Reworking Chronomancy ver 2

[donkatsu]

You can already turn into a sun. I think Maj'Eyal can handle a little (fantasy) antimatter.

[Parcae2]

Not to mention that this very class has a number of gravity-based talents that make zero sense in terms of the way that real-world gravity works. I mean, any gravitational pull strong enough to overcome the gravity of the planet itself would have catastrophic consequences, not to mention the fact that gravity diminishes very slowly over distance; it wouldn't be limited to a few tiles.

I'm fine with antimatter, and so, I think, are most of the people who will play the class. It really ranks pretty far down the list of the ways the class messes around with science. Moreover, the idea that any amount of antimatter, however minuscule, would be more dangerous than a nuclear weapon is obviously nonsense. Maybe they're throwing around single positrons.

Your string idea sounds too much like Bone Shield to me.

[HousePet]

I was thinking it could be chance based, like Leaves Tide, rather than Bone Shield.

[stinkstink]

i like anti matter. i like rpg,

[edge2054]

I might go with HousePet's Topological Defects idea for some of this stuff and do a Matter/Antimatter tree as the advanced tree with some sort of talent interactions that blow up the world... I mean, cause small explosions >.>

[MarginalMagus]

Antimatter sounds great thematically! However, it can't serve as much besides an energy delivery system, be it targeted positrons or massive explosions. Maybe consider an antimatter resource (perhaps stolen from another dimension or a slow product of spontaneous pair production) to balance added oomf and prevent it being just another destruction tree. Alternatively, specific synergies with the matter tree sound great! I'm intrigued to see what they'd be.

[malboro_urchin]

Antimatter sounds great thematically! However, it can't serve as much besides an energy delivery system, be it targeted positrons or massive explosions. Maybe consider an antimatter resource (perhaps stolen from another dimension or a slow product of spontaneous pair production) to balance added oomf and prevent it being just another destruction tree. Alternatively, specific synergies with the matter tree sound great! I'm intrigued to see what they'd be.

If I recall correctly, Antimatter used to be Carbon, which had its own 'resource' built in as the first skill, in the form of the carbon spikes you shoot out. If functionality hasn't changed too much, then Antimatter may already be similar to what you're describing

[jotwebe]

I like antimatter best, in great part because of the matter-unlocked/antimatter-locked duality. It's just so elegant.

Carbon - I'm with the people who feel it's a bit weird and, while physics-inspired, not by anything fundamental enough to really fit for a class that is about messing with the very fabric of the universe. On the other hand, I've always consoled myself over the old Carbon Spikes by considering that maybe the spikes are diamond (which Paradox Mages of course don't think worthy of mention). Diamond's just carbon, after all, but way cooler for the layperson. So carbon = meh, diamonds = shiny! Still would fit better with Alchemists or Stonewardens, but nothing's perfect.

Cosmic Strings would be okay I guess, but I'd call the tree Spatial Discontinuities, sounds more dynamic.

[HousePet]

Cracked Dimensions?

[edge2054]

I figured people are carbon based so it's just the most readily available element.

Anyway I'll probably go matter/antimatter. I like the topological stuff but I think I can build some interesting synergies around matter/antimatter. I'll probably bring back destabilization but let the caster detonate it with antimatter. Something else I'd like to do is have antimatter lower physical resist directly rather than giving resist pen.

Not sure what else I'll do with matter, but it will probably be more focused on messing with enemies directly rather than building walls and the like. I may do a stacking buff of some kind too, i.e. gaining armor or physical resist for a few turns after casting a matter spell. So antimatter will passively build charges you use to power antimatter while matter will actively build charges when you cast.

[0player]

Just dropping in to say how I'm enjoying the new run with the Temporal Warden. This time going for the safer bow+hounds again (I feel like melee/switching heavy build brings much more damage, but also requires much more investment into Thick Skin and stuff like that.) Amazing work, edge2054! Really, really loving it.
Hope this one doesn't die to my own stupidity before the East.

[donkatsu]

Almost every unlocked defensive talent is currently sitting in tier 3. Preserve Pattern, Temporal Reprieve, Fateweaver, Contingency, even Guardian Unity. The only one that isn't tier 3 is Uncertain Position. At least one of these definitely needs to be moved to tier 2. I know you don't want to give chronomancers an early defensive option but the jump from level 7 to 8 is just too sharp. I think swapping Webs of Fate and Fateweaver would be a good start.

[edge2054]

The class is a mess right now in a number of ways. I'm going to take it back to a spreadsheet before I do anything more with it.

[edge2054]

Alright, things are coming together. I've cut a lot of stuff and added back in some effects I didn't want to let go of. I want the tree themes to feel tight and I'm 95% happy with them now.

Stuff isn't completely recoded but the tree structure is put together and I don't foresee it changing. Induced Phenomena was dropped. It was a neat idea but it felt clumsy in practice and I don't think it was something I was going to be able to save. Antimatter was dropped as well. I may do a second physical tree at some point in the future but it probably won't be until after 1.3.

Some balance stuff I'm planning to address. Note this is by no means extensive and I'll probably get everything coded and functional again before I start tackling these. I just want you guys to know the direction I'm taking things and I needed to write some stuff down before I forgot, so this felt like a good place to do it.

Matrix and Extension
The numbers on these need to be rebalanced. I'll probably drop them to about half the values of Quicken and Empower.

Redux
Redux is going to become a buff that will keep the next spell you cast from going on cooldown for the duration. The duration will be very short. Once the effect expires the spell cooldown will start. This should prevent cheesing long cooldowns while allowing the player to spam their favorite nuke.

Celerity
I'll probably add some defense and ranged defense to this. The values may be quite high since it only really applies while you're moving.

Preserve Pattern
I may have this automatically deactivate if you trigger a major anomaly. Mostly to prevent NPCs from chain spamming meteors on the player. Still debating if it needs it or not.

I think those are all of my immediate concerns. If you guys have some feel free to add them in. I think the nerfs to Extension, Redux, and Matrix, should address some of the problems with Phase Shift and Temporal Reprieve.

As far as tree structure, I broke away quite a bit from Archmages in the end and thought about what it was I liked about how Temporal Wardens turned out rather than trying to be Archmage 2.0. Hopefully you guys will like it. I know it's a departure from where things have been heading these last two weeks and I appreciate everyone that still has the patience to read this thread.

*edit*

Some of the stuff in git isn't really playable yet (Braid Lifelines and Rethread for instance). Other stuff hasn't been unnerfed (Cease to Exist). Once I get all the coding done (but not necessarily the balance stuff I posted above) I'll make a new post.

[Parcae2]

Honestly, I have to say I liked the old structure more. I thought it was pretty close to being done. What were the factors that made you think it was such a mess?

Spacetime Folding, in particular, doesn't seem like the kind of tree that should be locked. It doesn't have any talents that seem like they're worth unlocking.

Why did you think Induced Phenomena and Antimatter were beyond saving?

I do like the proposed change to Redux. I think it might have some problems with Temporal Fugue though.