07-06-2003, 03:37 PM
I haven"t had a close look at every class.
But those I've had a look at (Assassin, Barbarian) didn't impress me much.
Some good ideas, like Berserk granting some magical damage to Frenzy and another skill. The base idea here is ok, although it could have been much better.
I've long though that berserk doing magical damage was a lame solution that someone at Blizzard much have found great: hey guys, let's kill two birds with one stone ; 1- give the barb something to deal with PIs 2- give them a strong "incentive" to use something beyond WW.
It would have been much better to make Increased Stamina and Increased Speed into one skill, and use the passive skill thus freed to turn a % of the barb damage into magical damage.
Anyway...
But look at the synergies affecting Berserk: +10% damage from Howl and *gasp* Shout.
Howl is already a synergy skill for Berserk! When you have zero defense, a crowd control skill like Howl or Grim Ward is the best complement for Berserk (Warcry is actually the best complement, but it requires great gear, or lots of potion gulping, or alternating skills because of the mana problem. Howl or Grim Ward don't pose such a mana issue). Is it Blizzard's way of strongly hinting at it for players who've been used to WW, WW, WW, WW, oh a PI, Berserk (slvl 1), WW, WW... ?
As for Shout... That one leaves me mouth agape. Pumping a skill which raises your defense to boost a skill which cancels your defense... What the hell ?
The Iron barb can't be "completed" now. It already required quite some investment: max concentrate, max shout, max iron skin. Then some support skill like natural resistance, find potions. Then max mastery for some offensive boost, and you were scrapping for points to invest in Battle orders for instance.
With the new "synergies" you just don't have enough points. Concentrate's damage can be boosted, but at the cost of skill points you don't have.
So the "Iron Barb" will have to make a choice in his build between offense and defense.
I don't know how monster's AR have been modified, but I suspect they're still high enough to warrant a heavy investment on defense. Which leaves the Iron Barb in the same state as the defiant: can't kill anything.
For me, the sense of "completion" was important at the end of character's career. Synergies take that away.
AS I've already stated on this forum earlier, the more I consider them, the more I consider they're a very bad idea, at least under that form.
An example of an old synergy that was great: Holy Shield boosting Smite damage. A smiter lives around his shield. It makes sense that both skills should complement and reinforce each another.
Cross-tree skills aren't necessarily a bad thing. Provided they are themed and limited.
An example of a cross-tree synergy which imo would be nice:
Let's say Resist Lightning gave resistance vs Lightning and some absorb.
Synergy with Holy Shock:
- When Holy Shock is on, get half the resistance bonus from Lightning Resistance.
- When Lightning Resistance is on, get the lightning splash damage from Holy Shock.
But those I've had a look at (Assassin, Barbarian) didn't impress me much.
Some good ideas, like Berserk granting some magical damage to Frenzy and another skill. The base idea here is ok, although it could have been much better.
I've long though that berserk doing magical damage was a lame solution that someone at Blizzard much have found great: hey guys, let's kill two birds with one stone ; 1- give the barb something to deal with PIs 2- give them a strong "incentive" to use something beyond WW.
It would have been much better to make Increased Stamina and Increased Speed into one skill, and use the passive skill thus freed to turn a % of the barb damage into magical damage.
Anyway...
But look at the synergies affecting Berserk: +10% damage from Howl and *gasp* Shout.
Howl is already a synergy skill for Berserk! When you have zero defense, a crowd control skill like Howl or Grim Ward is the best complement for Berserk (Warcry is actually the best complement, but it requires great gear, or lots of potion gulping, or alternating skills because of the mana problem. Howl or Grim Ward don't pose such a mana issue). Is it Blizzard's way of strongly hinting at it for players who've been used to WW, WW, WW, WW, oh a PI, Berserk (slvl 1), WW, WW... ?
As for Shout... That one leaves me mouth agape. Pumping a skill which raises your defense to boost a skill which cancels your defense... What the hell ?
The Iron barb can't be "completed" now. It already required quite some investment: max concentrate, max shout, max iron skin. Then some support skill like natural resistance, find potions. Then max mastery for some offensive boost, and you were scrapping for points to invest in Battle orders for instance.
With the new "synergies" you just don't have enough points. Concentrate's damage can be boosted, but at the cost of skill points you don't have.
So the "Iron Barb" will have to make a choice in his build between offense and defense.
I don't know how monster's AR have been modified, but I suspect they're still high enough to warrant a heavy investment on defense. Which leaves the Iron Barb in the same state as the defiant: can't kill anything.
For me, the sense of "completion" was important at the end of character's career. Synergies take that away.
AS I've already stated on this forum earlier, the more I consider them, the more I consider they're a very bad idea, at least under that form.
An example of an old synergy that was great: Holy Shield boosting Smite damage. A smiter lives around his shield. It makes sense that both skills should complement and reinforce each another.
Cross-tree skills aren't necessarily a bad thing. Provided they are themed and limited.
An example of a cross-tree synergy which imo would be nice:
Let's say Resist Lightning gave resistance vs Lightning and some absorb.
Synergy with Holy Shock:
- When Holy Shock is on, get half the resistance bonus from Lightning Resistance.
- When Lightning Resistance is on, get the lightning splash damage from Holy Shock.