Report 1565

Report #1565
Skillset: Aerochemantics Skill: Static
 Org: Aeromancers Status: Completed Dec 2016
Furies' Decision:
Solution 2.
Problem: Static is a situationally strong skill in group battles where it can be
used to deter enemies from pushing into a room. This is both frustrating to
fight against and fight with as it requires a lot of micromanagement of enemy
lists to properly use once the catch-all situation is no longer in play.
Additionally, it is entirely a defensive skill and offers absolutely nothing for
aerochems in 1v1 scenarios, where using it can cripple the aerochem's already
limited offence as much as it can the opponent's. This report aims to rework
static into a skill with a more offensive focus with a view of being useful in
both groups and 1v1.
[A: 4 R: 7] Solution #1: Change static to an ability that affects all enemies
 in the room. Enemies affected will have their
 lucidity slush and soothing steam balances increased
 by 0.5 seconds. Additionally, every 9-12 seconds
 (starts at 9 scaling up over the duration), slush and
 steam balance will be thrown, or extended if already
 used.
[A:14 R: 0] Solution #2: Change static to an ability that ticks every 9-12
 seconds (starts at 9 scaling up over the duration).
 Every tick all enemies are given some amount of time
 warp (same as timechant timewarp?) and also takes
 electric damage equal to 500-2500 damage based on how
 timewarped they are. Additionally, change the
 DISCHARGE syntax to a 5 power ability targetted at
 one person that will suppress Static for the next
 minute but deal two times the damage of a normal tick
 immediately.
Player Comments:
---[Synkarin on 11/17 @ 04:41 writes]:
Solution 2 - I'm not really in support of a continous balance extension for
multiple balances
---[Raeri on 11/17 @ 06:20 writes]:
Just checking, but how does the Aerochem build timewarp to actually make use of
Solution 2? I don't see how this helps with 1v1.
---[Falmiis on 11/17 @ 09:51 writes]:
Primarily I see it being used in quantum -> static -> discharge combos, though
static can also be used for vacuum as well.
---[Demartel on 11/18 @ 04:25 writes]:
Solution 2
---[Wobou on 11/19 @ 06:51 writes]:
I support solution 2. For solution 1 I feel like the effect between ticks where
it lengthens the balance is too strong.
---[Shuyin on 11/19 @ 07:00 writes]:
Solution 2 only
---[Synkarin on 12/2 @ 00:54 writes]:
Thinking about this more, I think the solution 2 effect should only do the same
damage. You could technically discharge right after a damage tick, meaning you'd
be dealing 3x damage. The discharge effect should just be the same damage, but
you get to choose when to deal it. I do think the cooldown is still appropiate
so you can't continually discharge.
---[Falmiis on 12/2 @ 10:36 writes]:
Most of the time people will only take the damage equal to one tic of timewarp
from the static itself, which will be around 800. Even if you're looking at
popping a quantum beforehand and time it so perfectly that static tics right
after and you discharge before they can do any curing that should still only be
around 1400 damage. This is less damage than what hyperbeam will do. My proposed
discharge will cost 5p and stop the passive tics for 1 second. The only time
anyone should really get to massive and get the maximum of 2500 damage (which is
still only slightly higher than hyperbeam) is when a researcher bursts them, in
which case the idea is that someone should timequake them anyway. My concern is
that even twice the damage is actually too low.
---[Falmiis on 12/2 @ 19:21 writes]:
Alternatively, we can make discharge cost less power (maybe 2 or 3) and requires
but does not consume bal/eq. I'd be fine with it just doing the same damage as a
normal tic then (though personally I still think damage would be too low to
actually kill anyone)
---[Synkarin on 12/3 @ 06:17 writes]:
I'd be okay with a 3p cost, but I do think it should consume eq/bal. I would say
though that if it remains the same damage, you could even remove the suppression
and allow it to function as normal, the powercost being a sufficient limiter in
this case.
---[Falmiis on 12/3 @ 07:12 writes]:
If it just did 1x damage and cost a standard bal/eq then there would be
absolutely 0 reason to use it at all, even if the power cost was 0.
---[Xenthos on 12/14 @ 23:08 writes]:
That's not true-- you could use it right after a tick, meaning that for 0p you
would do 5k damage in a single burst. I see where Sidd is coming from here,
because passive ticks can always be timed around for better bursts.
---[Falmiis on 12/14 @ 23:37 writes]:
In 1v1 nobody is ever going to take the 2.5k damage tics from this because
nobody is ever going to get to massive. In groups if someone gets to massive
it's likely because of someone using shatterplex going for timequake, in which
case the target will be dead anyway. 2500 is just the upper limit so we have
something to base on the scaling off. As I have already stated, in most cases
you'll probably see ticks in the vicinity of about 800 damage, maybe going up
into the low-mid 1000s if timed perfectly with a quantum. If it simply did 1x
damage with a standard bal/eq for 3 power nobody would ever use this. I could do
much more damage with a hyperbeam that doesn't cost me anything but a reagent. I
could even stack some runes or motes on it if I wanted.
---[Tremula on 12/18 @ 15:33 writes]:
Support for solution 2, but thematically like the idea of solution 1 more.