Couple of skill rants

[WarBlade]

So far we've talked about three different avenger builds.  Before there was pretty much one.  That's a promising sign to me.  1.1 is going to shake things up a lot, but on the balance it seems for the better.  Now if only they'd fix bone spirit......

The Build I was describing is one I started in 1.06. He's been quite viable all the way through, so any suggestion that there was "pretty much one" is entirely false. This just happens to be a case where my purist tendancy and dislike of flashing led me to a non-flash build that worked out because I simply wasn't bothering to exploit a loophole that the patch closes. ;)

On the question of balance, no this patch is looking pretty sketchy from where I sit. Hell level inter-class balance looks shot to hell.

[Guest]

He meant there was 1 basic build for a melee paladin that was more powerful than all the other melee builds.

max fanat
max conviction
max venegence

Even if you didnt flash this was fastest damage dealing melee. You just switched between fanat and conviction based on resistances and mana need.

Its not that other builds dont work, its just that from a pure damage per second- go anywhere, approach this build was ussually chose.

[Obi2Kenobi]

With my play style, zeal is stronger than vengence. Except for PIs. :) Because although vengence does more damage per hit, zeal hits faster. Now, it also hits harder when the points are in it. :) Also, against Lebs and when Iron Maidened, I use vengence or sacrifice, depending on my mood. :)

[IlleglWpns]

Zeal doesn't hit harder than vengeance, though in this patch it's probably managed to (finally) take the damage/sec crown away from Vengeance.

[Obi2Kenobi]

I never said it hit harder. Quite the opposite, in fact. I just said it got a damage boost and it does more per second. I can see the mistake, though. (or at least how you got there)

[IlleglWpns]

>> Now, it also hits harder when the points are in it

Since the previous sentence referred to zeal hitting faster than vengeance I assumed you were referring to vengeance here as well. I guess what you're trying to say is that zeal hits harder with each skill point invested in it?

[Chaerophon]

Ahhh, well, there you go. Haven't tried flashing yet. A strange change, if I may say so. It seems to take some of the 'skill' out of playing a good pally. *shrugs*

[Obi2Kenobi]

*grins*
Exactly. That is what I meant. :)

[jondifool]

He meant there was 1 basic build for a melee paladin that was more powerful than all the other melee builds.

max fanat
max conviction
max venegence

Even if you didnt flash this was fastest damage dealing melee. You just switched between fanat and conviction based on resistances and mana need.

Its not that other builds dont work, its just that from a pure damage per second- go anywhere, approach this build was ussually chose.

Interesting but not as I understand the situation.

Exchange venegance with Zeal and its nearly same build for comparasing purpose! Add elemental damage (And physical as well) from equipment, go 1/handed and the zealot does come out aheed damage pr second! Speed has still to be beaten in this game!

[whereagles]

Hum.. why do ALL treads end up on the paladin?? :)

[Guest]

(you know I was talking about 1.09 right?)

Lets imagine you have a weapon that does 100 average damage and 300 average elemental damage. And plus 5 to all skills.

Fanatacism with zeal-
100=base, 458=Fanatacism, 2=zeal, 300=elemental damage from weapons, 642=vengeance, 1.35=fanatacism speed, 2.5 convition multiplier or elemental damage

[{(100) (4.58) + 300}2] 1.35 = 2050

Fanatacism with vengeance

[100(4.58 + 6.42) + 300)] 1.35 = 1940

Conviction with zeal

[100 + (300) 2.5 ] 2 = 1700

Conviction with vengeance

100 + {100(6.42) + 300}2.5 = 2355


Ok I used a rather low powered weapon for an example, with a 2 hundred damage weapon venance conviction becomes much more powerful. It didn bother figuring out hell 1.09 physisical ressists, but that hardly effects vengence/conviction. Also unless you use ITD the conviction avanger with hit much more than the zealot.

I also didnt bother with holy shock builds - they have signifigantly lower damage.

With a good weapon an avenger using conviction with fanatacism for leach is the most powerful Paladin, and a very easy one to build.

[Occhidiangela]

Because Paladins are the Good Guys, the brave knights of the light, or knightlights, leading the battle against darkness. :D

[Striker]

Hum.. why do ALL treads end up on the paladin?? :)

Because Elric hasn't buried us yet with his experiences/adoration/rants with amazons? ;)

[Ignatz]

Talking about skill builds three days into the beta test is one thing...having years with 1.09 to determine a viable build is quite another.