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Warlock Overhaul
legend
Member Posts: 31 Arc User
Hello Everyone:
Its been a while since I've posted. But after my return, I started thinking of warlock's encounters, at-wills, and daily abilities in comparison with other classes. As we know, they are only two classes with "control" features embedded in them for AoE purposes - Wizards and Rangers. Wizards can freeze, slow, stunt, lift, and knock players off balance - All while making powers fluid in usage w/o being stuck in animation due to lack of animations. Rangers can trapped, slow, and stunt NPCs - Also empower players with CA, and defense which is great!
Warlocks have in essence derailed from their purpose in D&D environment. Their ghastly pet isn't much use - hence why class feature to remain permanently active isn't selected. Furthermore, lack of damage in ST and AOE leaves much to be desired. In any event, the purpose is not to talk about pet but rather powers warlocks can be invested to be given usage in AoE and ST other than DPS for crowd control purposes.
Current CC we have:
Hadars' Grasp - decent, low base dmg, holding timer is low in comparison to Wizards. ST
Arms of Hadars - Cumbersome, useless power, its timer stacking functionality is horrible. Front Cone - AOE - Does not take SS into consideration to reduce its timer.
It would be interesting to modify warlocks to reduce awareness and accuracy off mobs. For instance, our curse can reduce a mob's awareness and accuracy in addition to making it susceptible to our damage. A trigger of disorientation similar to the "scare" power some mobs execute at the AoE level. We need these long animations to be removed or reduced and provide some fluid functions to our powers: Arms is horrendous; Hellring is clumsy; Infernal Flames does not do the damage it claims, Dreadtheft SHOULD be a radiating blast. No powers should last longer than 0.5-0.7 to cast.
Our dailies are a joke too: Only two dailies are worth using - Soul Siphon (AoE) and Tyrannical Curse (ST/AoE blend for boss). I would like Gates of Hell to be AoE based like 30'-50' to sucking everyone up to the center (gates) and knocking them - As oppose to its current form which is clumsy and difficult to cast, plus takes a lot of time. Brood of Hadars & Flames of Phlegethos are not true to their damage. One of these two, should be a ST HIGH instant damage.
In any event, these are some of the issues I've been thinking. I can go into more details, but again...
A wishful warlock,
-Legend
Its been a while since I've posted. But after my return, I started thinking of warlock's encounters, at-wills, and daily abilities in comparison with other classes. As we know, they are only two classes with "control" features embedded in them for AoE purposes - Wizards and Rangers. Wizards can freeze, slow, stunt, lift, and knock players off balance - All while making powers fluid in usage w/o being stuck in animation due to lack of animations. Rangers can trapped, slow, and stunt NPCs - Also empower players with CA, and defense which is great!
Warlocks have in essence derailed from their purpose in D&D environment. Their ghastly pet isn't much use - hence why class feature to remain permanently active isn't selected. Furthermore, lack of damage in ST and AOE leaves much to be desired. In any event, the purpose is not to talk about pet but rather powers warlocks can be invested to be given usage in AoE and ST other than DPS for crowd control purposes.
Current CC we have:
Hadars' Grasp - decent, low base dmg, holding timer is low in comparison to Wizards. ST
Arms of Hadars - Cumbersome, useless power, its timer stacking functionality is horrible. Front Cone - AOE - Does not take SS into consideration to reduce its timer.
It would be interesting to modify warlocks to reduce awareness and accuracy off mobs. For instance, our curse can reduce a mob's awareness and accuracy in addition to making it susceptible to our damage. A trigger of disorientation similar to the "scare" power some mobs execute at the AoE level. We need these long animations to be removed or reduced and provide some fluid functions to our powers: Arms is horrendous; Hellring is clumsy; Infernal Flames does not do the damage it claims, Dreadtheft SHOULD be a radiating blast. No powers should last longer than 0.5-0.7 to cast.
Our dailies are a joke too: Only two dailies are worth using - Soul Siphon (AoE) and Tyrannical Curse (ST/AoE blend for boss). I would like Gates of Hell to be AoE based like 30'-50' to sucking everyone up to the center (gates) and knocking them - As oppose to its current form which is clumsy and difficult to cast, plus takes a lot of time. Brood of Hadars & Flames of Phlegethos are not true to their damage. One of these two, should be a ST HIGH instant damage.
