A cleric and 5 inquisitives walk into a tavern...

[Marshal_Lannes]

Stop me if you've seen this one before, a cleric and 5 inquisitives walk into the R10 tavern...err...quest, and proceed to eliminate all the locals with hardly a drop of beer spilled.

I've been watching this episode of DDO for quite a while now. Always ends the same. All "builds" this game was known for have seemingly been retired. Oh sure, in sweeps week we get a little variety, sometimes a tank is with 5 inquisitives (tanks and clerics are still needed for raids so they exist as a rare form of nocturnal bat in the R10 quests, appearing now and again in between jousts with hydras and dracoliches) otherwise the show is pretty much the same.

Sure, if we leave primetime and go to regional fare like R1s in the Harbor, we will witness that abundant class variety the multiverse is known for. Whether these adventurers are mericking up past lives so they can become even more powerful inquisitives when they get to "end game" or they are wayward souls who have become disillusioned with R10 play and exist in forever TR, none can say.

What is clear to all viewers is that the A-list star is inquisitive. Content will be based on what these megastars can accomplish. If you can't do what Margot Robbie can do, forget about you! Go off to Pluto, I hear they stream things. Inquisitives have swept the Oscars, picking up awards in everything from Sound Editing to Cinematography.

It's an inquisitive world. Everyone else is just a Stan.

 

[IanMoon8]

This is the cost of Reaper difficulty. It kills build-diversity and forces gameplay that focuses entirely on building around reaper.

 

[jacko]

Nah. It's the cost of sh** game balance.

Twin uzis need nerfed. Properly this time.

 

[droid327]

If your complaint is only about R10...then I'm ok with that

High reaper was never promised to anyone, it's not an entitlement or a guarantee. If it works, it works, but it doesn't have to accommodate everyone. In fact, if it's designed properly, it shouldn't - it should rightly be too difficult for all but the most reaper-specific builds

If you're seeing build diversity at R1-4, that's where the system should be measured

 

[Raedier]

If your complaint is only about R10...then I'm ok with that

High reaper was never promised to anyone, it's not an entitlement or a guarantee. If it works, it works, but it doesn't have to accommodate everyone. In fact, if it's designed properly, it shouldn't - it should rightly be too difficult for all but the most reaper-specific builds

If you're seeing build diversity at R1-4, that's where the system should be measured

The endgame basically revolves around r10 and raids and you're saying that it's okay for only 1 or 2 builds to be out shining the rest by a good 30-50% margin when we used to have something a lot closer to balance 7 patches ago?
I think comments like this could only come from people that don't play at endgame or stopped playing the game at all.

From now on everything will be balanced with inquisitive dps in mind and every group will be forced to bring at least 2 of the same generic 14/4/2 or 17/3 builds that just blow up all they see from a mile away and 90% of all other builds are donkey farts in comparison.

The game has seen much better days then this.

 

[FVSHasBeenEvenMoreGutted]

From now on everything will be balanced with inquisitive dps in mind and every group will be forced to bring at least 2 of the same generic 14/4/2 or 17/3 builds that just blow up all they see from a mile away and 90% of all other builds are donkey farts in comparison.

this is incorrect. SSG will nerf inquisitive, then balance raid mob hp around pre nerf inquis. mark my words...

 

[droid327]

The endgame basically revolves around r10 and raids and you're saying that it's okay for only 1 or 2 builds to be out shining the rest by a good 30-50% margin when we used to have something a lot closer to balance 7 patches ago?
I think comments like this could only come from people that don't play at endgame or stopped playing the game at all.

From now on everything will be balanced with inquisitive dps in mind and every group will be forced to bring at least 2 of the same generic 14/4/2 or 17/3 builds that just blow up all they see from a mile away and 90% of all other builds are donkey farts in comparison.

The game has seen much better days then this.

There has never been a time i can remember where there wasn't some class that everyone complained was overperforming at high reaper

It was sorc for a while then they nerfed RL belts. It was alch for a while then they nerfed all magic damage in high skulls. Heck i even remember back in the old ED when the complaint was about Dreadnoughts Blitzing through quests, then they nuked the whole Destiny system.

Point is there will always be a meta that R10 players chase, and you're nostalgic for a balanced system that hasn't ever actually existed in practice

That's why most vets agree: don't balance the game for high reaper

Balance it for E-R1 and let the R10 chips fall however they may

Endgame isn't R10, that's just what your endgame may be

 

[Raedier]

You may be right in a sense but you are also wrong since there still used to be times with a lot more build diversity and therefore fun, you had ranged you had melee you had caster, now there is just inquis.

