1.87b - Scout love, PvE style for pets, Hunter love(?), + more ml9 pet fun

[Azathrim]

Did I read it correct, or will hunters get a popup when they use their insta-cast pet?

That seems extremely annoying to me while being busy doing combat.

 

[Phantomby]

Some nice changes but i cant help but feel a little scared that some of these changes will be over the top if implemented as is.

The healing tics being doubled in frequency while standing may seem subtle but could prove to be an absolute nightmare for facing a valk or vamp or friar.

Damn it why do they insist on making radical changes and not subtle ones, i really hope they test this stuff thoroughly to see what sort of drastic effects it has on the game balance. Cant help but think it will just skew it in a different direction now.

<3 to scouts, never had one, never played one, but always knew they were the weakest stealther class.

Could all this shield love and parry love be in response to people constantly being duo'd and trio's v single opponent and trying to even the balance there?

 

[Darzil]

Could all this shield love and parry love be in response to people constantly being duo'd and trio's v single opponent and trying to even the balance there?

It's related to the fact that if my 50+13, MoB IV Pally comes up against a duel wielder he'll be lucky to block 20-25% of blows at the moment. (Though in PvE he can block a high purple 50-75% of the time)

This could make for an interesting change of dynamic. Whilst it'll make it a bit harder to kill enemy tanks with melee, which would be a caster buff, it also makes defensive tanks more effective, so cleric/wizard guarding starts to be more possible, which may mean more tanks in groups.

Shame that some ML's just lost their PvE utility again, would have been nice to have been able to do something with them.

Darzil

 

[Gamah]

Minstrels ignored again, I'm starting to feel thane like.

 

[Killswitch]

Literally 2 weeks after giving up on my melee scout, giving away his templates (and both my EU accounts)...

Oh well...nice changes, although I expect to see some backpedalling once these have been tested properly. This will effect Assassin vs. Assassin fights as both will have full benefit of Evade 7 so longer fights = more adds. Also defensive tanks who are already powerful in RvR are going to be a little over-the-top now...I'd certainly expect low/mid-RR assassins and most rangers are going to have to choose their targets much more carefully. I'd expect pretty much all spec-shield toons (except maybe scouts ) to be off the menu unless you have all timers and the RNG on your side.

 

[Moaning Myrtle]

Cool my 50+17 shield and 32+10 parry saracen paladin with mastery of block4 , dex4 and mastery of parry 4 just got one hella of alot of love

Shame he has less WS then my Scout though

Seriously, nice updates. Should make it even easier for my Pally to wtfpwn assassins

 

[Moaning Myrtle]

I'd expect pretty much all spec-shield toons (except maybe scouts ) to be off the menu unless you have all timers and the RNG on your side.

Nah, 50 Shield 44 Slash Scout specced with melee template and RAs should fare much, much better now.

 

[Moaning Myrtle]

It's related to the fact that if my 50+13, MoB IV Pally comes up against a duel wielder he'll be lucky to block 20-25% of blows at the moment. (Though in PvE he can block a high purple 50-75% of the time)

This could make for an interesting change of dynamic. Whilst it'll make it a bit harder to kill enemy tanks with melee, which would be a caster buff, it also makes defensive tanks more effective, so cleric/wizard guarding starts to be more possible, which may mean more tanks in groups.

Shame that some ML's just lost their PvE utility again, would have been nice to have been able to do something with them.

Darzil

Strange, my Paladin has 101 Dex in template, MoB III and blocks a lot more often then 20-25% in RVR. I'd say more like 40-50%.

 

[Moaning Myrtle]

its not all about scouts you know

Dukat is right and you are wrong on this occassion.

 

[Moaning Myrtle]

Ah fuck off, more love for fucking pets in one patch than menta class had in 4yrs.

Maeloch, you don't need love my friend, you are perfect just as you are

 

[Gahn]

Strange, my Paladin has 101 Dex in template, MoB III and blocks a lot more often then 20-25% in RVR. I'd say more like 40-50%.

