Chef Archive

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Chef

Many players are upset that their stomach filling does not clear after cloning. Foods are the only buff type that has this limitation; all others can be reapplied immediately. What were the design decisions leading to this functionality choice, what game systems is this intended to balance and what are the chances that the filling will get cleared in a future publish (and if that is done what changes would be made to food's power)?

Foods have this limitation because there are some foods that are really powerful. The reason stomachs don’t clear is so you can’t stack them after death and it’s partially a small death penalty. Some foods give a very large bonus for a short time with a large filling (Flameout, Breath of Heaven, Vercupti, Ormachek, Blue Milk and a couple of others). The major drawback to these is the fixed filling decay rate; the effect wears off before the stomach space is reclaimed. If any method was available to negate this cost, these foods would either become unbalanced or would have to be reduced in power.

The other thing to think about is that as a buff, it’s not the same as other buffs. The reason it is the only buff type with this limitation is because it’s the only buff that uses the player stomach. Other buffs have time delays and other sorts of limitations. To balance the many advantages foods have (they are portable, usable by anyone, do not require skill point investment or special location to apply, can be done during combat) that some drawback must be included; that drawback is filling and a fixed digestion rate that cannot be bypassed.

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Okay I don't understand this week's 19 answer concerning chef.

So, the way I see it, what they are saying is that if there is a stomach purge with death, then certain food can be exploited.

From what I can see, only way for it to be explited is if food have huge filling and effect which is one time only or have duration that is short so that given 45 min, player can only have that effect for limited portion of that time.

For example, if there is food called "chi-ching" which have 100% filling, and give 1 million credit when you e at it, then right now you can only eat that food 1 time every 45 min. so you are limited to 1 mil every 45 min.

But if stomach is emptied on death, then you can eat, die, eat, die, etc, etc to get 45 million in 45 min.

That is how I understand the issue Dev have with stomach emptying.

But I just don't agree with it.

Lets start with the foods Th gave as example.

1) Flameout - Reduces damage by 70-100% for next 3-6 attacks 70-50 filling.

Current Use : PvP only. Since most PvP last less than 10 attack, first 3-6 attack is hugely important.

Possible explit if stomach emptied : EVERYONE and their grandmother will use this on PvP. Those profession that reply on first few attack will be severly nurfed. Those profession with slow weapon that also do lot of damge per attack will also be affected.

Why I don't think this is problem : So the PvP don't end with first 10 seconds of the fight. With upcoming Combat Balance PvP supposed to last for long time, why is this a bad thing? (okay I don't have good reason for this particular food, someone help here)

2) Breath of Heaven - 600ish Strength, Quickness, Focus around 9m 65ish filling (50 possible)

Current Use : For those who think Doctor's Buff just don't give enough buff and prefer more instead of taking brany for mind.

possible explit if stomach emptied : I can't think of one.

Why I don't think this is problem : So what are Dev worried about? someone will get full doctor buff, then take this, fight for 10 min, then die, get another set of doctor's buff every 10 min?

3) Vercupti - 550 HAM 10minuts 60ish filling (50 possible?)

Current Use : okay this stuff is good. this is only serious contender against canape.

possible explit if stomach emptied : I can't think of one.

Why I don't think this is problem : Again, as with Breath of Heaven, I can't imagine anyone deliverately dying every 10 min to exploit this especially since they need another full set of of doctor's buff. Am I missing something here?

4) Ormachek - 3-5% exp bonues for next 10-20 kill. 85ish filling.

Current Use : none.

possible explit if stomach emptied : no seriously?

Why I don't think this is problem : so here we have a choice between at most 5% exp bonus for 20 kill, which is same as free 1 kill in 45 min of whatever mob you are hunting. vs. killing yourself and getting full buff? WHAT!!!!!!

5) Blue Milk - 300 - 500 Mind Heal 30ish filling (3-4 use)

Current Use : Emergency mind heals

possible explit if stomach emptied : I could see lot of use during PvP IF player choose to sacrifice the brandy and it's 1400 mind buff.

Why I don't think this is problem : So it is another choice. Do you want that two brandy? or do you want to be able to heal upto 2000 mind every pvp fight. Would this even be an issue once combat balance hit and mind is no longer significant unhealable HAM?

As I see it, all other food/drink have similar reason why Dev wouldn't want stomach to empty, and same reason why those reasons are pretty lame.

I just don't buy the answers given today.

It's not really suprising, as we've seen this explanation before. From the same source, no less.

We don't like it, they think it's necessary for balance, EOD. I guess the bright side is that ours was one of the few questions that actually received an answer.

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Ankor wrote:
It's not really suprising, as we've seen this explanation before. From the same source, no less.

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In my own sneaky way, that was the point of the question. We know the answer, but it's never really been in a laid-out, detailed, public form. I really pushed TH to cover as much "why" as possible. His first draft of the answer had only the first two sentences of the final.

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svin wrote:

I am not sure if this has been answered or not - but is the stomach going to stay at 45 minutes?

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No, it has been confirmed as a bug, and is supposed to be 30m. That was actually our question before this one. Unfortunately, no word on when it'll get in. With all the madness being introduced with the pub 9 & 10 Jedi changes, combat balance, and JTL; smaller bugs like that might pop up as being fixed with no notice, or might drag out for months.

I dont think they're realize how much FUN it is to wait 45 minutes to fight again.

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Bennyboy4308 wrote:
I dont think they're realize how much FUN it is to wait 45 minutes to fight again.

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unfortunately I'd have to agree with the devs...stomach should not clear on death...theres just too many ways to exploit this and make base takedowns impossible if the defenders are organized.

several exmaples might be the cm that downs a flameout and havla so they live long enough to toss their poisons...get killed, oh look empty stomach...rinse and repeat...

or perhaps take that double buff vercuppti x2...BoH and mando wine...insta buff...get killed, rinse repeat and it frees up the docs...or perhaps makes them unnecessary...

then theres the fairly well known...pyolian cake/bespin port...suicide, and repeat.

sure it sucks if you're out hunting and you make a mistake and get killed...but thats about the only time when it wouldn't be overpowered to have stomach filling clear on death.

actually...maybe they could make that a new food....medium filling food...on next death, stomach filling (drink/food) clears...maybe a 30-60 filling since trigger effects only last an hour...no nutrition additives...unless they want to make it a % clear on death thing...and it should use beans, and corn...yes beans and corn, cause nothing useful calls for beans or corn specifically....and I'm getting kinda bored of seeing fruit/berries everywhere.