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New players will not stay if they play with GWF.

mconosrepmconosrep Member Posts: 0 Arc User
edited April 2013 in PvE Discussion
This isn't (quite) a QQ thread but more to emphasis something which I think is going to be highly relevant as of the 30th. Namely that at low levels the GWF will be quite painful to level for new players, many of whom will gravitate towards the guy wielding a massive 2-handed weapon, and they will most likely end up being very disappointed. And when newer players first experience of a F2P game is negative, the aren't likely to bother sticking around. Which is a shame as i really like this game and thnk it has great potential.

Thanks to being a founder, and so getting a companion and a starting weapon that was pretty good until around level 20, my experience of GWF was underwhelming (pot addiction here I come) until I was able to save up enough to get the cleric hireling, but not so bad that it totally put me off. After getting the Cleric companion things were actually okay, and although the DPS never felt great, not having to be paranoid about taking damage (and constantly having to drink pots) made things more fun.

However without a (self-healing) companion to take some aggro from the start AND a great starting weapon, new players are going to have an extremely rough time and have to spend a fortune on pots which will delay the time when they can get a healer companion. Also having to work like hell just to avoid begin last placed in DPS is just dispiriting. Frankly I think a lot of them will go sod this and just move onto another game, which can hardly be in anyone's interests.

I know that none of the points here are new, but I haven't seen a post in the forum that has made this argument in quite this fashion. I hope PW will take a good look at how hard it will be for new (non-founder) GWF players without a freebie companion and a great starting weapon, and consider appropriate (low level) changes.
Post edited by mconosrep on
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Comments

  • mmoplaya1971mmoplaya1971 Member Posts: 158 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    Agreed. Great Weapon Failure is saddening. I feel like I wasted my weekend and my headstart. I will stick with it though, hoping they make some tweaks.

    Incidentally I did almost drop NWO last night at the height of my anger after busting my @SS to avoid last place in a dungeon. Again. When I saw that even the healer beat me in the damage chart I logged out and played Age of Wushu for 4 hours and actually had funs. Now that I am cooled off, I genuinely hope the situation improves. I want to play the game, but when you experience the kind of suckage a GWF does in PVP and PVE, it is hard to stay happy. I had hoped it changes at level 60, but I see many posts to the contrary so I am discouraged.
  • idontcomehereidontcomehere Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 156 Bounty Hunter
    edited April 2013
    You didnt think that big weapon was for offense did you ? What part about "are your enemies not dying fast enough? TRY GWF!" did you think meant 'offensive' class, on his page? Mo like terrible-weapon-fighter.
  • mythrildragonmythrildragon Member Posts: 138 Bounty Hunter
    edited April 2013
    GWF= Gimped Weapon Fighter
  • tekarutekaru Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    I agree.
    Seasoned MMO players will understand this. I've tried so many different MMOs, but I usually have the patience/curiosity to try multiple classes that first day or two. I can't say how many times my opinion of an MMO drastically changed (for the better) AFTER I switched to a class that was so much more fun to play.

    But I doubt many people out there are going to have that attitude. As the OP stated, they're going to gravitate towards the GWF, try it, and QQ/uninstall and never look back.

    PWE/Cryptic needs to fix this.
  • ebonsonebonson Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    So I've been holding back on the GWF posts because I haven't played one since BW3. So over the weekend I rolled one and got him to his early 20s which is where I got my BW3 one to and it doesn't feel like much has changed. I wasn't happy being stuck with the charge-up aoe attack for 20 levels because it is the worst attack ever but it also sucked in the betas so there's that. Anyway I'm in the early 20s, never died, have well over 50 potions I've collected (haven't bought any) and I'm not finding it very hard at all.

    I did notice that my killing speed slowed just before 20 but that's probably a combination of me picking up the healing companion and my greycloak weapons leveling out. With the cleric slave I can pretty much face tank most encounters but I might go back to the wolf to speed up the killing. I know Rogues kill faster but they should, that's how they made them. I'm going to make a CW to compare them to the GWF as I feel they should have similar damage but as it is now I'd still level up the GWF it hasn't been a total turn off as some make it seem. I'm starting to wonder what they expected of the class or maybe I'm just use to playing gimped classed in MMOs (I have the worst luck picking classes sometimes).
  • teethxteethx Member Posts: 219 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    this much is true if you mean new to the whole D&D stuff, they will not even notice until one of two things happen.

    one: they get up in levels, lets say 20s then they group up and do a dungeon. During that dungeon they will feel like they are doing really good but notice during boss fights they cant hold agro off the healer not even for a minute. Then at the end of the fighting for the last boss they notice the healer out damage them in the whole dungeon.

    two: they realize they are having to take like 30+ pots per major solo encounter and might die often.

    after that they will want to reroll something else. The class plays very fun but it is not effective at all for anyone.
  • cronis10000cronis10000 Member Posts: 79 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    I played GWF over the beta weekends, it was very annoying and frustrating to play. I have since beta decided to bite the bullet and build a GWF.

    I have as of last night hit 43 and I have to say, yes I take damage BUT I can decimate the hell out of tons of mobs now. If you are looking to play this class and want instant gratification, go play a rogue. If you want a class that has lots of cool talents and takes abit to get used to and build up. Then try one.

    I would say from my own personal experience, it was not until the 30's that this class began to show its stuff. Basically the same time your Paragon trees open up.

    Overall I am very happy I am lvling up as a GWF and do look forward to playing him at 60.
  • monarrchmonarrch Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 164 Bounty Hunter
    edited April 2013
    Agreed. Great Weapon Failure is saddening. I feel like I wasted my weekend and my headstart. I will stick with it though, hoping they make some tweaks.

    Incidentally I did almost drop NWO last night at the height of my anger after busting my @SS to avoid last place in a dungeon. Again. When I saw that even the healer beat me in the damage chart I logged out and played Age of Wushu for 4 hours and actually had funs. Now that I am cooled off, I genuinely hope the situation improves. I want to play the game, but when you experience the kind of suckage a GWF does in PVP and PVE, it is hard to stay happy. I had hoped it changes at level 60, but I see many posts to the contrary so I am discouraged.

    As a damage spec GW, level 16, I place right above the healer in damage so don't think you are alone.
  • k4131k4131 Member Posts: 18 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    the problem is because the TR is so good at killing while barely getting hit it makes Godly Wimpy Failure look so much worse. make there charged attack do more dps and there defense better and that would be far above what it is now.
  • abloecabloec Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Hero Users Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    I love how I continue to see people saying the GWF is good, yet they seem to be only talking about solo play. Yes a GWF can tank alil better then TR and CW but go into a dungeon and than claim there isn't an issue. Also I have a 60 GWF and it doesn't change. Hell theres videos out there of GWF's doing epic dungeons and the damage is usually always the same. GWF third and TR and CW either first or second. The thing people seem to be forgetting is a GWF is also a dps, DPS classes damage should equal out to similar figures. Saying the TR is fine because thats what it is ment to do is just total bull****. Like I stated in my post a rogues AT WILL(duelist's flurry) attack can do more damage than a GWFs most powerful daily.
  • travismogtravismog Member Posts: 18 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    abloec wrote: »
    The thing people seem to be forgetting is a GWF is also a dps, DPS classes damage should equal out to similar figures. Saying the TR is fine because thats what it is ment to do is just total bull****. Like I stated in my post a rogues AT WILL(duelist's flurry) attack can do more damage than a GWFs most powerful daily.

    You are incorrect, the GFW is not a DPS class. In fact the only DPS class in the game is TR. So to say that the GFW should have equal DPS to TR is incorrect. TR should be the highest DPS class in the game. However GFW should have better survival then the TR. GFW should be equal to CW in terms of DPS but less squishy and less CC.

    Overall you and many many others on these forums do not understand the class roles in D&D. The GFW is a Defender class, TR is a Striker class and CW is a Controller class. D&D roles are different then the classic Tank, Heals, DPS & Support most are used to in a MMO.

    Striker role = DPS role
    Defender role = Tank role
    Leader role = Healer/Support role
    Controller role = Support role
  • arixar2arixar2 Member Posts: 21 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    The real problem is that you do not need tanks in this game to finish an instance;)

    Also DPS of thieves doesn't really matter, anyone with a brain would take a CW for damage over a TR any day;)
  • abloecabloec Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Hero Users Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    travismog wrote: »
    You are incorrect, the GFW is not a DPS class. In fact the only DPS class in the game is TR. So to say that the GFW should have equal DPS to TR is incorrect. TR should be the highest DPS class in the game. However GFW should have better survival then the TR. GFW should be equal to CW in terms of DPS but less squishy and less CC.

