07-05-2003, 11:32 AM
Martyrs, Zealots (multiple kinds), a new breed of Avenger (no aura flashing anymore) and that's mostly it at this point. I have yet to check a Heaven's Fist Paladin in Hell, but estimates don't give me great hope.
- Smiters get nothing. The game is ramped up and all they can claim is better item opportunities.
- Chargers are doable, but the bugs screw them until fixed.
- Defenders/Defiants are even worse off than they were in 1.09d (and Barbarian warcries etc. present a particular point of frustration from a Defiant's perspective).
- Missionaries . . . practically the same old rubbish to be avoided as before, although didn't Conversion used to take a kill to convert? It's any-hit-can-turn now whatever it was before. It might be handy against Minotaur packs, assuming the Paladin's low life can withstand them long enough to score a hit but ultimately strikes me as just points you can't afford to spend here.
Long story short, the biggest problem is the Synergies that are basically a fat ugly puddle of liqified crap. Another great problem is the point splitting both in skills and attributes guide the player in very tightly defined grooves, so much choice is gone. Thirdly, the Defensive Auras are as useless as ever in picking up the grand total of one very marginal upgrade and I say "marginal" purely because stronger monster actually reinterpret Prayer back into a net downgrade.
PS. And those Sorceress characters were on Players 1. The Amazon could do Players 8 and the defining factor was purely the difference between a maxed Valkyrie (unkillable like never before) and 81 - 82 level Barb mercs with lifespans measured most easily in seconds (often single figure seconds). Oh yeah, and that Valkyrie could sit there tanking two Minotaurs on Players 8. Three Minotaurs finally warranted a recast. <_<
- Smiters get nothing. The game is ramped up and all they can claim is better item opportunities.
- Chargers are doable, but the bugs screw them until fixed.
- Defenders/Defiants are even worse off than they were in 1.09d (and Barbarian warcries etc. present a particular point of frustration from a Defiant's perspective).
- Missionaries . . . practically the same old rubbish to be avoided as before, although didn't Conversion used to take a kill to convert? It's any-hit-can-turn now whatever it was before. It might be handy against Minotaur packs, assuming the Paladin's low life can withstand them long enough to score a hit but ultimately strikes me as just points you can't afford to spend here.
Long story short, the biggest problem is the Synergies that are basically a fat ugly puddle of liqified crap. Another great problem is the point splitting both in skills and attributes guide the player in very tightly defined grooves, so much choice is gone. Thirdly, the Defensive Auras are as useless as ever in picking up the grand total of one very marginal upgrade and I say "marginal" purely because stronger monster actually reinterpret Prayer back into a net downgrade.
PS. And those Sorceress characters were on Players 1. The Amazon could do Players 8 and the defining factor was purely the difference between a maxed Valkyrie (unkillable like never before) and 81 - 82 level Barb mercs with lifespans measured most easily in seconds (often single figure seconds). Oh yeah, and that Valkyrie could sit there tanking two Minotaurs on Players 8. Three Minotaurs finally warranted a recast. <_<
Heed the Song of Battle and Unsheath the Blades of War