sauruman
12-09-2005, 01:06 AM
#2 - Lowering of DoT resists (Part of the proposed first pass with class re-envisioning posted on EQLive on 3/14/2005)
In order to attain adequate DPS, DoT spells must be stacked, and in a timely manner (i.e. as close to the start of a fight as possible). Resists can affect Necromancers in 2 ways:
DoT spells incur a penalty that is greater than the lost time a DD resist entails, as we lose not only the time / opportunity to stack more DoT spells on (the same as Wiz lose) but also lose time in which our spell takes effect (less ticks elapse) which DD spells do not worry about. In a fight, time means more to a Damage over Time caster than any other equivalent damage dealing class. Many classes have methods to “front-load” their damage (e.g. Kyv Strike line) – shorter fight lengths are a DoT caster’s enemy, not friend. It is a unique challenge for DoT casters that as they improve and progress through content such as Anguish or Tacvi, that the proportion they contribute to a group lessens as their guildmates get extra gear, rather than increases. Their actual contribution may increase (i.e. they generate more DPS), but their DPS gains have the potential to be proportionately less than their guildmates, if the fight shortens to the point where one or more DoT spells are not completing, or are not running long enough to be comparable to swapping that DoT out for a nuke cast, which is the least efficient / effective way Necromancers can deal damage.
Encountering Mobs that are highly resistant to certain types of magic will again affect a class that is DoT dependant more than it would a DD caster or melee for that matter. A DD caster that encounters a mob that is resistant to all but one line can pick the best / most efficient spell of that line and chain cast it, perhaps taking somewhat of a hit in DPS due to it not being his most efficient spell. A DoT caster usually must stack multiple DoTs across several different resist lines in order to attain anywhere near his max DPS. Being forced to stack backwards within the same line of resists has a very large detrimental impact to a DoT caster’s dps, often forcing the caster to go back to spells he had 15 levels below his current level. Solutions to this include making DoT spells innately less resisted than DD spells, (see above, was #5) or to add more resist lines so that necromancers have increased flexibility when choosing lines to stack, such as a new cold resist DoT (Currently being evaluated). Note that this may not be an effective solution as many current mobs are highly resistant to ALL lines except for one.
Closing thoughts
The original vision of the way that Damage over Time spells work in game, versus Direct damage spells in many ways does not apply to the way that the game works anymore (especially at high levels / highly geared characters). The shift that occurred during Planes of Power towards shorter nastier fights, with clerics healing faster, wizards nuking harder, rogues stabbing for bigger hits, and mobs hitting like Mac trucks, and dying relatively quickly did some good things for the game. The game is faster paced now. People are less inclined to think of long, boring slog-fest encounters. However, to a certain extent, a baby is being thrown out with the bath water. DoT spells were originally more efficient and more damaging, with the trade off that they took time to take effect. With the time meter shortened so much recently, most DoT spells do not run full duration -- with the notable exception of the horror line, and even that does not always do so -- making them at best equal to, and often less efficient than an equivalent nuke. What keeps Necromancer DPS still very good in group fights is only the fact that we usually have the mana regeneration to spend mana wastefully and flagrantly so. What used to be the downside of DD casters (lack of endurance, they could burst DPS, but lacked ability to sustain that for very long) has been substantially lessened because of huge manapool sizes and the proliferation of mana regeneration, and the reduced duration of any one fight. This is so much the case that mana drains have been placed into many raid level encounters to artificially lower the endurance of all caster types. These manadrains are such that you either must cure yourselves (curing usually done on clerics first, damage casters second) or spend the mana on DPS before the drain removes it for you. Again the efficiency of Damage over time is mitigated by the raid design, and the ability to dump your mana into damage before it’s drained dry has the edge going to DD casters. The entire mechanic of Damage over time, I suspect needs addressing.
In order to attain adequate DPS, DoT spells must be stacked, and in a timely manner (i.e. as close to the start of a fight as possible). Resists can affect Necromancers in 2 ways:
DoT spells incur a penalty that is greater than the lost time a DD resist entails, as we lose not only the time / opportunity to stack more DoT spells on (the same as Wiz lose) but also lose time in which our spell takes effect (less ticks elapse) which DD spells do not worry about. In a fight, time means more to a Damage over Time caster than any other equivalent damage dealing class. Many classes have methods to “front-load” their damage (e.g. Kyv Strike line) – shorter fight lengths are a DoT caster’s enemy, not friend. It is a unique challenge for DoT casters that as they improve and progress through content such as Anguish or Tacvi, that the proportion they contribute to a group lessens as their guildmates get extra gear, rather than increases. Their actual contribution may increase (i.e. they generate more DPS), but their DPS gains have the potential to be proportionately less than their guildmates, if the fight shortens to the point where one or more DoT spells are not completing, or are not running long enough to be comparable to swapping that DoT out for a nuke cast, which is the least efficient / effective way Necromancers can deal damage.
Encountering Mobs that are highly resistant to certain types of magic will again affect a class that is DoT dependant more than it would a DD caster or melee for that matter. A DD caster that encounters a mob that is resistant to all but one line can pick the best / most efficient spell of that line and chain cast it, perhaps taking somewhat of a hit in DPS due to it not being his most efficient spell. A DoT caster usually must stack multiple DoTs across several different resist lines in order to attain anywhere near his max DPS. Being forced to stack backwards within the same line of resists has a very large detrimental impact to a DoT caster’s dps, often forcing the caster to go back to spells he had 15 levels below his current level. Solutions to this include making DoT spells innately less resisted than DD spells, (see above, was #5) or to add more resist lines so that necromancers have increased flexibility when choosing lines to stack, such as a new cold resist DoT (Currently being evaluated). Note that this may not be an effective solution as many current mobs are highly resistant to ALL lines except for one.
Closing thoughts
The original vision of the way that Damage over Time spells work in game, versus Direct damage spells in many ways does not apply to the way that the game works anymore (especially at high levels / highly geared characters). The shift that occurred during Planes of Power towards shorter nastier fights, with clerics healing faster, wizards nuking harder, rogues stabbing for bigger hits, and mobs hitting like Mac trucks, and dying relatively quickly did some good things for the game. The game is faster paced now. People are less inclined to think of long, boring slog-fest encounters. However, to a certain extent, a baby is being thrown out with the bath water. DoT spells were originally more efficient and more damaging, with the trade off that they took time to take effect. With the time meter shortened so much recently, most DoT spells do not run full duration -- with the notable exception of the horror line, and even that does not always do so -- making them at best equal to, and often less efficient than an equivalent nuke. What keeps Necromancer DPS still very good in group fights is only the fact that we usually have the mana regeneration to spend mana wastefully and flagrantly so. What used to be the downside of DD casters (lack of endurance, they could burst DPS, but lacked ability to sustain that for very long) has been substantially lessened because of huge manapool sizes and the proliferation of mana regeneration, and the reduced duration of any one fight. This is so much the case that mana drains have been placed into many raid level encounters to artificially lower the endurance of all caster types. These manadrains are such that you either must cure yourselves (curing usually done on clerics first, damage casters second) or spend the mana on DPS before the drain removes it for you. Again the efficiency of Damage over time is mitigated by the raid design, and the ability to dump your mana into damage before it’s drained dry has the edge going to DD casters. The entire mechanic of Damage over time, I suspect needs addressing.