User talk:GS4ALASTIR/Spell Changes 2024

Goals:

• Improve spell disablers so that magic has options available to set up and disable creatures.
• Improve support builds for grouping by allowing experience for contributions in a standardized way.
• Standardize effects and effect durations so combat flows more naturally and players aren’t forced to "take a timeout" for several minutes.
• Improve Survival training by adding more utility.

General Updates:

• Most spells that disable or debuff a single target will have a 2 second cast roundtime and a mana cost in the 1-5 range. AoE versions will remain at 3 seconds of cast roundtime, but most mana cost will be lowered to the 5-10 range.
• Self-cast spells no longer force a TD reduction on the caster. This already applies for newer spells but some older ones still have this mechanic.
• A few spells will not require a skill check and have automatic success unless the target is more than 10 levels above the attacker. Ascension creatures targets can go up to level 20 higher, but there's a 10% chance of failure for each level past 10. Subsequent attempts against the same Ascension target increases the odds of success by 20% for each attempt. e.g. the first attempt might have a 60% chance of failure, but the second attempt only has a 40%, the third a 20%, etc.
• Some abilities will be updated to use the Standard Maneuver Roll (SMR).
• All abilities which induce roundtime will use Stagger (cannot stack, but can refresh).

Durations:

• All negative effects will be normalized around a 30 second maximum duration. This mainly pertains to actual spells, but we'll also try to update creature abilities in the future too.
• Base and minimum duration of 10 seconds.
• Maximum duration of 30 seconds against characters and 60 seconds against creatures.
• Warding and SMR spells/abilities will use (10 + ((end result - 100) / 5) * (1 against characters or 2 against creatures)) to determine the duration. e.g. a 140 end result would be (10 + (140 - 100) / 5)) = 18 seconds against a character and 36 seconds against a creature.
• Training in Survival reduces the duration by the following:
  • Ranks 1-100: 1% per 5 ranks, up to 20%
  • Ranks 101+: 1% per 20 ranks, up to 10%
• Kroderine Soul reduces the duration of magical effects by 25% and stacks (additively) with the Survival bonus.

The following spells updates are live. Additional updates are pending, especially for spells that have single target and AoE versions, as updating their cast roundtime or mana costs involves additional complexity. Those will be announced once released. The entire Development team has worked through design, coding, and QC to make this update possibles.

Stun Relief (108):
Reduced castRT to 2.
Reduced mana cost to 3.

Unbalance (110)
Reduced castRT to 2.
Reduced mana cost to 5.
Additional updates are pending.

Web (118)
Single target and room versions have moved from warding to the SMR.
Reduced SMR single target castRT to 2.
Reduced SMR single target mana cost to 5.
Reduced AoE version mana cost to 10.  CastRT remains at 3.
CastRT and mana cost of the bolt version remain unchanged.
Uses new standard negative duration formula.

Spirit Dispel (119)
Reduced castRT to 2.
Reduced base mana cost to 5.
When dispelling a spell, the mana cost is 1 mana for every 4 levels of the target spell, and +2 mana when the dispel doesn't match the sphere of the target spell.  Every 75 skill in Mana Control (that matches the dispel type) reduces the mana cost by 1. Minimum of 1 mana and maximum of 5 mana.

Searing Light (135)
Reduced mana cost to 7.
Uses new standard negative duration formula.

Calm (201)
Reduced CastRT to 2.

Interference (212)
Updated to be auto-success.
Reduced castRT to 2.
Reduced mana cost to 2.

Bind (214)
Reduced castRT to 2.
Reduced mana cost to 5.

Frenzy (216)
Reduced castRT to 2.
Reduced mana cost to 3.

Mass Interference (217)
Updated to be auto-success.
Reduced mana cost to 5.

Spiritual Abolition (230)
For each spell dispelled, the mana cost is 1 mana for every 4 levels of the target spell, and +2 mana when the dispel doesn't match the sphere of the target spell.  Every 75 skill in Mana Control (that matches the dispel type) reduces the mana cost by 1. Minimum of 1 mana and maximum of 5 mana. The overall minimum is 10 mana and the overall maximum is 20 mana.

Blind (311)
Reduced castRT to 2.
Reduced mana cost to 3.
Uses new standard negative duration formula.

Censure (316)
Reduce mana cost to 10.
Uses new standard negative duration formula.

Elemental Saturation (413)
Updated to be auto-success.
Reduced castRT to 2.
Reduced mana cost to 2.

Elemental Dispel (417)
Reduced castRT to 2.
Reduced base mana cost to 5.
When dispelling a spell, the mana cost is 1 mana for every 4 levels of the target spell, and +2 mana when the dispel doesn't match the sphere of the target spell.  Every 75 skill in Mana Control (that matches the dispel type) reduces the mana cost by 1. Minimum of 1 mana and maximum of 5 mana.

Cold Snap (512)
Reduced mana cost to 10.

Elemental Disjunction (530)
For each spell dispelled, the mana cost is 1 mana for every 4 levels of the target spell, and +2 mana when the dispel doesn't match the sphere of the target spell.  Every 75 skill in Mana Control (that matches the dispel type) reduces the mana cost by 1. Minimum of 1 mana and maximum of 5 mana. The overall minimum is 10 mana and the overall maximum is 20 mana.

Sounds (607)
Reduced castRT to 2.
Reduced mana cost to 5.

Tangleweed (610)
Reduced castRT to 2.
Reduced mana cost to 5.

Moonbeam (611)
Reduced castRT to 2.
Reduced mana cost to 5.

Call Swarm (615)
Reduce castRT to 2.
Reduce mana cost to 5.

Mass Calm (619)
Reduced mana cost to 10.

