Howling Haze, and an overview of the Mystic

[Kyin]

<DIV> <P> </P> <P>This post will cover the following:</P> <P> </P> <P>Haze balancing</P> <P>Mystic class overview</P> <P>What is a Mystic?</P> <P>Where is the Mystic Going?</P> <P>How will the Mystic get there?</P> <P> </P> <P>Howling Haze was “nerfed” or dramatically altered to bring it in to line with all other class spells.<SPAN>  </SPAN>Howling Haze prior to the patch lowered a mobs attack on all fronts by 26 (adept 1) or in terms of the game where each level is based off a net increase of 5 skill points, 5.1 levels.<SPAN>  </SPAN>If you were lucky enough to have Master 1 you could lower them over 6 levels as well as slow there normal attacks by 30%.<SPAN>  </SPAN>Now after the patch we can now with Adept 1 only lower them by 6 points or 1.1 level of attack.<SPAN>  </SPAN>Did this fix the problem of having a Mystic lower a mob to the point where the mobs attack could only hit a PC every so often?<SPAN>  </SPAN>Yes, of course because now we can only make them a level lower than what they are by debuffing them.<SPAN>  </SPAN></P> <P><SPAN>           </SPAN>Now to ask is Haze where it should be, or does it need some tweaking to get it in line with the view of the Mystic.<SPAN>  </SPAN>In my opinion, and I can be totally wrong in regards to what SOE view is but, I view the Mystic as a Debuffing class.<SPAN>  </SPAN><SPAN> </SPAN>For a comparison, for those that played FFXI the mystic would be closest to the Red Mage, and of course the comparison to EQ1 would be the shaman.<SPAN>  </SPAN>Now, I know my healing ability is not the best, my heals are super fast but they have draw back to that in the way of mana and recast time.<SPAN>  </SPAN>What this means is if I had no other spells my job on<SPAN>  </SPAN>raid would be to only heal if the MT was about to die, as my casting time would likely make it there before the next hit would.<SPAN>  </SPAN>Luckily our class has more than just healing spells and it comes in the line of buffs, and debuffs, and the questionable ward.<SPAN>  </SPAN>Our buffs are nice as they cover STR, and STA, the down side is they do not scale up as much as I think they should though out of all our spells they are still a good.<SPAN>  </SPAN>Now keep in mind that when I write this I am not comparing my class to another, but only looking at Mystic and what I view it should do.<SPAN>  </SPAN>Haze before was an amazing spell, it was over powered though not as badly as other spells were. Yes dropping a mob 5 levels is a very nice thing, more so when your tank is already 3 levels higher than the mob and after the debuff he would be 8 levels. <SPAN> </SPAN>Though even with the 5 level drop Mobs still managed to land hits on a tank on a fairly regular basis.</P> <P><SPAN>           </SPAN>Now keep in mind that with the Haze change the mobs are now suppose to attack more than they cast/CA meaning that slowing a mob by 35% should now be a bigger deal than it was before.<SPAN>  </SPAN>Hopefully this will pan out over time and I will be able to claim that I saw little change with the lowering of Haze, though after some playing I know I can see it when as a solo healer in a group of level 50’s killing level 47’s I find it hard at times to keep the tank alive, and only managed to do so because the tank was a Monk who could heal himself for 1800 every min.<SPAN>  </SPAN>Before the patch I could keep a group like that alive with a consistency that give both myself and the group a better feeling about what we fought (keep in mind this group had a chanter so it was really like having 1.5 healers.)<SPAN>  </SPAN>Now I will agree that Haze needed a change, though I would like to see it as follows, which would scale up with level of the spell to keep the feel of growing in power, and not just getting a spell that replaced the old one.</P> <P> </P> <P>View of Adept 1</P> <P>Wailing 5-6 across all offensive skills</P> <P>Keening 10-12 “”</P> <P>Howling 15-18 “”</P> <P> </P> <P>This would give the player at level 10 the power to lower a mob by 1 level, at 21 by 2 and at 38 by 3.<SPAN>  </SPAN>This would be a powerful spell but not over powered or under powered.<SPAN>  </SPAN>The Mystic would get a sense of growth with the spell as it went up in Tier’s as well as the feel that he is a buffing/debuffing class.<SPAN>  </SPAN></P> <P><SPAN>           </SPAN>As you can guess I view the Mystic as a Buffing/Debuffing class with the ability to save someone from near death with quick heals and wards.<SPAN>  </SPAN>He is not the best healing class, but he does have his nitch.<SPAN>  </SPAN>That is my view, though I would love to hear the view of the Mystic from SOE.<SPAN>  </SPAN></P> <P><SPAN>           </SPAN>Currently the Mystic has been altered to fix a problem with his debuffs being to powerful, and in my view this was done with a quick, how do we fix this the fastest way, and not how do we fix this and still keep feel of the class alive.<SPAN>  </SPAN>Do I think SOE is done with the Mystic? I hope not, though the little information we get regarding the class from them makes us feel neglected, and I know there are other classes that feel the same way.<SPAN>  </SPAN></P> <P><SPAN>           </SPAN>How can we get to where we are going?<SPAN>  </SPAN>Hopefully it will start with a fix with Haze to something similar to what I have above.<SPAN>  </SPAN>Second I Hope they keep adding in new spells like they did with the Adventure pack that will continue to keep us feeling as though we are a buffing/debuffing class.<SPAN>  </SPAN>Unfortunally buffing and debuffing will seem unbalanced when it is done right sense it will drastically change the feel of a fight.<SPAN>  </SPAN>Tank will grow stronger gaining levels and mobs will grow weaker as they loose them.<SPAN>  </SPAN>The main problem with this is the game is set up so that if you are X number levels above the mob you are all but immune to it.<SPAN>  </SPAN>Given this our buffs have been changed and debuffs weekend to the point you can hardly tell a difference anymore if they are up or not.<SPAN>  </SPAN>I carry my thimble full of hope that we will be made more useful in the department of buffing and debuffing and I hope that day will come soon.</P> <P> </P> <P>Gustave</P> <P>Level 46 Mystic</P></DIV>

[Banditman]

I was a "debuffer" and "niche" healer in EQ1 . . . yes, a Shaman. It ain't all that, let me tell you. Because debuffs are resistable, you can never balance around them.  No group wants to risk an encounter based on a roll of the RNG.  Screw that, just take a Templar.  Problem solved. Mystics are Priests.  We were told we could heal as well as any other Priest.  This is not currently true. If they suddenly create a "utility" or "debuffer" Archtype, I'll be sure to opt out of that immediately. <div></div>

[Stimp]

<DIV>I am seriously thinking about rolling up a Templar....but thenI think about all the work I went through getting my mystic to level 49 and all the work I put into trying to complete heritage quests and access quests, etc.</DIV>

[Banditman]

Yea. I have a 32 Guard and a 21 Templar as alts.  Both fun characters but the progression blows. <div></div>

[highlighter]

I dont think Im gonna reroll anything anytime soon.  Im rather sick of all the little quest that I would have to do in order to get back up to 40.  It was painful enough to do em the first 2 times through.

[Triyton]

<DIV> <DIV>So why are Mystics quitting or shelving their characters?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Because while the Haze line might have been overpowered, wards and thus Mystics were broken and the Haze line was all that was keeping them even in the same ballpark as other priests.  Obviously nobody at SOE seriously plays a Mystic or they would have known this.  The Haze line adjustment was coming along with the other adjustments in combat (LU#<img src="/smilies/b2eb59423fbf5fa39342041237025880.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> and Priests (LU#9).  But they felt it necessary to kick us while we were down by throwing the Haze nerf into LU#7 with nothing to compensate for it.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Way back in the beta-testing days someone commented on these forums that buffing was intrinsically better than debuffing and mitigation was intrinsically better than avoidance.  So what is SOE having trouble with now?  Making avoidance work in combat, getting wards to work for lack of mitigation, and getting Mystics to work because they depend on debuffs.  One poster on ther beta boards was wiser than a billion dollar company.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Maybe it is the memory of that has caused me, despite the popular wisdom, to upgrade my Spirit of the Bull and Spirit of the Rhino to Adept III.  It does make a difference.  If you can't heal and you can't debuff, and least you can buff.</DIV></DIV>

[CrymsonAnClov]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Banditman wrote:<BR>I was a "debuffer" and "niche" healer in EQ1 . . . yes, a Shaman.<BR><BR>It ain't all that, let me tell you.<BR><BR>Because debuffs are resistable, you can never balance around them.  No group wants to risk an encounter based on a roll of the RNG.  Screw that, just take a Templar.  Problem solved.<BR><BR>Mystics are Priests.  We were told we could heal as well as any other Priest.  This is not currently true.<BR><BR>If they suddenly create a "utility" or "debuffer" Archtype, I'll be sure to opt out of that immediately.<BR> <BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE> <P>My thoughts exactly.  I played shaman in EQ1 trying to be a healer.   Well, once you got thru the 30s that didn't work so well any more.  Then they introduced mitigation to slow.   As priest classes were presented to us with the coming of EQ2 I thought finally, this is how I wanted to play my shaman all along...well, here we go again.</P> <P>I'm not going to be a "utility" or "back up healer" player again.</P>

[Banditman]

I actually solo healed my EQ1 Shaman up until L60.  Thats when we started doing stuff like PoV and BoT. Up to that point, Slow mitigation was pretty much non existant, so my toolbox worked ok.  I do admit I did the LoY quest for the mini-Torpor at L44, which greatly helped me bridge the gap between GHeal and SHeal. <div></div>

[lge7]

<DIV>   Seems like there is a attack on 1 spell the "haze" line but it not just that, Why getting it nerfed has angered so many makes me wonder if we have lost focus on what a mystic really needs, It has taken away are main problem "WARDS" and "HEALS" they need to be addressed all other spells are just nice to have. lets stay Focus and get what we need done.There are so many complants on are class over all you could go back and forth and nothing will get done.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>                     STAY FOCUSED....WARDS and HEALS</DIV>

[disru]

