Doctor Archive
Thread: Doctor Bug List (Discussion)
Well, it's still going to be an overall average. The game is built around teh concept of critical failures being part and parcel of many of the actions involved. Overall, however, even though you might get a few 400s just like a Novice might, you should be averaging out with about twice as high a heal as that Novice does at Master. The Novice will NEVER get a 1200 heal, you'll get it just as often as that 400 heal, but on average you'll do 800.
BTW, Real Life analogies just don't work here. Beyond just the simple fact that this is a long time ago in a galazy far, far away that doesn't quite seem to follow the physics of ourgalaxy as we understand it anyways. you also have to consider the fact that it's a game. And game mechanics and blance issues must sometimes overrule "realism", It's a constant force of balance in any game design, balancing realism with the requirements for game mechanics.
Overall the variability in Stims is virtually a requirement, or else we would NEVER need anything better than a good Stim C. The cahnce of failure keeps the edge of excitement alive. Do you take the easy route and use the cheaper Stim Cs knowing you can get a better average heal that will usually get that full HAM bar, or do you go for the E where even with a crappy heal you know you'll get it all and therefore there is much less risk involved? The variability there is required for straategy and to keep the game balanced as a game. THe problems only arise when the mechanic simply makes the gem unenjoyable insted of offering a level of aceptabel risk to keep things exciting.
Buffs are a different story, however, and as such we did convince our Dev that such variability is not desirable on them. However the situation is a bit complex and so that is why we stand where we are with it at the moment. We have the high variability, but what method can be utilized to reduce such variability without eliminating it that would not require months and months to recode, since it is obviously frustrating us now?
Well that's 2 issues, really.
THe Skill Cap is +25 to any particular skill counting all modifiers you may have. Meaing you can add up to +25 to whatever your current skill level is. If its at 100, the 125 is your cap, but if it's only 75 then 100 is your cap on that skill.
The second issue is about buff variability. THe first response to that issue was to offer us the option of completely removing all variability from buffs (because they use the exact same code as all the other healing options and that would be the quickest and safest coding change to address the issue, most likely.) We did not have a strong enough majority after a pretty significant vote to accept that change. Most folks would prefer some variability, just not the wide amount we have now, but that change is apparently not an easy one to make.
So instead we've been told that the next consideration will be for allowing buffs to be overwritten. I was trying to fet a regular poll going on the options we were given for that, but I may have to do it by simply message instead of one of those nice forum polls. I'll have toask to TH about it again. At any rate, that seems to be the current method they will be looking into to allow for overwriting of a bad or lower level buff.
Well i thought heavily about the idea of replacement buffs. It sounds like an acceptable thing to do. Because honestly, survival in this game by yourself is not generally possible unless your a creature handler or you have a good set of buffs.Even as a commando you can flame the force crystal hunter and kill himbut without a pet or buffs there is no way to withstand the damage they do while the flame takes effect.
Its also a good idea because when people can have buffs replaced they can make the doctor buff them until they get it right. meaning that a doc who puts the time in to makegreat buffs will use less resources to get it right. Thanks for your help settling this issue in my mind because it was really starting to ding me.