Upcoming Change to Skills: Global Cool-Down

**Cinco** · 03-09-2011, 06:53 PM

Pocket Legends will soon support a global 'cool-down' for all Skills.

This means that you will no longer be able to execute all of your skills at exactly the same time. (i.e. no more "Skill Spamming") All of your characters' skills will have a brief cool-down period after any skill is executed.

One important result of this is better Client performance. Due to the fact that we will no longer have every player on-screen firing off all of their abilities in the exact same fraction of a second - Clients will be able to run significantly faster in combat.

Another important result is a reduction in overall damage. Since you have to wait a tiny bit after executing a Skill before firing any of your other Skills, it should make sense that you will experience a reduction in your characters' overall DPS.

We have no specific data to share about the cool-down periods at this time. We are testing this new system for its impact on fun-factor and will iterate on the Skills and game-balance until it feels right.

However - I can say right now that PVP feels a lot better with this system in-place. We're not one-shotting each other with all of our Skills anymore... like we used to in the first half-second of combat... We like this, but we realize that some of you may not.

Feel free to post your thoughts and questions in this thread. I hope to be able to answer some of them before the change is ready for release. (And, as always, entertaining predictions of doom, gloom and economic ruination are most definitely welcome

Smiles and good cheer,

- Cinco

Testing Update (3.10.2011) - played (PVE only) with global cool-down times at ~0.50 seconds quite a bit this morning. Overall the combat requires significantly more skill and more strategy. As far as I'm concerned that's a really, really good thing! Right now I'm considering increases to player damage (all classes)... but it's not certain. We still have a lot more multiplayer testing to do (to discern how much damage a well-geared group can do now that we have GCD).

**Physiologic** · 03-09-2011, 06:55 PM

Cool-down on skills, check. What about potion cool-down?

This seems suggested simply because of PvP (a very small percentage of the community plays PvP). If brought over to PvE, that's a lot of unhappy people doing farming runs and XP grinding runs. Granted, it'll make runs tougher but they will still be much slower than before. And I'll probably hate that for the next elite level cap

Is it possible to have this feature only in PvP and not PvE?

edit(i posted this on page 7 but ill post it here again):
Cinco, I think that you should create some sort of poll.

If a) A majority of players say YES to PvE cool-down and b) Cool-down will reduce lag experienced by many users from skill mashing, then yes go along with the plan.

If a) A majority of players say NO to PvE cool-down and b) Only a small % of users experience lag from skill mashing, then only limit cool-downs to PvP.

I don't see why a complete overhaul on PL's battle system is necessary because of the iPad's inherent design flaw to use all skills at once in PvP. PvP should only be fixed - PvE shouldn't be affected at all.

How much of the total population in Pocket Legends PvP? How many PvE games do you see versus PvP games?

**Parasyte** · 03-09-2011, 06:58 PM

That sounds good. One quick question tho, will it be like if you have 5 people in your group you will get to use 1 move then someone else gets to use a move? Or will it be the samething but just longer cool-down periods?

**Ellyidol** · 03-09-2011, 07:01 PM

Sounds fair. Removes the difference between multiple skill mashing from tablets vs smaller devices.

I have a slight feeling nothing is gonna change for birds, since most need to differentiate skill orders vs a different opponent. But for bears, Uh oh.

Also, does this mean overall game speed will be reduced? Or is the in-between skill cooldown just enough to prevent multiple skills at once?

**Kossi** · 03-09-2011, 07:01 PM

ok. now if this is going to work, you guys should increase the range of all str weapons due to kiting

**Ellyidol** · 03-09-2011, 07:05 PM

Originally Posted by Kossi

ok. now if this is going to work, you guys should increase the range of all str weapons due to kiting

Or add a skill that bears can use to help with beckon pulling.

Tbh, the only window we have to let out all our slashes as a nuke is in between beckon and stomp combo. With these changes, I'm not sure if it will be possible anymore, therefore there goes our killing combo.

**Echelong** · 03-09-2011, 07:06 PM

Why not apply this to pvp only and leave pve as it is right now? This could make runs a lot longer than they are now and therefore less enjoyable. I just had a flashback when Blizzard put a global cooldown on Shaman shock spells. It wasn't fun.

**shmoo** · 03-14-2011, 04:12 AM

Originally Posted by Echelong

Why not apply this to pvp only and leave pve as it is right now? This could make runs a lot longer than they are now and therefore less enjoyable. I just had a flashback when Blizzard put a global cooldown on Shaman shock spells. It wasn't fun.

This is a very good idea that is the best of both worlds. Since the main purpose of the GCD is mainly for PvP.

**KingFu** · 03-09-2011, 07:06 PM

Finally! I cant wait for this! It won't only make PvE more fun, but will have PvP require a little more of a skill factor. Before (mainly with archer) it was who could whip out their combo first. I'm half and half with Phys on the only in PvP part though. I think PvE would be a lot more fun, but then again, it would have it's down sides (IE mages not being able to heal appropriately, tanks not being able to group up and stun mobs as easily, archers not being able to set up cruel blast as easily) It'd definitely give PvE a more challenging side, but it would also make it a lot harder for the classes to do their jobs. Any idea to be able to cope the two?

