POE2 is the only ARPG game that has defenses just for decoration!

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Jyrlep#4788 wrote:

Example mechanic idea:
- Slow projectile hits you while you are standing still or moving slowly – you take the "normal" mitigated hit.
- You run full speed straight into that same projectile – effective impact is much higher, maybe dramatically so.
- Same logic for big telegraphed attacks. If you choose to greed DPS and dash through danger at max speed, you are gambling with a much bigger spike.

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ApacheVE3D#7124 wrote:

ppl ask what the best defense is: armor, evasion or barriers. I just say -- its moving out the way!!!

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Jyrlep#4788 wrote:

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arandan#3174 wrote:

What you're asking for would not be healthy for the game.

Once invulnerable levels of defence are made available, they're never limited to characters who wish to go slowly.

Players would just create effectively immortal builds with tens of millions of dps, which would in turn lead to all the mobs/bosses getting buffed in their damage output.

It'd be the repeat of poe1 in that regard, where multiple defence layers are a requirement in order to avoid 1shots, not a choice hence not changing anything apart from increasing the entry ceiling for newbies even furhter.

You can absolutely design it so that tanky slow builds stay slow and zoomers do not get to be immortal gods.

If the worry is "everyone will just stack defense and still go 500 mph," then make speed itself the risk factor. Basic physics lesson from real life: getting tapped by a slowly rolling shopping cart is not the same as sprinting face first into a moving truck.

Example mechanic idea:
- Slow projectile hits you while you are standing still or moving slowly – you take the "normal" mitigated hit.
- You run full speed straight into that same projectile – effective impact is much higher, maybe dramatically so.
- Same logic for big telegraphed attacks. If you choose to greed DPS and dash through danger at max speed, you are gambling with a much bigger spike.

That way:
- Slow, defensive characters actually get rewarded for playing slow and safe.
- Zoomers can still zoom, but playing like a Roomba on rocket fuel is a conscious risk, not a free win once your layers are stacked.
- The game can support real mitigation-focused builds without automatically turning them into immortal speed farmers.

Yeah, implementing proper relative-movement interaction is not a 5 minute balance tweak, but this is the same game that simulates a small galaxy of tags, conversions, ailments, and interactions per hit. If any ARPG team can wire some basic "fast thing hitting fast thing hurts more" logic into their damage formula, it is GGG.

TLDR, instead of saying "we cannot have real defenses because everyone will abuse them," make defenses strong but tie their safety to how recklessly you move. If you choose to play like a bullet, do not be surprised when every stray pebble is a railgun.

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Biggles747#1854 wrote:

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ApacheVE3D#7124 wrote:

ppl ask what the best defense is: armor, evasion or barriers. I just say -- its moving out the way!!!

+1,000,000

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I'd say the problem is that you can even reach 90% DR. GGG goes too crazy with numbers. If a rounded character had 30% DR and an invested had 40-45% then they wouldn't need dumb things like Little Hit Vs Big Hit. Things they want to hit hard simply can and the spread of damage intake would be much more reasonable. Not to mention easier to balance.

Resistances should use Diminishing Returns. It's pretty much the only thing Diablo 4 got right. Again 20-40% and 40% likely only in one damage type.

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Xzorn#7046 wrote:

Been playing isometric ARPGs since that Diablo 1 beta CD from PC-Gamer magazine. It's true.

I'd say the problem is that you can even reach 90% DR. GGG goes too crazy with numbers. If a rounded character had 30% DR and an invested had 40-45% then they wouldn't need dumb things like Little Hit Vs Big Hit. Things they want to hit hard simply can and the spread of damage intake would be much more reasonable. Not to mention easier to balance.

Resistances should use Diminishing Returns. It's pretty much the only thing Diablo 4 got right. Again 20-40% and 40% likely only in one damage type.

People who think moving is the best defense are half right. Diablo 1 was like this but Armor and Resists still worked. If you didn't side step, teleport, LoS and other now alien concepts you'd get stuck in a stun/block loop. You were dead, you just didn't know it yet.

Not saying players should get stunlocked to death like old PoE1. More that the point was to not get overwhelmed and make use of the entire global magic system in D1 while using the environment to improve your odd if you did aggro too much.

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AlexiaRP#4088 wrote:

Ok, but that's already how the game is, except defense doesn't matter for the one shots either, since you'll just die from a boss slam, or a random invisible on death effect anyways.

What's the point of having defenses if you just die all the same?