Focused Feedback: Teleportation Pool Revamp

[Blackbird71]

Wait, if I understand this correctly, Warshades will no longer have an inherent travel power?  Is that right?

[ScarySai]

It's not. They still have it, but I assume it was omitted from the post since it would function identically to how it already did + the untouchable buff.

 

Whereas starless and slip used to do something else, and got altered to be what they are here.

[Myrmidon]

19 minutes ago, Greycat said:

One wish list item. Have this available in Dwarf form. If I'm off tanking and someone's in trouble? Being able to pull the entire mob to me like that ... I'd be grinning.

I will instantly make a Warshade if this happens.

[WindDemon21]

The cooldown also hurts even more, stone tankers, who have that -rech debuff.

 

Instead i would surmise for combat tp, give it that small def buff, lose the to hit buff, get rid of the cooldown, and have it cost zero end, but each time you use it creates a short duration debuff to recovery like 5%, that lasts for 5 seconds and stacks up to 5 times or something. That way it will still somewhat put off people from using it as a straight travel, but not cost too much end while using it in combat.

 

Or you know, just get rid of the cooldown...

[Blackbird71]

4 minutes ago, ScarySai said:

It's not. They still have it, but I assume it was omitted from the post since it would function identically to how it already did + the untouchable buff.

 

Whereas starless and slip used to do something else, and got altered to be what they are here.

Fair enough.  I'm still not crazy about these changes though; taking Long Range Teleport away from those who have spec'd in the Teleport pool and instead locking it behind exploration badges that I never bother to get intentionally just seems like an all around bad idea.

[GM Tock]

Similar to Fitness, though, all your toons get it for free.  And if you’re not keen on the new TP T5, you can respec to a new choice.

 

But yes, earning SG Accolade Badges to populate it is a cost in time.  That’s fair.

[Greycat]

11 minutes ago, Blackbird71 said:

Fair enough.  I'm still not crazy about these changes though; taking Long Range Teleport away from those who have spec'd in the Teleport pool and instead locking it behind exploration badges that I never bother to get intentionally just seems like an all around bad idea.

As someone who has been absolutely in love with teleport (first 50 had it, back in I3. Blaster. And yes, I even used it in old DA,) I've got to say - you actually win. And you're paid for getting the exploration badges, basically. You will -

- Have a free power pick, now, and

- be raking in 5 merits per zone while you get those beacons. Se even the time "cost" is getting paid off pretty nicely.

 

[ScarySai]

2 hours ago, Vanden said:

Also of note: the /powexec_location command no longer requires line of sight when used with the “target” parameter, meaning you can set up a bind with Teleport and Combat Teleport to teleport directly to a teammate, as long as they’re in range.

Right now, that is not working for me when using starless step. I haven't tested the pool versions on Brainstorm yet, though. Plan to tonight.

[Blackbird71]

11 minutes ago, GM Tahquitz said:

Similar to Fitness, though, all your toons get it for free.  And if you’re not keen on the new TP T5, you can respec to a new choice.

 

But yes, earning SG Accolade Badges to populate it is a cost in time.  That’s fair.

Maybe I'm missing something.  From what I understand, you get it for free if you have the accolade, and then you have to get the accolade for each zone to be able to use it.  That is not "free."

 

This 1) takes the power away from people who already use it, and 2) ensures that in order to get it back they have to do additional grindy work that they may not otherwise be interested in.

 

A cardinal rule of customer service is that once you've given someone something, you can't go and take it away.  There seems to be an awful lot of taking in this patch.

[ScarySai]

Are you unfamiliar with the slash command that's been going around? I thought you were talking about that.

 

That gives context to a lot of this.

[Blackbird71]

1 minute ago, ScarySai said:

Are you unfamiliar with the slash command that's been going around? I thought you were talking about that.

 

That gives context to a lot of this.

Did I say anything about that command?  No.  Don't make assumptions.

Sorry to be blunt, but jumping in and accusing someone of "cheating" is quite rude, especially with no basis in the comment you quoted and responded to.

Edited October 24, 2020 by Blackbird71

[GM Tock]

9 minutes ago, Blackbird71 said:

Maybe I'm missing something.  From what I understand, you get it for free if you have the accolade, and then you have to get the accolade for each zone to be able to use it.  That is not "free."