That would mean that u block 100% against 1h users -.-
Dual Wield till now halved your blocking chance. So with 50+16 Shield (take an rr5) And Mob III u are on the 65-70% mark, halved by DW means u block 30% against assassins and charge tanks that dual wield.
It's all in the trash now so basically Pallies will be a no go

 

[Dakkath]

2 Reaver changes I'd wanted to see for a long time...

Why does this happen after I retire :/

 

[Moaning Myrtle]

That would mean that u block 100% against 1h users -.-
Dual Wield till now halved your blocking chance. So with 50+16 Shield (take an rr5) And Mob III u are on the 65-70% mark, halved by DW means u block 30% against assassins and charge tanks that dual wield.
It's all in the trash now so basically Pallies will be a no go

TBH mate, I won't hold my breath until the patch goes live. I've been reading the reaction on VN Boards this morning, and all the DW Classes are screaming blue murder. It obviously isn't just assassins and Rangers, but Mercs, BMs and Zerkers as well.

 

[Dracus]

TBH mate, I won't hold my breath until the patch goes live. I've been reading the reaction on VN Boards this morning, and all the DW Classes are screaming blue murder. It obviously isn't just assassins and Rangers, but Mercs, BMs and Zerkers as well.

Wouldnt have expected any different tbh. Those are some of the most played classes, so its only natural that ppl whine, moan, complain, bltch and cry

/Dracus

 

[Basic_X]

hmm. me like - this sounds interessting ;D

 

[Gahn]

TBH mate, I won't hold my breath until the patch goes live. I've been reading the reaction on VN Boards this morning, and all the DW Classes are screaming blue murder. It obviously isn't just assassins and Rangers, but Mercs, BMs and Zerkers as well.

As i said it's overdone (like Mythic tends to do every time), i'd been happy with a 25% malus and be it, more balanced over the board imo.

 

[Solari]

I think the parry / block / evade modifications is too much.

Yeah it can be considered scout love, which I do agree with but it's gonna have a huge impact on other classes, already now playing a warden it's fairly easy to beat most melee solo'ers, with a high defence enabling you to heal yourself if everything goes the wrong way, and I know damn well that if I won't suffer the pentalties against DW/LW a lot less people will be able to actually bring me down before SLAM - HEAL HEAL HEAL... You're already night unbeatable at a decent RR if you know how to play against any 2 handed tank or s/s person (-silly reavers ), DW'ers are the only real threat and I think boosting shields this much is a little over the top.

 

[Maeloch]

From short time pissing about on shield champ, did seem ridiculous main thing to fear was duel-wield, frontloading, pick-their-fights-when-they-like assassins and not other tanks. Seems to fix thigns a bit, not like can't bypass block/parry with lag abuse and dot-mine, etc anyhow.

Mentalist lack of love just annoying for the principle of the thing more than anything to do with playing it - I doubt ever will be very active again. Twinking out perfectly fine ML9 pets with taunt styles, ratmode, disease, etc, as priority over fixing longstanding class issues stinks, but they know their business and what keeps the punters happy. What's the point of looking at a marginalised class no-one plays, when you can keep about 75% of the player pop happy with pet fluff and even more easymode ml9 farming.

 

[Manisch Depressiv]

Very good patch. And good dual wield nerf, was about time.

 

[kivik]

Great, how are you supposed to get away from fights in that patch then

 

[Rub]

will HoTs also be doubled in value?

 

[Heki]

Shield

- A character's chance to block will no longer be penalized when facing a character who is dual wielding.

Parry

- A character's chance to Parry will no longer be penalized when facing a character who is wielding a two handed
weapon.

- The penalty to parry when facing multiple attackers has been greatly reduced.

Evade

- A character's chance to evade will no longer be penalized when facing a character who is dual wielding.

Well, after Banelord nerf against caster, a nerf against assassin and heavy tank. Thank you Mythic.

In the future I will be able to kill a gray mob with my merc or not?

 

[RS|Phil]

Water fix is the best thing ever. Shame it took so long obviously but it's coming now.

