Most abilities are assesed on balance based on their own guild kits and in the period of time when they are being brought up for discussion. I actually don't find too much weight in taking every single instakill in the game and comparing them side by side. While there certainly are some discrepancies that are more than likely due to legacy code and abilities being left behind by the changing meta (the old guardian/wiccan instas may or may not be worth looking at and tuning up) there are also many discrepancies that are due to abilities being balanced, rebalanced or reworked on a case-by-case basis.
For example, health-based instakills are quite rare, and also quite valuable. Anything health-based synergizes with every other player in the game, including newbies. Anyone who can newbie kick can synergize and contribute to a health-based instakill. This is especially so in the meta in the IRE games from years back, when population was more booming, and access to higher level abilities that synergize with mana drains (and ego drains, but ego only exists in Lusternia) are rarer to come by. Health-based instakills therefore had fairly restrictive limitations, and fairly limited impact when failed. Health-based instakills that did damage when failed were super rare, and super valued. It's one of the reason why metamorphosis was one of the most popular, and solid, skillsets way back even though it was unwieldy, didn't synergize with itself, filled with novelty abilities or clunky utility. Incinerate was simply one of the best abilities ever.
As time passed, however, with tweaks to health, healing and damage formulae, things like preserve and gore fell by the wayside and became obsolete because they didn't have that damage failsafe upon failure. Even though they were sort of balanced when taken in context of the old combat scene, they simply failed to compete with the rise of triggered healing. Subsequent tweaks and incremental changes helped to nudge them back into relevance.
Generally speaking, health-based instakills are very strong, and very valuable. As a point of balance, they may or may not be harder to pull off than other instakills, and their viability as compared to other instakills changes according to the makeup of your team - the same thing that happens to every kill strategy. Accounting for some numbers and some combinations, different strategies go from "perfect for this situation" to "pointless to try".
Perhaps the greatest gift of White Hart is granting you his mantle of power. When taking on the form of the stag, you will gain health regeneration, increased dexterity, and the horns of a mighty stag. The powerful GORE attack not only does significant damage but it has a chance of impaling a target. If they are below a quarter of their health when impaled, death is ensured. Being in stagform also gives you the gift of celerity, allowing you to move further than others before you become too hasty for your own good.
Drunkenfool AB:
This little ditty must be directed at a target. It will cause that person to dance like a fool, causing extreme embarrassment. If their ego is under half, they will die from this embarrassment. Otherwise, they will suffer ego loss and a short blackout.
Preserve AB:
This powerful attack attempts to freeze your target. If the target is not chilled already, it will cost 2 power to chill the target. If the target is chilled already, it will cost 4 power and freeze the target as well as do damage. If your foe is frozen already, it will cost 4 power and greatly damage your target. If your target is frozen and at or below half health already, he or she will die and the body will be preserved in this frozen state.
Treehug AB:
They're all a bunch of tree huggers! Show them how much you care for them with a hug, but be careful, not too tight! They only have frail bones...
One of these is not like the other.
Arguments (and people) like this are what make the populace doubt the envoy system.
Well, I was speaking in the past tense. Preserve is definitely viable nowadays, as anyone who fights against or with Celest can attest to, firsthand. But it did take a couple of envoy reports to prod it up a little.
Also, wait. I just had an eureka moment (I was confused at why we were talking about treehug) - is Enyalida arguing that if treehug is used when the target has less current health than the damage treehug deals, it is an "instakill"..?
Everiine said: The reason population is low isn't because there are too many orgs. It's because so many facets of the game are outright broken and protected by those who benefit from it being that way. An overabundance of gimmicks (including game-breaking ones), artifacts that destroy any concept of balance, blatant pay-to-win features, and an obsession with convenience that makes few things actually worthwhile all contribute to the game's sad decline.
"Oh yeah, you're a naughty mayor, aren't you? Misfile that Form MA631-D. Comptroller Shevat's got a nice gemstone disc for you, but yer gonna have to beg for it."
Avurekhos says, "Dylara's a PvP menace in my eyes, totes rekting face."
The eye of Dylara materialises in your hands and flings itself around your neck, tightening incomprehensibly until it is irremovable. Perfectly clean, this eyeball has been wrenched from the socket of Dylara. It has been animated by some unusual force, constantly looking around itself as if in shock or fear. It is bathed in a light covering of white flames that roll endlessly over its surface. A single chain of empyreal metal pierces either side of the eye, allowing it to be worn around the neck.
Enyalida, this is beyond stupid. You cannot be arguing that because some gores are just last hit steals, that all gores at last hit kills when they demonstrably are not. Not every fight is 15 people hitting one person and damage is just going to wildly overwhelm the target.
A skill's value waxes and wanes depending on the scenario, this is not unique to gore. Not being useful all the time is not the same as being bad.
2.5k health is enough to survive and escape with. It's literally a thing people do. It's literally a thing I did today, ironically in front of a peaced stag user who loves gore.
Bubbles for everyone! You get bubbled! And you get bubbled!
Dirty, stinking, hobbitse- I mean, fishes, precious.
The apple is cold, crisp, and sour as the juices fill your mouth. As you consume the fruit, you glimpse, for a moment, a massive, shadowy figure, Her snow-white hair framing a perfect, icy-eyed visage. Beneath you, a vast, perfect web of silken strands lies - and, for a moment, you realize that you too are part of it, weaver and strand both - and home.
"Oh yeah, you're a naughty mayor, aren't you? Misfile that Form MA631-D. Comptroller Shevat's got a nice gemstone disc for you, but yer gonna have to beg for it."
I'm not sure why, you can be a snooty diva in places outside Glom.
Everiine said: The reason population is low isn't because there are too many orgs. It's because so many facets of the game are outright broken and protected by those who benefit from it being that way. An overabundance of gimmicks (including game-breaking ones), artifacts that destroy any concept of balance, blatant pay-to-win features, and an obsession with convenience that makes few things actually worthwhile all contribute to the game's sad decline.
I'm not sure why, you can be a snooty diva in places outside Glom.
I suppose it's because she feels that being a snooty diva is just not that fun if there are not people interested in interacting with you when you are doing so.
Comments
GOREattack not only does significant damage but it has a chance of impaling a target. If they are below a quarter of their health when impaled, death is ensured. Being in stagform also gives you the gift of celerity, allowing you to move further than others before you become too hasty for your own good.The eye of Dylara materialises in your hands and flings itself around your neck, tightening incomprehensibly until it is irremovable.
Perfectly clean, this eyeball has been wrenched from the socket of Dylara. It has been animated by some unusual force, constantly looking around itself as if in shock or fear. It is bathed in a light covering of white flames that roll endlessly over its surface. A single chain of empyreal metal pierces either side of the eye, allowing it to be worn around the neck.
Ixion tells you, "// I don't think anyone else had a clue, amazing form."
Edit: Actually, yes, I believe it was!
Dirty, stinking, hobbitse- I mean, fishes, precious.
Tonight amidst the mountaintops
And endless starless night
Singing how the wind was lost
Before an earthly flight
#OakWhacker
I'm not sure why, you can be a snooty diva in places outside Glom.