Energy Leech

[Phorlaug[IS]]

This is not a report about a Bug
This is a report about how the skill has become and is becoming what we all
want it to be.
This post is for player and DEV.
Please any loyal JD using this skill please please confirm my findings and anything you would like
me to confirm.
Target NPC were the L28-30 Chevez in Odin Rex and the Novice Dragon Drones in BBW.
I was only able to see the Graphics working fully when I had the Space Poly Budget and the
Texture Size set to their higher limits in the Options-Graphics Options tab, in game.

There were a couple of times I didn't think the skill was working and ended up prematurly canceling
the activation because I got a little impatient and double hit the activate key
That led me to raise the graphics values.
After that the Graphics were quite impressive and worked fine.

Timers.
Energy Drain (5 sec)
Energy Leech (14 sec)
Render Energy (24 sec)
Energy Leeching Spere (44 sec)
Render Energy Sphere (Not acquired)
[color=#00FF00]25% of the time every time when I hit these NPC with any of the skill levels they stopped firing
from 2-3 seconds.
On the Energy Drain and Energy Leech I did see the message "Target has no energy to drain"
But the Target was still able to fire and there was a very very slight delay in the fire rate after that.
I did not see the Message at all when Leeching from a group.
On the second use of any of the skills, the amount of the energy transfered was about 50% less on
average.[/color]

Tips:
If your going to use Energy Leech you'll want to Max out the skill there were a couple of times that
a New NPC Group move into range of their weapons but was just out of range of the AOE of your target.
For Energy Leeching Spheres The skill discription states: "Drains energy from all targets within 1500 units
of the [u]Target[/u] ! (Not your ship). 1500 units ain't much, at max skill level its 3000 units. Double the range !

Now that a Second group has moved in close, tag one and use your summons to bring them into close
proximity to each other and then use your Energy Leech sphere on them ! You may as well get something from them
other than their PL's, Missiles or Lasers.
If the DEV's are trying to make the NPC act like what happens to your ship when it gets low on energy, their fire rate
will decrease to the weapons with the quickest fire rate, until its reactor regenerates or gets a boost or recharge from
an external source.
If you can drain their energy and it decreases their fire rate even by a fraction it could mean the difference between life or death[color="#0000cd"].[/color]

[Tienbau]

some MOBs haven't had their reactor energy defined, I had to disconnect their reactor usage and go back to how the mobs used to be (infinite reactor power). We'll have those hooked up soon.

When you drain a mob of energy it should indeed start firing a lot more slowly and if it's a multi-weapon mob you might knock out one or two of its weapons, the higher energy draining ones. I've seen this with mobs in the FB, so I know it is working at the moment, and it's all a by-product of the reactor working correctly.

When you drain, there is a delay for the mob's reactor to start charging again, higher for the top level leech. If you've emptied their reactor capacitors there'll be a bit of a delay before they can use weapons again, like you noticed.

This doesn't currently work for all mobs because like I said the data hasn't been fully populated yet, since until now it's been irrelevant.

Also I found a bug with the FX for some of these skills which was causing a bit of a graphic overload. This won't come through until the next restart.

[Phorlaug[IS]]

Update:
As of March 17, 2012.
The Jd Energy Leech works well.
With me Having a HOTM reactor (8454 cap) and a AWCS (+1207 cap).
When I activate Render Energy Sphere on a Mob of 3-4 my reactor fills anywhere from 20-50% on the first initial use on the mob.
On the First use The NPC's can not or stop firing for approximately 2-4 seconds.
Render Energy Sphere The timer is 44 seconds,

The Second use on the same Mob reduces the Energy leeched by approximately 1/2.
On the third or fourth use (If the Mob isn't destroyed) The amount drained will barely be of notice. Often I would get a message "There is no energy to Leech" or "The NPC reactor has no Energy" iirc.

The use of any item with a Weapons Energy Debuff (like Drone Siphon or "aa Yt" 7-9) or using a item with a Reactor Debuff like "Cube of the Leech" and/or the Use of EMP will or should slow the NPC weapon fire rate, reactor recharge. The Use of the Wyvern's line of devices that Debuff EMP will also be of benefit.

Right Now I have don't think that EMP is working on the NPC reactors right now until I can see for myself they have a direct effect on their reactor, I won't be switching out my Plasma or Energy Beams or any debuffs that go with them beams.
I'm going to make it a mission to find out the effects on all that I have said.
Hell if anything it'll be fun.

But If any Weapons or Reactor Bebuffs do work, with the JD Energy Leech, the Combination will be deadly IMO.

Phorlaug..

[Tienbau]

Hi Phorlag,

thanks for the update - I hadn't thought to connect up the EMP attack to NPC reactor yet, so that needs to go in. Yes it will make the energy leeching/EMP attack deadly !

Also the 'cube of debuff' thing - that needs to go onto the 'items not working' list as I know that isn't connected up yet. Our new server dev will be looking at these, we should be able to keep him occupied for quite a while with all this

[Phorlaug[IS]]

Tienbau,
FYI, The Energy Leech Currently has no noticible effect on the NPC fire rate on first use. Date 12/5/2012
I didn't want to put this in the Bug report area, I'm going to experiment a little more with it.

I hate to double post the following but for My fellow JDs and that of the Skill use refinements I will. The Original Post is connected to the Net-7.org portal Via JD Tutorial.

