Empath linking coming to an Empath near you!

[Tgo01]

Worst idea ever or second worst idea ever?

[Tenlaar]

It's definitely right up there with deciding to stop making profession guild skills and releasing monks.

[Buckwheet]

Details? I thought it was F2P only?

[Allereli]

Details? I thought it was F2P only?

it is for now. Estild says all empaths will have to in the far future, but if they can't figure out a way not to piss everyone off, I don't think it will ever happen.

[Gelston]

It'll be coming out when they implement breakage.

[Warriorbird]

I really hope not.

[SashaFierce]

it is for now. Estild says all empaths will have to in the far future, but if they can't figure out a way not to piss everyone off, I don't think it will ever happen.

I think it will piss everyone off, and still happen. I don't know that they really care if they upset anyone.

[SHAFT]

What's empath linking? The empath has to be linked to someone to heal them?

[SashaFierce]

What's empath linking? The empath has to be linked to someone to heal them?

You have to establish a link with someone before you can heal them. Establishing the link takes 15-30 seconds.

[Allereli]

I think it will piss everyone off, and still happen. I don't know that they really care if they upset anyone.

why would you say that? there's been a major shift in attitude towards keeping and attracting players. If they wanted to piss everyone off, it would have already happened.

[Tgo01]

Details? I thought it was F2P only?

An empath has to establish a "link" with the target before they can heal them. It takes 30 seconds to establish the link (15 seconds for paid accounts) and the empath has to wait until the link is established until they can heal the target. Once the link is established then no one else may heal that person. The target or empath can end the link at any time but if someone else wants to heal the person they have to wait the 15/30 seconds before they can then heal the person. So this would be a pain in the ass for, say, a young empath who can only take blood/minors then asking an older empath to heal the rest. The target now has to wait between 30 and 60 seconds to get healed by two different empaths in this scenario. Longer actually. 15-30 seconds for the young empath to make the link, do what they can, then end the link, then another 15-30 seconds for an older empath to establish the link then finish up the healing.

Of course this might also run into problems if say the younger empath does what they can then forgets to end the link then the other person doesn't realize they have to unlink first so someone else tries to heal them and they can't because the link isn't broken then you have to do the whole stupid OOC whisper shit "DUDE! End the link so I can heal! LOLZ!"

And of course the person rushing to TC to get healed because they have 5 health left and 100+ in bleeders and the empath is like "Just chill for 15/30 seconds!"

I wouldn't mind this change so much if it served a purpose, but like, what purpose does it serve?

Stops vultures? That's what the demeanor verb is for.

Stops empaths from getting all of that easy and juicy experience? Pshaw! This argument is usually uttered by people who have never played an empath before. I would be surprised if my empath went from empty to clear by healing someone covered head to toe in rank 1 wounds. Even rank 2 wounds aren't really all that much experience. Rank 3 wounds can be pretty nice experience but those are obviously much more rare than rank 1 wounds. Let's not forget they already nerfed wounds caused by shit like glacei to not give any experience nor do you get any experience if someone received wounds by either riding a corpse down the Nightmare Gorge cliff from the Pinefar side nor do you get experience from healing the corpse that was used as a sled.

So really, what's left? Why was this needed?

The argument I usually hear is that people want empaths to either specialize in healing or specialize in hunting. Why? Clerics don't have to make a choice between raising or hunting. Rogues don't have to make a choice between picking boxes and hunting (yes I know you gimp your hunting ability by training in picking locks but you can easily do both. The list goes on and on for wizards/enchanting, sorcs/ensorcelling.

I guess I wouldn't mind this change so much if it also came with a boost for empaths who wanted to specialize in healing. Like, I don't know, maybe there is no longer a cast roundtime for casting healing spells so with enough training an empath won't have any hard roundtimes or casting roundtimes with healing, or even making the cast roundtime down to like 1 second.

But if this comes with no buffs then it's just a straight up nerf for no reason.

[Kembal]

I understood the linking mechanism for F2P to stop free healbots. I don't understand it for subscribing players.

I personally think the differentiation problem can be solved by stamina. But at the same time, I don't think it's a problem worth solving at this point...there's rarely more than one empath sitting in most town centers outside of TSC these days. I vastly prefer hunting for gaining exp, and only if I'm resting or just having fun in TC will I bother with healing. (and that if only there's no other empaths just sitting there who use healing as their primary exp method)

[Latrinsorm]

For the record, wounds give experience in exact proportion to their rank: rank 2 are worth twice as much as rank 1, rank 3 are worth three times as much as rank 1.

[Buckwheet]

So yeah. Long distance and F2P. Pretty much what I thought!

[mgoddess]

Also: when it does get fully implemented (in the far future, as Allereli pointed out), there'll be ways to reduce the link roundtime with stats & skill training.

[SashaFierce]

why would you say that? there's been a major shift in attitude towards keeping and attracting players. If they wanted to piss everyone off, it would have already happened.

I say that in specific reference to heal-linking. I think they will justify the linking as a necessary evil, even though it upsets a lot of people.

[Allereli]

I say that in specific reference to heal-linking. I think they will justify the linking as a necessary evil, even though it upsets a lot of people.

except it hasn't been implemented. at all (except f2p). stop thinking it has.

[SashaFierce]

except it hasn't been implemented. at all (except f2p). stop thinking it has.

It has been implemented, it's just currently voluntary. Subscribers can experience the linking if they choose to.

[Allereli]

It has been implemented, it's just currently voluntary. Subscribers can experience the linking if they choose to.

and no one does, so who cares?

actually it is beneficial to keep vultures from vulturing so right now the option is a good thing.