Mostly good changes all round - the DW nerf against shield tanks and hybrids - about fucking time in one respect as assasins taking hybrids and tanks as easily as that (SOMETIMES) do was wrong but on another aspect assassin vs scout will be interesting now.... Also assassin vs assassin.... hmm you might want to order some pizza because those fights may go on a while

 

[Neffneff]

Also assassin vs assassin.... hmm you might want to order some pizza because those fights may go on a while

all its gonna do assasin v assasin is introduce more strafe/run through abuse..and whoever lands evade stun is gonna own. gotta remember with more evades = more powerful evade string moves. defence goes up, but so will dmg.

 

[RS|Phil]

all its gonna do assasin v assasin is introduce more strafe/run through abuse..and whoever lands evade stun is gonna own. gotta remember with more evades = more powerful evade string moves. defence goes up, but so will dmg.

Maybe but that off-evade still gotta land mate. That's other stuff notwithstanding too. I believe the length of fights will go up some.

 

[Killswitch]

As I understand it, with the new 3-second window, won't you be able to land the off-evade stun and then walk the off-evade ABS-debuff chain against zero passive-defences?

I'd imagine one of them would still be able to turn/win a fight in pretty short order...

 

[Flimgoblin]

defensive penalty removing is fantastic, makes 2h weapons and parry a lot more useful than before.

Easiest to see on a Mauler - why bother speccing staff when you can spec fist wraps and get more base damage and a far easier time against any defenses other than parry.

 

[liloe]

defensive penalty removing is fantastic, makes 2h weapons and parry a lot more useful than before.

Easiest to see on a Mauler - why bother speccing staff when you can spec fist wraps and get more base damage and a far easier time against any defenses other than parry.

Yes, but then again....Dark Age of Shieldalot is inc and solo RvR will be Warden vs. Paladin vs. Valkyrie fights from now on xD

I mean my BM has high dex cause of piercing spec so I will benefit from evading more vs. stealthers, but how am I supposed to bypass shield tanks when both of my weapons get blocked like hell? Sure, 1h +shield doesn't deal much damage and I can parry (hello 42+MoP3) their 2h much better, but I think it's all gonna get a bit messy.

Well, I'm not the kind of person to whine before I see it, so I hope it won't turn out so bad, but let's see =)

 

[Aiteal]

Hunter pet changes with regards to disease range :worthy:

I remember arguing with peeps that hunters pets didn't disease you before they hit you, and then the other night I experienced this in cathal valley on my shade

being diseased before being hit
whilst stealthed
and even evading the pets first attack and still walking so slow at the start of the fight I lost 50 secs later.
Bad way to be proved wrong

Good change imo
along with the water bobbing fix
hopefully I'll see less hunters simply sic'ing their pets and running/bobbing for 2 mins before collecting rps for little to no risk

As far as the melee triad changes are concerned
my thoughts were

A dual wielder has sacrificed the utility/bonuses that shield affords
anytime stun
engage
ability to guard groupmates
and the large bonus against arrows

all for an extra offensive bonus

Now that offensive bonus is gone
what exactly do they get other than the chance to swing their offhand weapon for unstyled damage?


Now the penalties for a shield user against a dual wielder were too much, I wont dispute that.
Mythic should have introduced a more sophisticated method that took into account shield spec vs dual wield spec.
Instead they just gave a flat bonus of the type shields get versus arrows, even when the player has spent significantly less spec points.

having 10 dual wield and halving the blocking of a 42 shield spec char is wrong
in the same way that speccing shield enough for engage and blocking 50 bow is wrong.

I think it's a nice change for scouts, and I'm happy for them, but i see no reason why shield should loose its penalties and retain its bonuses when dual weild has lost its bonuses and gained nothing in return.


I'm with Liloe on this
Classes with self heals like wardens with shield and parry spec will be even more monstrous in melee than before
their shield has been boosted vs mercs/zerkers
and their parry vs 2-hand users


All in all
some nice changes
some I'm not so happy about

but its nice to see scouts get a boost

 

[Ctuchik]

and whoever lands evade stun is gonna own. gotta remember with more evades

and we know who's got the easymode on evade stuns dont we.....

/edit: best add the obligatory or ppl wont get it...