http://www.gaiaonline.com/forum/zomg-gaia-s-mmo/ring-balance-update-coming-early-next-week/t.54048335/
Qixter
Okay, zOMGaians!
This post is for those of you that really care about the game.
Are you one of them? Good. Then I'm asking you for your time to read over these ring changes.
The list describes the rings, how they've been changed, and the reworking of the ring sets.
NOTE: This update will not go Live for some time still. It is still in QA and not ready for public consumption yet.
I'll be watching this thread pretty closely over the three-day weekend (it's Labor Day this weekend here in America, for those of you not living here), so please keep the comments coming.
This thread will be locked on Monday! (Just a heads-up.)
The objective of these changes is to make more of the rings attractive to more kinds of players, thus increasing the variety of gameplay that you see. It also makes the "Rage Rank" gameplay a lot more satisfying.
Without further ado, here are the ring descriptions. Thereafter is a desription of the ring sets themselves, and then finally, a description of the new armor system.
This post is long. You have been warned. smile
-- Q.
(This thread is unlocked to allow discussion over the three-day weekend.)
Remember that you can use the SWAP feature to try out all the rings, or change away from rings that you don't want to use any longer!
============
Next post:
CLOSE COMBAT ATTACKS
Mantis
You create a katana from nothing to do your bidding. Does light damage, but attacks again very quickly. At higher Rage Ranks, it also drains an enemy's Willpower.
Slash
You slash at the nearby foes in front of you, doing damage to all that you hit. Your slash becomes wider and deeper at higher Rage Ranks, allowing you to hit more enemies.
Dervish
Whirling at incredible speed, you deal damage to all foes close to you. Higher Rage Ranks knock your enemies farther back and increase the area you hit.
Bump
Turn that hip around and BUMP your opponent away from you. Knocking them FAR away at higher Rage Ranks. The process *is* painful to your target.
Hack
Land a colossal blow to your foes! Hits things hard, even causing them to bleed for a bit after you hit them. At higher Rage Ranks, the bleeding lasts longer, thus causing more damage.
==================
RANGED COMBAT ATTACKS
Shuriken
Hurl spiny metal stars at your foes! In addition to damaging your target, higher Rage Ranks increase the effect to an area around your target, plus they cause your target to have reduced Accuracy for a time.
Shark Attack
Groundsharks attack your foe, often knocking it away from you, and also causing some bleeding to persist after the attack. Higher Rage Ranks result in longer bleeding duration and sometimes paralyzing your target with shock. (Root)
Hot Foot
Set your target's feet on fire, causing it pain for several seconds after the attack occurs. While the target is on fire, it also suffers a Dodge penalty, making it easier to hit. Higher Rage Ranks make this ability affect an area around the target.
Hornet Nest
Hurl a nest of hornets at the ground, creating a swarm that attacks nearby foes. Higher Rage Ranks increase the area affected, as well as making the target sometimes panic and run away. (Fear)
Heavy Water Balloon
You create a giant water ballon and hurl it at your foes, causing a colossal splash in a large area, damaging those affected. Higher Rage Ranks make bigger splashes and Taunt the enemies in the area to attack you instead of your friends.
Solar Rays
Focus the power of the sun into a beam that damages your foe and, at higher Rage Ranks, can knock it away from you, or even stun it to Sleep for a short time.
Hunter's Bow
This bow lets you fire arrows often and far, damaging your foe and slowing it down so they can't get to you easily. Higher Rage Ranks reduce the target's Footspeed.
Guns, Guns, Guns
When all else fails, haul out the artillery and drown your target in lead! Higher Rage Ranks create a wider spray of bullets, causing more damage in a bigger and bigger area around your target.
Fire Rain
Summon burning rain from the sky to fall in an area around yourself damaging your foes and draining their Willpower. Higher Rage Ranks result in bigger damage areas and greater Willpower drains.
================
CROWD CONTROL
Duct Tape
Wrap your target up and keep it from moving (Sleep). NOTE: Hitting a target while it is taped will weaken the tape and allow it to move again. Higher Rage Ranks start affecting foes around your original target also, as well as increasing the chance that they get bound by tape.