Utilizing Energy Leech with Combat Cloak.
This is a very difficult Combat Tactic to use.
The goal of Combat Cloak is to Recloak as soon as you fire your weapons.
The time it takes to recloak will leave you vulnerable to the NPCs weapons Damage.
Don't even think your going to get a Psionic Shield up in time either, because if your using CCloak you probally fighting something that may have the Power To wipe out that Psionic Shield
You just put up OR One shot you Dead.

Heres what I do.
[color=#00FF00][b]Energy Leech, Cloak and Combat Cloak:[/b][/color]
Pure and simple, You will have to Subsitute one of your Weapons barrage for the Activation of your Energy Leech.
Get behind your Prey, Deactivate cloak and Hit the activation of your Energy Leech as soon as possible, And then Recloak. Do not be surprised if you get hit with some weapons damage.
Energy Leech takes 5-6 Seconds from Activation to Transfer of energy AND Combat Cloak Takes a Minimum of 3 Seconds to Cloak you. It takes an NPC 2 to 3 Seconds to turn and Fire on you.
That Leaves 5 To 6 seconds of Damage headed in your direction ! How Much danage can you inflick in 5-6 seconds ?

I have found:
That Installing something to help with your cloaking time can go a long way.
Waiting for the NPC to or for you to get about 1.00-2.00 k (Your Beams and Energy Leech Range will dictate) away from you before you activate Energy Leech, increases (Although slightly) Minimal Damage.
Install Something for Maneuverability, Improved Cloak and reduced Signature these items will help you (they Should) with Missile Defense. Look under Ship Stats "Missile Defense"
Sum Up:
Fire..Cloak
Fire..Cloak
Fire..Cloak... Low on energy
Decloak.. Activate Energy Leech (5 secs)
Cloak
Repete if necessary.

When your out of Combat Get a Psionic Shield up.

[color=#00FF00][b]Energy Leech in Group Combat:[/b][/color]
Your going to play a support role here.
When all the Energy and Shield Energy Transfers and Reroutes have been done and the Reactors of your Group mates are depleted, Your energy Leech will be a welcome supply of new fighting spirit !
Again use it at the right time. DO NOT Spam Energy Leech!
Get the best bang for you Leech.

A rule of thumb untill your Healer say hes out of power OR your almost Out of Power Then Hit your Energy Leech.
There are NPC, Machanical and Biological that Do not have reactors OR are immune to energy Leech Or are just out of energy themselves. Don't ask me how immune for machanicals. (Could be a bug?)

Use single target Energy Leech for Your own use if the fight dictates. I have not tested it out yet but you may recieve no aggression from the individual NPC.
The Use of "Render Energy" "Energy Leeching Sphere" and "Render Energy Sphere" Will attrack severe Aggression from all the NPC in the area of combat !
Leech and Cloak A.S.A.P !
Ater useing any of those Leeches. You may have to wait quite a while bafore you can come out of cloak and fire out of cloak BUT the
Aggression may be to High and you may have to go into The Combat Cloak, Fire and Leech Tactic untill the Tank or Healer gets the Aggro.


Utilizing Energy Leech in Psionic Shield Based Solo Or Tanking Combat.
This Is FUN !
[color=#00FF00][b]Energy Leech and Psionic Shield: [/b][/color]
Use the Energy Leech as soon as you have a fresh Psionic Shield up Use it like a One TWO punch and Make sure you have enough energy to activate the Energy Leech.
Timing the Use of The Energy Leech is also key, You want to maximize it use and Amount Utilized.
What Am I saying?
You can only Leech 1 or 2 times (Not Tested) per NPC or NPC AREA Mob and get the Maximum amount of Energy Back to you or your Group.
You DO NOT Want to leech when You have a Nearly Full Reactor. Its like when you fill your Car up with gas, you don't go when its 3/4 Full You fill it when its almost empty and you have enough to
get you to the Gas Station. !
DO NOT underestimate the Energy Leech it is a very potent Weapon and Skill. Remember Everything You do, everything your group does, and everything the NPC do requires energy.
Take away their Energy you take away their way to Fight, to Defend and to Escape !

[color=#00FFFF]12/8/2012[/color]
New tactic and findings:
I have come across 1 or 2 NPC that were, For some reason Immune or defencive to Energy Leech, But in the same battle there were 1 or 2 that would join in to try to defeat me that were not.
In the past I would focus only on the higher Level NPC and ignore the smaller ones after I summoned them in front of me and got back on the main target.

During the battle I was running low on energy and couldn't get any from the High Level NPC that was Immune. I scrambled to think of a way to get energy or I was going to die.
Then my Focus went back to the annoyance's that were the Lower Level NPC. They had the Energy I needed!
I leeched the Energy I needed from the other NPC to keep up the fight and came out the victor !

[Phorlaug[IS]]

1/17/2014

I use energy Leech almost as much as Combat Cloak I have gotten very proficient in its use.

 

If there is a JD that uses Energy Leech Sphere please check something I noticed,

I need confirmation on.

 

When using Energy Leech Sphere do all weapons in your group and YOUR weapons as well as the NPCs weapons stop firing for a brief moment ?

 

It almost seems that everyones (NPC and Players) weapons firing rate slows or hesitates that is in the Sphere's AOE.

Please check and confirm.

[Daath]

When I am in a group with my PW and energy leech is used I have not noticed any delays in fire rate...

 

Is it possible this "Delay" is just because of the animation/skill activation sequence on your client is causing the client to show you incorrect information?  If the client is overwhelmed it could seem like there are delays as your video/client catch up due to the animations playing out on the screen.