Report 1250

Report #1250
Skillset: Dramaturgy Skill: Scenes
 Org: Illuminati Status: Completed Feb 2015
Furies' Decision:
We'll look into adding an appropriate line before dramaturgy attacks.
Problem: The various scenes in Dramaturgy allow for what essentially are custom
attack messages with affs. Such a tool, while great for RP, only creates
unnecessary complication to combat. Most dramaturgists use these as pseudo-
illusions as well, adding another layer to the issue. The ability to create
almost any line possible in the game and have it afflict confuses casual
fighters and adds another coding hurdle to system users. I believe that it is
within the interests of the overhaul to simplify such mechanics in order to
lower the barriers of entry to combat.
[A: 0 R: 0] Solution #1: Add a preparatory line that specifically addresses
 the victim to any scene, to lessen the coding needed.
 Example: (1st person) Shuyin directs a performance at
 you, *NEWLINE* SCENE_HERE. (third person) Shuyin
 directs a performance at Sidd. *NEWLINE* SCENE_HERE.
[A: 0 R: 0] Solution #2: Add a preparatory line to any scene, to lessen the
 coding needed (more than solution 1 though). Example:
 (1st person) Shuyin directs a performance, *NEWLINE*
 SCENE_HERE. (third person) Shuyin directs a
 performance. *NEWLINE* SCENE_HERE.
[A: 0 R: 0] Solution #3: Make scenes boring and give them all the same line.
 Have the custom scene thing be for RP only. The
 boring route.
Player Comments:
---[Enyalida on 1/21 @ 14:51 writes]:
Supported, 1 or 2. Making the preparatory line's target ambiguous is
unnecessary, the scene itself should declare a target.
---[Maligorn on 1/21 @ 15:29 writes]:
I tentatively support 1 or 2, but would rather wait for an admin consensus on
whether Illusions and metagaming the other person's system is an okay thing or
not. Until then, the custom aff line being a potentially screw-your-system
illusion is a perk of Dramaturgy that is attractive and deadly for
lowbies/midbies, but easily system-ignorable by higher tier combatants.
---[Elanorwen on 1/21 @ 21:23 writes]:
I'm all for getting rid of metagamey ways of winning fights. Specifically trying
to figure out bugs/loopholes in an opponent's system and exploiting them. I
would certainly agree on adding either solution 1 or 2. Either that or give a
better way of handling illusion-type mechanics altogether. The way they work
right now with aff-lines kind of negates the whole deal and I'd love to see some
other kind of mechanic/skillset replacing the whole lot.
---[Tanin on 1/21 @ 22:02 writes]:
I would support solution 1 or 2 as well.
---[Synkarin on 1/22 @ 01:12 writes]:
Solution 1 sounds the best to me if the purpose is make coding easier. Including
the target would forgo the need to recognize various custom lines to pick up the
target and instead focus on the prepatory line.
---[Neos on 1/22 @ 04:00 writes]:
Full support for either 1 or 2.
---[Vivet on 1/22 @ 04:08 writes]:
Solution 1
---[Raeri on 1/22 @ 09:13 writes]:
We can also take this opportunity to remove illusion-style abilities altogether
and apply a minor buff to the affected skillsets (i.e. illusions, dramaturgy) to
balance out the impact overall while reducing the reliance on poor system
coding. I'd suggest Sol 1, make weaving illusions not doable while not able to
be masochistic, and buff efficiency via speeding the relevant skills up or
something.
---[Enyalida on 1/22 @ 19:40 writes]:
It only really works that way for players and systems who do not use affmessages
or can't make use of them properly, right? There are some cases where the
'Unknown affliction' affline might make a system think that it has afflictions
from a list that it does not, but this is really niche and metagamey.
---[Shuyin on 1/23 @ 20:39 writes]:
Fwiw I like solution 1 the most.
---[Selenity on 1/28 @ 05:02 writes]:
Solution 1 or 2, preferably 1.
---[Llandros on 1/30 @ 05:37 writes]:
With the new 4 cure system there is little draw back to taking all 4 curatives
whenever you get an unknown affliction. With this potential blow to hidden affs
Im not sure we should rush to kill unconventional aff hiding strategies.
---[Maligorn on 1/31 @ 02:44 writes]:
Also in agreement with Llandros. I'd like an admin decision on this. So I guess
I'm ambivalent 'til this report goes through submission.
---[Lerad on 1/31 @ 08:38 writes]:
Support solution 1. It'd be nice if the prepatory message was kinda cool RP-
ishly, though. "You feel as though DRAMATURGIST is about to perform a dramatic
scene at (you|PERSON), and you turn to look." followed by the custom line.
Something like that. Also, if hidden affs are getting put on the backfoot with
the changes (and they will be, whether this report goes through or not) then
more solid afflicting power should be added to skillsets that currently utilize
hidden afflictions. (This will obviously include the Nekotai hidden affliction
repertoire, but that'll be in another report.) Some suggestions specifically for
Dramaturgy: Make catharsis a passive effect for all scenes (move it up higher in
the skillset if needed) instead of an embedded effect. Ask for a wider range of
afflictions so different bards can embed afflictions that are on the same cure
balance as their song passives, minimizing the effectiveness of eating all four
types of cures with every scene performed. Make the stunning effect of Climax
(stuns instead of giving an affliction if target is already afflicted) apply to
all scenes as a passive effect. Climax will still be stronger and worth the 5p
because it has the capability to reach a maximum of 5-aff stun instead of the
usual 2-affs from a normal scene. Alternatively (or rather, even better) lower
the power cost on climax. Make it so that the five different scenes have
differing amounts of embedded effects, and differing amounts of power costs
(like a tiered progression toward climax) so the dramaturgist can pick and
choose when to use more powerful scenes, and the degree of power, in exchange
for losing potency from hidden afflictions. Etc etc.
---[Enyalida on 2/3 @ 23:02 writes]:
Almost all of those suggestions sound horrendously op. Instead of just adding in
more aff-spamming, why not more skills like foppery/mendacity/pratfall/rebuff? A
greater number of flavorful and unique skills is always a good thing.
---[Ieptix on 3/17 @ 04:41 writes]:
A final decision on this will be forthcoming, we're still discussing in the
Havens.