Update 66 Preview 1 - Epic Destiny Refresh

[Wizard]

EXALTED ANGEL
To me is quite a bummer, I was using the mantle healing to overcome difficult challanges, sure it was too much, but removing it seems quite bad decision to me.

Yep removing the mantle is terrible! And it was not too much considering reaper difficulty has huge self heal penalty in combat and healing hires non-functional. Reaper was more or less forced on us, otherwise you get an xp nerf and nobody will join your LFM (because of lower xp...).

 

[4slight]

Somehow my skeletal knight takes damage from negative now, think Magus broke him.
Summoned skelly, Death aura slowly killed him lmao :ROFLMAO:

Tested with the mantle off and no points in Magus, skelly still dies from neg healing. I guess the update is bad

 

[Jeronimo]

I got only 2 things to say here:

1) removing healing mantle is terrible for healers/divines and ALSO kills the solo game fun for many lower end and casual players (often forced solo, not enough population, healing hirelings don't work they are buggy and squishy).

What was the reasoning here? Who complained about exalted mantle?


2) Why do you overnerf things so much? Big nerfs are never popular.

Dragonstrike got 61% (!) nerf.

Primal DOTs strike got nerf by up to 50% or more with lower DCs.

Exalted mantle basically nerfed by 99% because a melee range AOE ring as a caster just doesn't work.



Please take a hint from other MMO games that do balance more in the +/- 5% to +/- 20% range.

This! ^^^

I really wish that they could explain in detail about the reason behind what they're doing and why the nerfs are needed.

I'm a casual player that usually has to solo a lot. I've had so much fun with both DI and EA for a long time now.... and these nerfs will totally wreck my playstyle and my fun.

 

[Wizard]

This! ^^^

I really wish that they could explain in detail about the reason behind what they're doing and why the nerfs are needed.

I'm a casual player that usually has to solo a lot. I've had so much fun with both DI and EA for a long time now.... and these nerfs will totally wreck my playstyle and my fun.

Yeah I basically thought EA mantle was the solution to hirelings being buggy and squishy so essentially non-functional except at very low level.

D&D is a party game balanced around multiple heroes (players and possibly NPC/hirelings), not every player can handle tankiness, damage and healing all in one person.

Since hirelings are non-functional except at very low level, the solution for players who are not experts at dodging and action combat was to outgear it in heroic (so you only need healing between fights) and use EA in epic/legendary.

 

[Shear-buckler]

1) removing healing mantle is terrible for healers/divines and ALSO kills the solo game fun for many lower end and casual players (often forced solo, not enough population, healing hirelings don't work they are buggy and squishy).

Healing is trivial and automated in a group where mutliple people use the mantle. From that perspective it's an understandable change.
You can't justify cranking the power level and convenience level up to 11 to appease solo players (speaking as a solo player).

 

[Wizard]

You can't justify cranking the power level and convenience level up to 11 to appease solo players (speaking as a solo player).

Then reduce the self healing penalty and make hirelings functional. Solo play is also not always by choice.

 

[4slight]

I think people have covered the obvious things wrong with the Exalted Angel mantle in terms of replacing something great, but here are a few things that are wrong in the spirit of the new mantle:
Circle doesn't heal yourself
Circle deals pitiful damage and requires you to run back and forth with a crazy long delay between procs
Circle doesn't appear when using healing wings, while not technically a positive spell it seems like an oversight

To be clear I think it's neat, but it's neat garbage, should be a mantle modifier - not a replacement, imo.
If they're removing tumble I may need to use the tree solely for the wings, might give it a test with a fire sorcerer but I'd need to respec to do so.

 

[Wizard]

I think people have covered the obvious things wrong with the Exalted Angel mantle in terms of replacing something great, but here are a few things that are wrong in the spirit of the new mantle:
[..]

To be clear I think it's neat, but it's neat garbage, should be a mantle modifier - not a replacement, imo.

Yeah if anything this could have been an enhancement addition to the mantle not a replacement IMHO.

 

[Shear-buckler]

Then reduce the self healing penalty and make hirelings functional. Solo play is also not always by choice.

I agree on the self healing penalty. Hierlings is a lost cause, too much dev resources have been wasted on them already. Just sell Potion of Heal CL:20 for plat.

 

[Wizard]

I agree on the self healing penalty. Hierlings is a lost cause, too much dev resources have been wasted on them already. Just sell Potion of Heal CL:20 for plat.

Or make a hireling that always stands next to you and pulses heals, kinda like FVS archon except with heals. Can't bug out if it's basically an aura but some balance since it takes party slot.

 

[Rull]

• Energy Vortex now increases Dragon Breath's damage to 1d6+7 damage per caster level.
• Energy Burst now increases Dragon Breath's damage to 1d6+7 damage per caster level.

