WoW Europe discussion: Revise channeled spell LoS mechanics?
We’re picking up a discussion over at the World of Warcraft forums that we’re sure many of the game’s range specialists are all to familiar about: line of sight (LoS) physics. LoS, if you’re a first-time reader, is an (imaginary) unobstructed line drawn between you and your target.
This factor’s especially important to remember for the game’s spell-casters (i.e. Warlocks, mages) and range fighters (i.e. hunters), as having your LoS obstructed means that whatever skills you’re channelling gets cancelled.
For some spells such as Arcane Missile, however, the LoS check is done before the spell is channelled, so the spell still connects even if the target’s already moved out of LoS. The only countermeasure for the target at this point is to run out of the spell’s range…if they can.
This is the specific matter that’s under discussion at a thread started by Amithral, who uses a hunter. Here’s a snippet of the player’s comment regarding LoS effect as compared between hunters and spellcasters:
The thing that seems bugged is that we are affected so much by LoS but if a warlock/priest (Might be more classes) uses mindflay, lifedrain, manadrain etc. on a target that is in LoS then it is of course casted and channeled, but the thing that seems bugged is that you can only counter this by moving away from the caster, moving out of LoS do NOT break the spell. And this must be bugged.
So, was WoW‘s LoS specs for channelled spells really bugged? Blizzard rep Tharfor dropped by to clarify this bit of game mechanics:
We are aware of the issue with channeled ray-type spells continuing to channel and be ray-like when the target is technically out of line of sight. At this time this is considered be a working feature and there are currently no plans to change it.
However, we will raise this point again as it appears to have been some time since it was evaluated and there may be more viable options for its adjustment. Please note though that we are not promising that any change will be made, just that we will ask if it can be re-evaluated at this time.
In a way, this explains why so many players just love rolling a warlock or mage. Drop back in case the discussion takes a new development.
We’re picking up a discussion over at the World of Warcraft forums that we’re sure many of the game’s range specialists are all to familiar about: line of sight (LoS) physics. LoS, if you’re a first-time reader, is an (imaginary) unobstructed line drawn between you and your target.
This factor’s especially important to remember for the game’s spell-casters (i.e. Warlocks, mages) and range fighters (i.e. hunters), as having your LoS obstructed means that whatever skills you’re channelling gets cancelled.
For some spells such as Arcane Missile, however, the LoS check is done before the spell is channelled, so the spell still connects even if the target’s already moved out of LoS. The only countermeasure for the target at this point is to run out of the spell’s range…if they can.
This is the specific matter that’s under discussion at a thread started by Amithral, who uses a hunter. Here’s a snippet of the player’s comment regarding LoS effect as compared between hunters and spellcasters:
The thing that seems bugged is that we are affected so much by LoS but if a warlock/priest (Might be more classes) uses mindflay, lifedrain, manadrain etc. on a target that is in LoS then it is of course casted and channeled, but the thing that seems bugged is that you can only counter this by moving away from the caster, moving out of LoS do NOT break the spell. And this must be bugged.
So, was WoW‘s LoS specs for channelled spells really bugged? Blizzard rep Tharfor dropped by to clarify this bit of game mechanics:
We are aware of the issue with channeled ray-type spells continuing to channel and be ray-like when the target is technically out of line of sight. At this time this is considered be a working feature and there are currently no plans to change it.
However, we will raise this point again as it appears to have been some time since it was evaluated and there may be more viable options for its adjustment. Please note though that we are not promising that any change will be made, just that we will ask if it can be re-evaluated at this time.
In a way, this explains why so many players just love rolling a warlock or mage. Drop back in case the discussion takes a new development.
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