Why do I have to put my defenses back up if I log out with them on? Maybe this is just kind of a whine post, but as a Moondancer/Hexer it takes me a LOT of power to def up every time I log in. Not to mention, I'm still fairly low in the commune, therefore, the amount of power I'm allowed to link from the Mother Tree is small.

I also notice that sometimes I will go link dead and when I log back in a few minutes later, all my defenses will be down.

Anyone else find this annoying?

I only find it annoying when I am in Lusternia and sometimes suddenly go link dead, and have to put def back up when only 1 - 2 minutes have gone past. It would be handy if the game would remember your defences for at least 5 minutes after being disconnected!

The one problem I've always had with defenses is the power cost tacked onto some of them. My question is, quite simply, why?

I'm not going to Nightkiss in the middle of a fight. I'm not going to Surge in the middle of a fight. I'm not going to start Drinking in the middle of a fight. If I wanted to use those defenses, they would be up -before- the fight, so my active power would be 10 upon entering the fight.

Why do we have power costs for defenses, when power is supposed to add another element to combat (and not to pre-combat)?

Because some of those skills do incredible things, maybe.

For example: Nightkiss is 50% Asphyx/50% Cold, +1 INT, some resistances (Drawdown is 20% resist from all sources, so I'm guessing Nightkiss is similar), +x to weapon stats, and some life stolen per hit wasn't it? Plus with Terror, you could get a plane-wide range on New Moon - and Terror has no power cost associated. The point is, you'd be going into combat in a better position than you would be without Nightkiss. For the very reason that those defenses are HELPING you fight, the fact that you're using the skills BEFORE you fight shouldn't mean they cost less power to use (unless they're on a duration, like World in Tarot or something - and that only costs 3 power, I think.)

You should just be more selective on when you activate your power-cost skills. Def up with you mana-only skills all the time and use your power skills only when you know you're going into combat, instead of all the time as soon as you log in.

EDIT:
@ Luxi: What defenses are you putting up? As far as I know:
+With Trans Moon, Drawdown is the only defense that uses power that doesn't require a coven.
+Nature has no power defs, and Wicca you should only be using 3 power for the Moon Avatars if you go to Ethereal to summon all your fae
+Totems, I'm guessing you don't use Nature, since you're aware of your power problem
+As for Hexes, I know Whammy and DoubleWhammy cost power, but HexAura and Sense are the only defenses and you shouldn't be using them out of combat?

I'm not sure why you think power is ONLY supposed to add another element to combat. There's a whole lot more to it than that.

The way I see power is that it's supposed to be a currency, like gold... Granted that's failed miserably, what with none of the admin caring about any kind of power inflation, but that's a horse of a different colour.

The reason why your defs go away when you log out is because they don't save defs to your charachter in the database.

QFT.

Drawdown - 10p
Shine - 10p
HexAura - 10p
HexSense - 3p
All Faes in Ethereal - 3p
Spiritbond Nature - 5p

That's only with being tri-transed too. 20% power just to def. I'm only allowed 20% power from Mother a day too. Just seems ridiculous that it would cost that much to def up every time I log on.

Don't use Spiritbond Nature unless you log in, Seren is being raided and you're needed. If it's not urgent, bond them one by one. Serenwilde and Glomdoring have most of the environments needed for the spirits, anyway. If it's daytime, there's a manse connected to Seren that has a perma-night effect, I think. If it's nighttime, well... Sun isn't very important.

EDIT: And I thought Shine was only 5p? Been a while since I looked at Moon skills.

Why though? Would it be that hard to code?

Syntax: MOONDANCE SHINE
Power: 10 (Moonhart Tree)
Damage Modifier: 2-10
To truly understand the nature of Mother Moon, you must understand the
cyclical nature of moon phases. By bringing her spirit within you, you
will shine forth with the light of the moon, the power of which will
reflect each of her moon phases.

Waxing Crescent - damage you do is increased slightly
First Quarter - damage you do is increased moderately
Waxing Gibbous - damage you do is increased heavily
Full Moon - damage you do is increased heavily and decreased against you
Waning Gibbous - damage against you is decreased heavily
Last Quarter - damage against you is decreased moderately
Waning Crescent - damage against you is decreased lightly
New Moon - No effect

NOTE: This cannot be cast during a new moon. If a new moon rises while you have
this defense, the defense will go into hibernation but re-emerge during the
next waxing phase.

EDIT: Double post.

As a celestine, when I was required to put up defs along the tune of 30 power (15% reserves) for combat, I only really def'd up if I was needed for pk, which was definitely not every time I logged in.

I guess my suggestion is try to guess what you'll be doing in each particular session, and def accordingly.

Think someone (Shorlen?) compared the time of bonding with nature with its 5 power cost and then having to regenerate the power again and the time it took to just bond individually, and it came out to be faster just to bond individually.

Yeah, I just use an alias that bonds to everything individually 3 or 4 seconds apart. I think of it as a free power, slower version of SPIRITBOND NATURE.

I always def for PK, just in case I get jumped or whatever.

Losing defs when I log out doesn't annoy me nearly as much as losing them when I lose a spar. It really discourages practicing combat.

Oh yeah, is it really worth 10 power for shine during the crescent phases?

During Full Moon or even Gibbous, sure, but 2 DMP isn't really that much, especially combined with 24 (?) drawdown.

Titan also helps

Oooooooooooooh, this is another one of those that just doesn't make ANY sense to me.

And yes, it discourages combat.

Eh, I don't think running to def is a bad thing, and I think that if they're good enough to prevent you from leaving to def, chances are (not always, obviously) you'd die anyway.

But that's just my take.



Or... Encourages winning?

:XinemusSarcasmSmiley: