Mage Revamp Lies. LIES.

Kalak

Okay we need to inject some hype over here:

Satomi

@Kalak I feel like you're trying to garner support for Ascendril with these tweets. Maybe I'm biased.

(Disclaimer: I reaaaaaally don't care for Bieber.)

Vyxsis

Satomi said:

@Kalak I feel like you're trying to garner support for Ascendril with these tweets. Maybe I'm biased.

(Disclaimer: I reaaaaaally don't care for Bieber.)

they need all the help they can get - i haven't seen a ghost town like the ascendril guild since the last time i visited the haunted house!! *rimshot*

Zaila

Kalak said:

  

what. What. WHAT?!
  
/BREAK PROPOSAL

Vyxsis

Zaila said:

Kalak said:

  

what. What. WHAT?!
  
/BREAK PROPOSAL

ok @Kalak, you can fix this - here's what you do now.

Tiur

Let it be known: Other than two skills that I just can't figure out how to make without Keroc's help, Sciomancers are in combat testing.

Eliadon

Wooo How about Ascendrils? Close?

Vyxsis

Eliadon said:

Wooo How about Ascendrils? Close?

deleted ages ago. keep up @Eliadon smh.

Aishia

Tekias

We need 500cc of Hype, STAT!

Kalak

And with the approaching revamp, Sciomancers execute their final Master Crystal ritual:

Zaila

I can't get my link to post at the correct time! Attempts at wit as unsuccessful at attempts to computer.

Kalak

@Zaila Cavalry to the rescue! Now it starts at the proper time!

Tekias

It's been almost 10 days. LET'S GET SOME HYPE UP IN HERE.

Tiur

Let's do different things, then! What do you want to know about the new classes? Skill I haven't shown yet? Combat rotation thingy?

Kalak

Tiur said:

Let's do different things, then! What do you want to know about the new classes? Skill I haven't shown yet? Combat rotation thingy?

I am quite interested in the "powerful passives locking out actives" mentioned in the first page. So what is the fighting route of a Sciomancer in the revamp?

Also it would be splendid to learn more about new skills about Sciomancers as an appetizer. Fluff skills or fighting route skills, something tasty!

Teani

With the division between the two mage guilds, will the fight routes be different between the two? Will there be ranged options (sort of like cataclysm) if people band together?

Eliadon

Is there more than one viable kill route? That one's probably Keroc-focused tho D;

Kasimir

Is PvE still going to have harmony and altering anchoring it?

Are both classes going to continue using a shield?

Kodaza

I'd like to echo Kasimir's question and build on it. There's been a lot of talk at Town Halls and such in 2017 about wanting to make PvE a more satisfying thing. This rework is the first "new" class since those discussions, so it sets a lot of directions. (Though I realize "rework mages" and "revamp PvE content" are two distinct goals, on the administrative side.) Are we going to see the same usual of 1-2 PvE skills, some defensive buffs, and then 569858909 offensive PK skills?

Crystalism as we know it seems to be out. What are the options going to be for the Mercy mains and Janna one-tricks who want to be "support" characters?

Tolas

I just want to know if I'm getting my rain cloud "Ascendril" mount?

Kalak

Tolas said:

I just want to know if I'm getting my rain cloud "Ascendril" mount?

No, Ascendril will get a turtle entourage they can ride on water:

Tiur

I forgot to reply!

The route is a bit messed up at the moment, for Sciomancer. I was going to explain it, so it was taking a bit... but it's all trash now. Oh well! The problem was the the different routes for gravitation had salve cures one way, and drink cures the other... but they were messing with keeping defs up. Hitting that frequently made the class basically into a def-stripping class, which was boring and unintended.


Multiple kill routes viable. Sciomancers can go limb for an instant kill, or pure damage wrapped around afflictions. They have ways to chain shadow damagetype into afflictions, though the shadow damage is low. You have to mess with their gravity a lot to stick that. There's potential for an afflict kill, but we're not sure on the skill. It was kinda like super-voyria.