 

This 1) takes the power away from people who already use it, and 2) ensures that in order to get it back they have to do additional grindy work that they may not otherwise be interested in.

 

A cardinal rule of customer service is that once you've given someone something, you can't go and take it away.  There seems to be an awful lot of taking in this patch.

Collect the Accolade badge for finding the Atlas Park Nav Badges.  LRT is granted.  Free as in no cost in Inf or spending a power choice when leveling up.

 

(Or any zone with a SG Accolade for Base Teleporters in the past.)

[Blackbird71]

4 minutes ago, GM Tahquitz said:

Collect the Accolade badge for finding the Atlas Park Nav Badges.  LRT is granted.  Free as in no cost in Inf or spending a power choice when leveling up.

 

(Or any zone with a SG Accolade for Base Teleporters in the past.)

Which does nothing to change any of the points I made.

And yes, it grants LRT, but if I understand the mechanics correctly, LRT can then only be used in Atlas Park.  To use it anywhere else, you have to then explore each and every zone where you intend to use it.  This is unnecessary tedium to get back what we already had through our pool power choices.

I'm not a badge hunter; accolades mean nothing to me.  Taking something away and locking it behind this mechanic is unwanted.

Edited October 24, 2020 by Blackbird71

[Arcadio]

I actually love the +tohit component of the combat teleport. It makes much more sense for this to have an offensive bonus than a defensive one, and it just makes it stand out from the other "combat" travel powers. Hasten doesn't have a LotG slot either, so there's not really a rule for the combat travel powers (although now I'm thinking about what "combat" speed could look like.)

[dtj714]

No to these changes.  Just no.  You nailed it on the head - this pool is considered "less desirable" because much of its functionality is available to everybody through P2W, accolades, etc.  Some of what you're doing (eliminating the base-code port, which was never legit) restores some of its stature.  To improve it further, do more of the same, don't radically revamp it.  Specific suggestions -

 

1. Recall Friend/Teleport Foe - These are fine as they are.  Porting a willing ally and porting an unwilling foe should be different powers.

 

2. Teleport - AFAIK, this is the only basic travel power that requires slotting to be competitive with the others.  So increase it's starting range, while maybe also increasing its end cost.  It's meant to be insta-travel for the trade-offs of a bit more complicated use and higher end cost.  Also, make it so that if the distance of the port is < 100ft (or whatever is the enhanced equivalent), then it has the functionality of the proposed Combat Teleport. (Other powers have dual functionality depending on the conditions, why can't this one?)

 

3. Team Teleport - Now this is a useless/unused power.  To change that, give it the functionality of Assemble the Team, and increase the recharge of the accolade power, or better yet, remove it entirely.  Yes, I said remove it.  Being able to call a ship to port your team to a mission door (on a fairly long recharge, i.e. the TT accolade) is a convenience that cuts down on otherwise tedious travel (and also has no equivalent in the pool), but ATT has a deeper impact in that it allows the group to skip content.  It's basically group Recall Friend (which has no P2W equivalent) and should be reserved to the pool.

 

4. LRTP - Please please do NOT make this an unlockable accolade available to everybody.  We already have Mission Teleport, Base Teleport, ATT, TT, Ouro, TUNNEL, base teleporters (did I miss anything?). Removing the base-code port is a good thing, don't just convert it to an unlockable accolade.  Improve the pool power by reducing its cast time, giving it more inherent destinations, and/or (this would be really cool) give it the ability to add destinations via an unlock system as per the proposed accolade power.

 

5. Fold Space - What is the point of this power?  To trivialize content further by making it so you don't have to worry about excess aggro?  The single target version I can see (especially for soloing), but whole groups?  This game really doesn't need that...

 

Yes, travel can be a hassle, and that's exactly what this pool is meant to address - more exclusively than any other pool.  But all the generally available work-arounds have watered it down too far.

 

 

[Frostmoon]

I haven't tested it out yet, but I'm not sure if I like the changes to Shadow Slip in particular. I know my Warshade's human form is honestly pretty fragile, and so having a "teleport tons of enemies to you power" feels...weird. It definitely will synergize well with Quasar, Sunless Mire, and Orbiting Death, but it's going to be a verrrrry risky move and not necessarily the most useful. I do like the suggestion to give it to the Dwarf form.

[ScarySai]

I'd personally like to see shadow recall become a choice and starless become the inherent combat-ability for shades, but really - starless while shifted would be amazing by itself.

 

As for combat teleport overall, I find the Tohit kinda underwhelming when compared to other combat travel powers. Especially considering how much more you have to work to game it.

 

5 minutes ago, Blackbird71 said:

I'm not a badge hunter; accolades mean nothing to me.  Taking something away and locking it behind this mechanic is unwanted.

Nothing is being taken away, you still have all of the functionality of LRTP, and even get to fit fold space into builds that used to have it now.

 

It really takes no time at all to get a majority of the exploration badges, there is no validity to this stance.

[macskull]

5 minutes ago, Blackbird71 said:

Which does nothing to change any of the points I made.

And yes, it grants LRT, but if I understand the mechanics correctly, LRT can then only be used in Atlas Park.  To use it anywhere else, you have to then explore each and every zone where you intend to use it.  This is unnecessary tedium to get back what we already had through our pool power choices.

I'm not a badge hunter; accolades mean nothing to me.  Taking something away and locking it behind this mechanic is unwanted.

What? No, that's not how any of this works. You can use LRT from anywhere, but you need the explore accolade for a zone for it to show up as a destination for the power.

 

For the record, I don't like the idea of having to unlock every zone on every character either, but the P2W and day job base beacon powers mean you don't really need to do that anyways if you don't want to.

[Xanatos]

2 minutes ago, ScarySai said:

It really takes no time at all to get a majority of the exploration badges.

 

LOL

[Blackbird71]

2 minutes ago, macskull said:

What? No, that's not how any of this works. You can use LRT from anywhere, but you need the explore accolade for a zone for it to show up as a destination for the power.

 

For the record, I don't like the idea of having to unlock every zone on every character either, but the P2W and day job base beacon powers mean you don't really need to do that anyways if you don't want to.

(Underline added for emphasis)

Exactly my point.

[ScarySai]

If videos were allowed, I'd be having the last laugh here.

[macskull]

It is a time sink, sure, but at least I don't have to dip 3 powers deep into the teleport pool to get it now (which means I can free up other power picks in my build).

[Luminara]

I like Combat Teleport.  I like Fold Space.  I like these two so much I might start using the Teleport pool instead of skipping travel powers altogether.

 

1 hour ago, Blackbird71 said:

And yes, it grants LRT, but if I understand the mechanics correctly, LRT can then only be used in Atlas Park.  To use it anywhere else, you have to then explore each and every zone where you intend to use it.  This is unnecessary tedium to get back what we already had through our pool power choices.

 

If you're power-leveling your characters to 50, then yes, you'll have to spend a little extra time picking up badges to unlock zones, but anyone who's playing by leveling up through story arcs and teaming can acquire most of the badges along the way and not have any problem.  If I can pick up every exploration badge in any given zone in under 15 minutes, using nothing but Hurdle, Combat Jumping and, for one badge (Top Dog), a jet pack, it's clearly not that much of a burden.

Edited October 24, 2020 by Luminara
Clarification!

[Blackbird71]

5 minutes ago, ScarySai said:

Nothing is being taken away, you still have all of the functionality of LRTP, and even get to fit fold space into builds that used to have it now.

 

*facepalm*

LRTP is literally being taken away from people who chose it as a pool power.  There is zero disputing this fact.  The only way to regain it is through accolades, which not everyone wants to do, and then its usefulness is limited by getting even more accolades.

[Blackbird71]

Just now, Luminara said:

I like Combat Teleport.  I like Fold Space.  I like these two so much I might start using the Teleport pool instead of skipping travel powers altogether.

 

 

If you're power-leveling your characters to 50, then yes, you'll have to spend a little extra time picking up badges to unlock zones, but anyone who's playing by leveling up through story arcs and teaming can acquire most of the badges along the way and not have any problem.  If I can pick up every exploration badge in every zone in under 15 minutes, using nothing but Hurdle, Combat Jumping and, for one badge (Top Dog), a jet pack, it's clearly not that much of a burden.

I don't power level, at all.  I play through the content, and have done so on many alts.  But I don't bother with exploring locations just for the sake of exploring or getting a badge; I don't chase after "shinies."  I don't care how much of a burden you think it is, the fact remains that the power has been removed and now requires additional tedium that I have no interest in to regain.  You may be OK with this change, and that's fine, but you also have to be able to accept that not everyone will feel the same way.