True balance might never be achieved but i'd rather aim to achieve it then just lie down while this game becomes a generic mess of xbows and xbows.

 

[Jeronimo]

Stop me if you've seen this one before, a cleric and 5 inquisitives walk into the R10 tavern...err...quest, and proceed to eliminate all the locals with hardly a drop of beer spilled.

I've been watching this episode of DDO for quite a while now. Always ends the same. All "builds" this game was known for have seemingly been retired. Oh sure, in sweeps week we get a little variety, sometimes a tank is with 5 inquisitives (tanks and clerics are still needed for raids so they exist as a rare form of nocturnal bat in the R10 quests, appearing now and again in between jousts with hydras and dracoliches) otherwise the show is pretty much the same.

Sure, if we leave primetime and go to regional fare like R1s in the Harbor, we will witness that abundant class variety the multiverse is known for. Whether these adventurers are mericking up past lives so they can become even more powerful inquisitives when they get to "end game" or they are wayward souls who have become disillusioned with R10 play and exist in forever TR, none can say.

What is clear to all viewers is that the A-list star is inquisitive. Content will be based on what these megastars can accomplish. If you can't do what Margot Robbie can do, forget about you! Go off to Pluto, I hear they stream things. Inquisitives have swept the Oscars, picking up awards in everything from Sound Editing to Cinematography.

It's an inquisitive world. Everyone else is just a Stan.

It's easy to get SSG to nerf inquis. Post the good builds here on the forums with all details and a video of soloing Grim on R10 in sub 5 minutes. That's how you get the devs' attention and inevitable nerfs.

I've not seen a single good inquis über build being posted yet, except Stoner81s TR build that's been around for ages, and is more suited for getting past lives than running at end game.

 

[Sarandra]

this is incorrect. SSG will nerf inquisitive, then balance raid mob hp around pre nerf inquis. mark my words...

You mean to say, the hands don't know what the feet are doing?

 

[Jasparius]

There has never been a time i can remember where there wasn't some class that everyone complained was overperforming at high reaper

It was sorc for a while then they nerfed RL belts. It was alch for a while then they nerfed all magic damage in high skulls. Heck i even remember back in the old ED when the complaint was about Dreadnoughts Blitzing through quests, then they nuked the whole Destiny system.

Point is there will always be a meta that R10 players chase, and you're nostalgic for a balanced system that hasn't ever actually existed in practice

That's why most vets agree: don't balance the game for high reaper

Balance it for E-R1 and let the R10 chips fall however they may

Endgame isn't R10, that's just what your endgame may be

A few times over the years Ive been in LH and R1 raids where there were a bunch of Monks or a bunch of Pallies or a bunch of Barbarians, etc but these days every raid has at least 4 Inquis and even pug dungeons have 2 or 3.

We always had a FOTM build but often there were a few FOTM builds. Now Inquis is everywhere.

Its a rare event when a pug dungeon only has 1 Inquis.

We all know the build is broken but SSG dont care. Which means even more will gravitate there.

 

[Thumbed_Servant]

Stop me if you've seen this one before, a cleric and 5 inquisitives walk into the R10 tavern...

Wait wait, I think I've heard this one. Does the cleric use Greater Command to command everyone, "Drink!"?

 

[Beast]

Poor creature, you are just doing SSG a favor.
They want us to spend more time, xp pots, and crap over frustration.
You poor creature, really, I'm sorry for your condition... I can't even continue..
Anyway...
STOP ASKING FOR NERFS!
ASK FOR BUFFS INSTEAD!
THEY WILL NOT CHANGE MOB HEALTH OR DAMAGE, OR AI. TO MATCH THE META BUILD
I know you voted for the Emperor of Tariffs,but just get a life, enjoy the game!
If your dPPs is too short, then get a surgery and change class!

 

[Archaic]

Give reaper mobs a gradual scaling of missile deflection ...

 

[Vertigo]

A few times over the years Ive been in LH and R1 raids where there were a bunch of Monks or a bunch of Pallies or a bunch of Barbarians, etc but these days every raid has at least 4 Inquis and even pug dungeons have 2 or 3.

We always had a FOTM build but often there were a few FOTM builds. Now Inquis is everywhere.

Its a rare event when a pug dungeon only has 1 Inquis.

We all know the build is broken but SSG dont care. Which means even more will gravitate there.

