Development Manifesto: Ascendancy Changes

Dear GGG,

I've played Necromancer for several thousand hours in temp leagues, so I think I should have a good idea about the class. I'll share some thoughts about the changes...

Although I hate to see my favourite class "nerfed", it's fully understandable that you have made mistress weaker. That thing was the single most OP ascendancy node in the game. Max block and spell block with extremely little investment made it possible to deal with any content in the game the first week in a new league (HC).

I see that you are trying to make Necromancer more versatile (skeletons, zombies, srs, spectres). This is a good idea, but I think you are forgetting the most important thing you need to do to make anything other than spectres good. Melee minions of any kind really need the aggressive mod, like the one you can get for golems through equipping Primordial Might. There really should be something equivalent for zombies and skeletons. Without a mod like this, the powerlevel difference between zombies/skeletons and spectres is humongous, so no matter how much you buff them it will never make a difference due them being almost completely passive.

So, if you want Necromancer to be more versatile, please buff the zombie jewel and the skeleton jewel to include an aggressive mod, and place them higher up the rarity ladder. (Or simply add the aggressive mod to the appropriate ascendancy node)

Best wishes,
Mr L

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jordan02 wrote:

What do you think about the gladiator?....

I tell you what is buffed :

PAINFORGED : Now have additionnals passive :

1-Cannot be stunned by hits you block
2-Your counterattacks deal double damage

Violent retaliation :

+4% maximum block chance
+1% block chance for each hit youv blocked in the past 10 seconds


AND now you They mooved the passive Gratuitous violence to the passive Blood in eyes. So you need To finish Normal and cruel lab for have gratuitous violence now and the bleeding explosions....




What do you think? its a nerf or a buff for you?

I dont understand why the put counterattack deal double damage... Is it really something that make a difference in game to have this skill ? and now with double damage??
Is the +4% maximum chance looking good for you ? ( also whats difference between maximum and block chance? ) thanks

Bleed explosions take more investment, but there is a pair of unique gloves to get a similar effect. Counterattacks (Vengeance, Reckoning and Riposte) have been made into their own builds, so that's been buffed now. For regular builds it makes no difference since they're used, if at all, for applying debuffs. Blocked hits do play a quick animation if they would've stunned you - now that's cancelled if you take that node.

As for max block chance, that's a significant addition. Block chance (and spell block) are capped at 75%. You can increase that to 78% with the Anvil unique, or 77% with some Shaper shields. Now you can take it 4% higher. Max block chance is similar to max resistances - it increases your cap. So basically, this makes you tankier. Someone on Reddit said that 4% boost equates to about an increase of 22% in your effective HP - sound nice yet? ;) You'll still need to take block nodes to reach the cap, but with upto 82% block AND spellblock, you end up quite tanky. And keep in mind that you can add some dodge to that setup as well (as well as armor and evasion, of course). It makes him very resistant to anything that hits (which means damage over time is still a danger, but that's still somewhat rare). The '1% block chance for each block' thing just lets you reach the block cap easier.

What a buff for Gladiator. 82% block all, endurance charge generator with reckoning, cannot be stunned by hits you block, +1% block chance for each hit you have blocked in the past 10 seconds...

I guess this league will be full of totem hierophants and 82 blockall gladiators.

I am waiting for a HUGE scion buff, because scion was the least played class.

Not happy with any of the Necro changes. GGG still has no idea how people play Necro.
Only good thing I see is +2 zombies and maybe the skellie stuff if you actually want skellies, rest is alltrash

Slam buffs? big deal so what?
Minions spread shit? Big deal so what? My zombies dont die.
+damage for me? WTF IM A SUMMONER I DONT DO DAMAGE!
And to kick it all off, we just lost our defences, back to the old days, while everyone else if fucking immortal we can get back to dieing to a few leap slams.

What a mishmash of crap.

"

Cybersnip wrote:

So, if you want Necromancer to be more versatile, please buff the zombie jewel and the skeleton jewel to include an aggressive mod, and place them higher up the rarity ladder. (Or simply add the aggressive mod to the appropriate ascendancy node)

Best wishes,
Mr L

+1

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dacoshild wrote:

"

Cybersnip wrote:

So, if you want Necromancer to be more versatile, please buff the zombie jewel and the skeleton jewel to include an aggressive mod, and place them higher up the rarity ladder. (Or simply add the aggressive mod to the appropriate ascendancy node)

Best wishes,
Mr L

+1

100% agree.

"

RusselCrowe.jpg? Really?

"

RusselCrowe.jpg? Really?

Best part

"

jordan02 wrote:

Is the +4% maximum chance looking good for you ? ( also whats difference between maximum and block chance? ) thanks

With the block nodes, you can get 80% or 90% block chance, but your max is 75%.
The +4% max block chance means you can have up to 79%, which is really good. 21% get through, instead of 25%, so that's 16% better!

Can someone explain me what so good about bleed xplosions and why would anyone ever even look at them for further use?:D