Key information, found
here, that we should all review:
Class ChangesGeneral Changes
Power has been reworked. Power was very difficult for players to understand before, so we have made it more clear by having it give a damage multiplier based on your level.
Players will now be able to more accurately gauge the value of Power on their equipment and how it impacts their performance for both damage and healing.
Great Weapon Fighter
Great Weapon Fighter Feats have been adjusted to move more damage deep into the Destroyer tree to make it more viable for a pure DPS build while reducing the damage that Sentinels can do so easily from early in on feat trees.
Steely Defense: This feat now correctly grants 4/8/12/16/20%.
Battle Awareness: Savage advance now grants shorter cooldowns for 15 seconds (up from 5).
Deep Gash: This feat can no longer crit. This feat now applies a bleed that ticks for 4/8/12/16/20% of your Power (up from 3/6/9/12/15%).
Deep Gash: This feat no longer gains additional damage from the power that applies it.
Deep Gash: This power no longer ticks immediately upon application. New applications will not reset the tick timer. Additionally this DoT now lasts 6 seconds (up from 5). It still ticks 6 times total.
Destroyer's Purpose: This feat now grants an additional effect. When you deal damage while Unstoppable, you gain a stack of Destroyer's Purpose (max 20). Each stack of Destroyer's Purpose increases your damage by 1%. Destroyer's Purpose lasts 20 seconds."
Executioner's Strike: Indomitable Battle Strike now deals a bonus 6/12/18/24/30% bonus damage as the target's health diminishes (up from 2/3/6/8/10%).
Focused Destroyer: This feat now grants an additional .5/1/1.5/2/2.5% bonus damage per stack of Destroyer.
Relentless Battle Fury: This feat now grants an additional effect. Activating Roar, Takedown, or Battle Fury now grants you Relentless. Relentless causes you to ignore an additional 1/2/3/4/5% of the target's resistance. Relentless lasts 5 seconds.
Student of the Sword: This feat has been redesigned. Your Critical Strikes now lower your target's Damage Resistance to your attacks by 1/2/3/4/5%. This effect cannot stack.
This will cut Sentinel Damage in PvP quite a bit, but I'm fine with it as I stopped using Perfect Vorpal with Tenacity.
Though for PvE, if I am reading all those juicy details of DPS correctly for my Destroyer...
Thoughts? :cool:
Comments
Essence of Aggresion
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Deep Gash: This power no longer ticks immediately upon application. New applications will not reset the tick timer. Additionally this DoT now lasts 6 seconds (up from 5). It still ticks 6 times total.
Now does this mean it will last 6 Seconds and then you'll need to reapply it, or will this allow for multiple stacks of it on the same baddie? If multiple stacks with different timers/ticks/etc...
:cool:
this:
Destroyer's Purpose: This feat now grants an additional effect. When you deal damage while Unstoppable, you gain a stack of Destroyer's Purpose (max 20). Each stack of Destroyer's Purpose increases your damage by 1%. Destroyer's Purpose lasts 20 seconds."
looks good tho
Essence of Aggresion
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But despite the changes to Deep Gash, I think the additional features to Destroyer's Purpose and Focused Destroyer and also the huge buff to Executioner's Strike are pretty awesome!
Essence of Aggresion
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1 - does not help increase the base damage of the class if it is mitigated by hitting multiple targets (or when unstoppable). we earn the same "buff on buff" won "reduction over reduction".
I hope that more than one person insist on this point. the class must be encouraged and not penalized by hitting multiple targets.
2 - a skill that theoretically would be best benefited by a supposed change in power - if it comes to best - will be reaping strike (very sensitive to the attribute). worth remembering that the class has entered a "phase unstoppable" - which pleases me - again, point to reaping strike.
the problem is that in hand against the change, a system stack (again, that does not take into account the unstoppable reduction) arises. then accumulate stacks is complicated and loses itself in the "reduction over reduction" (making gwf centered ibs, what is bad on many levels).
3 - one destroyer inevitably produce much less determination and will have far less life steal. what incredibly decrease the survival of the class, even if the damage output is greater on the balance sheet.
In any case, inevitably and irrevocably, the class will loose the initial explosion. if you do more damage, will be from 10/15 sec combat ... which is surreal considering the firepower of the cw.
continue the second best class. but absolutely dispensable.
ps:depending on how significant is the change in power, I do not doubt the gf now do more damage than gwf.
They'e putting GWF PvE damage back where it belongs. It seems like Sentinels will be having a much harder time contending with Destroyers when it comes to PvE damage output, as it should be.