I wouldn´t really blame inq on this tho.. some people play it cause its fairly easy and safe to play, which is a good thing! whats really going on is mostly behind the keyboard, if you see someone destroy, they would likely destroy on any/most classes .. in other words, I also noticed plenty of Inq that is polluting its OP´ness.

 

[rabidfox]

Give reaper mobs a gradual scaling of missile deflection ...

*sobs warlock tears* Warlocks and bow/gxbows hate this idea. Should probably give all mobs a ever increasing parry to block melee attacks and null magic chances too so everyone can hate the mechanic of RNG erasing attacks.

 

[jacko]

*sobs warlock tears* Warlocks and bow/gxbows hate this idea. Should probably give all mobs a ever increasing parry to block melee attacks and null magic chances too so everyone can hate the mechanic of RNG erasing attacks.

Yeah, they don't need to reach for a sledgehammer. Just a bigger scalpel.

And FWIW, I reckon they need to look at Vistani too, whilst they're about it.

Clearly nerf-mad, I am!

 

[Bliv]

This has been going on for a while, and I'm not sure I get it: the "all classes should be equal" delirium.

There was a time when people were happy playing a role within the group. Now, it seems the only thing that matters is DPS and leading the kill count.

It's a shame that some classes are shunned by the DPS-your-way-through crew.

(Hey, I get it—I also go for kills and often build exclusively for DPS.)

As much as I fire bullets at SSG when they deserve it, I also wonder if the lack of balance could be attributed to this idea that all classes are meant to be equal.

Isn't casting Mass Hold the same as making a decisive pass on someone else's goal?

 

[Vertigo]

This has been going on for a while, and I'm not sure I get it: the "all classes should be equal" delirium.

There was a time when people were happy playing a role within the group. Now, it seems the only thing that matters is DPS and leading the kill count.

It's a shame that some classes are shunned by the DPS-your-way-through crew.

(Hey, I get it—I also go for kills and often build exclusively for DPS.)

As much as I fire bullets at SSG when they deserve it, I also wonder if the lack of balance could be attributed to this idea that all classes are meant to be equal.

Isn't casting Mass Hold the same as making a decisive pass on someone else's goal?

The problem is .. and this should be obvious.. DDO utterly fails at build strong points.. you can have one debuffer that might suffers a bit since so many of the great group plays are at the low hanging fruit. i.e. in wow everybody wanted shamans not cause they did so good dee-peee-ess.. but the utility.. in ddo: ye I smack everything good of warlock, monk and whatever in one toon. and the push on multiple tanks in a game that isn´t supporting em isn´t a fun meta imo...

 

[Hireling]

Speaking as the Cleric from that story of 5 Inquisitives and a Cleric...

I have friends who run Inquis and some who run DL melees.

The best groups are usually 2 Inquis, 2 DL/melees, 1 Buffer/CC which is usually an Arti or a Bard spamming Freezy Ice or Spells and then me on Cleric.
EDIT: sometimes a Monk joins us, he focuses on CC and does what appears to be good damage too...he's motivated me to try my hand at monk on my main.

Inquis is of course strong, but I have run with really strong Inquisitives...they were really strong Monks before this, or Barbs or Dragonlords, tree builds (remember those!?).

My second life cleric who just throws bubbles and uses protection domain goodies and Hjeals; gets the exact same amount of RXP/loot/fun as the heavy lifters.

This game has always had a mix of skill etc. I used to be an elite player at 20 cap. I solo'd VoD on Hard, Duo'd Elite Shroud, accomplished Elite ToDs and all of Amarath on Elite (it use'd to be really really hard)...BUT I am not as good as I used to be, but people still bring me along. I do think Ranged has a lower skill needed than melee because you escape a lot easier. BUT the guys on Ghallanda who dominate on Inquis were top tier on Monk, barb, Sorc, Alchemist before. Their other toons are healers, and raid tanks too btw. They let me join on my heals/buffers because they aren't elitest.

I wouldn't mind Inquis being tuned down a little, my fear is that a nerf for the R10 UBER Inquis will probably kill the returning player Ranged Arti who is struggling with R1-3 leveling. Or Ranged Ranger who watched LotR one too many times and wants to Legolas his way through the game (sorry about Hunt's End). These nerfs always get/hurt peopele least equipped to deal with the nerf.

The top Inquis players will just swap to something else and dominate on it...and about a month or 2 after the change, people will want that nerfed. The issue is some people are just better players than others.