Arc

I would like to see the Chain support gem when supporting Arc changed to one of these:

1. Count Arc's three 'projectiles' as each being chainable (like for any other skill Chain supports).

2. Do the fair thing and consider Arc's three hits/'projectiles' as just one overall projectile in terms of damage (so the two additional chains hit for the same amount each as the first three projectiles put together).

3. Have the 'damage reduced by 50%' changed to 'projectile damage reduced by 50%' and therefore not halve the damage of Arc's hits, as they are not being counted as projectiles seemingly (since each can not chain).

The first suggestion, you would have three projectiles each chaining twice, so nine projectiles, although the damage of each is halved. This is what Chain does for any other skill it supports, so I don't see why it shouldn't do so here as well.

For the second suggestion, lets use some numbers to explain. Assume Arc does 300 damage total; three projectiles, 100 damage each. Chain currently adds two projectiles to the end of this, and halves the damage of all the projectiles; five projectiles, 50 damage each, 250 damage total. Bad.

Instead, lets say Chain now assumes that the original 300 total damage is the actual damage the additional two projectiles (from Chain) should inherit. As before, all the projectiles damage is then halved; five projectiles, 50 damage each for the first three (150 total), 150 damage each for the last two, 450 damage total. This is the same damage multiplier Chain would give any other skill.

I think the second suggestion is more confusing than the first, but it does have an interesting effect of adding damage 'spikes' that are pretty uncontrollable in what they hit; which seems somewhat appropriate for the lightning damage model that GGG uses.

The third suggestion has been discussed before. Unlike the other two suggestions, this suggestion wouldn't result in Chain supporting Arc as the same damage multiplier it does for other skills; it would be stronger for Arc (5/3 times damage, or approx. 1.67 times, instead of 1.5 times). This isn't really problematic - GMP and LMP have different damage multipliers for different skills (based on the number of original projectiles). Furthermore, Chain with Arc would still be a weaker damage multiplier than any other of the projectile supports I have talked about (GMP, LMP, Fork, Pierce).

I haven't been playing PoE lately, and I definitely have not been using Arc - so forgive me for asking this; doesn't Arc always hit the target you select, assuming you are in range?

If you select the floor, or another mob, then of course the bounces may hit anything. However, if you are in range and select a target then Arc will always hit that target, right?

Or, can it be intercepted? I don't recall ever noticing if so, but as I say, its been a while.

P.S. At a moment's thought, I wouldn't mind if it had 100% pierce until it hit its target (hitting those along the way as well)... I mean, lightning conducts, right?!

Nope.

It hits the first thing in the way as though it was a projectile. And then chains randomly.

I don't know how I didn't know that!

Indeed then, for the reasons Charan discussed, it should be so that Arc can not be intercepted.

It would be an interesting idea if it could hit targets along the way, as well. Maybe it would chain through enemies within a certain distance either side of a straight line between you and the target, until it hit the target. Would make for a more interesting tactical choice of which target to aim for.

Like so (behold, impressive ASCII diagram!):

. . . . . . . | . . T . . | . . . . . . .
. . . . . M .| . . . . M | . . . M . .
. . . . . . . | . M . . . | . . . . . . .
. . M . . . .| . . M . . | . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . | . . . . M | . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . | . . M . . | . . . .M . .
. . . . . . . | . . Y . . | . . . . . . .

Y = You, T = Target, M = Mobs (other than target)

All the mobs within the |.....| would be chained through on the way to the target, T, while those outside would not. Could be that the target need not be a mob; anywhere that is clicked (that is in LoS and range) could also be valid? Either way, seems sort of Arc-ish to me, however, it would be a fairly significant change.

Would help if first thing they changed was random chaining to pots/breakables. I want to hit monsters; when I want to hit breakables it shouldn't be done with a spell that has only 2 other chains/targets. :P

The air is more of a hindrance than a semi-solid conductor, like a body. If lightning was to travel horizontal from a point to another point, it would use anything more conducting than air along its route that didn't require it to travel through more air in the long run. Bodies are more conductive than air.

The path of least resistance would be through mobs roughly along a straight line (give or take some distance dependent on the size and conductivity of the intermediates) to the target. It would zig-zag from mob to mob on its way to the target (within the conditions specified).

"

CharanJaydemyr wrote:

In that case, why even give an illusion of targeting at all? :)

The same reason for anything that pierces (say, incinerate) - so that you can track a target with repeated casts. You could just click on the floor instead, but that wont auto-track, will it?

Regardless, I have decided against this idea after some thought; Ball Lightning sounds like it will be pretty much this - travels along a line hitting anything within a certain distance.

Back to the idea board (unless... do you know if the devs have something already planned for Arc, Charan? ^^)

"

CharanJaydemyr wrote:

Part of my feedback was precisely about the imminence of Ball Lightning further neutering Arc's possible roles.

They're definitely tweaking Arc but I don't know any details beyond that. I just really hope they don't overpower it, and that the core issues (targeting, mana cost, cast speed, single target efficacy) are addressed intelligently.

Well if Arc "lit up" a straightline set of bodies between the caster and target, with a chain function incorporated somehow, it would have a similar feel to Lightning Ball but a different playpattern.

AoE vs semi-controlled single target.

For instance "Arc chains forward from the caster jumping between enemies up to X times until it reaches the target. If arc jumps fewer than X times it chains beyond the target to nearby enemies until it has chained X total times."

I would suggest having the chain start at 3, and increase by 1 every 5 levels. Each chain should increase Arc's targeting range slightly as well.

Then tweak arc's damage effectiveness to give it a little more oomph from the only support gems it can really use. I'm in favor of removing pathing from arc's usage case, as it is most definitely not a projectile.

Also, I might suggest, tweaking the Chain support to make it a more effective support overall. Reducing the damage reduction to 40% or even 30% would help toward making it a good support choice (increase cost to make it a more direct "trade mana for damage" support).

Overall these changes keep arc's "I have limited supports" flavor, while making it better at what it does. It would also make it a unique skill very different from other targeted skills.

I haven't had targeting issues with arc myself except in really crowded areas to be honest. And that's a hitbox issue more than an issue with arc itself.