    Overall you and many many others on these forums do not understand the class roles in D&D. The GFW is a Defender class, TR is a Striker class and CW is a Controller class. D&D roles are different then the classic Tank, Heals, DPS & Support most are used to in a MMO.

    Striker role = DPS role
    Defender role = Tank role
    Leader role = Healer/Support role
    Controller role = Support role

    Well **** if thats true thats fine with me, I first built mine to tank but guess what. The GWF CANNOT tank, sure they can build some survivability but their threat generation is ****. I was tank spec in a epic dungeon where a cleric decided to open a mimic chest. I could not pull agro off this cleric the whole time I was killing it while all he was doing was just running around healing. I had every single threat boosting feat and still it didn't even look at me even after he knocked the cleric down. Also just an FYI the way Cryptic/Perfect World portrays the GWF in their GWF preview is as a DPS class. http://nw.perfectworld.com/news/?p=859381. So please stop with the rogues are fine bull****. Oh and a good CW can out DPS a GWF every time.
  • idontcomehereidontcomehere Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 156 Bounty Hunter
    edited April 2013
    Hes listed as a SECONDARY defender, primary DAMAGE DEALER. 'Fighter' is listed as a 'defender' thats why we have two kinds, guardian for defense and GWF for offense. Doing less damage than a CW is insane since they're ranged anyways. The only possible reason i can think of why they make GWF's so weak is that Barbarian will be added later and they'll be a 2h weapon striker and more frail.
  • travismogtravismog Member Posts: 18 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    Hes listed as a SECONDARY defender, primary DAMAGE DEALER. 'Fighter' is listed as a 'defender' thats why we have two kinds, guardian for defense and GWF for offense. Doing less damage than a CW is insane since they're ranged anyways. The only possible reason i can think of why they make GWF's so weak is that Barbarian will be added later and they'll be a 2h weapon striker and more frail.


    I agree GWFs should have DPS on par with CWs. I also agree that GWFs need more defensive buffs. They should be able to take a lot more hits then they current can and they should have better threat if built defensively. A GWF built for defense should be on par with a GF. There is some tweaks that need to happen for sure and I hope Cryptic sticks to the 4e rule set and does not mess this up. The game is after all supposed be a D&D based MMO.
  • hokonosohokonoso Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Hero Users Posts: 40
    edited April 2013
    travismog wrote: »
    I agree GWFs should have DPS on par with CWs. I also agree that GWFs need more defensive buffs. They should be able to take a lot more hits then they current can and they should have better threat if built defensively. A GWF built for defense should be on par with a GF. There is some tweaks that need to happen for sure and I hope Cryptic sticks to the 4e rule set and does not mess this up. The game is after all supposed be a D&D based MMO.

    as a CW i think GWF should have MORE dmg than me, especially in pvp since i can literally kill him without getting hit once with all my CC... they are melee, melee should have more dps than ranged period, i get to start at 80m they dont get to start til they somehow make it to melee range... rogues do fine but these gimp fighters dont do anything! they are always last place in dungeons, beat by both the cleric and tank (unless lazy cleric ofc) and it's just so pathetic!!!

    sad part is,t hey are fine until they made it so their dmg was static no matter the number of mobs... they need to revert that nerf so that if they swing for 100 on one enemy than with 5 enemies they should do 500 not 100 as they do now... as a CW my lightning strike will hit 1 target for 1000 and hit 50 targets for 50,000, ive cleared entire rooms with my big aoe spells with a single cast this way... GWF would do less than 1 dmg to each enemy if that many came on the screen... so pathetic...
    What is democrazy? It is a government in which the ruling power is given to whoever is most skillful at directing the herd instincts of the largest masses of their most ignorant citizens.
    --Nom Anor
  • kotlikotli Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Hero Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users, Neverwinter Knight of the Feywild Users Posts: 577
    edited April 2013
    Hes listed as a SECONDARY defender, primary DAMAGE DEALER. 'Fighter' is listed as a 'defender' thats why we have two kinds, guardian for defense and GWF for offense. Doing less damage than a CW is insane since they're ranged anyways. The only possible reason i can think of why they make GWF's so weak is that Barbarian will be added later and they'll be a 2h weapon striker and more frail.

    The problem is he not a defender or a striker (DPS) but a hybrid of the two and as such is underpowered at both.
    The other 4 classes are primary at there roles.
  • akostisakostis Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 56
    edited April 2013
    abloec wrote: »
    Well **** if thats true thats fine with me, I first built mine to tank but guess what. The GWF CANNOT tank, sure they can build some survivability but their threat generation is ****. I was tank spec in a epic dungeon where a cleric decided to open a mimic chest. I could not pull agro off this cleric the whole time I was killing it while all he was doing was just running around healing. I had every single threat boosting feat and still it didn't even look at me even after he knocked the cleric down. Also just an FYI the way Cryptic/Perfect World portrays the GWF in their GWF preview is as a DPS class. http://nw.perfectworld.com/news/?p=859381. So please stop with the rogues are fine bull****. Oh and a good CW can out DPS a GWF every time.

    The Class Release Trailer also eluded to a DPS type character as well. Not to mention they cheapened one of the skills. (Mighty Leap) should have been (Reaver). I was hoping to toss my big sword at a mob before leapoing in to do AOE damage. Apparently they felt the needed to leave that out of game. :(

    Regards
  • ebonsonebonson Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    I have noticed the GWF does have some core gameplay problems. One is that their utility power: Sprint is probably the worst when used as a defensive power as it doesn't keep you from getting hit at all, it reality it's no different than if you just moved away. It can however be used to get in and out of combat as well as help chase down runners so it's not totally useless. I think Sprint should give some major damage reduction if not outright immunity while active.

    The second is armor class (AC) it seems that the melee classes have a huge disadvantage in NWO because there's no "to hit" roll. If you're in range and don't dodge you will be hit by the attack this makes high AC almost useless. Yea it adds more damage resistance but the difference between a wizard and a GWF is about 10% and that's a huge drop compared to having minions outright miss you. Maybe this is how 4E is? GWF feels this disadvantage the most because they can't block or dodge they have to move away and get hit while doing so.

    Third is that they are sold as a aoe class but have the biggest aoe penalties with the damage spread vs many targets. It does seem strange they would do this to one class but not to others, they need to make it universal or remove it.


    These 3 issues are the ones that stood out the most to me. The GWF's base damage is fine IMO but when you take into account the aoe penalties and compare them to a aoe class like the CW that doesn't have this, it makes the GWF look doubly bad.


    Actually one more thing... Reaping Strike is terrible. The GWF can't afford to stand still for long and this attack just doesn't put out enough damage to warrant the damage you take charging it up. I'm pretty sure this is why they changed it and made it one of you're first powers or else no one would take it. One fix is to allow the GWF to use Sprint while charging this power up. Well it's more of a band-aid than a fix but at least it can make it a little useful then.
  • warpetwarpet Member Posts: 1,969 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    i still wonder who had genius idea to make so bad nerf on gwf,if he was doing to much dps why not then just nerf damage ,now whit this split damage idea they ruin it
  • akostisakostis Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 56
    edited April 2013
    Bottom line is that they Over Nerffed just like devs always do in most MMO's. They take a class that is Gear dependent to begin with (like all MMO Melee classes) and nerf the hell outta them so they are basically useless. I hope the fix em.

    Regards
  • idontcomehereidontcomehere Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 156 Bounty Hunter
    edited April 2013
    Hopefully they get that by now... The game just came out, imbalances are to be expected, and sometimes its more obvious than others, but their will never come a time that they'll stop tweaking classes. Roll with what you love.
  • infi321infi321 Member Posts: 311 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    ebonson wrote: »
    I have noticed the GWF does have some core gameplay problems. One is that their utility power: Sprint is probably the worst when used as a defensive power as it doesn't keep you from getting hit at all, it reality it's no different than if you just moved away. It can however be used to get in and out of combat as well as help chase down runners so it's not totally useless. I think Sprint should give some major damage reduction if not outright immunity while active.

    The second is armor class (AC) it seems that the melee classes have a huge disadvantage in NWO because there's no "to hit" roll. If you're in range and don't dodge you will be hit by the attack this makes high AC almost useless. Yea it adds more damage resistance but the difference between a wizard and a GWF is about 10% and that's a huge drop compared to having minions outright miss you. Maybe this is how 4E is? GWF feels this disadvantage the most because they can't block or dodge they have to move away and get hit while doing so.

    Third is that they are sold as a aoe class but have the biggest aoe penalties with the damage spread vs many targets. It does seem strange they would do this to one class but not to others, they need to make it universal or remove it.


