More discerning reflexes

[jerc]

Submitted a bug report, but figured I'd also mention this here.

The way Reflexive Channeling currently works, you get all required channels opened, even if you only need a subset of them. This can lead to over-channeling if you already have one channel open, but not the other, since another instance of the first will be opened unnecessarily.

For example, if I only intend on opening a single sorcery channel and go into battle with one open, reflexive channeling will open a second one alongside the cryomancy channel needed for the cryosorcerous disk, leaving me with two sorcery, one cryomancy.

Could it be made such that the currently-open channels are taken into account when opening the channels needed for reflexive abilities?

Alternatively or additionally, it would be nice to have a way to release a single channel rather than having to release everything and reopen everything just to drop one channel or change one element for another.

[Zeldryn]

Good suggestion. As a quick aside, however, if you specify the channel type, you can actually release individual channels. For example, release sor or release cryo

[Rias]

The way Reflexive Channeling currently works, you get all required channels opened, even if you only need a subset of them. [...] Could it be made such that the currently-open channels are taken into account when opening the channels needed for reflexive abilities?

Can you give me any further details of the situation you're seeing this behavior in? In my testing, I see it already working as requested: If I have cryo open already and get attacked, only a sorcery channel is opened. If I have sorcery open already and get attacked, only a cryo channel is opened.

Alternatively or additionally, it would be nice to have a way to release a single channel rather than having to release everything and reopen everything just to drop one channel or change one element for another.

As Zeldryn pointed out, you can specify if you want to release only a specific channel, such as RELEASE CRYOMANCY or RELEASE SORCERY. These can also be abbreviated, such as REL C or REL S.

[verel]

The way I see it work is if I'm channeling 3 channels in elemancy, it'll try to channel a fourth causing the unable to channel message every time. Also, if I want to channel something other than geomancy, it'll open a channel regardless of what I have open already.

[Rias]

The way I see it work is if I'm channeling 3 channels in elemancy, it'll try to channel a fourth causing the unable to channel message every time. Also, if I want to channel something other than geomancy, it'll open a channel regardless of what I have open already.

These are both intentional. If you already have three channels open and none of them can be used to conjure the blocking matter, you won't be able to open a fourth because of the three-channel limit. If you don't want to automatically open a geomancy channel for defense because it'll mess up your current elements you're already channeling, you should probably disable the ability via ABILITY DISABLE.

For elemancers, these are meant to be of use primarily to those who are already regularly utilizing the associated elements. Aeromancers, pyromancers, and non-master hydromancers who don't plan to regularly weave geo into their spells probably will want to avoid these abilities and find some other kind of defense if they find that the automatic opening of geomancy for defense is messing up their spells.

[jerc]

Can you give me any further details of the situation you're seeing this behavior in? In my testing, I see it already working as requested: If I have cryo open already and get attacked, only a sorcery channel is opened. If I have sorcery open already and get attacked, only a cryo channel is opened.

Hmm, it does seem to work that way now that I sit down and test it intentionally! Could be a race condition in my brain or fingers 😛 I'll keep an eye out for any more evidence of it misbehaving.

Also, totally forgot about release taking a channel type argument. Could probably use a mention in the ability descriptions for cryomancy, sorcery, etc.