Damage-to-Nano: Making the case for the MP prof.
1). Introduction.
2). The Idea
3). Why DtN for MP?
4). Why NOT DtN for MP?
5). Making DtN work with current tools.
6). Ideas for MP DtN Nanos.
7). Horse Trading idea.
8). Conclusion.
1). Introduction.
Another Rage Idea Thread. For those who haven't been up on it, I tend to come up with many ideas on how to improve the profession and it's performance in many areas, in the depths of the MP forums there's quite a few threads I've started or dumped masses of information into over the years on how to improve the profession, how to make it not just more equal to the other profs back when we were best described as walking kleenex with a few extras to take out to something that's a bit more respected with our toolset being able to actually be put into play in PvP, and after getting a direly-needed makeover on how the prof works in the last year or two (has it really been that long) I want to focus on somethign that I think should have been part of our toolset since it's inception, specifically Damage-To-Nano, referenced from here on out as DtN.
DtN has been out a little while from what I can see, but however my ignorance is going to shine through on this particular mechanic over the course of this essay on why it should be included in the MP toolset and I'm not going tobother trying to hide it with false erudition. My understanding of how it works is that it takes a percentage of the incoming damage, and transfers that damage to nano. Simple, and yet not: I cannot pretend to understand how it works with regards to capped pvp hits, how it interacts with reflects and stacks with them or not, or other fine details that usually make or break such types of mechanics. Add to that reading up on the forums about how some NTs are unhappy with how the mechanic works as intended and you can see how I go into writing this essay with a bit of confusion, if some skilled NT who understands how the mechanics work could fill me in on the parts I'm missing on I will edit the post to reflect that as it is warranted.
Needless to say, borked or not, I think it's somethign that should have been in the MP toolset upon it's implementation, as opposed to Sacrificial Shielding, which showed it's band-aid nature almost before it even hit the live dimensions. A well-thought out introduction of DtN for the profession would do wonders to solve a lot of the problems that SS was created to handle while remaining in our bailiwick as a caster prof, without needing to give us a nano that hands us tools from all professions mixed together as is found in SS.
2) The Idea.
The idea to introduce DtN to the profession is one I've given as much thought to as RK4 will allow, both in terms of game balance as well as in terms of questions MPs have about surviviability in the modern day. SS was one of the first nanos to come out with Lost Eden, and it was to give the profession that was at the time dead last a tool to basically make up for the massive problems that we had in trying to engage with pvp: we had no alpha protection, we could be perked by anyone, damaging our opponents was tough, and roots and snares were a problem for us since we couldn't remove them by nano (and often were busy casting the single deroots on our pets at the time anywho). The problem since then is that while the game state has changed and evolved, SS hasn't, and as a one-shot-solution is showing it's age and inflexibility as a tool in the MP arsenal.
This is why I suggest we incorporate DtN as part of the MP toolset: it is a powerful but flexible game mechanic, meaning as the game evolves further the nanos including DtN or other parts of our toolset will not so easily be rendered obsolete, but will still give the profession the defensive ability that will be needed in times of skyrocketing AR numbers and the like. For that I have several ideas, lumped into this one 'idea' section.
The idea I have for DtN nanos to be used by MPs comes in two flavors. This should sound familiar to just about anyone out there, but the idea I have is for a series of nanos that are lower level, everyday usage DtN line that tops out at 30%, castable nano and while I would like it to be castable on others, I could not see it being feasible for several reasons so if it's to be a 'MP Buff' nano it would have to be an aura, which I had hinted at before. This line needs at least 2 iterations, with one for the tl5-6 range (rated at 15% DtN) and one for 220 (at the full 30%).
This line should be overwritten by the second nano idea I have, which is:
The 'oh crap' DtN nano should be a shorter duration nano by far and away (I was thinking the low intensity DtN nano would have a duration in hours.), should overwrite the lower intensity nano on cast, and should top out at 60% DtN. Duration of the nano should be short, 30s at best, and should have a lockout of some time attached to it that disables spam-casting of the 'ocrap' nano (assuming you even have the nano left to cast it!) for a little bit, though the question of should the lower intensity nano be disallowed in the time should be left up to those code masters at FC and Means.
The 3rd way I was intending to introduce DtN for the MP prof is by use of the blue shield nano line MPs have access to. Since the Shield of Zset made it's glorious entrance into the world of the MP, the handful of 1hb users have been comparing everything to it, which is non-productive: 1hb users can still wield a weapon with their shield, while Zset users give up all personal damage in total for their weapon buffs. Regardless, the Shield of Esa went over like a lead balloon, coming out as it did after the Zset shield. My response to this is simply to alter the Blue shield line of nanos (one of the 2 lines MPs utterly ignore at the moment) to include DtN in the shield on wear, along with a much more hefty max nano boost (you'll prolly need it!) than those on the original shields. The top end of DtN on the shields can be debated, my thinking is a new 1hb blue shield with 20%-30% DtN on it with the other shields scaled down to as low as 5% for Notum Defender.
3). Why DtN for MP?
Why DtN for MP, this is probably the big question that needs to be answered by everyone considering DtN for the profession in question, and while I can't say I have definitive final answers (I'm basing my whole work here on potentially shaky understanding of how the mechanics work, remember that) I can give you my reasons why I would like to see DtN as 'the MP defense solution' of choice.
It's a reasonably balanced defense alternative, for starters: It gives a percentage of damage given to nanopool, but nanopool is finite, and under sustained fire will run out, probably not as quickly as bio-coccoon, but will run out much faster than AMS, that soldiers have, under sustained fire from multiple characters.
