Multi-Target spells have been updated to have a consistant approach to identifying and choosing targets. Doing this has allowed us to make the following changes across all such spells:

- By using cast options other than EVOKE, all player cast spells will no longer target other players. This includes both grouped and ungrouped players.
- All spells in the list now have an option to EVOKE the spell, which will possibly hit other players. This version still prioritizes creatures unless directly targetting another player.
- All multi-target spells will now have a starting maximum targets of 3. This is increased by 1 additonal target for every 50 Mana Control Skill Bonus relating to the specific spell (example Elemental Wave (410) uses Elemental Mana Control Skill bonus).
- Many spells will now be more intelligent when choosing targets. Disabler spells like Elemental Wave will not choose targets that are already prone or already affected by Elemental Wave.

Spells impacted are:
135 - Searing Light
210 - Silence
217 - Mass Interference
316 - Censure
335 - Divine Wrath
410 - Elemental Wave
435 - Major Elemental Wave
512 - Coldsnap*
518 - Cone of Elements
525 - Meteor Swarm
619 - Mass Calm
635 - Nature's Fury
703 - Corrupt Essence
709 - Grasp of the Grave^
710 - Energy Maelstrom
717 - Evil Eye
720 - Implosion
909 - Tremors*
912 - Call Wind
950 - Core Tap
1001 - Holding Song
1015 - Song of Depression
1030 - Song of Sonic Disruption
1117 - Empathic Link
1120 - Sympathy
1203 - Powersink
1219 - Vertigo
1225 - Mindwipe
1602 - Pious Trial
1614 - Aura of the Arkati
1630 - Judgment
1650 - Onslaught **

^ Grasp still uses it's previous target count and logic, but is now player friendly with an EVOKE option.
* Previously existing EVOKE functionality for these spells has now been moved to the CHANNEL verb.
** Onslaught is now player friendly, and can be triggered to hit other players with the syntax INCARNATE ONSLAUGHT RECKLESS

There will be a second round of updates to the 1700 circle, warcries, and society powers to utilize this approach as well in the near future.

Zissu - Combat and Magic Systems Dev Lackey

I still have questions about how this change affects the x-a-day ewave pins. Will those always be capped at 3 targets, or does it depend on the user's EMC skill? If the user's EMC skill is considered, is it the full skill or half the skill? Can you document how it works?

Also, ewave is a minor spells circle, can you explain how it works with an MIU activated item for a profession circle such as Tremors (909). I just picked up a whole bunch of Tremors imbeds at Briarmoon.

Also, will imbeds always target other players since they cannot be EVOKED? Those items can only be "CASTED"

To me it seems like the interactions of these changes with MIU items has been overlooked, if not I look forward to some details about it...

Thank you for this amazing change!!!


incant 909 channel
Your hands glow with power as you invoke the phrase for Tremors...
Your spell is ready.
You channel.
Faint ripples in the floor form beneath you for a moment.
Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds.
Roundtime: 3 sec.

Can we remove the hard 3sec RT for incant 909 channel? Is that intended?

>> Magic Items in general
Magic items should always default to casting player friendly. They will still look the Mana Control as if they were cast in determining the max number of targets.

>> 709 Magic Item
709 hasn't actually had it's targeting logic changed at all. It still creates the same number of hands, and each hand does it's own targetting, it was just made player friendly. This item should also default to being player friendly.

>> 909 Channel
Let me look, this might be a side effect of moving it to Channel.

Zissu - Combat and Magic Systems Dev Lackey

Thanks, that's great news. Appreciate the response.

I have BUGGED this in game.

When you applied these changes you broke the lore benefits of EWAVE, or at least one of them. There is a lore benefit to be able to hit flying creatures and this is no longer a thing.

Few bugfixes/updates for AoE spells just went out.
Bugfixes
1) Creatures will no longer hit themselves in the face with their own Call Wind.
2) Using incant for bard spells will now respect the cast/evoke settings so you will no longer kill your friends (unless you want).

Updates
1) Ewave and Tremors will now hit already prone targets to apply the additional effects of the spell.
2) Ewave will now target creatures that cannot be knocked down (like War Griffins) to apply RT.

