Comprehensive Mindslayer rework

[HousePet]

Done.
Fixed a few bugs and many errors in descriptions.
Shifted a few talents around and lowered a few numbers.

[Parcae2]

TK wielding a gem does not appear to give stat bonuses. Did you take that out on purpose?

Edit: If you did change it on purpose, I think that's a bad idea. The previous balance was really nice - it actually made all three possibilities (gems, weapon, mindstar) more or less equally viable.

Edit2: Another LUA error:

Code: Select all

stack traceback:
	[C]: in function 'error'
	/engine/interface/ActorTalents.lua:153: in function </engine/interface/ActorTalents.lua:135>
Lua Error: /engine/interface/ActorTalents.lua:175: /engine/interface/ActorTalents.lua:153: /data/damage_types.lua:114: attempt to compare number with table
stack traceback:
	/data/damage_types.lua:114: in function 'defaultProjector'
	/data/damage_types.lua:668: in function 'projector'
	/data/talents/psionic/voracity.lua:113: in function 'damtype'
	/engine/interface/ActorProject.lua:197: in function 'project'
	/data/talents/psionic/voracity.lua:108: in function </data/talents/psionic/voracity.lua:103>
	[C]: in function 'xpcall'
	/engine/interface/ActorTalents.lua:148: in function </engine/interface/ActorTalents.lua:135>
	At [C]:-1 
	At [C]:-1 error
	At /engine/interface/ActorTalents.lua:175 useTalent
	At /engine/interface/PlayerHotkeys.lua:169 
	At /engine/interface/PlayerHotkeys.lua:161 activateHotkey
	At /engine/HotkeysIconsDisplay.lua:334 onMouse
	At /mod/class/uiset/Minimalist.lua:1911 fct
	At /engine/Mouse.lua:56 

... while trying to use, I believe, Thermal Leech.

Edit3: I am not gaining any Psi at all with level. I assume this is not WAD.

[Parcae2]

More stuff, in a new post this time.

-Insatiable's scaling is unduly linear. Not a big deal, but something to bear in mind for the future. It should also probably scale at least a little with talent mastery.
-The limit on how many shields can be sustained at a time should probably be removed as part of the general buffing of sustained shields/nerf on spiked shields. Also the sustain cost should probably be lowered or removed. Obviously these suggestions depend on the specifics of the shield rebalance.
-Spiked Kinetic Aura does a LOT of damage. I don't know how it scales, and it's very expensive in terms of both turns and psi, so this isn't necessarily a bad thing as long as the AI doesn't use it.

Overall, the biggest bug right now is the lack of psi per level, which is limiting the balance feedback I can give because a lot of the class seems to be based around resource costs now. It would be awesome if you could patch that when you have a chance.

Let me know if the stream of comments is useful or distracting.

Edit: According to Seb, the lack of psi per level is WAD. In that case I can report that the class has major resource problems, although that is not necessarily a bad thing.

Edit2: Just noticed that spiked shields now appear to be incompatible with each other (spiking one removes any other spiked shields). I assume this is WAD, and I like the idea, but it should probably be better documented.

[HousePet]

Lack of tk wielding a gem giving bonuses is an error that should be resolved when this is correctly merged in 1.2.

Thermal Leech error is probably a similar situation.

Will tweak Insatiable.

If you can sustain all three shields at once, then there isn't any point having three different talents. I'm not sure about reducing the tactical options on shields that much.

Can't remember which way Aura damage went when I removed mindstar tier scaling. Might be the same damage as a t5 mindstar at all times now.

I don't think you ever did get Psi per level. Most of the Psi costs have been lowered in this revision and Voracity has been made stronger. But the numbers haven't been extensively tested. Would be really good if we can get feedback specifically about costs and what situations leave you with resource problems.

Missed the Spiked Shields description error, will fix.

Thanks for work so far. Has this version fixed previous issues regarding balance?

[Parcae2]

I'm not sure how accurately I can offer feedback, since much of what I've observed might be the product of elements that are not yet fully implemented. For example, I have been having major psi problems, but those might disappear if I could use Thermal Leech without a lua error. Similarly, I have found myself using a mindstar focus almost the entire time. That is something I would definitely not do if it could teleport enemies to me.

In general, the class feels very fragile without its staple spiked shields. I found that I could one-shot the vast majority of enemies with spiked Kinetic Aura, but if I had enemies coming from multiple sides or was forced into a longer battle, I generally died quickly. Deaths generally took one of two forms: either I ran out of psi and was helpless, or my lack of defense caught up to me.

Would using test8 instead of git reduce the compatibility problems?

Edit: I tried using test8, and, sadly, I am still getting LUA errors every time I use Thermal Leech within range of an enemy.

Edit2: It occurs to me that if Forcefield were temporarily made the first talent in Force instead of the last, it would probably be easier to check how the class's defenses stack up. In general, though, between the bugs and the pending changes to shields, I don't know how useful playtesting can be at this point.

[HousePet]

I've corrected the Thermal Leech error and reworked the Absorption talents.
They now reward point spending more, which allows you to get more out of them earlier.

Summary:
Each shield only absorbs one damage type, three additional damage types are added by investing in that shield.
Absorption rate scales from 50-75% with talent level instead of Cunning.
Max absorbable scales with Mindpower with a much simpler formula. (1xmindpower)
Psi conversion efficiency scales with both talent level and Mindpower.

