BW and upcoming dps patch

[Bozzax]

Much more to it
-Disrupt changes make you inefficient vs casters
Initiative changes make you inefficient vs parry stackers
- core crit changes has reduced the ”free crit piñatas” in the lakes (also the inidebuff synergies). Actually a good change
-Way more group absorbes handed out to the meta healers
-End game armor penetration has overtaken magic damage so AA is a thing (before casters had less mitigation and avoidance)
-Most every other dps classes have been given better burst through new finishers
-Resistance changes is a net loss
-Flat damage nerf to mechanic
-Proc changes and changes to proc tactics (nerf)
-Cast range checks that gimp slow stationary casts (effectively a very high failure rate on top of disrupts more frequent)
-Kills and damage output are higher on mdps that have medium armour
-Near 0 cc (bw slightly more)
-No heal debuff sorc
-morale gain nerf (yep this was a build bf)
-Self damge which effectively can be vied as having 1500 fewer HP:s
- The ”pug stomper” is incredibly inaccurate check killboard SW/SHs even magi and lesti boys stomp more
- typically very poor CD design (more so on ror) and lacking fillers meaning in a clns environment you fluff out
- backloaded damage as on live rly a big disadvantage now when you have no real upside
- one of the most either or classes (ST / AOE)
- a stationary ranged snare with with 2s cast and a pre req is underwhelming (bw is slightly better off but it is far from good)

”Zed is dead baby, zed is dead”


So what can be done
1 add more fillers (no a 2-3s stationary casts isn’t viable). Combustion/ dark magic ?
2 tweak trees especially sorc is kind of gimped bc of ability placement and redundant abilities
3 tweak cds (a must really) this is the biggest problem
4 make dark magic / comb more multi faceted. Different consume options such as cc, self sustain etc
5. Change (relax) range checks for STATIONARY casts
6. Even out util a bit and make roots undefendable as a tactic option would be a bare minimum

Lastly the 4-5 remaining ppl playing this class out of nostalgia likely don’t want an overhaul and the newcomers that still believe this is the ”glass canon” will be making new mains anyway when the realise it is just ”glass no canon”

[leftayparxoun]

Much more to it
...
-Resistance changes is a net loss

Might not matter much in the grand scheme of things, but I'm gonna keep correcting people:
The resistance buff/debuff changes were a net gain for non-physical damage dealers.

[hippyia]

Make the 7piece dark promise set bonus HoT baseline with a bigger combustion/ap cost to compensate. This will *help* make it partially playable solo without the need of a healer duo, or praying for out of party heals to combat it's class mechanic(not to mention FP as thats an optional toggle.)

[Tosunpasa]

Sorc/BW are squishy and not very mobile because they are designed to be the most damaging class in the game. The crit mechanism and burst damage were too high, but other players complained a lot and whined, so they got nerfed heavily and ended up in this situation. When a character has so many disadvantages and only one advantage, which is damage, if you take away that advantage, you end up with glass. BW/Sorc needs to return to its former state; otherwise, everyone should just play melee.

what can be done, if its a full supported game can be easily re created mastery levels etc, but easiest option could be with numbers such as armor penetration, intelligent cap, dmg multiplier

[gadielballart]

1. Start with conservative numbers. Eg. 20–25% crit-bonus pre-absorb split, or APen caps 20–30%.


2. A/B test in PvP environment: track number of hits to deplete common absorbs (500, 1000, 2000) for representative classes.


3. Watch for secondary effects: anything that reduces randomness may buff single-target average DPS; ensure open-field burst isn’t inflated.


4. Offer talent/gear choices rather than global changes — players can opt-in and designers can iterate per-class.


5. Log and telemetry: track absorb encounter durations and relative class win rates after the change.



Quick recommended pick (what I’d try first)

Split Crit Bonus (Option 1) at 25% pre-crit — low-risk, easy to explain in patch notes (“25% of crit bonus now applies to shield damage”), immediate effect on shield chewing without raising peak crit burst by much.
1. Start with conservative numbers. Eg. 20–25% crit-bonus pre-absorb split, or APen caps 20–30%.


2. A/B test in PvP environment: track number of hits to deplete common absorbs (500, 1000, 2000) for representative classes.


3. Watch for secondary effects: anything that reduces randomness may buff single-target average DPS; ensure open-field burst isn’t inflated.


4. Offer talent/gear choices rather than global changes — players can opt-in and designers can iterate per-class.


5. Log and telemetry: track absorb encounter durations and relative class win rates after the change.



Quick recommended pick (what I’d try first)

Split Crit Bonus (Option 1) at 25% pre-crit — low-risk, easy to explain in patch notes (“25% of crit bonus now applies to shield damage”), immediate effect on shield chewing without raising peak crit burst by much.

[gadielballart]

For crit-dependent classes like Sorc and BW, one possible fix would be to give them a mechanic where a preset percentage of their critical damage is applied directly to shields before the rest of the damage goes through the normal reduction/mitigation order.

In practice, this would mean that when a Sorc crits, part of that crit bonus (say 20–30%) counts immediately toward breaking absorbs, instead of being completely eaten up after the shield layer. The remaining percentage of the crit would still work as usual, being reduced by armor/resists/mitigation.

This way, Sorc/BW don’t lose the majority of their power against large absorbs, but they also don’t suddenly become overpowered against unshielded targets. It just ensures that their damage scaling from crits remains relevant even when shields are stacked.

[Bozzax]

Much more to it
...
-Resistance changes is a net loss

Might not matter much in the grand scheme of things, but I'm gonna keep correcting people:
The resistance buff/debuff changes were a net gain for non-physical damage dealers.

I suspect if you combine armor and resistance changes you will come to the same conclusions as I

[nebelwerfer]

.

Doing "something" new with Backdraft. it doesnt thematically match a closerange aoe build, to punt them away with a long strong dot

I like backdraft, it blows up an opening in a meleeline
It helps me interrupt or escape choppapulls, one of the only tools to do so
i try rooting first to avoid the punt component when its not needed