This test is so half-baked

[TashaFoxx.7862]

You didn't give us access to, like, half of sigils and runes. How are we supposed to properly test builds?

[Helgaley.3619]

It's not as if much feedback was incorporated during the betas for the EOD elite specializations. On the other hand, the current test for weaponmaster is a good way to retain players after what was likely expected to be a poorly received balance patch 😉

[DarkCobalt.2849]

11 hours ago, Helgaley.3619 said:

It's not as if much feedback was incorporated during the betas for the EOD elite specializations. On the other hand, the current test for weaponmaster is a good way to retain players after what was likely expected to be a poorly received balance patch 😉

Quite the opposite to be honest. Of the few builds I've been able to test with our very limited rune access (basically only power builds), we've arrived at a the conclusion we thought would happen: many of the elite spec weapons are simply overpowered when in the hands of other specs. Herald? Use Greatsword. Renegade? Use greatsword. Mechanist? Use hammer. Power Ele on anything? Use Warhorn, and probably Sword too. Power Tempest? Use Sword. Power Anything on Warrior? Dagger everything. We're slowly approaching even greater levels of homogenization because the elite spec weapons are too strong and taking over the entire weapon pool, but at the same time they can't nerf the elite spec weapons because many elite specs were balanced around their weapons in the first place. With how much of a mess the current balance patch is, it's amazing they thought it was a good idea open these colossal floodgates. Instead of having a single moving target in regards to available weaponry on each spec, now they have 3 per class, per weapon. You adjust one, it now affects the other, thanks to the weapon being accessible on all specs. I don't really have much faith in them to properly pull this off with an expansion and even more weapons on the horizon.

Edited June 30, 2023 by DarkCobalt.2849

[The Boz.2038]

1 hour ago, DarkCobalt.2849 said:

Power Anything on Warrior? Dagger everything.

I was kinda sus about the list before this, but this one just really takes the mask off.
Nice troll. 8/10.

[TashaFoxx.7862]

2 hours ago, DarkCobalt.2849 said:

Quite the opposite to be honest. Of the few builds I've been able to test with our very limited rune access (basically only power builds), we've arrived at a the conclusion we thought would happen: many of the elite spec weapons are simply overpowered when in the hands of other specs. Herald? Use Greatsword. Renegade? Use greatsword. Mechanist? Use hammer. Power Ele on anything? Use Warhorn, and probably Sword too. Power Tempest? Use Sword. Power Anything on Warrior? Dagger everything. We're slowly approaching even greater levels of homogenization because the elite spec weapons are too strong and taking over the entire weapon pool, but at the same time they can't nerf the elite spec weapons because many elite specs were balanced around their weapons in the first place. With how much of a mess the current balance patch is, it's amazing they thought it was a good idea open these colossal floodgates. Instead of having a single moving target in regards to available weaponry on each spec, now they have 3 per class, per weapon. You adjust one, it now affects the other, thanks to the weapon being accessible on all specs. I don't really have much faith in them to properly pull this off with an expansion and even more weapons on the horizon.

Hammer mechanist is very easy to do "decent" with, but also has a low skill ceiling. You won't do more than 35-36k with it, and that is with full ascended gear, infusions, food, utility. Without them it'll be like 31-32k at most, which is just about what a decent DPS player should aim for as a minimum.

[SlayerXX.7138]

1 hour ago, GetFoxxed.9478 said:

Without them it'll be like 31-32k at most, which is just about what a decent DPS player should aim for as a minimum.

Golem numbers or actual combat numbers? Golem numbers are pretty pointless for the average player if one build is significant easier to execute and more resilient to disruption the the other. 

[DarkCobalt.2849]

6 hours ago, GetFoxxed.9478 said:

Hammer mechanist is very easy to do "decent" with, but also has a low skill ceiling. You won't do more than 35-36k with it, and that is with full ascended gear, infusions, food, utility. Without them it'll be like 31-32k at most, which is just about what a decent DPS player should aim for as a minimum.

