Report 1406

Report #1406
Skillset: Acrobatics Skill: Elasticity
 Org: Nekotai Status: Completed Nov 2015
Furies' Decision:
Approved as change to 1/3 cutting/blunt resist.
Problem: Elasticity currently gives a 1/3 universal resistance to ONLY monk and
warrior attacks. This is problematic on a few levels: first of all, it
disadvantages monks and warriors fighting an acrobat for no real balance-
motivated reason. It appear to be only for flavour. Secondly, due to its
position at a very low level in the skillset, it is one of the first abilities a
newbie will learn... and it gives them, quite literally, absolutely no benefit.
This report aims to resolve both problems at once by replacing the current PVP
centric effect which disadvantages two archetypes for no real reason and turn it
into an effect that is exciting and engaging for newbies.
[A: 0 R: 0] Solution #1: Remove the resistance from elasticity - Instead make
 the defense give the following effect whenever the
 PVE aspect of dodging procs: Take off 1s from the
 user's current off-balance AND off-eq time, if the
 user is not off-balance or off-eq, nothing happens.
 If the user has less than 1s before he recovers
 balance or eq, he recovers that balance or eq
 immediately. This should ONLY take effect on the PVE
 aspect of dodging (where the acrobat has a chance to
 lower damage taken), not the PVP aspect. (RP
 reasoning: you have prepared yourself to dodge
 elastically, appropriating the momentum from
 creature's attack to recover your own balance and
 equilibrium. Message when effect procs: "You rebound
 elastically from the attack, ready to retaliate!")
[A: 0 R: 0] Solution #2: Remove the resistance from elasticity - Instead make
 the defense give the following effect whenever the
 PVE aspect of dodging procs: The user automatically
 attacks the npc at the same time, dealing damage
 equivalent to a newbie bashing attack (ie nature
 curse, minor second etc). This should ONLY take
 effect on the PVE aspect of dodging (where the
 acrobat has a chance to lower damage taken), not the
 PVP aspect. (RP reasoning: you have prepared yourself
 to react elastically, striking out instinctively when
 you successfully mitigate an attack from an npc.
 Message when effect procs: "Your muscles spasm
 elastically and you swing <whatever is wielded in the
 left hand, or "your left fist" if nothing is wielded>
 reflexively at <target npc>!")
[A: 0 R: 0] Solution #3: Remove the resistance from elasticity - Instead make
 the defense give the following effect whenever the
 PVE aspect of dodging procs: For the next 5 seconds,
 the user gains an extra 10% chance to dodge an attack
 from a DIFFERENT npc to the one that proc'd the first
 dodge. (RP reasoning: your elasticity allows you to
 use the momentum from mitigating an attack to
 increase your chances of mitigating a second (or
 third) attack from a different source. Message when
 effect procs: "As you jerk your body elastically away
 from <npc>, you scan your surroundings alertly, ready
 to carry on the momentum for a second attack!")
Player Comments:
---[Lerad on 11/7 @ 12:30 writes]:
Alternate suggestions welcome via comments, messages or tells.
---[Raeri on 11/7 @ 19:06 writes]:
Supported - for any of above.
---[Enyalida on 11/7 @ 19:53 writes]:
Do bards and monks need bashing buffs?
---[Lerad on 11/8 @ 02:00 writes]:
Strictly speaking, damageshift has evened out the bashing field for pretty much
everyone, and the adjustments from pre-overhaul stats to flat races has done
more of the same, so no. No one really needs substantial upgrades. I have
explained in my problem statement, however, a reason to make elasticity
something more interesting for newbies, and bashing is the best way to put in
something visible for them to play with. The effects themselves are not very
substantial, too. Other alternatives, utility ideas etc are all welcome, if you
feel that something else would be better suited.
---[Enyalida on 11/8 @ 19:51 writes]:
I support solution 3, which does not impact bashing speed.
---[Shuyin on 11/13 @ 02:43 writes]:
Solution 3 is fine
---[Jaamil on 11/14 @ 16:13 writes]:
Solution 2 or 3 is good
---[Llandros on 11/18 @ 04:27 writes]:
This changes it from fully pvp to pve. Bards are harshly penalized for popping
out the room to heal up. Having any extra help standing toe to toe against
warriors and monks is not without value. I would rather stay as is over buffing
pve dodge which is a pretty unreliable defense.
---[Tanin on 11/20 @ 15:50 writes]:
I don't see the need to remove the pvp aspect of this ability. It is useful to
young ones learning to fight, both monk and bard. If you want to add a pve
aspect to it would be fine, but I don't see the need to remove the pvp portion.
Both bards and monks are pentilized for having to hop out of the room to heal
up, this at least gives them a bit of staying power. I am against any of the
changes as stated.
---[Lerad on 11/21 @ 01:47 writes]:
As a note, the 1/3 universal resistance was unlikely to provide any "staying
power" for bards or monks using elasticity when fighting against physical
classes, for two reasons. Firstly and most importantly, warrior (and to a lesser
extent, monk) attrition is based off wounds, not health damage, and warriors
(though not monks) never did that much health damage to affect it anyway. This
is the same both pre and post overhaul. Secondly, pre-overhaul elasticity
provided 20dmp, and compared to that, the current 1/3 universal would hardly
assist the user to stay in the room longer. Speaking anecdotally, I was never
forced to run from warriors or monks because of damage - it was always because
of wounds (for warriors) or afflictions (for monks). Regardless of all of the
above, I agree that leaving the room to heal up penalizes momentum based monks
and room-effect based bards more than other classes, but I argue that such is an
acceptable drawback (and point of balance) for the huge potential for affliction
burst at a high monk momentum and the large group advantage provided by a bard's
octave and perfectfifth. While I certainly don't mind changing elasticity to
counter wounds attrition (not really sure how to counter monk burst) so that
elasticity users can stay in the room longer against physical opponents, I would
not recommend it given that wound attrition against monks and bards is one of
the more reasonable (especially compared to no-risk, repeated gusting) and
strategically interesting ways of countering their offense, since wound
attrition actually takes time to build up.