I feel a bit helpless

thelawra · January 2021

Hi! It's my first time on the forums, so forgive me if I make any mistakes.

So the new patch happened and I have no idea what to do. I feel completely powerless. I am currently in middle of playing my level 27 Paladin in Neverdeath Graveyard. It took 4 other players in total with me to defeat a basic mob. The gear I have in the game is what the story has given me (and I'm 100% F2P). All of my gear is tier green/blue, like most of the people I've seen on my level. Total item level, if that matters, is almost 8000. And for whatever it's worth, I prefer solo play, I like to play alone.

I am really struggling here. People are like "well you heal more now", that's nice but I do need to also kill things. Most zones have the "kill this and that and then report back to me" going on. Only thing I kill is myself. I like a challenge as much as any other but this is just taking the p*ss. I wouldn't mind if it took me slightly longer to kill a mob but right now it's more like, go-through-all-potions-and-pray -kind of situation.

Maybe I'm just few of the the people that really struggle. Maybe I'm doing something wrong but all I know is that I am NOT having fun. I love Neverwinter and I really want to play it but this just feels like torture. I am not asking to oneshot anything, I am asking to just simply do something and that I wouldn't have to rely on others to help me.

Any sincere help would be appreciated, thank you.

Sincerely,
tired little paladin

vastano · January 2021

your not the only one we can only hope the emergency patch has helped
but i doubt it

thelawra · January 2021

vastano#2343 said:
your not the only one we can only hope the emergency patch has helped
but i doubt it

There was a patch that arrived on Friday when I wasn't playing and as far as I know, it didn't do anything. I still feel helpless and powerless to do a damn thing

it really sucks

But I'm glad that I'm not in this mess alone at least.

netherdragon · January 2021

This update essentially killed off low level and mid level solo play in the game because it buffed enemies so much that you're more likely to get killed than progress in the game. This has angered a lot of people especially people who preferred solo play than being forced to join a party just to complete basic quests in the leveling zone you're in. My advice is limited because im in the same boat as you, my guess would be to either wait for them to FINALLY improve solo play which may or may never happen or try to find a party to complete the quests in that area.

You are not alone in this problem

thelawra · January 2021

netherdragon#0997 said:
This update essentially killed off low level and mid level solo play in the game because it buffed enemies so much that you're more likely to get killed than progress in the game. This has angered a lot of people especially people who preferred solo play than being forced to join a party just to complete basic quests in the leveling zone you're in. My advice is limited because im in the same boat as you, my guess would be to either wait for them to FINALLY improve solo play which may or may never happen or try to find a party to complete the quests in that area.

You are not alone in this problem

You got a point there. Solo play just got a LOT more difficult, which sucks for us who enjoy playing alone. Thanks for your comment. Let's hope we both survive this, mate.

adinosii · January 2021

Well, some things to consider...what are your stat percentages like? Is your companion any good? Are you careful about maintaining CA ? Thaose thngs matter much more now than they did before.

thelawra · January 2021

adinosii said:
Well, some things to consider...what are your stat percentages like? Is your companion any good? Are you careful about maintaining CA ? Thaose thngs matter much more now than they did before.

Well, I don't know if they are any good but most likely not. I'm level 28 now and just trying my best to stay alive.

I'm playing just along the story and with the stuff it has given me (all gear is either green or blue). My companion is either the basic healer you get, the minstrel or the tiger you get for free.

louchristan · January 2021

I am one of the endgame players that had max out everything but I still struggle after the patch, hope this will make you feel better. LOL

aletheion · January 2021

Not trying to crosspost from Reddit, but I'll share my sentiment here. The game now feels like everything is dungeon difficulty.

Dungeons are great and we want to party up with healers and tanks and multiple DPS and run them. It's a blast, but the overland areas should not feel like you need a party to make progress.

