Archmage - Experimental Changes

[peterthepan3]

Personally I love that, but man o man I know there is gonna be a lot of very angry people mad they will have to change their play style especially on DoK/WP.

It will also simultaneously drop the skill floor and raise the ceiling by a ton on those classes, playing hybrid/DPS AM back in T3 was easily one of the most hectic things I have done in this game.

That is the intention. WP/DoK are too simple, just like two other classes we all know about. If people don't get angry about it, then it won't have been done correctly.

Amen to that. People getting angry for having to invest more thought behind their class have no say, as far as I'm concerned (try playing a Magus or Blackguard, then play a healing dok).

[Theseus]

I keep flitting back and forth between Heal and DPS mode, trying to determine what I like best.

I think the beauty of the changes that you've introduced is that I can't make up my mind.

DPS is still good, but now with improved healing I find that I actually contribute to the group as well. Did 158k damage and 84k healing the other day, and it felt good. A hybrid as it should be. Haven't tried it in a 3+2+1 roaming setup with the guild yet, but intend to do so soon.

I then reckoned that the changes would benefit a DPS AM most, but now with the improvements on the life-tap and the requirement to have Tranquility to be able to cast it on the move I am enjoying Healing much much more as well. Haven't tried it in a competitive setting to see if the occasional burst DPS assisting as part of an assist train works well, but heal-botting with Lifetapping thrown in is a lot more versatile and complements the real strength of an AM: burst single-target healing.

Still getting used to the changes and getting my head around the play-style, and still not convinced how we can displace a RP/WP combo, but really liking it so far. I think we would benefit from having a clearly defined role for the AM, compared to WP/RP. At the moment we lack this somewhat and we fold too easily whilst under pressure (granted, my heal gear sucks).

Thank you for taking this effort!

As I see it, the AM is pretty good in debuffs. I dont know about RP/WP, but I am damned sure glad to have an AM who can debuff my enemy and heal me at the same time... i would say that is a pro for offspecked AM.

[navis]

I just played AM today for a bit.. I really don't like the mechanic change to the points usage

General changes:
+ Only one mechanic point is consumed, rather than all points.

I think it ruins the playstyle of the class, thus being 'experimental. I think some of the other changes are good and should be rolled into both versions. Really it's several changes were looking at here, though.

[request to add to experimental mode]
I would like to see "Rain Lord" build Force and that ability is super bad atm, with what seems to be a very high chance to disrupt - logic would dictate since it's the pre-requirement for that ability is a Int build that it should certainly build force..

+ The effects of an ability on other players will use your Career Rank instead of your Mastery Level.

I don't really understand the need for this change, but anyways

Bonuses for cleanse abilities:
+ Cleansing abilities will build mechanic points as a healing ability.
+ Cleansing abilities will benefit from a reduced cooldown when used on other players.

should be rolled into primary version, IMHO.
-this doesn't appear to be working as of testing (both points)

Bonuses for lifetap build up cast abilities:
+ These abilities can be cast while moving.
+ These abilities have a 20% reduced chance to be defended.
+ The healing value of I'll Take That! and Balance Essence is 350% of the damage dealt.
+ The healing value of Fury of Da Green and Energy of Vaul is 200% of the damage dealt.
- Stat contribution is removed.
- If you are the heal target, the effectiveness of the heal on you is halved.

great changes

range for heal radius seems too small for Balance Essence extra heal near target.. make it more like 100 ft plz.

thx

[Kali14]

I also prefer get 2 mechanic points from critical heal/hit and reduce cast time Blessing of Isha and Energy Vaul for 1 second. Maybe this new cheanges need any special and total differen build than I use now. In healing spec I don't use dps and have the best effect. People don't know how play AM and how play with AM. But this is their own problem, not mechanic of class. Group snare, group drain AP, the biggest AOE heals + tactic which build someone 250 morale each 2 seconds and many more. I don't know what can want more. I tryed this new cheanges of Vaul yesterday, and they killed me 4 times and I was last in heals. AM hybride never wasn't good on RVR, this must be full healer or full dps. AM dps is fine because always have healdebuf, which can't say about WL, SM and many different dps...

[Hipokryta]

"The effects of an ability on other players will use your Career Rank instead of your Mastery Level."

Does that mean renown tactics for am are useless now? Did they work anyway?

[noisestorm]

What has career rank to do with renown "tactics" ?

[roadkillrobin]

Renown tactics were disabled 2010 I think.

[Hipokryta]

What has career rank to do with renown "tactics" ?

Each tactic gives +1 mastery.