Zissu - Combat and Magic Systems Dev Lackey

Phoenix fly, so they cannot be hit by Ewave while flying unless you have the requisite ranks in Elemental Lore: Air. I tested them successfully when I have the Lore requirements.

Zissu - Combat and Magic Systems Dev Lackey

"1) Ewave and Tremors will now hit already prone targets to apply the additional effects of the spell."

Thank you. Can you answer a question about tremors and mana control. If my bard, who has 70 ranks of mental mana control and 24 ranks of elemental mana control, uses a tremors item, how many targets can he hit.

Would tremors look to only the elemental mana control? My understanding is yes.

Would only 1/2 of the elemental mana control ranks be used? That is my understanding, since tremors is a profession circle.

But this is quite complicated - so some confirmation would be helpful.

>This is gonna suck for anyone that hunts critters that cast these spells, esp in areas that swarm. I thought we were moving away from excessive RT locks, not towards them....

Originally, ewave, if you're already knocked down from ewave a second cast while you're under the first did not add extra RT. As for tremors, they don't give RT, but originally creatures that were impacted by tremors would cause creatures to bounce across the ground as they were prone (giving the caster an indication that the creature was now under the EBP penalty the spell adds to prone targets).

I haven't played since the updates to aoe spells was pushed out, but hopefully this is how 410 and 909 still function as they used to.

410 and 909 function as they used to. The reason it was skipping prone targets originally was my design to minimize the impact of target caps, but the feedback has been strong into hitting them to apply the RT, so we are essentially back at previous functionality, just with the new targetting system.

>> Would tremors look to only the elemental mana control? My understanding is yes.
It has nothing to do with the profession of the caster, only the Mana Control associated to the spell circle. 900s circle (regardless of the profession casting it) is a elemental circle, so it will use all 24 of your EMC ranks for picking targets. 1000s circle is a hybrid circle (MMC+EMC), so it follows the (HigherMC + (LowerMC/2)) formula, again regardless of the profession using it.

Zissu - Combat and Magic Systems Dev Lackey

>>I haven't played since the updates to aoe spells was pushed out, but hopefully this is how 410 and 909 still function as they used to.


Tremors gives no messaging anymore regarding an EBP check on already-prone targets. Can this be looked into?

Thanks!

The player friendly AE changes are awesome. Though would it be possible to look at the use case of 720 and constructs? In OTF a player safe open implosion can still cause unsuspecting passers by to get dunked on by a magic immune construct being pulled on top of them, even from adjacent rooms.

"As soon as the void sucks all the air up around it, it explodes with great fury! Air is pushed out with tremendous force!
A greater construct is slowly drawn into the air, toward the center of the void. However, his weight proves to be too much for the void's grasp, and he crashes back down to the ground. Unfortunately, you were in his landing spot!
... 35 points of damage!
Hard blow to your back sends intense pain shooting up your back!
You are stunned for 6 rounds!
A greater construct is slowly drawn into the air, toward the center of the void. However, his weight proves to be too much for the void's grasp, and he crashes back down to the ground. Unfortunately, you were in his landing spot!
... 5 points of damage!
Blow grazes your left arm lightly.
!S>"

I suggest that the best fix would be to change the magic resistance of constructs in the first place. They should remain 100% resistant to the initial attempt to cast a spell AT them, but physical damage area effects should be able to penetrate their resistance either immediately or through ongoing degradation of their special barrier. Reflection of 720 in its current form was clearly intended to thwart sorcerers from any efficient means to cull these creatures.

When OTF was new, with disarm and also item theft from corpses there, players generally knew each other well, looked out for each other, and spent a lot of time with rescues and item recoveries. Sorcerers did NOT cast 720 in that area ever as a result. With disarm now shielding the item from permanent loss and players mostly being parts of disinterested multi-account mobs, it is impossible to expect decency anymore. Thus players tend to depart immediately rather than risk stealing of items from corpses. With that behavior as the expectation and now the new changes to make area effect spells "friendly", open implode is an expected consequence. I'm still surprised development went this direction with these spells - it fundamentally changes a lot of hunting strategy in many areas, making it much harder to create a challenging hunt.

Tarakan