WitchHunter is already broken, but not bury yet

First of all, I am not a native speaker, and played POE2 in a totally different language. So, I beg your pardon and patience for possible incorrect and bad gramma

I am a player who played WitchHunter for lv92 and also a game designer, work for some mega online game.
I do design the game and also have some experience for in-game balance and such things.

So, from my point of view, WitchHunter is a shame of its designer,even worse. Because that's nothing about mistake or "I just don't know" but design the WitchHunter deliberately.

Why? Because that designer just used some "game design tricks" to make sure he can work easier and always "in the right way".

Let me show you these tricks

1.Randomness
Randomness all over the talent tress, you find 'Judge,Jury,and Excutioner' deals random damage, you find 'Zealous Inquisition' triggers randonmly.
Randomness is great, because that would disturb players' feeling, make them less confident about their feeling, which leads to less complain.
And, that random nums are also look great when calculate in Excel or show off with PPT.
But for player, it's always be a risk that these IMPORTANT random num ruins a game, imagine that you consume a expensive entrance for 5D, meet the boss, and 'Judge,Jury,and Excutioner' deals 1% damage. But the designer wouldn't be responsible for your bad luck,right?

2.Widely used but unpowerful
Looking into whole ascendancy, except these "weapon set skill points" , other ascendancy passives can be used for almost all BDs.
Seems great doesn't it? WitchHunter may play all BDs.
BUT, do remember these ascendancy passives have almost NO connection towards other normal passives or equipment, which means whatever the BD WitchHunter played, it must be worse then other ascendancy. Totally discriminated second-class citizens.
And that's exactly the designer want. He don't need any attention in the future, these player that still playing and not give up would automatically copy other ascendancy's BD and maintain the stats that WitchHunter is not bottom-end. And of course WitchHunter would be so OP, that he needs some "effort" to re-balance it.

3.Empty promise
As a designer we still needs some "Imagination Space", that can make player feels hope.
So, here comes the "weapon set skill points" , looks great and full of "Imagination Space".
However, how long before we have enough weapon for these passives?
And each weapon should be powerful enough (otherwise, you wouldn't find any in the trade site, you cant make every weapon by yourself) and should be much more powerful (without ascendancy passives XD ) when combined together (or you just play the individual one). And that combine should works in more than 24 passives different but less than 48 passives.
How useful design! Especially when the designer needs some excuse: "It would be much better when other features come into game"

To summarize, in my sight, the WitchHunter is a typical irresponsible design: can't go wrong, always have some hope and have some good-looking random nums.
If the designer want, he can just cheat himself, cheat the team, cheat the players all the way to the end of POE2: "the stats are OK, WitchHunter is not so bottom-end" "Well, we can see the potential, when other features come in, would be much better", "The ascendancy passives works good, overall, it provides some decent damage"

So, WitchHunter murdered silently from its begin by its maker

Well, could I be too mean about that designer?
We all know although POE2 is a PVE game, but via the market, ascendancy compete to each other.
If one ascendancy is not so powerful or fun, there well be fewer player willing to make BD, to trade equipements. No BD, no trade means less player want that ascendancy.
So, that's designer's responsibilty to make the ascendancy powerful or fun, for that purose designer sometime leave something un-done or make some mistake is understandable.
But towards WitchHunter, from the begin it was design for "not goes wrong", for " a easy job" and try to cover it up, that is something unacceptable, irresponsible and EVIL.

Well, you may think all above are all subjective prejudice
Here are facts that make me wonder: did that designer tested his ascendancy deeply?
Weird feeling about crossbow's reload when other action come into interrupt
Sorcey Ward can't deal with any element ground while less armour/evasion can let you dead even more frequently
When fire speed is more than 31 shot/second the Rapid Shot will going totally broken and useless
………………

Do you believe that designer loves his design?
Do you believe that WitchHunter is not discriminated?
: )

I agree with your criticism...

I hate this kind of performance RNG, which is why I would never play witch hunter.

why did you?

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witch hunter ascendancy is for players who don't understand math and expected value... or who enjoy getting randomly lucky and forget getting randomly unlucky.

there is enough RNG in every other aspect of this game.

Cause i just don't take any lernaing before the gmae
Pick some random ascendancy for personly interest becasuse I believe the design can't be such EVIL guy, every ascendancy would be treat as same

Good guys died in 2024 LOL

"

KuroSF#6521 wrote:

I agree with your criticism...

I hate this kind of performance RNG, which is why I would never play witch hunter.

why did you?

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witch hunter ascendancy is for players who don't understand math and expected value... or who enjoy getting randomly lucky and forget getting randomly unlucky.

there is enough RNG in every other aspect of this game.

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Cause i just believe there are all good guy theres, believe all ascendancy treat as same, and wanna have a nice holiday.

Good guys died in 2024 : )

WitchHunter trash class like the other half.