Scion Ascendancy Feedback

I'll try to make this short and to the point. Scion has been left out to basically dry with the current version of her ascendancy\skill tree. When all the classes got 8 points, scion doesn't get enough to really get anything interesting, just a class starting location that might save you a couple of skill points in the tree.

In addition to that, nerfing the scions best AC ones because they were "auto selected" like beserker, just ensures she is further behind the other classes.


I'm suggesting that this VERY SIMPLE (maybe) fix be implemented and its not too late to do it in the next patch.



This enables scion to get more tree flexibility and power, without the idea that it encourages pigeon holing people into specific AC classes. Another option is to not limit 1 per class, meaning you could select jugg+beserker for scion, but that would require time to test\balance, whereas the removal of the travel points to the class path thru would not.


The other point worth mentioning here is that the scion starting nodes remain nerfed from previous changes. Stuff like proj damage, spell damage, ect are below the value they should be. This not only has a negative impact on her class in the main game, but a really negative impact on racing. Please fix this as well.


I currently have quite a few scions leveled in standard, however, since AC classes hit, I've seen no incentive to play as the class, except in racing, even then its only because no one plays the class because its terrible.

They need to do something. Not sure what. But as it is now if somebody gets the alt start, it's with the final 2 points. By then your tree is mostly filled out. They should give the alt start sooner so you can start building from there while you're still leveling. I'd just include the alt start in the class node. I do think it'd be more interesting to be able to have 2 alt starts.

This changes nothing, it doesn't adress the main issues of the ascendant.

You fail to understand two very important facts:

First: The power and appeal from the ascendancy classes comes from the unique and stupidly powerful effects each ascendancy class offers. The ascendant falls short in this regard. The ascendant has only 2 major points compared to 4 for other classes, and these are both watered down versions and very rigid. For example you can only take one marauder node and it offers a limited set of abilities, which are all extremely lacklustre.

Second: The passive tree is only hard to navigate for beginners, but for experienced players it is a set of preset nodes you take depending on your builds. And those preset nodes are mostly located close to the starting zone of each class. So most builds move from one starting zone to another, and are often forced to, since life/es nodes are fairly limited on the tree. So the appeal of the alternate start is severly diminished, as you are most of the time only a few points away from the starting zone cluster to begin with (5 points most of the time). So the unique benefit of the Ascendant is not really useful.

Her ascendancy notables are completely underwhelming, and she has only 2. That's where things have to be fixed. Most were already shit when ascendancy was released, with 3 exceptions. After the nerf to the only useful points and simultaneous buff to many other ascendancy classes, her flawed ascendancy tree became painfully apparent.

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schlachtergeselle wrote:

This changes nothing, it doesn't adress the main issues of the ascendant.

You fail to understand two very important facts:

First: The power and appeal from the ascendancy classes comes from the unique and stupidly powerful effects each ascendancy class offers. The ascendant falls short in this regard. The ascendant has only 2 major points compared to 4 for other classes, and these are both watered down versions and very rigid. For example you can only take one marauder node and it offers a limited set of abilities, which are all extremely lacklustre.

Second: The passive tree is only hard to navigate for beginners, but for experienced players it is a set of preset nodes you take depending on your builds. And those preset nodes are mostly located close to the starting zone of each class. So most builds move from one starting zone to another, and are often forced to, since life/es nodes are fairly limited on the tree. So the appeal of the alternate start is severly diminished, as you are most of the time only a few points away from the starting zone cluster to begin with (5 points most of the time). So the unique benefit of the Ascendant is not really useful.

Her ascendancy notables are completely underwhelming, and she has only 2. That's where things have to be fixed. Most were already shit when ascendancy was released, with 3 exceptions. After the nerf to the only useful points and simultaneous buff to many other ascendancy classes, her flawed ascendancy tree became painfully apparent.

1) Scion has 2 instead of 4, because the 2 they have are a hybrid of special modifiers for those classes.

A) For example most of the classes can get 2, 4 point bonuses with their 8 points, the other 2 "major" points typically have 2 mods and then the minor nodes in-between.

B) I agree that they either are lucklaster, like the new beserker or their uniqueness is just too weak to be really sought after. For example a combo that I thought of previously was a max spell block caster using beserker (for leech+damage) and gladiator for the easier conversion on spellblock, but that was thrown out when I saw the new jewel, reckless defense, I didn't need the conversion, so I was able to select another class. I think part of the issue is such small chances on things they basically aren't going to proc reliably enough.

2) Which is why I want to ENHANCE the special benefit that the ascendant gives you, make it much more appealing. While the class might require a significant investment in some regret orbs to min max the tree, it should be worth it. Now that I think about it though, you just put your tree up and as long as one end is connected to one of the allowed starting areas you should be able to freely unspec those connecting nodes afterwords.




You are forgetting 1 key thing. Either GGG has changes planned or not. This is literally the only change that could make it in in time to get done, everything else would take much more work. Feel free to discuss what you think needs done, but keep in mind this suggestion was mainly made to make it in this patch, although I doubt it will happen.

I think at the very least alone with this change I would also switch the location of the skill point and the stat node.

Currently for you last 2 points it's mostly a choice between 2 skills or 1 skill and an alternate start. (combinations with stats are mostly for whispering ice)

This way you can maintain the ability to choose 2 skill points if you want.

Also a really bold move, maybe it's time to let the scion choose 9 ascendancy points by cutting the passive point as you suggest, and putting an additional ascendancy point behind the alternate start node.

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MrTremere wrote:

Goetzjam, the issue is that your suggestion may be making the scion ascendancy worse. Not by a lot, but still.
Maybe GGG could simply fuse that starting point node and the skill point node?

Explain how you think it possibly makes it worst, perhaps my explanation wasn't written as intended, but I don't think thats the case, if you refer to the picture, removing that point has NO negative effects, unless you don't want stats at all and\or don't want the pass thru option.




If they fuse the starting 2 nodes then it makes it possible to get 3 classes, something that would require significant balance testing.

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goetzjam wrote:

You are forgetting 1 key thing. Either GGG has changes planned or not. This is literally the only change that could make it in in time to get done, everything else would take much more work. Feel free to discuss what you think needs done, but keep in mind this suggestion was mainly made to make it in this patch, although I doubt it will happen.

Again you won't get it done right this way. The buff is way too small, it is not noticable.

The whole concept of the Scion Ascendancy is shit anyway. Remove it and make it a standard Ascendancy.