General

Thoughts on Pray 2

EDIT (July 16): this just came in; https://orangemushroom.net/2016/07/14/kms-ver-1-2-259-maplestory-v-5th-job/
Max level is 20. While using Pray, you cannot receive the effects of another Bishop's Pray.
All of the following information is pretty much confirmed, besides the fact that THE DURATION IS IN FACT 50 SCEONDS, and not 80.
Also, at the moment I am writing this, it is not confirmed if 5th job skills are affected by Buff Duration, or not.

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Start with the "formalities". Prev. thread over HERE:
http://www.basilmarket.com/Thoughts-on-Pray-Thread-b5Jxe-2#comments

It's content is addressing the previous version of Pray, as seen in the V trailer, and as described in the KMST tests.

However, it is confirmed we get a DIFFERENT VERSION.
I call it a different version because 2 or 3 small twists in the way it works MAKE IT A VERY DIFFERENCE SKILL in it's core!

At the end, I'll include a TL;DR again, because apperantly that's the only way to get comments.

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Let's start with the description:
No longer a keydown skill, cooldown will now apply as soon as the skill is used, duration, cooldown, HP and MP regeneration, and final damage boost have been adjusted, now you will receive a part of the final damage boost yourself

Level 50: Consumes 1000 MP. For 80 seconds, create an area for party members that increases their final damage by 10%, heals 2% of their max HP and MP every few seconds, and removes status effects every few seconds. Final damage boost will be increased by 1% per 1500 INT, up to a maximum of 100% final damage. HP/MP heal will be increased by 1% per 2000 INT, up to a maximum of 15%. Attack speed boost will be increased by 10000 INT per attack speed stage, up to a maximum of 3 stages. You will receive 40% of the effects of the final damage boost. Cooldown: 120 seconds.

Just like last time, I'll make a breif breakdown.
1000 MP consumption is trivial... (although it's twice as much as Heaven's door, and "Infinity" nullifies all costs, so this part here can be skipped over).

Previously, the skill duration was 90 seconds, by hold-down.
*IT IS NOW A BUFF*
Alas, a 80 seconds one.
I am now on purpose skipping towards the end of the description: Cooldown is 120 seconds (instead of the original 95).
If you are just examining this part by part, it seems like it got nerfed, if only for two CRUCIAL FACTS:

1) THIS IS NOW A BUFF (unlike the previous hold-down version, which cast duration was determined by holding down the skill). THIS IS HUGE. This means we are going to be able to attack, move, and teleport while this is active! This is also Affected by Buff Duration! That means, by definition, it's affected by "Buff Mastery". The duration is now a minimum of 120 seconds! (could be more if you have more buff duration).

2) The Cooldown starts from the moment it's activated, as opposed to the previous version (that was activated only AFTER the skill has ended). Combine that with the fact that the skill duration is a minimum of 120 seconds, as I just said, and with how the current cooldown is... OH MY, EXACTLY 120 SECONDS!

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THIS LEADS ME TO THE INEVITABLE CONCLUSION THAT THE SKILL IS IN A WAY, A PERMA-BUFF
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Now if you read the previous thread, you would know how powerful the buff is.
Buuuut, since the skill has gone through changes, I should break that down too.

Let's start with the final damage. The basic addition is nerfed to 10% (even after nerfed, that alone is a big deal. 15 into 10 isn't noticable). Final damage boost will be increased by 1% per 1500 INT, up to a maximum of 100% final damage. - (previously per 1000 INT). So if you're a broken 30k int bishop, you would increase you party member's Final Damage by 30% instead of 40%. But hey, that's just the way KMS usualy work with their bishops. They always find a way to balance it in a way that even the unfunded can contribute the party as much as the funded. With the older version of Pray, to buff the party with 100% Final Damage, the bishop had to have 85k INT. If you think that's ridiculous, This version requires 135k INT. By these numbers, you wouldn't even need a party, you could just break the fabric of the game.
Let's say the average INT for a bishop nowdays is 12k, just for new players, and the less funded bishops. It's a resonable, over-powered incredible buff of 18% Final Damage. EVERY BISHOP would be highly requested in every party in the future, GURANTEED.

That "nerf" is understandable, considering the previous Pray was active 9 times during a 30-minute boss run, and this time, it's active for the WHOLE 30 minutes, 100% of the time. The whole party is getting aprox. 20% stronger.

Now, let's talk about the healing factor.

Heals 2% of their max HP and MP every few seconds, HP/MP heal will be increased by 1% per 2000 INT, up to a maximum of 15%.
Again, the saying "a few seconds" mean nothing when we don't know HOW MANY seconds. 2? 5? 10? 20?
Whatever it is, it was previously 5% + (20% per 2000 INT).
Seems like they decided it's overpowered considering the fact that a level 200 is supposed to have about 10k INT, which is a 105% HP/MP heal every "few seconds".
That's nerfed into 7% now. Unless you have 26k INT, then you would heal the sheer incredible maximum of 15% HP/HP every "few seconds". That's very specific. I am not sad about the healing nerf, because I know AR is usable now, so that's a thing. Not sure if any of us remember what "Holy Fountain" does, at that point, or if Heal is ever useful outside of Potion-locked bosses. In online games that allow the players to bring into dungeons limited amount of potions, this might be revolutionary, but in maplestory - the healing factor is on the "useless" end of the spectrum.
Oh, I ALMOST forgot, Magic shell heals, too. neat.

Attack speed boost will be increased by 10000 INT per attack speed stage, up to a maximum of 3 stages.
Now this brings me to a VERY inportant question. Since we are allowed to attack, are we affected by this outselves? I mean, DOES IT BREAK THE SOFT CAP? By the time a player gets to level 200, one would assume you already took care of attacking speed issues. Most players by that point already know if they have SI gloves, Monster park green potion, etc. BUT, this is VERY important! Because, in the new V patch, getting to level 200 is going to be easier. Decent skills are going to be a part of the V-Matrix (meaning nearly every player would have Decent SI, including the unfunded). We are getting greens in abundance, and the last thing left is... Inner ability attack speed. But if we are allowed to attack during Pray's activation, that means EVERY BISHOP can hit the speed cap! For this matter, EVERY CLASS CAN! This part here is a but question mark, because attack speed in the future is very strange. It does sound like the +1 attack speed IA is going to be useless (for bishops at least). That makes me sad, I worked very hard for that IA line.

Removes status effects every few seconds. With the way Status resistance is going to work now, that's very good. Oh, you got blinded? Burned? Stunned? Seduced? Step into my offic- I mean Divine Protection OF STEROIDS, and you're fine.

Last but not least: You will receive 40% of the effects of the final damage boost.
So at minimum you recieve 4% Final Damage, and at maximum you recieve a 40% Final Damage boost.
If you're think it's going to be somewhere at the middle, you're gravely mistaken. It's going to be low.
a 12k INT Bishop is going to get 7% Final Damage Boost.
and a 30k INT Bishop is going to get 12% Final Damage Boost.

I'll simplify - every 3750 INT is 1% damage boost, added to the base 4% you get. That is a GREAT improvement considering you can now move, attack, and teleport while using the skill, and that it's active 100% of the time.

TL;DR
If you're like me, and you have +1 attk speed IA, it's time to say goodbye to all of that hard work, and start looking for Buff Duration. Buff duration is going to be EVERYTHING.
The buff change is a nerf for the party (less %Final Damage and less %HP/MP healed), but it's now active 100% of the time.
The difference is felt deeply for the Bishop, as we are now able to assist with not only buffing the party, buy also attacking, and moving while it's active. We also get a taste of it's magnificent oversized power boost.

Can't wait to waste more NX looking for Duration, now.