I missed you guys, in a creepy internet way.

Q: Why the pet attack/owner stealth nerf?

A: Part of this is a bug fix. We broke something in 1.84 – it used to be that if a pet was attacking, you couldn’t go into stealth mode. Right before we buffed up the pets, we broke that, and you could stealth no matter what your pet was doing. So at minimum, we needed to go back to the old code.

But it also used to be that if you managed to get into stealth before the pet actually reached the target and attacked, the pet’s act of attacking would not affect your own stealth. So the change is that now, attacking breaks stealth in all situations.

We did this for a number of reasons, among them that a) attacking really should break stealth, and b) the original situation was a case of Mythic thinking, well, this is sort of stupid, but we need to address the pet before we repair this oversight. And we did make some improvements to the hunter pet in 1.85.

But the main reason we did it, and chose to do it now, is that there is now a situation where significant damage can be done at zero risk to the attacking player, with the defending player having no strategic option.

Q: Why does the Market Explorer window have to close when I leave the area?

A: The fact that the window didn’t just close automatically was, technically, a bug. However, it was a bug we put at the absolute rock bottom of the priority list, because we thought it didn’t hurt anyone and a lot of players found it convenient.

In fact, it would still be a bug, or what I like to call a featurebug if it weren’t for the fact that there was a potentially dreadful exploit related to the way the window used to work. I’m very sorry, but it had to be fixed, and fixed fast.

Q: I have a question about the documentation of Animist realm abilities on the Herald.  My new animist purchased Serenity, but I do not see that on the realm abilities listed.

A: Someday, my beloved Herald will draw documentation straight from the game. For now, it does… sort of. We get the information from the game and Missy types it in. She managed to get several thousand entries without error, but apparently, she requires occasional breaks for food and sleep, and there are a few errors. Any time you spot one, send it in, and we’ll… okay, SHE’LL fix it.

Q: Could you please explain why the vampiir fumble spell has no immunity timer, while Nearsight has a one minute immunity timer, regardless of how big of a Nearsight it is?

A: Ah, a design question. The Redhead: “The fumble debuff is a 50% chance to proc a 6 second debuff for 30 seconds (reduced by resists) on a 15 second recast timer and required the target to be in melee range to use. Realistically, it’s only going to be up on one player at a time, and the vamp has to be in your face to use it.

“Nearsight is 100% effective for the duration, not reduced by resists, one of the longest ranged spells in the game, no recast timer and a very short cast time. You can blanket an entire zerg with it from clip range in a few seconds.

“The fumble is very effective, yes, but not really on par with nearsight.”

As with all design questions featured here in the grab bag, my intent is to give you some insight, explain our thinking when we make balance decisions, maybe explain something that makes me tilt my head to the side in confusion in a manner not unlike that of my elderly beagle. You’re as always more than free to send feedback.

Q: I've been exploring the underwater lakes outside SF and Vasudheim, and I've noticed Cave entrances that you can't enter. Are these new dungeons?

A: We have no immediate plans for this area, sad to say. As a side note, I love you explorer types, MMORPGs need more of you.

Q: When will Labyrinth launch?

A: We are aiming for the week of November 15^th.

 ***

The Germans at Pearl Harbor thing (in the grab bag on 10/13) was a joke from a movie called Animal House. Belushi as a frat boy. It was funny. But I gather from my email that this movie was not the universal viewing experience I had thought it was. For the record, I in no way have ever for a moment actually believed that the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor in World War Two.

I guess this means I’m not going to make any Airplane! jokes, like, ever.

Hey, I’m sorry for not posting that there would be no Grab Bag on the 20^th. To be honest, the Bag on the 13^th was written while I was at home, packing to leave on a trip. I’d meant to put in a note at the bottom, and just spaced.  

Next week, I promise the Bag will be back to its accustomed maximum verbosity. In the meantime, my eyes are just about to fall out of their sockets from all the email that was waiting for me. This is why I only take a week off every two years. It takes that long to forget the pain of the backlog that awaits my return.

Y'all have a wonderiffic weekend.