Blastbones Suggestion

Dinokstrun

Allow Blastbones to immediately explode when there's no target for it to lock on to.
This will allow Necromancers to quickly summon a fresh blastbones without Blastbones dying mid chase while attempting to reach its target. Having a dormant blastbones is incredibly frustrating and waiting for an older blastbones to expire limits effective blastbones usage in PvP.

Kunrad

This is one of the multiple solutions that should be made on Elsweyr PTS. For some reasons, things are as they are. Maybe after 100 posts about it they will finally do something... After all, it's the most iconic and badass necro's ability...

Maulkin

Dinokstrun wrote: »

Allow Blastbones to immediately explode when there's no target for it to lock on to.
This will allow Necromancers to quickly summon a fresh blastbones without Blastbones dying mid chase while attempting to reach its target. Having a dormant blastbones is incredibly frustrating and waiting for an older blastbones to expire limits effective blastbones usage in PvP.

I'm sorry, your point isn't clear at all.

You say that blastbones should explode when it has no target lock. Then say that this would enable you to summon another one without blastbones dying mid-chase. If it's mid-chase it means it has a target, it's not dormant. And if the game allowed you to summon another one (presumably by forcing the previous one to explode) then you are specifically forcing bones to to die mid-chase instead of preventing that from happening. Which one is it?

Eduard_Rodric

I think blastbones have to be something like sorcerer's curse. You have the target casts the skill. He immediately summons and immediately jumps to the target. Or immediately teleports to the target and explodes. No delay or run to target. It had to be an immediate jump. Well, just like this one. It's totally broken

Dinokstrun

Maulkin wrote: »

Dinokstrun wrote: »

Allow Blastbones to immediately explode when there's no target for it to lock on to.
This will allow Necromancers to quickly summon a fresh blastbones without Blastbones dying mid chase while attempting to reach its target. Having a dormant blastbones is incredibly frustrating and waiting for an older blastbones to expire limits effective blastbones usage in PvP.

I'm sorry, your point isn't clear at all.

You say that blastbones should explode when it has no target lock. Then say that this would enable you to summon another one without blastbones dying mid-chase. If it's mid-chase it means it has a target, it's not dormant. And if the game allowed you to summon another one (presumably by forcing the previous one to explode) then you are specifically forcing bones to to die mid-chase instead of preventing that from happening. Which one is it?

Perhaps I wasn't quite clear with the point I was trying to make. Basically Blastbones has a duration and when a new target is acquired it would then proceed to rush the target, however if the duration is near expired it then pretty die mid chase when in the mean time it would've been more profitable to summon a fresh blastbones. I probably should've been much clearer in the original post. No target = Blastbones must die/explode.

Example say you're fighting a nightblade and said Nightblade attempts to retreat with cloak while Blastbones is active, Blastbones then should immediately explode where ever it is currently stood. This can provide the necro with a chance to summon a fresh blastbones instead of having blastbones just standing around or resetting.

Haquor

I prefer the idea of being able to recast at any time at a new opponent you are targetting. If you recast the current one is dispelled without an explosion. This would prevent broken spamming but allow you to send it where it needs to be without waisting time.

Maulkin

Dinokstrun wrote: »

Maulkin wrote: »

Dinokstrun wrote: »

Allow Blastbones to immediately explode when there's no target for it to lock on to.
This will allow Necromancers to quickly summon a fresh blastbones without Blastbones dying mid chase while attempting to reach its target. Having a dormant blastbones is incredibly frustrating and waiting for an older blastbones to expire limits effective blastbones usage in PvP.

I'm sorry, your point isn't clear at all.

You say that blastbones should explode when it has no target lock. Then say that this would enable you to summon another one without blastbones dying mid-chase. If it's mid-chase it means it has a target, it's not dormant. And if the game allowed you to summon another one (presumably by forcing the previous one to explode) then you are specifically forcing bones to to die mid-chase instead of preventing that from happening. Which one is it?