**noobmigo** · 03-09-2011, 07:19 PM

I have one question.
Does that mean:
(a) All of the skillls have same C-D, just you cannot press all of the skills at the same time
(b) All of the skills have the current C-D, just you cannot presss all of the skills at the same time.
or (c) All of the skills have current C-D, except that everytime you press a skill, the C-D for everything resets.

If it is C, I'm going to think about only going with one buff.
Anyway, wonderful idea devs, it's just going to take some getting used to.

**Physiologic** · 03-09-2011, 07:09 PM

I like the fact that it makes the game harder. But I realize, that in the long run, if Bandit Hideout runs go from 3 minutes and 30 seconds to 6-7 minutes, I might not like to farm anymore, that's all.

**Echelong** · 03-09-2011, 07:16 PM

Originally Posted by Physiologic

I like the fact that it makes the game harder. But I realize, that in the long run, if Bandit Hideout runs go from 3 minutes and 30 seconds to 6-7 minutes, I might not like to farm anymore, that's all.

This is what I am afraid off. This would turn fun hours of farming into tedious long runs that would make players quit. I agree with the devs on applying it to pvp though.

**thugimmortal** · 03-09-2011, 07:20 PM

Now bears will totally suck
we want something to speed up our killing not slow us down even more

**noobmigo** · 03-09-2011, 07:24 PM

Originally Posted by thugimmortal

Now bears will totally suck
we want something to speed up our killing not slow us down even more

Yup, if it is my option (C), I'm gonna cry, cry, and play on my bird for the rest of my life.
It seems like the bird is the only one that is barely affected by this, but who knows?

**Sanatorium** · 03-09-2011, 07:09 PM

Awww what about Combos, will the cool down affect them in any way?
Also for potion cool down, noooo... don't please, even when you spam health pots and health skills you STILL get mob'd down.
Leave the pots how they are, they're great.

**Frenzyn** · 03-10-2011, 04:01 PM

I love you guys.

**Uimacaz** · 03-10-2011, 05:38 PM

I, personally, vote No on this.

Being able to quickly kill enemies as an archer is the only way to survive with the incredibly low armor and dodge with the new Sewer gear.

For PvP it makes complete sense... But depending on the length of time we are talking about here for a cool down, I think there needs to be more worked out and changed if this is implemented. Just a split second so that you have to press each skill individually would be fine. One of the things I enjoy about Pocket Legends is the fast paced fighting. You have to know what you are doing and act quickly to survive and be a true benefit to your team. I'm not sure I would experience the same level of fun if the pace of the game was slowed down significantly.

For those experiencing lag from spell/skill spamming - turning on Pixel Double in the Options screen helps a lot, especially in The Catacombs and Roach Motel. (The enemy mobs create much more lag than a group of players ever could here.)

- Adam

**Frenzyn** · 03-10-2011, 05:41 PM

Originally Posted by Uimacaz

I, personally, vote No on this.

Being able to quickly kill enemies as an archer is the only way to survive with the incredibly low armor and dodge with the new Sewer gear.

For PvP it makes complete sense... But depending on the length of time we are talking about here for a cool down, I think there needs to be more worked out and changed if this is implemented. Just a split second so that you have to press each skill individually would be fine. One of the things I enjoy about Pocket Legends is the fast paced fighting. You have to know what you are doing and act quickly to survive and be a true benefit to your team. I'm not sure I would experience the same level of fun if the pace of the game was slowed down significantly.

For those experiencing lag from spell/skill spamming - turning on Pixel Double in the Options screen helps a lot, especially in The Catacombs and Roach Motel. (The enemy mobs create much more lag than a group of players ever could here.)

- Adam

Well, To be honest pvp would be much better, and pve might get a hit, but then again it might be a bit better.

I am only concerned about combos, how are combos affected if you cant do 2 skills in a row without a 2 sec cooldown?
Also in my opinion skill spamming can save ur life at times, so i hope they implement a system where u can
do an avian scream and blast shot at the same time, for they are different things.

I personally think you guys should definitely up the bars on ranger health if you do this, to atleast 650...
Its incredibly unfair making the ranger the one known for low armour but high numbers in hit, when you take the hit away, it might just become "the ranger"...
This would help my managing for not wasting 90% of my mana in 2 seconds tho, so i applaud you for taking away my urges and saving me cash.

-Spencer

**Waterserenity** · 03-11-2011, 05:14 AM

Originally Posted by Sanatorium

Awww what about Combos, will the cool down affect them in any way?
Also for potion cool down, noooo... don't please, even when you spam health pots and health skills you STILL get mob'd down.
Leave the pots how they are, they're great.

Then at least for warriors and mages give us a significant damage increase, cuz still less lag but we more or less balance out?fair enough?