Skill Revamps - Part 1

Quality control suggestion.

Make the QC guy play the skill as a primary skill without using top-tier chase uniques (Atziri's Disfavour-class), and using rares with no tier-1 mods on them.

If he can't beat Merciless Izaro by 80, and can't clear tier-10 maps or uber lab before level 90, or if doing so feels so painful he doesn't want to play it, then send it back to be reworked, don't release. (Uber lab: no more than one tier-one mod on each rare).

Obviously, this only applies for skills intended to be primary skills, not movement or secondary buffs like Orb of Storms.

But skills like Ice Spear, Dominating Blow, don't just need to be better than they are now, they need to be viable or they're just a newb trap.

Honestly, I think some of the unnecessary skills should just be removed: do we really need to have Earthquake, Ground Slam and Tectonic Strike all in the game? Similarly, Blast Rain/Rain of Arrows. Better to remove Blast Rain, make fire conversion a customisation option (e.g. threshold jewel) for rain of arrows. And obviously, that means fixing RoA, which is not viable as it stands.

Here we go !
You got me really excited for the new extension

Why would anyone play anything other than RF - which clears the whole screen while not even stopping or slowing down and KB - which clears 4 screens adjecent to youurs with a single swing of the wand is beyond me.

The AoE nerf killed everything else that was even remotely playable.

Simple way to revamp all trap skills - just give them more charges. I've no idea why GGG is so allergic to this idea.

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Lothorienn wrote:

Why would anyone play anything other than RF - which clears the whole screen while not even stopping or slowing down and KB - which clears 4 screens adjecent to youurs with a single swing of the wand is beyond me.

That's one limited imagination you've got there, buddy...

Give me another wand attack skill, could you think of any skill rather than barrage for single target? Barrage is boring and so main stream =[

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Exile009 wrote:

Simple way to revamp all trap skills - just give them more charges. I've no idea why GGG is so allergic to this idea.

Check out this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXM11X_V2l4&pbjreload=10

Hi GGG,

my 2c would be to also look at complimentary skills again. I know that this boat might have sailed, but I loved the time when you had to think about using a single target skill *and* a clear skill.

With something like Ice Crash, I felt like "they want me to switch from Glacial Hammer to this". But, at the same time, it was a totally different skill that somehow felt wrong.

And then there are old support gems - Melee Splash was "ok" up to 1.3, but I have not been able to make a solid build around it ever since. Elemental Proliferation was a huge drawback and then it was nerfed because of fire builds - so how about Cold Proliferation? Shocking Ground Support? And while you're busy spectralling stuff, how about making a spectral throw support? As long as you don't integrate spectral glove slaps... ;)

Also, Herald of Ash felt great with its built-in splash, but of course it was anti-thematic for cold builds - bringing it in line with Herald of Ice might create an opportunity to look at the primary skill interaction again.

How about something like this: Glacial Hammer gets a rework that creates projectiles from shattered enemies. And add a tag that says "Splash damage proliferates to nearby enemies". Or better yet - make the radius of Melee Splash and similar gems worth it - perhaps limit it by limiting the primary skills? I don't know.

Last, but not least, please consider revisiting the freeze mechanic. It is completely nuts that you can stack "chance to freeze" and you'll compete with critical strike chance in such an underwhelming way. There needs to be a way to reliably freeze as an RT build.

All I want is to play a skill combo that is Melee Cold with some impactful hits and solid freezes. :)

Thanks for revisiting these skills! Happy easter!

Ciao,
udergl

nice! some of the old skill gems are really unique but either got outclassed by others or were to weak to viable. Imagine dominating blow necromancer being viable for example :D

Lets hope for incinerate rework!