Classleads

SUBMITTED AND UNSUBMITTED CLASSLEADS:

TELEPATHY:

Report #380
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted by: ---            Status      : Unsubmitted
Skillset    : Telepathy      Skillname   : Blackout
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Problem:
An effort has been made to mitigate the effects of afflictions (e.g., through cooldowns) that have a
particularly debilitating effect when spammed. However, blackout was missed. Even with a prior
classlead fix, blackout is such an affliction that continues to offer huge benefits - particularly
in the current spam-filled meta - with virtually no counters to cure it aside from the lengthy
cooldown of the tree tattoo. Furthermore, the monk can simply apply it a second time and cause it to
stick. Simply adding a cooldown would not be enough, as the effect duration is significant enough as
it is. This classlead attempts to either mitigate the effect of blackout in the present form or
otherwise offer an alternative benefit that had been previously suggested.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Solution #1:
Add an additional herbal cure to blackout. Additionally reduce the base duration of the affliction.
Solution #2:
Change the effect of the current affliction of blackout: Prevent the target from seeing any movement
in/out from the room (similar to dementia) and make them unable to communicate properly (stuttering
effect) while afflicted. Note: These are from the blackout itself, not application of the relevant
afflictions. This is the suggestion from classlead 98.
Solution #3:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SPATIUM:

Report #370
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted by: ---            Status      : Unsubmitted
Skillset    : Spatium        Skillname   : Becloud
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Problem:
Becloud traipses over two mechanics that are aggravating for both the user and the afflicted: the
random proc of the mask isn't dependable, and more masked afflictions on a class with passive
formaldehyde requires frequent diagnosing. It's also outclassed by Obscure. Furthermore, there is
the problem of hypnosis users in group overriding one another's weaving bonus and (less so in a team
context) preventing suggesting or clearing a built-up trance.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Solution #1:
Change Becloud to a room-based effect that clears on movement or changing the attachment. While
active, everyone is considered "hypnotised" for the purposes of determining the damage mitigation
granted by Weaving. This allows Assassins/Renegades to help their similarly skilled allies while
allowing assignment of hypnosis trances based on offensive effectiveness. For the appearance of the
skill in action, there would be a room message (ex. "The light here misbehaves, refracting as if
looking through a clouded glass full of water.") and a recurring message (ex. "An unseen ripple
agitates the air, shifting the pathways of light throughout the room.")
Solution #2:
Solution #3:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Report #371
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted by: ---            Status      : Unsubmitted
Skillset    : Spatium        Skillname   : New
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Problem:
For all of the mastery of space that Spatium offers, Spatium users are some of the least mobile
people in Imperian. Attach/Warp is a non-channeled prism stopped by mono/holy/haze, and Evade should
be renamed to "Sneak" since it offers great infiltration ability but little in the way of active
mobility. Just tacking a pure copy of a skill like backflip or frontflip wouldn't be fitting for a
Spatium user, either, so improving the power of their control of space should be done in a way that
requires more careful control.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Solution #1:
Add a new ability to Spatium called Step. Syntax: WORM STEP (direction). The Spatium user reattaches
their personal wormhole to the room in the specified direction, allowing them to step past obstacles
in their way. From the effort, their current attachment is broken. If no attachment is currently
held, the swift attach balance is used. The types of movement hinders that are bypassed or counter
Step should be equivalent to Backflip and similar abilities. This would allow one quick assault of
step -> swift attach/begin attacking, but continuous movement would be greatly slowed.
Solution #2:
The same as solution 1, but Stepping would have a significantly reduced or eliminated equilibrium
cost with swift attach balance available, but using it without would have a higher cost akin to
attaching (~4s). This would give the Spatium user a quick burst of mobility on a lengthy enough
cooldown to allow those with more consistent mobility a chance to pursue.
Solution #3:
Same as solution 1, but stepping would require and use swift attach balance. This would make it a
movement ability with a 15 second cooldown, allowing for a bit more power in the form of lower cost
or bypassing more obstacles.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SHAMANISM:

Report #378
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted by: ---            Status      : Submitted
Skillset    : Shamanism      Skillname   : Jinx
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Problem:
Jinx was added to better bridge wytch affliction pressure with Cadmus/Belial flares. It was then
subsequently changed because it proved to be too good at its intended goal. The main problem with
the most recent changes (providing additional cure methods) is that they were also combined with an
increase in the time to afflict with a curse and dust attack if jinx is present and cadmus flares.
As Clever: 1.37s for the swiftcurse itself, 1.55s for swiftcurse/dust, but 1.73s with jinx active.
This is actually even worse than it used to be pre-jinx as the fast statpack permitted afflictions
to be flung even faster than an L1 balance permits these days. The net result of this double nerf
was that the cost-benefit of trying to use jinx was reduced, given how a difficult skill to track
was made even more difficult due to the expansions in how it can be cured. Without using jinx,
wytchen are thrown back into the same situation as it relates to affliction pressure as before jinx.
The current situation is exacerbated by the fact that classes relying upon mental affliction
tracking are expected to live with significant error margins while at the same time redesigns of
other professions have pushed the idea of 'smart tracking' to a new height within the current meta -
i.e. Outrider and Berserker. As a minor classlead round, this overarching mental tracking theme is
too large to address. Instead, the goal here is to make using and sticking Jinx a more appealing
route for a Wytch.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Solution #1:
Provide third-person cure messages for Jinx. Reduce the speed of swiftcurse/dust under jinx to 1.55s
from 1.73s.
Solution #2:
Type MORE to continue reading. (86% shown)
H:580 M:308 <eb db> [0h/-6m] AFF:0 MENT:0more
Provide third-person cure messages for Jinx. Reduce the balance time of applying jinx from (clever
statpack) 2.00s to 1.55s, to fall in line with other shamanism afflictions.
Solution #3:
Provide third-person cure messages for Jinx.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MALIGNOSIS:

Report #365
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted by: Fensrun        Status      : Unsubmitted
Skillset    : Malignosis     Skillname   : Flay
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Problem:
Demon flay has two very deleterious downsides. Firstly, you do not learn *which* mental affliction
has been cured--which means that tracking mentals, already a tricky affair, becomes that much harder.
 Flay does not do enough damage to be a finisher in its own right, so the lack of continued
trackability severely impedes its usefulness. Second, it will cure madness; I believe that it
shouldn't, because madness is a sui generis affliction that's necessary for a kill condition (c.f.,
frostheart) and which has restricted cure methods (e.g., it cannot be cured by tree) and also
because this is an unduly harsh punishment for team dis-coordination: it is not a matter of not
being as efficient as possible for a Diabolist to flay while a Summoner is working towards enlighten,
 but rather entirely ruins the latter's offence.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Solution #1:
Like soulstorm, make demon flay's message (first-person, second-person and third-person) include the
affliction cured.
Solution #2:
Remove madness from the pool of afflictions cured by demon flay. This is in addition to solution 1,
not in exclusion with. Optionally, do not include madness to count towards demon flay's damage-
determining mental affliction count.
Solution #3:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HUNTING:

Report #375
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted by: ---            Status      : Submitted
Skillset    : Hunting        Skillname   : Bite
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Problem:
Bite, and other surge type skills, require the user to SURGE <animal>. This can be annoying to
manage if one often uses different types of animals.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Solution #1:
Change the syntax for these skills to SURGE <type> so that one simply has to SURGE BITE and so on.
This will make it easier for an Outrider to work with whatever animals they have with them.
Solution #2:
Solution #3:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BEASTMASTERY:

Report #384
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted by: ---            Status      : Submitted
Skillset    : Beastmastery   Skillname   : Heirloom
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Problem:
Currently, buried heirloom items can be dug from its place by anyone, causing the owner to lose the
return point without resistance. Moreover, when the wolf is killed, the "new" wolf that has been
called loses its ability to track the heirloom, buried or unburied.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Solution #1:
Make it so that buried heirloom can only be dug by the owner and allow the new wolf to remember the
existing heirlooms.
Solution #2:
Solution #3:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SHADOWBINDING:

Report #373
Submitted by: ---            Status      : Submitted
Skillset    : Shadowbinding  Skillname   : Shadowveil
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Problem:
Currently, shadowveils cost 3 silver, 1 glass, and 3 obsidian. The silver and glass are negligible
for a newbie, but obsidian is a much rarer and more valuable commodity with the way that shrines are
created. This can make it somewhat costly or difficult for new players who choose the Defiler
profession to gain access to some of their basic abilities.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Solution #1:
Lower the number of obsidian required to create a shadowveil from 3 to 1.
Solution #2:
Change the obsidian cost to stone.
Solution #3:
Remove the commodity cost from creating shadowveils altogether, and maybe just put a reasonable
cooldown on creating them.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TAROT:

