Curse

Mercury Angel · Mar 01, 2006, 01:46 PM // 13:46

Unyielding Aura is a plain bad skill. It's an elite resurrection, in a game where elites are prized skill slots, and the concept of an elite resurrection is a rather flawed concept. If you were running an elite heal/protection/energy management, you'd have a lesser chance of losing an ally.

But that's not the entire reason I've made this topic. The other reason is its ability to end at will to cause an ally to die. Using Unyielding Aura, a monk can hold the life of a teammate in his/her hands, and end it for any reason they please, and THAT is the reason most monks pack this skill. Perhaps a good item has dropped for that person, and the monk wants it. Or perhaps they were being a jerk, and the monk just feels like repaying the favour. But there's little parity among other professions of this type. Barring a few select other skills, which are a bit harder to use, nobody else can just decide to end the life of an ally. If they disagree with the way the team is going, they either quit, or do nothing, or hold their peace until the mission is over. There's simply very little other opportunity for friendly fire among allies, because that makes for a poor game, where people can turn petty differences into real problems disrupting the entire team.

Also, this skill is broken in part. If the maintainer is killed, the enchantment ends, but the person enchanted by Unyielding Aura doesn't die.

2 suggestions for what you could do with Unyielding Aura:

"Unyielding Aura - 10en, 1/4th cast, 25 recharge.
For the next 10 seconds, if target ally would be killed, that ally is immediately brought back to life with 25+(4X)% health and 10+(10X/3)% energy, and their skills are disabled for 10-(2X/5) seconds."

"Unyielding Aura - 10en, 1 cast, 30 recharge
For the next 3+(X/2) seconds, target ally does not die if their life hits 0. When Unyielding Aura ends, that ally dies if their life is at 0"

Some notes-
-Yes, I'm aware Vengenace provides a similar effect. However, Vengeance is a bit different. People know they're going to die, and that's that. It happens after a certain time, and it's a decent temporary resurrection. With Unyielding, however, you can prevent them from getting a hard rez for the sole purpose of controlling their life.
-The above suggestions for Unyielding are tentative. What I DO feel strongly about is that Unyielding should not remain the way it is; The way it is used. It's just not right for a cooperative game.

Undivine · Mar 01, 2006, 05:15 PM // 17:15

How about it works exactly the same as before except that after (5-1) minute(s) the enchantment is removed and the person remains alive. That would not only prevent the monk from removing out of spite but it would also make it a decent res by itself so that a second res skill isn't necessary. Besides, after the battle is over (which lasts around a minute usually) any decent monk will want to remove it and make it a re-res just to make the effect permenant and not reduce mana regen.

See, I actually like this skill and use it as intended. Sometimes it's worth bringing along in place of other elites. Monks have very useful non-elite skills that sometimes I find myself loading my skill bar and almost forgetting that I didn't bring an elite. If you have another monk to bring a permenant res or if you have a spare slot for a second res, then this spell is useful as it's such a fast and effective res. If it could be a permenant res in some way then it's definately worth having.

labsenpai · Mar 01, 2006, 06:27 PM // 18:27

In regard to abuse of Mo skills: I think most teams would have greater concern over their Monk(s) being "55-ers" in disguise rather than having UA as a res. The fact that every class can equip res dilutes the whole "domain over death" threat. I agree that the skill can be perverted, but I have a fairly good idea what player behavior would drive a Mo to bring the UA "leash". But this shouldn't be about temperment...

I like having an elite res that is fast-casting, heals 100%, and only costs a maintenance pip. I've used it to turn the tide in losing battles by reviving the front-line damage dealers (even if its too late to save myself). Also, instances when the party is at 60 DP and chipping away at final Bosses - UA saves the day.

I think players should be happy that Mo's have yet another skill that can pull their asses out of the fire. If you feel at a disadvantage, try working on staying alive.