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Smokescreen, spamming and PvP.

AuthorMessage
Geographer
Aug 28, 2010
958
I responded to a post over on central on this subject, and got several non-rational replies. So, I'm hoping to get logical and reasonable replies over here.

I can understand why Stun was taken care of in PvP. It did not allow you to do anything at all, in PvP. You got defeated, and you had no choice.
I can understand why Talso was removed from Low Level PvP, as most spells are weak, and a 1000 life was a bit too much.
I can also understand why Wild Bolt was changed, but I still think that just the accuracy should have been locked at 10%, and not allowed above 20%.
But that is not what this posting is about, it's about Smokescreen at a reduction of -40 percent.

I have seen where people have stated that smokescreen spamming is shutting down the other team completely.
If somescreen is so bad, then why did they add smokescreen to the new pet. I have seen one of the Leopards, cast this spell twice in a row. I watched a second one on the same team cast it the next round.

Now most players have 50% odds of casting their spell, since most are up close to 90%, so I understand that this is not like Stun was. Reminds me of the First Boss in waterworks....

I have never spammed Stun, Talos, or smokescreen, but I have been spammed by it. Getting spammed by a myth over using Talos is a bear sometimes. To me, if you are allowed to do something, and nothing is posted by KI, then I don't see it as breaking the rules.

I do however spam weakness and infection at times, but you have too sometimes.

Anyway, looking for feedback on this, and what people think.

thanks,
Joe.
Joesph LionHunter, Ice, Balance, Storm, Death, Myth and a life on the way.


Adherent
Mar 18, 2009
2737
I'll be honest. Besides a few bosses, the accuracy was never a problem for me. Gear naturally got me to a comfortable rate in casting. I would only train the accuracy sun spells to the level in which that school was deficient (10% for life and 30% for storm). Could the smokescreen spamming be an introduction to forcing players into using more training points in this department?

I understand in PvP there is still the implication of going second, but that affects more spells than just smokescreen and PvP in general.

Survivor
Jul 24, 2011
1
yes it would be nice if kingsisle could do something about the teams we run into that choose to use 2 players to cast smokescreen and treasure card smokescreen. Then they keep casting the same spells every round (smokescreen and treasure card smokescreen) i have seen up to 5 rounds. in a row(if there storm wiz fizzles). I have seen teams where there is a warlord or 2 in it while the privates cast the smokescreen spells.

it would be really nice if kingsisle would make it so they can not be cast together. I can understand allowing 1 of those spells, but when those spells are cast together they give you less then a 15% chance of casting your own spell. come on

is there anyway you can cap the stack the precision to 50% or have you?
or are we supposed to report every team that does that (I have seen multiple teams on the weekends doing it just to farm arena tickets).

Astrologist
Jun 04, 2010
1008
Lion359 wrote:
But that is not what this posting is about, it's about Smokescreen at a reduction of -40 percent.


It's a bit dated now, but in a thread where darthjt and I actually got along quite well near the end, I detailed a smokescreen strategy that would work like chain stunning. Here's the thread for reference:

https://www.wizard101.com/posts/list/32856.ftl

Lion359 wrote:
I have seen where people have stated that smokescreen spamming is shutting down the other team completely.
If somescreen is so bad, then why did they add smokescreen to the new pet. I have seen one of the Leopards, cast this spell twice in a row. I watched a second one on the same team cast it the next round.


Smokescreen, generally speaking, isn't that bad. However, it makes your card fizzle and return to the deck to be drawn on again randomly as you pull more cards. Being stunned doesn't have this effect. In an age where successful strategies rely on precision timing, this kind of thing can really mess up the other team. It also costs 1 pip for a group screen which means that literally everyone can do it so if you alternate screens in a 4v4 match you can be reducing the other teams accuracy by 85% (because amulet and TC versions generally at 5% more).

Lion359 wrote:
Now most players have 50% odds of casting their spell, since most are up close to 90%, so I understand that this is not like Stun was. Reminds me of the First Boss in waterworks....


Still, preventing the other side from casting a shield, a blade, or other damage boost or reducer can mean the end of them. Reference the thread I posted. Spamming smokescreen is annoying. A deliberate strategy to use stacked smokescreens to keep people locked out of combat is technically legal, but more than a little low.

Lion359 wrote:
I have never spammed Stun, Talos, or smokescreen, but I have been spammed by it. Getting spammed by a myth over using Talos is a bear sometimes. To me, if you are allowed to do something, and nothing is posted by KI, then I don't see it as breaking the rules.


And people say the water elemental minion has no use. lol. Yes, I agree. There is a huge difference between annoying and exploiting the rules. Using any kind of strategy that can COMPLETELY lock the other team out of combat is to me, exploiting the rules. While it isn't technically breaking the rules, it is also not really a match and therefore not really a win either (in my book anyway).

Lion359 wrote:
I do however spam weakness and infection at times, but you have too sometimes.

Anyway, looking for feedback on this, and what people think.

thanks,
Joe.
Joesph LionHunter, Ice, Balance, Storm, Death, Myth and a life on the way.


Hopefully this was the kind of feedback you were looking for. If not, please let me know. I'd be happy to expand on it more.