Perhaps I wasn't quite clear with the point I was trying to make. Basically Blastbones has a duration and when a new target is acquired it would then proceed to rush the target, however if the duration is near expired it then pretty die mid chase when in the mean time it would've been more profitable to summon a fresh blastbones. I probably should've been much clearer in the original post. No target = Blastbones must die/explode.

Example say you're fighting a nightblade and said Nightblade attempts to retreat with cloak while Blastbones is active, Blastbones then should immediately explode where ever it is currently stood. This can provide the necro with a chance to summon a fresh blastbones instead of having blastbones just standing around or resetting.

Ok, gotcha. But I disagree, sorry. Let me explain why....

Personally I believe what happens to the Blastbones in the event of target loss (cloak, target death etc.) should be in the discretion of the Necro instead of a forced explosion. If it explodes the second the target is lost, you've just wasted your magicka and GCD. Sometimes, when the target was lost soon after blastbones spawned, it will quickly acquire a second target and successfully reach and detonate before the timer runs out. You don't want to forcibly remove the possibility of a successful secondary target hit.

My proposed solution is based around 2 things:
1) Faster target reach
2) Ability to spawn a new one after X seconds (forcing the last to explode)

On the first point, I have always maintained that blast bones should always do a Dragon Leap of sorts. It spawns and then immediately jumps to the target if the target is within 28m range, exploding on landing. That would prevent blastbones sitting idly next to its target after getting there. If the target is out of range or it has broken LOS, then it runs until it gets within range and LOS and then leaps.It should also be snare immune in the process. Basically faster and more reliably landing hits.

On the second point, I believe that 5 seconds after casting (2.5 of which is the spawn time) you should be able to spawn a new one forcing the last one to explode. Because whether the target is lost or whether the target is simply successfully using LOS cover with sprint (thus leading blastbones on an endless chase) it should be the prerogative of the Necro to engage a new target very quickly with a new Blastbones spawn. But it's up to the Necro. Which means you can choose to let it find another target.

If there target is completely and no secondary target is available it should come and die at your feet to offer up a corpse, like it currently does.

Maulkin

Haquor wrote: »

I prefer the idea of being able to recast at any time at a new opponent you are targetting. If you recast the current one is dispelled without an explosion. This would prevent broken spamming but allow you to send it where it needs to be without waisting time.

So what happens to the 2.5" spawn time? Do you think you should be able to recast during that period? It would be a bit like a MagSorc applying Curse to the same target before the previous one explodes. It becomes a complete waste of magicka.

ketsparrowhawk

My Suggestion: Make blastbones summon near the target, not the caster.

Also allow the caster to re-cast blastbones to kill it (creating a corpse) and summon a new one.

Would be an easy change and would help a lot I think.

Maulkin

ketsparrowhawk wrote: »

My Suggestion: Make blastbones summon near the target, not the caster.

There's upsides and downside of this. You might be able to hit targets sitting on elevation like keep walls, towers, rocks etc. However the downside is that if the target is lost it won't be able to find its way back to you to offer up a corpse. The advantage of spawning near the necro, is that when the target is lost you can quickly get a corpse you can use.

I think if Blastbones spawned near the caster but then "Dragon Leaped" to the target with the same Y axis allowance as Dragon Leap, then it land a lot more reliably.

Dinokstrun

Maulkin wrote: »

Dinokstrun wrote: »

Maulkin wrote: »

Dinokstrun wrote: »

Allow Blastbones to immediately explode when there's no target for it to lock on to.
This will allow Necromancers to quickly summon a fresh blastbones without Blastbones dying mid chase while attempting to reach its target. Having a dormant blastbones is incredibly frustrating and waiting for an older blastbones to expire limits effective blastbones usage in PvP.

I'm sorry, your point isn't clear at all.

You say that blastbones should explode when it has no target lock. Then say that this would enable you to summon another one without blastbones dying mid-chase. If it's mid-chase it means it has a target, it's not dormant. And if the game allowed you to summon another one (presumably by forcing the previous one to explode) then you are specifically forcing bones to to die mid-chase instead of preventing that from happening. Which one is it?

