>>DR-Raesh: Aesandry Darlaeth: No longer signature.
I am curious why Aesandry Darlaeth is no longer a signature spell. The only spell that became signature with this update is the metaspell Adaptive Curing, which was arguably already signature. (It just allows you to preemptively cast the signature spells of Cure Disease and Flush Poisons.)
"Empathy doesn't make people nice." --GM Armifer
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SARKRANIS
DR-MELETE
Re: Spell Changes: Aesandry Darlaeth
06/23/2014 04:27 AM CDT
I kept AD signature during the original rounds of changes because we were using a slightly different metric in determining what should be signature. (Or possibly I misunderstood it!)
Empaths pretty much have to share every single spell that doesn't involve our confound because we have so, so, so many confounded spells. The exception being NB because that really, really is the signature Empath spell.
Melete
Nature, it seems, is the popular name
for milliards and milliards and milliards
of particles playing their infinite game
of billiards and billiards and billiards.
Empaths pretty much have to share every single spell that doesn't involve our confound because we have so, so, so many confounded spells. The exception being NB because that really, really is the signature Empath spell.
Melete
Nature, it seems, is the popular name
for milliards and milliards and milliards
of particles playing their infinite game
of billiards and billiards and billiards.
LAMBL
Re: Spell Changes: Aesandry Darlaeth
06/23/2014 05:24 AM CDT
I thought at one point all esoteric spells had to be signature. With AD making the flip, I assume that's no longer the case?
Thanks,
-Life Sustainer Karthor
Thanks,
-Life Sustainer Karthor
ILLIENA
Re: Spell Changes: Aesandry Darlaeth
06/23/2014 05:27 AM CDT
> I thought at one point all esoteric spells had to be signature. With AD making the flip, I assume that's no longer the case?
Soul Ablaze is esoteric, and it also made the flip. I think it's more that the default position for an esoteric is signature, but it can be made non-signature if there's good reason.
Soul Ablaze is esoteric, and it also made the flip. I think it's more that the default position for an esoteric is signature, but it can be made non-signature if there's good reason.
DR-RAESH
Re: Spell Changes: Aesandry Darlaeth
06/23/2014 05:30 AM CDT
Here's the thing about signature spells and why you see us flipping them around back and forth as we try and define what we want them to do: They're trying to fit a lot of criteria that don't all overlap nicely. To quote a (slightly redacted) email I recently sent the rest of the magic team discussion the problem:
1) Spells that thematically should only be cast by one guild ('Confound') reasons.
2) Spells that mechanically break if cast by other guilds.
3) Spells that are 'signature' to the guild but don't fit those other catagories.
4) Try and make sure all guilds are equally contributing to the spells that go on runes and so forth (ie: Avoiding the classic Warrior Mage problem).
5) Spells that do things we don't want everyone to have access too. (Invisibility)
And... really, we can't do those all at once. We don't want to restrict all the high level spell (esoteric and so forth) because it makes Sorcery far less interesting and their much higher backlash rates already keep that in check, but we also have some guilds that just can't share their spells as well with others. Moon Mages are the classic example here - even before you get into Confound reasons a HUGE swath of their spells require a moonbeam or other guild specific mechanics.
The upside is it's not a big deal for us to change a spell from signature and back again.
-Raesh
"Ever notice that B.A.'s flavor text swells in direct proportion to how much one of our characters is getting screwed?" - Brian Van Hoose
1) Spells that thematically should only be cast by one guild ('Confound') reasons.
2) Spells that mechanically break if cast by other guilds.
3) Spells that are 'signature' to the guild but don't fit those other catagories.
4) Try and make sure all guilds are equally contributing to the spells that go on runes and so forth (ie: Avoiding the classic Warrior Mage problem).
5) Spells that do things we don't want everyone to have access too. (Invisibility)
And... really, we can't do those all at once. We don't want to restrict all the high level spell (esoteric and so forth) because it makes Sorcery far less interesting and their much higher backlash rates already keep that in check, but we also have some guilds that just can't share their spells as well with others. Moon Mages are the classic example here - even before you get into Confound reasons a HUGE swath of their spells require a moonbeam or other guild specific mechanics.
The upside is it's not a big deal for us to change a spell from signature and back again.
-Raesh
"Ever notice that B.A.'s flavor text swells in direct proportion to how much one of our characters is getting screwed?" - Brian Van Hoose
JHALIASCLERIC
Re: Spell Changes: Aesandry Darlaeth
06/23/2014 10:10 AM CDT
I was really excited about this; I'd love to pick up AD on my Necromancer, the guild I think most lacks a good combat cyclic. USOL is great, but TM isn't a challenge for me to move, especially with pets.
But yeah, AD doesn't use the guilds confound, at all, so, I think it also thematically makes sense, and with any luck, paves the way for additional Empath spells that do.