When you throw out the "GMs don't give a shit" presumption, it is not helpful at all.

[SashaFierce]

and no one does, so who cares?

actually it is beneficial to keep vultures from vulturing so right now the option is a good thing.


That is nothing new. You can keep vultures from vulturing with demeanor settings.

[Allereli]

That is nothing new. You can keep vultures from vulturing with demeanor settings.

no an empath cannot keep another empath from healing a body with demeanor.

[SashaFierce]

no an empath cannot keep another empath from healing a body with demeanor.

That's correct, only the healee can prevent a healer from healing them via demeanor settings.

As you stated above though, subscribed empaths don't use linking.


For the record, I wasn't claiming that "GM's don't give shit" in a general sense. But as it pertains to the heal-linking, it is my opinion that they care more about upgrading aspects of healing, than negative feelings about those upgrades.

[Allereli]

That's correct, only the healee can prevent a healer from healing them via demeanor settings.

As you stated above though, subscribed empaths don't use linking.

For the record, I wasn't claiming that "GM's don't give shit" in a general sense. But as it pertains to the heal-linking, it is my opinion that they care more about upgrading aspects of healing, than negative feelings about those upgrades.

So you don't even know what the system will be and you discount it based on the F2P restrictions?

[SashaFierce]

So you don't even know what the system will be and you discount it based on the F2P restrictions?


Why do you think that?

[Allereli]

Why do you think that?


I think it will piss everyone off, and still happen. I don't know that they really care if they upset anyone.

.

[SashaFierce]

So you don't even know what the system will be and you discount it based on the F2P restrictions?

Estild has posted what the system will be, and it has been implemented on a voluntary basis for subscibers. I'm "discounting it" (Along with several others who have posted in this thread) based upon what has been implemented, posted, etc.

It adds an unnecessary time sink for healers.

[Allereli]

Estild has posted what the system will be, and it has been implemented on a voluntary basis for subscibers. I'm "discounting it" (Along with several others who have posted in this thread) based upon what has been implemented, posted, etc.

It adds an unnecessary time sink for healers.

The factors for mitigating the link time and any potential benefits a pure or primary healer might receive have not been posted.

[Tgo01]

The factors for mitigating the link time and any potential benefits a pure or primary healer might receive have not been posted.

It's stupid.

"Hey gais! Here's a nerf but don't worry! You can use your skill points so it won't be as much of a nerf! LOL!!"

Again, what's the point of this, ahem, "feature"?

Vultures? Negative.
To put them experience hungry empaths in their place? Nope.

Oh, right. Because empaths (and only empaths!) have to choose between healing and hunting, because we all know what GS needs at the moment is less healing empaths around.

[Allereli]

Oh, right. Because empaths (and only empaths!) have to choose between healing and hunting, because we all know what GS needs at the moment is less healing empaths around.

it's not at the moment, it's in the far future, if at all. What if the xp per injury were increased?

[Tgo01]

it's not at the moment, it's in the far future, if at all.

I don't buy the "far future" bullshit line. Why would it be in the "far future" when the thing literally already exists in the game? There is very minimal, if any, coding required to put this feature in.

The only reason for them not pulling the trigger yet is probably because of the backlash the feature has received thus far so I'm just doing my part in letting them know this is the worst idea in the history of mankind. An even worse idea than making Justin Bieber famous, and that's saying something!

[Malisai]

Empathic link is fine for F2P, it has no place for subs.

[Latrinsorm]

There is very minimal, if any, coding required to put this feature in.Would you care to reconsider your position in light of the company doing the coding?

[Tgo01]

Would you care to reconsider your position in light of the company doing the coding?

...shut up!

[Ceyrin]

I can see it now.

Some player runs into the town center of some place after just barely escaping death and asks for healing. The empath establishes a link and the target dies while the empath is in RT.

Honestly, I don't really care what happens to empaths. It's a shitty profession that's (nearly) entirely replacable through buying herbs. It's also the easiest profession to have as a 'pocket' profession. Park empath at table. Run .healbot.lic. Visit table after each hunt. Watch numbers go up.

Also, I'm still bitter they didn't make empaths swallow the Minor Mental pill. Hybrid profession my ass.

[Warriorbird]

it's not at the moment, it's in the far future, if at all. What if the xp per injury were increased?

Oh boy! What an excellent feature. Do clerics get to decide between raising and hunting next? This is a ridiculous idea. Defending it is rationalizing really hard.

[Fallen]

Why would they nerf healing? It doesn't make any sense given the population of the game. There is what? 1 area in the whole game where empaths will regularly fight over who gets what wounds?

[Taernath]

Why would they nerf healing? It doesn't make any sense given the population of the game. There is what? 1 area in the whole game where empaths will regularly fight over who gets what wounds?

Simutronics: solving 25 year old problems you didn't even know you had.

[Luscinia]

I think they just like the DR healing mechanics (https://elanthipedia.play.net/mediawiki/index.php/Empath_healing) and want to bring parts of it over. But that system was written from the ground up with linking in mind, while the extent of GS's linking so far is "wait 15-30 seconds" and isn't very interesting.

[Warriorbird]

I think they just like the DR healing mechanics (https://elanthipedia.play.net/mediawiki/index.php/Empath_healing) and want to bring parts of it over. But that system was written from the ground up with linking in mind, while the extent of GS's linking so far is "wait 15-30 seconds" and isn't very interesting.

DR Empaths were also based around them not doing damage to the living from the very beginning.