Dark SM Question: Anyone think this subclass will get fixed?

[Roo Stercogburn]

Been thinking about this since read some of the 1.62 patch notes.

Mystics will get baseline lvl50 dark nuke to even up with other 2 realms.

However, I was wondering if anyone knows if the dark spec for SMs is in line to get other things redressed? (And please don't anyone waste time with mentioning the pet-lovin' in 1.62... thats for summoning spec SMs )

Specifically, the now useless mez and tiny-area debuff. Lifetap cast speed being evened up with most (but not all) spellcasting from other realms but this isn't really anything to shout about, its something that should have been done a long time ago.

In PvE there's few chars with as much utility though I admit its harder to play properly than any other char I've played (yeh yeh healers please be quiet) and its not obvious what it can do for a group to most players which made levelling a bit of a bitch at times.

But in RvR it sucks ass harder than colonic irrigation. I nearly cancelled my account with 1.60 as it really was a slap in the face for anyone that plays a no-insta mez class that isn't Alb-based.
Having a main char thats too depressing to actually play in the endgame is... well, depressing

I have 1 lvl50 alt and one not far off but tbh this is the class I have always liked best, regardless of what the others are good at.

Piebomber spec is not what I want to play before anyone says respec to sup. Its not me, lets leave it at that

So, to reiterate the question: do you think the backdoor nerfs against Dark SMs are going to be fixed? Is the baseline nuke and faster cast lifetap really going to make that much of a difference?

And most importantly, what is getting done about the effectively close-to-zero length mez that we now have? Is the mez duration going to be increased (the range increased? lol) or is something going to be put into the dark line that makes up for being screwed royally over many patches?

If anyone has answers, I'm dying to hear them.

 

[Gekul]

Don't have any answers, but can see where you're coming from. Many seem to consider the addition of PBAOE as a fix to the class. I deleted my SM just after that patch went in, it seems any other spec is considered "gimp" now.

 

[-yoda-]

its the same with a lot of classes ,, earth theurg , spirit cabby , earth wizzy "to a degree" dunno much about hib/mid caster lines but there is a few that are useless or not good enough to conisder speccing in

 

[old.Zeikerd]

You know what pisses me off the most in RvR?
Purging mezz and then be mezzed again by those spirit masters!!!! I hate them

 

[old.linnet]

Um, my advice would be ... maybe try playing a sorcerer? If you enjoyed the mez and debuffs, they have strong versions of both.

 

[SilverHood]

Roo? Playing on Excal?

now there's food for thought

 

[old.Alliandre]

With chanters it's almost the same I think. People pm my chanter saying "Need a group?". I just pm them back saying "light chanter" But it seems most people consider other spec lines to gimped for anyone to consider playing (even though a light chanter with a 45 light/27 mana spec gets the best dds in game with debuff). I deleted my low lvl mana chanter cause I found PB boring.

 

[old.Belorfyn]

I think the effect of mezz changes for SM's must be our biggest problem. Obviously, they have been designed to battle against long duration mezzes of the primary mezz classes (and they're good changes on the overall, in my opinion) but they must've forgotten there's also classes with lesser duration ae mezzes.
Theurgists must have the same problem, or sometimes I've atleast seen them use ae mez and mez the people for just few seconds. They get mez from air-spec which duration is 32 seconds at level 49 spec (think their duration is bit longer than SM mezz's).
Yet I can't say that I'd be unhappy playing mine. Maybe it just suits my playing style well; I spend almost all my RvR-time solo or in very small groups, in Albion and other zones with less population. In such cases, I find my mez, however short it might be, winning battles.
With the new level 50 basenuke, nuke damage will probably be quite nice for Darkness SM's, it's faster than the lifetap (or will they be same after patch, dont' remember) and maybe it'll do bit more damage being 3 levels higher?
But I suppose, when going with big, "balanced" groups (and also then fighting groups like that), our utility in RvR is somewhat lessened.
Still, even in big battles like that, I find myself surviving quite long even when my team is losing.
When comparing our lifetap to nukes of other casters, I think we need to take into consideration that it's a lifetap, that makes it alot better than other nukes.
I've been sometimes wondering too why darkness ae-debuff is 300 (?) radius and suppression is 400. That could use changing maybe.
I don't know how important dex is in battles, does it make you easier to hit and miss more ? I know it affects damage on some weapons, but beyond that, I'm not sure what it really does except drain alot power

It would be nice to have go at 50 darkness, for the last mezz, but losing the resurrect is not an option for me.
With the coming changes, I'm sure I'll be even more happy being Darkness Spiritmaster.

