Temporal Distortion Debuff: Countermeasures; and other ideas

[WeiJayTan]

Temporal Distortion: With the Heavy Duty DLC there are more enemies who can use it. As of yet, there isn't a method to remove or reduce the damage caused by Temporal Distortion, which ignores shields and 50% of damage resistance/threshold for mechanical and energy damage. This makes it particularly dangerous for agile/low hp characters.

Perhaps in the future, there should be a method to counter this particular move, much like how antidotes can be used to counter poisons. With the present abilities of Temporal Manipulation, I have a few ideas in mind, but I'm sure the developers also have other ideas for Temporal Manipulation in mind.

In any case, here are my ideas:
1. Stasis: Currently, while under the effects of stasis, cooldowns progress, but status effects (positive, ie. Psycho Temporal Acceleration; negative, ie. Knee Wound, Temporal Distortion) will not progress. Perhaps, while under Stasis, Temporal Distortion can still progress, allowing it to expire but the PC will resist all the damage. A simple countermeasure but requires high investment in Temporal Manipulation/late game time.
2. Psycho Temporal Acceleration: Casting this on self/on an ally will remove all temporal distortion debuffs from the target.
3. Stasis: Casting it on a neutral or allied npc (in combat situations only) will not cause immediate hostilities.
  a. Casting Stasis on Rassophore Nevil in RAF13 will cause him to turn hostile, even if the player wanted to keep them from taking damage from the sentry bots.
  b. (Did not test this myself) I think casting Stasis on Yahota will cause her, and by extension the rest of Aegis Inc, to turn hostile. However, what if the player wanted to keep her shielded from
     incoming enemies? Close calls are possible for a character with low hp like her. It can apply to generic sec troopers as well.
4. Precognition: Grants additional detection and trap detection ratings. Like a sixth sense feature.

[harperfan7]

Just don't get hit.

Alternatively, aegis and morphine/nervo.

[WeiJayTan]

Alternatively, aegis and morphine/nervo.

Ah, yeah, those medicines... I forgot. Well...
I often avoid using Morphine shots/Nervosomnifiers for low hp/agile characters, because of my thoughts that: "If your don't feel pain, you don't get hurt." doesn't make sense to me.  Using the Aegis drug with a 15% reduction? Okay.
Using Morphine or Nervosomnifiers for a high constitution character? That's okay for me.
I never actually tried stacking those medicines to achieve very high 'all' damage reduction, just so you know.
This is just my preference, though. Don't take this the wrong way.

[harperfan7]

There are some cheesy things I prefer to avoid too, but in general you have to play the game that exists, not the one you want to exist.  When my 3 con tm psiblade fought the Masters, the time slicer got two distortions on me (which is still a fuckton of damage cuz they have busted stats) and I barely survived due to aegis and morphine.  Aside from hammers, the best belt imo for melee characters is the doctors pouch, and you really ought to be taking advantage of it.

[WeiJayTan]

There are some cheesy things I prefer to avoid too, but in general you have to play the game that exists, not the one you want to exist.  When my 3 con tm psiblade fought the Masters, the time slicer got two distortions on me (which is still a fuckton of damage cuz they have busted stats) and I barely survived due to aegis and morphine.  Aside from hammers, the best belt imo for melee characters is the doctors pouch, and you really ought to be taking advantage of it.

"but in general you have to play the game that exists, not the one you want to exist."
I agree. I'm still experimenting with the game myself. I'll take my time.

I haven't actually fought the Arena Masters yet. I am aware: that special Demolition Belt is worn by one of them, and can only be obtained by defeating them. I'll see what happens if I do get to that point. I'm on my first Dominating Difficulty run, having beaten Normal D multiple times and Hard D once.

[PhrygianDominant]

3. Stasis: Casting it on a neutral or allied npc (in combat situations only) will not cause immediate hostilities.
  a. Casting Stasis on Rassophore Nevil in RAF13 will cause him to turn hostile, even if the player wanted to keep them from taking damage from the sentry bots.
  b. (Did not test this myself) I think casting Stasis on Yahota will cause her, and by extension the rest of Aegis Inc, to turn hostile. However, what if the player wanted to keep her shielded from
     incoming enemies? Close calls are possible for a character with low hp like her. It can apply to generic sec troopers as well.

Regarding this one, allied and friendly NPCs (blue and green labels) won't turn hostile if you cast stasis on them. Neutral (gray) and worse will. What I can probably do is make Nevil friendly when you talk to him, which will make him immune to stasis-induced homicidal rage.

And yes, we do read suggestions. Mostly. Sometimes. Mostly.

[ciox]

It is some pretty meh balance how you're instantly dead if Temporal Distortion is cast on you. This is because it doesn't really have any proper weaknesses, other types of psi either require the enemies to get closer to you (Thought Control) or can be resisted, with this one you just get randomly fucked with unresistable damage from range 10 because funny rage instadeath moment deal with it scrub. Don't really have any suggestions for it that aren't artificial but it would be nice if devs considered cases like this at least for Infusion.

[WeiJayTan]

3. Stasis: Casting it on a neutral or allied npc (in combat situations only) will not cause immediate hostilities.
  a. Casting Stasis on Rassophore Nevil in RAF13 will cause him to turn hostile, even if the player wanted to keep them from taking damage from the sentry bots.
  b. (Did not test this myself) I think casting Stasis on Yahota will cause her, and by extension the rest of Aegis Inc, to turn hostile. However, what if the player wanted to keep her shielded from
     incoming enemies? Close calls are possible for a character with low hp like her. It can apply to generic sec troopers as well.

Regarding this one, allied and friendly NPCs (blue and green labels) won't turn hostile if you cast stasis on them. Neutral (gray) and worse will. What I can probably do is make Nevil friendly when you talk to him, which will make him immune to stasis-induced homicidal rage.

And yes, we do read suggestions. Mostly. Sometimes. Mostly.

Yeah, that'll be great. Then, future players won't get a nasty surprise when they did something with good intentions.
In my case, when that happened, I simply reloaded my save file. After that, I was hesitant to use Stasis on any ally.

Side note, the friendly standing (green healthbar) is rather underused. M'lan Ratula after the player successfully intimidates him; Rathounds if the player is wearing the Rathound Regalia... and that's about it... I think. Maybe this particular faction standing can be used to change up certain combat situations in the future. Just some quick thoughts about that.

[PhrygianDominant]

Side note, the friendly standing (green healthbar) is rather underused. M'lan Ratula after the player successfully intimidates him; Rathounds if the player is wearing the Rathound Regalia... and that's about it... I think. Maybe this particular faction standing can be used to change up certain combat situations in the future. Just some quick thoughts about that.

I'll do Nevil for starters, then I'll see about spreading more friendliness. Got Infusion to develop as well.