The Illusionist: A Compiled List of Bugs, Issues, and Suggestions

Mana Cloak,
For end game, I find a very rare need for this spell as it exists. Maybe it is just me and where I get placed on raids, primarily in one of the DPS groups where no one is being struck by the mob(s). Yet, was told this is a "must have" spell for a raiding illusionist. I would find this spell to be of greater utility if it could be casted across raid on to the MT or even the MA rather than as a group AE. Even in non-raid groups where the MT is doing his job and holding agro, as a group AE, this spell doesn't make as much an impact on the group as a whole as it does on the MT.
Okie, I accept that one solution would be to place the illusionist in the MT or MA group for the raid. Still, the spell wouldn't make as much of an impact on the rest of the group when the only one being struck is the MT/MA.
I see this spell being more beneficial as a single target buff that can be casted across raid or if was to remain a group AE, then proc'ing on any type of damage rather than just melee damage. That way, those of us standing outside melee damage ranges would have a chance of some benefit from the spell when the mobs use their spell AoE's.
Illusions,
My eq1 illusionist was an alt and fairly low level. Yet, I too remember some of the illusions it possessed that could be used to serve some purpose rather than just being for show like our eq2 illusions seem to be. I would like to throw in my vote for some changes to the eq2 illusions that would actually serve a purpose. Top ideas include an illusion to cast on a group or individual to increase a) out of combat regen as long as they remain stationary (a rock), b) illusion increasing in-combat-regen for 30-60sec as long as no hostile spell is casted, just beneficial spells, by the indiviual (not sure of a good illusion for this, a book?), c) agro reduction on an individual, like a healer or a wizard, if I make them look like a cat with big doe-like eyes, d) group invis is great for when we are on the move, but how about a group illusion to look like the nearest mob or object when we are sitting in a spot with no intention of moving more than 20m for a longer duration than a group invis would last.
I enjoy all the useful abilities we possess and being able to make the difference we make. Yet, it would be nice to be an illusionist casting some illusions that served some purpose.
Xantilly 70 Illusionist

You have Phase which kinda does that. However, the diff is Coercer mem wipe is complete, Illusionist is partial. That applies for Phase or Allies.

I think that our AE-Dot/Stifle ist bugged because Epics have a increased immunity even to the dmg effect. The spell should last 10secs. On Epics the Stifle effect should last only 3,3 secs but the DOT ends after 3,3 secs too. As a result I do much less dmg than before. This should be fixed at once...

http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=26&message.id=15990

No, no, no. Check your logs. The damage is all there, just at an accelerated rate.

as with any dot, if the duration is shortened, so is the tick duration. all the damage is done, just faster.

similar concept to the druid AA which reduces their HoT duration

Something I don't think anyone has mentioned in the thread is it would be nice to be able to anchor our pets, and make them cast at range at a mob, instead of having to do the "fishing" thing, making it run back and forth like an idiot so that it will not engage in melee.

That's less of an Illusionist thing and more of a general pet mechanic. Judging by the silence on the part of the devs on the countless times it's been requested, I'm going to guess they don't want an easy button for ranged pet combat.

Just a few comments about the power drains on tougher mobs. The solution suggested that the amount of power drained is increased. While that is fine and dandy it is not very pratical to tune against. I suggest that the power drain spells are either a: Broken down to drain different amounts of mana based upon the con of the mob. Meaning solo mobs would be:100, Heroic Mobs would be 500 and Epic Mobs would be 1500 or something like that. I know this is possible for them to create because there is a warlock spell that is similar to this. option B: would be making the power drain based upon percentage or a range of percentages rather than a range of fixed numbers.

Another suggestion would be a user option to display text in the tool tip that would indicate how it would break a mez, daze etc. Most of my headaches are from zerkers or monks going nuts on AOE's, not group dots though that does happen.

While we are on the top of suggestions a great suggestion would be to have our main mezzes have the ability to take 2attacks before breaking. That way the warning message would not be so final.

-stump

Even if u drain an epic of all its mana it will still cast. No T7 epic i know of actually spends mana to use its skills. Mana draining epics was THE strat back in T5, and because we could completely 'trivialize' an encounter, they decided not to allow us to do it anymore. So even if we got a boost to heroic mob drianing, epic mob draining still doesnt mean anything. So to make this change effective, u need to ask them to make it so that epics use mana as well.

Because if an assassin with a 0.5sec weapon delay on both his DWs autoattacks a mezzed mob, he has plenty of time to react to a warning message. Um, right.

Stumpwater28 wrote:
I suggest that the power drain spells are either a: Broken down to drain different amounts of mana based upon the con of the mob. Meaning solo mobs would be:100, Heroic Mobs would be 500 and Epic Mobs would be 1500 or something like that.
-stump
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Even if u drain an epic of all its mana it will still cast. No T7 epic i know of actually spends mana to use its skills. Mana draining epics was THE strat back in T5, and because we could completely 'trivialize' an encounter, they decided not to allow us to do it anymore. So even if we got a boost to heroic mob drianing, epic mob draining still doesnt mean anything. So to make this change effective, u need to ask them to make it so that epics use mana as well.

