Report 1710

Report #1710
Skillset: Druidry Skill: Sap
 Org: Glomdoring Status: Approved Jun 2017
Furies' Decision:
To be addressed in October.
Problem: A good portion of the design space within Druidry is invested in
mechanics that are either dated or overly situational. However, it is hard to
argue the efficiency of Thornrend or the hindering of our current dust stack on
their own while every ability in the toolkit must be simultaneously considered
through the lens of using it alongside Sap in teams. This results in the
effectiveness of Druidry hinging entirely on a single niche ability that takes a
very particular set of circumstances to use. We will never be able to balance
Druidy both in situations where a team can leverage Sap -and- in the far more
common situations where they cannot.
[A: 7 R: 5] Solution #1: To free up the design space within Druidry and allow
 for more effective tools to be developed in future
 Envoy rounds, remove Sap as a skill. While this might
 seem extreme, the changes to Paralysis and approved
 mechanics changes to Aeon have already sounded a
 death knell for delaying inputs as a mechanic. It
 would be better for the class long term to begin the
 process of shifting away now.
[A: 1 R: 9] Solution #2: Convert Sap to a timed state affliction that, with an
 investment of power, covers the target with a sticky
 fluid that captures pollen and dramatically increases
 the effectiveness and build up rate of allergens on
 the target. The allergy mechanic is unique to Druidry
 and has the potential to be leveraged as a
 replacement to the hindering lost with the changes to
 Dust afflictions.
[A: 1 R: 9] Solution #3: Convert Sap to a timed state affliction that, with an
 investment of power, covers the target with a sticky
 fluid that captures pollen and increases the
 effectiveness and build up rate of allergens on all
 other enemies in the room. While not as directly
 hindering as a single target allergy increase would
 be, it could be balanced such to give more tactical
 options against large teams and force counterplay.
Player Comments:
---[Jaspet on 6/12 @ 02:28 finalises]
---[Aeldra on 6/12 @ 15:02 writes]:
Not sure how I feel about this. Yes, sap needs to go, yes, it's sooner then
later, but we do have a druidry special report to my knowledge and I think that
druids will find themselves even more lacking in terms of toolkit, so... no to
solution 1 for now. Solution two or three are... what exactly is the difference?
---[Ciaran on 6/12 @ 18:40 writes]:
Can only support solution 1, since I don't really understand what impact sol 2
or 3 would have.
---[Shedrin on 6/12 @ 23:07 writes]:
While I'm in favour of removing Sap, I'd also prefer a specific plan for a
replacement. That said, I'll defer to the Druids if they're fine with just
removing now.
---[Crek on 6/12 @ 23:18 writes]:
Solution 1 only. Let druidry special report focus on replacing sap.
---[Wobou on 6/13 @ 01:59 writes]:
I do think that Sap is bordering on useless now such that it's "safe"
mechanically to delete it now more than any other time since I've started
playing, so in that sense I support solution 1. That said I share the concern
that we're just going to lop it off call it a job well done and then it will be
ages before a replacement comes. I will also say that special reports are not
magic, at some point we have to think about what is going to replace sap. It's
incredibly easy to put this off and say that we'll let the special report take
care of it, but if we never put any thought into it we will be left in the same
position when the special report does come, barring of course the possibility
that there is a person in the administration who has a brilliant idea that we
will all instantly fall in love with and rally behind.
---[Tarken on 6/13 @ 12:40 writes]:
Solution 1. I'm confident the druid envoys won't let us forget to replace it,
but now really is the best time to kill it.
---[Danquik on 6/14 @ 16:32 writes]:
Sol 1
---[Falaeron on 6/14 @ 22:43 writes]:
Ok.
---[Iytha on 6/16 @ 22:12 writes]:
Please do solution 1 as the basis for a special report on fixing druidry, or as
a concerted plan with Seren/Glom envoys submitting the reports for all of the
replacements in the same month
---[Xenthos on 6/17 @ 00:37 writes]:
Voting no on all of these solutions because there is a Melding/Druidry/Crow
special report already in the works and I do not agree with just nixing Sap
outside the report. I will further point out that the removal of Sap is one of
the big reasons for Druidry being part of that special report. Sap should go,
but it should go with a plan, not just be torn out.
---[Aeldra on 6/19 @ 08:10 writes]:
Voting no as per my above comments and my own.
---[Rideta on 6/19 @ 17:49 writes]:
Voting no in agreement with previous comments. While I understand that now is
the 'safest,' time we've had to delete sap, the notion of removing it without
doing anything to replace it just rankles. It seems unnecessary in the best case
and potentially hindering in the worst.