SM tweek ideas

[Azarael]

I can tie stat boosts to the mechanic, but I cannot change how it works. That means I can't do something like have Improved Balance abilities available when you have Perfect Balance or change the Balance requirement of any ability.

[Greatwarden]

I can tie stat boosts to the mechanic, but I cannot change how it works. That means I can't do something like have Improved Balance abilities available when you have Perfect Balance or change the Balance requirement of any ability.

What counts as a stat? I assume that it covers the usual types of stats like the ones that Nature's Blade steals but does to extend to more esoteric things like crit-chance, resists, armor, armor penetration, %heals received or speed?

Can stat-boosts tied to the balance mechanic have a lingering effect after you leave a plan/balance?

If the stat boost per mechanic doesn't linger, then 'wounds' would be the only basic stat that seems to give any 'pay-off' every 1-2-3 cycle.

I have to admit, I'm amused at the idea of gaining 50 wounds on ever best/perfect, then losing it, then regaining it again every cycle. It would be fun for solo-play but doesn't improve group utility.

Speaking of group utility: is it possible to make the stats being stolen by nature's blade more reliable (such as clumping the stats together)? The one stat that I'm always hoping to steal is initiative but it's seems like it's only rarely stolen.

I'm not brazen enough to ask for 'wounds' to be stolen though (not while sober, at least).

[Greatwarden]

Another question: does Blessings of Heaven or Bolstering Enchantments from different SMs stack in this game? My dreams of an all-SM group never got off the ground in Live.

[Wraithedge]

Every other class simply annihilates the SM in every encounter. Any smart healer would totally ignore the SM because they are just healing sinks. And smart dps will just ignore them because they cant possibly threaten anyone of comparable level.

Silly things
Put a heal on every attack, make them a heal tank
Give them way way WAY more mitigation, WAAAAYY more
Make stance changes proc big damage maybe even aoe
make every attack proc a buildup debuff
Make every attack a silence as well

All this witter about group utility. If I can make the healers and casters scatter that's some utility right there. You mean how can I make YOU more awesome. Well since you are not getting shredded by every single other class, I think you are likely awesome enough.

Do something for SMs such that they can get some kind of respect somehow. Right now they are just laughable pests that you can get around to killing whenever.

PS – yes I know that they have to do it to BO as well. Maybe they would like to be taken seriously as well.

[Coryphaus]

I....am all for sm and blorc buff but that sounds awful

SMS and blorcs damage is already respectable for a tank they don't need buffs like that

[Razid1987]

I....am all for sm and blorc buff but that sounds awful

SMS and blorcs damage is already respectable for a tank they don't need buffs like that

+1

They need utility buffs. Not damage or defenses.

[Penril]

Give Whispering Winds equivalent to BOs (give it to WAAAAGH).

Give Big Brawling equivalent to SMs (change Deep Incision tactic, so instead of giving Quick Incision a DoT, it just gives an AoE snare to Phoenix's Wings).

[Wraithedge]

I just get so tired of people breathing a big sigh of relief because its just a SM and everyone knows they cant do anything. Then they just casually erase me or start to really fight when a real class shows up. I would love to change that paradigm somehow. But everyone here says that the SM should just bring more "utility".

Like the way IBs mow down mdps or the way KotBS simply take no damage and decimate everyone they hit. Like that? If that is what you mean then, yes, please make SM more like that. Much much more like that.

[peppex91]

Don't exxagerate the situation, and btw never saw a 1-shotting kotbs... Instead i saw many sm completly integrated in a good premade, we are still in t2; i don't feel that so apparent inferiority in the way many player portray this class. Maybe in t4...

[Wraithedge]

Don't exxagerate the situation

Point taken. My suggestions were just desperate stabs at something that might make me less likely to keel over instantly. But I did label them as silly. I was hoping that they might shake some idea loose somewhere.

Instead i saw many sm completly integrated in a good premade, we are still in t2

So you are saying that if I were in a premade, where everything was balanced and the teamwork was perfect, I would not see any problem.... well, I would have to agree with you on that point.

The t2 bit is a valid point and its not we haven't been told before that balance wasn't a serious issue until t4 where it might be revisited more assiduously. I hear Az say that he is open to good ideas along the way and I have seen some of the threads where he and others discuss ways to possibly improve some classes including SM/BO.

And I never said KotBS ever one-shotted things. What I am saying is that once a KotBS gets on you, you cant knock them back, stop them, shut them down, or kill them unless you just have the raw damage that +15 levels or six additional buddies brings. That usually means you are just dead and usually you will be dead tired.

None of that is true for the SM, although I very much wish it could be.