HSN: 707 update

[Taluric]

It's my turn to keep the party rolling, so let's do this!

Eye Spy has been updated to now use the standard spell duration (1200 seconds + 60 seconds per spell rank). But don't fret, that's not quite all! It's also refreshable now, even if your eyeball is off in the wilderness on a secret mission while you're busy torturing some poor soul with all your other new toys. Now go off and play with your longer lasting, refreshable, gore-dripping eyeballs everyone!

~ Konacon

http://forums.play.net/forums/19/235/2628/view/2835

[Astray]

The refresh is great, because now you don't have to worry about making your eye come back in time.

[Fallen]

Solid update.

[Brad]

It is a good month for Sorcerers. Not a groundbreaking change, but it definitely reduces potential headaches (or is it eye-aches? Ahahahaha. Sorry about that). And since it's going spell by spell, I can't wait to see what will continue to show up.

[Astray]

I'm curious as to what, if any, changes occur to Implosion, Cloak of Shadows, and Maelstrom.

[Deathravin]

What would be nice...

The instant 740 flip back & forth...

1. Remove the 'so and so concentrates' whenever you move the eye

2. You cast 740, you and your eye exchange positions.

3. Profit.

You send your eye to the place you want to hunt and you can flip back & forth with each hunt at the cost of 40 of your huntin' mana. And you get a quick ride back to town if you have 40 mana to spare.

[Astray]

What would be nice...

The instant 740 flip back & forth...

1. Remove the 'so and so concentrates' whenever you move the eye

2. You cast 740, you and your eye exchange positions.

3. Profit.

That would be amazing.

[Deathravin]

Also a goddamn follow option would be nice.

[rolfard]

Demons do that (and carry)

[Deathravin]

There aren't too many Demonic systems that require Necro systems for basic functionality. Why would the reverse be true?

[rolfard]

Eyespy is an illusion. As far as i know there is no necromancy component.

[Peppwyn]

Illusion? Your eye actually comes out of the socket.

[Astray]

Illusion? Your eye actually comes out of the socket.

Illusions. All of it. Even the loss of your eye if it doesn't come back.

[Tgo01]

Illusion? Your eye actually comes out of the socket.

If you want to get technical none of this is real.

Your eye does not come out of your socket. You do not summon a demon. You do not shoot fireballs from your fingertips.

Simu has done a fantastic job of making you think this is all happening, but it's really not.

[Fallen]

I'm curious as to what, if any, changes occur to Implosion, Cloak of Shadows, and Maelstrom.

The biggest mechanical benefits to the class with these changes are Sacrifice and Forget. The rest are largely cosmetic/flavor, which is definitely appreciated but won't make too big a difference in the field. It doesn't look like we're going to see damage modifier increases with these HSN updates, but I could be wrong. What do you think?

Maelstrom should receive an update via the E-lore review, if anything.

[Astray]

Forget? What's that? (No that's not sarcasm or me being a smart ass, I really don't know.)

[Fallen]

Forget? What's that? (No that's not sarcasm or me being a smart ass, I really don't know.)

My bad, Corrupt Essence (703).

[Allereli]

Forget? What's that? (No that's not sarcasm or me being a smart ass, I really don't know.)

the old name for Corrupt Essence (703)

[Astray]

Oh, okay. Thanks!

[Deathravin]

The spell is largely RP in nature, even with this change. Sure you can frighten mobs before going into the room, essentially allowing you to be somewhat safe in hunting - though I'm not sure I've heard of even a scripter attempting to use this functionality for safety - the safety of fast room movements is much better than any benefit you'd gain from seeing the next room (a feature you really already have with 'peer' & AOE spells)

The (dis)incentives for spell usage are

1. Social/Secrecy punishment for moving the eye. (room-wide messaging with each eye direction movement)
2. Inability for the eye to be used automatically - forcing you to submit specific commands - a dis-incentive to using the eye actively.
3. Severely limited functionality, basically limited to simple 'looking' - so most of the function is to see if a room is clear or not. A silly requirement because the GMs are (understandably so) unwilling to create a separate message for every message with a sound in it.
4. An attack spell that vastly decreases in effectiveness with distance - so people must be in close proximity for use - and no ability to search or clear the body, expecting the owner will do this.
5. Before now, the inability to refresh the spell simply discourages the use, especially since the penalty for missing the spell timer is loss of an eye (one wonders how the sorcerer didn't incur any health penalty for having a single eye to begin with - but that's neither here nor there).

In that case, it seems like the 740 eye-exchange makes sense. It's only strengthened with the ability to remotely refresh the spell.