I doubt this will have a significant impact on PvP builds. Perhaps Sentinels will be spending 5 points somewhere else instead of Deep Gash. It's not likely to make them weaker. I must say that I think the new Executioner's Style might help Destroyers make themselves noticed in the arena, but in general, they still won't be contending with Sentinels, as it should be.
Enforce rainbow parties in PvP ---- 10v10 PvP ----
With destroyers purpose do I still get a 10% increase to encounters while unstoppable??
If not then its not a buff at all... May actually end up being a nerf given that everything dies so fast
but again... no sinergy between reaping strike. I and the other 3 users will have problems using this Atwill.
and yeah... encounter bonus+new stack... good in paper.
now lets wait...
From what I can tell, all but the best destroyer GWF's will be undesirable for PVE. The PVP implications aren't so clear yet without testing but it's clear these are some heavy nerfs.
Good thing sentinel tanks will have their damage cut, we'll see how GWFs will perform in PvP after the changes.
Big changes, i would say. *starts thinking about how to change his build*
As for the Destroyer, I mean sure we are losing some damage via Deep Gash, but it will no longer be underwritten by a lower Crit (Like Indomitable Battle Strike crit damage immediately overwritten by a At-Will one) and the damage will be consistent and easily trackable, plus we get an extra tick. We will also be gaining 2.5% more overall damage from Focused Destroyer and up to 20% Damage from Destroyer's Purpose for 15-20 seconds when Unstoppable.
I think that will all lead to a increase in PvE Damage for Destroyer's, at least in theory!
Student of the Sword, still kinda confused about this one, now its going to be 5% MITIGATION debuff which is a lot better than defense debuff, but i'm not sure if its going to be better or worse at the end. The only real nerf if that it doesn't stack anymore. (with other GWFs)
Massive, massive DPS boost from Focused destroyer (up to 7.5% more), and destroyers purpose (effectively 15-20% dps boost).
BUT, we still have to see what will the power rework do for us.
From what they did to the GF's knight captain (from 60% to 15%) i take it they are making power more useful, and maybe adding diminishing returns after X number (hoping that number is high), or they are lowering the overall damage from skills and increasing the influence power makes to them.
Clueless as of why there are no nerfs to the CW PvE DPS.
I really hope this won't have diminishing return.
Actually, Focused Destroyer adds 12.5% more damage to the Destroyer class feature (its +2.5% more damage per stack) and it still keepts the 25% chance to activate on less than 3 mobs hit. So, that class feature now adds 24.5% damage while on max stacks.
Well, I feel stupid. Mixed up Weapon Mastery and Destroyer stacks. So, its 12% (2% base +2% from maxing the feature x 3) + 7.5% for 19.5%. Its still a decent boost.
anyone has tested this?need to know how it proc...
Its not on preview yet; impossible to test.
http://nw-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?635631-Curse-of-Icewind-Dale-Preview-Patch-Notes-NW-15-20140314a-5&p=7557111&viewfull=1#post7557111
1: I'm taking into account that the "destroyer porpouse" does not take into account the amount of enemies hit by the same attack. If you take this into account I'm being unfair and the class will be even better than it is currently in pve if used well (currently any suicidal with a vorpal is the king of dps, which is annoying ").
2: depending on how the power is recalculated, both gwf as gf jumped in terms of damage. Not to mention that maybe the bleed stick itself can work with porpouse destroyer.
But predicting the worst: it seems they did the math: "increases the bleed damage gwf in" 30% ", then I will increase the damage of gwf by 40% to compensate for possible variables.".
but these "variables" are exactly those that will interfere in the entire gameplay.
the ideas are good and finally the destroyer not have a lot of "random feets", but are ungenerous for not take into account the dynamics of the game and other classes (cw, coff, coff)
take some random statements and watch the gameplay of a nuke situation is not the best way to balance the classes. worth remembering: the gwf is constantly currently unstoppable because of the bleed stick. then this new benefit is counter productive.
I like the winds of change and cleaning. I'm just afraid taking into account the worst.
ps:Still not understand the purpose of the battle awaraness / savage advanced. enter a cycle of this feet + executioner style this is something that absolutely does not work in practice. is elegant but utterly utopian.
Ok? This is probably the only good thing, except I've heard this song before. Maybe this time it will be true.
Oh good! Now people will actually use a power that screws up PvE dungeon runs! We can all look forward to kicking jokers that see this change and then believe Savage Advance isn't terrible. (It is.)