Quicksand
Cause the ground at an area to become mostly water and then solid mud for a short while, trapping your enemies where they stand. (Root). Higher Rage Ranks increase the area affected, as well as the chance to stick your foes in the mud.
Taunt
Sometimes, you need to pull enemies away from your friends. This ring does the trick, making foes in an area angered at you for a while. Higher Rage Ranks increase the area affected and the strength of the Taunt. The highest Rage Ranks also make your foes tremble, draining their Dodge for a time.
Scaredy Cat
Make your foe flee from you in sheer panic! At higher Rage Ranks, this ring affects entire areas and the tendency for your foes to flee is bigger also.
Gumshoe
Make the feet of your enemy sticky and slow its Footspeed substantially. Higher Rage Ranks make this ring affect increasingly-sized areas and slow the targets within even further.
======================
DEFENSES
Teflon Spray
This makes some of any incoming damage bounce away instead of hurting you or a friend (Persistent Armor). At higher Rage Ranks, it also makes your target harder to hit (Dodge) and eventually can occasionally Reflect an attack back against your foe.
Turtle
When trouble is overwhelming, the best thing to do is curl up in your shell and hope the bad things go away. This creates a protective field that can absorb an amazing amount of damage out of any incoming attack, but only lasts a short time. (Armor Pool) Higher Rage Ranks create stronger shells.
Rock Armor
Cover each of your allies in Rock Armor giving them strong protection against incoming damage. (Armor Pool) The Rock Armor lasts for several minutes, or until it absorbs enough damage to break up. Higher Rage Ranks make stronger and stronger Armor.
Pot Lid
Use Pot Lid to give you or a friend moderate defense (Persistent Armor) and to sometimes Deflect an attack away from you or a friend completely. Any Deflected attack is nullified completely! Higher Rage Ranks make it more and more likely that a Deflection will occur on an attack.
Improbability Sphere
Use the Improbability Sphere to give you or a friend moderate defense (Persistent Armor), as well as to Reflect an attack back against the attacker of you or a friend! Any attack Reflected back on the attacker does the damage to the attacker instead. Higher Rage Ranks increase the amound of Armor and the…probability...that Reflection will occur.
===============================
HEALING
Wish
Heal any of your friends, one at a time with this quickly-recharging and powerful ring. Higher Rage Ranks heal targets standing around your target also. The bigger the Rage Rank, the bigger the area affected.
Bandage
Start a bandaging process on you or a friend. Healing then occurs over a short time, a bit at a time. Higher Rage Ranks increase the amount of Health recovered.
Diagnose
You analyze the wounds of all allies in the area around you and heal them of some of their wounds, including your own! Higher Rage Ranks increase the healing effect and the area affected.
Defibrillate
Use this on a Dazed ally, and you'll instantly Awaken them. Higher Rage Ranks increase the amount of Health and Stamina recovered, as well as reducing the number of rings temporarily locked because you had been Dazed.
Meat
Be a meateater and beef up big and strong! You heal a big chunk of damage you've suffered as well as increasing your maximum Health the same amount. Higher Rage Ranks increase the amount of Health increased.
Healing Halo
Create this halo over you and your nearby allies. You all then regenerate health more quickly, even during combat! Higher Rage Ranks increase this effect and the highest Rage Ranks also make all affected targets harder to knockback. (Weight)
Divinity
Use this to draw lifeforce energy to you more quickly, increasing the rate at which you and your nearby friends regain Stamina, even during combat! Higher Rage Ranks let you recover Stamina even more quickly, and the highest Rage Ranks even help you find loot more easily. (Luck)
=======================
BUFFS
Coyote Spirit
Use this ring to give you or any friend a faster Footspeed. This ring also makes you able to Dodge attacks a bit more nimbly. Higher Rage Ranks increase the Footspeed bonus, as well as providing you the Luck of the Coyote.
Fleet Feet
Sometimes, you just need to get away. This makes you, and any friends around you, greatly increase your Footspeed for a brief time. Since you're probably running into or out of trouble, this also bolsters your Willpower with a modest bonus at higher Rage Ranks.
