Report 295

Report #295
Skillset: Ecology Skill: Familiarsting
 Org: Harbingers Status: Completed Feb 2010
Furies' Decision:
Pets not stinging target will not decrease the time til stinging/berserking
ends.
Problem: FamiliarSting has a number of negative points that do not seem to
justify the power cost to use. A familiar can be envenomed with 10 applications
of a limited selection of venoms. The 3p sting must be initiated while you are
in the room with your target and familiar, and takes a standard eq. The venoms
fire once every 4 seconds, and can be shrugged. There are a number of ways for
the ecologist to be separated from the familiar and followed by the target or
for target and ecologist together to move away from the familiar, and
consequently recalling it takes eq and there is some delay, at which point the
sting is just wasted.
[A: 0 R: 0] Solution #1: Remove the power cost and remove equilibrium cost to
 use - keeping it as 10 venom applications at 4 second
 tics which can only be initiated when the target is
 in the room, and stops after 40 seconds.
[A: 0 R: 0] Solution #2: As Viynain comments, change the familiar to function
 more like other ents which can be ordered aggressive
 without using equilibrium or power and which can with
 a max of 50 venom applications, but lengthen the
 amount of time between stings.
[A: 0 R: 0] Solution #3:
Player Comments:
---[Talan on 2/19 @ 03:47 writes]:
I would prefer solution 1 here. It was also suggested that bond recall itself
not take eq, but I think that is a separate issue, potentially effecting
tracking as well, so would prefer to address that in its own right at a later
time if needed.
---[Raeri on 2/19 @ 06:57 writes]:
I think that if any of these are implemented, they should probably also apply to
FamiliarBerserk too. That said, wouldn't Solution 1 mean that given the EQ cost,
the first couple of poison application/stings are wasted?
---[Viynain on 2/20 @ 22:23 writes]:
I would personally prefer to just scrap the mechanical imbalances of the skill
to simplify the ability as a method for an offense. As stated above, problems
occur whereupon stings are wasted when there are no targets in the room, and
ordering to initiate an already shruggable offense for power gets expensive for
a power-heavy class. My suggestion is to remove the power cost and the
equilibrium from ordering in exchange for dramatically slowing the 4s tic rate
to 10s. Code it to be that familiars who are ordered to kill a target don't
attempt to hit anything when there is no one in the room (so that there are no
wasted poisons) and let Ecologists order aggressive regardless of a target being
in the room. Bump up the 10 venom limit to 50 and I'd think it'd be a more
viable passive afflicter then rather than what it is currently. I'd suggest
giving Hunters Channels (or something equivalent) so that they can summon their
familiars/dogs instantly without a balance loss as well to propagate the use of
a passive familiar, but that's just my thought for the future.
---[Talan on 2/24 @ 17:51 writes]:
If solution 2, berserk will also need to be looked at... I think double fast
stings for 10 tics would work.
---[Krellan on 2/25 @ 06:54 writes]:
Solution 1
---[Raeri on 2/25 @ 08:17 writes]:
I do like Solution 1 more though. Slowing the tic when it's already shruggable
doesn't sound very reliable.