Absorption Mastery still resets cooldown timers and increases max absorb amounts.
You can still spike one shield at a time.
Though I'm thinking about removing both of these and putting Forcefield in slot 4.

[Parcae2]

Matter is Energy is broken:

Code: Select all

[LOG]	Brain Puncher uses Matter is Energy.
[LOG]	Energy starts pouring from the gem into Brain Puncher.
Lua Error: /data/talents/psionic/finer-energy-manipulations.lua:208: attempt to index global 'ammo' (a nil value)
	At [C]:-1 __index
	At /data/talents/psionic/finer-energy-manipulations.lua:208 action
	At /mod/dialogs/ShowInventory.lua:94 use
	At /mod/dialogs/ShowInventory.lua:39 fct
	At /engine/ui/Inventory.lua:121 fct
	At /engine/ui/ListColumns.lua:462 onUse
	At /engine/ui/ListColumns.lua:134 fct
	At /engine/Mouse.lua:56 receiveMouse
	At /engine/Mouse.lua:94 delegate
	At /engine/ui/Inventory.lua:189 mouseEvent
	At /engine/ui/Inventory.lua:135 fct
	At /engine/Mouse.lua:56 receiveMouse
	At /engine/Mouse.lua:94 delegate
	At /engine/ui/Dialog.lua:547 mouseEvent
	At /engine/ui/Dialog.lua:326 fct
	At /engine/Mouse.lua:56 

Might be another of those 1.2 incompatibility problems. The result of the bug is that the player character does not get the effect of the gem.

[Parcae2]

Also, I am sad to see the throwing-enemies thing in a tree I am unlikely to take, but you've already heard my thoughts on that subject. Maybe move Reach into that tree instead, and improve it so that it allows range 2 melee at 5/5? Obviously all this depends in part on what you decide to do (if anything) with the new advanced trees you're working on.

In general, I like the changes to shields in the latest version. The class feels much less fragile.

[HousePet]

Oh that gem bug is my fault. I copied the code from my Crystal Healing talent and forgot that Mindslayers don't carry alchemist gems.

Good news about shields being more useful early on.

Which category is TK Throw in now? Why wouldn't you take it? and are you going melee or caster?

And more importantly, What should I code up tonight?

[Parcae2]

I'm going caster, focusing on auras.

TK Throw is currently in TK Combat. I'm unlikely to take it because it's basically just damage talents, and there are plenty of other damage talents that don't require the investment of a cat point. That's why I suggested moving Reach there - it's a skill that boosts other skills, which makes it perfect for a locked tree.

Psi generation is a lot smoother now that I can use all three leeches. It still poses problems, to the point that I would definitely see Hidden Resources as a very strong pick for the class, but it's not insurmountable.

As for coding, well, obviously your time is your own:) On the whole, I really like where the class is right now, especially when compared to how it used to be.

If you're looking for suggestions, Pyrokinesis is still a bit weak and doesn't fit the new physical/cold/lightning theme, so that could be removed or replaced. Other than that, I'll keep posting bugs here - the biggest one so far, playstyle-wise, is the fact that what you TK wield doesn't get the bonuses it should (stats from gems, etc). Other than that, the new locked trees you've proposed look interesting, and I'd love to try them out if you have time to code them.

[HousePet]

Okay, will continue to think about the talent layouts.

Casting and Auras is the most Psi expensive option, so I'm not surprised you are using Voracity to keep you going. Sounds like Psi management is pretty much in the right spot now.

My time is not my own, DarkGod keeps whipping me!

The theme is physical - fire/cold - lightning. But I'll look at Pyrokinesis, its probably gone from abysmal to below average.

I'll try copying the missing stat bonuses and mindstar powered vacuum code from the git tonight.
And maybe start coding the two extra locked categories.

[Parcae2]

You should hop on the #tome channel. Shibari and I are discussing the class right now.

He said that, as of the git version, melee slayers were actually way too powerful. I wouldn't know - I haven't tried them yet.

Edit: Also, I gave him some numbers for aura spike damage and he's inclined to agree that the numbers are too high. I don't know how it scales for the late game yet, though. One way to change it might be to turn the melee parts into a passive and have the sustain drain psi, so that you can't enter combat with two auras already sustained.

[HousePet]

I dropped the Aura spike damage by a third last night. Forgot to mention that.
I've also tweaked the damage values on TK Smash since the version on git.

[Parcae2]

Auras might still need a nerf. I am doing over 500 damage with kinetic spike with 47 mindpower and 21% physical damage mod. That's a lot for Tier 2 dungeons.

[supermini]

First impressions (forum version):

I'm not a fan of either Impale or Telekinetic Assault - they are too generic. X% weapon damage plus effect has been done a hundred times before in melee classes. Suggestion:

'Shatter will' - You strike the target with your telekinetic weapon so hard that you shatter their will to fight, reducing all damage they do by x% (up to 33% on rank 5) for 6 turns. CD:12

'Telekinetic Assault' - You unleash a fierce attack with your telekinetic and main weapons, impairing your target's ability to defend themselves, reducing their defense by [x], saves by [y], and armor by [z] for 6 turns (x, y, z scales with mindpower). All your attacks for this turn have +100 accuracy.

Skate is too strong (move bonus, anyway) and needs a better name. Suggestions: 'Psionic floating', 'Mind over gravity', 'Hover'.

I'm not sure about unlocking finer energy manipulations. I'd like the choices about what to unlock and when to be more difficult. Realign and Iron Will are so good they are certainly worth spending a category point on.