Keen Aye
Use this on you or a friend to help them spy out where a foe *will* be, letting you hit it more easily. (Accuracy) Higher Rage Ranks increase the Accuracy boost. (Accuracy bonuses also increase the chance that you will Critical Hit a monster on any particular attack.)
Ghost
You become slightly ethereal and matter occasionally, err, passes through you in a fairly disturbing fashion. (Dodge) Higher Rage Ranks increase the amount of Dodge bonus you receive. (Dodge bonues also decrease the chance that a monster will Critical Hit you during a fight.)
Iron Will
When you fight a foe using Sleep, Root, Fear or other Willpower-based ability, Iron Will erects defenses around your mind (or the minds of any of your friends) to help you resist their evil influence. Higher Rage Ranks amplifies your mind still further, allowing you to Deflect occasional incoming attacks.
My Density
Are you getting knocked around by monsters? There's an easy way to solve that. Weigh more! Using this ring increases your Weight and sticks you to the ground. Higher Rage Ranks actually make you dense enough to resist some damage directly! (Persistent Armor)
Fitness
When you wear this ring, you just get…better! Accuracy, Dodge, Willpower, Weight, Health Regeneration, Stamina Regneration and even Luck are all given minor bonuses. This ring is passive and does not need to be clicked to be fully functional. Just wear it and it works!
======================
DEBUFFS
Knife Sharpen
You draw the keen edge from a foe's G'hi and use it to sharpen your own metaphorical knives. Your foe suffers an Accuracy drain for a short time as you disrupt its lifeforce. Higher Rage Ranks also cause damage to your enemy.
Adrenaline
You jump up the nerves of your foe, causing them to jitter and shake, spoiling their ability to Dodge your blows for a time. Higher Rage Ranks also cause damage to your enemy.
========================
RING SETS
Pirate: Shark Attack, Slash, Quicksand, Keen Aye (Bonus = Persistent Armor)
Ninja : Shuriken, Mantis, Divinity, Ghost (Bonus = ACC/Dodge)
Medic : Adrenaline, Bandage, Diagnose, Defibrillate (Bonus = Footspeed)
Chef : Hack, Knife Sharpen, Pot Lid, Meat (Bonus = Dodge)
Space Trooper : Guns, Guns, Guns, Duct Tape, Improbability Sphere, My Density (Bonus = Accuracy)
Demon : Fire Rain, Scaredy Cat, Teflon Spray, Iron Will (Bonus = Health Regen)
Angel : Solar Rays, Hunters Bow, Healing Halo, Wish (Bonus = Luck)
Prankster : Hot Foot, Heavy Water Balloon, Gumshoe, Fleet Feet (Bonus = Extra Max Health)
Shaman : Dervish, Hornet Nest, Rock Armor, Coyote Spirit (Bonus = Stamina Regen)
Athlete : Bump, Taunt, Turtle, Fitness (Bonus = Debuff Resist)
======================
Persistent Armor vs. Armor Pools
The armor system was rewritten.
The old system had only one kind of armor. It subtracted a specific number of armor points from the incoming damage. It wasn’t very good at balancing against different monster types. You could be invulnerable to grunts, but then have the armor be near-to-worthless against Boss monsters.
The new system uses percentage damage reduction instead. So…instead of subtracting only 5 points from an attack, you might subtract 15% of its damage instead.
Persistent Armor : This armor only goes away when the duration of the effect expires.
Armor Pool : This is an "ablative" version of Persistent Armor. That means that as you hit it, it chips away until eventually it becomes useless. It still reduces incoming damage by a percentage, but damage is also drained out of the ability's Armor Pool at the same time. So…if an attack is hitting you for 100 points of damage, the Armor Pool might stop 20% of that damage (20 points), but it would remove that same 20 points from its Armor Pool reserve. The Armor Pool effect goes away if the Armor Pool reserve is drained to zero OR the ability's duration expires, whichever comes first.
