Fixing Engineers in PvP

[_______________Juggy]

http://forums.anarchy-online.com/sho...threadid=76233


just wanted some feedback on it please.

[coldwarkid]

What happens to the Engineer while this nano is running? If he's sitting around helpless, like a Trader using the brain-swap nano, this isn't going to be of much use.

However, I suspect you're suggesting that the Engineer should merge with his pet. In that case, what happens to the Engineer's skills? Does he have the same AMS as the bot, can he cast nanos on himself etc? Crucially, would he be able to refresh the Gestalt nano while he was merged? If nanos can't be refreshed, again it'll be of limited use since the new Engineer nanos have short durations. You'll be cancelling the gestalt in order to rebuff every 10 or 15 minutes. If nanos can be refreshed, this would completely change the way the game is played for Engies. Why bother with weapon skills when you're just going to use the bot's AMS anyway and you can stay in Gestalt all day if necessary?

Of course, if you're not using the bot's AMS then this nano is only of use to MA engies. Why not just extend the transference line instead? Let's have a complete Extreme Prej line while we're at it though. The lowest one could be called "Slightly Miffed"...

I'm not saying that it's a bad idea, just that it needs fleshing out a bit more before we can really comment.

Cheers,

~R~

[_______________Juggy]

I suspect you're suggesting that the Engineer should merge with his pet.

Yes, basically his bot will have the eingineers brain.
When the nano is finished, the engineer will be reconstructed, hence the res-sickness.

In that case, what happens to the Engineer's skills?

He will get everything his bot gets.
The engineer's skills will be replaced with whatever the bot's skills are.
The engineer may cast only his pet-only nanos at a penalty of twice nano cost, with the exception of his Gestalt-line of nanos.

Crucially, would he be able to refresh the Gestalt nano while he was merged?

No. This nano will not be able to be "refreshed" as it were.
This will prevent the skill from being used as an extensive solo-tool.
If this nano would be able to be refreshed indefinately, then there would be no difference between the QL 10 nano and the QL 200 nano, and the engineer would never experiance res-sickness for gestalting.

If nanos can't be refreshed, again it'll be of limited use since the new Engineer nanos have short durations

This is true, this is not meant to add to the engineer's ability to solo. At best it will provide the engineer with a way to prevent the "insta-kill" syndrome that is prevalent in PvP and will have a very minor effect in teaming situations, as the engineer will be much more useful outside his pet, than inside due to the disableing effect of the nano's termination.

You'll be cancelling the gestalt in order to rebuff every 10 or 15 minutes

Cancelling the Gestalt would induce res-sickness as the engineer would be reconstituing himself in a physical form.
This was a planned addition to prevent the engineer from becoming even more powerful in a solo/team environment.
Not to say it cant be used as such, just that its not really cost/time effective to do so in a non-PvP situation.

Why bother with weapon skills when you're just going to use the bot's AMS anyway and you can stay in Gestalt all day if necessary?

This is also what the non-refreshing penalty is to prevent.
Its use would be sole self-serving in PvP situations only, and allow the engineer to aviod entirely the "kill the engi in 1 shot, then kill his pet" situations that all engis face in PvP.

Of course, if you're not using the bot's AMS then this nano is only of use to MA engies.

Well, think of it this way.
The engineer will gain every combat-related skill the pet would normally have (buffed unbuffed whatever), and retain only his nano-skills (+treatment, first aid) so that he may cast his nanos at twice the cost.

He will have no weapon useage, because his pet does not come with weapons, his inventory will be "put on hold" while within the pet's body because his pet has no inventory.

If the pet has aby special skill such as dimach, fast attack, whatever... then the engineer will gain use of those while in gestalt as well.

Why not just extend the transference line instead?

Because the transferrance nano is a unique nano that not all engineers might want to give up (such as MA engineers).
However, it is not possible to have both the Transferrance nano and the QL 200 nano at the same time, since the Transferrance nano would be a require component in attaining the QL 200 Gestalt nano.
(The engineer would use transferrance, shift into a slayerdroid, and then use a boss-dropped item on himself. This action would change the nano in the engineers program library INTO the QL 200 Gestalt nano program)






I would like to add, that i wanted to adress Engineers in a PvP situation only, while having minimal impact on the Engineer's ability to either Solo or Team.



This gestalt line of nanos would, IMHO provide a very critical ability to allow the engineer to either flee or engage the enemy without instantly dying as is the norm today in PvP.