Development Manifesto: Game Balance in Path of Exile: Harvest

Rip utility skill. I dont use cyclone as a main skill, as its really good utility for a melee-ish summoner. "Phasing" through mobs and being able to turn on stun immunity in crowded situations is needed. As an actual "melee" char with no investment in aoe or dmg for cyclone, this nerf will hit me harder than someone who fully invests in both. If this is the intention, then by all means, but if the intent is to counter the newly added beefed up 2handed melee, then it not the right way. Subjective oppinions aside, ill make you a deal, gimme my utility stun immunity, and give cyclone "point blank". The closer enemies are the more dmg you do, or in other words, the further they are the less dmg you do. This should accomplish not only the suspected intent, but also bring cyclone back to being more of a "melee" skill.
- Sincerely a concerned cyclone civilian ;D

I kinda get why some of these nerfs come down but it doesn't really seem like the nerfs are to re-balance, its more to ruin every meta in the game just to have people build different. Problem is that the nerfs come to broad. One skill works "to well" with something so instead of focusing on the interaction between the skill and the mechanic they nerf either the skill or the mechanic and call it good mean while closing the door off for a different skill that NEEDS that mechanic to be viable or guts the skill from being worth building. Additionally some things are getting nerfed because they are too good but when deciding that it is too powerful most of the time it is based of the highest tier of that built. This guy hits 5 mil dps with this build after spending 200 exalts, yeah, duh. Meanwhile the average 50-100 exalt version is hitting 800k but the nerf comes down all the same and all the mid tier versions of the build are dead. The 200 exalt version of the build also dies because you can take 200 exalts and put them to better use. This is one is a personal opinion in which I understand if you do not agree but skills are pretty clearly meant to either be single target or mob based with only a few skills having a nice balance of doing both meaning you end up having two main skills or switching gems before boss fight. (I would rather die than gem swap mid map/delve, roast me). This was my first league in this game so I could be completely wrong here but from the opinions I've heard about build making from content creators, regulars on the forums, and people in game, this is general feeling I get. Either way it is a free to play game that is very fun and clearly is always being worked on and I never got the feeling GGG has turned their back on the players so for that thank you. GL HF

uh oh cyclone bois big mad

I kind of shrugged as I read this.

I'm sure I'll find a build I like, but some of these changes seem... odd.

I don't think dual-wield was exceptionally overpowered; it had a place beside 1h/shield. Now, I honestly can't see someone choosing dual-wield. It will either be 2H or 1h/shield. The benefits of a second weapon just aren't attractive enough on their own to compete with a shield.

The hexproof thing seems well intentioned, but seems like a dagger through the heart of self-curse builds.

The nerf to cyclone makes some sense. I've only ever played a cyclone build once, but I have to admit the reason I did so was because it allowed me to not get stunned. That said, the stuns will make that skill really awkward to play. I think they would have been better off converting stuns to something else when they happened (like, you still have stun immunity but anything that would have resulted in a stun triples the channeling cost briefly or causes you damage or slows you down, or whatever).

No real comment on the absurdly overpowered builds getting nerfed. Pretty sure everyone saw that coming.

I'm not really sure what to make of the other changes; maybe the patch notes will clarify things.

One thing is for sure; we're probably going to see a lot of miners this league.

So, still can play VD spellslinger and still can't Herald WIner orb, i like it

You guys must be hard trolling by now. There is nothing else I can think of.

guys stop saying those changes are nerfs... they are just exploring the best this game has to offer: morfing and testing our criativity!

hyyyyyyyyyyyyyype

alot of intresting stuff for melee, cant wait to see all the new builds that will emerge from all these changes!

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TheRealDeria wrote:

I don't think dual-wield was exceptionally overpowered; it had a place beside 1h/shield. Now, I honestly can't see someone choosing dual-wield. It will either be 2H or 1h/shield. The benefits of a second weapon just aren't attractive enough on their own to compete with a shield.

the savior likes to disagree

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Ashriel wrote:

Oh yeah, way to get rid of the one good Pantheon. Back to completely ignoring the whole mechanic. You know, the whole second act of the game... And Divine Vessels... Yeah, we skip that, except Shakari. Nice!

What's a Divine Vessel? Haven't used one since the challenge league... and only then to complete the challenge. LOL.