A snippet from my Reddit post:
"Overland mobs and every encounter now feel like I need a second DPS and a healer. Yes I can drudge through it, die over and over, sit around campfires, spend all of my pittance of gold on health potions - which I've been doing the last couple of days - but I don't think I can continue to play like this, it's just not fun. I don't want to feel like I'm in a dungeon 100% of the time."

thelawra · January 2021

aletheion said:
Not trying to crosspost from Reddit, but I'll share my sentiment here. The game now feels like everything is dungeon difficulty.

Dungeons are great and we want to party up with healers and tanks and multiple DPS and run them. It's a blast, but the overland areas should not feel like you need a party to make progress.

A snippet from my Reddit post:

"Overland mobs and every encounter now feel like I need a second DPS and a healer. Yes I can drudge through it, die over and over, sit around campfires, spend all of my pittance of gold on health potions - which I've been doing the last couple of days - but I don't think I can continue to play like this, it's just not fun. I don't want to feel like I'm in a dungeon 100% of the time."

Exactly! It's like you NEED a party to move on. It destroys the idea of solo play

And you're right, progression moves at a snail's pace and you can continue on but it's not fun. It feels like a chore, like a job.

derbard · January 2021

I've found the advice from other players in the in-game chat really useful in this regard, "Your gear is trash! You should feel bad! go spend money at the Auction House for some better gear before you start crying in chat!" Really helpful advice! And then when I hit the next level I get to go back to the Auction House to buy more gear, because the gear you get naturally is "trash", and you should be optimizing your build from Level 2 apparently. /s

derbard · January 2021

More serious response: You're not alone. You're not imagining it, the game mechanics are very different now (or rather you need to use the mechanics much more now). You're going to get a lot of people telling you to stop complaining because "more challenging" automatically means "more fun for every type of player".

sagakaiyume · January 2021

Doesn't help that 1, he is a pally which we warned numerous times before this went live that pallys will struggle thanks to these changes and 2 that there is no forte before level 30. Level 30 helps make a huge difference, though stuff won't instantly become easier you should notice a difference picking a paragon. As a pally you get extra def and hp as a tank, as a healer 10% more damage to help with getting through leveling content.

thelawra · January 2021

sagakaiyume#0847 said:
Doesn't help that 1, he is a pally which we warned numerous times before this went live that pallys will struggle thanks to these changes and 2 that there is no forte before level 30. Level 30 helps make a huge difference, though stuff won't instantly become easier you should notice a difference picking a paragon. As a pally you get extra def and hp as a tank, as a healer 10% more damage to help with getting through leveling content.

That is true. I picked paladin because I thought I could solo a lot but now, I am not so sure. Sure, I may have heals and tankiness but I don't do damage. I'm level 30 soon but I don't know what to pick. I'm damned if I do, I'm damned if I don't.

sagakaiyume · January 2021

Everyone gets two loadouts, so you can try both. Since you're about level 30, I'd say at least give it a try, can't hurt.

thelawra · January 2021

derbard#3429 said:
More serious response: You're not alone. You're not imagining it, the game mechanics are very different now (or rather you need to use the mechanics much more now). You're going to get a lot of people telling you to stop complaining because "more challenging" automatically means "more fun for every type of player".

Glad to know I'm not alone. I feel like no matter what tactics I use, I can't win. It's easier for like rangers or something. They can do stuff from afar. Paladins or other close combat characters don't have that luxury. They can't even dash away or something.

Yesterday was the first day that I was actually scared to go in a simple story related dungeon because I can't avoid the mobs. All I did was hold my shield, wait for cooldowns, heal (, maybe use daily), do some damage and rinse and repeat. There is simply nothing else I can do. It makes me feel so powerless and frustrated.

thelawra · January 2021

derbard#3429 said:
I've found the advice from other players in the in-game chat really useful in this regard, "Your gear is trash! You should feel bad! go spend money at the Auction House for some better gear before you start crying in chat!" Really helpful advice! And then when I hit the next level I get to go back to the Auction House to buy more gear, because the gear you get naturally is "trash", and you should be optimizing your build from Level 2 apparently. /s