Perhaps I wasn't quite clear with the point I was trying to make. Basically Blastbones has a duration and when a new target is acquired it would then proceed to rush the target, however if the duration is near expired it then pretty die mid chase when in the mean time it would've been more profitable to summon a fresh blastbones. I probably should've been much clearer in the original post. No target = Blastbones must die/explode.

Example say you're fighting a nightblade and said Nightblade attempts to retreat with cloak while Blastbones is active, Blastbones then should immediately explode where ever it is currently stood. This can provide the necro with a chance to summon a fresh blastbones instead of having blastbones just standing around or resetting.

Ok, gotcha. But I disagree, sorry. Let me explain why....

Personally I believe what happens to the Blastbones in the event of target loss (cloak, target death etc.) should be in the discretion of the Necro instead of a forced explosion. If it explodes the second the target is lost, you've just wasted your magicka and GCD. Sometimes, when the target was lost soon after blastbones spawned, it will quickly acquire a second target and successfully reach and detonate before the timer runs out. You don't want to forcibly remove the possibility of a successful secondary target hit.

My proposed solution is based around 2 things:
1) Faster target reach
2) Ability to spawn a new one after X seconds (forcing the last to explode)

On the first point, I have always maintained that blast bones should always do a Dragon Leap of sorts. It spawns and then immediately jumps to the target if the target is within 28m range, exploding on landing. That would prevent blastbones sitting idly next to its target after getting there. If the target is out of range or it has broken LOS, then it runs until it gets within range and LOS and then leaps.It should also be snare immune in the process. Basically faster and more reliably landing hits.

On the second point, I believe that 5 seconds after casting (2.5 of which is the spawn time) you should be able to spawn a new one forcing the last one to explode. Because whether the target is lost or whether the target is simply successfully using LOS cover with sprint (thus leading blastbones on an endless chase) it should be the prerogative of the Necro to engage a new target very quickly with a new Blastbones spawn. But it's up to the Necro. Which means you can choose to let it find another target.

If there target is completely and no secondary target is available it should come and die at your feet to offer up a corpse, like it currently does.

Now that you mention it my suggestion does have a very large flaw when it comes to larger scale scenario. I like the idea of Blastbones being quicker and maybe smarter. I just hope in the future Blastbones will far more reliable that its current state.

Stibbons

At this state of blastbones the duration should be doubled and you should be able to summon several blastbones. They could stand still and think together who to attack at the same time.

MehrunesFlagon

I would have it work like shalks except heave it target the enemy with the highest maximum health pool.

Blinkin8r

Blastbones is the most pos skill I think I've seen in this game. Looks great fundamentally, but the targeting on that thing is dumb af. Like yo hey lil dude I want you to go kill that guy, sic em.

Blastbones: *Looks at me
*Looks at target
*Takes a step towards target
*Looks back at me
*Gives me the middle finger
*Collapses into a pile of bones

Absolutely trash performance.

Ozby

IMO Blastbones is horrible it's way to slow and I've killed the enemies before he even hits them most of the time.

wild_kmacdb16_ESO

Blinkin8r wrote: »

Blastbones is the most pos skill I think I've seen in this game. Looks great fundamentally, but the targeting on that thing is dumb af. Like yo hey lil dude I want you to go kill that guy, sic em.

Blastbones: *Looks at me
*Looks at target
*Takes a step towards target
*Looks back at me
*Gives me the middle finger
*Collapses into a pile of bones

Absolutely trash performance.

Oh I feel this.

Half the time I feel like I am spending resources to summon a non combat pet for the enemy, since BB will just walk slowly behind it.

And then when it falls apart, the corpse despawns a split second before you try to use a skill on it. Necros are the only class that gets trolled by their own freaking abilities

Revokus

Blinkin8r wrote: »

Blastbones is the most pos skill I think I've seen in this game. Looks great fundamentally, but the targeting on that thing is dumb af. Like yo hey lil dude I want you to go kill that guy, sic em.

