Discussion: Nonsensical Class/Guild abilities based on Visuals

Dr_Con

I've been struggling with how to format this kind of post, what I would like to discuss is class abilities that don't make sense given the visual effect.

An example I'll use is Lightning Flood/Liquid Lightning.



Why it doesn't make sense:
The current visuals imply that a DD effect will proc as soon as it lands, and that a DoT will be left afterwards.

There is no "lightning strike" or effect on impact with this ability (other than the dot which is the same at the beginning as if it were the end). It would make more sense to have there be some DD at the beginning with no synergy, that in one case the AoE grows depending on the morph, or stays the same for a longer duration.

For these abilities to make sense in their current state, they need to do visual updates and come from the ground or feet of the caster, rather than the sky which it appears to do. The synergy that your teammate activates should then trigger the lightning bolt.

In terms of balance, adding a DD effect in the beginning and removing the synergy will cause some distress to certain players who are used to its function in PvP, but it would be a nice little touch for some of the Storm passives to persist if this ability is active and you stand in the AOE for one of the morphs (probably Liquid Lightning), or even a new effect if in the AOE. As of right now there is, and has always been, a palpable disconnect with how this ability's visuals telegraph some sort of extra damage in the beginning, when there is none.

Pelanora

"they need to do visual updates and come from the ground or feet of the caster, rather than the sky which it appears to do."

Its lighting, called down from the sky by a sorcerer. Why would it come from out of the sorcerer? That would be electricity.

I hear you that the visuals and skill don't match but less electricity, more lighting, is what sorcs need.

Dr_Con

Pelanora wrote: »

"they need to do visual updates and come from the ground or feet of the caster, rather than the sky which it appears to do."

Its lighting, called down from the sky by a sorcerer. Why would it come from out of the sorcerer? That would be electricity.

I hear you that the visuals and skill don't match but less electricity, more lighting, is what sorcs need.

Electricity can travel wherever it wants, and there is logic to it.


There is cloud -> ground lightning, which most are familiar with, and then there is ground -> cloud.


Cloud to Ground:
Mage's Wrath is a good example of cloud -> ground (in this case, caster-> sky -> target). While it does make more sense for the lightning to come straight from the caster, this is a sneaky execute ability. The target is struck, and takes damage on contact. I see no issues with how this spell performs except how it is dodgable- in reality, if the target is mid-air they should take more damage, the fact that they can avoid all damage by doing a roll, when they should in fact take more damage and explode like a water balloon since they are likely to be mid-air and there is no grounding for the electrical current when mid-air, does defy logic, but it is likely dodgable for balance purposes (one of the biggest complaints from magsorcs I speak with in-game is actually how this ability is dodgable, they understand that crystal fragments is dodgable but the fact that this ability doesn't strike someone who rolls lacks logic). The logic is somewhat forgiven for by having "return" charges, or the proc on execute, which would be a "return" charge going to the sky. The other morph, Endless Fury, literally has return of resources on death of the target, which is beautiful as it follows this logic (but it lacks an animation of returning to the sorc either through the sky or directly), whereas Mage's Wrath inflicts extra damage on the target, which also makes sense if we assume energy is returned/dissipated in to the atmosphere.


Ground to Cloud:
In ground->cloud, the charge comes from the ground, and goes into the sky. Typically, charge builds up in a structure, then travels upwards. There is actually a case to be made to have the synergy activator gain some magicka from this. A return charge to the ground as the sky above has too much charge would be dealt back within that instance to inflict the synergy's damage on hostile targets. It makes much more sense for the electricity AOE to appear on the ground and within a confined area due to the caster putting their own magicka/charge in a confined spot, allowing it to inflict damage to anything within that area as the base effect, then for the synergy effect for it to travel upwards through an ally then, to the sky, to then strike the ground again to deal more damage. It makes less sense for a sorc to put lightning into the sky just for the ground to be imbued with lingering, damaging charge, it adds an extra step and the charge is likely to dissipate if you put it into the atmosphere. In reality is makes more sense for sorc's lightning AOE ability's resource utilization to be much more like the DK's ash cloud/cinder storm/eruption ability, where magicka is drained from the caster over time rather than completely spent up front. To put it in other terms, a closed circuit to provide a DoT effect to anything in the area of effect is more easily created from caster to the ground, it is unlikely to be created by electricity from the sky to the ground, but if it were to do that, then much more of the damage would be dealt up front, and it makes even more sense for them to put a cost over time on the ability and have charge grow and grow until a large DD at the end occurs.


TLDR: lightning comes from both the sky and the ground, and usually dissipates or quickly returns. A lingering effect on the ground from the sky isn't logical when in reality it would be charge building up from the ground to travel to the sky. Also, sky to target charges would deal more damage to airborne people trying to dodge it in the case of the sorc execute, rather than complete damage avoidance.