Dragonknight Ability Updates for PTS Week 4

SneaK · February 6

s3dulo wrote: »

SneaK wrote: »

Also feels like we’re trying to balance against other base classes, in no way shape or form does it seem the kits for DK in U49 are going to be optimal without subclassing.

I think you're right. I don't think ZOS's goal was ever to get pure DK competitive.. I think they just wanted to do the best they could in a couple of weeks. I had hoped we'd see a big increase in pure DK running around in because it was just so good but I doubt that will happen now. I think a lot more builds will be running one DK line but we will soon find it's just better subclassed.

I maintain there should be an escalating bonus for each DK skill line being run. I also think they should have leaned toward a little too OP and then dialed it back if it proved too much. DK had it's moment, it's in a better place, but subclassing is still king.

Hopefully I'm wrong about that.

There’s no world currently where Storm Calling wouldn’t be a more optimal choice than one of these skill lines.

Honestly, my number one gripe is the crit thing, it goes against the theme of an attrition warrior. It also means that crit dmg sets still reign supreme on a class that isn’t supposed to be about that. It’d be nice if they understood how something as little as a 5% modifier affected the greater scenario. There are a ton of sets outmatched simply cause they aren’t crit sets and don’t stack well with crit passives. This was an opportunity to at least expand the meta to include weapon/spell power stacking rather than more crit garbo.

Earthern Heart all of a sudden doesn’t seem unique.

RedKynAbyss · February 6

AdmiralDigby wrote: »

It's a mistake to let Molten Whip buff flat damage to monsters for ALL skills. I forsee it mainly being used to buff Fatecarver.

100% this is what it’s going to be used for. They need to qualify that damage buff to be for ONLY flame damage skills (since outside of the destruction tree, DK is the only real source of flame damage) or ONLY Dragonknight skills. They took the power off Engulfing so Fatecarver is back to being the single most powerful skill in the game, and they’re inadvertently buffing Fatecarver even more with this morph.

Radiate77 · February 6

RedKynAbyss wrote: »

AdmiralDigby wrote: »

It's a mistake to let Molten Whip buff flat damage to monsters for ALL skills. I forsee it mainly being used to buff Fatecarver.

100% this is what it’s going to be used for. They need to qualify that damage buff to be for ONLY flame damage skills (since outside of the destruction tree, DK is the only real source of flame damage) or ONLY Dragonknight skills. They took the power off Engulfing so Fatecarver is back to being the single most powerful skill in the game, and they’re inadvertently buffing Fatecarver even more with this morph.

I’d take Flame Skills all day.

That would be insinuated Class Synergy, which is what they should be doing for each Class, not this “when playing a Dragonknight” garbage.

YandereGirlfriend · February 6

Radiate77 wrote: »

RedKynAbyss wrote: »

AdmiralDigby wrote: »

It's a mistake to let Molten Whip buff flat damage to monsters for ALL skills. I forsee it mainly being used to buff Fatecarver.

100% this is what it’s going to be used for. They need to qualify that damage buff to be for ONLY flame damage skills (since outside of the destruction tree, DK is the only real source of flame damage) or ONLY Dragonknight skills. They took the power off Engulfing so Fatecarver is back to being the single most powerful skill in the game, and they’re inadvertently buffing Fatecarver even more with this morph.

I’d take Flame Skills all day.

That would be insinuated Class Synergy, which is what they should be doing for each Class, not this “when playing a Dragonknight” garbage.

Amen!

Callosum · February 7

Radiate77 wrote: »

RedKynAbyss wrote: »

AdmiralDigby wrote: »

It's a mistake to let Molten Whip buff flat damage to monsters for ALL skills. I forsee it mainly being used to buff Fatecarver.

100% this is what it’s going to be used for. They need to qualify that damage buff to be for ONLY flame damage skills (since outside of the destruction tree, DK is the only real source of flame damage) or ONLY Dragonknight skills. They took the power off Engulfing so Fatecarver is back to being the single most powerful skill in the game, and they’re inadvertently buffing Fatecarver even more with this morph.

I’d take Flame Skills all day.

That would be insinuated Class Synergy, which is what they should be doing for each Class, not this “when playing a Dragonknight” garbage.

I can definitely agree with you on this one. While I’ve said that I’m not opposed to class-locked skill buffs, that’s mostly because I’m not confident balance between skill lines, pure classes, and subclasses can be maintained without a tool like that. Honestly though, it’s not something I particularly like.

Class synergy feels like a much better route. I’m actually quite confused that such an obvious option wasn’t explored. For example, buffing flame damage for Whip, and doing something similar for Avalanche/Landslide. That approach would have satisfied a lot of players who want stronger pure-class identity, without creating as much frustration for players who enjoy subclassing and feel that “when playing a Dragonknight” restrictions undermine that system entirely.

BardokRedSnow · February 7

Callosum wrote: »

Radiate77 wrote: »

RedKynAbyss wrote: »

AdmiralDigby wrote: »

It's a mistake to let Molten Whip buff flat damage to monsters for ALL skills. I forsee it mainly being used to buff Fatecarver.

100% this is what it’s going to be used for. They need to qualify that damage buff to be for ONLY flame damage skills (since outside of the destruction tree, DK is the only real source of flame damage) or ONLY Dragonknight skills. They took the power off Engulfing so Fatecarver is back to being the single most powerful skill in the game, and they’re inadvertently buffing Fatecarver even more with this morph.

I’d take Flame Skills all day.

That would be insinuated Class Synergy, which is what they should be doing for each Class, not this “when playing a Dragonknight” garbage.

I can definitely agree with you on this one. While I’ve said that I’m not opposed to class-locked skill buffs, that’s mostly because I’m not confident balance between skill lines, pure classes, and subclasses can be maintained without a tool like that. Honestly though, it’s not something I particularly like.

Class synergy feels like a much better route. I’m actually quite confused that such an obvious option wasn’t explored. For example, buffing flame damage for Whip, and doing something similar for Avalanche/Landslide. That approach would have satisfied a lot of players who want stronger pure-class identity, without creating as much frustration for players who enjoy subclassing and feel that “when playing a Dragonknight” restrictions undermine that system entirely.

I like the idea but again, why is it either or? I think both would go a long way to making subclassing feel more balanced, the gap between subclass builds and pure class builds is very far.

But yea Im not opposed to either idea.

Radiate77 · February 7

I was halfway through typing out a write-up thread on the importance of Insinuated Class Synergy but completely lost interest.

I’m losing faith in this game, and all desire to put in any thought to improving it with changes like the new Molten Whip class restriction being pushed to live.

That’s just not a future that I want to be a part of.

MXVIIDREAM · 12:56AM

I think the only thing they can improve on now is to add crit healing to the new crit damage thing it would significantly help pve and PvP healers would be pretty cool

Wup_sa · 7:19AM

MXVIIDREAM wrote: »

I think the only thing they can improve on now is to add crit healing to the new crit damage thing it would significantly help pve and PvP healers would be pretty cool

I wish they took the crit away. It's way more fun to stack flat dmg.