Update 66 Preview 1 - Epic Destiny Refresh

[Sorccadin]

very interesting, thanks for sharing.
So the hard-targeted enemy doesn't have to be near you when you cast it?

Nope. You can use it from anywere - but honestly it just doesn´t feel great. It would be better if it just activated the vortex when you press to button

 

[Zamfir]

if the developers want to improve epic destinies they could start to fix energy vortex.

The last time I tested it I had to be at a mob touch range when I cast it, otherwise it bugs.

If I try to cast it far from the enemies and then I go near an enemy, it deals no damage: I remember the old energy vortex working with a large area of effect around the caster, but now it's bugged since they revamped the epic destinies and I don't know why they don't fix it.

Developers only nerf stuff and almost never fix common issues...

Please someone test it now and let me know if they fixed this scenario: I expect energy vortex to cover an area of effect that has the range of Dragon Breath.

 

[Falkor]

Is there a confirmed Lam release today and notes or was it pushed back again? Really starting to wonder what's going on.

 

[Ahpuch]

We've got epic abilities that scale off the best stat (INT/WIS/CHA, etc.). The mantle stuff in sharidi scales off 200% Ranged Power if from a Ranged attack, or 100% XYZ spellpower if from a spell; this means ranged procs all scale nicely while caster procs are all over the place for damage. Imagine if the spellpower version used your best spellpower for it instead of specific spellpowers.

That sounds like an issue but how many spell casts are made with a spellpower that is not the characters strongest or second strongest power ? And wouldn't that have made the Magic Missile spam to trigger a Epic effect even worse as it would make missiles be useful even for non force spec'ed casters? Maybe this would be a solution but I don't see it resolving the core problem of bad proc rates and icds.

 

[rabidfox]

That sounds like an issue but how many spell casts are made with a spellpower that is not the characters strongest or second strongest power ? And wouldn't that have made the Magic Missile spam to trigger a Epic effect even worse as it would make missiles be useful even for non force spec'ed casters? Maybe this would be a solution but I don't see it resolving the core problem of bad proc rates and icds.

I cast an acid spell. Mantle randomly procs fire damage that scales off fire spellpower that isn't part of my build and thus does poor damage.
vs.
I fire an arrow. Mantle random procs fire damage that scales off ranged power and does good damage.

That difference in scaling is an issue for balance IMO. As for MM spam, there's an internal cooldown in Shiradi that prevents that. (The internal cooldown also makes the tree meh for other reasons, but spellpower scaling is one I think could be an easy fix)

 

[Lazuli]

I don't see it resolving the core problem of bad proc rates and icds.

This is why shiradi is trash.

well, this is why the shiradi mantle is garbage. The rest of the ED is even worse for caster.

 

[Ellisaria]

Is there a confirmed Lam release today and notes or was it pushed back again? Really starting to wonder what's going on.

If it's delays for serious reconsideration on the broader effect of changes (like db strike nerfs & r7+ dps caster damage reduction), I don't mind. Delay away and give it a deeper look.

 

[Lazuli]

I cast an acid spell. Mantle randomly procs fire damage that scales off fire spellpower that isn't part of my build and thus does poor damage.
vs.
I fire an arrow. Mantle random procs fire damage that scales off ranged power and does good damage.

That difference in scaling is an issue for balance IMO. As for MM spam, there's an internal cooldown in Shiradi that prevents that. (The internal cooldown also makes the tree meh for other reasons, but spellpower scaling is one I think could be an easy fix)

Yes, this is bad (although the fact that the real proc is random is no different, it scales with that random spellpower), but the thing is even funnier.

I cast a spell and have a 7% chance of a proc. A ranged fires several arrows in that same time and those arrows have a 15% chance of a proc.

Niice.

 

[rabidfox]

I cast a spell and have a 7% chance of a proc. A ranged fires several arrows in that same time and those arrows have a 15% chance of a proc.

I assume that's balanced around AoE. Where if I cast fireball, every target has a chance to proc it (and once one does it'd go on internal cooldown). But yeah, it makes it meh for single target usage. Higher proc rate would be nice too.