Abilities with Armor Pools generally give more protection than Persistent Armor abilities, but they can crumble under heavy damage loads.
This post is for those of you that really care about the game.
Are you one of them? Good. Then I'm asking you for your time to read over these ring changes.
The list describes the rings, how they've been changed, and the reworking of the ring sets.
NOTE: This update will not go Live for some time still. It is still in QA and not ready for public consumption yet.
I'll be watching this thread pretty closely over the three-day weekend (it's Labor Day this weekend here in America, for those of you not living here), so please keep the comments coming.
This thread will be locked on Monday! (Just a heads-up.)
The objective of these changes is to make more of the rings attractive to more kinds of players, thus increasing the variety of gameplay that you see. It also makes the "Rage Rank" gameplay a lot more satisfying.
Without further ado, here are the ring descriptions. Thereafter is a desription of the ring sets themselves, and then finally, a description of the new armor system.
This post is long. You have been warned. smile
-- Q.
(This thread is unlocked to allow discussion over the three-day weekend.)
Remember that you can use the SWAP feature to try out all the rings, or change away from rings that you don't want to use any longer!
============
Next post:
CLOSE COMBAT ATTACKS
Mantis
You create a katana from nothing to do your bidding. Does light damage, but attacks again very quickly. At higher Rage Ranks, it also drains an enemy's Willpower.
Slash
You slash at the nearby foes in front of you, doing damage to all that you hit. Your slash becomes wider and deeper at higher Rage Ranks, allowing you to hit more enemies.
Dervish
Whirling at incredible speed, you deal damage to all foes close to you. Higher Rage Ranks knock your enemies farther back and increase the area you hit.
Bump
Turn that hip around and BUMP your opponent away from you. Knocking them FAR away at higher Rage Ranks. The process *is* painful to your target.
Hack
Land a colossal blow to your foes! Hits things hard, even causing them to bleed for a bit after you hit them. At higher Rage Ranks, the bleeding lasts longer, thus causing more damage.
==================
RANGED COMBAT ATTACKS
Shuriken
Hurl spiny metal stars at your foes! In addition to damaging your target, higher Rage Ranks increase the effect to an area around your target, plus they cause your target to have reduced Accuracy for a time.
Shark Attack
Groundsharks attack your foe, often knocking it away from you, and also causing some bleeding to persist after the attack. Higher Rage Ranks result in longer bleeding duration and sometimes paralyzing your target with shock. (Root)
Hot Foot
Set your target's feet on fire, causing it pain for several seconds after the attack occurs. While the target is on fire, it also suffers a Dodge penalty, making it easier to hit. Higher Rage Ranks make this ability affect an area around the target.
Hornet Nest
Hurl a nest of hornets at the ground, creating a swarm that attacks nearby foes. Higher Rage Ranks increase the area affected, as well as making the target sometimes panic and run away. (Fear)
Heavy Water Balloon
You create a giant water ballon and hurl it at your foes, causing a colossal splash in a large area, damaging those affected. Higher Rage Ranks make bigger splashes and Taunt the enemies in the area to attack you instead of your friends.
Solar Rays
Focus the power of the sun into a beam that damages your foe and, at higher Rage Ranks, can knock it away from you, or even stun it to Sleep for a short time.
Hunter's Bow
This bow lets you fire arrows often and far, damaging your foe and slowing it down so they can't get to you easily. Higher Rage Ranks reduce the target's Footspeed.
Guns, Guns, Guns
When all else fails, haul out the artillery and drown your target in lead! Higher Rage Ranks create a wider spray of bullets, causing more damage in a bigger and bigger area around your target.
Fire Rain
Summon burning rain from the sky to fall in an area around yourself damaging your foes and draining their Willpower. Higher Rage Ranks result in bigger damage areas and greater Willpower drains.
================
CROWD CONTROL
Duct Tape
Wrap your target up and keep it from moving (Sleep). NOTE: Hitting a target while it is taped will weaken the tape and allow it to move again. Higher Rage Ranks start affecting foes around your original target also, as well as increasing the chance that they get bound by tape.
