More Changes to Skill Gem Balance

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Aim_Deep wrote:

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IlyaK1986 wrote:

Seems like the 60% conversion change is utterly out of place now =/.

No it's not. Anyone was a fool to not do conversion with ANY lightning, fire or cold spell or applicable attacks because chaos conversion is stronger than pen gem and chaos conversion makes 8-9 map mods vs elemental irrelevant to conversion user. (reflect and ele resists being the big ones)

Inquisitor says F U to resistances.

Elementalist says F U to reflect (paragon of calamity + sibyl's lament). Heck, elementalist can now say F U to resistances as well.

Here, full pen elementalist:

https://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAABAMCAJD6321Mi-9L34pUrn3SIvRsC5Mnvop_xqEvEZaTlQceDkitM5UuXfIZ1_DVKgsrCklRcFIRL4nT62OMNjY9VUudqhvIYeJsjM_dJpVirPGKFr-0xQ-rwuwkiwW1KlvDOo2_efabtSo4UUdDNoTFMHw31OdUUuyNfX8r7T8k_SP2OdRW-v_eTZJv8nb37g7dRqCfMfr8xe96Y6cNjdN-EYFbr4d2fXUAXiF2Tirjn2eg_roZjobOTP8j00p97YPBM0Mxj2AILtrBjX4uU3Ttt7bTbwUtdct67-pivqdlTb02R37UIzBx3ahLeDpCF6QTNdQH3I0=

Use with Windripper for attack speed and crits.

LA - GMP - Pierce - Added lightning/increased crits - WED - lightning penetration with mastermind of discord + use some nominal cold skill every 10 seconds. You know, like a FROST WALL? That's 62% lightning pen right then and there. Couple that with Forces of Nature in south ranger tree, and you're up to 68. Couple with arcing blows and you're at 76%. AKA even in full-out 80% lightning resist maps, mobs are capped at 75. You're blowing through every last bit of their resist.

Done.

Is it a bit of effort? Yeah. Would it keep pace with a deadeye voltaxic? Maybe it'd lose a little bit of a step. Come to think of it, holy shit, you can use like 95% of this exact tree with a Voltaxic, just replace mastermind of discord with beacon of ruin, lightning pen with increased crits or poison, and you're good to go.

The idea that Voltaxic was this OPOP monster is completely false. Everything Mathil did in his frost wall + LA + pierce video has been in the game for years aside from void manipulation and duelist leech clusters. Yeah, he has a bit more damage because of deadeye ascendancy, but it isn't like any chaos scaling is even necessary.

So yeah. I haven't seen a single argument as to why Voltaxic is OPOP now, when it was fine for two years.

Just an utter waste of an amazing item.

LOL, typical GGG. Nerf something in multiple ways all at once.

Nerf ascendancies players used for spark.
Nerf weapons players used for spark.
Nerf vaal skills that synergize with spark builds.
Nerf spark projectile speed quality bonus.
Nerf spark base projectile speed (20% slower).
Nerf spark damage.
Nerf spark range (kill it after 150 units of travel).
Nerf spark's ability to multi hit after bouncing (double re-arm time, from 500ms to 1000ms).

GGG doesn't even try to do incremental adjustment. They just go full retard.

(the last two are hilarious, because given sparks random directional walk, 150 units of travel can occur while spark is still on your screen, i.e. since other projectiles fire straight and travel 150 units, the effective range of spark is now less than every other projectile - it went from the furthest linear distance travelling projectile in the game to the shortest, and the double re-arm time effectively halves sparks damage vs. bosses & players in closed spaces).

Totally, completely, utterly trash tier now. It must have been the incinerate guy who balanced spark.

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Vhlad wrote:

GGG doesn't even try to do incremental adjustment. They just go full retard.

You gotta admit they did a mighty fine job of it this time :)

If regular spark is still usable, that is, seems that only exploit cases were nerfed very hard and it will stay good for regular use.

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raics wrote:

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Vhlad wrote:

GGG doesn't even try to do incremental adjustment. They just go full retard.

