Report 1102

Special Report #1102
Skillset: Aerochemantics Skill: ForceGenerator?
 Org: Aeromancers Status: Completed Mar 2013
Furies' Decision:
Enyalida: Solution 1 is too powerful, making this skill excessive. This would
essentially make it a one-exit unstoppable greatpent (but with weird niche ways
through), combined with a cheap, non-locked barrier. Get into a room with
limited exits or multiple Aerochems and you can effectivly lock out opposition.
Problem: A force generator allows the user to raise a forcewall over a single
exit that is quite difficult, though not impossible, to pass through from either
side. This requires that the aerchemantics user not perform almost any action in
order to maintain the wall. (It appears to be the same as enchanting.)
Maintaining a forcewall effectively removes the user from combat. This makes it
particularly difficult to utilize in groups effectively. It currently has no
power cost.
[A: 0 R: 0] Solution #1: Change raising a forcewall to consume three power.
 Change the wall to only be dropped if the raiser uses
 balance or equilibrium, or performs any healing
 action (sipping, eating herbs, reading scroll, etc.).
[A: 0 R: 0] Solution #2:
[A: 0 R: 0] Solution #3: In addition to solution one, make maintaining a
 forcewall have a periodic 'check' that is an
 aggressive action and therefore breaks shields.
Player Comments:
---[W writes]:
will allow communication (only) while utilising ForceWall and add a power cost.
There will be a periodic shield-dropping check on holding the wall.
---[Shuyin writes]:
Opposed. This report is a straight up buff that just makes it easier to maintain
the forcewall. As Enyalida said, this makes the ability a one exit unstoppable
greatpent/barrier. There are numerous situations where this is abusable, the
most notable of which are certain domoths and the mountain villages. I'm not
going to support any changes to make it easier to use as long as it effectively
remains permanent.
---[Viynain writes]:
Likewise, I disagree with the intent of this report to unduly buff Force. This
proposal would skew it even further by removing the counterbalance of requiring
concentrated effort for a power 'cost'. 3p is nothing for a set-and-forget
mechanic solo, let alone a group.
---[Kregarn writes]:
For an ability that can be incredibly powerful in its current form and has
little comparison beyond the greatpent ability (which is a transcendant),
removing a balancing aspect such as the maintenance would make it far too
powerful in more than one way. While it removes the aerochemantic from combat,
it is balanced in the power of this ability to do what it does. Particularly
with no power cost currently, there is balance to the cost/risk involved in
using it. This is far from useless in its current form. As with the comments
above, I do not support this.
---[Celina writes]:
Opposed. The counterbalance is needed. 3 power is nothing for a complete
directional block.
---[Llandros writes]:
Opposed, this is the wrong direction
---[Celina writes]:
Approve the new solution
---[Shuyin writes]:
The 3p power cost isn't going to do much (like the 1p cost for squall) given the
context of the problem. I feel like the potential for a permanent one direction
GP/barrier exists and this 'downgrade' does nothing to address it. It doesn't
address the salting issue which will allow the aerochem to maintain this shield
indefinitely too. I'd prefer if this report made it so you are either unable to
be shielded while the forcewall is up OR there is an aggressive tick (that drops
shields) every X seconds OR forcewall should have a duration/cooldown once used.
---[Tacita writes]:
Supported with the addition of a periodic aggressive tick or cooldown as per
Shuyin's suggestion.
---[Eventru writes]:
I just want to note, re "potential for a one direction GP/barrier", I think that
was exactly the point and intention of the skill.
---[Kregarn writes]:
I think the issue is less that it's a GP/barrier clone and more that there isn't
much of a way to take it down once it is raised. This can effectively lock down
an area, my thought specifically is a mountain village, with a skill that
doesn't need to be maintained somehow, only costs 3 power (if changed) and only
drops if they choose to make that decision. Even GP has a limit on how long it
lasts and that's a trans power. There in lies the balance, while it looks like
solution 1 is a balance to both sides with a power cost, that's nothing if all
they have to do is stand there, get salted for a shield and have a boring revolt
as they maintain the shield. I'll support the solution if the change is made as
noted with Shuyin and Tacita above.
---[Xenthos writes]:
I agree with Kregarn. At the very least, if it is made easier to hold it up (or
heck, even if not), it would make a lot of sense to me to just have it drop the
shields (or even just prevent shielding) such as solution 2 provides. That way
you are keeping the barrier active but allowing targeted actions the chance to
do something about it. Strong skill, with a counter, as it should be.
---[Tulemrah writes]:
I've put my original idea of the aggressive check back in.
---[Shuyin writes]:
Solution 2 would be greatly, greatly appreciated
---[Rivius writes]:
I think solution 2 would be good as well here. I'm becoming more and more of the
opinion that such skills need a bigger weakness.