6.1 Kaiten Changes

[Shurrikhan]

Counter-suggestions, pipedream though they may be:

• Gamewide change: All AoEs that originate from oneself, including cone and line AoEs, no longer require a target. A new option has been added, toggleable by command line/macro, as to whether to prefer one's main target over character facing for cone and line AoEs. Most conal skills' attack angle has been slightly widened.
  
• SAM to the last patch of Shadowbringers, apart from just 5 early Endwalker changes:

1. Gamewide potency changes to account for the change in weapon damage calculations.
2. Fugetsu and Fuka as separate buffs that can be generated from Gekko or Mangetsu and Shifu or Oka, respectively.
3. Meikyo Shisui causes Kasha and Gekko to directly apply Fuka and Fugetsu, respectively.
4. Tsubame-Gaeshi does not generate Meditation stacks. Shoha buffed in exchange.
5. Increased attack range for Iaijutsu, especially Tenka Goken.

PRE-ENDWALKER CHANGES

• Tsubame Gaeshi revised.

It is no longer made unavailable by using other weaponskills. However, it uniquely does not incur a global cooldown from Iaijutsu. This allows one to weave it in immediately after Iaijutsu and only Iaijutsu. Such tremendously decreases its punishment in terms of access for overclocking it while still rewarding perfect timing. Thus, it remains a rotational capstone, not just another burst tool to be tossed in every within 120 seconds, such that we can actually engage with SAM's macrorotation for more than just 15 seconds of every 120.

• Third Eye can now affect AoE damage, but without losing its unique animations.

Merciful Eye removed. Third Eye upgrades your next Shinten to Seigan and Kyuten to <name to be decided>, each of which deal the same potency, but at 10 less Kenki cost. If used within 4 seconds of Third Eye's depletion, they also heal you for 200 potency.

• Increased reward for proper combo priority management around Iaijutsu and Meikyo Shisui.

Potency siphoned back from Jinpu, Shifu, and Yukikaze towards Hakaze, Kasha, and Gekko. This makes it more rewarding to avoid Gekko and Kasha combos (favoring Yukikaze) where possible and to avoid Yukikaze itself where possible during Meikyo Shisui.

• Expanded use cases for non-Midare Iaijutsu.

Direct potency of Higanbana increased to one's level 30 ppgcd (i.e., roughly 270). This should make it actually worth applying at level 30, and decrease the enemy TTK threshold at which it's worth applying over Tenka from level 40 to 49.

Tenka Goken again deals increased damage against its first two enemies struck, expanding its use cases in two-target scenarios. Potency begins 50% higher, fading by 25% after the first and a further 25% after the second target struck, reaching its current damage at the third target onward. It is thus 50% stronger than previous in 1-target situations, 37.5% stronger in 2-target situations, and 25% stronger in 3-target situations. This should give certain raid fights further reason to use Tenka, perhaps even with Tsubame-Gaeshi.

• Meditate adjusted.

Cooldown decreased to 40 seconds. Meditate no longer generates Meditation stacks, but instead reduces the Meditation stack cost of your next Shoha within 30 seconds by up to 3. This prevents it from being wasted by entering downtime with Meditation stacks.

It is also again an oGCD, but now generates Kenki and decreased Meditation stack costs per GCD spent since entering Meditation. A radial wheel now on Meditate itself indicates the time until the next GCD-based tick. This should make it feel smoother, more consistent, and more intuitive.

• Yaten, Gyoten, and Enpi slightly adjusted.

Yaten and Gyoten now share two charges. As an additional effect, they cool 100% more quickly for each additional charge cooling. (This basically retains their former cooling rates while adding a degree of flexibility.)

The effective potency of Enpi is increased with each and every trait which would otherwise increase Yaten-Enpi's net cost above 20 potency.

• Senei adjusted for optional increased button-efficiency.

If Senei is not added to one's hotbar manually, Guren will simply automatically use Senei instead whenever a target is selected and Guren does not detect more than one enemy (i.e., none other than the target) within its line of attack.

ENDWALKER ADDITIONS

Lv82

Scarlet Blade
Shoha now additionally damages other enemies before and behind your target for 50% of its normal damage.

Lv84

Calm Before the Storm
Allows the accumulation of charges for consecutive uses of Meikyo Shisui.
Maximum Charges: 2

Additionally, each Sen you consume reduces the cooldown of Meikyo Shisui by 1 second.

Lv86

Steel Gale
Fuga, (Hyosetsu), Shifu, Enpi, Tenka Goken, Gyoten, and Yaten each gain an additional effect, Steel Gale.
Steel Gale: Increases your movement speed by 20%.
Duration: 2 seconds.

Additionally, Gyoten and Yaten gain a third charge and their cooldown is reduced by 2 seconds whenever you land a critical hit.

Changing Winds
After activating your Ka and Getsu Sen, your next Fuga will instead become Hyosetsu.

Hyosetsu
Delivers an attack with a potency of 130 to all nearby enemies.
Additional effect: Increases Kenki Gauge by 15
Additional effect: Grants Setsu

Lv88

Of Sword, Storm, and Swell
For 15 seconds after activation, Ikishoten is converted to Sansenshin Shototsu and your uses of Iaijutsu to leave behind a mote of Sword, Storm, or Swell at the location from which they were cast.

Sansenshin Soutotsu
Delivers an attack with a potency of 100 and detonate motes of Sword, Storm, and Swell, dealing potency 100 to the target and enemies before or behind it. Damage to the primary target is increased by 50 potency for each different positional area from which they are struck by Sansenshin Soutotsu.
Kenki Gauge cost: 20

Note: This therefore deals up to 800 potency, if striking simultaneously from left flank, right flank, front, and rear.

Lv90

Essence of the Sword
Shoha now generates Quintessence. Expend 3 Quintessence at a time to cast Ogi Namikiri.

Ogi Namikiri
Delivers an attack to all enemies in a cone before you that combines the effects of Midare Setsugekka and Tenka Goken, dealing 1000 potency to the first target struck, 420 potency to a second, 350 to a third, and 280 to all remaining enemies.
Requires 3 Quintessence.

In summary:

• Take the end of Shadowbringers' gameplay loop...
• Add some polish. Don't trim depth.
• Build on fun and flavor.
• Add some flashy, decently complex available plays roughly per 60/90 seconds.
• Don't add button-bloat. Don't waste power budget on raw potency increases to combo skills.

[cjbeagle]

- Meditate adjusted.
- Yaten, Gyoten, and Enpi slightly adjusted.
- Steel Gale
- Changing Winds / Hyosetsu
- Essence of the Sword

I love all of these ideas!

None of the proposed changes/additions appear to serve as a replacement for Kaiten though, which is what we were talking about. Any spitballs for that?