You gotta admit they did a mighty fine job of it this time :)

If regular spark is still usable, that is, seems that only exploit cases were nerfed very hard and it will stay good for regular use.

It will be about as good for regular use as incinerate is now. i.e. you'd have to be a snowflake (or retarded) to bother. I edited my post above to explain the ramifications of just two of the nerfs a little more.

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Vhlad wrote:

It will be about as good for regular use as incinerate is now. i.e. you'd have to be a snowflake (or retarded) to bother. I edited my post above to explain the ramifications of just two of the nerfs a little more.

I just did some maps on my incinerator the other day...it still works fine. Maybe you're a little too spoiled by builds that were never meant to be the standard this game is judged by?

There look to be no shortage of broken things that will emerge from the forthcoming Ascendancy balance/buffs, and the 2 extra points so... wait for the next broken thing to come along and play that.

Or, a better idea, don't do that. Instead play with a skill that looks like it's fun to use, but you haven't tried before.

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Vhlad wrote:

It will be about as good for regular use as incinerate is now. i.e. you'd have to be a snowflake (or retarded) to bother. I edited my post above to explain the ramifications of just two of the nerfs a little more.

Now wait a sec here

- Nerf ascendancies players used for spark.
Somewhat true, it should say 'nerf some of the ascendancies'.

- Nerf weapons players used for spark.
If Chaos spark was the only usable variant it deserves to die and be reborn as a dung beetle.

- Nerf vaal skills that synergize with spark builds.
Which ones? Vaal spark doesn't synergize with a spark build it's a variation of a spark build. Actually, if a build that uses a Vaal skill only is possible, I say nerf the stuffing out of it, Vaal skills aren't supposed to be used that way.

- Nerf spark projectile speed.
Probably not very impactful, range will be a higher limiting factor.

- Nerf spark damage.
Didn't see any of that in patch notes.

- Nerf spark range (kill it after 150 units of travel).
It already happened in outdoor areas, the biggest consequence of this is you won't be able to bounce it around so much anymore.

- Nerf spark's ability to multi hit after bouncing (double re-arm time, from 500ms to 1000ms).
Again, a mostly indoor nerf.

Won't deny the skill is nerfed overall, but I think it will still be good. What I expect the nerf to do is bring down the outdoor spark a notch and indoor spark closer to the outdoor spark level. And for the offscreen killing, I'd be crying crocodile tears for that so don't mind me if I don't.

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raics wrote:

- Nerf vaal skills that synergize with spark builds.
Which ones? Vaal spark doesn't synergize with a spark build it's a variation of a spark build. Actually, if a build that uses a Vaal skill only is possible, I say nerf the stuffing out of it, Vaal skills aren't supposed to be used that way.

I ran a 5L Vaal Spark on my Spark build last league. It scales on the exact same set of stats and is good burst.

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elitedesolator wrote:

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raics wrote:

- Nerf vaal skills that synergize with spark builds.
Which ones? Vaal spark doesn't synergize with a spark build it's a variation of a spark build. Actually, if a build that uses a Vaal skill only is possible, I say nerf the stuffing out of it, Vaal skills aren't supposed to be used that way.

I ran a 5L Vaal Spark on my Spark build last league. It scales on the exact same set of stats and is good burst.

Congrats, you used the skill properly. For you it will still be a good burst, however, those that took leisurely strolls through the map while the skill killed everything in sight and out of it will need to find something else.

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raics wrote:

Congrats, you used the skill properly. For you it will still be a good burst, however, those that took leisurely strolls through the map while the skill killed everything in sight and out of it will need to find something else.

Right.

I'm frankly glad they nerfed Vaal Spark and VMS, I can't help but play cookie cutter builds.

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Vhlad wrote:

the last two are hilarious, because given sparks random directional walk, 150 units of travel can occur while spark is still on your screen

I kinda disagree with the over nerf of spark (and the lack of minor nerfs and buffs to other over used or under used skills) but MAYBE (not sure) the 150 units of travel don't take into account spark's zig zag and they just disappear when they travel more than 150 units (in a straight line) from where they were cast, in the same area all the other projectiles do.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I would say there is, at the very least, a 50% chance that's the case.