u45 – Quite a few changes in it

[Sinaefay]

The biggest proposed changes in u45 are the following:

U45 Preview 1: Balance Changes Main Thread
U45 Preview 1: Balance: Ranged Combat Changes
U45 Preview 1: Balance: Two Handed Fighting Changes
U45 Preview 1: Balance: Knight of the Chalice Changes

There are also some other changes only mentioned in the release notes:

https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/511311-U45-Preview-1-1-14-1-16

Beyond the big threads, the minor changes are that aasimar lay on hands is reduced in effectiveness, legacy ship buffs partially removed, shared bank gets sorting function to easy searching, to name three.

[Ryan]

I’ve just had a look at the DDO forum and there’s a lot of salty people over these changes.

Admittedly I’ve hardly played DDO these past few months, but I’ve never been an endgame player so a lot of the changes don’t bother me, in fact, if I’m honest, none of the changes bother me at all.

One change however (if I read it correctly) that made me raise an eyebrow was that the 30 resist buffs are going.
That will make low level questing a whole lot more interesting.

It’s the Alchemist that I’m looking forward to and basing my return around

[Furiyen]

I know I’m not really playing at the moment, but I’m logging an hour or two to test the changes for THF and KotC and to provide feedback.

Summary

– THF changes are numerically ok for AoE, but suck for Single target and feel a lot less fun than the Glancing Blow system.

– KotC changes are ok, but there really missing Greatsword being added to Knight’s Training. Favoured weapon changes are good, Spell Changes are interesting, and the built in Blitz vs. Evil Outsiders and Undead is hugely fun (I can’t wait to see the MP I get too in THTH with all the buffs running against the boss). Still a few bugs to work out though, and apart from the Blitz it feels a bit of a ‘meh’ update.

[Healliona]

Good afternoon all.

I have to admit that inquisive is great and one (but not the only one) easy button to level and a bit OP.
As a “healer” this tree is really helpuful to level without taking ranged feat (rapid reload except).

I’m more concerned on healing hands since it was those are really powerful to heal and to self heal at R9 / 10, if they are less relevant I will to change my enhancements.

As a healer, I enjoy to have more melee to heal and this update seems to be a melee OP one.

Alchemist bha as long as this class hasn’t been realesed I don’t care but this will be a TR to get the complexionist feat back.

Sébastien.

[Ryan]

ALC better be good as I’ve got three lives to do.
Let us hope they’ll be as OP/ powerful as the original ES Warlock

[Sinaefay]

There are many who are so salty that it is sadly funny.

I find the changes in general ok, and they will change how you play. Resist potions and wands will become important again, as will prot from element potions (like in the olden days).

Re: paladins, it is a step in the right direction, and will make paladins stronger. Im kinda interested in seeing what changes they will to for next week’s preview. Im not sure if it was Matt who wrote on the DDO-forums, that thf with strikethrough feels like twf now, with no control on who the additional hits hit.

Re: the change to dance of death, I can’t see them going through with it without allowing it to also grant benefit while moving. If they don’t, that enhancement will only be useful vs held mobs.

The change to IPS and Archer’s focus is also ok’ish, but they have to change how to build up stacks with Archer’s focus for it to be even the slightest useful. Im very curious on what additional buffs to longbows they will present next week.

[Furiyen]

Yeah, I put a big feed back post up about both THF and Paladin KotC after testing it out solidly running a few quests and doing a few Bruntsmash tests. I tried to be as constructive and positive as I could. Again I’ll summarise my findings.

THF: Lower DPS vs Single Target, Good (Great?) for two targets in range, then falls off dramatically the more mobs you are fighting in a pack. I also find the system un-fun tbh, I liked having glancing blows hitting everything in range as that felt like proper ‘AoE’ melee damage output to me (despite it being mathematically poor compared to other fighting styles). My suggestion was to return the Glancing Blows (which would also fix single target damage), keep the Strikethrough attribute but use it to allow Glancing Blows to Critically hit.

KotC: I like the changes overall, Damage upgrade highlights being:
– Deity Weapon Damage feats worth taking, so usually another +4/+4 Attack/Damage
– Favoured Weapon line of damage enhancements giving THF +10/+10 Attack/Damage
– +75MP Blitz mechanic built in against Undead/Evil Outsiders
– +5MP Static Boost to Censure Outsiders
– +3% Damage boost to the entire party from the Capstone.
– Stalwart Pact got buffed to provide +1MP per Paladin caster level, so max +20
– Prayer spell has been buffed to provide at Paladin 20 +5 Luck Bonus to Attack/Damage

I made a number of suggestions for improvement, nothing too dramatic, but general bug fixing and QoL improvements to how some of the enhancements could work without it being too much work for the Devs.

If this was all to go live tomorrow, its a pretty decent upgrade, but for my 3 Paladins:

– Azraiyel (TWF Turn Build – Amaunator) Good to go with the changes, but I might sack off the 2 Cleric levels so I can get another pair of Level 4 spell slots to get Stalwart Pact and +20MP. It’s alot of DPS to leave on the table for the sake of a few more turn dice, but it depends if they take my suggestion to add Mighty Turning to the Paladin enhancements. If not, the 2 Cleric has to stay 🙁

– Furiyen (THF Pure Paladin of Helm ) – It depends on the resulting THF changes, but if this went live tomorrow I’d probably do an ETR and go for a TWF Paladin 20 build. Which would be a shame, as he’s very unique as a character in FotW, its a different melee Style to my other two Paladins and he does big, huge, fun number damage on Adrenaline Exalted Smites.

– Quistris (Vanguard Pure Paladin of Helm) – Interesting Changes, since Divine Might is now cheaper to get hold of it might free up AP for some other tricks. Stacking the Favoured Weapon bonuses would be cool to get extra base damage, Prayer & Stalwart Pact help alot. Yeah, I’d probably play with the AP alot to see how much KotC I can get into the build and keep her primarily Vanguard for a different playstyle.

[Palna]

Without having tried it on Lama, the sum of the update makes me think going Pal20 with full KotC line and TWF is the way, which aligns with you’re writing here Az. I just hope they remove some of the old undead/evil outsider niche restrictions on the enhancements and fix the stacking issues both within the paladin enhancements but also towards Divine Crusader.

[Furiyen]

Quick update and summary on how things stand for Paladin after Preview 2 and includes some impending changes for Preview 3. These are all the direct increases above what KotC currently offers, just to laser focus in on the buffs to the tree:

Party-Wide
3% Damage Bonus to Self and Allies in Aura or Courage Range (Capstone)
Bless Spell now grants +5 Morale Bonus to Hit for long duration party buff at Paladin CL 20.
Prayer Spell now grants +5 Luck Bonus to Hit/Damage for short duration party buff (+2 effective damage over Divine Favour personally) at Paladin CL 20.

Personal
+10 Hit/+10 Damage with any Favoured Weapon
+3 Critical Damage/Confirmation
15% Fortification Bypass
10% Strike-through
Light Damage now scales to 200% instead of 100%
Righteous Command Spell provides +15 Morale Melee/Ranged Power at Paladin CL 15.
Censure Outsiders provides additional +5 Melee Power (+10 Melee Power total)
Capstone provides +10 Ranged Power (+10 Melee Power still in capstone as well)
Knights Training feat & Great-Swords as Favoured Weapons

Divine Sacrifice – On Hit Evil Outsider/Undead, gain +10 Melee/Ranged Power for 10s.
Ascendancy – Blitz Mechanic on hit Evil Outsiders or Undead
– 1 stack = 3 Melee Power, 6s Duration, stacks expire one at a time
– 15 Stacks Max (45 MP) with just T5 ability
– 25 Stacks Max (75 MP) with Capstone

It’s shaping up quite well, but its starting to favour a THF Paladin over other styles with the Favoured Weapon Greatsword, Strikethrough bonus and pre-existing free cleave feats.

[Sinaefay]

Preview 3 has been posted on the DDO forums, but no Lammania this time:

https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/512025-Changes-Based-on-Preview-2-Feedback

[Palna]

Some of the changes made is definitely positive, think THF/SWF and Cleaves are in a decent place. Will see how it pans out, actually seriously considering reroll to barb… 😀

[Furiyen]

If you want max AoE-Melee then yeah, Barbarian looks like the absolute winner.

My U45 Paladin build is just about touching 200% Strike through, rising to 300% with Unbridled Fury, which I’m happy with. Especially since Exalted Smite now rides through on Strikethrough.

I wonder if Adrenaline will also ride through on the Exalted Smite-Strikethroughs. I doubt it, but I’m dreaming at the minute 😀

[Author]

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