Ranger Start Tree feedback

Glad that everyone agrees that the main problem is about dext/accuracy, and that the ranger part is more the consequence of it, even thought it would benefit from some elemental-nodes-for-archers love too.

This is from another topic in the Rangers forum about melee rangers specifically...

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Mark_GGG wrote:

Crit is not designed only for spells, but it is designed to be primarily for int.

Each of the three attributes has one main way of increasing their dps:
Str hits harder, dealing more damage per hit.
Dex hits faster with more attack speed (and slowing the other guy down).
Int hits smarter, targeting weak points to cause critical strikes.

This is why the crit gems are blue and the crit nodes tend to be in the north of the tree - crit is an int-aligned stat, just as attack speed and evasion are dex aligned, and life and melee damage are str aligned

I speculate that the benefits gained from Dexterity will change altogether from +% to accuracy and evasion rating to that of attack speed percent and solid evasion % chance. Accuracy should only be something acquired through gear and weapons due to its poor translation on the skill tree.

Speculate is all we can do for now. Any significant changes to Dexterity would be exciting indeed as it could open up more Dexterity-based builds and ways to play a ranger and dexterity-based characters.

Also, someone mentioned that Rapiers and Bows are the only Dexterity centered weapons in the game. I really wish this wasn't the case at all. I'd love more options if staying in the ranger's area instead of being dependent on strength for other weapon options.

It is strange to think that Rapiers would be completely Dex-based since it seems that would be a duelist's weapon of choice.

Ah yeah, Acrobatics. Another pure upside keystone node stuck in the middle of fracking nowhere.

Every Ranger that wants Acrobatics should be able to get Acrobatics.

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Islidox wrote:

If you look at my tree, I have sunk passives into the nearest life nodes, and it still doesn't seem enough.

The mistake of course, is playing Diablo 2 and putting points into things that aren't Vit. Time to reroll.

But seriously, 11 more points and you have ~50% more life.

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Dex

Don't get me started on Mana. A pure Int character should be able to spam a basic vanilla Fireball for forever. Should.

But can't.

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LimitedRooster wrote:

Ah yeah, Acrobatics. Another pure upside keystone node stuck in the middle of fracking nowhere.

Every Ranger that wants Acrobatics should be able to get Acrobatics.

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Islidox wrote:

If you look at my tree, I have sunk passives into the nearest life nodes, and it still doesn't seem enough.

The mistake of course, is playing Diablo 2 and putting points into things that aren't Vit. Time to reroll.

But seriously, 11 more points and you have ~50% more life.

"

Dex

Don't get me started on Mana. A pure Int character should be able to spam a basic vanilla Fireball for forever. Should.

But can't.

I never played Diablo 2, but I get the reference. And the next 20 points are going into the life/crit/MindDrinker passives in the Shadow tree.

After reading .11.1 patch notes I wonder if I'm the only one who thought stats refactor would have been str/dex/int balancing.

I'm really putting my hopes in changes to evasion/accuracy changes. That might actually make stacking dex somewhat useful. Now you just hit soft cap on evasion and accuracy. On the other hand making accuracy more important might just get most people taking Resolute Technique.

Iron reflexes hopefully will change in some way as well although I believe the biggest problem with it is the way evasion and armor auras are setup.

So should we assume that these changes - whatever those changes will be - are now lined up for the next patch? In about a week?

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Bleef wrote:

So should we assume that these changes - whatever those changes will be - are now lined up for the next patch? In about a week?

They said it's going for 0.11.2.
When that will happen we'll know friday or monday.

I hope new Ranger branch will be as overpowered as new Duelist one. One thing that I think is really needed (apart from better layout) is a life regen node between the Ranger and Shadow areas. Not having at least some regen until late game is really annoying.

I made a dex / evasion only melee ranger for the fun. I know that it won't be able to stand late game, but it's quite fun till now (act III normal). It's just that endgame is more about serious-optimal-geared build than whatever-is-fun build, but I'm quite happy with that as a little breather from the grinding with high level characters (let's just be friend but never go farther style).

Ideas to turn Evasion viable (draft of complete change of mechanics) :
- How would it be broken if Acrobatics halved damage (or another ratio) instead of dodging (keeping debuff on CI/Armour) ? And phased would allow to Evade spell.
This will make an alternative to Armour/IR and ES/CI in term of defense, but you will end up with at least one of those keystone in order to survive. I just liked the idea from before where it acts like the reflexe feat of D&D.
Or
- A little strange in term of common sense, but what if Evasion allow you to take incoming damage over a short time ? That would go well with hit and run tactics of a dex base warrior.
Or
- Turn Evasion into another ressource like ES/Life/Mana, assuring you 100% dodge for one hit per unit.

Ideas to turn Accuracy worth it :
- Make calculation of chance to hit not limited by 100%, but maintaining a cap of 95% chance to hit and extra chance to hit would be converted to critical chance/multiplier.
Already proposed, but it is logic...

Other ideas :
- Avoid elemental status don't apeal against elemental resist. Reduced ailment duration/effect would be better. Not being ignite is worthless if you are alreday dead...
- Trap and mine nodes are poor, it could find a niche in ranger tree.
- Alchemy and new flask node could also be another niche in ranger tree.

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