In any event, these are some of the issues I've been thinking. I can go into more details, but again...
A wishful warlock,
-Legend
4
Comments
Lastly while trying do some master content i was rejected when people saw that i'am warlock ...
Get to queue group and then remove because i'am not wizard...
I also feel that my dmg went down and cannot get a good results with dps.
Even if i get my rotation quite nice with spamming ecounters, can't be a good dps ;(
Hope so it's gonna change finally because Warlock is mine main DPS and i like playing with him but now i jsut move him aside because Wizards is BEST atm and even if i have lower IL and stats i can make a ton more dmg with wizard.
Warlock is weak in dps? I think it is top3 DPS for now. Not saying about CC and overal gameplay, but in term of pure DPS Warlock is good dps.
Top dps are Wizard( thauma) .. Rogue, ranger, then barbie and also lets not forget bard.
Warlock can outdps above mentioned classes only if you met two conditions..
1) You can oneshot enemies, more less you steal kills and thus make others without enemies to hit/kill.
2) Above mentioned players trolling. Don't even bother to do dps and just want to be carried through content.
Can warlock do decent dmg. Yes.. But above mentioned classes will do better anyways..
Take same gear, same iL, and rogue you can easily do 30%++ more dmg than what you do with warlock..
Thauma wiz easily 50%+++++ more dmg without any problems.
Reasons? Simply there are game mechanics which are broken, and bugs are not adressed.. And some glitches which get ignored..
So if you want for warlock to match other dps classes.. First of all need make sure that devs fix games core Mechanics.
Once these mechanics got fixed, and I mean for real fixed not try put random change and call a day..
Then all classes performance will set in corret way and then will be clear which ones need to buff and which ones need to nerf...
Balancing classes up to one class which big dmg comes from broken mechanic. It's same as try build house in middle of ocean..
Now do warlock need rework as class.. Ohh yes.. There are some mecahnics and abilites which are qustionable and some are just obvious trolling.
There are also issues with Hellbringer( dps) path too..
In the end, what I think k devs need to do is simply sit and talk with warlock players. And I mean with warlock players who actually play with this class. Not those who have like 20+ warlock alts but never do actuall game content.
Come sit, lets talk, and the work on changes.. Instead drop some random changes and call a day...
“The masses have never thirsted after truth. Whoever can supply them with illusions is easily their master; whoever attempts to destroy their illusions is always their victim.
Gustave Le Bon.
==================================================
Warlock is:
1) Item dependents, you need to find REALLY right item to play and CORRECT LIMITED feats, power setups to be on top.
2) Envenomed Journal for AP gain, primal boots and other AP gain stuffs to spam the daily damage increase +15% increased damage. BOA (outdated) or Scintillant Pendant/Sash etc.
3) NO CC, just pure damage and other understanding players will not blame the Warlocks for no CC with clumsy DOT damages that it gives NO BURST damage for DPS check.
Thus, it is a difficult class not as versatile as a wizard and I think it needs some serious fixing for Warlocks to make it as versatile as a Wizard to stay competitive.
Soulweaver is good example what happens if you try convert one class to do what other class do..
Soulweaver powers mimic/copy what paldin/cleric powers do.. And how it ended up?? Well, in mod 16~17 soulweaver was brushed aside as irrelevant class.
Cleric have higher magnitudes and can regenerate divinity by holding TAB.. Warlock can't do that... Also warlocks barrier override other shield and even own barier...
So in attempt to mimic paladin shield all get messed up...
So do you want same outcome for Hellbringer ( dps) warlocK??
If you have two or more classes who does same thing in same way,, players will pick one and discard others.. Thats general rule for all mmo rpg games.. That's why all classes are build to have slighly different play style, at least if you want to make them relevant..
Also just think for moment,, if you have warlock who does same thing ( CC fiesta) and wizard does same thing.. Then one class get picked by players and other get sacrificed..
That is not a balance..
Quick story about warlock... When it was introduced in mod 4.. ( hellbringer path). Unlike Wizard who had lot of CC, x4 encounter slots and fast casting. I t had massive damage per hit, longer cool downs and curse (legacy tab mechanic) to boost up dealt dmg further. But also in exchange warlock lacked CC.