    These 3 issues are the ones that stood out the most to me. The GWF's base damage is fine IMO but when you take into account the aoe penalties and compare them to a aoe class like the CW that doesn't have this, it makes the GWF look doubly bad.


    Actually one more thing... Reaping Strike is terrible. The GWF can't afford to stand still for long and this attack just doesn't put out enough damage to warrant the damage you take charging it up. I'm pretty sure this is why they changed it and made it one of you're first powers or else no one would take it. One fix is to allow the GWF to use Sprint while charging this power up. Well it's more of a band-aid than a fix but at least it can make it a little useful then.

    I agree with everything you said!
    "Your story may not last forever; but it will exist forever"
  • fongadorfongador Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 264 Bounty Hunter
    edited April 2013
    Eh...saying they won't stay may be a bit strong. What I would say is many will end up deleting them or rerolling. I know when I played in beta I trashed my GWF and went with CW instread. Much happier and more enjoyable times in game. GWF is definitely in my opinion the least enjoyable class in the game.

    1. Lackluster skills
    2. Weak damage output considering the intent of the class
    3. Their "escape animation" blows. A sprint? Really? Why not at least a power parry or something to mitigate damage when they're capable?
  • trayaltrayal Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 1 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    During Beta Weekend 1, the GWF was a decent amount of fun.

    The at-will that is basically an AOE baseball swing with a two-handed sword (the name eludes me right now) was worth the wind up, because it made you feel powerful. WHen you hit a trash mob they usually died from a full charge, and their corpses went flying off a few feet.

    Then BW3 rolled around, the skill was greatly reduced in power, and you are very unlikely to kill any enemies with it, even on a full charge. This means you no longer get those awesome grandslam swings with enemies going flying. Even though they were only trash mobs, it gave a great illusion of power.

    The GWF itself seems to be at odds with it's core mechanics. One of the class skills grants you more damage for every enemy you hit after the 3rd, yet the majority of the GWF skills have drastically reduced damage for every additional enemy you hit.

    I'm sure Cryptic will figure it out, they were able to rebalance Cannons into being fun /and/ powerful again in STO, so I'm sure they can figure out a class that is a damage dealer (by their own definitions on this site), that currently doesn't do much damage in the early goings, and only semi-decent damage in the later levels.
  • paragon33paragon33 Member Posts: 134 Bounty Hunter
    edited April 2013
    lol... they are late bloomers is all. They wreck face *sigh. Ive even seen low to mid ones **** mobs. And yet this Q keeps popping up.
  • a35sea35se Member Posts: 18 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    As a level 60, ~7k GS, GWF .... ya'll don't have a clue what you're talking about. Spec well, use the right gear and the class really opens up in the endgame. You're not quite catching the rogues but you'll easily score a competitively close 2nd on the meter in epic content. Relax.
  • townherotownhero Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    I am going to play GWF tomorrow but I only plan on playing this game for a week anyway so I wont care when I quit. I def understand this post though, I played beta GWF and it was awesome. I heard its now just a piece of <font color="orange">HAMSTER</font> class.
  • purutzilpurutzil Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    Most players looking to enjoy the game won't care. I personally roll whatever class I like. In the end, balance wise it will likely end up shining anyways and I'll be ready, enjoying the game just fine even without it.
    GWF level 60 (Beholder) - The pains of leveling!
    Cleric level 5X (Dragon) - Holy goblin so much easier!
  • nyxelia666nyxelia666 Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Hero Users Posts: 5 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    i find it funny how many people just complain about it being a crappy class.
    most of you haven't even reached 60 jet.
    i played a gwf since cbt 2, reached 60 on sunday and am now fully t1 geared.
    if the gwf wasn't adjusted by the defs before, it would outdamage any rogue by about 10% or more, which is a bit stupid as it being a hybrid class.. yes a HYBRID
    i have jet to experience any encounter that wasn't tank-able with my dmg gear and specc, btw i run in a group-setup without a guardian so i'm the tank and 2nd in damage, after any good geared rogue by roughly 20%.
    if you think it's underpowered then you're probably doing something wrong.
    though i must admit that it was a good challenge to get him to level cap soloing, it's not balanced around soloing

    Nyx
    Xe'Luna White - 60 GWF - GS: 10.257 - offensive build and still tanking
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