Report 488

Report #488
Skillset: Paradigmatics Skill: Flux
 Org: Illuminati Status: Rejected Oct 2010
Furies' Decision:
We do not find this to be necessary.
Problem: Flux is a skill with a small chance to prevent enemies from leaving the
room. Enthrall is a similar skill, but intended to keep those lusted to you from
leaving the room. Both skills last about 2 minutes. Flux being a room based
skill and enthrall being a personal defense. The problem with these skills is
that in practice they very rarely fire. Illuminati are (based on skills to do so
(the running joke being "three forms of carcer")) meant to be able to keep
people from running, however, any bard with perfect fifth is way better at
holding someone in place.
Solution #1: Increase the chance to prevent enemies/lusted people from leaving
 the room based on your skill level in Paradigmatics.
Player Comments:
---[Viynain on 10/15 @ 08:34 writes]:
Does Flux/Enthrall consume the afflicted's balance when they try and fail to
leave a room? I know Carcer does, and even when people do manage to get out, you
still have the Sludgeworm to hinder that, the tentacles to entangle folk (unless
I'm misunderstanding its purpose), and the Hekoskeri to punish them further for
getting entangled in the first place. I personally don't think much more
balance-tweaking needs to be given to the Illuminati if I'm scanning all of this
right, but I wouldn't mind clarification.
---[Kalin on 10/15 @ 10:23 writes]:
Neither flux nor enthrall steals balance, and with flux, enthrall, carcer all up
people more often than not just walk away without issue, making the skills
worthless. Tentacles is also 1 exit only, so unless the room only has 1 exit or
that's the exit they choose, they are not getting entangled. Hekoskeri punishes
them for leaving, but if they are only leaving one room, especially after a
hekoskeri hit then they deserve to be punished. Not to mention that it has been
envoyed via the special report to give hekoskeri a cure. Flux and Enthrall are
pretty much around the same level as pre-buff single user ringwalk, with the
added requirement on enthrall that you have to keep them lusted.
---[Kalin on 10/15 @ 10:33 writes]:
I was asked to mention that even though my problem illustrates Illuminati,
paradigmatics is shared with Templars and the two skills are even more worthless
for them currently as they don't have the fallback options that Illuminati do.
(tentacles, sludgeworm, hekoskeri)
---[Geb on 10/15 @ 14:47 writes]:
Flux works just as well as TimeBonds, both being similar in scope. Alone neither
one will hinder a person well, but when you add Carcer into the mix both will
significantly increase the failure rate of a person just walking out of the
room. Neither one needs an upgrade, and this is especially the case for Flux
since the Illuminati already have so many ways to hinder a person from leaving
the room or discouraging the person from attempting to.
---[Fillin on 10/30 @ 18:30 writes]:
Flux is fine as is. Enthrall however, could use a buff. Does very little
considering the lust requirement.
---[Nydekion on 10/31 @ 07:03 writes]:
I believe the basis of the premise on which the solution is built is flawed.
Perfect fifth may more effective at holding a person, but keep in mind that it
does cost 3 power and only affects a single person at a time, often defeated in
recent times through the usage of beast gust followed by movement. Compare it to
the flux and carcer which remain in the room regardless of the paradigmatics-
user's state or location with no power cost. Additionally, carcer, enthrall, and
flux potentially affect more targets simultaneously than perfect fifth. In its
current state, it already allows templars to be one of the better knight guilds
in keeping a group of targets in a single location without even considering
available abilities in the skillset to deny actions.