Cover Tracks

Post by **Galnor** » Fri May 16, 2008 5:08 pm

Good? Bad? Improvements? Use this thread to vent about this skill.

Dimmu · Post by **Dimmu** » Sat May 17, 2008 5:01 am

Any chance of having tracks decaying if you are looking into this area? They do not decay from the 2 day old point onwards.

Lithium · Post by **Lithium** » Sat May 17, 2008 1:18 pm

The timer on cover tracks between rooms needs to be decreased significantly. If my memory serves correctly, the timer in between rooms is longer than a backstab at all levels of the skill. This basically makes it useless unless you are trying to set up a door trap several minutes in advance. I'll try to get some numbers up later so we can get an idea of what to do with it.

Post by **Galnor** » Sat May 17, 2008 1:51 pm

Thanks, Dimmu, Lithium. I'll take a look at the decay. I'll see what I can do about decreasing the timer as well and let you all know.

Raiden · Post by **Raiden** » Sat May 17, 2008 3:11 pm

couldnt we make it auto, turn it on and it eats 2-3 moves per room thou

mounted or dismounted

Lithium · Post by **Lithium** » Sat May 17, 2008 6:24 pm

Okay, here's the current numbers:

11 moves per room (total) at level 1 cover tracks, 4 moves per room (total) at level 8 cover tracks. So it decreases by 1 move per level. Success rate seems proportional to % practiced. Both of these seem fine to me. Here's the timers:

HP:Healthy MV:Good >
cover
You prepare to cover tracks while moving.

HP:Healthy MV:Good >
- + = = + + + + = + + = + = = +
You begin fiddling with the ground as you move.

HP:Healthy MV:Good >
n
You slowly move, covering your trail as you go.

HP:Healthy MV:Good >
= =
* + - = % = - +
*
Through Jagged Hills

So to start the skill, it takes 16 pulses, but these are the slow pulses, not the fast one. The first two take 1 second total, then each following pulse takes another 1 second. So 15 seconds to turn the skill on.

Moving between each room takes 11 pulses, but these are the faster pulses. So each one takes .5 seconds, for a total of 5.5 seconds to move per room.

In comparison, here is the backstab timer:

back deer
HP:Healthy MV:Strong >
=
* + - = % = - +
*
A sickly deer makes a strange sound but is suddenly very silent as you place a sharpened sinister steel shiv in its back.

This takes up 10 of the half second pulses, for a total of 5 seconds. So it is .5 seconds shorter than the time it takes to move one room with cover tracks, and 10 seconds shorter than the time it takes to turn the skill on.

For another comparison, the bash timer:

bash deer
HP:Healthy MV:Excellent >

* - % -
The long Fal Dara alarm horn echoes far in the distance.

HP:Healthy MV:Excellent >

*
As a sickly deer avoids your bash, you topple over and fall to the ground!

Takes up 5 of the 1 second pulses, for also a combined time of 5 seconds.

This sounds fair, but in actuality it makes using the skill pretty obnoxious. I think removing one pulse from the timer for each level of the skill practiced would be fair. Maybe in addition, have the skill give the user a couple pulses of lag if it is canceled to punish them in case an enemy comes along.

If anyone else has any suggestions, feel free to comment.