Spider Stomper
Posts: 224
Joined: Monday, 19th November 2012, 04:56
Normalize Makhleb's Destruction Targeting
1. The "Wand" Method
Currently all wands can fire to the edge of LOS regardless of their type. So bolts of fire, draining and lightning and fireballs get extra range from their normal. The same thing could be done for all of Makhleb's conjurations.
Advantages:
- Removes the annoyance of having to "make sure you are close enough" before hurling destruction.
- Makes Greater Destruction feel more powerful.
- Maybe not too overpowered since you can't choose your conjuration.
- Simplifies thought process on use to food cost, piety cost and target (already enough of a choice without having to figure range IMO)
- Sticky flame or iron shot or even orb of lightning or fireball at the edge of LOS is quite strong
- Might be the most work, I'm unsure of that though.
- Might make it "feel" less chaotic. This one probably isn't a big deal though since the destructions are intrinsically chaotic
This would enforce the current (usually) optimal use of Destruction and limits the range of the ability to the shortest conjuration in the list.
Advantages:
- Avoids increasing Makhleb's power, assuming that is something to be avoided
- Fixes the problem without changing Makhleb gameplay much.
- Nerfs all of the bolt spells
- Might confuse new players when they roast themselves with an Orb of Electrocution
3. Just put it in the manual
While I obviously don't support "doing nothing" with regard to this problem, I recognize that for whatever reason the current system might be considered good and worth keeping. Even in this case I believe that a change is warranted to let the player know "This might do absolutely nothing if it can't make it far enough" which really sounds lame just typing it but there you go.
4. Reveal what is being targeted
I found this bit on the forums that I thought might be worthwhile:
danr in 2011 wrote:Another thing that might help (but make it less chaotic) would be if like a Tome of Destruction you would be told what kind of destruction you are about to unleash, which would at least help you decide where to target it.
This might be a good compromise between (1) and (2). The quote probably came from when Makhleb was still a starting pick for a CK and chaos probably isn't Makhleb's strongest affiliation anyway.
I would prefer either (1) or (4), and I know that Makhleb is good enough to not really need a buff, but this is more about completeness than power. Numbers could always be adjusted if power is a concern (for example, lower spell power for (1) or raise spell power for (2))