Here is a sample spar that highlight the predicament I find myself in nowadays

http://nogfx.org/logs/144

1. Our skill costs so much power
I can't really cast it anytime I wish.. I dont even have maelstorm and yet its not uncommon to get 0 power..

2. Octave is hard I
Considering my opponent does not have a gust enchantment, and I was actively putting perfect fifth up.. one slight miss in the blanknote.. if the opponent ever do eat earwort and move away. then all those power gets wasted..

Its very frustrating.. the sad part is I would be undecided if I was to follow and leave my octave'd room.. on one hand, thats another 3power wasted.. on the other hand, if i dont follow they heal.. but, even if i do follow.. they can just move away again.. etc..

3. Octave is hard II
The ideal setup is that, you somehow manage to put up octave(3), attraction(3), hypnotic(2), rainbow(2), flare(2), fascinate(2) -- but it cannot be done.. not with just fabled discipline.. my power refresh is just too slow.. i could wait until power is back up.. as i did in here too, but by then the afterimage will be gone.. and after that hypnotic.. and after that..

Look, people oogle at our glamours and see how powerful it is together.. however, as I've said -- We cannot cast our spells just like that.. wish I could have.. there are entire segments here where i was trying to put attraction up and just cant.. no power

Speaking of attraction

3. Why is perfectfifth three power again?
In here, since i was actively trying to get her in the same room and stick octave.. I did it seven times, thats 21 power for an unreliable way to keep someone in the room -- you got to be kidding me.

The fighters has slicedtendons, and things like pinlegs.. things that if it hits, at least does some damage.. and in the case of the slicedtendons.. if your regeneration curing is pathetic and you got hit with slickness, will almost mean death.. and we have something that costs 3 power? :sad:

pah, even those aquamancers have whirpool..

Do you know that before this, there was at least 5 spars the ended in a draw because I just could not prevent them from moving..

I tried everything in my arsenal.. I tried fascinations whores, mesmerize, icewalls, webs.. out of frustration I even tried flipkicking them.. yeahah, flipkick.. take that! -- and nothing.. someone with tumble and is determined enough to get away will always be able to.

After yet again failing to octave, I was in front of my computer with my head in my chin and was just casually pushing buttons.. losing interest in the middle of a spar? nowai! but here i am doing just that.. but AHA! an inspiration comes.. since i cannot octave why dont I --

4. When octave fails lets do minorsecond and obliterate them. Resistance is futile:
NOT!! -- In the end, having no power and being continously frustrated in setting up octave, I switched to minorsecond spam.. I did over 23 minorseconds here..

Bleargh..


Pssssssttttt!!! -- Any bards out there? how do you deal with that huh? tips, tips, gimme them it.. I'm open to suggestions.. secret techniques.. mine!!!

----

After the spar this is heard on the market channel



Methinks the next time we spar, a gust will come blowing me out of the room.. my poor octave.. sometimes I wonder if it is of any real use at all..


-- fyi 1 --
Aramels decision was the correct decision I think.. I would have gone out of an octaved room too were I in her shoes. No disrespect meant to her..

-- fyi 2 --
I got my system from someone, and is helping beta it.. thx!

Never really had a problem with sticking attraction are you mugwump? What i liked to do is rainbow and hypnotic and fascinate to begin with. Then blanknote and use pfifth. They will be stuck in the room after that just blank note whenever they eat earwort. I use an echo and i keep pace in my head incase they spam eat it. After that as long as they dont gust you out of the room, you should be able to set up octave and whatever other effects you want. Sadly if they have gust you are boned.

Actually, I analyzed your log with talkan, and I followed what you said here to a T (yes, im a mugwump)
At around line 348, they are all up --
1. hypnotic,rainbomw,flare, and fascinate -- check
2. Blanknote - check
3. Octave - check

the mistake i did i think, is that i was too late to put up attraction and she just left after writhing out of transfix.. and time after time, I am able to put attraction but if i miss the next blanknote and attraction again.. its screwed.. (basically, she eats earwort and proceeds to get out of the room asap)

btw, what is the time for blanknote again? was it 8sec.. or is it 6-10sec as stated in the scryingpool?

And yess -- gust.. i live in fear of it

You're spamming Sparkleberries like there's no tomorrow... where's your potions?

the thing is to use attraction right after you blanknote earwort away. Dont use the talkan log as I hadnt been a bard for that long at the time. Its blanknote, attraction (wait 2 seconds) blanknote. After that feel free to do whatever you want as long as you keep them undeaf you are golden. Don't have to re attract as long as they dont actually leave the room. I dont bother using transfix too much unless im about to die. Feel the power can be better used elsewhere

wrong auto-sipper values

to lyco:
blanknote, attraction.. alright, ill try that next time..

I fail at keeping enough power on hand to toad. Also should have remembered to spiritbond night. And faeriefire you.

Octave is nasty, though - my triggers don't catch it for some reason, so when I notice I just try to get out of the room. Lame, yes, but staying around a bard while having auric afflictions is just asking to get pounded.

I also need to remember tumble (can you do that while transfixed?)

Also, I think minorsecond is magic damage, and: 1) wiccans have lots of magic resistance; 2) astrologers have even more magic resistance. You were doing about 800 damage per attack to me. If I'd been frailer, or if I didn't have magic resistance, it would probably have been worse for me.

That was me. For some reason it let me reply without logging in.

Above was Aramel being naught. Tsk.
You can tumble while transfixed, yes.

Aramel is naught? That's really mean!

My keyboard was evidently being pretty naught too.