Quicksand
Cause the ground at an area to become mostly water and then solid mud for a short while, trapping your enemies where they stand. (Root). Higher Rage Ranks increase the area affected, as well as the chance to stick your foes in the mud.
Taunt
Sometimes, you need to pull enemies away from your friends. This ring does the trick, making foes in an area angered at you for a while. Higher Rage Ranks increase the area affected and the strength of the Taunt. The highest Rage Ranks also make your foes tremble, draining their Dodge for a time.
Scaredy Cat
Make your foe flee from you in sheer panic! At higher Rage Ranks, this ring affects entire areas and the tendency for your foes to flee is bigger also.
Gumshoe
Make the feet of your enemy sticky and slow its Footspeed substantially. Higher Rage Ranks make this ring affect increasingly-sized areas and slow the targets within even further.
======================
DEFENSES
Teflon Spray
This makes some of any incoming damage bounce away instead of hurting you or a friend (Persistent Armor). At higher Rage Ranks, it also makes your target harder to hit (Dodge) and eventually can occasionally Reflect an attack back against your foe.
Turtle
When trouble is overwhelming, the best thing to do is curl up in your shell and hope the bad things go away. This creates a protective field that can absorb an amazing amount of damage out of any incoming attack, but only lasts a short time. (Armor Pool) Higher Rage Ranks create stronger shells.
Rock Armor
Cover each of your allies in Rock Armor giving them strong protection against incoming damage. (Armor Pool) The Rock Armor lasts for several minutes, or until it absorbs enough damage to break up. Higher Rage Ranks make stronger and stronger Armor.
Pot Lid
Use Pot Lid to give you or a friend moderate defense (Persistent Armor) and to sometimes Deflect an attack away from you or a friend completely. Any Deflected attack is nullified completely! Higher Rage Ranks make it more and more likely that a Deflection will occur on an attack.
Improbability Sphere
Use the Improbability Sphere to give you or a friend moderate defense (Persistent Armor), as well as to Reflect an attack back against the attacker of you or a friend! Any attack Reflected back on the attacker does the damage to the attacker instead. Higher Rage Ranks increase the amound of Armor and the…probability...that Reflection will occur.
===============================
HEALING
Wish
Heal any of your friends, one at a time with this quickly-recharging and powerful ring. Higher Rage Ranks heal targets standing around your target also. The bigger the Rage Rank, the bigger the area affected.
Bandage
Start a bandaging process on you or a friend. Healing then occurs over a short time, a bit at a time. Higher Rage Ranks increase the amount of Health recovered.
Diagnose
You analyze the wounds of all allies in the area around you and heal them of some of their wounds, including your own! Higher Rage Ranks increase the healing effect and the area affected.
Defibrillate
Use this on a Dazed ally, and you'll instantly Awaken them. Higher Rage Ranks increase the amount of Health and Stamina recovered, as well as reducing the number of rings temporarily locked because you had been Dazed.
Meat
Be a meateater and beef up big and strong! You heal a big chunk of damage you've suffered as well as increasing your maximum Health the same amount. Higher Rage Ranks increase the amount of Health increased.
Healing Halo
Create this halo over you and your nearby allies. You all then regenerate health more quickly, even during combat! Higher Rage Ranks increase this effect and the highest Rage Ranks also make all affected targets harder to knockback. (Weight)
Divinity
Use this to draw lifeforce energy to you more quickly, increasing the rate at which you and your nearby friends regain Stamina, even during combat! Higher Rage Ranks let you recover Stamina even more quickly, and the highest Rage Ranks even help you find loot more easily. (Luck)
=======================
BUFFS
Coyote Spirit
Use this ring to give you or any friend a faster Footspeed. This ring also makes you able to Dodge attacks a bit more nimbly. Higher Rage Ranks increase the Footspeed bonus, as well as providing you the Luck of the Coyote.
Fleet Feet
Sometimes, you just need to get away. This makes you, and any friends around you, greatly increase your Footspeed for a brief time. Since you're probably running into or out of trouble, this also bolsters your Willpower with a modest bonus at higher Rage Ranks.