And in that time, we lacked CC for real.
We had only 2 CC encounters, warith shadow ( legacy) and Harrostorm( legacy)..
Harrowstorm.
https://neverwinter.fandom.com/wiki/Harrowstorm_(SW)
Aoe fire dps, and if apply curse ( legacy tab key mechanic) dps effect converted to single target CC...
For most time, it was unpractical to use this encounter for CC.. And even for dps was not so grea, cuz you could not boost up dealt dmg via curse..
And second CC was, Wraith Shadow -
https://neverwinter.fandom.com/wiki/Wraith's_Shadow_(SW)
You apply curse, then cast this encounter and then recast/activate it. And you get ~1.2s AoE CC. And all casting time to reach it was like 4s. So 4s to get 1s CC.. That was a suicide in pvp.. And also to call it AoE was more a joke.. At best 3 enemies get CC nothing more.. But even this CC was like tiny/mini lag spike than real CC..
So as you can see, at that time we indeed lacked CC..
The Arm of Hadar and Hadar Grasp were added in mod 6. When lv cap got increased from 60 to 70 . And after life steal ( legacy mechanic) nerf warlocks was in so bad postion, that roughly 80~85% of all warlocks either quit game or moved to other classes.
So developers added additional CC abilties..
Now Hadar Grasp story is very simple.. It is coppy of Wizards Etangling Force encounters... But in excahnge of that, wizard got DIsintigrate which if you notice using kinda same mechanic as warlocks killing flame encounter...
And as for Arm of Hadar its simply attempt to mimic same effect as wizards legacy encounter Shard of the Endless Avalanche.
Then main thing was that Warlock lesser CC but more dps.
Wizard more CC but lesser dmg..
So do warlocks lack CC?
For Soulweavers I think could be done. But not just bluntly add CC.
Here is example.
And instead casting hellfire, soulweaver would cast pool of shadows, which would use Spider web mechanic.. That's mean slow down enemies within it's effect area... Also syphoning enemies HP and restoring alies HP..
KInda Vampiric embrace but work as DoT..
Also as for consideration can be added that affected enemies would also do reduced damage.. So it would be usefull not just agains adds/trash in dungeons, but also would be usefull against CC immune enemies like bosses or golems...
Also it's free of Soulweave use, Aka regular cool down and etc.
Now as you notice, I made it locked for Soulweaver only, so it will not make different for Hellbringer..
Other thing this mean this encounter will give additional healing power which would not be locked to Soulweave mechanic( rescource).
And main thing is that thing encounter would provide heal/cc but in slighly different way as how other classes do..
The reason why temptation warlock were popular is not due insane healing.. Paladins could reach similar healing anyways.. But cuz it was doing all in different way then Cleric or paladin. It was healing via dps, and supporting via debufing.
With mod 16 it was attempt to rework Soulweaver to do healing in same way as how cleric/paladin do.. And it was whole reason why in mod 16~17 was pushed aside and irrelevant class.
Why play with clone who try mimic something, if you play original anyways???
Also adding more CC to Hellbringer, it will not make it do more dmg... Instead try look way to match up x class in dps, make sure that x class powers work how it should in first place. Cuz otherwise any attempt to balance broken class is nothing more but try build house on quicksand. Good attempt but always end up in bad way.
I understand that ohh but Warlock seems doing less dmg.. I see that. While this game is not my main does not mean I do not log in time to time. To check whats going on..
And I can assure you, the whole reason why wizards does massive dmg, why rogues does massive damage and even ranger and bard can do big dmg, is cuz some game mechanics are broken.
And one mechanic actually is also responsable why there are times that players got oneshoted.
But if devs fix these game mechanics, all class balances issues with reset. And all will start fall in their suposed postions..
“The masses have never thirsted after truth. Whoever can supply them with illusions is easily their master; whoever attempts to destroy their illusions is always their victim.
Gustave Le Bon.
==================================================
another thing I really want to see is being support not in general/typical way, but via debuff/buff/dps etc - it sounds SOOOOO way more interesting.
Good story, very good!