Cleave

For the cleave animation I think it would look better to have kind of a back and forth animation, instead of just the same motion over and over again. Example, when you cleave the motion is counter clockwise, well if you end up cleaving again within a second or so your motion should be clockwise to give it more of that "cutting down mobs" effect. Hope this makes sense, just an idea to give the ability a more hack and slash feeling

While this ability is strong I am finding it hard to justify using it over a mace plus ground slam combo. Ground slam does more dps and is a stun. It doesn't have a deduction in base damage like cleave but still retains a +phy dmg% mod. I guess I am just looking for the balance reasons behind the mods each skills have (except for penalty on dual wield, I get that one).

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laycast wrote:

For the cleave animation I think it would look better to have kind of a back and forth animation, instead of just the same motion over and over again. Example, when you cleave the motion is counter clockwise, well if you end up cleaving again within a second or so your motion should be clockwise to give it more of that "cutting down mobs" effect. Hope this makes sense, just an idea to give the ability a more hack and slash feeling

Agree

The bonus attack speed per quality on cleave should be reduced. There's very few skills that have such crazy good bonuses for quality. The only ones I can think of that come close are flicker strike and frenzy (which isn't really used much anymore, and can't remember if quality was already nerfed on that or not)

At best 1% attack speed per 2% quality would be good, but even that's high compared to some other skills.

That said, I think cleaves damage was maybe nerfed a bit much? I think 20% less damage makes more sense. Am I missing something? cleave has rather crappy AoE. Maybe the Aoe is significantly better since I last tried it or remember or something?

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Vyluis wrote:

While this ability is strong I am finding it hard to justify using it over a mace plus ground slam combo. Ground slam does more dps and is a stun.

In my opinion ground slam and cleave are better used in different situations. I use ground slam when i need to hit enemies in from of me (in short range), and cleave when they are around me (in a shorter range). So in the end of the day the ground slam is more of a short range nuke and the cleave is a fall back skill. (I used it in a marauder whit a two handed mace)

So let me get this straight, cleave has a damage reduction, AND a half damage reduction to it's AoE?

Ground Slam and Sweep suffer no such second penalty, plus they have additional beneficial effects of stun or knockback.

I'm looking into making a DW character, but the theorycraft is not looking good right now. From the skills available I'm not seeing any point in using DW over 2H.

Is it your intention that DW should be completely terrible at AoE but great at single target DPS (via Dualstrike)? I guess I can understand that but in the current game AOE is far, far more important when there are no bosses you can farm for loot. I guess that may change?

Or maybe having made a ranger first my standards are all screwed up because rangers can one shot the entire screen in chaos, at range.

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aimlessgun wrote:

I'm not seeing any point in using DW over 2H.

DW block chanse very helpfull, DW swords atack speed better than 2h damage, cleave have lowest manacost than other aoes that means u never be out of mana and can use 3+ auras also it have best quality bonus.

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ykyshaeq wrote:

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aimlessgun wrote:

I'm not seeing any point in using DW over 2H.

DW block chanse very helpfull, DW swords atack speed better than 2h damage, cleave have lowest manacost than other aoes that means u never be out of mana and can use 3+ auras also it have best quality bonus.

We'll I'm lvling DW right now so I'll see if I prove myself wrong :D

On the topic of attack speed and mana costs though, attacking quickly has the massive downside of decreasing your mana efficiency, so the lesser cost is absolutely necessary.