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Stump: This is what makes talking to fellow illusionist so much fun. We just argue amoungst ourselves. Though I do take your feedback as incredibly constructive and I am sure with the enormous amount of decisive alternate solutions you provide here will assist the devs in understanding exactly how to increase the effectiveness of power drains with epic mobs. Thank you.

Anyway the balancing issue here is difficult but no more difficult than hp tuning and mit tuning for tank for epic mobs. Take reuse timers x Total amount of mana drain from TeirX spell x 2 Chanters (adverage per raid) >= designed intended duration of fight (average say Xk DPS) = Total power pool of mob. Balance that with power cost per mob spell and you should have something feasible.

I still think that a percentage base is a better way to go.

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Stumpwater28 wrote:
While we are on the top of suggestions a great suggestion would be to have our main mezzes have the ability to take 2attacks before breaking. That way the warning message would not be so final.
-stump

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Because if an assassin with a 0.5sec weapon delay on both his DWs autoattacks a mezzed mob, he has plenty of time to react to a warning message. Um, right.
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Stump: This would be an case where the suggestion would not work, however the suggestion was to help the unintentional AOE's that can go off or dots that have multiple second intervals to indicate that canceling the dot might be a good idea. Perhaps you never encountered those sorts of breaks to your mezzes. No?
I for one am in full support of the idea that if there is a few cases where an idea would not work that it should be ridiculed. So thanks for the feedback.

-stump

This still doesnt fix the underlying problem. Even if we could drain an epic in one hit, it still wouldnt do anything to stop it from casting. So why mana drain in the first place?

Other Dude: This still doesnt fix the underlying problem. Even if we could drain an epic in one hit, it still wouldnt do anything to stop it from casting. So why mana drain in the first place?


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Stump: So are you saying that if they just fixed the problem you decribed above that there would be no more power drain problems for epics? Perhaps a better thing to say would be: Other Dude: 'Great suggestion, we should also add that in order for any of the power drains suggestions to work they dev team would need to address the issue that epic mobs can cast at no power just like they have full power. '. Or of course you could have read that the issue if addressed had that fix you decribed as implied. Either way it is terribly important to address that as well.



-stump

Huh ? Did i miss something ? A mob with 0 power cant cast anything but auto-attack.

Powerdrain was king back in T5. Then DoF came und suddenly there was no Illusionist around anymore I dont think this strat will come back anytime soon. Its just to easy to kill any mob when hes drained. No AE... nothing...

Drain is nice when soloing, but in raids where mobs have huge powerpools i d rather like to have the ability to oppress the mobs ability to consume power. Like i oppress him by 8% and so his spells are 8% weaker.. or something like that. Just needs balanced durations and recast timer.

You apparently missed the part where he said T7 epics do not use power to cast their abilities. Way back in T5 when we could drain mobs of their power thus making them pansies, the devs gave mobs regen but they also did one other sneaky thing...they made mobs big damage spells innate abilities that cost 0 power to cast. Thus power draining an epic is pointless. Some epic mobs will cast these innate abilities whether stunned, stifled, or dazed. Thats why that whole CC revamp on epics was a big joke on us.
Message Edited by Flipmode on 12-12-2006 05:46 AM

power drain seriously needs just removing from PVE =/

Please make the Illusory arm icon DIFFERENT from the rapidity icon. Them sharing the same icon is just confusing sometimes.

AA abilities
/agree make illusionary arm icon different
Split peronality aa abilty, make it a permanent personae pet spell like the one we have only it is targetable. uses 3 concentration of course. So we can copy a scout, tank or healer.

Spells
Leave Phase spell how it is, I dont want it to port the mob 45m everytime

Rykal wrote:

I really don't see that as a good idea. Split personality is good as is and to make it be permanent at the cost of being able to haste a fighter/scout in your group and putting Synergism on yourself or a mage in the group/raid is hardly effective. Also why would you put this on the healer? This spell transfers all the pets hate to whoever you make it a copy of, healers really aren't in need of extra hate gain. Furthermore, I don't see the pet really being able to heal and certainly wouldn't be beneficial given it's duration.

Ok, this post is actually an edit to my previous post since SoE seems to have decided not to impliment the feature on their new boards.
I think I misread part of that, if you're meaning make Split Personality permanent for the sole purpose of putting it on a healer or whatever and making a copy you'd basically be undoing the point of the spell. It's a limited, albeit unique, form of hate transfer. It's supposed to disappear so that the hate it gained goes to the person it was a copy of. If it never disappears the hate doesn't go anywhere and negates the purpose of the spell.
Additionally, if you want to be able to switch between a pet that can tank, a pet that can heal, and a pet that can dps and takes 3 concentration slots - roll a Conj.

Volaz wrote:

From a PVP point of view... Mana Cloak is one of the best spell we have. In a long drawn out fight, once everyone is low on mana, pop that and within 30 -45 secs the entire group is at full power again since in pvp usually most everyone is getting smacked on. Full mana replenshing reactive will win you many battles!
From a Raid MT group Illusionist point of view... It can re fill the tank in no time, IF your mystic or defiler drops wards. I would like to see it proc on ward hits as well as non warded hits. And for mobs that drain all the main tanks power, it makes it so he always has enough power to taunt. Just a little scary for mystics sometimes when you tell them not to ward till the tank has some power