You may have noticed that we skipped all envoy issues that came up regarding all forms of magical travel, including summon, teleport, tesseract, demesne summon, flow, wisp, mushrooms, hermit, beam, totemreturn, beckon, etc. We saved this for last because we're going to look at all issues regarding them at once to come up with something balanced across-the-board.

Before we do so, I thought I'd give you the head's up that this is our next step and feel free to comment now before we actually dive into it.

I'd really like it if totem / nest return were free, and teleport itself (to a person) was one power (nexus free as it is). Or maybe have teleport's power increase for each person who is following you, so when used for attacking with a large group it ends up taking a fair bit, while one person using it for travel has hardly any loss.

As for the totem returns... I'm not quite sure how often these are used. I just end up teleporting to the nexus to save power when getting home, or sporing if escape is necessary.

Just some preliminary thoughts, I'm sure you'll get a LOT more about every single one of them.

The only balancing change I could think of would be allowing communes to have the same opportunity to destroy or dampen monolith sigils at need. It cannot be done in the absence of an accompanying enchanter.

I'm not sure if that's an area you are looking at, however.

IMO:

1. Teleport, Teleport Nexus, Tesseract power costs are fine.

2. Mushroom circles should decay when the caster leaves. The ability to generate 100s of spores for 1p is both just wrong and it creates excessive spore clutter

3. Beckon should not pull someone through an obstruction (icewall, door, blocker, etc). It should also require the target to be on balance/equilibrium when summoned. I once saw 10-15 people fly back and forth (like 10 times in a row) between two touching demesnes.... and they were continually attacking. It was insane, disorienting, and out right bleh.

4. Given that demesne summon no longer costs power when it fails and wisp does, I think wisp if fine for now... in fact, I wouldn't mind it not costing power when the wisp fails, but hey, I'll deal.

*** Important ***

Absolutely // NO // summoning/teleporting ability should pull other people who are following. It should take only the caster or yank only the target. This includes teleport, tesseract, empress/lust, flow, pathtwist, conclave, seek, beam, demesne summon, etc.

Totem/Nest return lose their power costs.
Pathtwist not be avoided by every skill under the sun other than just walking.
Bond Unite lose its power cost.
Beckoning through obstructions changed. Same with sitting, webbed, anything else that hinders your moving.

As I said, I would like standard teleport lowered a bit perhaps, but the other two are about what they should be.



Well... it's EXTREMELY nice to be able to put a circle down and have it available for commune use. I do agree that one power for that ability is extremely excessive. Perhaps raise the power, and when the circle decays, all spores remaining in it except for 5 decay along with it?



Agreed. Can't move when off balance/eq, can't walk through obstructions.



Power cost when fails is minimal. I don't see a problem with it at all.



Don't quite agree with this here. If you're summoning someone, you're dragging them to you- anyone who is following them can easily be seen as caught in the strands. Wisp, probably not, but summon itself?

I also suggested lowering teleport's power, but having it with an increased power cost based on those following you, which would at least somewhat deal with that part, no?

I feel bad for cities, as they have absolutely nothing close to flow that is a viable method of transportation - perhaps have Via extend to urban terrain, as well? But is stopped by the anti-summon shield, if the chanter is a city enemy?

I would love to see Via shortened drastically, and work in urban terrain as well. However, it should be local-area only, EXCEPT on the Great Highways, where it should function as it does right now (except for having the shortened timer).

Beckon shouldn't summon through obstructions, shouldn't summon the target off balance/eq.

The power cost on Wisp should be raised.

Teleport/Tesseract are fine.

I would love to be able to Gateweave rifts across a Plane (e.g., Prime to Prime). As it is, the application is really too limited for such a nifty skill.

Mushroom circles should have a much smaller output of spores, and decay fairly quickly, as well as having a high(er) power cost.

Moonbeam shouldn't work across Aether Manses.

1) Moonbeam shouldn't work across manses.
2) Via being urban/highway would be fine, but the timer doesn't really need shortened since moving doesn't cancel it.
3) I think mushroom circles would be fine if the spores decayed along with the circle, instead of dropping to the ground.
4) Teleport's power cost dropping to 1 (and Tesseract to 3, maybe?) would be very nice.
5) Planar summon is kind of worthless at the moment. Compared to other summons, it's pitiful. Easily stopped simply by moving or dropping a monolith, and then you waste tons of power. Maybe have it cost 1 power and not notify you until it finishes whether it succeeded or not? (not sure if it does this now, haven't used it in forever)

My wish list.

flow - restricted to area only or more execution restrictions so that its not such an easy escape.

Moonbeam - 800 willpower cost.

Unite - keep the willpower cost and the balance requirement, lose the powercost and the equi cost.
Seek - keep willpower cost and balance requirement, no eq cost
Track - no eq cost, no smelly requirement.

Beckon - cost eq on fail, let obstructions block it.

Wisp - kill the ability and give the druids demesne summon.

Demesne Summon - blocked by monolith

tackle barge crush - change resistance to be more dependant on size etc as opposed to summoning resistance.

Everything else I think is fine.

Make it so there is a cap on the number of spores one mushroom can produce. I just found one that was holding 51 spores.
Also, allow teleport nexus to work on other planes, if you have the ability to transverse to that plane.

Not happening. That's the entire point of pathways.

There is a cap. 1 per day until it decays.

I just have two suggestions:

1) Let skunk sprayed room protect from Bond Seek so Bond Unite should lose the power cost.
2) Remove the smelly requirement for Bond Track.

oh more stuff

Bond recall to call your pet even across plane.

Mushroom circles should be changed to produce new spores only if they have less than a certain number to eliminate excessive spore spam, perhaps three or four.
(I'd be VERY sad if they vanished when we did - makes it nearly impossible to aid other people with them that way ).


Via should be made not stink - some of the above suggestions are wonderful.

Moonbeam should not work across manses.
Moonbeam should instantly cancel if you move.
Moonbeam should instantly cancel if your target moves.

Totem/Nest Return should lose their power costs. (Teleport Nexus doesn't have a power cost to return home, why should a guildskill that does essentially the same thing?)

Beckon should not summon through obstructions or blockers. Beckoning a leader of a group shouldn't summon the group.

There should be protection of some kind from Bond Seek, perhaps an Artisan skill, to stop people from raiding guildhalls while noone is there.


If wisp is changed to require more power, then it should not be used up if our target resists.

I agree with these two suggestions.

And not be forcable.

I've only one request, Via to work on all urban territory, not area-restricted, but only into places you're not enemied to.

For example you'd be able to Via to someone at the Pool of Stars if you're not enemied to Celest, but you can't if you're enemied. This will at least put city village defence on par with commune village defence, since they can flow across the world instantly, with whole armies in tow.

It would still be inferior to Flow, since Flow works in Hartstone demesnes as well, and is instant, but like I said, it'd give us something comparable and put our defensive potential closer to the commune's.