Report #381
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted by: Eldreth        Status      : Unsubmitted
Skillset    : Tarot          Skillname   : New
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Problem:
Every single profession in the game, aside from summoner, has either access to the fitness skill or
has a active and/or passive, random affliction healing ability baked in to their base skills. This
ability is particularly important in the current meta of the game. To even marginally emulate this
effect, a summoner is forced to use one of their possession slots for Cadmus, which is gated at 15
seconds and provides the slowest class-specific active random affliction curing in the game. This
classlead would put a summoners active curing ability on par with other recent, prof-specific active
curing changes, by creating a new tarot card.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Solution #1:
Create a new tarot card whose expressed purpose is curing a random aff, ala wytch dustthrow cure.
Solution #2:
Provide FOCUS CADMUS, at current cooldown, as a skill available to all summoners, regardless of
possession. Reduce FOCUS CADMUS cooldown to 10 seconds with cadmus possession.
Solution #3:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NOCTU:

Report #379
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted by: Eldreth        Status      : Unsubmitted
Skillset    : Noctu          Skillname   : Incinerate
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Problem:
Recent changes to incinerate put the benefits of the skill (increased damage pressure and affliction
pressure) more in line with its significant initial and recurring taint costs. That said, the latter
benefit in particular is hindered because the initial firing of the skill "double dips" the taint
pool - the balance is so long that it actually costs 75% (60+15) before the summoner can execute
another action. Affliction momentum is also hit in the process. This is an exceptional penalty for
what is effectively a bridge skill used to ramp up a kill path.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Solution #1:
Halve the base time to activate incinerate, and halve the initial damage output of the skill. This
would put the length of activation more in line with ashcloud, the summoners other passive ability
that is fueled off taint consumption, and allow the skill to better serve as a bridge for either a
damage or an affliction kill path.
Solution #2:
Solution #3:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DEVOTION:

Report #382
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted by: Iniar          Status      : Submitted
Skillset    : Devotion       Skillname   : Convergence
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Problem:
Convergence has a very long equilibrium time (3.6 with a diadem, 4.2 without). This is around 2
rounds of a fight before a devotionist gets to start attacking, which is a huge length of time given
the group based meta and the push for more mobile fights with the introduction of more earthburst
style abilities.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Solution #1:
Allow for a free convergence every x seconds (20?), much like the changes to wormhole attaching and
shamanism marks.
Solution #2:
Reduce the base equilibrium of convergence to around 3 seconds or so and allow it to be combined
with weaponmastery combos (so it would replace an engage or flare etc on the initial combo, but not
entirely lock out the offense).
Solution #3:
Reduce the equilibrium time and consider making it balance (so there is not such a massive disparity
between artefacted and unartefacted).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Report #377
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted by: ---            Status      : Submitted
Skillset    : Devotion       Skillname   : Flare
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Problem:
I am going to draw comparrison to other knights in this report, as the classes are essentially
played identically, where most of the variation comes from the enhancements. Faithroot has
practically become a requirement for templars in the current meta. Burning a rite is an unreasonable
expectation given the new more momentum based nature of knight offense, so faithroot (and the
associated damage reduction) is absolutely required. Not only does this force templar to suffer a
massive reduction in offensive output, it forces them to waste an enhancement, further penalising
the offense just to be able to use a class ability that is basically stock for all knight
professions now. As for the damage, a fully artefacted sensitive flare does less than an
unartefacted soulstorm (with the soulstorm bonus, no sensitivity). This is likely a product of the
faithroot reduction combined with fire damage being the most highly resisted damage type. With
equivalent artefacts, soulstorm does around twice as much. This is before factoring in potential
sensitivity (a reasonable expectation in both solo combat and team combat). Sowulu is not modified
by artefacts, but does on the order of 40% more than faithrooted flare with full artefacts. Without
artefacts, flare isn't worth bothering with, as you're better off just not using faithroot and
picking up a second damage enhancement. This is not a sacrifice expected of any other knight
profession, and templar lacks any reason to impose this limitation. . Of course, there is still the
option to not use faithroot and actively burn rites. With the reduced rite pool that are flarable,
this leaves templar with around 5 combos before they lose this aspect of their offense, while also
throwing away much of the classes combat utility.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Solution #1:
Remove faithroot. It adds nothing to templar's kit other than being a placeholder, and templar does
not need anything more in the enhancements department. Set flare damage to a value between current
faithroot flare damage and current non faithroot damage. This should be safe as both damage values
have been tested previously, so a middle ground should pose no issues. Remove the rite consuming
nature of flare; it already has the built in ICD (like sowulu) which is a significant enough
limitation for stacking it in teams.
Solution #2:
Leave things as is, but change flare from the most resisted damage type in the game to a similarly
obscure one as soulstorm/sowulu. Lightning would be a thematically fitting option. Alternatively,
repurpose faithroot to change the damage type, if removal is undesirable.
Solution #3:
A combinations of solutions 1 and 2, where flare damage would remain unchanged, the damage type
would change and faithroot and the rite consuming nature of flare would be repurposed/scrapped.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WYRMRIDING:

Report #383
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted by: ---            Status      : Submitted
Skillset    : Wyrmriding     Skillname   : Bloodscent
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Problem:
Bloodscent ticks seems to be really slow and it's hard to predict if the enemy has enough bleeding
after several attacks from last tick of the bloodscent or has the target clotted all the bleeding
already. In this case, the information is already outdated after several rounds of exchanging
attacks. The ticks are really slow paced especially in group combat, and it's more reliable to push
only maximum damage or other kill methods, which makes bleeding rather useless in that situation,
unless the tick just happens on the right time.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Solution #1:
Make the bloodscent tick more often to make it a bit more useful.
Solution #2:
Make it possible to adjust how often the bloodscent ticks.
Solution #3:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Report #366
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted by: Fensrun        Status      : Unsubmitted
Skillset    : Wyrmriding     Skillname   : Shatter
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Problem:
Shatter is problematic in groups: one frostheart from one Outrider lasts a long time (60 seconds--
eternity in a team fight) and cannot be cured while granting hypothermia from all chill effects that
are not blocked by caloric; hypothermia state is very, very easy to track--there's no guessing about
whether someone is shatterable or not; many classes have an innate way to directly support a shatter
kill and everyone can apply useful salve pressure to hinder and prevent escape; supporting a shatter
kill does not require tracking--mashing chill effects is always optimal if you are not going to
deliver the killing blow; deepfreeze is available as an artifact and delivers two chill effects at
once to a whole room, making shatter *really* easy and potentially allowing several targets to be
prepared at once; kai cripple and kai strike exist, and both have great synergy with shatter; there
is no defence to a well-done team shatter--even with high caloric priority, you will quickly fall
behind, and the salve pressure keeps you from shielding because your arms will be broken. Finally,
there is no cooldown on any of that and the margin of failure is very large: the script can be
followed identically for each kill in succession, and so long as salve pressure is kept up, a failed
attempt is very salvageable. Enlighten, a comparable affliction-gated instakill, is much harder to
pull off in groups: practical enlightens require tracking from at least the Summoner and often from
all parties, have narrow windows and can totally reset if you miss them slightly, have long
cooldowns between attempts, and are often much easier to defend. Cirisosis also requires tracking
and has similar constraints to enlighten. Shapeshifting Rupture can be similarly problematic, but
stacking on a herb means it's easier to defend than a salve, and consequently forces a more
sophisticated level of tracking than salve afflictions.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Solution #1:
Change frostheart to be bound to the Outrider as well as the target: chill effects will only do
extra damage and deliver hypothermia if they come from that Outrider. Multiple Outriders should be
able to put separate frosthearts of their own on a target. This would not affect one-on-one at all.
Solution #2:
Put a cooldown on hypothermia gain: one level gained every 2 seconds sounds about right. This would
allow teams to hasten a shatter, but without allowing absurd insta-shatters that are possible today;
supporting with other salve afflictions would also remain useful. This would marginally affect one-
on-one combat: deepfreeze from bracers of frost becomes inferior to Outrider's class attacks, which
is a benefit for balanceability and outlier-reduction.
Solution #3:
Require the target not to have the caloric salve defence for frostheart to be given; if the target
is protected, the attack fails and consumes balance. This would add an extra stage of preparation in
one-on-one fighting, but does not fundamentally change the achievability of shatter in that context.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUPREMACY:

Report #376
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted by: ---            Status      : Submitted
Skillset    : Supremacy      Skillname   : Trigger
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Problem:
This is a QoL classlead that seeks to once and for all remove some annoying situations with the
skill mentioned. Trigger in supremacy lacks several user-friendly messages that holds no balance-
issue but just adds unnecessarily amount of coding for the hunter. Several classleads has been done
in order to simplify the part of scripting required without changing the nature of the ability in
great success, but trigger has been left undone. The following messages is: 1) for when a trigger is
removed. 2) which trigger that fired upon opponent curing. 3) the messages for a target already
having triggers active.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Solution #1:
Make the basilisk report which trigger that fades to the caster (telepathically of course). I.E: "A
* basilisk informs you that a (affliction-name/shield/condition) trigger has faded from X" obvious
something better is needed. The fire message could just add which trigger that fired: The
(affliction/shield/condition) trigger affects (target) with (aff1) and (aff2). And the final message
is for when a target already holds triggers and the hunter attempts to use another. From simply that
it cannot hold further triggers into the basilisk telling which triggers that is active upon the
target, perhaps something along the lines of: "(target) is already affected by a
(affliction/condition) and (condition) and (condition) trigger." The amount is simply for the 2 | 3
restriction that exists for affliction triggers and others.
Solution #2:
Solution #3:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RUNELORE:

Report #368
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted by: Khizan         Status      : Unsubmitted
Skillset    : Runelore       Skillname   : Totems
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Problem:
Totems are an incredibly powerful offensive opening move that comes with no significant sacrifice.
Artifact totems can hit for 60% of somebody's max health, or 50% with a transfix. The problem here
is that the change that made propping a totem into a non-channeled action also changed things so
that a Wytchen can prop their totem up while attacking normally. This allows for offensive totem use
in the middle of a fight via Danaeus+Tentacle or similar means without any reduction in the Wytch's
offense. The problem here is that the totem provides too much offensive potential without the kind
of sacrifice that all other abilities of similiar power requires. Warding's Wedge is channeled, and
Runeguards sacrifice their offense when using a totem because the two-handed totem doesn't allow
them to wield weapons. Wytchen are alone in getting to prepare a 60% health strike without losing
offensive potential.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Solution #1:
Change it so that cursing people requires that the Wytchen have an empty hand. This makes thematic
sense since the Wytchen curses involves pointing at the target, and it limits Wytch use of the totem
in the same way that Runeguard totems are limited; wielding the two-handed totem will limit them to
dustthrow/prophecy.
Solution #2:
Make offensive actions drop the totem, so that a runelorist has to choose between their offense and
their totem.
Solution #3:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Report #369
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted by: ---            Status      : Submitted
Skillset    : Runelore       Skillname   : Ansuz
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Problem:
Vortex has simultaneously the best range, the least things that stop it, an exceptionally long
duration, and is coupled with being entirely passive once activated. There are no other modern
beckon mechanics that remotely come close to this kind of potency, and rightfully so. It grants an
incredible amount of area control (splitting groups attempting to engage in melee). It does this
while remaining purely as a supplementary addition, as it leaves the ansuzer free to perform other
support actions (which both relevant classes have many of), and has no opportunity cost outside of a
greenink. Compounding these issues, there is no way to remove an active ansuz in any kind of
reallistic scenario (other than that of necessitating the death of the ansuzer: unreasonable), the
ansuzer loses nothing by permanently uptiming a ansuz (other classes must all spend significant
balance on the only other ranged beckon mechanics which are all also massively inferior), and ansuz
bypasses all standard anti beckon measures that a person may employ against the other mecanics of
ansuzes nature (off balance, hinders, etc). To add to the final point, this situation allows one to
drag someone through traps/totems/runes/cards/etc, keeping them permanently entangled while also
moving them through multiple rooms. A modern ability would be lucky to get one of the benefits of
ansuz, and would be an amazing ability for it. Having all of them is excessive in the extreme.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Solution #1:
Have ansuz retain its range/duration, but be stopped by anti beckon measures (off balance, hindered,
etc).
Solution #2:
Change ansuz to be an ability with x charges(5?). Once sketched, the runelorest may "ACTIVATE ANSUZ"
to gain the current effect (one tick of pulling the target), consuming balance in the process and
using up one of the charges. Only the sketcher should be able to do this, to avoid multiple
runelorests burning all the charges for a huge burst of forced movement. Add the ability to SCUFF
ANSUZ for all players (similar to TEAR UNIVERSE), removing the ansuz (or removing some charges
alternatively). Alternatively add this functionality to devotion imbibe and runelore smudge, if
class exclusivity is preferable. If this route is followed, ansuz should likely become a cheaper ink
(blue or yellow maybe) to account for more frequent sketching.
Solution #3:
Reduce the range/duration of ansuz, and make proning/hindering the ansuzer disrupt the ansuz.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------