We would have in-prof support for it: Most MPs reset nano pool at some point in their career, being able to cast everything FC gives us with 8-10k nanopool and no real need to increase it beyond that. We get more nano from our AI prof perkline that we often ignore, and everything to do with MPs is dripping with +nano, but we don't get to use it because we're usually in nano recharge anyways, and combine that with our stellar -nanocost, means it takes effort to run us out of even the piddly 8k nano (which I did on my soli 220 MP) at 220. MP's need a good reason to consider using nanopool and raising it again, we're supposed to be a heavy caster prof after all.
It's a better idea than SS: Yes, I admit it, I hate SS. It boils down to which I see as the more elegant solution to the problem of MP defense. SS looks more and more like a band-aid nano as time goes on while DtN looks more flexible, could be easily worked into the MP toolset with little effort, and on top of it all only uses DtN from the NT toolset, not ripping off several other prof's worth of toolset ideas. MPs would have similar alphastrike survivability as they would under SS, and wouldn't feel like they're using a band-aid nano to their profession while they're using it. (BTW: SS is the reason why I went 2hb shield MP in the end.)
It's a more adaptive solution: I know good MPs all around will argue here, but let's put it this way: AR is going up, MP defense ratings are not. If the case were opposite or static, SS would be fine even as the band-aid nano it is, but since the game is a work in progress and since it evolves, it's a better idea to go with the more flexible solution that will continue to be viable into the future (which SS likley will not) which DtN provides.
Last, and not even remotely least: it's the more elegant solution, in my mind, than SS. DtN is simple, elegant, and works within the idea of how the MP is supposed to work. It will be a part of the MP toolset that evolves with the MP, as opposed to SS which while intended to be a fix-all nano for the MP in the beginning, doesn't have much flexibilty with it and is already showing not only it's age, but it's limitiation. SS cannot adapt to new situations, while DtN can be as flexible as you want it to be and not come across as overpowered as much as SS does.
4). Why NOT DtN for MP?
It boils down to two words, Over Powered, for the most of it, while the secondary argument is the one about how that would make MP the new soldier...or not.
Combine SS with DtN and you have a truly godlike combination, and I won't even try to argue with it. SS is a powerful nano, and it's been fixing MP defense up to this point as best as it can, so combining 5 spec blockers with the ability to shunt lots of the incoming damage into your nanopool could be really close to godmode. I would be the first to raise complaints if this much defensive potential were handed to one profession.
Shield MPs: Shield MPs are a different breed from every other MP build out there, they usually come with lots of evades, reflects, and if the shield MP is smart, is already damn near close to unkillable already before any DtN tools are introduced (trust me on this) so adding more damage mitigation to a prof build that specializes in damage mitigation makes the unkillable even closer to the deity than they can be.
MPs aren't supposed to be soldiers: Pretty much the ideas listed above are basically similar to soldiers (one nano for low-intensity brawling, with a peak nano when things get rough.) and would probably get similar damage reduction if for no other reason than MP players would find a way.
5). Making DtN work with current tools.
This is a lot easier than it sounds. MP tools can be quickly adapted to make DtN not only a part of the MP toolset, but a viable and valuable one, even if SS is kept as well in the MP toolset.
As I have said before, both SS and DtN active on an MP would be overpowered quite a bit, however this problem is easily solved by making sure that they're in the same line, and that DtN has a higher stacking order than SS or vice versa.
You can have SS or DTN, but not both at once.
The blue shield idea almost comes naturally just from the fact that the MP toolset has such items that would work well with the idea since they're unused nanos/items that we have had around for ages. I had also considered putting up an idea some time ago for more creation items, back pieces and cloaks with different and unique bonuses for each type with each being slanted towards a different playstyle, and in this DtN could be put to use.
The next section will be dedicated to ideas for DtN nanos in specific, as well as items in the mode of the blue shield/cloak.
6). Ideas for MP DtN Nanos.
I have several ideas for MP DtN nanos and other ways to bring the mechanic into the fold, the first one would look
like...
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Nano Crystal (Basic Notum Field)
Nanocost: 1000 (just a basic guess)
Duration: 01:00:00 (1 hour)
Attack skills: MM 34% TS 33% SI 33%
Def Skills: NR 0%
Attack Time: 15.00
Def Time: 5.25
(Unsure at this time about any other requirements that may need to come into play.
Effects: 10% damage to nano.
This nanoprogram allows the metaphysicist to alter the field of notum around a target to be aware of and attempt to intercept incoming attacks. Unlike other methods of reflecting and absorbing damage, this field uses notum itself buffer the incoming damage to some extent, and will depelete the target's nanopool with every successive strike. This particular field is rated at reducing incoming damage by about 10%.
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This is the example first in the line of lower intensity DtN nanos. This above example would simply be cast upon a target at which time it'd give the target 10% DtN. Later editions of this nano would increase DtN rating by a variable amount depending on the specific nano in the line in question. My personal preference is to have it be a team aura at best, self-only at worst, and not actually castable on another target.
This next is an example of a low-ql high intensity DtN nano.
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Nano Crystal (Basic Emergency Notum Dump)
Nancost: 1000 (once again, basic guess.)
Duration: 00:00:30 (for starters, this line is most flexible in potential)
Attack Skills: MM 34, TS 33, SI 33
Def Skills: NR 0
Attack Time 0.25 (or less)
Recharge Time: ? (needs some thinking about here, read below)
(should have same requirements as the lesser intensity DtN line)
Effects: 30-60% DtN
Used in times of extreme danger, this nanoprogram mobilizes all nanobots in your personal field of notum to focus primarily on defense by using much more notum to try to soak up all incoming attacks. This results in much less damage getting through to harm the Meta-Physicist, however their personal reserves of notum will deplete much quicker as a result, possibly resulting in completely emptying the nanopool altogether.
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(continued...)