Ascendril have a very strong fire-based limb route, but it isn't capped with an instant kill. Their other kill route gets a bit odd, but it involves sortof channeling certain planes into the prime plane, then sending the enemy back with them. Of course, if you didn't know, things made on the Prime Material -cannot- survive on the Elemental Planes, this isn't Lusternia! It's pretty much instant death. Basically, you're bouncing multiple spell types... Charge the fulcrum with fire, hit them with an air spell, it triggers with fire and does more damage, but now the fulcrum stores air, hit with water, the air attunement adds an affliction, and now it's water... then do a double water for more afflict/damage. Mix this with GLIMPSE WATER or such and waterbrand them... then send them to the Water Plane.

Those are all super rough outlines. And it's changing a ton as we figure out things don't work.

We're not messing with PvE skills very much atm. The goal is to do that as part of the PvE changes, and we wouldn't want to do the work twice.

Kelliara

Tiur said:

= Of course, if you didn't know, things made on the Prime Material -cannot- survive on the Elemental Planes, this isn't Lusternia! It's pretty much instant death.

QFT.

The Air Plane is lovely, for about 1 second before the Eternal Storm rips you apart...

Tekias

1 WHOLE second? Damn, you hung in there.

Kalak

So we should tone down our hype in this case? I generally hate to ask an ETA since it is subject to Soon(tm) jokes, though it would be great to know about expectations.

Damage wrapped around afflictions, so you mean that Sciomancers will be able to build up attrition damage in Shadow form if they manage to stick the afflictions? Will there be a damage-finisher kind of skill which can burst shadow damage upon the enemy based on the afflictions they possess?

Tiur

Well, we're very nearly done. I had hoped for saying March, but that would be pushing too much and we'd release broken classes. But we are where the most significant roadblocks are passed, and it's all testing now. So I can move onto things that have been on the wayside.

Shadow damage builds. So the Sciomancers start off doing small bursts of damage, and preferring blunt/piercing. But as they stick you with things, especially gravity effects, shadow damage is increased enough for the skills to flop priorities. I didn't want too much damage, because I didn't want to open the world to needing shadow audits. So now it's more a function of what the mage has done to you to make the shadow damage increase.

But not really a burst damage finisher, unless you mean the big booms.

Trikal

ascendril looks/sounds from your last post like primarily a damage class or something that's crazy? Hopefully the crazy thing is doable, damage class type kills either don't kill me, or kill everyone too easily.... Just 2 cents regarding that, also damage type kill classes end up being far too powerful in group fights. You know, like basically any limb class when health damage was required for limb damage to build for some reason.

Kalak

So any updates from this front? Did the hype die? Or does it wait to be fed with further teasers and progress information!?

Tiur

Keroc wrote up a "Why we can't release Sciomancers yet" thing, and I'm going to repost it here.

Biggest problem is that core kill mechanic is a passive (gravity). What does the player do in the meantime? Devoting their fulltime attack sequence choices to pure hinder (optimal choice while mass/light stacks build) is going to be unfun to fight against. Skills will need reworking/brainstorming in order to escape this.

Active choices in Sciomancy are a bit bland, delay mechanics are somewhat similar to Archivist but weaker (this double up is kind of bad for uniqueness). Shadowprice helps add a bit of uniqueness to the class, but ultimately the boons and maluses aren't fleshed out enough right now and are weak. Affliction pool lacks synergy, with the best choice being hinders, but then you run into the above core problem.

Levitation elixir problems: Aff-elixir balance is just too short to meaningfully take advantage of. If levitation elixir is kept as a method of healing mass stacks, it needs reworking as a mechanic. We then need to consider what this does to other skill (ie, Domination Golgotha).

Mass salve problems: Do we have light stacks cure before or after applying density? What effect will that have in group combat and is it desirable?

Class has a lot of shadow damage right now. Shadow damage is more or less unblockable damage, leaving with little counterplay.

Class lacks shiny utility. Almost all of Sciomancy is devoted to single effects like damage or afflictions. Needs some iconic new abilities (think like Link/Recollection in Numerology) that make the class pop.

Right now I'm trying to fill those holes. We have a few new affliction ideas, but I don't think they address some of the core issues. And I don't totally agree, but he's MUCH better at this than I am.

I'm sorry to be delayed, but I'll be honest about why, at least.