Mind Jolt (706)
Reduced castRT to 2.
Reduced mana cost to 4.

Lullabye (1005)
Reduced castRT to 2.

Stunning Shout (1008)
Reduced castRT to 2.
Reduced mana cost to 5.

Song of Depression (1015)
Reduced initial mana cost to 10.

Song of Rage (1016)
Reduced castRT to 2.
Reduced initial mana cost to 3.

Song of Noise (1017)
Reduced initial mana cost to 10.

Empathy (1108)
Reduced castRT to 2.
Reduced mana cost to 5.

Sympathy (1120)
Reduced mana cost to 10.

Powersink (1203)
Reduced castRT to 2.
Reduced mana cost to 1.

Force Projection (1207)
Reduced castRT to 2.
Reduced mana cost to 5.

Thought Lash (1210)
Reduced castRT to 2.
Reduced mana cost to 5.

Confusion (1211)
Reduced castRT to 2.
Reduced mana cost to 3.

Mental Dispel (1218)
Reduced castRT to 2.
Reduced base mana cost to 5.
When dispelling a spell, the mana cost is 1 mana for every 4 levels of the target spell, and +2 mana when the dispel doesn't match the sphere of the target spell.  Every 75 skill in Mana Control (that matches the dispel type) reduces the mana cost by 1. Minimum of 1 mana and maximum of 5 mana.

Vertigo (1219)
Reduced mana cost to 10.

Aura of the Arkati (1614)
Reduced mana cost to 5.

Mystic Impedance (1708)
Reduced castRT to 2.
Reduced mana cost to 3.

Quake (1714)
Reduced mana cost to 5.

* Mass Dispels:
It calculates the cost for each spell removed.  Each spell has a minimum of 1 and maximum of 5. After calculating it for each spell, it then totals the cost for all spells removed. That final total has a minimum of 10 mana and a maximum of 20. 119 will only be faster if there's only 1 spell to remove.

Immolate, spell 519, has now been updated as part of the spell disabler review.   The evoked casting roundtime is now 2 seconds.  The evoked mana cost is now 5.

Corrupt Essence, spell 703, has now been updated as part of the spell disabler review.  The single target casting roundtime is now 2 seconds.

Pain, spell 711, has now been updated as part of the spell disabler review.  The inflicted roundtime has been converted to stagger.

Prayer of Holding (301):
* Reduced castRT to 2.
* Reduced mana cost to maximum 4.
* Uses new standard negative duration formula.

Elemental Strike (415):
* Converted to use Staggered.
* Uses new standard negative duration formula.

Sleep (501):
* Reduced castRT to 2.
* Reduced mana cost to maximum 5.
* Converted to use Unconscious.
* Uses new standard negative duration formula.

Slow (504):
* Reduced single-target castRT to 2.
* Reduced single-target mana cost to 1.
* Uses new standard negative duration formula.

Hand of Tonis (505):
* Warding stun version converted to use SMR.
* Reduced stun castRT to 2.

Tremors (909):
* Converted to use Feeble.
* Reduced mana cost to 7.

Call Wind (912):
* Converted to use Staggered.
* Additionally applies Disengaged to targets.
* Reduced mana cost to 8.

Sandstorm (914):
* Reduced castRT to 2.
* Reduced mana cost to 3.

Weapon Fire (915):
* Reduced castRT to 2.
* Reduced mana cost to 5.

Vertigo (1219):
* Converted to use Staggered.
* Reduced mana cost to 10.

Mindwipe (1225):
* Reduced single-target castRT to 2.
* Reduced single-target mana cost to 5, open-cast mana cost to 10.

Repentance (1615):
* Converted to use Staggered.

Judgment (1630):
* Converted to use Staggered.

GLOBAL: Disablers across the board have been updated with regard to experience contribution.

Weapon Deflection:
Updated to new auto-success level check.
Reduced castRT to 2.
Reduce mana cost to 2.
Uses new standard negative duration formula.

Elemental Wave (410):
* Converted to use SMR.
* Converted to use Staggered.

Major Elemental Wave (435):
* Reduced mana cost to 20.
* Converted to use SMR.
* Converted to use Staggered.

Bind (214):
* Reduced castRT to 2.
* Reduced mana cost to 5.

Frenzy 
* Reduced castRT to 2.
* Reduced mana cost to 3.

Estild: Ethereal Censer (320):
Now costs 0 mana and no longer refunds 20 mana over time.

Estild: Also, previously some spells would have a dynamic mana cost, but spell hindrance would always cause it to cost mana points equal to the spell level. With these updates, it's a bit more intelligent, so in the case of 320, it will cost 0 mana even with spell hindrance now. Some spells that have a cost that changes based upon single or AoE targets will use the highest mana cost of the two, but that's still lower than the previous model of being equal to spell level.

Estild: We're trying something out new called Minimum Level of Effectiveness. For SMR (and eventually warding down the road), it will use the normal stats/skills to calculate the strength of an attack, but then compare that against a minimum that only uses your level, and use the greater of the two. We're roughly aiming for the latter to be about a 70% chance of success. 

Estild: A new update was just made to the SMR formula (for the updated spells) where Minor and Semi spell circles will not factor in Spell Aiming ranks unless it causes a higher spell strength. 

Estild: Updated, they will factor in Spell Aiming ranks if the result is higher, but otherwise not.



Notes:
Estild: Any spells that convert to SMR would use that circle's spell ranks.
Estild: You do not need 101 spell ranks to be effective against like level creatures.
Estild: Spell ranks increase the SMR strength.
Estild: Actually, for the updated spells that use SMR, they use ((spell ranks (from the affected circle) + Spell Aiming ranks) / 2).