Report 1010

Report #1010
Skillset: Glamours Skill: Flare/Afterimage
 Org: Minstrels Status: Completed Apr 2013
Furies' Decision:
Solution 1+2.
Problem: Glamours is a skillset which, at this point, is beginning to fall
behind in many areas. All of the afflicting skills (colourburst/spray,
rainbowpattern, and maelstrom) draw afflictions from a short list, afflict
randomly, and are not "smart". In order to be semi-effective the Glamourist must
spend two balances to get an afterimage on the target which enhances these
afflicting skills. Afterimage only lasts for 20 seconds which is, at best, 3
tics of rainbowpattern (if they're already afflicted with it before you flare)
and 4 from Maelstrom. While other skills are also enhanced, the length of time
and cost in balance slows a Glamourist's offensive to a standstill while also
having to manage deafness in order to keep song effects hitting. This report
hopes to make a tertiary skill more fluid in enemy defense management, something
other guilds do not face at the level bards do.
[A: 0 R: 0] Solution #1: Keeping the power cost as is, change flare to a one
 balance afflicter of afterimage rather than needing
 to already have stripped blind/sixthsense.
[A: 0 R: 0] Solution #2: In addition to solution 1, extend the length of the
 afterimage affliction to 24 seconds (approximately
 the time it currently takes to strip blind and hit
 with afterimage.)
[A: 0 R: 0] Solution #3: As a result of comments: Remove blindness as a
 defense against Glamours effects such as
 rainbowpattern, colourburst/spray and the like.
 Blindness can still defend against maze and transfix
 in order to give flare a reason to exist.
Player Comments:
---[Shuyin on 4/5 @ 05:49 writes]:
Not comfortable with solution 1, since it's basically bypassing the blind
mechanic even more, which is already easy enough to do as a Glamourist. Maybe
reduce the EQ cost some? I'm fine with solution 2 though.
---[Kregarn on 4/5 @ 13:06 writes]:
Glamours is a set only available to Bards. In order for music to be effective,
we have to manage deafness which works off of a very similar mechanic as
blindness. That means, in order for a Glamourist to be effective, they have to
manage both deafness and blindness at the same time. Both of these defenses take
2 balances to strip and keep off for any reasonable amount of time. A lot of
times, this means they have to choose one or the other to hit, not both at the
same time. Along with that, they're managing enemy lists and maybe trying to
keep octave up. 20 seconds of afterimage is really nothing when in that time
you'll have to blanknote/pfifth again to even start your music offensive. I
don't think many understand the amount of management of OTHER PEOPLE'S defenses
a bard has to do at this point. I also don't believe it's unreasonable to ask
that flare be a one balance attack when the grand majority of offensive
abilities that this enhances are completely random, dumb afflicters and quite
slow.
---[Thoros on 4/5 @ 13:16 writes]:
I know blindness is a main defense mechanic versus glamours, but I've truly
always believed (an i've never been a bard) that this should be removed.
Glamours should hit with it's maximum potential (as if the target was not blind)
all the time. I vote for a solution outside those suggested, for blindness to
not be a defense against glamours anymore (except in the case of maze, and
transfix). I felt after bards came out, the admin made too much of a nerf in the
case of colorburst, colorspray, and rainbowpattern. Not only were the abilities
weakened, but they were made slower, too. In short, I believe blindness should
not protect against colorburst, colorspray or rainbowpattern (and maelstrom too
if that's the case) any more.
---[Celina on 4/6 @ 16:18 writes]:
Having to double up on a flare AND use power just so your abilities will be
useful has been a pretty unfair aspect of glamours for a long time. I support
any of these, and I'd even support Thoros's suggestion. It's just random
affliction spam that the bard can not control and it's not even masked.
---[Enyalida on 4/6 @ 21:03 writes]:
This is fine. Solution 1+2. If transfix and maze need to be adjusted afterwards,
they can be.
---[Shuyin on 4/8 @ 04:02 writes]:
Changed my mind after reading the comments. 1 + 2 is fine now.
---[Kregarn on 4/8 @ 17:18 writes]:
As per the comments above, I've modified solution 3. I would love to see this
change as it would definately go a long way towards making Glamours competative.
---[Kregarn on 4/8 @ 17:21 writes]:
I'd also like to comment that with strategems, even a slowpoke dworf like me can
hit people with maze and transfix without having to have afterimage so concerns
about solution 1 and 2 being too much in those cases would be moot.
---[Zynna on 4/8 @ 20:17 writes]:
Any supported.
---[Thoros on 4/10 @ 03:20 writes]:
Solution 3 supported!
---[Tulemrah on 4/13 @ 21:43 writes]:
Solution one supported. Blanknote/chord is the same way, so it makes sense to me
---[Rivius on 4/24 @ 13:05 writes]:
I'm alright with solution 1 and 2 and support them. No to solution 3, both
because I don't think bards need this at all for 1v1 with what they already have
and also because of the unnecessary buff this gives to glamours in groups.