DocFrost72 wrote: »

https://youtu.be/MDIUy83Bj5o

Half-*** test because I thought I'd give it a whirl. Genuinely happy with performance, though performance was not definitive (it was only round 1). Some things to note; this is a PvE focused thread. You may bring up the state of pvp sorcs, but I will largely not respond to them as there are countless threads on that already. This was a response to the concerns of sorcs being entirely dead for SOLO pve, which I count as a little absurd. At least in the realm of soloing and maelstrom, they are very much still capable of tankiness, sustain, and survivability. Come next patch, will be swapping out meteor for Overload for sustain and damage buff.

The stats:



5 fortified brass,
2 skoria,
5 mother's sorrow,
6 light 1 heavy, all divines (I have infused chest and pants but will be swapping them).

Live server stats:
37k magicka, 19k health, 14k stamina with tri foods, unbuffed 2419 spell damage, 57.4% spell crit (inner light slotted), 22.8 spell resist, 21.1 physical resist.

stats buffed (no berserk enchant):

Spoiler about shield changes.

I don't agree with defensive skills getting cast times or cooldowns. It's silly, since the balance with them is they cost more. That said, a survivability change (especially one stam already lives without) will not affect meta groups nearly as much as people are saying. Wrobel does NOT need to be fired (hot take I'm aware), and if you believe as I do that sorc shields and light armor shield should remain cast time free, explain why defensive skills need to be immediate, not pre-thought like hots. That will actually change stuff, not taking a dump on the forums because your class got changed.

Will answer questions as I'm sure I forgot something.

I mean, nobody who actually knows what they're talking about thought that the shield changes would make the class useless. The class can still complete solo content and vet dungeons can be beat by any kind of build.

But relatively speaking, the class is dead. I've already theory crafted my PvP sorc with shield channels in mind. I'm ready. Doesn't change the fact that the class has been severely gimped and not compensated in anyway and makes it lacklustre in every aspect to every other class. Even magden is likely going to outperform magsorcs in PvP, and that is coming from a primarily solo player (nowhere near an allied zerg) that will small scale maybe once a month.

Name any other class that is required to run a back bar resto or 1h&shield (stamina equivalent) to be able to complete vMA. You didn't even have room for Liquid Lightning on your bar because you need to run 3 heals. Sure, Surge is a wash since it provides Major Sorcery, but really, what other class has to slot 2 dedicated healing skills?

If ZoS wants PvE sorcs to run 1 defensive set, than ALL classes should be expected to run 1 defensive set. However, it should really be more about mechanics than gear. Any class should be able to clear content with nothing but stat gears (julianos+willpower). Gear should simply be how players personalize and optimize their play styles, not how they make it viable, on the low end at that. Newer players can run 1 defensive set, but vet players on any class should be able to run 2 offensive sets and survive solely due to their knowledge of mechanics.

This isn't raising the floor, it's only shrinking the ceiling.

TBH I'm 50/50 about the shield change. I don't think it would be as big of an impact in PvP as forums make it out to be IF and ONLY IF the class is compensated in some way.

Sorcs other defensive skills are lack lustre. Bolt Escape is too punishing to be used effectively outside running away, Lightning Armor fails to actually increase mobility in a snare meta nor punish melee opponents, Mines is incredibly niche and is out-done by Eternal Hunt, Encase is neither defensive nor offensive enough to actually be worth a slot, Bound Armor is meh for tanks and useless for every other sorc and Daedric Summoning passives are useless for 2/3 offensive sorcs and pet builds are severely gimped due to the loss of Overload.

If ZoS wants to tout balance, then that's what they should do; balance. However, removing a classes primary form of survival and forcing a build requirement for a significant portion of stats to be re-invested (meaning the class is going to be experience a nerf to sustain/damage as well as mitigation) into mitigation without properly buffing ANY other aspect of the class is NOT BALANCE.

It's really simple math, if you remove something from one part of the equation, you need to add something equivalent back somewhere else. How an entire dev team is incapable of understanding this principle of basic algebra is beyond me.

I posted a thread about why sorc defensive skills are lacklustre. Didn't even state my opinion on HOW they should be changed outside of Bolt Escape not getting snare removal since ZoS doesn't like being told how to balance a game they don't even play.

So I'll say it here:

Bolt Escape

• Remove the stacking cost, the delay and allow the skill to be aimed in the direction the character is moving. This will make the skill feel better, allow it to compete in a snare/swift meta and will allow the skill to be used for offensive repositioning instead of just defensive stuns/running away/ especially on console where sensitivity can't be adjusted

Lightning Armor

• Give the base skill snare immunity for 1.5 seconds. Creates an opportunity cost for stam sorcs but maintains their identity as the most mobile class and gives magsorcs a way to maintain ranged mobility without overloading Bolt Escape, which would make snare immunity to accessible. 1.5 is necessary: refer to DK wings

Daedric Mines

• Maybe keep Minefield as it serves its purposes in PvE and PvP but change Tomb to drop a mine once every 3 seconds for 12 seconds. This would actually work to create gaps between melee opponents. Ideally, remove Minefield because it creates an unhealthy playstyle in duels, (PvE can use Encase) and change it into a more offensive morph like Warden Shulks but with Mines or something to pressure ranged builds, since sorcs have nothing in their kit for this, and will be needed if shields are nerfed.

Encase

• Restraining Prison needs a cost reduction if its to be used by tanks, or change the Major Vitality to a base 3 seconds. 2.5 seconds Major mending on sDK was changed because it was too short so 3 seconds (base duration with 1 opponent) is unlikely to make a difference either. Lets be smart and learn from mistakes. Shattering Prison can be turned into a range variant that explodes after a delay and encases enemies at range. Damage can stay the same at this point

Bound Armor

• Tack on a shield that is generated based on the amount of damage blocked and it would actually be worth more than a passive slot

Daedric Summoning

• Make the passives universally useful, and have them be more effective based on the number of Daedric pets a sorc has summoned or make the passives universally useful and remove requirement for pets to be double barred. Possibly change familiar to be a timed summon and Twilight can honestly stay the same since its already a horrible skill outside of pet builds.

Conjured Ward

• This can honestly keep the channel IF all the above skills receive some sort of buff. My suggestions are all QoL changes besides the Mine/Encase reworks. Increased shield strength/duration is pointless and brings us back to vet levels. Either the sorcs will be too tanky to kill for 9 seconds or shields won't last the full 9 seconds. Possibly change a Daedric Summoning passive to increase Resistances while channeling a Daedric Summoning skill to be less punishing

Annulment

• Change this skill to work like Rally. Generates baby shields over 9 seconds (around 3k/s tooltip with average DPS gear[1.5k in PvP] that caps out at 10k tooltip [this tooltip is affected by stats and battlespirit so 5k in PvP] and have it grant a 10k tooltip [5k in PvP] shield if recasted after 6 seconds that lasts 3 seconds. Unlike Rally, shield will not activate unless skill is recast.

Reduce shield scaling with Magicka but boost base shield strength

Change Harness Magicka to grant magicka cost reduction while shield is active or something that nerfs the added sustain which creates the false perception that shields can be spammed forever.


And if you want a more detailed explanation as to WHY the above mentioned Sorc skills need QoL buffs:

codestripper wrote: »

DocFrost72 wrote: »

5 fortified brass,
2 skoria,
5 mother's sorrow,
6 light 1 heavy, all divines (I have infused chest and pants but will be swapping them).

Also, this makes me sad.

Weird having to run a tank set to tank people crazy world we live in.