Are group emergency "evac" abilities a good thing or a bad thing in your book ? Should they exist? If so, what should the cast time be ? Should there be semi-costly reagents that are required ? Discuss.....
POLL:
https://www.pantheonrotf.com/polls/view/247/evacs-good-or-bad
In any other game, I'd say no, why make things easier. In a game like EQ, definitely. When there is real risk involved, an evac type spell is very appropriate. It also serves as a great support ability to make evac classes desirable. I really hope dungeons are deep and dangerous enough to make evac classes sought after.
What Dullahan said.
If the game is serious and actually has substantial penalties for death, plus it takes real serious time to even get to where a good farm/camp/grind occurs, then yeah, evacs should be in the game.
If death is a 30 second hiccup like in FF XIV or WoW, then they are pointless, because you'd end up being right back in the action faster from dying + running back from spawn point than if you evac'd.
It also depends on the death penalty. Even with 96% rezz, death mattered in EQ1, so death avoidance mechanics were really nice to have around. In games where you end up needing to spend a smidgen of what ends up being infinite money to repair gear as the only penalty...meh, not so necessary.
I have no problem with them, having a cast time is ok as long as it's not to long and the mana cost isn't too high. 10 sec. doesn't seem like a long time, but in a dungeon with stuff going south fast and the chance you could get interrupted, you were prolly gunna die anyway.
I liked the "someone might get left" factor in EQ, and later with the AA instant, no mana evac, the way they actually worked it in as part of a raid strategy.
I like evacs but only for a class or two but no more and they need to be both financially expensive and dangerous as well. I could see Wiz being able to port everyone out and an enchanter like character being able to do like a mind fog thing that causes every mob to forget them for a finite amount of time but the players still need to run. I just don't see plausible reasons why a rogue or a warrior would be able to evac.
Dullahan said:
Also can't have evacs without a random chance of leaving someone behind.
Man..that was so annoying in VG, thankfully it was a bug and not intended lol ;)
Dullahan said:
Also can't have evacs without a random chance of leaving someone behind.
I imagine this lead to some pretty hilarious panic moments.
Dullahan said:
It was pretty rare but I'm pretty sure that was an intended mechanic in EQ. I dunno, giving it some thought, the benefit of evac could probably be balanced by cast time, mana required, and maybe a low tolerance of movement during cast.
No no no, Evacs must have the "chance to leave someone behind".
Its an evacuation..things are going bad, they are rushed, the Huns are at the door and you got to grab what you can and head for the hills. I just always loved that mechanic. Just felt right in the situation.
Dullahan said:It was pretty rare but I'm pretty sure that was an intended mechanic in EQ. I dunno, giving it some thought, the benefit of evac could probably be balanced by cast time, mana required, and maybe a low tolerance of movement during cast.
I rather would like to see some negative after effects so u dont use it if its not for a real evac, instead of costing tons of mana which could mean the Caster has to keep back at dps ing all the time so he could evac, or none of it at all. The random leave somone behind chance might be funny (or not so if it happens) prolly means u have to Summon that players corpse or so and rez additionaly if you get back luck ...but works. The Fizzle/Interrupt chance if Caster is hit is just as i Imagined it should be and prolly like 6 to 10 sec cast time or so.The reagent cost at least in EQ was high in the early EQ game, but later on it wasnt much of an issue, so you would have to make the evac ingredient cost scale with Game age or so. Thats all i can imagine atm.
I like the idea of different Evacs, lesser to greater. The lesser evacs would have more detrimental effects, higher chance of fizzle, small chance of someone being left behind. Better (higher level) evac spells would have less detrimental effects, less chance of fizzle, less or no chance of leaving someone behind.
Anyway, these are just me musing and thinking out loud. We *will* have Evacs. Only certain classes will have them. The details we will work out, but you know my thoughts now, and I appreciate all of the feedback! :)
I always found evacs to be exciting. Everything has gone to hell and your hoping, well I'm hoping while holding my breath, I don't get left behind. That's more roleplay flourish than reality I know according to the spell description. Then you and your group has to regroup and trudge it back to where you left from. Or you move on to do something else. Unpredictable events lead to interesting side adventures.
Another thing I enjoy about evacs is when I go off exploring in red con zones. Just to see how far I can get. Maybe I'll come across some higher level person whose cleared some trash and I'll "pick up" some of the said trash drops. Y'know ... to cover my expenses. Then in some number of months down the road when I am in these zones I can laugh remembering "clinging" to the zone walls and hiding behind rocks skulking around.
Evacs are great. Sometimes being useful and other times provide interesting things to do with them.
In regard to "costed appropriately" - one of the costs associated with them in EQ was the loss of a precious spell gem spot. You had 8 - and now 1 of them was there purely for "save the group's ass."
It meant you could do less - but might ultimately be valued more for being able to do it.
Food for thought on how action bars are designed... some forced decision making is a good thing.
Amsai said:
Pardon my ignorance. But does EQ/VG have any sort of Tractor magic( FFXI a Black Mage could transport a dead body to a safe place in limited range)?