R99 - 'Improving' Spell Casting

[Alecta]

As you can see from the patch notes, we've been revisiting some of the spell mechanics on R99.

We would prefer to keep these as classic as possible. Mechanics like LOS checks, channeling, water dancing, cast times, spell effect behaviors, resists etc. should be as classic / appropriate to the era as possible.

I know Null tried to balance things but I feel like should do that using the 'unknowns' (ie, resist formulas) rather than changing the 'knowns'.

Also, we're looking for community feedback, but particularly quality feedback. Saying "resists are broken" is less helpful than "ice comet always lands for full" is less helpful than saying "Ice comet landed for full in 8/10 casts at 200 CR when cast by an even con. Should be partialing for half that." We won't act on every bit of input, but the more the better.

We understand that a lot of this is going to lack hard evidence from 'live', but hopefully we can get to a place where most people are happy.

[Alecta]

Non-Classic Mechanics

You've had a chance to play with these, we want some feedback on whether or not they should stay in.

Soft LOS Check

Null created a system where if you had LOS on a player at the beginning of the detrimental spell and your target went out of LOS at the end of the cast, your spell wouldn't fail if the player was still within 70% of the spells range.

Personally, I feel like this is not a good thing. It reduces the importance of positioning and timing in dungeon pvp and it makes new players cry hax when they get nuked through walls. Thoughts?

Root and Snare Duration

Null also made it so root and snare do not have a chance to break on ticks. Instead if they land, they always land for the full duration. They only break on spell damage and melee damage. Melee damage has a (damage/5)% chance to break, so a 500 hp blow always breaks it, a 250 hp blow will have a 50% chance to break it, etc.

Personally, I think that by not giving it a chance to break on ticks, it further trivializes resists. And while I understand the logic behind the melee damage, that's not exactly classic.

Also, the Titanium Client has a 24 second snare cap for PvP that we are currently overriding. Any opinions on the 24 second cap with tic checks for snare?

[Alecta]

Resists

This is the area of greatest 'greyness' for R99, and so I am sure everyone will hate me no matter what I do.

Prior to this last patch, every PvP spell went through the same resist curve. Certain spell types had often rather large +resist modifiers added to them to shift the curve around, but it was the same curve.

So what we've done is add new 'PvP resist calculations' to the system, where we can tag individual spells (procs / poisons / bard songs) as having a particular resist calculation. Currently, we only have 3 implemented:

1. PvP Unresistible - used in Rapture, Splurt, Lifetaps, etc.
2. PvP Linear with Cap - used in Roots currently, lets us specific a point where the resists hit the 98% cap.
3. Default (Null's curve)

We're planning on adding some more such as :

1. One for rogue blinds - bit harder to resist than normal poison spells since they are 1 shot and require reagents, but with very nerfed partials so you aren't blinded or snared for 2 minutes.
2. One for stuns - perhaps taking into account the level of the spell for your class and level of the caster, so your highest level stun can land occasionally, but spamming 4 low level stuns wont keep people locked down.
3. One for non-lure DDs - which will predominately focus on the partial logic.

Any player feedback on spells or proposed resist functions is welcome.

Also, we've worked out a way to cap resists at 255, which isnt a huge deal at this point, but will be implemented prior to Velious, and should help keep things a little more manageable from a resist point of view.

[Rallyd]

Awesome patch, thank you so very much for the needed attention to red. Pras Alecta!

[Hectorchrist]

Really great to see these changes. Welcome, and thank you!

[plagueis]

The best part about red99 for me is that you can actually root and snare people and get normal spells off. It's good to see these changes but it worries me when I see the resists getting too powerful. I remember on live basically not being able to land a spell in pvp and it totally ruined it. for people like me who started the server late i had no choice but to level a caster and if they become useless in pvp due to resists like they did on live that would really suck. This server needs thriving pvp to stay healthy. Classisism<experience

[Colgate]

clerics don't become useless in pvp when root doesn't land

u srs?

[Technique]

On the subject of casting mechanics, I'd also like to see this addressed:

Added a 5% per attack reduction in channeling chance.

http://wiki.project1999.com/Game_Mec...ails_for_p1999

As far as I know, there's no evidence that anything like this existed on live. Melee push and the channeling formula should've been investigated first.

[plagueis]

the los check seems like a mistake as well. It sounds good on paper but wait until melee's just run around the corner for the last 0.5 sec of your spell. These changes are what made casters useless on live for pvp.

[Dullah]

Originally Posted by Alecta [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Resists

This is the area of greatest 'greyness' for R99, and so I am sure everyone will hate me no matter what I do.

Prior to this last patch, every PvP spell went through the same resist curve. Certain spell types had often rather large +resist modifiers added to them to shift the curve around, but it was the same curve.

So what we've done is add new 'PvP resist calculations' to the system, where we can tag individual spells (procs / poisons / bard songs) as having a particular resist calculation. Currently, we only have 3 implemented:

1. PvP Unresistible - used in Rapture, Splurt, Lifetaps, etc.
2. PvP Linear with Cap - used in Roots currently, lets us specific a point where the resists hit the 98% cap.
3. Default (Null's curve)

We're planning on adding some more such as :

1. One for rogue blinds - bit harder to resist than normal poison spells since they are 1 shot and require reagents, but with very nerfed partials so you aren't blinded or snared for 2 minutes.
2. One for stuns - perhaps taking into account the level of the spell for your class and level of the caster, so your highest level stun can land occasionally, but spamming 4 low level stuns wont keep people locked down.
3. One for non-lure DDs - which will predominately focus on the partial logic.

Any player feedback on spells or proposed resist functions is welcome.

Also, we've worked out a way to cap resists at 255, which isnt a huge deal at this point, but will be implemented prior to Velious, and should help keep things a little more manageable from a resist point of view.

Yes to all these.

Definite no to LOS on spell land.

As far as damage spells, the resists should be between our current (r99) and classic (live). Pretty much right in the middle. Classic (1999-2001) was fine until everyone realized how and where to get resist gear. Then by velious (esp the end) casters sucked.

I understand what Null was trying to do, but he went too far away from classic to the point that it changed the way EQ pvp was intended to work. Allowing players to have a chance to resist spells without having to stack a single resist in every slot allows for more variety, promotes longer fights and tactics and gives the server a much more classic feel.