My Pet Mage II

Tessuraea · Last edited by Tessuraea on Sat Aug 21, 2004 5:26 pm; edited 1 time in total

Feedback responses are given in red. Anything with an actual "no" answer can't be brought up for another six months; the ones that are "under discussion" are just that and could become a yes or a no. The rest are pretty self-explanatory. I will be addressing all the tabled issues in my next report and some of them sooner.

Spec line Issues
Mana
The need for HoT and PoT spells has been drastically reduced by the availability of healing and power fonts.

The only damage in the specline is a single-target or AE DoT, which is easily cured or healed, and is negated by standing in a heal field. A high level of Wild Power is necessary to be at all effective.
No plans to change this - design decision

Light
The charm tether range is too short. When a pet gets outside of the tether range, the charm is cancelled entirely and the pet returns to attack the mentalist. If an infinite tether range isn’t possible, a longer tether one would help, and the charm should start pulsing again when the pet re-enters the tether range.
Under Discussion

The charm can’t be quickcast and isn’t an instant. When a pet breaks the charm, it isn’t possible to immediately re-charm it as Minstrels can.
First response is no - however clarify it a bit more.

Rate of double resist is sometimes high even on mobs that are well within the caster’s ability to charm. Charming above your ability should carry risk; charming something far below your ability shouldn’t.
No changes planned - Design Decision

Mentalism
This specline suffers from a lack of offense, defense, or effective utility. It is useless as a primary spec and is almost never taken above 28 as a secondary. Mentalism spec mentalists cannot get into PvE groups and offer little to an RvR group.
No plans to change the line - Design Decision

The baseline DoT ticks only 4 times instead of 6 like most other caster-class DoTs, and there is no damage spell in the spec.
No plans to change this - Design Decision

Its utility spells are not useful. A single-target mez on the same timer as a bard’s is rarely needed in RvR. Confusion has no effect in RvR and is not useful in PvE except in rare situations. The de-mez spell at 28 is a valuable tool, but bards get it baseline. Mana has HoTs which are more efficient than normal heals and carry no aggro. In RvR, single-target heals that require LOS aren’t effective.
Under Discussion

Realm Ability Issues
Selective Blindness
This ability has a tiny radius, isn’t an instant cast, and is resistable. All three of these things hinder its effectiveness.
No plans to change this - it is for a single target - Design Decision

Because those targeted with it can still see the caster, they just follow him around until it breaks. Mentalists have no speed, so this isn’t an effective escape spell. One on one, it’s excellent, but not in regular RvR.
No technology/resources available to change this at this time.

Currently SB breaks if anyone attacks the target, not just the mentalist or pet.
Under Investigation but we can't duplicate it

MCL/Raging Power
These are absolutely necessary for Mentalists to have, and are expensive. Suggest 3/6/9 progression instead of current cost, especially as the first level of each doesn’t compare favorably with the old MCL.
Tabled - need new argument or information.

Static Tempest
Doesn’t take effect until 5 seconds after it’s cast.
No changes planned - design decision

Master Level Abilities
Warlord
The Warlord path is available to Mentalists instead of Convoker. By and large, mentalists are happy with this, but the abilities are clearly not intended for mages. The biggest example is Siegemaster; Mentalists rarely run siege equipment. Warlord has no abilities that will increase the offense or defense of the caster in RvR.
No plans to change this at this time.

The level 10 ability overwrites all casted absorb buffs.
Tabled - need specifics

Stormlord
Only one storm can be used at a time, and storms cannot be canceled by their caster.

Any storm in effect places the caster ‘in combat’ for purposes of regenning power, end, or hits, or using MCL or any other effect that requires the user to be out of combat, including run speed. This is true even if the caster is a zone away.
No plans to change this. Design Decision

Arcing Power: Light already has an AE DD, and Mana has an AE DoT. There’s very little reason to use this in its current form.
No plans to change this at this time - Design Decision

New Issues
Casting range from the top of towers/keeps is decreased enough that getting LOS and range is difficult for anyone who doesn’t have a bolt-range spell.
No plans to change range, but LOS is improved constantly.

Pets don’t keep up with boats. Pets port with the owner, but they lag behind, which often results in the charm breaking because the pet is outside tether range. It then gets ported on top of its old owner with painful results.
Under Discussion

Charm is now sometimes dropping on one resisted pulse or even none.
Investigated - Can't reproduce this.

Item Problems
Artifacts that cast chants cancel the Mentalist charm and vice versa.
Being investigated.

Documentation Issues
Delve information for the charm line is inadequate. It doesn’t say anything about what type of mobs can be charmed with any of the spells, or about the power drain per tick, or the level of mob that can be charmed. The Herald has the power cost, but not the type of mob.
Under Discussion

The HoT spell should display points healed per tick to the caster.
Under Discussion

Confusion still tells the target, “You can’t focus your knight viking badger helmet… aargh!” The caster sees “<target> looks a little crazy!” There is no actual effect.
That is the design. The player is confused and gets a funny message.

Other Issues

Spell resist rates in epic encounters.
Tabled - need new argument or information
Higher resist rate of DoTs vs. DDs.
Specifics
Mentalist has no instant abilities or debuffs.
Tabled - specifics
Focus capped by spec.
No plans to change this - design decision
Guards aggro pets that break charm but don’t lose aggro when the pet is recharmed. (Pets do this to each other on occasion as well.)
Under Investigation
No way to tell from targeting a mob whether or not it can be charmed, which charm spell should be used, or what level it is.
No plans to change this.
Spells are still interrupted by resisted effects or effects the caster is immune to.
No changes planned - Design Decision
Free RAs for casters would be nice, comparable to tireless for melee classes.
Tabled - need new argument or new information.

Tessuraea · Posted: Fri Aug 20, 2004 5:09 pm Post subject:

I got a chuckle out of the knight viking badger helmet thing. Also, though there's a 'no' on changing Mind Mastery, the "under discussion" for its low utility utility spells is a bit heartening.

Like I said, I'll be addressing some of these immediately; others will have to wait for the next report cycle.

I find that even though I'm disappointed by some of the responses, it's nice to have them.

shachza · Posted: Fri Aug 20, 2004 5:23 pm Post subject:

Can I suggest using a color other than bright yellow?

Owie... Sad

/puts on shades Cool

Fiti · Posted: Fri Aug 20, 2004 6:18 pm Post subject:

Well, they did answer each item. I'm not tearing my hair out in frustration. Perhaps they released the worst ones first so then your own report wouldnt look soo bad. Confused

At least I was ready for the overly obvious items to be asked for more specifics.

Ayindyr · Adept Joined: 01 Mar 2004 Posts: 50

Some of these responses are redicilous..

Ashendarei · Posted: Fri Aug 20, 2004 8:15 pm Post subject:

OMG ... the desire to punch whomever wrote that in the face ... .

ARRRGGGHHHH!!!!!'

"Currently SB breaks if anyone attacks the target, not just the mentalist or pet.
Under Investigation but we can't duplicate it "

/em goes and gets a bowl of ice cream to calm down

~Ash

Fiti · Posted: Fri Aug 20, 2004 8:30 pm Post subject:

Heh, this is consistant Rolling Eyes

Ment Report

Vio · Apprentice Joined: 09 Apr 2004 Posts: 7

Who on earth is doing these feedbacks?

At least with Mackey, while I intensely disagreed with him often, I respected his opinions/reasoning. This person is simply AWFUL. Is he/she under a directive from Mythic to give us as little information on Mythic's standing as possible, or does he/she really only posess a five phrase vocabulary...?

EDIT: Oh, and I'll second the non-yellow sentiment. I like yellow, but against the white background I had to highlight it to read it.

carighanmaconar01 · Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2004 5:24 am Post subject:

I too want Mackey back. I had hoped that Linda would be better, because it couldn't go down after Mackey, but Mythic suprised me. Linda shows a total lack of ingame knowledge, writes only single or double words per answer, and also has to be about the most assine person at Mythic, what I can gather from the reports.

Elladar · Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2004 5:58 am Post subject:

As much as I hated Mackey as well, this feedback is totally useless. Why do you even bother writing reports?

shachza · Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2004 7:57 am Post subject:

carighanmaconar01 · Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2004 8:40 am Post subject:

You want to know what's really ridiculous?
Below is the feedback Valewalkers got about the Stormlord-line:

Tougentil · Adept Joined: 23 Feb 2004 Posts: 81

Ayindyr · Adept Joined: 01 Mar 2004 Posts: 50

Team Lead Issues
-Team Lead Importance: It appears that the team lead program as a whole is just for show and that the advice and ideas of team leads are ignored or laughed at.
No plans to change this - Design

carighanmaconar01 · Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2004 1:09 pm Post subject: