GU#42 will nerf the ONE mob where power drain works

[Rijacki]

<a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?topic_id=404401" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Test Update Notes: Tuesday, January 22nd 2008</a><span class="postbody">Charasis: the Maiden's Chamber<i>Bilithu of the Old Ways:</i>Summons of the Feaster is no longer affected by mana draining spells and abilities.Bilithu's power pool has been reduced.The ONE mob where there was actually a use for all the power drains on coercer spells (the reasons given for why they're so much lower in damage than illusionist similar ones) will be, like every other mob in the game, completely immune to power drain.This also means all the items with power siphoning effects will be just a power gain since the power drain won't do squat on anything.What was so bloody wrong with having power drain work.  It takes time to drain from full to empty and all during that time the amount of damage done to it, while it is doing it's best to kill everything around it, has to be kept to minimum.  Sure, there is actually only one class that can drain it faster than any other and the encounter is a [Removed for Content] cat after it's drained, but the encounter was even beatable without that one class, even without any power draining class.Well, I guess their answer to fixing the power drains on coercer spells that they keep adding and increasing is just to make sure they don't work on anything.  *sigh*It was nice while it lasted.(I was going to post this on EQ2Flames and not here, 'cause I know no dev reads this part of the board, even by accident, but a dev or two has actually posted on the EQ2Flames coercer forum.. but.. I can't remember my password there and I can't do linkies on my Treo, where I have the password automatically set *laugh*).</span>

[Lord Hackenslash]

this is actually one of the more fun encounters in the zone if you don't power drain, I can see why they did it, its totally trivial if you power drain and my groups usually opt for the standard kill when we go in.

[Aule]

<p>Yeah it's nice to have options on how to kill it though.</p><p>Like the original poster said though, what is even the point in having the pow drain mechanic in the game now?  </p>

[Lord Hackenslash]

<cite>Aule@Guk wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>Yeah it's nice to have options on how to kill it though.</p><p>Like the original poster said though, what is even the point in having the pow drain mechanic in the game now?  </p></blockquote>Personally I use it mostly when solo. I agree it would be nice to have more power drain encounters in game but it feels nice to do it once or twice then it kinda gets old and really isn't good in a group setting. not much of a group encounter if you are really soloing it.

[Rijacki]

<cite>Melina@Splitpaw wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite>Aule@Guk wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>Yeah it's nice to have options on how to kill it though.</p><p>Like the original poster said though, what is even the point in having the pow drain mechanic in the game now?  </p></blockquote>Personally I use it mostly when solo. I agree it would be nice to have more power drain encounters in game but it feels nice to do it once or twice then it kinda gets old and really isn't good in a group setting. not much of a group encounter if you are really soloing it.</blockquote>What's the point of it soloing?  Mobs still cast their spells and abilities at 0 power.  It has ZERO effect.

[Signal9]

<cite>Melina@Splitpaw wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite>Aule@Guk wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>Yeah it's nice to have options on how to kill it though.</p><p>Like the original poster said though, what is even the point in having the pow drain mechanic in the game now?  </p></blockquote>Personally I use it mostly when solo. I agree it would be nice to have more power drain encounters in game but it feels nice to do it once or twice then it kinda gets old and really isn't good in a group setting. not much of a group encounter if you are really soloing it.</blockquote><p>I have to ask:  Use it to do what, exactly?  Bore yourself to death?  What is the point of using power drain on mobs you can solo?  What do you gain from the power drain?</p><p>I can understand using your power taps, if the fight will be long, but the drains do nothing in normal circumstances.  The drains are useless, and at this point constitute nothing more than an insult.</p><p>I'm both laughing, and crying over this one.  It's so sad, and so [Removed for Content] hilarious at the same time.  Finally 3+ years into the game, and we finally get a mob that draining is beneficial on.....NERF!</p><p>Now, remove power drain from the game entirely, and either up our spell damage, half the power cost and cast time, SOMETHING.  With this change you have stated in the only way that matters that you will not allow our abilities to be used, so take them away.</p>

[Shirodan]

<p>I've never played an enchanter past lvl10, and likely never will, but in that short amount of time I did realize that power drains were completely useless.</p><p>Its unfortunate that such a unique class mechanic has no point, and brings nothing to the table. A coercer should be able to completely drain a solo mob of its power by the time its at 60-70% health, and a heroic mob by the time it hits 40%, making the rest of the fight much easier. Mobs should not be able to cast spells or CAs once out of power.</p><p>I think this would give power drainers a nice little niche.</p>

[Lord Hackenslash]

<cite>Rijacki wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite>Melina@Splitpaw wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite>Aule@Guk wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>Yeah it's nice to have options on how to kill it though.</p><p>Like the original poster said though, what is even the point in having the pow drain mechanic in the game now?  </p></blockquote>Personally I use it mostly when solo. I agree it would be nice to have more power drain encounters in game but it feels nice to do it once or twice then it kinda gets old and really isn't good in a group setting. not much of a group encounter if you are really soloing it.</blockquote>What's the point of it soloing?  Mobs still cast their spells and abilities at 0 power.  It has ZERO effect.</blockquote>I enjoy Soloing heroic content. not solo content. I use power drains when soloing heroic casters (yes it does take a while) but but using power drains with mez thrown in between the recasts allows me t kill yellow ^^^ named casters. i don't do it for  xp or loot, just cause i enjoy a harder mob. they do not use thier abilities if out of mana so not sure where you got this from. like i said there does need t be a better use for pow drain but i just feel that this mob is an exampl;e of why they nerf it in the first place. 6 people go in but only 1 fights the mob. whats the point of grouping?

[Legend2u2]

I would really like to see them replace our useless power drains with something else.  A stun, maybe +100 spell damage, anything would be nice compared to a skill that does not work.  I too was dissappointed at this change and really felt it was a slap to enchanters who could be very useful in a group for once.

[Rijacki]

<cite>Melina@Splitpaw wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite>Rijacki wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite>Melina@Splitpaw wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite>Aule@Guk wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>Yeah it's nice to have options on how to kill it though.</p><p>Like the original poster said though, what is even the point in having the pow drain mechanic in the game now?  </p></blockquote>Personally I use it mostly when solo. I agree it would be nice to have more power drain encounters in game but it feels nice to do it once or twice then it kinda gets old and really isn't good in a group setting. not much of a group encounter if you are really soloing it.</blockquote>What's the point of it soloing?  Mobs still cast their spells and abilities at 0 power.  It has ZERO effect.</blockquote>I enjoy Soloing heroic content. not solo content. I use power drains when soloing heroic casters (yes it does take a while) but but using power drains with mez thrown in between the recasts allows me t kill yellow ^^^ named casters. i don't do it for  xp or loot, just cause i enjoy a harder mob. they do not use thier abilities if out of mana so not sure where you got this from. like i said there does need t be a better use for pow drain but i just feel that this mob is an exampl;e of why they nerf it in the first place. 6 people go in but only 1 fights the mob. whats the point of grouping?</blockquote>Ahhh you use it for the power regeneration.  The regeneration doesn't need to have a drain, the drain could be something, anything else (even another dot).  The drain does nothing.  Mobs have abilities, in addition to or instead of spells.  They can use those abilities regardless of their power pool state.  Spells they may not cast, but they'll still use all their abilities (and some of those abilities are the same as player character spells and CAs which require power, when used by anything but an NPC).

[smokedout]

Sony is really shooting themselves in the foot, they keep making this gamr worse n worse imo...  class's are slowly fading away into uselessness

[Antryg Mistrose]

I have to agree with Rijacki - nerfing the encounter is proof positive in the only way that matters that power drains are not supposed to do anything.  That we still have them, rather than something more worthwhile, what 2? years after they were rendered useless is disappointing.Coercers have too many useless spells, and spells that reduce in effect the better your group/raid is.  That is unjust.p.s.  I do like the last part "<span class="postbody"><span class="postbody">Bilithu's power pool has been reduced</span></span>"  I can just picture the dev meeting:Dev 1: "Some of those pesky enchanters are making this encounter far too easy, we must fix it"Dev 2: "But that's the only encounter in the game that power drains do anything useful on"Dev 1: "No, it MUST be fixed! dammit.  Wait I know, we'll lower its power pool so enchanters still think they are doing something useful"Dev 2: "Um, won't the mob be dead before its power is gone if there is no reason to wait at the start?"Dev 1: "Details, details - Hardy anyone plays enchantrs anyway, so they can fight the G$%$#$% encounter how they are supposed to !"

[JackAll]

<p>At least they threw us a bone and reduced the mobs power pool.</p><p>We will be able to achieve nothing much faster now </p>

[Oriax]

Yeah I leveled my Coercer just to get it to 80 then put him back on the shelf since our whole concept of control is next to none with named mobs in RoK. The simple fact that they made basically all the named mobs in dungeons and instances Immune to Root, Stuns, Stifles, Dazes and Mezzes pretty much makes any sort of control spell from all classes in game useless in Rok.

[Outerspace]

I remember grouping in Rivervale and being able to drain the caster mobs there too and it was actually a feature of having an enchanter in the group. I remember the good old days of T5, bards and chanters draining epics so they would stop nuking. Then next patch epics now run at 100 times the speed they did, have regen so good you cant drain them lower than 99% and they don't actually seem to use any power for CAs any more. Thats all my power drain skills wiped out then.Roll on a couple of years and we have this pointless adjustment. I understand why they have done it but it's still pointless: just means groups are forced to fight the encounter one way only instead of having the choice. Either way you still win.SOE should just convert any spell that has a power drain component into a damage component instead.

[chily]

<cite>Oriax@Runnyeye wrote:</cite><blockquote>Yeah I leveled my Coercer just to get it to 80 then put him back on the shelf since our whole concept of control is next to none with named mobs in RoK. The simple fact that they made basically all the named mobs in dungeons and instances Immune to Root, Stuns, Stifles, Dazes and Mezzes pretty much makes any sort of control spell from all classes in game useless in Rok.</blockquote><p>If they woundn't be imune against stun, root, stifle and mezz coercer would be able to solo the zones i guess <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>Tbh i killed that named some times by now and i never used the powerdrain way to get him down in the groups i was. we just burned him down. that change is nothing big somehow. you still can drain his power out i guess to reduce is aoe's i guess. That he warps is part of trick lol.</p><p>The only sad thing is that nearly every mob needs only like 100 power max for spells or ca's = 500 dmg from catalystic <img src="/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> i wissh tey would need like let's say 300 or 400 power for some stuff to get at least a litte dmg out of catalysic till the termination dmg hit's.</p><p>it would be really funny to get a spell that forces the mob to use like 100% power more then usuall muahaha</p>

[Rarlin]

<p>You don't have to remove power drain, just make Cataclysmic Mind trigger on any power reduction and we've got a purpose for it.</p><p>I realize this will never happen, but I think it would be nice (and a helpful solution to our DPS issues as well).</p>

[chily]

<cite>Rarlin wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>You don't have to remove power drain, just make Cataclysmic Mind trigger on any power reduction and we've got a purpose for it.</p><p>I realize this will never happen, but I think it would be nice (and a helpful solution to our DPS issues as well).</p></blockquote><p>maybe both ? fix hit when mob uses power and the current effect?Would be the best change i could dream of atm, coz it would proc on block, parry and so on too coz the mob needed the power to cast the ca/spell lol</p>

[Taharn]

<p>It frustrates me to no end that half of our utility is completely wiped out. Take for example, the adventurer fight in PR. We can block about 3 of the healers spells before she is immune to all our stuff, so there's basically no point in using it.</p><p> All my control spells are useful for anymore is to keep perpetuality going (hardly necessary with good timing of other spells) or for carrying damage procs (One day i'm going to find an 80 heroic and just spam mez/stun/stifle and see if its possible to kill it with procs <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />) </p><p> The idea of tying Cataclysmic Mind in with these spells is a really smart one, and has been around a long time. It would be great if the devs would see this and seriously take it into consideration. It could literally fix our class if done correctly. It makes more of our spells useful on raids, and in doing so ups our (stable/sustained) dps a tad.</p><p> Power Drains to Damage in 08!</p>

[Sonorod]

<p>I feel the need to point out that the notes say nothing about the creature being immune to power drains, just his summons ability no longer requiring power.</p><p> This does not mean power drains won't be a viable option for this fight, it just means he will still summon everyone to the center area during the fight where you will have to be mindful of the hollow floor and roaming adds underneath waiting for your aoe's to pull them in.</p><p> And the deadliest ability should still require power, so what's the change? Only location of where he's fought.  What should concern us is that the effort to effectively clear this mob is being brought in-line with the intended challenge level, yet I have never seen him drop anything better than a piece of treasured that drops in skyfire as well.  Unless they do something to his drop rates, it's much more effective to avoid his fight altogether and use control spells to get past him and use the switch which is all he's guarding.</p><p>As for Cataclysmic mind, yes we'd see less proc on this fight, but it is not an abilibty you'll use every fight...similar to mez.  You don't mez every fight, so why expect to use all your damage spells for every fight?  Coercers are and adaptive class.  We bring what's needed to just about any group because we have something for every occasion.  Would I like to see more reward for the effort of upgrading, using and maintaining cataclysmic mind? yes.  But I still don't expect it would be useful in every situation.</p><p> Has anyone else tried it on the Impaler?</p>

[Outerspace]

<cite>Sonorod wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>As for Cataclysmic mind, yes we'd see less proc on this fight, but it is not an abilibty you'll use every fight...similar to mez.  You don't mez every fight, so why expect to use all your damage spells for every fight?</p></blockquote>But you're comparing apples with oranges there. Mez is a control spell so you'd only need it when attempting to control. Cataclysmic is a damage spells which you'd need when attempting to do damage which is all the time.However its rubbish.The proposed changed above sound great, I'd hope SOE would implement them.

[Ran]

<cite>Sonorod wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>I feel the need to point out that the notes say nothing about the creature being immune to power drains, just his summons ability no longer requiring power.</p><p> This does not mean power drains won't be a viable option for this fight, it just means he will still summon everyone to the center area during the fight where you will have to be mindful of the hollow floor and roaming adds underneath waiting for your aoe's to pull them in.</p></blockquote><p>lol? logic from devs or what? cool we can drain mana for our happiness.. it brings nothing! but hey.. we can drain it woohoo....</p><p>draining mana from this mob for not get ported was THE reason, now there is NO MOB where power drain is in ANY WAY USEFUL!!!</p><p>A coercer got a lot of "situation-spells" like mezz, amnesie, our 65 special, stun.... how much you use those in solo/group/raidplay? We don't need more of this. Cataclysm combined with our power drain.. would be one way.. i would like to see that mobs will power need again. Those can have a powerreg which fills they're power nearly immedatily to 100% but our third reactive will work correctly after? years?</p>