Blastbones: *Looks at me
*Looks at target
*Takes a step towards target
*Looks back at me
*Gives me the middle finger
*Collapses into a pile of bones

Absolutely trash performance.

Lmao this is exactly it !

Bobby_V_Rockit

Or give it a toxic aura so that when its just standing around doing nothing at least its poisoning nearby things. Sooooo many times I’ve summoned the dumbard and it just stands there or shows up after I’ve already killed my target.

Lazy blastbones

Revokus

Stibbons wrote: »

At this state of blastbones the duration should be doubled and you should be able to summon several blastbones. They could stand still and think together who to attack at the same time.

3 blastbones would be cool maybe one will at least go off

Revokus

How is this acceptable ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mq1quHE6lOs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiduglYP6iI

@ZOS_GinaBruno @ZOS_JessicaFolsom @ZOS_BrianWheeler @ZOS_Gilliam

Mayrael

When I saw your avatar I thought it will be Delparis thread again asking for some nerfs, I'm pretty disappointed...

And about blastbones. Just make it like shadow image, when blastbones are up Necro can blow them up any time by using again the ability (no cost OFC), if blastbones reach their target they blow up on their own. This would give necros a bit more control over their fleshless pals.

jcm2606

It needs a complete rework, IMO. The current version is depressingly abysmal, but even if you addressed its biggest pain points (the AI getting confused, able to be stunned, able to be killed, running slower than a gran), it'd still be a wonky delayed burst skill that also has a travel time. Either the delay needs to go, or the travel time needs to be significantly reduced to near immediate. At the least, the travel time needs to be considerably reduced, because it just can't keep up with other players in PvP, even when the stars are perfectly aligned.

katorga

Just fix it. You know how because it worked on Elswyr pts.

Maulkin

jcm2606 wrote: »

It needs a complete rework, IMO. The current version is depressingly abysmal, but even if you addressed its biggest pain points (the AI getting confused, able to be stunned, able to be killed, running slower than a gran), it'd still be a wonky delayed burst skill that also has a travel time. Either the delay needs to go, or the travel time needs to be significantly reduced to near immediate. At the least, the travel time needs to be considerably reduced, because it just can't keep up with other players in PvP, even when the stars are perfectly aligned.

That's why I proposed that it immediately leaps after spawning and explodes on landing with the same speed, distance and Y-axis allowance as Dragon Leap. That would be reliable burst every 3-3.5 secs.

The running should be reserved only for re-establishing LOS with targets who have broken it, during the 2.5 sec of spawn time. And if it fails to get into jumping range within 2.5 secs after spawning (5 secs after casting) you should be able to spawn a new one to attack another target causing the previous one to collapse.

I'm OK with it being killable, since it requires resources to be spent, but not okay with it being CCable. There's too much throwaway CC in large combat that makes it useless. Caltrops, Frost Blockade, Totems, Time Stops etc. etc. You can't have all AoE CC disabling core class burst. If there's no easy way to make a monster killable but not CCable then don't make it killable at all. It's not a free passive pet like Warden bear or magsroc pets. It costs resources to cast every time that is absolutely wasted because of residual area CC effects.

Royalthought

Mayrael wrote: »

When I saw your avatar I thought it will be Delparis thread again asking for some nerfs, I'm pretty disappointed...

And about blastbones. Just make it like shadow image, when blastbones are up Necro can blow them up any time by using again the ability (no cost OFC), if blastbones reach their target they blow up on their own. This would give necros a bit more control over their fleshless pals.

Agreed.

Essential: They could apply a short minimum duration of like 2-3 seconds or so, where if recasted prior it costs no magic but causes no explosion. After that duration recasting it should trigger the explosion and create a new blast bones.
(Its aura could even start after the duration to indicate it)

Non essential: Allow us to cast blast bones with no target. It charges at the first person we hit or that hits us. Between fights you'd have a funny little kamikaze body gaurd. lol