05-07-2004, 12:48 PM
@ Ruvanal: Yes they added attack power, but that doesn't affect the 30% chance to cast fire damage of Flametongue...
@ Bolty: I don't like timers. If Fireblast did much less damage than Fireball and has less range but casts instantly, it would be properly balanced against Fireball without resorting to a stupid timer.
Three things a MMORPG can really do without:
1) Skill timers. Both the short couple-of-seconds ones, and the hour long ones used to 'balance' an otherwise overpowered skill. Balance the SKILL for antichrissakes. Make Inner Rage and Blood Rage mutually exclusive for 10 seconds, but decrease the rage bonus from Inner Rage. Laying of Hands should not even exist in the game. [both D2 and WoW...]
2) Critical failures and on/off resistances. When I throw a ball of fire at an enemy, he's going to take damage unless he's a demon or something and lives in a lava cave. [= 75% resistance in Diablo] Ditto for sleep, mind control and their ilk. You cast a sleep spell, the target is going to fall asleep. That's a law of nature. If he doesn't, you have screwed up the spell, which I don't think would happen to a professional adept mage all that often [at least not every fifth spell or so].
3) Utility spells. When there are fire/cold/holy/shadow/nature ward buffs in the game, every high level fight has to be balanced for people with the appropriate wards on them. Which means it gets too hard for those not having the wards. Or the other way round: too easy for people with all the wards. It is the age old '1 team of 5 >> 5 teams of 1' thing that plagues Diablo 2 as well. Having tank characters to protect weak casters is already a very important reason to group, no need to have the WoW equivalent of Battle Orders, Oak Sage and Fanaticism to boost the power of everyone in the party tenfold as well. Ugh.
@ DeeBye: 'It's possible (almost certain actually) that I overthink my battles and could do better with a simpler skill combination.' I'll give you that: the rogue and warrior are the only two classes that allow you to use your brain and come out slightly ahead. Scrap the warlock, because most battles seem to consist of piling all dots you have on the enemy and spamming Shadowbolt. Your only choices are whether to use Shadowbolt and live, or use RoF or Hellfire and die.
@ Bolty: I don't like timers. If Fireblast did much less damage than Fireball and has less range but casts instantly, it would be properly balanced against Fireball without resorting to a stupid timer.
Three things a MMORPG can really do without:
1) Skill timers. Both the short couple-of-seconds ones, and the hour long ones used to 'balance' an otherwise overpowered skill. Balance the SKILL for antichrissakes. Make Inner Rage and Blood Rage mutually exclusive for 10 seconds, but decrease the rage bonus from Inner Rage. Laying of Hands should not even exist in the game. [both D2 and WoW...]
2) Critical failures and on/off resistances. When I throw a ball of fire at an enemy, he's going to take damage unless he's a demon or something and lives in a lava cave. [= 75% resistance in Diablo] Ditto for sleep, mind control and their ilk. You cast a sleep spell, the target is going to fall asleep. That's a law of nature. If he doesn't, you have screwed up the spell, which I don't think would happen to a professional adept mage all that often [at least not every fifth spell or so].
3) Utility spells. When there are fire/cold/holy/shadow/nature ward buffs in the game, every high level fight has to be balanced for people with the appropriate wards on them. Which means it gets too hard for those not having the wards. Or the other way round: too easy for people with all the wards. It is the age old '1 team of 5 >> 5 teams of 1' thing that plagues Diablo 2 as well. Having tank characters to protect weak casters is already a very important reason to group, no need to have the WoW equivalent of Battle Orders, Oak Sage and Fanaticism to boost the power of everyone in the party tenfold as well. Ugh.
@ DeeBye: 'It's possible (almost certain actually) that I overthink my battles and could do better with a simpler skill combination.' I'll give you that: the rogue and warrior are the only two classes that allow you to use your brain and come out slightly ahead. Scrap the warlock, because most battles seem to consist of piling all dots you have on the enemy and spamming Shadowbolt. Your only choices are whether to use Shadowbolt and live, or use RoF or Hellfire and die.
Nothing is impossible if you believe in it enough.
Median 2008 mod for Diablo II
<span style="color:gray">New skills, new AIs, new items, new challenges...
06.dec.2006: Median 2008 1.44
Median 2008 mod for Diablo II
<span style="color:gray">New skills, new AIs, new items, new challenges...
06.dec.2006: Median 2008 1.44