<div></div><span><blockquote><hr>lge737 wrote:<div></div> <div>   Seems like there is a attack on 1 spell the "haze" line but it not just that, Why getting it nerfed has angered so many makes me wonder if we have lost focus on what a mystic really needs, It has taken away are main problem "WARDS" and "HEALS" they need to be addressed all other spells are just nice to have. lets stay Focus and get what we need done.There are so many complants on are class over all you could go back and forth and nothing will get done.</div> <div> </div> <div>                     STAY FOCUSED....WARDS and HEALS</div><hr></blockquote>Why are we so angry? Look at it this way: I am a shaman, I have one bad leg(direct heals) and one useless leg(wards), but I could still move around ok using my crutch(haze). Its ok though, I'm scheduled for surgery(LiveUpdate<img src="/smilies/b2eb59423fbf5fa39342041237025880.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> soon. That is until SOE came along and yanked my crutch(haze) away from me, broke it over my head, and gave me back one of the remaining splinters(haze v.2). So here I am, one bad leg, one useless leg, and a splinter of my former crutch. How am I suppose to move around now? I mean you could have given me back half my crutch so I'd at least have a walking stick. Maybe you just want me to slit my wrists with this splinter because it sure ain't helping me walk. I guess I'll just lay here in my bed until my surgery happens, I hope they don't end up taking out my kidneys instead of fixing my legs. </span><div></div><p>Message Edited by disrupt on <span class=date_text>04-22-2005</span> <span class=time_text>11:14 AM</span>

[Kalam]

<P>Hahaha great analogy Disrupt.</P> <P> </P>

[CrymsonAnClov]

<P>haahaahaahaa</P> <P>/Agree</P> <P>I don't think we're losing focus, but our list of problems just keeps getting longer and getting worse!   The entire shaman class is on life support and we're supposed to suck it up and hang in there until the "priest balancing" act.    I HOPE it's still on schedule for LU8...</P>

[Carri]

...and unless I'm mistaken, it's the Haze that is supposed to be working in tandem w/ our wards to eek out what effectiveness they (the wards) have?  Thus the whole crutch analogy is perfect....erm...unfortunately <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />  But I love my mystic....i don't like her broken <img src="/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[Banditman]

You are mistaken. Our Heals and Wards were intended to work in tandem to perform the primary function of our Archtype - HEALING. Everything else is considered utility and balanced separately.  Many other Priests have equally useful, but different, forms of utility. <div></div>

[disru]

<span><blockquote><hr>Banditman wrote:You are mistaken. Our Heals and Wards were intended to work in tandem to perform the primary function of our Archtype - HEALING. Everything else is considered utility and balanced separately.  <b>Many other Priests have equally useful, but different, forms of utility.</b> <div></div><hr></blockquote>I don't know about that anymore. We're losing more and more utility, but looks at the bright side! Pretty soon we'll be at the bottom of the barrel and there will be nothing else for them to take away!</span><div></div>

[Banditman]

I suppose I was speaking theoretically. It definitely chaps me in unmentionable places that we are the only Priest I'm aware of with a 2 CP single target buff . . . no . . . we are the only Priest I'm aware of with ANY sort of 2 CP buff.  Yes, all Priests have single target buffs, but only Shaman are penalized a 2nd CP to use theirs. Ok, you're right.  I have no idea if utility is balanced anymore now that our most significant utility spell is pretty useless. <div></div>

[Darm]

No such luck of the healing fixes being in LU8.... <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>=========================</DIV> <DIV>I know people are anxious for the healing changes, but we aren't rushing anything. These changes are significant, and will take time. It won't be LU#8, and we're not imposing a deadline. All I can say is that they are in progress right now.</DIV> <DIV> <P>The healing balance pass will be part of an overall spell/art revamp that is in the works. We want to address all these things at once rather than some now and some later. The changes will be big for all classes. We aren't just balancing within archetypes, but rather across all subclasses.</P> <P>===========================<BR>Moorgard<BR>EverQuest II Community Guy</P></DIV>

[Nature]

<P><BR> </P> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> disrupt wrote:<BR> <SPAN><BR>Why are we so angry? Look at it this way:<BR><BR>I am a shaman, I have one bad leg(direct heals) and one useless leg(wards), but I could still move around ok using my crutch(haze). Its ok though, I'm scheduled for surgery(LiveUpdate<img src="/smilies/b2eb59423fbf5fa39342041237025880.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> soon. That is until SOE came along and yanked my crutch(haze) away from me, broke it over my head, and gave me back one of the remaining splinters(haze v.2). So here I am, one bad leg, one useless leg, and a splinter of my former crutch. How am I suppose to move around now? I mean you could have given me back half my crutch so I'd at least have a walking stick. Maybe you just want me to slit my wrists with this splinter because it sure ain't helping me walk. I guess I'll just lay here in my bed until my surgery happens, I hope they don't end up taking out my kidneys instead of fixing my legs.<BR><BR><BR></SPAN> <P>Message Edited by disrupt on <SPAN class=date_text>04-22-2005</SPAN> <SPAN class=time_text>11:14 AM</SPAN><BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE> <P><BR>That is a perfect analogy of the way I see it. Love the post, thanks for the laugh.</P>