dwarf Form while mezzed.


 

Posted

- Unchain Essence's damage, recharge, cast time, and other effects do not correctly match the end cost and the requirement of a dead foe.

- Starless step has no benefits over Teleport Foe despite being a primary power. Dmg and/or ToHit debuffs would be an appropriate change over just increasing the TP Foe effect's mag and accuracy

- Nebulous Form's jump component is no where consistent with Quantum Flight which has a significant speed upgrade from regular Fly where as Nebulous Form has to slot to even reach the base jump height/speed on Super Jump.

- Essence Drain (human form version) does not mesh well with the rest of the set since it's a minor melee heal in a mostly ranged set. Changing it to be a ranged attack/heal power like Drain Life would be more appropriate.

- Gravimetric Snare lacks a -fly component like most ST immobilizes. With theme of this power being that you're holding them down with gravitational forces it really does not make much sense for it to not have -Fly like Crush from gravity control has.


 

Posted

Bugs:

Inky Aspect is suppressing Orbital Death's damage.

Inky Aspect and Orbital Death are offensive toggles. Neither is detoggling when stunned. Only defensive toggles should stay up while stunned. I can't attest to the behavior under holds or sleeps.


 

Posted

Just a few things off the top of my head:

* Glowing Touch has a 30 foot range. Other ranged single-target heals have 80 foot ranges.
* Photon Seekers' 300-second base recharge is longer than Extracted Essence's 240-second recharge. Consider lowering it to 240.
* Group Energy Flight needs to have some incentive over the pool version. Consider removing the tohit debuff and lower the endurance cost.


@macskull, @Not Mac | XBL: macskull | Steam: macskull | Skype: macskull
"One day we all may see each other elsewhere. In Tyria, in Azeroth. We may pass each other and never know it. And that's sad. But if nothing else, we'll still have Rhode Island."

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
* Group Energy Flight needs to have some incentive over the pool version. Consider removing the tohit debuff and lower the endurance cost.

[/ QUOTE ]

My Twinkle Boy has Group Energy Flight and I've never really picked up on a noticeable end drain (even when carrying a full team but maybe thats just because I have stamina). That said removing the -tohit might be nice as it is a primary pool power.

This power is quite useful when teaming Flashbacks set up with AT Only as noone else has travel powers and I can carry the whole team from one mission to another.


 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
access to the flight and teleport powerpool : the teleport and the flight powerpool aren't available to kheldians. While the access prevention to the teleport pool is understandable for a warshade, it isn't the case for the flight pool. Same for peacebringer prevented to take the teleport pool, while it make sense for the flight pool.



[/ QUOTE ]

If Peacebringers want to teleport, they can take Dwarf. If Warshades want to fly, they can take Nova.

We need to get around to the fact that Kheldians are meant to be played different than the standard ATs. It was the original design, and the Devs are not going to back down from that stance, and I don't think they should. And I say this with a PB that I love to play. I like it because it's different.


Loose --> not tight.
Lose --> Did not win, misplace, cannot find, subtract.
One extra 'o' makes a big difference.

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
access to the flight and teleport powerpool : the teleport and the flight powerpool aren't available to kheldians. While the access prevention to the teleport pool is understandable for a warshade, it isn't the case for the flight pool. Same for peacebringer prevented to take the teleport pool, while it make sense for the flight pool.



[/ QUOTE ]

If Peacebringers want to teleport, they can take Dwarf. If Warshades want to fly, they can take Nova.

We need to get around to the fact that Kheldians are meant to be played different than the standard ATs. It was the original design, and the Devs are not going to back down from that stance, and I don't think they should. And I say this with a PB that I love to play. I like it because it's different.

[/ QUOTE ]

Blocking us from a power like air superiority is not forgivable.

Knowing that they did so because they think players are stupid and would choose fly from the pool even though it's inherent on a PB at level 1 fills me with disgust. (Partly because I know that they're right, but that's what respecs are for.)

Also knowing that the block on fly/tport pools won't be lifted will never cease to anger me. It's a BS decision.


Be well, people of CoH.

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
access to the flight and teleport powerpool : the teleport and the flight powerpool aren't available to kheldians. While the access prevention to the teleport pool is understandable for a warshade, it isn't the case for the flight pool. Same for peacebringer prevented to take the teleport pool, while it make sense for the flight pool.



[/ QUOTE ]

If Peacebringers want to teleport, they can take Dwarf. If Warshades want to fly, they can take Nova.

We need to get around to the fact that Kheldians are meant to be played different than the standard ATs. It was the original design, and the Devs are not going to back down from that stance, and I don't think they should. And I say this with a PB that I love to play. I like it because it's different.

[/ QUOTE ]

Blocking us from a power like air superiority is not forgivable.

Knowing that they did so because they think players are stupid and would choose fly from the pool even though it's inherent on a PB at level 1 fills me with disgust. (Partly because I know that they're right, but that's what respecs are for.)

Also knowing that the block on fly/tport pools won't be lifted will never cease to anger me. It's a BS decision.

[/ QUOTE ]

I emphatically concur. I used to be on the other side of the fence, thinking that the complaints were from those who wanted to maximize their performance by picking up Air Superiority (Nothing wring with doing so, but usually I don't find it in and of itself to be the complete reason to do so) but then I came to what all of us do after a while, a concept. My Human WS wants to hover, ok I can't, not in theme I guess. I want to Team Teleport then. Oh wait, despite having three of those very similar powers I can't. No other AT gets limited choices of Power Pools despite some having very limited functions (VEATs and Leadership, Tankers and Fighting). I understand, picking Fly if you have Energy Flight won't won't give anything to a player but a wasted power pick, but can't they code it in a way that having one gray's out a similar choice (have Combat Flight grays out Hover) and still coun't for requisites (having Starless Step and Shadow Recall gray out Teleport and Recall Friend, but allow you to pick of Team Teleport). It might take some time to code right, but this thing can't he impossible to do right.


 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
access to the flight and teleport powerpool : the teleport and the flight powerpool aren't available to kheldians. While the access prevention to the teleport pool is understandable for a warshade, it isn't the case for the flight pool. Same for peacebringer prevented to take the teleport pool, while it make sense for the flight pool.



[/ QUOTE ]

If Peacebringers want to teleport, they can take Dwarf. If Warshades want to fly, they can take Nova.

We need to get around to the fact that Kheldians are meant to be played different than the standard ATs. It was the original design, and the Devs are not going to back down from that stance, and I don't think they should. And I say this with a PB that I love to play. I like it because it's different.

[/ QUOTE ]

Blocking us from a power like air superiority is not forgivable.

Knowing that they did so because they think players are stupid and would choose fly from the pool even though it's inherent on a PB at level 1 fills me with disgust. (Partly because I know that they're right, but that's what respecs are for.)

Also knowing that the block on fly/tport pools won't be lifted will never cease to anger me. It's a BS decision.

[/ QUOTE ]

I emphatically concur. I used to be on the other side of the fence, thinking that the complaints were from those who wanted to maximize their performance by picking up Air Superiority (Nothing wring with doing so, but usually I don't find it in and of itself to be the complete reason to do so) but then I came to what all of us do after a while, a concept. My Human WS wants to hover, ok I can't, not in theme I guess. I want to Team Teleport then. Oh wait, despite having three of those very similar powers I can't. No other AT gets limited choices of Power Pools despite some having very limited functions (VEATs and Leadership, Tankers and Fighting). I understand, picking Fly if you have Energy Flight won't won't give anything to a player but a wasted power pick, but can't they code it in a way that having one gray's out a similar choice (have Combat Flight grays out Hover) and still coun't for requisites (having Starless Step and Shadow Recall gray out Teleport and Recall Friend, but allow you to pick of Team Teleport). It might take some time to code right, but this thing can't he impossible to do right.

[/ QUOTE ]
I will third this motion. Air superiority should be available to everyone and it really annoys me to no end that my PB can't ever get Recall Friend (one of the most useful powers in the entire game). I also have had friends complain about Warshades having inherent teleport but not having access to Hover from the flight pool making the teleport pretty useless if they are getting latency or fps problems.


 

Posted

Both ATs -

Dittos on air superiority.

Controller inherent bonus - still useless with just 1 controller. Please increase to 2 points per controller, or include a substantial mez resist buff to cut durations for each controller, or a powerboost effect. All suggestions we've heard before.

Epic AT inherent bonus - could we get something more to this? Slow resistance is really a minor buff, but add in things like defense debuff resistance, tohit debuff resistance, and end drain resistance, though, and make the bonus a general 'debuff resistance bonus' and it'll be a pretty darn nice one. Basically, same thing as the controller bonus, just newer. Then again, getting a bonus at all was a step in the right direction.

Peacebringers -

Dittos on glowing touch. Even getting a range of 50 feet on it would be very nice and quite usable.

Photon seekers - are these an aoe attack, or are they a type of crashless nuke? Whatever they are, they aren't pets and the devs obviously won't change them to be. If they're an AOE attack they should have their recharge and end cost (and probably damage) lowered so we can use them like an attack. If they're a nuke, they should have their target cap increased to 16 and their AOE increased to 25 feet. Also, their damage wasn't increased with the other powers by I13.

Conserve power - why is this on a 600 second recharge?

Group energy flight - can't we get a useful power that people will want to take, here? My suggestion is 'cosmic dispersion' - a pbaoe 'buff bubble' like sonic dispersion themed around 'sharing the cosmic balance love' with your team - give a 10% resist, 20% damage, and 1 or 2 point mez protection buff to everyone in the bubble. (I'd say 2 points because 1 point is useless, as we all know by now I hope).

Build up - despite the scalar increase to damage, build up only buffs damage +72% for peacebringers. This is in comparison to +100% for blasters and scrappers and +80% for tankers. Build up also doesn't last very long for shapeshifting. Increase at least to 80% like tankers (the damage scalars are similar to tankers), or heck, reduce the buff to 50 or 60% and increase the duration to 30 seconds like Mire, so that it can be more useful to shapeshifters.