For PvP, it will be a big deal. Sadly, without dual spec it's one more thing that causes PvP and PvE builds to deviate that much more than they already do! So I hope you guys are ready to break out your wallets! If they don't include dual spec with this 'update' I will probably just rage quit. Again.
Deep Gash is back to where it was at launch. What this means is it's a joke and you would skip it because it is going to be BAD. But you won't be able too, because all the decent alternative options were also gutted! For reference, it used to do 150 or so damage per tick. Maybe it won't be that big of a joke again, but just watch.
At 20%, it would tick for 1600 with 8000 power. (But at 15%, it should have ticked for 1200, which it never has.) So if it works as advertised it won't be total junk at the highest end of gear score, but anything before/below that will be...laughable. With a 4000 power granting a whopping 800 damage, or 5k giving 1000! WOW! (4-5k being the common 'I just got my whole T2 set' number.)
No crits allowed on Deep Gash, on a class that builds for crits/crit damage, is another reason to skip it but we'll see. Also, be prepared for each critical strike to delay the tick of Deep Gash and for there to be a 'update month' of Deep Gash doing no damage. Cryptic will screw up, and each strike will no doubt refresh Deep Gash resulting in no tick of damage. I say this, because that's been an issue before with other classes. Rimefire, I'm looking at you. (And guess what? They didn't fix that in the notes either!)
Ultimately, with the other changes, GWF will need to completely redo their itemization across the board since criticals and critical damage are now significantly worse for GWF as a design choice! So once again, get out those wallets!
I know I look forward to Deep Gash doing less damage than Icy Terrain! How about you guys?
Cool! All of this actually doesn't look that bad except it's tied to being unstoppable for your damage bonus which could work even if it's annoying. Depends how you built yourself and how the other changes end up. This change is actually interesting, I'm on board for giving it a chance anyway.
This is garbage now. It will be garbage later as far as PvE is concerned. Doesn't make up for anything lost period.
If this applies to Destroyer's Purpose stacks as well, would result in something to the tune of a 50% damage increase. Doubt it works that way though, even though we're getting over a 50% DPS nerf.
Yes, let us all put Battle Fury, Roar, and Takedown on our bar for a 5% mitigation debuff. This is sarcasm. No one who knows anything will ever do this. If they did before, they were bad; if they do it after the change, they are still bad.
This is such a giant, absolute nerf to every GWF spec and every class in the game that it's almost hard to believe. The only team debuff we had? Gone. One of the largest drivers of PvE GWF damage? Gone.
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Every target might as well have +45% armor going forward, FOR EVERY PLAYER IN NEVERWINTER!
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Well played Cryptic. Did you even think about the fact that other character classes could play off this, and do virtually any time a GWF is in the party? No. No I doubt you did.
You might not have KNOWN where that extra -45% mitigation debuff was coming from, but it was from this one Feat.
So, in essence, every single one of GWF's best feats have been gutted.
I'm not even cheesed off about the Deep Gash feat, that was clearly over performing. I'm pissed about Student of the Sword and the general ineptitude of every one of these changes outside of maybe Destroyer's Purpose. I mean, are we to believe this ability has been over performing by a gross margin for A YEAR?!?!
The Deep Gash nerf is actually the LEAST terrible thing in these notes.
Instigator is already non-viable, this just murdered what little was left.
Deep Gash: This feat can no longer crit. This feat now applies a bleed that ticks for 4/8/12/16/20% of your Power (up from 3/6/9/12/15%).
Deep Gash: This feat no longer gains additional damage from the power that applies it.
Deep Gash: This power no longer ticks immediately upon application. New applications will not reset the tick timer. Additionally this DoT now lasts 6 seconds (up from 5). It still ticks 6 times total.
Student of the Sword: This feat has been redesigned. Your Critical Strikes now lower your target's Damage Resistance to your attacks by 1/2/3/4/5%. This effect cannot stack.
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Deep Gash and Student of the sword are now history. The "Loss" part is crystal clear. Now the benefits? It would have been fair to improve the regular, direct damage of the destroyer gwf to compensate for the now extinct indirect damage.
The "destroyer" thing is when you hit "more than three", which is hilarious as it conveniently does not mention the target cap. It never happens. Never. Marginally maybe in Sharandar when attacked by four redcap gnomes.
They pretend they want to give some damage to the destro gwf? So easy, just restore the cap feat (destroyer purpose) damage bonus to 25%. Just like it was in beta.
As is, it's the PvE nerf after the PvP nerf.
To clarify what warpet is saying: