Report 1629

Report #1629
Skillset: Loralaria Skill: Blueberceuse
 Org: Institute Status: Completed Feb 2017
Furies' Decision:
Solution 1, but with numbers to be decided based on testing.
Problem: We are currently trying to move the focus of loralaria away from the
outmoded and no longer mechanically possible sleeplocks and towards a more
synergistic timewarp focus. Blueberceuse has, for a long time now, been a
problematic ability in that it can be very strong against casual or new players
but does nothing to impede or hinder players with the most simple of defences
(Kafe, metawake, and insomnia). For transparency: BlueBerceuse currently does a
single sleep tick and, if a turquoise gem is attached, it will have a 25% chance
of doing a second sleep tick. It currently has 25% chance of disrupting an
action in the SkySforzando aeon but with the proposed changes to SkySforzando in
report 1621 BlueBerceuse will lose the small impact it has in Loralaria combat.
BleuBerceuse also had the ability to do a handful of psychic damage if the
target is already asleep when it lands, but this next to never occurs since the
changes to sleep and the mechanics surrounding it.
[A: 9 R: 2] Solution #1: Change BlueBerceuse to deal 200 health damage to any
 hearing enemy who smokes a steam pipe while hearing
 the Loralaria song. If gemmed the target will also
 take 100 ego and mana damage in addition to the
 health damage. BlueBerceuse will not stack from
 multiple Loralists but will prefer the gemmed version
 if one is present in the room.
Player Comments:
---[Shuyin on 2/16 @ 02:53 writes]:
Why the flat amount (no max component)? Is that intended to punish people with
low vitals? What's the idea behind this skill? Beyond that, I'm not comfortable
with punishing people for trying to cure off their afflictions. You're basically
implying that if you keep your timewarp down (so as not to get timequaked),
we're gonna punish you by taking vitals instead. The only other class (that I
can recall) that punishes you for curing are healers, and they're not exactly a
model of class balance at the moment.
---[Demartel on 2/16 @ 17:41 writes]:
I don't have a problem with the report premise and would probably support it
given discussion. I do have a problem with the report being slipped in last
minute, as I would any report, so that it can't really be discussed or altered.
I am abstaining on this one, because I don't outright reject or approve of it...
yet.
---[Falmiis on 2/16 @ 18:31 writes]:
So I was one of the people who asked Gero to put in this report. Gero was
appointed envoy about 15 hours before the submission deadline so we got him to
put in the report anyway. There is still plenty of time to comment on the report
and offer alternative solutions. This report was also mentioned in the
SkySforzando report.
---[Asmodea on 2/16 @ 21:29 writes]:
The flat amount was more to keep the numbers low and not a way to punish anyone
with low numbers. However not opposed to changing to to a %max if that would be
more agreeable. The skill itself is another change to help synergise Loralaria
as we are trying to lean it towards a timewarp/support theme and seeing as sleep
attrition is no longer desirable by anyone or supportive to the overall kit this
suggestion was put forth as an alternative.
---[Shedrin on 2/16 @ 21:42 writes]:
In practice, this wouldn't be too different from an over-time vitals drain, just
with a requirement. I don't think this is really more punishing than clotting
under a Harb song for example. That said, I am interested in one, what people
think of the proposed numbers, and two, what other ideas people might have.
---[Ixion on 2/16 @ 22:46 writes]:
Agree with Shuyin's assessment.
---[Wobou on 2/17 @ 16:22 writes]:
I agree with Shedrin's assessment of this. This does work out to be damage over
time if the bard is doing what they are supposed to do (afflicting with timewarp
and keeping the target hearing/enemied) which is exactly the same as harb clot
hindering working out to a mana drain over time if they are doing what they are
meant to do. I agree that flat damage is best avoided though. What about making
it 100 + 1%?
---[Falmiis on 2/17 @ 18:17 writes]:
100 + 1% is fine. Could also make the ego/mana drain be 50 + 0.5% if that is
preferred. As for the actual numbers themselves, these sound a bit low in my
mind, but I think the only way to tell is to actually have these changes
(including the ClearCapriccio and AureolinAubade ideas that have yet to make it
into reports) go through and see how they work in practice. We might have to
buff them later, or we might have to nerf them later.
---[Shuyin on 2/17 @ 18:49 writes]:
Yeah, after my comment, I was told the Harb song functions similarly, so hey, I
guess there's already precedent. While my stance about punishing for curing
remains the same, having actual examples in the form of a Harb song makes it
understandable. I would prefer a flat + % component.
---[Gero on 2/18 @ 22:42 writes]:
I would also add that the person/people in question must also lack truehearing
to be hit by this.
---[Lerad on 2/20 @ 12:47 writes]:
Just as a note, this will be an additional vitals pressure song on top of
whatever other song is in symphonium that gives vitals pressure. I'm not sure if
there are any, of course. Most bards generally do pressure vitals passively in
one way or another - all three vitals at once is a little less common, but it's
nothing groundbreaking. I'm not opposed to the report - but I just wanted to
note that if there already are existing vitals pressuring songs in symphonium,
it might be prudent to also list what kind of damage they do, so we can sort of
gauge the skillset as a whole.