Report 1055

Special Report #1055
Skillset: Wildewood Skill: Wildewood(Race)
 Org: Hartstone Status: Completed Dec 2007
Furies' Decision:
We will reduce the eq cost for perspective and give glance ground/trees for
free. We will increase wildewood charisma by 1 and give a level 1 cold
resistance.
Problem: For an obligatory race, Wildewood doesn't measure up. Based on the
nature of the race (being only avalible to a single class), it should be on par
with a spec race (like High Elfen). Compared to other spec races, Wildewoods
have overall a poorer statline, and their stats are in a lesser configuration.
More critcally, the weaknesses of the race far outweigh the advantages,
especially when compared to other spec races. The perspective mechanic inserted
in place of CLIMB UP/DOWN also creates situations where Wildewoods (as tree
people) are at a disadvantage fighting non-tree people in forest/woods terrains,
as it takes 3 seconds of eq to change elevation for the Wildewood, none for a
climber. If the climber climbs up and clings, they will recover balance before a
treelife recovers from changing perspective. Treelife works as usual on
wildewoods. The stun chance on blunt attacks is 5%.
[A: 0 R: 0] Solution #1: Increase Wildewood constitution by 2 points (to 16).
 Reduce strength by 1 (to 16). Increase charisma and
 dexterity by 1 point each (to 12 and 10,
 respectivly). Reduce fire and electric weaknesses by
 1 level each (to 2 and none, respectivly).
[A: 0 R: 0] Solution #2: Increase Wildewood constitution by 1 (to 15).
 Increase charisma and dexterity by 1 point each (to
 12 and 10). Reduce fire and electric weaknesses by 1
 level each (to 2 and none).
[A: 0 R: 0] Solution #3: The eq cost on Perspective to 1.5 seconds. Introduce
 the free GLANCE GROUND ability given to druids.
Player Comments:
---[Xenthos on 2/11 @ 23:19 writes]:
I don't really mind reducing the eq cost on perspective slightly (as long as it
remains). Being able to look at the other elevation with no balance cost also
seems like a swell idea, given that you're on both. The buffs to the race seem
rather hefty, though. Trees are weak to fire, and electricity. Reducing the
weaknesses and then making the race much tankier seems excessive- keep in mind
that part of the race also includes the skillset as well, and the skillset
offers a number of defensive enhancements (which help balance & address the
lower dexterity and con). Update the charisma by a point to a base of 12, that
seems reasonable.
---[Shuyin on 2/12 @ 00:24 writes]:
I would have to share Xenthos' reservations about upgrading the hp and reducing
the weaknesses, it should be one or the other IMO. The glancing thing is fine
---[Enyalida on 2/15 @ 20:27 writes]:
Keep in mind that report 1061's solution 2 is to move branch effects so that
they effect combo classes only as much as any other class, so that the effects
will only fire after a combo and not midway through (for fairness sake) and
won't mitigate any of the effects of attacks, as they do nothing to prevent that
incoming damage or wounding. I've put in a solution 2, with 1 less con boost.
Solution 1 was also intended to have a -1 strength in there, but in transferring
from the forums I seem to have lost it, I'll put it in. Trees are no more weak
to lightning than anything else, they just happen to generally be the tallest
things in nature (and therefore are associated with natural lightning strikes).
If a sentient being is directing the lightning, there isn't any reason the tree
would be hit more or harder than anything else, in fact, probably the opposite
is true! Bark is wonderfully insulative. Honestly, the same goes for fire: Stick
a huge, living tree in a wildfire, stick a person in the wildfire, see who fries
first, but that one can slide.
---[Xenthos on 2/16 @ 20:38 writes]:
Doesn't change the fact that all of the branches are still quite defensive in
nature- balancing it so it doesn't disproportionately affect certain classes
more than others is -excellent- but it does not in any way reduce my point.
---[Enyalida on 2/17 @ 19:33 writes]:
The fact is that they aren't quite defensive. They do nothing to mitigate
attacks that have already happened, and only marginally effect hindering
subsequent attacks. If your point is that having branch abilities mitigates
being hit harder by attacks, the counter point is: The only time they currently
do that is by interrupting combos, halving (or more) the combo. With that
removed, they will only act after the damaging attack, and at maximum provide 1
second of hindering, much shorter than an attacking balance.