Warshades -

Dittos on starless step, the flight pool, essence drain, and gravimetric snare.


"Experience is the mother of good judgement. Bad judgement is the father of experience."

 

Posted

The thing that chaps my... butt... the most is the fact that Inky Aspect negates the damage from Orbiting Death. It's one thing to have Pool Power clones in the primary or secondary sets that act exactly like those pool powers, but at least make sure some of the shiniest tools of the powersets work together.


 

Posted

Psy - don't get too worked up about it. Orbiting and Inky's interaction is pretty obviously a bug and will be addressed in time as all bugs are.


 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
Conserve power - why is this on a 600 second recharge?

[/ QUOTE ]
All versions of Conserve Power, including in-set versions, have a 600-second recharge.


@macskull, @Not Mac | XBL: macskull | Steam: macskull | Skype: macskull
"One day we all may see each other elsewhere. In Tyria, in Azeroth. We may pass each other and never know it. And that's sad. But if nothing else, we'll still have Rhode Island."

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
The thing that chaps my... butt... the most is the fact that Inky Aspect negates the damage from Orbiting Death. It's one thing to have Pool Power clones in the primary or secondary sets that act exactly like those pool powers, but at least make sure some of the shiniest tools of the powersets work together.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's a bug. Expect it to get fixed "soon." On the plus side, OD was still damaging enemies while the kheldian was mezzed last I checked it on test.


Be well, people of CoH.

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Conserve power - why is this on a 600 second recharge?

[/ QUOTE ]
All versions of Conserve Power, including in-set versions, have a 600-second recharge.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm aware of that.

I want to know what the justification for it is, especially since it makes the in-set versions of it no better than the APP versions.

And especially in light of how much stygian circle is up... what the specific justification for PBs having it and having it on a 10 minute recharge is.

CP and group energy flight really give me the impression the devs were like "huh, let's just throw this crap in there because we don't know what else to fill the powerset with."


"Experience is the mother of good judgement. Bad judgement is the father of experience."

 

Posted

The Peacebringer does feel like it was designed first... and therefore has the crappy boring versions of the powers.


 

Posted

Brilliant!


The development team and this community deserved better than this from NC Soft. Best wishes on your search.

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
CP and group energy flight really give me the impression the devs were like "huh, let's just throw this crap in there because we don't know what else to fill the powerset with."

[/ QUOTE ]

That's how I've always viewed the design of Peacebringers.

Warshades at least feel unique among the archetypes. PBs feel slapped together with no real effort at all.


Be well, people of CoH.

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
CP and group energy flight really give me the impression the devs were like "huh, let's just throw this crap in there because we don't know what else to fill the powerset with."

[/ QUOTE ]

That's how I've always viewed the design of Peacebringers.

Warshades at least feel unique among the archetypes. PBs feel slapped together with no real effort at all.

[/ QUOTE ]Is there a single PB power that isn't a very close clone of another powerset's power? I'm trying to think of one. I mean, Solar Flare isn't quite the same as Foot Stomp, because it has a higher magnitude.


 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
CP and group energy flight really give me the impression the devs were like "huh, let's just throw this crap in there because we don't know what else to fill the powerset with."

[/ QUOTE ]

That's how I've always viewed the design of Peacebringers.

Warshades at least feel unique among the archetypes. PBs feel slapped together with no real effort at all.

[/ QUOTE ]Is there a single PB power that isn't a very close clone of another powerset's power? I'm trying to think of one. I mean, Solar Flare isn't quite the same as Foot Stomp, because it has a higher magnitude.

[/ QUOTE ]
Pulsar, Photon Seekers, QFly, and... nevermind, you got me. At least Warshades have Gravity Well, GravEm, Unchain Essence, Dark Extraction, Stygian Circle, and Neb Form.


@macskull, @Not Mac | XBL: macskull | Steam: macskull | Skype: macskull
"One day we all may see each other elsewhere. In Tyria, in Azeroth. We may pass each other and never know it. And that's sad. But if nothing else, we'll still have Rhode Island."

 

Posted

Pulsar is a lot like Flash. I mean, if Mr and Mrs Pulsar were talking about how miraculous their little bundle of joy was, I'd be checking to see what Mr Flash was doing a few months earlier.


 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
Pulsar is a lot like Flash. I mean, if Mr and Mrs Pulsar were talking about how miraculous their little bundle of joy was, I'd be checking to see what Mr Flash was doing a few months earlier.

[/ QUOTE ]
Major difference being stun versus hold, and mag 2 versus mag 3, but I did think of Flash when I put that in the list.


@macskull, @Not Mac | XBL: macskull | Steam: macskull | Skype: macskull
"One day we all may see each other elsewhere. In Tyria, in Azeroth. We may pass each other and never know it. And that's sad. But if nothing else, we'll still have Rhode Island."

 

Posted

The animation is the same, the root time is the same, the durations are almost the same... Pulsar is what Flash would be nerfed to if it was good enough to merit it.