Report 309

Report #309
Skillset: Tracking Skill: Retriever
 Org: Ur'Guard Status: Rejected Feb 2010
Furies' Decision:
We do not find this to be necessary.
Problem: The Retriever in tracking is a major focus of many of the skills in the
skillset. In use though, the retriever is of little use in combat due to the low
proc rate of it's clamp attack and low level of health. For health, the hound
can usually be killed in one critical hit, or usually in 2-4 normal hits. In
testing Clamp, it has a 12% chance of hitting, on a 10 second attack cycle.
Solution #1: Increase health of the retriever and increase the proc rate of
 clamp
Solution #2: Make the retriever un-crittable and increase the proc rate of
 clamp
Player Comments:
---[Xenthos on 1/30 @ 15:33 writes]:
The proc rate of clamp does not need to be increased. I am also wary of giving
the pet more health / crit immunity as a flat boost since it does have further
use outside of combat (for example, seeking, uniting, and retrieving). One idea
that was floated in the past was to give tracking pets a form of armour that
protected them but (when it was on) prevented them from doing the utility stuff.
Instead they got Bloodthirst, which (supposedly) gives it increased health, as
per your suggestion. Same sort of upside, different downside.
---[Inagin on 1/31 @ 03:17 writes]:
I have tested the bloodthirst thing and the retriever is still insanely easy to
kill. Perhaps make the retriever invulnerable (or at least hard to kill) when in
the same room as the tracker. That way it will still be weak when using its
utility things but will improve its effect in combat
---[Lehki on 2/1 @ 21:44 writes]:
I liked that armour idea. Could change Bloodthirst to that to keep it different
from ecology, say the frenzy makes them to distracted to use the utility
abilities while making them tough to kill.
---[Inagin on 2/3 @ 03:50 writes]:
If we're using bloodthirst to make it difficult to kill, then I would suggest
that the use of any utility abilities would make bloodthirst drop. However, I
still think it is better to just make the hound harder to kill when in the same
room as you (perhaps like the health of an angel/demon?). If it is in the same
room, that means it is not using any utility abilities.
---[Ethelon on 2/3 @ 16:53 writes]:
Bloodthirst is rarely ever used, as the damage increase is negligable and it
removes the ability to Clamp, which is the retriever's most useful ability. The
increased health is needed as the retriever is a large part of the skillset,
such as a demon/angel is to Guardians. As for the Clamp increase, a 12% proc
rate is extremely low on a 10second cycle and bumping it up would be helpful and
not be a huge boost
---[Xenthos on 2/3 @ 23:33 writes]:
I'd prefer a one-or-the-other flag personally (bloodthirst or armour) versus
having it change when it's in the room with you. The first two make more sense
ICly, and you'd be abe to very easily mix utility / non-utility uses (for
example, seek and unite to it, if you get there before it dies it suddenly gets
a major buff). Could make bloodthirst more effective.
---[Inagin on 2/4 @ 04:44 writes]:
Well, if you seek and unite to it before it dies, then the utility function of
the retriever is already accomplished. You're now in the room, having to fight
the person you united to. That's when the retriever is used, and should not
simply die in a few hits.
---[Xenthos on 2/4 @ 23:09 writes]:
And that is my point, it should be used for one or the other (not both at the
same time), which in that case it would be. Uniting to it == utility. If you
want to spend some time taking off the armour, unite to it and then spend some
time putting it in armour to use it for combat, great. I just don't think it
should be able to be both at the same time, given the potential uses for the
utility that a tracking hound provides.
---[Inagin on 2/6 @ 08:33 writes]:
My point is, you're not using them at the same time. Uniting is the utility, and
the retriever is weak during the whole duration of the unite, so the opponent
has a chance to kill it. After you FINISH uniting to it and start combat, the
retriever becomes a part of your offense. That is when it should NOT be easily
killed (in combat only). When it is doing its utility stuff, it stays
vulnerable.
---[Xenthos on 2/6 @ 17:09 writes]:
You are using them at the same time, though. You're using it for utility to get
to the person, you're using it for utility to get away if you move it (even if
you're fighting), and so on. If the only flag is whether or not its in your
presence it is being allowed to be used for both at the same time, which I don't
think is necessary.
---[Inagin on 2/7 @ 05:41 writes]:
I don't really get how you're using both at the same time. (IE: if you move it
to get away while fighting, the retriever is no longer by your side to help you
fight.) But, I guess just bloodthirst giving it significantly more health would
be fine (angel/demon amount possibly?).
---[Ethelon on 2/7 @ 18:16 writes]:
Blodthirst should not be a condittion of it obtaining more health. It should be
given the health/survivablity of angels/demons without us sacrificing it's best
skill.
---[Jael on 2/24 @ 02:32 writes]:
I very much support increasing the chance for clamp to succeed, and I think
basic math paves sound logic as to why. The dogs currently clamp once every 120
seconds. This is //once// every 2 minutes. That being said, the dog can die
easily in under 10 seconds. This seems terribly illogical to me, and I think the
entity as a whole could use a dramatic boost. I hate when skillsets suffer from
a hodge podge of worthless skills, and that's the case with Tracking. As you
learn better traps, the older traps become obsolete. This reduces the total
number of worthwhile abilities in the entire skillset to around 4-5 once you are
transcendent. At the very least, the hunting companion should be a continually
growing and continually worthwhile asset to the skillset, which is currently
represents miserably. Additionally, pits were already nerfed with "climb rocks"
and no true compensation was afforded.
---[Inagin on 2/24 @ 20:43 writes]:
12% every 10 seconds is actually like... once every 83 seconds, I think. I agree
that Tracking needs improvement and that the hunting companion needs a buff in
increased health/not crittable. I am unsure about whether clamp needs a buff or
not though. I still like my original idea!