Keen Aye
Use this on you or a friend to help them spy out where a foe *will* be, letting you hit it more easily. (Accuracy) Higher Rage Ranks increase the Accuracy boost. (Accuracy bonuses also increase the chance that you will Critical Hit a monster on any particular attack.)
Ghost
You become slightly ethereal and matter occasionally, err, passes through you in a fairly disturbing fashion. (Dodge) Higher Rage Ranks increase the amount of Dodge bonus you receive. (Dodge bonues also decrease the chance that a monster will Critical Hit you during a fight.)
Iron Will
When you fight a foe using Sleep, Root, Fear or other Willpower-based ability, Iron Will erects defenses around your mind (or the minds of any of your friends) to help you resist their evil influence. Higher Rage Ranks amplifies your mind still further, allowing you to Deflect occasional incoming attacks.
My Density
Are you getting knocked around by monsters? There's an easy way to solve that. Weigh more! Using this ring increases your Weight and sticks you to the ground. Higher Rage Ranks actually make you dense enough to resist some damage directly! (Persistent Armor)
Fitness
When you wear this ring, you just get…better! Accuracy, Dodge, Willpower, Weight, Health Regeneration, Stamina Regneration and even Luck are all given minor bonuses. This ring is passive and does not need to be clicked to be fully functional. Just wear it and it works!
======================
DEBUFFS
Knife Sharpen
You draw the keen edge from a foe's G'hi and use it to sharpen your own metaphorical knives. Your foe suffers an Accuracy drain for a short time as you disrupt its lifeforce. Higher Rage Ranks also cause damage to your enemy.
Adrenaline
You jump up the nerves of your foe, causing them to jitter and shake, spoiling their ability to Dodge your blows for a time. Higher Rage Ranks also cause damage to your enemy.
========================
RING SETS
Pirate: Shark Attack, Slash, Quicksand, Keen Aye (Bonus = Persistent Armor)
Ninja : Shuriken, Mantis, Divinity, Ghost (Bonus = ACC/Dodge)
Medic : Adrenaline, Bandage, Diagnose, Defibrillate (Bonus = Footspeed)
Chef : Hack, Knife Sharpen, Pot Lid, Meat (Bonus = Dodge)
Space Trooper : Guns, Guns, Guns, Duct Tape, Improbability Sphere, My Density (Bonus = Accuracy)
Demon : Fire Rain, Scaredy Cat, Teflon Spray, Iron Will (Bonus = Health Regen)
Angel : Solar Rays, Hunters Bow, Healing Halo, Wish (Bonus = Luck)
Prankster : Hot Foot, Heavy Water Balloon, Gumshoe, Fleet Feet (Bonus = Extra Max Health)
Shaman : Dervish, Hornet Nest, Rock Armor, Coyote Spirit (Bonus = Stamina Regen)
Athlete : Bump, Taunt, Turtle, Fitness (Bonus = Debuff Resist)
======================
Persistent Armor vs. Armor Pools
The armor system was rewritten.
The old system had only one kind of armor. It subtracted a specific number of armor points from the incoming damage. It wasn’t very good at balancing against different monster types. You could be invulnerable to grunts, but then have the armor be near-to-worthless against Boss monsters.
The new system uses percentage damage reduction instead. So…instead of subtracting only 5 points from an attack, you might subtract 15% of its damage instead.
Persistent Armor : This armor only goes away when the duration of the effect expires.
Armor Pool : This is an "ablative" version of Persistent Armor. That means that as you hit it, it chips away until eventually it becomes useless. It still reduces incoming damage by a percentage, but damage is also drained out of the ability's Armor Pool at the same time. So…if an attack is hitting you for 100 points of damage, the Armor Pool might stop 20% of that damage (20 points), but it would remove that same 20 points from its Armor Pool reserve. The Armor Pool effect goes away if the Armor Pool reserve is drained to zero OR the ability's duration expires, whichever comes first.
Abilities with Armor Pools generally give more protection than Persistent Armor abilities, but they can crumble under heavy damage loads.
