U60 Preview 3: Machrotechnic

[Ungermax]

Rune Arm use t2 enhancement does not add a Stable Charge Tier - I have ported my main from Thelanis which is 18 wiz/arty 2, so I already have Rune Arm use. I havent done a test run but I would expect to benefit from the increased caster level, but can see straight off the bat that it hasnt given me that extra stable tier

 

[Aeywin]

Tier 3 Efficiency Drive doesnt seem to work either, didnt reduce spell costs?

 

[Ungermax]

Quick thought also about Forcefield Generator t5. I wonder if this could be slightly amended:

If we compare it to, say Unyielding Sentinel, its mantle enhancements are not prerequisites as you move up, if that makes sense, whereas Macrotechnic demands you get all the enhancements. In addition to this, the t5 states you get 10% extra hp, plus another 10% if you wear a rune arm. If we think about this, nobody is going to spend all those required points just to get 10% of the possible 20 so stipulating rune arm use for half of the bonus is, while technically a limitation, a pointless stipulation.

To me I wonder if we could adjust it so that you dont have to spend the full 8 points to get the HP bonus. In fact, I would make it so the T5 has no prerequisites, just gives 10% HP when using a Rune Arm, and this is doubled if using Forcefield Generator. That way you can still end up on the same bonus OR you can get 10% HP bonus from t5 but use a mantle from another Destiny.

 

[Rub-A-Dub-Dub]

DDO has yet to answer the question. "How does DDO make pets/summons viable in higher difficulty while not making them over-powered in lower difficulty?" Until they find an answer to that question all pet enhancements and upgrades are basically fluff space. And if they do find an answer it will be whole summons/pet upgrade in itself and not an add on to another update.

You do it the way Path of Exile does Totem builds. Totem builds run around summoning Totems that deal certain type of elemental damage that scales of casters stats. They have short duration, very low hit points, but high damage. So it becomes a sort of attack. Like an Artificer turret, but, you know, one that actually works. Who cares if it works really well in low difficulties. Good for the build.

 

[Ungermax]

FYI do not change Rune Arms during a fight, because you will lose hp during the process. My max hp is 2073 but after the swap I was left on 1750 of 2073 because of how max hp adjustment works. I do like this tree but I wonder if we are willing to divorce the Hit Point bonus from Rune Arms entirely. Could we just have it so the t5 just gives 10% HP, double with the mantle, with no pre-requisite enhancements other than that?

 

[Ying]

The healing explosion will not activate if you have an ally targeted as it states "invalid target" and it also will not proc if you have an enemy targeted that is blocked.

Ugh. I hope that targeting gets fixed.

 

[rabidfox]

The healing explosion will not activate if you have an ally targeted as it states "invalid target" and it also will not proc if you have an enemy targeted that is blocked.

Ugh. I hope that targeting gets fixed.

I hope they fix that too. That's like the targeting on shout(s) + healing upgrade from fatesinger core4; where some versions of the spells/slas will work with a friendly target and others will give invalid target & prevent casting; never fun when healing gets delayed because of an error like that.

 

[Misadventure]

Why the mantle still does not have auto repair? Must we be forced to use angel mantle?

 

[Eme]

does unlocking this give +1 fate point like the others?

 

[rabidfox]

does unlocking this give +1 fate point like the others?

It gives 3 fate points (1 DP) just the like the others for the unlock.

 

[Zvdegor]

Still the tree is not useful for melee arties at all. At least not on my build. Tried as a main tree. If I replace my main tree (Shadowdancer) or my secondary tree (Legendary Dreadhnouth) although gaining higher AC, HP and a good selfheal but completing a quest is significantly slower b/o the missing dps.
Using the tree as a 2nd or 3rd is still below the expectations.
My 3rd tree is Divince Crusader (13 points) which gives me

• +15 MP
• +60 max HP
• my weapons immune to durability damage
• +3 saves (fort, reflex, will)
• +5 AC and 7 PRR
• +15 Repair Amp
• +6 Sunder DC (This is extremly important for a melee arti)
• +1 to Attack and Damage
• +75% Fortification
• True Seeing

for 11 point the Machrotechnik tree offers:

• +15 MP
• +45 HP
• +10 PRR
• +4 AC
• +6 Reflex saves + no fail on a roll 1
• +4% Doublestikre
• +30% Fortification
• +21 Repair Amp
• Metamagics for Runearms (If u have trained those feats)
• Improved Ablative Armor spell

For about the same amount of Destiny points the Divine Crusader tree offers much more useful options!!!! Why would any melee build use this tree when you can get more from other trees?
The runearm damage even with Metamagics doesn't make any change in dps. It does not replace the dps loss switching to this tree!!! It took me 20 sec longer to beat the Boss Kobold in the Dojo!!!!
Why woud I waste 3-4 valuable feats for the improved runearm damage when it does the same amount damage with or without metamagics for a melee arti????
Taking Epic Mage Armor only works if I go T5 in the new tree which means I have to drop Shadowdancer or LD T5 abilities. And that means less survivability and/or DPS.