 

[Flimgoblin]

Originally posted by old.Belorfyn

I don't know how important dex is in battles, does it make you easier to hit and miss more ? I know it affects damage on some weapons, but beyond that, I'm not sure what it really does except drain alot power

It improves people's evade/block and also staff/thrust damage...

since blocking never happens (till 1.62) in RvR it's not that useful... but it'll screw over a friar

 

[Tham]

Dex also improves casting time, at least for healers...

 

[Roo Stercogburn]

Dex debuff is one of the strongest things a Dark SM brings to a group. For PvE it ensures tanks can hit mobs and get agro fast and in RvR it should in theory drop block/evade rates through the floor. Given that both the baseline and spec line stack it can be a really useful tool in the SMs arsenal.

Pretty small area though and I think it was actually nerfed in a patch a long time ago, though I can't remember which one.

In RvR I rarely fail to get my mez off though the last few times I've been RvR with Roo I basically thought why do I frickin' bother.

The problem for a dark SM is that they don't actually bring any direct group benefit in RvR now - there are no non-self buffs or any chants or anything that a group would go oooh nice get him in here. (Irony: the first ever SM buff that can get cast on another player will come in 1.62 and Summoning spec SMs get it).

Runie with watered down nuke, a pet (with no ranged attacks) and no speed buff. The mez was the thing that made an SM useful to groups to backup a healer or replace healer mez if none were around.

And thats been screwed big time.

I can't get into Right Now on my laptop due to a problem with it displaying the Camelot Website properly but I'm going to refer my original post to them and point them at this thread.

 

[Roo Stercogburn]

Lodged with Right Now and have asked for it to be forwarded to Mythic... now to find me the SM TL.

 

[dozigden]

Roo,

I sort of see where youre coming from and really hope for something for SMs in the next round of patches.

Im quite suprised to see no mention of the pet intercept coming up in 1.62 here though - as a dark SM your pet intercepting some mellee attacks allowing you to continue lifetapping certainly appeals to me.

My dark SM has been stuck at lvl47 for sometime now and i wholely intend to bring him upto 50 for 1.62. Do you rate the pet intercept that lowly?

 

[old.LandShark]

While I certainly don't cry nerf at the mention of loving for dark SM's, I have to say I think a lot of speclines are in line for viable-isation earlier. Compare yourself to an earth theurg in RvR, a summoning/enchanters/spirit SM/chanters/cabbie, a mentalism mentalist, yadda yadda....hell, dark SM vs light chanter as a comparison isn't that far apart, other than the obscene disparity between your pets..

 

[rynnor]

The 50 Dark DD will do the same as other realms 50 baseline nukes however dark SM's cannot debuff their own damage so comparisons to Enchanters leave them lagging waaaayyy behind.

Saying that I do think the unexpected pet changes will help all SM's not just the summoners - being a pbae'r I look forward to having a buffed pet intercept attackers while I pbae them

From my time as a Darkness SM I think it will be a real boon to survival - you can nuke away with the 50 baseline DD for pretty nice damage and then if anyone tries to melee you switch to lifedrain while pet intercepts and clobbers the Tank/assasin.

With the combination of pet intercepts and life drains your going to be a pretty nasty target for a lone meleer to kill

 

[Danya]

Originally posted by rynnor
The 50 Dark DD will do the same as other realms 50 baseline nukes however dark SM's cannot debuff their own damage so comparisons to Enchanters leave them lagging waaaayyy behind.

Nor can light chanters really.

 

[Arnor]

So, to reiterate the question: do you think the backdoor nerfs against Dark SMs are going to be fixed?

ehmm, what backdoor nerfs?

 

[old.Belorfyn]

Originally posted by Arnor2
ehmm, what backdoor nerfs?

What I thought he meant, and what is also my opinion, is that the elements in game introduced to battle mezzes (mez reduction buff, determination, lesser effect towards edges, resists affecting duration, etc), while in my opinion a good addition, make too heavy effect on the classes that have short duration mezzes, like theurgists and spiritmasters.
For example, Healer (or other primary CC) mez that has base duration of around minute might after all those be reducted to 30 seconds or so.. still useful in battle
But when 28 second SM mez gets reduced to less than 10 seconds for example, it stops being very useful.

 

[rynnor]

Originally posted by Danyan
Nor can light chanters really.

Yup - light chanters are another forgotten sub-class these days but I wasnt suggesting that Dark SM's (and Light chanters and the rest) should get it - in my opinion no caster should get debuffs for their own damage type but to compensate their should be a general lowering of spell resists.

Apart from a few exceptional sub-types casters generally have been gradually nerfed and the Dark SM is just one of many classes effected.

 

[Roo Stercogburn]

Got a response from the SM TL - he'll bring it up with the devs.

As much as I could ask for really