Report 678

Report #678
Skillset: Harmonics Skill: Resonance
 Org: Institute Status: Completed Aug 2011
Furies' Decision:
We will look at implementing solution 1.
Problem: Resonance costs 10 power, it slightly (in most cases) increases the
effects of gems or alters how they function. It decreases the chance for rubies
to explode upon movement to 20%, increases effects of amethyst, bloodstone, opal
etc by 25%, and gives a chance for afflictions. Beyond Carcer, and bonds which
are inconsistent at best researchers do not have a reliable way to summon people
back to them to prevent them from completely clearing rubies, (even at 20% it
takes very little time to clear a full set of rubies) or to stop them from
running in the first place. Convoke, in particular, requires resonance to be
active before it can be used. Convoke is a summon that functions mechanically
identical to summon except that it requires a 10 power skill to be used first
(raising the total cost to 13) and the time to convoke will decrease as the
targets timewarp levels are higher. However, it takes only 10 seconds to
completely heal out of max timewarp levels using both horehound and focus mind.
We have no other method to move a target, and the benefits for resonance don't
warrant it being 10 power.
[A: 0 R: 0] Solution #1: Change resonance to cost 5 power
[A: 0 R: 0] Solution #2: Change convoke to no longer require resonance, but if
 resonance is used it gives benefit as if the target
 is at maximum warp level.
[A: 0 R: 0] Solution #3: Leave resonance at 10 power, but have it remove the
 chance that rubies can be removed on movement, or
 make resonance work like a rubble effect when in the
 same room as the target, increasing the effect of
 carcer to be resonable able to hinder ones chances at
 running
Player Comments:
---[Morbo on 8/13 @ 16:38 writes]:
Just a note, with neutral balance and no hindering attempts against me as
maximum speed it takes me around 20 seconds to put up 7 rubies, without
resonance all those crystals were dropped in about 8 seconds on average, and at
normal movement speeds at minimum it could take 3 seconds to drop them. With
resonance, that increased the time to drop them to around 20-25 seconds, with
the minimum remaining the same roughly making the time to drop them, and the
time to put them up the same. With resonance, I require 7 rubies (the maximum
amount possible) to shatterplex which is only a means to kill, not a kill in
itself. With resonance, I require five rubies to shatterplex
---[Azula on 8/13 @ 16:57 writes]:
I'd go for solution one. I don't think it's neccessary to give Researchers
rubble effect or make rubies "permanently adhere" to a target. Though I could
need more convincing why Researchers absolutely need a beckoning ability. The
argument that othes have it easier and we don't kind of falls flat in general
and can also be applied to other cases. Concretize the need for it if possible
---[Morbo on 8/13 @ 17:37 writes]:
I didn't say anywhere we specifically needed a beckon, convoke is more like
summon than like beckon. However the need for a summon/beckon ability in general
is because of rubies. For timequake, you have to be able to shatterplex, but it
is very easy to get rid of rubies, and once someone is out of my room it is very
difficult to stop them from then continuing to run around. Carcer/Bonds have
long balance times, and work infrequently, so trying to follow someone manually
and place carcer is not only ineffective, but extremely difficult. However, if
it were possible to have a chance at bringing a person back into a trapped room
fairly quickly then the defenses I've already put up would be effective again.
---[Enyalida on 8/14 @ 22:29 writes]:
Solution 3 is too powerful. I support solution 1, it's a lot of power. Resonance
should also break on some condition, such as the target being out of the area of
the caster for a short time, if it dosn't already.
---[Iytha on 8/19 @ 03:12 writes]:
Solutions 2 seems like the best one here. Solution 1 is also acceptable, but I
don't really see it fixing anything. Solution 3 is out for the reasons stated by
Azula and Enyalida.
---[Jaamil on 8/20 @ 16:10 writes]:
Solution 1 would be the best choice. Three is quite powerful, but perhaps a
reduced chance to somewhere between 10-15%?
---[Shedrin on 8/20 @ 22:07 writes]:
I support solution 2. Convoke is too costly and difficult to use, even with a
lowered resonsance cost in solution 1. Solultion 2 would make the ability
usable. If not solution 2, then solution 1.
---[Xenthos on 8/26 @ 23:21 writes]:
What about 8p? That will require you to only have to regenerate one point of
power versus 3. Possibly 7p, so no extra regeneration is required and you can
use it once right away. I am having serious issues with solutions 2 and 3 (for
example, you want it to have the ability to remove the curing of rubies
entirely? I disagree with this!) or make it so that Convoke will pretty much
always work. The only way to cure rubies is to run a lot, and if Resonance is
up you have to run even more. Things like Carcer quite ably cut down on the
ability to run, which you have access to and can be plastered around an area.
At best I can see lowering the cost slightly for Resonance, but 5p seems an
extremely low cost for the effects it provides.
---[Xenthos on 8/26 @ 23:25 writes]:
Essentially-- you should not be able to spend 10p, refresh power, and then just
keep summoning a person back to you without any further work / effort while the
Resonance lasts. At least with Empress you can reject the person. 100%
incurable rubies while Resonance lasts is even more overpowered IMO.
---[Morbo on 8/29 @ 02:21 writes]:
Convoke is restricted by all the same things as summon, and since having
timewarp on a target not in the room with you is essentially impossible it is
just a 13 power version of summon. My preferred option for solution 3 is to make
resonance give a rubble effect when you are in the room with the target, that
way I could feasibly chase down and use carcer+that rubble effect to have a shot
of having balance back before they are out of carcer. This would give a person 3
attempts to move out of carcer/rubble resonance effect instead of 6. You also
didn't really say anything about solution 1. Which I think is the most balanced
option considering what resonance does, and how it is essentially required for
shatterplexes.