My god. That is so annoying. It's so much easier to talk from a high horse. Why don't they start fresh, completely F2P and without friends/guildmates and see how frustrating it is right now? I bet the wisea*s comments would stop quite quickly. I hope you have better luck finding actual help from actually nice people

netherdragon · January 2021

Yeah for a paladin it must be REALLY frustrating

cisticola · January 2021

I had a level 61 Paladin Oathkeeper and just got stuck. Went back and created a new character, bacause honestly I thought my old character was bugged or broken. I understand the stats a bit better, although there are alot of question marks. Now I've hit a wall in Blacklake District. Trouble is this wall is not an original game design, it's not there to teach me anything, it's a wall.

ultramath · January 2021

netherdragon#0997 said:
Yeah for a paladin it must be REALLY frustrating

Is Smite and Bane not ranged anymore?

netherdragon · January 2021

ultramath#3953 said:

netherdragon#0997 said:
Yeah for a paladin it must be REALLY frustrating
Is Smite and Bane not ranged anymore?

I wouldn't know I haven't played a paladin yet

cisticola · January 2021

ultramath#3953 said:

netherdragon#0997 said:
Yeah for a paladin it must be REALLY frustrating
Is Smite and Bane not ranged anymore?

Smite seems to work as intended, but it's not like you can spam it, only comes into it's own (or did) at higher levels with the divinity reduction cost. Bane is next to useless. I've adopted the "Run away" technique, which is not the look I want, as I'm a heavily armored paladin.

Edit - Went back to my level 61, the new player experience really was not working for me. My Paladin is quite surviveable, but the damage output is attrocious. Smite and Burning light seem to be what's saving my bacon. Bane just annoys things and does little damage. Not given up, try different set ups, see what might work I guess.

ultramath · January 2021

cisticola said:

Smite seems to work as intended, but it's not like you can spam it, only comes into it's own (or did) at higher levels with the divinity reduction cost. Bane is next to useless. I've adopted the "Run away" technique, which is not the look I want, as I'm a heavily armored paladin.

Man, that just seems crazy to me, I just leveled a pally to 80 last month and I was mad at how mindlessly easy it was to the point that I deleted it. Like, frustratingly easy.

I guess times have changed lol

cisticola · January 2021

ultramath#3953 said:

cisticola said:

Smite seems to work as intended, but it's not like you can spam it, only comes into it's own (or did) at higher levels with the divinity reduction cost. Bane is next to useless. I've adopted the "Run away" technique, which is not the look I want, as I'm a heavily armored paladin.
Man, that just seems crazy to me, I just leveled a pally to 80 last month and I was mad at how mindlessly easy it was to the point that I deleted it. Like, frustratingly easy.

I guess times have changed lol

I've always enjoyed playing Paladins, and not just in Neverwinter. Yes they have been a bit overpowered, especially Bane which can one-shot mobs. Now, well used it a few times, just annoys them, it's like "oh c##p, run away"....

ultramath · January 2021

cisticola said:

Edit - Went back to my level 61, the new player experience really was not working for me. My Paladin is quite surviveable, but the damage output is attrocious. Smite and Burning light seem to be what's saving my bacon. Bane just annoys things and does little damage. Not given up, try different set ups, see what might work I guess.

OOOOO maybe I can help! Just gotta ask: are you paying any special attention to being in a "purple zone" that gives you combat advantage against your enemies? Are you using a fighting companion that can help you get a "purple zone" in the first place? I noticed that a lot of players haven't caught on to how important CA is now after the patch, and also how augment companions are not really all that great anymore, even though they were the best thing ever for a long time.

Even a white ranked freebie companion can make a huge difference in damage for you if you have been ignoring CA after the patch and running with an augment still. The companion may not be doing massive damage for you, but just being able to get CA will almost double your DPS in the current system!

cisticola · January 2021

ultramath#3953 said:

cisticola said:

Edit - Went back to my level 61, the new player experience really was not working for me. My Paladin is quite surviveable, but the damage output is attrocious. Smite and Burning light seem to be what's saving my bacon. Bane just annoys things and does little damage. Not given up, try different set ups, see what might work I guess.
OOOOO maybe I can help! Just gotta ask: are you paying any special attention to being in a "purple zone" that gives you combat advantage against your enemies? Are you using a fighting companion that can help you get a "purple zone" in the first place? I noticed that a lot of players haven't caught on to how important CA is now after the patch, and also how augment companions are not really all that great anymore, even though they were the best thing ever for a long time.