The Machrotechnik Epic Moment is better than in prev 2 but it is still disappointing.
Adding a simple Haste Boost to the epic moment is not EPIC!!! Giving something what I normally capable of outside of the Epic Moment makes me feel not Epic. It makes me feel normal. Basicly it is a 1 and a half charge for free. I got 11 Haste boost or can have 14 now with the new augment. Guess what? Do I need 1 more extra charge????
About the Movement Boost. It is totally unwanted for a melee toon. When I fight with a monster I AM STANDING STILL and SWING MY WEAPON!!! So I can have a +50% Movement speed when I am not moving???? This is great for Casters and ranged toons but for Melees??? Why Devs hate Melee builds so much???
Clicking every second on my Runearm shot during a fight is extremly annoying. Melees have to check their HPs and like 5 more different thing to prevent death. Checking and hitting the Runearm fire button every sec just make me feel panic (and it does not do good damage cause lack of spellpower)
An automatic or a constant Runearm shot would be more welcome. And please add something which makes this Epic Moment great!
I have the same and even more bonuses from the LD Epic Moment or Shadowdancer Epic Moment grants me much higher chance to survive.

In prev 3 the new tree is better than in prev 2 but it is still redundant for melee arties.
I dont see any build which is going to use the T5 in the new tree. If you Caster, Ranged or Melee you have better options for T5 in other trees. Devs put lots of hours of work for nothing.

 

[Wini]

I like everything I see, it's a cool destiny.

That said, the +1 stable charge is not happening when I take It, perhaps it's not working atm, right?

About the aesthetics of the "drives", I just don't like those colored disks over my rune arm. I'm using epic Lucid Dreams and that destroys the entire purpose of the symbiont over my rune arm: all graphics merge and it's not cool at all. I understand this new graphic makes all the sense with the new rune arms, that have the exact form and even colors to match the disks, right? But I don't think it's a good idea for many old rune arms with awesome aesthetic, like Sr. Squilliam.

Could we, at any point, use some rune arm glammer, btw?

My two suggestions are: make graphic disks optional in the UI choices and add please some rune arm glammer, since new rune arms graphics are so generic and unenticing.

 

[Edrein]

About the Movement Boost. It is totally unwanted for a melee toon. When I fight with a monster I AM STANDING STILL and SWING MY WEAPON!!! So I can have a +50% Movement speed when I am not moving???? This is great for Casters and ranged toons but for Melees??? Why Devs hate Melee builds so much???
Clicking every second on my Runearm shot during a fight is extremly annoying. Melees have to check their HPs and like 5 more different thing to prevent death. Checking and hitting the Runearm fire button every sec just make me feel panic (and it does not do good damage cause lack of spellpower)
An automatic or a constant Runearm shot would be more welcome. And please add something which makes this Epic Moment great!

Pretty much in full agreement with your post here; but I think the major takeaway is the schizophrenic changes to artificers ever since Battle Engineer got tweaked years ago.

Adding MP/RP scaling to that tree was a huge mistake, mostly because there's a pitiful amount of innate MP/RP in the tree itself, and as a knock on effect its caused a hybrid identity crisis for Artificer that no other Hybrid suffers. EKs, VC, etc. No one else is forced to stack MP/RP and still somehow slot SP on the side. Now sure MP/RP absolutely helps the base damage for any of those builds/classes, but Arti is the odd man out here.

Adding the electric imbue to Arti was a good change. But now we need the rune arm imbue to switch back to scaling on spellpower like it used to as well, to fit the theme of having a SP based imbue. It'd also be nice if the electric imbue was based on the rune arm damage type, because unfortunately Arti's bypass mechanic is tied to being T5 in the caster tree. At least tying the imbue to the rune arm gives you flexibility to swap elemental types like an EK can.

Either that or runearms somehow need to scale with MP/RP and that's definitely not ideal with this destiny's identity of wanting to tie in the metamagic feats now.

 

[Tesrali (sam-u-r-eye)]

Can we have old master's blitz back?

It created really interesting and dynamic gameplay. It created team synergy.

 

[Grumpy]

Is the Mage Armor spell supposed to be a 10 minute duration? I thought most epic spells, even ones you get from using say a LGS clickie are 25 Min. Just wondering.

 

[Zvdegor]

Is the Mage Armor spell supposed to be a 10 minute duration? I thought most epic spells, even ones you get from using say a LGS clickie are 25 Min. Just wondering.

It is 10 min. 20 if You have Extend.

 

[Grumpy]

• Epic Moment: Shift into MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE. This grants you a 100% boost to Rune Arm Charge Speed and Cooldown Speed, a 50% reduction in Spell Cooldowns, a 30% Action Boost bonus to Attack Speed, and a 50% Action Boost bonus to Movement Speed for 30 seconds.

​

My two cents. This does not synergize well. A 100% rune arm charge speed, which you must remain still to charge, doesn't seem to fit getting a 50% boost to Movement speed, its an either or scenario, which IMHO seems underwhelming. You can gain the benefit of 1 or the other, not both at the same time. What would Synergize well, is if you gave the 100% boost to rune-arm charge speed and your rune-arm charged while moving.

For comparison, the Shriadi , Epic Moment: For 30 seconds, you gain +30 Ranged Power, you can move while still gaining Archer's Focus stacks, and you do not take the normal 20% damage penalty while using Improved Precise Shot. You also gain 20% Action Boost bonus to Movement Speed for the duration. In addition, your Ranged attacks have a 30% chance to deal 3d100+180 Cold damage and 3d100+180 Light damage which scale with 200% Ranged Power. Finally, your Ranged attacks in this state have a 100% chance to proc Double Rainbow effects. Cooldown: 5 minutes.

As a shooter, the ability to move around, while gaining stacks of archers focus to increase damage is HUGE. For people using a Rune-arm, to have it be effective, you must be standing still. If I trigger my epic moment, and something looks in my direction, that I don't want looking at me, and I have to move to avoid damage, I lose the benefit of the epic moment, as it just turns into a 50% run speed buff, which is just MEH for an Epic Moment.

 

[Ungermax]

My two cents. This does not synergize well. A 100% rune arm charge speed, which you must remain still to charge, doesn't seem to fit getting a 50% boost to Movement speed, its an either or scenario, which IMHO seems underwhelming. You can gain the benefit of 1 or the other, not both at the same time. What would Synergize well, is if you gave the 100% boost to rune-arm charge speed and your rune-arm charged while moving.

For comparison, the Shriadi , Epic Moment: For 30 seconds, you gain +30 Ranged Power, you can move while still gaining Archer's Focus stacks, and you do not take the normal 20% damage penalty while using Improved Precise Shot. You also gain 20% Action Boost bonus to Movement Speed for the duration. In addition, your Ranged attacks have a 30% chance to deal 3d100+180 Cold damage and 3d100+180 Light damage which scale with 200% Ranged Power. Finally, your Ranged attacks in this state have a 100% chance to proc Double Rainbow effects. Cooldown: 5 minutes.

As a shooter, the ability to move around, while gaining stacks of archers focus to increase damage is HUGE. For people using a Rune-arm, to have it be effective, you must be standing still. If I trigger my epic moment, and something looks in my direction, that I don't want looking at me, and I have to move to avoid damage, I lose the benefit of the epic moment, as it just turns into a 50% run speed buff, which is just MEH for an Epic Moment.

I wonder if it would be worth adding Stable Charge Tier 5 for the duration. I dont think this would be overpowered. It just lets you make full use of it without having to stare incoming damage in the face

 

[Zvdegor]

I wonder if it would be worth adding Stable Charge Tier 5 for the duration. I dont think this would be overpowered. It just lets you make full use of it without having to stare incoming damage in the face

Stable Charge Tier 5 =Flamethrower

 

[AMess]

Still the tree is not useful for melee arties at all.

i'm a melee fan too and I've been trying to figure out how or if this tree is viable for melee, the high levels of fort are intesting as it's typically critical hits that will one shot me. I spent a few theory builds with arti, an Asamir Scourge single weapon fighting with a morningstar was as close as I got, but when I was done I thought, no this build would last a week at best...Machrotechnic is a whole lot of middle ground. Upgrading the epic moment with attack and movement speed was interesting, but too little when compared with other destines.

I think, it may be possible to get a swashbuckling bard, using Fatesinger as primary destiny and largely picking up def and the AOE sonic from Machrotechnic may be viable...but, mostly this feels like a defensive nuker tree designed to give Rune Arms a place, while not disrupting the epic destiny power balance.