Buff pot timers

krumr wrote: ↑

Thu 14 Mar 2019 9:37 PM

Dex wrote: ↑

Thu 14 Mar 2019 7:23 PM

I definitely see both sides of this debate, and how pursuing one path or the other is an overall improvement on the current state. Let's explore each.

Keeping buff pots - I think it's important to remember that buff pots were introduced in an age where most people playing competitively on a smaller scale or as stealthers utilized a buff bot. They only marginally closed the gap and greater numbers or group composition would have to make up the rest. Now, everyone is on more even footing, but between buff pots and charges, they're just mandatory, they're ubiquitous, and they're tedious. If they are to remain, I see no reason not to drastically increase their duration, possibly to the point of making them effectively permanent. I don't think managing buffs, especially a contingent of charge buffs, adds anything to the game.

The perhaps unintended consequence of buffs for every class though is that the value returned for the opportunity cost charged to classes that have buffs as a part of their kit is far diminished. I'm not sure if this introduced imbalance was ever fully addressed. Perhaps it should be in some way. The upside to this state of the game is that we can see a greater variety of class combinations participating effectively in combat - but again, was this balance ever actually addressed? Are we trading the necessity of a buffing class, for the necessity of other classes that bring far greater utility without the need for that buffing class? Are we just trading one homogenization of compositions for another?

Completely removing buff pots/charges - Again, they are ubiquitous presently. Those who have not caught up and fully optimized their odds of victory soon will, whether they like it or not, because I'm pretty confident that no one likes getting stomped repeatedly. This reinstates considerable value to buffing classes. Again, a balance issue may emerge, I'd say particularly among stealthers and people who like to solo to small-man - these groups would likely need to introduce a buffing class to remain competitive. Is that a bad thing? It's definitely different than what we're used to, but it's closest to how the game was originally designed and played. I'm not personally to stuck on adhering to some 20 year old vision of the game though - moreso interested in seeing this be the most engaging and fun game possible today.

In either case, I believe the game can be improved and class balance needs to be addressed with the huge impact of buffs in mind.

Some weeks ago, on another post, based on the same exact premises of yours, and assuming these buffs are here to stay, I also suggested to consider a different kind of approach to the buffing system, one based on NPCs, like realm buffers, with unlimited duration buffs paid with a specific currency, crafted by alchemists and the cost of which could be set accordingly to maintain the current gold per "life" cost of potions and charges, with spec buffs added to the NPC (once and for all) by turning in the relative items (this way even the market for those items could still be relevant).

But, all in all, even the current system with the 10 minutes duration could work, as long as the it got some deserved polish: on one hand, all the best potion buffs available should be given by one single combined potion, and, on the other hand, there should be a way to consolidate all the different charge items into one.
This alone would remove the need to track all the different timers to refresh the right buff at the right time: every 10 minutes you would only need to use your combined potion and your "combined" charge item and you would be set for the next 10 minutes.

I realize that, being just a matter of qol, it may no be top priority, but I hope that someday these issues will be looked into and fixed.