Update 66 Preview 1: AOE Ranged Attacks

[Wini]

Will AOE PIN work on inquisitive/xbow shots?

 

[Woodyrocker]

Its an aoe attack with a limited area of damage. Its not meteor storm.

Yes! the mobs need to be really close to each other! Its not broken! Its a fair ability!

 

[Lazuli]

Yes! the mobs need to be really close to each other! Its not broken! Its a fair ability!

There are people who don't care if it is balanced or not, for them everything other than their playstyle should not be improved or should even be nerfed so that they seem better. You see a lot of that in these forums, unfortunately.

Added to this is that the fact that it works with epic strikes at a time when devs are reducing all caster strikes to uselessness is salty for some people.

Ying has explained it well above.

 

[kmoustakas]

We're trying out an experimental new feature in this preview: AOE Ranged Attacks. These ranged attacks are fired from your hotbar like any other Ranged Attack feat or enhancement, with the following differences:

• When the projectile collides with something, instead of dealing your weapon damage and effects to that target directly, that enemy and all nearby enemies in a small area are hit with your full weapon damage and effects, as if they were also hit by the projectile.
• Improved Precise Shot does not work on these attacks, so as to not create a massive chain reaction. If Improved Precise Shot is on when you perform an AOE Ranged Attack, IPS's ability to pass through enemies simply does not work on that shot (and then resumes working on other shots like normal).

For this preview, we have changed two existing abilities so you can test-drive this feature! They are:

• Horizon Walker: Scattershot
  • This ability now fires only 1 arrow, and reads "AOE Ranged Bow Attack: Expend one charge to take a shot with +1 Critical Threat Range and Critical Multiplier that shatters on impact, dealing your attack damage to all enemies in a small area around the enemy hit. 2 second cooldown. This feat gives 3 charges, you regain 1 charge every 12 seconds you don't use Scattershot or Manyshot. (Requires a Longbow or Shortbow to use). Shares Charges and a Cooldown with Manyshot."
• Shiradi Champion: Pin
  • This ability now reads: "AOE Ranged Attack: Make a Ranged Attack that shatters on impact, hitting all enemies in a small area around where it lands. If a moving enemy is affected, they are slowed for 12 seconds. 15 second cooldown."
  • Otto's Whistler's Immobilize and Dance effects when upgrading Pin have been reduced to a 6 second duration (though still with no saving throw) as Pin's ability to lock down groups is now significantly stronger.

If this test is successful, we may move this functionality to a very small number of other existing Ranged Attacks. Let us know what you think!

How about instead of introducing a new system, you undo nerfing improved precise shot from years back then try re-inventing the wheel.

 

[Phaaze]

I love the idea of aoe ranged attacks.

Please work on making active attacks "feel" more powerful if possible with unique animations and sound effects.

Also I would happily dump speed for a bigger strike.

Example:

That bow attack feels super powerful even though its slow.

 

[CBDunk]

How about instead of introducing a new system, you undo nerfing improved precise shot from years back then try re-inventing the wheel.

No thanks. This method works much more consistently and allows for greater versatility of effects.

 

[Ying]

Summarizing a Discord conversation with Steelstar: The current implementation of IPS is holding ranged back from more interesting gameplay.

 

[Woodyrocker]

Summarizing a Discord conversation with Steelstar: The current implementation of IPS is holding ranged back from more interesting gameplay.

It means they gonna rework IPS too?

 

[Lazuli]

Summarizing a Discord conversation with Steelstar: The current implementation of IPS is holding ranged back from more interesting gameplay.

And it's true, the current implementation of IPS does not provide a fun game, basically what it does is that ranged toons does not have AoE.

Do devs not like IPS and want to switch to providing AoE through active attacks? Ok, let them do it and turn IPS into something closer to the pnp feat (which in ddo could be % bypass of dodge and fortification).

But don't say that with IPS the ranged tons have AoE with each shot, because it is simply not true, and what they achieve with such a severe dps penalty combined with the loss of Archer's focus is that no one wants to use the feat. Nowadays mainly it is used for is to carry CC/debuff effects in certain circumstances and which often require specific weapons because they are not effects that have the ranged toon itself. That's not fun.

 

[paddymaxson]

We're trying out an experimental new feature in this preview: AOE Ranged Attacks. These ranged attacks are fired from your hotbar like any other Ranged Attack feat or enhancement, with the following differences:

• When the projectile collides with something, instead of dealing your weapon damage and effects to that target directly, that enemy and all nearby enemies in a small area are hit with your full weapon damage and effects, as if they were also hit by the projectile.
• Improved Precise Shot does not work on these attacks, so as to not create a massive chain reaction. If Improved Precise Shot is on when you perform an AOE Ranged Attack, IPS's ability to pass through enemies simply does not work on that shot (and then resumes working on other shots like normal).

