Soulmancer wrote:
Well in your opinion, what do you feel are the most important changes that should be implemented? I do like a lot of the proposed changes but some of the changes seem a bit overkill in how they would stack.
3x min spawn, nerfed crushing blow, reduced strength, reduced resistance and harder hitting bosses for instance. while one of those things alone wouldn't have a huge impact. That's a pretty intense nerf for melee classes who generally already have an advantage vs bosses and a disadvantage vs trash mobs.
The impact of skillers more come into play end game and yes I'd be interested in seeing that balanced because some caster classes become overpowered when they stock up on skillers. But in hell difficulty a lot of elemental classes do depend on a few skillers to be effective. Removing skillers is a huge drop in DPS for casters.
Hence my concerns, as it seems as of now players can become too overpowered in Hell, but if all those changes are implemented full force I'm worried hell difficulty may become pretty much impossible except for the best players with the best possible gear combinations, which is not what I want to see. I want to see a balance between the two so that players are not overpowered end game or underpowered unless they have all the best gear.
As stated I do like a lot of your changes, all I suggested was maybe toning down some of those changes or implementing something that would help offset the changes so they aren't so dramatic. Cause I know if they were all implemented in full force I'd never create a melee character if I'm going to die far easier and do a lot less damage. If people have to invest in strength there going to have less life overall- monsters inflicting more damage and players having reduced resistances. You can see the issue, while some of these ideas are fine on there own, when you stack them on top of one another it becomes "too much"
I know you've never been fond of me but I'll express my opinion anyway because I feel I'm one of the few logical people left. First of all, take this simple observation into consideration and everything makes sense. The game is too easy at it is, you designed this Mod for softcore players yet HardCore players walk all over it like dog shit in your front yard. Shouldn't that say something? The overall difficulty of the mod is very easy as is, you can't argue that. There have not been considerable changes made to improve difficulty in a long time. If you acknowledge at least this, then everything else makes sense.
Changes need to be done, whether they are "drastic" or not should not be the main concern and the balance issues you mention are hardly applicable. Melee chars do fine against trash and lets not forget the party orientation of the game, barbs aren't meant to tank and slaughter a boss all in one. The man purpose of most melee oriented characters is tanking. Crushing blow is way over powered. It's just common sense, do the math. I don't need to explain it.
A1 mercs are still ridiculous, crushing blow is way over powered, most elemental chars do WAY over kill on damage especially with skillers. Poison necs are a fine example. Let's stab diablo twice with poison dagger and watch him die, I witnessed that due to HIGH elemental damage and skillers. Rebalancing is a not simple feat, drastic changes will be necessary but in the end it will be the best for this mod and the community. You have to be willing to try, that's all I'm saying. Shooting down the possibility of change for the better over something so small as a little opposition is not the right decision. Spend a few hours.. and work with blue to build a patch that will be best for the overall community, removing skillers is an option.. increasing lvl req and rarity is another option. There are small changes that can be made with huge impact with balance issues easily being met. It requires a little work... but you have to be willing.
If your not personally interested in doing somewhat major and minor changes and won't allow Blue to do so then that is a pretty unfair standing. As far as the players who argue against the changes most of them are not experienced players and have not been around here nearly as long as most of us. The players who want changes are the more logical and much more skilled, experienced players. You should count their opinion far higher then that of any other.