I know discretionary powers (or guild security superpowers) have been discussed on other threads but rather than wading through them, let's use this thread to consolidate thoughts and suggestions.

*Has anyone used any discretionary powers? Or had discretionary powers used against you? How effective are they?

*The power cost has already been reduced once. Are they still too expensive to use? Would they be used more if the effects lasted longer?

*Any other ideas for other discretionary powers?

I think we'd see a lot more use if they were a sort of super-feat: much more effective, shorter duration.

The trouble with that is is that it might halt conflict altogether for having to deal with insurmountable combinations of defense, at least where nations/villages/planes go.

It would be a balancing act to figure out how far to go with them. Then again, it is already.

Ripple works well, although personally, I'd like to see it do a little more damage for more power. So it cant be completely regenerated by sipping. But thats just me, heh. Other than that, I likes em, I does.

I don't know about making ripples by itself do enough damage to overpower sipping. That should be accomplished by combining it with attacks from defenders.

I like ripple. Sure they can heal it in one sip, but that's one sip that isn't healing the other damage being thrown at them or mending their wounds.

Not by a huge amount, say.. 10 or 20 health. Just so it adds up. Ever so slowly.

I've seen them used infrequently. In most situations, it's always easier (or preferable) to just send in a group of people to kill an attacking force. Because raids are generally made up of a small group, a larger group from the city in possession of the village should make short work of them.. and as for the DP which stops the group leaving, the price seems a bit steep for the exp. After all, driving them away is just as good as killing them in strategic terms.

Oh, oh, oh, I have the ideas! Really, I do!

Give us the ability for a goodly chunk of power to seal the PHYSICAL exits - making it impossible to seal the mystic exits - to a village to all except city members?

For one who has no idea what you are talking about,

what are these discretionary powers?

nevermind, found the help file.

I've used the distort power once, that combined with guards sent a huge group to the Fates, so I like it!

Yes, distort is good. And no, Yrael, ripples should not overwhelm sipping by itself, that is retarded.

I like the powers, they are interesting, and add another aspect.

Yeah I was leading that raid. I was feeling good after pillaging and plundering in delport, We were doing ok in the group combat until I saw about 10 guards rip into my room, I did manage o ghost out (someone forgot to shut the door muhaha0 But I must say that Ethelon used it to its best effect, and well done on using the strategy,

I knew it could be dont but i didn't think you would do it, shouldn't underestimate the enemy

EDIT: and with ripple I believe they can spore back to astral, so it sucks Vs tuek and narsrim

I think more nexus powers have been used against me than anyone else. In Angkrag, I had the power used that ceased all forms of teleportation. While -extremely- annoying, I decided to be crafty and I just walked out (right past a group of 10 Magnagorans) until I was outside and then immediately teleported to safety. On Nil, I've bit hit with Ripple many times. With that said, I think the nexus powers are very useful although many players don't effectively take advantage of them.

For example, let's assume I'm raiding Angkrag for undead miners. Simply because someone blows X-power to distort the local area so I cannot spore out does not ensure I am dead thus it will still require a full-force of people to chase me out (not that'd I'm all that tough, I just know the area very well and love to run in circles and confuse my opponents so I don't have to leave and can immediately back to work slaying undead miners). There are many times (typically when Daevos is not around) that I can cruise into Angkrag, annihiliate guards and miners, and walk out with not a single person (even though there are 10-15 about who are decent fighters) bothers to come get me. When the nexus powers are used in these situations, maybe 3-4 come... but rarely is that enough to hold me down before I can walk out (or teleport out since a beloved person recently took down all the monoliths).

I like the powers, but distortion is crap when Tuek or whoever can just serpent and stroll out.

Heh. Distortion was meant to prevent forms of teleportation not magic shields.

True, but that doesn't mean it's not a pain. The ridiculousness(my opinion) that is Serpent almost makes me want to forget highmagic and lovely Yesod to get it.

I assure you that you would be as angry if Tuek had greater pentagram and used it to let me raid and you guys couldn't even enter the mines.

Another idea might be a nexus power that prevented the target from casting magical barriers, no? That way you could pick... do you want to give them the right to teleport or the right to use circle/pentagram/greater pentagram/serpent... or spend lots of power and take away both?

True and true. Superb idea Narsrim.

I'm 99.9999% sure you're wrong on that one, because you can't use spores to go from Prime to Ethereal, so it's not just an adjacent-plane thing.