Would someone care to comment on which top 3 demesne effects (BESIDES SUMMON) are considered overpowered during village influencing in each of the geomancer, aquamancer and druid demesnes and why? Don't be alarmed, I'm merely asking for my own enlightenment on what people think. Please don't jump to the conclusion we're looking to "nerf" or downgrade skills. I just want to know what people's perceptions are.

Hunger clouds. Nothing like passing out or taking massive damage from food loss!

I really hate currents, and treebane, they're so disorienting.

Currents used in conjuction with Deluge and Needlerain. That combination is the best hindering and disorienting set of effects in the game bar none. With them it is effortless for one skilled aquamancer to rip apart a team.

In Aquamancy, I can only guess because of not having to fight against it, but I imagine that Deluge combined Needlerain are both top members in that list (less so Needlerain, at its worst with Deluge too), as well as the skills that barge people around like Currents and Whirlpools.

Geomancy... nastiest in influencing are Rubble and Lodestone I think. All these mentioned so far are abilities that hinder movement. Last would be Rockslide, but that's not so bad... mostly worse against the younger ones in influencing. Hunger clouds as well are horribly scary... but probably won't prove much of an issue without the previous abilities slowing you down.

Druidry, Treelife/bane. More movement abilities.

Hindering movement abilities... it's ALREADY annoying when some mobiles move around and stop you from influencing them until you follow, but rushing through a demesne to a room where you want to sanctuary and being stopped every few rooms is quite nasty indeed. I think movement hindrance abilities are the worst offenders.

Don't forget briar walls. They hinder allies just as badly as enemies and when using that skill in druidry that puts up all the effects (growth?), briar walls are put up as well.

If with Rafael and say hunger clouds and treebain in a Druids demense its just annoying.

Oh gods yes... I'd agree totally. They're a pain... I think they should probably only effect enemies of the demense... same with some of those aquamancer wave skills...

Maybe I'm taking my curmudgeon title too far, but I don't think any particular effect is problematic, let alone three. It's the synergy only; this is a textbook example of what "synergy" is.

That said, if there was never a briar wall again, I would throw a party.

For Aquamancy, as people have said, currents in conjunction with needlerain and deluge is the most annoying thing to ever encounter. Strips waterbreathe AND walk, so you not only have to SWIM to be able to move (which is easily stopped), but you're also drowning if you don't give two hoots about environment.

Geomancy isn't as bad in the hindering department during village influencing ONLY because the Geomancers make it a point to not hinder our allies with duststorm and rubble. Very rarely will you see those two effects in play when a village is up unless there's a general agreement to do so. That said, Hunger cloud would probably be on the top of the list in influencing, followed by lodestone and tremors. Replace lodestone and tremors with duststorm and rubble if you have to, but as I said, it's a rare occurance in influencing.

As for druids: I never really ever have a problem with druid demesnes EVER. I find them easy to navigate and their effects aren't that devestating. The problem lies with their wisp traps. However that's not the point of this discussion. If I had to choose, I'd say treebane is the #1 pain about a druid demesne, followed by their bees and the briar walls. I don't find anything else to be that vastly devestating.

Briars affecting everyone is my second biggest problem. Hunger clouds is perhaps the worst. Treelife/bane is nothing, really, when you compare it to some of the geomancer attacks that have the same affect (broken legs). It might be slightly disorienting, but I've grown used to it, in druid/druid combat.

I'd be content if A) briars struck anyone not on your allies list, and hunger was weakened. Preferrably, slowing down the rate at which it makes you throw up. Or, replace it with something else that is likewise debilitating but not so.. costly.

My only other problem is the terrain bit. I can live with them changing their terrain, preventing me from forcing it out, unless I get Nejii or Malicia to help me. That's cool. But any novice can break my demesne.

For influencing purposes, the main thing I'm concered about are the passive effects that are stopping us from moving around or cooperating effectively.

Aquamancy-
Jellies: Passive stun is never fun, especially when you're trying to lead a party.
Currents: Pain in the neck since it randomly moves you around.
Needlerain: Passive Elemental stripping just sucks, especially the important defenses.

Geomancy-
Poison: One of the skills I hate the most, there is nothing so frustrating as going from fully satiated down to starving to death in less than 5 minutes. Worse is there are only two possible counters- Hold Breath and Orange (Constitution should really stop Poison gas entirely). Hold breath is obviously not very practical in most circumstances since you'll be fighting or moving around a lot. Orange doesn't stop you from getting more hungry, just negates the hunger damage temporarily.
Duststorm: Massive hate, can't see, can't glance, can't squint.
Tremors: Just like Jellies, except the leg breaking sucks as well, very hard to follow a leader.

Druidry-
Treebane: This is so disorientating, also extremely annoying.
Briars: Plain annoying for the same reason as Jellies and Tremors.
Paralysis/Spores: Both are annoying, but not particularly devestating.

As Revan said, the Druid's demesne isn't as bad as the other two for 2 major reasons. Firstly, Druids don't have a powerful skill for holding people in, whereas Geomancers get Stonewall and Aquamancers get Whirlpool. Secondly, shielding will completely negate all Druidry effects, but not Geomancy or Aquamancy effects.

Its not a demesne skill but the ability for mages to weave an illusionary terrain has not to be the biggest set back because (as stated several times) anyone can break druid demesnes while mage demesnes require a whole other skill to break. And I dont think demesnes would be a problem so much if they could be easily broken.

Gas cloouuuuds in geo demesne, because it really screws you over when you have to use power on orange or run back to buy food :/

I'm not a mage/druid, but I would have to agree with this point - druids can't break mage demenses, but mages can break druids. Mages also have Telepathy... Help out the druids!

I'm glad you mentioned that. It'd be great if shield negated all geo/aqua effects, but that's a long shot. All of the other things Terenas mentioned are pretty much the same thing I'd say, so yea...

If shield doesn't stop poisonous gas from seeping into your lungs, or from hot rain, then I'd like my squirrels to wield enchanted shield-breaking acorns, and, and, and, shield-ignoring spores. kthnx.

...shield stops Geomancy last time I checked.

Anyway:

Aquamancer - Currents. STOP MOVING ME.
Geomancy - Hunger clouds. I'm dead in 30 seconds if I haven't prepared a tonne of food.
Druidry - Treelife. STOP MOVING ME.

Makes it bloody hard to get hold of the other person, which is just a gigantic pain.

Actually I hate the damn stun too, but it's not as bad.

EDIT: Ahah, it's the top 3? Hmm.

Aquamancy - Currents, Needlerain, Jellies. (I don't know what whirlpool actually does...unless it IS currents. Huh.)
Geomancy - Hungerclouds, Duststorm, Lodestone.
Druidry - Treelife, Treebane (but only with treelife), Paralysis.

Hunger, Dust, Rubble
Currents, Needlerain, Deluge
Treelife, Treebane, Briars

Everyone has pretty much stated the major complaints. I do want people to remember that mages/druids are the least tanky wound wise and damage wise of the archetypes. Therefore, mages also need more hindering abilities since they are also the targets that everyone goes after during influencing (if people want to eliminate the demesne effects).

If it is decided that passive area hindering abilities will be eliminated, then active area hindering abilities will need to be put into place (unless the idea of demesnes will be scrapped completely). Also, active wound healing may have to be included to work along side the application of health elixirs. Essentially, the survivability of mages/druids will have to be completely reassessed if or when the changes to their passive hindering abilities are made.