 

[Lazuli]

I assume that's balanced around AoE. Where if I cast fireball, every target has a chance to proc it (and once one does it'd go on internal cooldown). But yeah, it makes it meh for single target usage. Higher proc rate would be nice too.

I only know that in my tests, the shiradi has not measured up, being consistently worse than any other ED, so for me it does not exist as a caster ED. When it comes down to it, I don't care what metrics dev use for their numbers. If something is proven in practice to be useless, it still remains useless in spite of their fancy numbers and assumptions.

Very good for my ranged toons tho.

 

[DeathTitan]

I've solo'd r10's on my low damage utility arti for giggles. But I don't generally care to solo r10's; nor do I care if anyone else can. I like playing with friends. If your build isn't fun to play anymore then I feel for you; I also don't think I've made a single comment about the nerf to DB's damage in this entire thread (I've made a ton about EA as I play healers a lot and about improving other abilities/trees). And yeah, I've played plenty of casters over the years.

ok you never tried soloing r10 with a caster, you played casters only to get past lives as I thought.

 

[Ahpuch]

I cast an acid spell. Mantle randomly procs fire damage that scales off fire spellpower that isn't part of my build and thus does poor damage.
vs.
I fire an arrow. Mantle random procs fire damage that scales off ranged power and does good damage.

That difference in scaling is an issue for balance IMO. As for MM spam, there's an internal cooldown in Shiradi that prevents that. (The internal cooldown also makes the tree meh for other reasons, but spellpower scaling is one I think could be an easy fix)

Ah, I forgot that it was the random effect that determined spell power rather than the trigger spell's spell power. I haven't used it on a caster for a while.

Best spell power seems too much though and will make it hard to balance the other issues of bad proc rates and ICDs. Maybe some percentage of Universal or something might work better as a compromise?

 

[DeathTitan]

Nope. You can use it from anywere - but honestly it just doesn´t feel great. It would be better if it just activated the vortex when you press to button

Thank you, I'll try that, I'm used to play with bugs and lags for more than 15 DDO years.
The important at this point is finding something that works and sticking with it (until they will nerf it eventually lol).

 

[rabidfox]

Ah, I forgot that it was the random effect that determined spell power rather than the trigger spell's spell power. I haven't used it on a caster for a while.

Best spell power seems too much though and will make it hard to balance the other issues of bad proc rates and ICDs. Maybe some percentage of Universal or something might work better as a compromise?

There's still a chance a mob is immune or heals off the random effect. And ranged already scale 200% of their ranged power on procs; so scaling spellpower off a single type shouldn't be any more or less strong than range's method.

 

[rabidfox]

ok you never tried soloing r10 with a caster, you played casters only to get past lives as I thought.

<sigh> Why does it matter what I've solo'd r10's or not on an ability's changes that I have given zero feedback for or against? This is just silly.

 

[Lotoc]

We've got epic abilities that scale off the best stat (INT/WIS/CHA, etc.). The mantle stuff in sharidi scales off 200% Ranged Power if from a Ranged attack, or 100% XYZ spellpower if from a spell; this means ranged procs all scale nicely while caster procs are all over the place for damage. Imagine if the spellpower version used your best spellpower for it instead of specific spellpowers.

Fortunately the real main damage proc of shiradi mantle is actually the Stay X proc and Stay Loud etc. do not share an ICD with the main shiradi mantle proc.

Shiradi's proc chances in general for spells really need to be bumped back up to at least 15% and ideally given pact dice scaling cause at the moment warlocks don't have great mantle options, especially not when enemies are immune to their pact element.
Sonic focused bards could also do with shiradi mantle being a good option.

 

[rabidfox]

ideally given pact dice scaling

that would be hot. =)

 

[Axcarth]

ok you never tried soloing r10 with a caster, you played casters only to get past lives as I thought.

Why do you have the idea that devs are gonna make changes, adjustments or designs just for you and your caster go solo run r10? Do you really think that is gonna happen? Really? Changes for solo r10? Really?
You've railed against the game and devs so much I have no idea what keeps you playing...

 

[Ying]

@Cordovan, are we getting Lam Preview 2 today?

 

[Lotoc]

that would be hot. =)

The only concern for that idea is ranged splits going 1-2aots just for pact dice however.