Even a white ranked freebie companion can make a huge difference in damage for you if you have been ignoring CA after the patch and running with an augment still. The companion may not be doing massive damage for you, but just being able to get CA will almost double your DPS in the current system!

Thank you for that advice, heard this was a thing but was'nt sure what it really meant. To be honest, after the patch I was doing the same thing for quite a bit. Drop bane on a mob, if that did'nt kill them, by the time they run at you, fully charged Burning Light, any one standing gets Smite, rinse and repeat. Also I have noticed the Dailies seem to charge faster, normally I kind of saved them before, but panicked on one encounter then I thought "great should have saved it", but it charged in no time.

netherdragon · January 2021

ultramath#3953 said:

cisticola said:

Edit - Went back to my level 61, the new player experience really was not working for me. My Paladin is quite surviveable, but the damage output is attrocious. Smite and Burning light seem to be what's saving my bacon. Bane just annoys things and does little damage. Not given up, try different set ups, see what might work I guess.
OOOOO maybe I can help! Just gotta ask: are you paying any special attention to being in a "purple zone" that gives you combat advantage against your enemies? Are you using a fighting companion that can help you get a "purple zone" in the first place? I noticed that a lot of players haven't caught on to how important CA is now after the patch, and also how augment companions are not really all that great anymore, even though they were the best thing ever for a long time.

Even a white ranked freebie companion can make a huge difference in damage for you if you have been ignoring CA after the patch and running with an augment still. The companion may not be doing massive damage for you, but just being able to get CA will almost double your DPS in the current system!

What's the difference between an augment and fighting companion? Does the minstrel count as a fighting companion because that's what I use.

jules · January 2021

netherdragon#0997 said:

ultramath#3953 said:

cisticola said:

Edit - Went back to my level 61, the new player experience really was not working for me. My Paladin is quite surviveable, but the damage output is attrocious. Smite and Burning light seem to be what's saving my bacon. Bane just annoys things and does little damage. Not given up, try different set ups, see what might work I guess.
OOOOO maybe I can help! Just gotta ask: are you paying any special attention to being in a "purple zone" that gives you combat advantage against your enemies? Are you using a fighting companion that can help you get a "purple zone" in the first place? I noticed that a lot of players haven't caught on to how important CA is now after the patch, and also how augment companions are not really all that great anymore, even though they were the best thing ever for a long time.

Even a white ranked freebie companion can make a huge difference in damage for you if you have been ignoring CA after the patch and running with an augment still. The companion may not be doing massive damage for you, but just being able to get CA will almost double your DPS in the current system!

What's the difference between an augment and fighting companion? Does the minstrel count as a fighting companion because that's what I use.

Augments add a bit more stats to you, but they don't fight. So, they don't help you other than giving you stats.
There is @rainer#8575 's Pocketwiki under "Augment Enhancement" you can see a list of augments and why people chose certain ones over others.

cisticola · January 2021

Using Burning Light, Banishment and Smite on my Pally. Works well. Although I feel like I'm now playing The Secret World (not the reboot, the old game), Each encounter is dangerous, stun, dodge, strike, stun, get distance, strike. This is not D&D as I know it and is causing fatigue very quickly

sagakaiyume · January 2021

If you're not already, try joining a guild. Boons will help increase important stats for you while increase your hp 40k+ and add some damage to you. Might be able to find some people who can help run with you or teach you some tricks to leveling faster, may even have some guildies who are willing to throw some beginner stuff at you, rank 9s, crafted gear ect (Its what I do whenever we have new guildies join).

I feel a bit helpless

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