For this preview, we have changed two existing abilities so you can test-drive this feature! They are:

• Horizon Walker: Scattershot
  • This ability now fires only 1 arrow, and reads "AOE Ranged Bow Attack: Expend one charge to take a shot with +1 Critical Threat Range and Critical Multiplier that shatters on impact, dealing your attack damage to all enemies in a small area around the enemy hit. 2 second cooldown. This feat gives 3 charges, you regain 1 charge every 12 seconds you don't use Scattershot or Manyshot. (Requires a Longbow or Shortbow to use). Shares Charges and a Cooldown with Manyshot."

When I played Horizon walker I got really excited to take scattershot thinking it would function something like this, only to find out that it was a melee cleave, lol so that's good news I guess.

 

[Oliphant]

I got a melee curse on my crossbow. Can I wield my crossbow as a melee weapon?

 

[Drunken.dx]

When I played Horizon walker I got really excited to take scattershot thinking it would function something like this, only to find out that it was a melee cleave, lol so that's good news I guess.

Scattershot was biggest dissapointment I had in DDO ever sonce I came back to game.

And it's not like there was no competition for dissapointment

 

[Mordenkainen]

I have a feeling that Ranged is going to be a massive stealth winner with update 66.

Just shhhh and keep distraction up with the Epic Destiny nerfs and you guys are going to be golden.

 

[Oliphant]

All I gotta say is if the new ranged AOE is too OP and people complain, nerf the AOE and not Hunts End or something else that is already working. DPS needs bursty delete buttons or its just too dangerous.

 

[ACJ97F]

Find it strange we can't have penetrating arrows doing full damage to random mobs in a line, but we somehow get full damage exploding arrows,
that AOE stack status effects, procs, nail people to the floor, work with every boost, and can hit the entire group without any LoS problems.

 

[seph1roth5]

IPS was basically neutered because of inquisitives, which really sucks for other ranged builds. Not to mention IPS was very difficult to use to hit multiple enemies. I consider myself fairly good at lining up IPS/sunbolt/lightning bolt but it's still 3 enemies at best, and with a lot of moving and finagling when I could've just hit each separate target multiple times instead.

 

[SteelStar]

Find it strange we can't have penetrating arrows doing full damage to random mobs in a line, but we somehow get full damage exploding arrows,
that AOE stack status effects, procs, nail people to the floor, work with every boost, and can hit the entire group without any LoS problems.

I'll reiterate this post from earlier:

The fundamental difference here is:

• This new AOE attack functionality is (even if we expand it out to other attacks) only on a small number of specific Ranged Attacks, which each have cooldowns, effects, and damage multipliers that we can use as balance tools; just by virtue of cooldowns, they represent a small percentage of your total attacks over time.
• Improved Precise Shot applies AOE to every attack, activated or otherwise, and represents 100% of your total attacks over time when turned on.

 

[Mordenkainen]

I'll reiterate this post from earlier:

Curious how the balancing will be done. Hopefully, it's going to be a long, long process with careful calibration and input by players and devs alike.

What I would not like to see (even though ranged and casters have no real concern for me personally) is a catastrophic nerf in the future that would bring bad feelings about toward game in general.

Overall, love the push I'm seeing with the game in terms of new abilities and new classes! Hope this continues.

 

[Kritikal]

I'll reiterate this post from earlier:
The fundamental difference here is:

• This new AOE attack functionality is (even if we expand it out to other attacks) only on a small number of specific Ranged Attacks, which each have cooldowns, effects, and damage multipliers that we can use as balance tools; just by virtue of cooldowns, they represent a small percentage of your total attacks over time.
• Improved Precise Shot applies AOE to every attack, activated or otherwise, and represents 100% of your total attacks over time when turned on.

Which in theory makes perfect sense.

In practice, IPS only hits 1-2 (3 at most but the lineup has to be perfect), unless you are kiting.

In groups, you're lucky to hit 2, or 1, for matter, in a row. Kiting is frowned upon.

 

[Mordenkainen]

Which in theory makes perfect sense.

In practice, IPS only hits 1-2 (3 at most but the lineup has to be perfect), unless you are kiting.

In groups, you're lucky to hit 2, or 1, for matter, in a row. Kiting is frowned upon.

Why is kiting frowned upon? It's a legitimate tactic.