New/Modified Overland spell for Chaos

[wheeler]

Blink. As an overland spell. Global, map-wide, overland spell. Yeah, I said it.

I've been thinking about this off and on, its balance, usefulness, mechanics, cosmetics etc... And I need advice. (Might make this a poll sometime.)
Does this make sense, to have Blink as shaman spell in the battlemap as well as overland? If so, how balanced could it be? Does it take the theme of Chaos too far?

And how would it be done? Should only the champion random teleport, or champion and party?


All races can teleport items, three races can teleport units:
Air - Relocate Army (from the Temple Special Building)
Earth - Great Temple 'wormhole' function and gnomish spell Earth Meld
Chaos - Blink (on battle-map)

Of all these, the shamans say they are free to go where they please. I say we make truth of their boasts. Let them have the ability to randomly teleport to any location on Urak. I suggest (to balance) that there is a chance for teleporters to land up on illegal terrain, such as ocean, and consequently die. This chance should decrease as Caster Level increases (or shouldn't it?). This skill would be interesting as a charged artifact as well, Ring of the Eye or Amulet of Travel or something.

[Boaster]

In short, it's been suggested before.

In fact using Blink is how I managed to generate a "Teleport" spell, where you can teleport to the location you specify.

Blink as an overland spell would be too much.

[wheeler]

If I was advocating a point-to-point reliable connection-oriented teleport then what you say would make total sense. I'm talking Random Teleport, as in -click!- and end up somewhere completely random very far away. And it's not like it can't be balanced.

I just don't see why the race that can (and does) actually teleport in battle cannot do so outside of it, when the reverse is more or less true for two other races.

Come on. Let Chaos reign!!!

[Boaster]

Jan 11, 2010 4:22:57 GMT -6 wheeler said:

If I was advocating a point-to-point reliable connection-oriented teleport then what you say would make total sense. I'm talking Random Teleport, as in -click!- and end up somewhere completely random very far away. And it's not like it can't be balanced.

I just don't see why the race that can (and does) actually teleport in battle cannot do so outside of it, when the reverse is more or less true for two other races.

Come on. Let Chaos reign!!!

Blink on the overland map would be too much because it could move armies without using movement points.

[wheeler]

I agree, moving armies essentially for free is imbalanced cheese.
I don't think anyone except shamans *could* blink like that anyway, so restricting it to a skill available only when the shaman is alone (no additional party members) makes a lot more sense. (They'd probably die or go mad if they were to tag along, [Laugh out Loud]) If that's codeable at this stage, idk. But single-unit random teleport is how I'd prefer it.

Anyway, reliable mass teleportation should likely be left for Archons in LOM2. (Speaking of, if that day comes around, should it be as a RTS, RPG or MMORPG?)