------------

I'd like to see added/changed about this spell:

1. Removal of movement messaging for the caster's room.
2. Ability for eye to watch changes to the room, regardless of 'soundiness' of the message... Maybe a good option for an sorcerer guild skill - lip reading / enhanced eyespy that also pops off an ear or something.
3. 740 eye/caster switching
4. A goddamn follow option - even if it's a physical action "Soandso reaches out and quickly snatches the floating eye from the air" - Seems like a great option for a sorcerer guild skill. "Soandso lasso's a thin thread of spidersilk around the floating brown eye, tethering the other end to his belt" or something.
5. Moderate-to-high Perception bonus for having an eye out of your socket and in your same room - you can see two distinct vantage points, you should get a huge bonus for that. Even up to doubling of your Perception skill.

[Fallen]

I honestly suspect it would be seen as stepping on the toes of familiars to implement those types of changes, and there would be some merit to that argument. Here's hoping they at least decoupled the spell from the Call Familiar traveling limitations.

[Deathravin]

If a wizard can steal DC, Sorcerers can steal familiars.

[Brad]

I wonder if there'll be a Maelstrom change similar to the Mind Jolt one where remaining storms can move between targets?

But mostly, I think it would be great if I could shoot disease-ridden bolts of some sort from a 707 eye.

[Silvean]

Demons will carry a floating eye. I've cleaned out whole invasions with 707 and 717. So that's cool.

[Fallen]

If a wizard can steal DC, Sorcerers can steal familiars.

I get what you're saying, but there is a definite lack of parity on some levels. One situation is a level 7 spell versus a level 20 spell, the other is two level 19 spells. One requires a strong investment in E-lore Fire to operate effectively, the other is arguably the best DD-single target warding spell in the game out of the box.

[Deathravin]

Eyespy is an illusion. As far as i know there is no necromancy component.

The quotes of the spells are more related to how EVERY sorcerer spell used to be an illusion.

I think the addition of the Necromancy and Demonology aspects to Sorcerers make it pretty clear, especially with the messaging, that you are now actually removing your eye and keeping it alive with necromantic magic. If it were a simple illusion, then there'd be no need to stick to the "Eye's can't hear, so you can't see messages with sounds in them" requirement.

[Deathravin]

One situation is a level 7 spell versus a level 20 spell

Spell levels are almost irrelevant now. No need to expect a level 7 spell to be much less powerful than a level 20. If you like you could make it so the abilities of the eye get greater with Necromancy training, or with some kind of guild skill, thus removing the spell level objection.

And that would make sense considering the nature of the spell.

[caelric]

The quotes of the spells are more related to how EVERY sorcerer spell used to be an illusion.

I think the addition of the Necromancy and Demonology aspects to Sorcerers make it pretty clear, especially with the messaging, that you are now actually removing your eye and keeping it alive with necromantic magic. If it were a simple illusion, then there'd be no need to stick to the "Eye's can't hear, so you can't see messages with sounds in them" requirement.

Unless I am missing, it, though, there is no requirement, nor bonus, for necro ranks?

[Malisai]

Unless I am missing, it, though, there is no requirement, nor bonus, for necro ranks?

There isnt, they just increased the duration and made it refreashable. Eye spy is fine, its not an attack spell, but you can use it with 717 to kill things without being near them so.....

[Fallen]

I'd like to see Torment and Quake work through the eye with applicable penalties, as both are similar spells.

[Pyrinoc]

Good news everybody!

When your eye is in a different room you can now TELL EYE TO RETURN and, after a short delay, it will find its way back to wherever you are! Also, for those of you that like to keep your business to yourself I have ensured that there is no third party messaging when telling the eye to move. Nobody will know that your eye is out on an adventure but you.

Enjoy!

~ Konacon

[subzero]

Good news everybody!

When your eye is in a different room you can now TELL EYE TO RETURN and, after a short delay, it will find its way back to wherever you are! Also, for those of you that like to keep your business to yourself I have ensured that there is no third party messaging when telling the eye to move. Nobody will know that your eye is out on an adventure but you.

Enjoy!

~ Konacon

Those two things there were sorely needed.

[caelric]

Careful, you're going to get Shaps all riled up about Paladins and 1613

[Fallen]

Way.... Way better with that change.

[Deathravin]

"Hot Sorcerer Nights" indeed. I wonder if any other profession is going to get even a tiny fraction the love that Sorcerers have.

I feel like a lot of these changes are things that are so reasonable and just take away many of those little annoyances that make some sorcerer spells just not worth the trouble.

[Fallen]

That depends on if that profession was slated for a lore/spell review. They crammed something years in the making (or at least discussed/plotted) into a summer promotion.

If anyone else gets anything close it will be wizards due to the E-lore review, though that will benefit other classes (including sorcerers) as well.

[subzero]

I seem to recall there being a HSN event where sorcerers got virtually nothing while other professions got a good bit of work. It comes and it goes; i suppose there will always be a development cycle, even with Simu's method of doing things.