Does vortex still also change Dragon Breath to deal 5 ticks of damage? 5 times 1d6+7?
If not, what does the 'vortex' shape do now, compared to the burst?
If so, how is this balanced compared to the burst with 1 times 1d6+7?

 

[Sammy]

I'm generally fine with all the changes (even if I don't agree with them all) except for a couple in Exalted Angel. I don't really understand removing the damage procs and I can kind of understand removing the healing tics, but I'm not particularly keen on it.

• Angelic Form is now: "Casting a Fire, Light, or Positive spell causes a flaming blade barrier ring to erupt around you. Enemies entering or leaving the ring take 1d6 Fire and 1d6 Light damage per caster level, and allies entering or leaving the ring are healed for 1d6 plus 1 per caster level in positive energy (this healing and damage has a short cooldown to prevent weirdness). The flaming ring lasts for 5 seconds per spell cast, but subsequent casts extend the duration by 5 seconds each up to a maximum of 30 seconds."

I genuinely do not like this. I do not want a circle to appear around me every time I cast a healing spell. I do not want this kind of uncontrolled damage on my healer. Even if it's a small amount and I frequently try to help with damage, there are times I want to do no damage at all. This could be especially problematic if I'm repositioning myself and run by some enemies that have not taken damage yet (but may be going after a melee) and will decide to stick to me for a while just because of a new blade barrier that I can't turn off.

I won't tell you to put the damage procs back, but I will ask that you do something that doesn't involve enemy-affecting procs on every heal. Preferably, something that doesn't appear around the character at all. Could we at least retain the 15% proc on positive healing spells instead?

• Ascendance is now: Epic Moment. For the next 20 seconds, your single-target Cure Wounds spells you cast on any target now instead apply to all allies. These spells cannot crit. For the duration of this ability, Raise Dead and Resurrection also raise your target to full HP like True Resurrection does.

I don't know how I feel about this. A heal-all moment could be helpful in times when someone ran in a different direction and ran into some trouble and needs sudden heals. So that's cool. However, I prefer the current version that fills me with health and lets me run fast. It makes an effective escape button. That's my opinion.

 

[Amoneth]

Draconic Incarnation​

Most of these adjustments are about Dragon Breath, an ability that we think is quite strong but has overshadowed the other caster-based Epic Strikes and (more importantly) outpaced the intended difficulty of our content. To that end, we're lowering its damage, but are also lowering its AP cost and its cooldown. Other Epic Strikes are being adjusted as well, Draconic just happens to be first and we're starting here!

• Dragon Breath is now a 1-rank, 2AP Ability.
• Dragon Breath damage adjusted to 1d6+3 damage per caster level.
• Energy Vortex now increases Dragon Breath's damage to 1d6+7 damage per caster level.
• Energy Burst now increases Dragon Breath's damage to 1d6+7 damage per caster level.
• Gaping Maw now increases Dragon Breath's damage to 1d6+7 damage per caster level.
• Dragon Breath cooldown adjusted to 12 seconds.
• Dragon Breath and Attune the Arcane have swapped places in the tree.

Another MASSIVE DPS caster nerf :cry:
People are just going to move to DC casters, and playing with a bunch of those is just not fun at all. I've seen melees leave the group after one quest because they were so angry / frustrated with DC casters' playstyle. Even I can't stand playing with them a lot of the time because I always try to open up with CC but I'm old and slow so the mob I target with Mass Hold usually gets insta killed just before it lands, meaning the spell fails entirely and the mobs that don't get insta killed run all over the place, causing chaos. Ofc I know there are DC casters that do also use CC first but, let's be honest, it's all about the kill count for a lot of people. And at least DPS casters can help with Dooms and bosses, instead of just standing there, filing their nails

 

[4slight]

Also it seems like the EA mantle circle deals damage once the enemy/ally has been outside the circle for 3ish seconds and re-enters, very poor implementation, it should probably be 0.5-1.0s since the last damage proc, or something. It can't really be used as a bumper cars thing like this, you'd kill the enemy by casting spells before you'd hit them a second time with the circle. Spells need a target to activate the circle, so it can't be easily be used as a heal outside of combat, if you're looking to use it for some extra damage (ignoring better dps mantles) you'll be struggling to find enough enemies to feed it in the first place. It can almost be used as an imbue for fire/light/heal spells in melee range, but it's behaving way too weird to do so reliably. Feels like it should be an effect on an item, not a full mantle, no one's going to use it like this.

 

[Amoneth]

Exalted Angel​

Another tree to receive a larger overhaul. Most of these changes are centered around the Mantle and the Epic Moment. A new mechanical sub-theme within this tree is abilities that boost your Armor Class and Physical and Magical Resistance Rating. Furthermore, we boosted the damage of the Epic Strikes significantly.

• Holy Fireball damage adjusted to 1d6+4 Fire and 1d6+4 Light damage per caster level. Cooldown Adjusted to 10 seconds.
• Divine Protection is now: +1/2/3 Armor Class and Physical and Magical Resistance Rating. Rank 3: +5 Fire, Light, Positive, Alignment and Universal Spellpower.
• Metamagic Attunement II in tier 5 no longer grants spell power (was moved to tier 2 Divine Protection)
• Metamagic Attunement II now has proper feat prereqs
• Sun Pillar and Flame Pillar now deal 1d8+8 damage per caster level
• Angelic Form is now: "Casting a Fire, Light, or Positive spell causes a flaming blade barrier ring to erupt around you. Enemies entering or leaving the ring take 1d6 Fire and 1d6 Light damage per caster level, and allies entering or leaving the ring are healed for 1d6 plus 1 per caster level in positive energy (this healing and damage has a short cooldown to prevent weirdness). The flaming ring lasts for 5 seconds per spell cast, but subsequent casts extend the duration by 5 seconds each up to a maximum of 30 seconds."
• Angelic Body is now: "While within your Exalted Angel Destiny Mantle, you gain +5 Armor Class and Physical and Magical Resistance Rating, and are immune to Natural Poisons and Natural Diseases.
• Angelic Soul is now: "You also apply Consecrated Cinders to enemies when they touch your flaming Blade Barrier ring, and apply Consecrated Sparks to allies that touch your flaming Blade Barrier Ring. Consecrated Cinders: -5 Armor Class and Physical and Magical Resistance Rating. Consecrated Sparks: +5 Armor Class and Physical and Magical Resistance Rating"
• Holy Presence and Angelic Soul have swapped places
• Holy Presence is now: "While in your Exalted Angel Destiny Mantle, you gain 15% damage absorption to all Elemental (Fire, Cold, Electric, Acid, Poison, Sonic) and Alignment (Good, Evil, Lawful, Chaotic) damage."
• Blessed Water's Rank 3 now also grants +15 Magical Resistance Rating if you have the Font of Life feat
• Shadows Upon You now also reduces Armor Class and Physical and Magical Resistance Rating by 1 per stack.
• Ascendance is now: Epic Moment. For the next 20 seconds, your single-target Cure Wounds spells you cast on any target now instead apply to all allies. These spells cannot crit. For the duration of this ability, Raise Dead and Resurrection also raise your target to full HP like True Resurrection does.

No more healing aura? So you're getting rid of the only thing that can save raids from wiping during the massive lag we've been having?

I also sign the sentiment of not wanting to deal damage, increasing the aggro on my healers, I get enough aggro just by existing.

 

[Ying]

@Tonquin, what happened with your "balanced games are boring" mantra? Homogenization of caster epic strikes is boring. On top of the R7-R10 nuker nerfs, it's a step too far.

 

[songswrath]

Do you play R10 or R raids at cap? Thats where melee dps far outshines anything casters can do.

Lol your are joking right. Only down side of caster in r10 is you are limited by mana. There not as many melee players going ham in r10 as casters. And ones that are like myself are with well built toons with maxed or a good bit of passed lifes and reaper points. Same point in raids. It a bit different in high r raids. You can't just go ham or you be a soul stone quick. With the exception of a few melee builds that are very good. Caster and range>>> over melee in terms of power.
tell me last time you saw a melee post a reaper carry group ( soloed for hands in chest or carry a gulldie to cap. Very rearly but all the time on casters and thrower ranged builds. So get out of here with o.p. melee nonsense

 

[songswrath]

Or make a hireling that always stands next to you and pulses heals, kinda like FVS archon except with heals. Can't bug out if it's basically an aura but some balance since it takes party slot.

This is why many have made bard alts accounts

 

[songswrath]

Rethink the ea mantel change.it fine as is. If worried about the self healing part of it make adjustments there. This is very really use as a dps mantel a more on support healer builds.

 

[Ike]

Lol your are joking right. Only down side of caster in r10 is you are limited by mana. There not as many melee players going ham in r10 as casters. And ones that are like myself are with well built toons with maxed or a good bit of passed lifes and reaper points. Same point in raids. It a bit different in high r raids. You can't just go ham or you be a soul stone quick. With the exception of a few melee builds that are very good. Caster and range>>> over melee in terms of power.
tell me last time you saw a melee post a reaper carry group ( soloed for hands in chest or carry a gulldie to cap. Very rearly but all the time on casters and thrower ranged builds. So get out of here with o.p. melee nonsense

I can make a first life bear and outperform a caster. It's not even a close competition.

In fact, let me be rude about it. What server are you from specifically so I can show you how monstrous a first lifer bear can be.