The problem is that it's power mech, if it's hitting that hard with Hammer then it's already better than Rifle. Granted, you lose the benefit of range, but it'll now be better than rifle on most fights if it's left untuned. 

[Imperial.8471]

21 hours ago, Helgaley.3619 said:

It's not as if much feedback was incorporated during the betas for the EOD elite specializations. On the other hand, the current test for weaponmaster is a good way to retain players after what was likely expected to be a poorly received balance patch 😉

Feels more like a good way to drive people away to me. This weekend we get to see ALL the gameplay content of the expansion at release, since the new weapons won't be until much later. And what I see is that a large majority of weapons were made for their e-spec, with associated traits, and nothing else.

Dagger on virtuoso has a nice ambush on mirage, but is otherwise a weak power weapon without virtuoso's jagged mind, while the axe is a melee weapon that can't compete with the dps of the dagger on virtuoso

Holosmith's sword is useless on other specs without heat, mace isn't as good for condi dps as pistol and hammer, while it could be a great weapon on power mechanist, is held back back the dumb and very punishing leash they put on a mech with abysmal pathfinding in the last update making a melee weapon and ranged mech incompatible. Mace could be used for heal scrapper, but the last update killed it

Scourge And Harbinger take each other's weapon. Power revenants take GS and condis take shortbow. Condi thieves may take scepter. That's it, enjoy the "new" content. Don't forget to buy the preorder

After a disappointing Gyala Delve and that disaster of an update, I don't expect them to get anything right by the release of the expansion. What you see this weekend is probably very close to what you'll get. I think when they release it I'll just leave the game, and see in a few years if it's still alive

[DarkCobalt.2849]

13 minutes ago, Imperial.8471 said:

• And what I see is that a large majority of weapons were made for their e-spec, with associated traits, and nothing else.
• Scourge And Harbinger take each other's weapon. Power revenants take GS and condis take shortbow. Condi thieves may take scepter.

Yeah this is precisely the problem, it's a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation. If the weapon needs the spec trait to perform well, then the weapon is useless on other specs. If the weapon doesn't need spec-specific traits, then it usually is the best option for other specs that play similar builds. It's such a mess to balance that I'm not exactly hopeful that they will manage to figure it out before launch.

Edited June 30, 2023 by DarkCobalt.2849

[itspomf.9523]

On 6/30/2023 at 1:13 PM, Imperial.8471 said:

After a disappointing Gyala Delve and that disaster of an update, I don't expect them to get anything right by the release of the expansion. What you see this weekend is probably very close to what you'll get. I think when they release it I'll just leave the game, and see in a few years if it's still alive

Been seeing this pattern since mid-late Icebrood Saga myself, and I hate that you're right.

Since CMC came on and balance became a heavy-handed attempt to make whatever new thing comes out look and feel better (including Jadebot Vitality boosts and the stupid combat boon-stations, at the expense of nerfing sustain traits across all classes), it's obvious that feedback is only listened to when a significant group is extremely outraged (like the proposed mirage staff nerfs, or changes to scapper gyros).  However, at the same time, other groups (notably specter's Shadow Shroud damage reduction nerf) went completely ignored for weeks or months until the balance team got around to "fixing" the problem, but like we've seen with the latest patch.

We're coming up on 11 years, and unfortunately this game is feeling like a withered husk that's all but vegetative.  And I say that as someone who has been playing the franchise since early Prophecies.

[Chips.7968]

On 6/29/2023 at 8:20 PM, GetFoxxed.9478 said:

You didn't give us access to, like, half of sigils and runes. How are we supposed to properly test builds?

What do you mean "this test"? It's actually really slick - given their history!!!

[Zepoolpe.9217]

18 minutes ago, Chips.7968 said:

What do you mean "this test"? It's actually really slick - given their history!!!

What do you mean by slick?
That they managed to do a test without breaking the rest of the game (more than it is already i mean)?

[Imperial.8471]

1 minute ago, Zepoolpe.9217 said:

What do you mean by slick?
That they managed to do a test without breaking the rest of the game (more than it is already i mean)?

They managed to break strikes by changing Reaper's shouts so yes, I think that's exactly what he mean