Re: Concrete suggestions to balance classes etc.
Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2016 1:49 am
The problem with this thread. Is that most players are focused on the gap in power gained at high levels. And introducing effects that diminish that gap without giving thoughts to the repercussions it has to the lower levels. (Note that in a game without level caps I use the term "low level" very vaguely and it includes the triple digits)
Simply put, low level mages are weak; abilities that lower mage damage and output, effect an already limited class at it lowest levels, which encourages bullying.
I get mobbed, attacked and killed, a lot during exp sessions of grinding; and the fact that I live out in the boonies with a relatively bad connections means I'm dismally terrible at PvP countering (Esp when caught with half mana when grinding something that takes half my mana to kill to begin with)
Stat wise I'm a level 113 pure mana build(sometimes I dip 10-20 levels into ARM if there's alot of PK traffic)
HP is 2599
620 damage per spell, 78 castings full mana (393 mana) 2 spell uses regenerated every 5 seconds.
That's 48360 damage for a full bar of mana. Or 24180 in PvP taking roughly 15 seconds to deal.With 6 spells recovered for +1860.( most pvp battles take far less than 15 seconds)
Now anyone with 45 levels put into ARM can negate the max damage. Any one who attacks me after I kill a pharoas spider (half my mana) would need only around 15k HP to stay out of my max damage threshold. Roughly 20 levels into ARM and 5 potions would work.
Spawning two pharoas spiders negates my green flow (meaning my max damage threshold is 13338 or 6669 with half mana) and with such low health ensures I'm dead. even should I win the fight; my mana would be too depleted to survive the monsters. (At this rate I usually take the time to strip my gear rather than fight...rather not lose my gear when faced with certain death)
The idea of balance isn't to nerf a class as a whole or introduce skills that nerf that class completely. When giving ideas you have to take into account the effects it will have on the lowest levels as well as the highest. (Players. abuse these and many target weaker players purposefully. If you introduce an idea that negates spell use or damage there a good chance it will be used to abuse low level characters)
Key balances would be diminished returns.
I have read a few comments complaining about "infinite" mana. But what is it on a mechanical level?
Infinite mana occurs when the regeneration of mana meets the amount of mana spent. In game terms the average player casts 5-4 spells per second. Or 20-25 spells every 5 seconds which means mana has to regenerate 125 every 5 seconds in order to be infinite.
Since mana regenerates 1+1 point per 40 mana, it would take 4960 mana to generate 125 mana every 5 second or 7000 mana for autoclickers. Meaning Infinite mana/casting is only feasible at around the upper 2300s (3400s for autoclickers) character levels with pure mana builds.
(Some might add that once you reach that level you deserve infinite mana) Any mage lower DOES NOT have infinite mana though he/she may have a lot of it. It will eventually run out.
So diminished returns for mana...(if you don't think those who reach 2300-2500 deserve the epic right to have it)
After X amount of levels mana regeneration begins to taper off.. All prior rates stay the same further point additions cost more levels.. The standard 40points (0.025%) would increase to 50, 60, 80, and 100 after levels X, X, X, And X..
• alternatively just cap mana regeneration at about 115 reachable at around 4560 total mana. To ensure a steady decline incasting ability. Esp for autoclickers.
•diminshed returns for spell damage (mainly a problem for high level quadruple digit play would have to be considered carefully with perhaps more stats bonuses to strength and dex in gear to help compensate for the loss in spell power)
•Another balance would be a skill that increases HP rate of recovery for combat classes while in combat or a recovery skill that grants a flat ##% of total HP.
•Scalable skills that increase with levels. With diminished returns and/or cap.
•Skill points that work like mana gained every level so you could repeatedly use skills you want (gets rid of cooldown allows skills to be spammed in a limited way) recovery of skill points, and skill cost would have to be figured out.
An extra attribute point every 4 levels to non-mage classes to help "balance" the mages impressive attack power (note that the 1.25 attack per attribute put into mana is based on the green flow spell which can be negated with spawned mobs) I mentioned this in another post. But looking back it may have some imbalances at early to mid levels. (As I mentioned mages are bullied at early levels and don't PvP well against those who know what they're doing during PvP)
None of these nerf damage output and potential of lower mages. Who need all they can get.
On a side note. Its a staple for RPGs and high fantasy to have overly powerful wizards who wield overly powerful and world breaking magic... If gandolf couldn't face a demon on his own where would all our hobbits end up? I'd shudder to think of the fate of the realms without the old sage Elminster.. And horror wouldn't be the same without the cultists of Cthulhu and the Old Ones (the imbalance is true to the genre... Now if only we had a sword and sorcery game.. All our spell chuckers would be deomincally possessed and drooling from mind Sundering influences.).. Till then I'll gladly be your insane little Faerie... I'm a natural Drooler anyway.
Simply put, low level mages are weak; abilities that lower mage damage and output, effect an already limited class at it lowest levels, which encourages bullying.
I get mobbed, attacked and killed, a lot during exp sessions of grinding; and the fact that I live out in the boonies with a relatively bad connections means I'm dismally terrible at PvP countering (Esp when caught with half mana when grinding something that takes half my mana to kill to begin with)
Stat wise I'm a level 113 pure mana build(sometimes I dip 10-20 levels into ARM if there's alot of PK traffic)
HP is 2599
620 damage per spell, 78 castings full mana (393 mana) 2 spell uses regenerated every 5 seconds.
That's 48360 damage for a full bar of mana. Or 24180 in PvP taking roughly 15 seconds to deal.With 6 spells recovered for +1860.( most pvp battles take far less than 15 seconds)
Now anyone with 45 levels put into ARM can negate the max damage. Any one who attacks me after I kill a pharoas spider (half my mana) would need only around 15k HP to stay out of my max damage threshold. Roughly 20 levels into ARM and 5 potions would work.
Spawning two pharoas spiders negates my green flow (meaning my max damage threshold is 13338 or 6669 with half mana) and with such low health ensures I'm dead. even should I win the fight; my mana would be too depleted to survive the monsters. (At this rate I usually take the time to strip my gear rather than fight...rather not lose my gear when faced with certain death)
The idea of balance isn't to nerf a class as a whole or introduce skills that nerf that class completely. When giving ideas you have to take into account the effects it will have on the lowest levels as well as the highest. (Players. abuse these and many target weaker players purposefully. If you introduce an idea that negates spell use or damage there a good chance it will be used to abuse low level characters)
Key balances would be diminished returns.
I have read a few comments complaining about "infinite" mana. But what is it on a mechanical level?
Infinite mana occurs when the regeneration of mana meets the amount of mana spent. In game terms the average player casts 5-4 spells per second. Or 20-25 spells every 5 seconds which means mana has to regenerate 125 every 5 seconds in order to be infinite.
Since mana regenerates 1+1 point per 40 mana, it would take 4960 mana to generate 125 mana every 5 second or 7000 mana for autoclickers. Meaning Infinite mana/casting is only feasible at around the upper 2300s (3400s for autoclickers) character levels with pure mana builds.
(Some might add that once you reach that level you deserve infinite mana) Any mage lower DOES NOT have infinite mana though he/she may have a lot of it. It will eventually run out.
So diminished returns for mana...(if you don't think those who reach 2300-2500 deserve the epic right to have it)
After X amount of levels mana regeneration begins to taper off.. All prior rates stay the same further point additions cost more levels.. The standard 40points (0.025%) would increase to 50, 60, 80, and 100 after levels X, X, X, And X..
• alternatively just cap mana regeneration at about 115 reachable at around 4560 total mana. To ensure a steady decline incasting ability. Esp for autoclickers.
•diminshed returns for spell damage (mainly a problem for high level quadruple digit play would have to be considered carefully with perhaps more stats bonuses to strength and dex in gear to help compensate for the loss in spell power)
•Another balance would be a skill that increases HP rate of recovery for combat classes while in combat or a recovery skill that grants a flat ##% of total HP.
•Scalable skills that increase with levels. With diminished returns and/or cap.
•Skill points that work like mana gained every level so you could repeatedly use skills you want (gets rid of cooldown allows skills to be spammed in a limited way) recovery of skill points, and skill cost would have to be figured out.
An extra attribute point every 4 levels to non-mage classes to help "balance" the mages impressive attack power (note that the 1.25 attack per attribute put into mana is based on the green flow spell which can be negated with spawned mobs) I mentioned this in another post. But looking back it may have some imbalances at early to mid levels. (As I mentioned mages are bullied at early levels and don't PvP well against those who know what they're doing during PvP)
None of these nerf damage output and potential of lower mages. Who need all they can get.
On a side note. Its a staple for RPGs and high fantasy to have overly powerful wizards who wield overly powerful and world breaking magic... If gandolf couldn't face a demon on his own where would all our hobbits end up? I'd shudder to think of the fate of the realms without the old sage Elminster.. And horror wouldn't be the same without the cultists of Cthulhu and the Old Ones (the imbalance is true to the genre... Now if only we had a sword and sorcery game.. All our spell chuckers would be deomincally possessed and drooling from mind Sundering influences.).. Till then I'll gladly be your insane little Faerie... I'm a natural Drooler anyway.