Shock Nova in 0.11.0

Since Mark last replied, the skill feedback section now has 10 pages of pleas to remove the deadzone from this ability. With 0.11.0 looming, and a lot of people fixing to return for whatever onslaught is, I humbly ask the Devs to reconsider.

I understand that the deadzone was implemented as a balancing mechanic to offset high-level knockback and totem builds; however, it has rendered the skill obsolete for leveling and reduced it to a vastly inferior endgame choice.

To me, and many others, this was a pendulum style nerf which swung way too far in the wrong direction. Could the damage scaling just be tweaked without making the skill so laborious to use?

And to be clear, I understand the interactions with conc-effect & increased AOE radius and feel they do not sufficiently compensate.

Thanks,

Semblance

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semblance wrote:

Since Mark last replied, the skill feedback section now has 10 pages of pleas to remove the deadzone from this ability. With 0.11.0 looming, and a lot of people fixing to return for whatever onslaught is, I humbly ask the Devs to reconsider.

I understand that the deadzone was implemented as a balancing mechanic to offset high-level knockback and totem builds; however, it has rendered the skill obsolete for leveling and reduced it to a vastly inferior endgame choice.

To me, and many others, this was a pendulum style nerf which swung way too far in the wrong direction. Could the damage scaling just be tweaked without making the skill so laborious to use?

And to be clear, I understand the interactions with conc-effect & increased AOE radius and feel they do not sufficiently compensate.

Thanks,

Semblance

I believe the main thing is that if you change it it will just be frost nova only for lightning. And they don't want two skills which are exactly the same just dealing different elemental damage. So if you can think of a way to make shock nova still be reasonably different but not be a desync nightmare, please let us know

Damage per target - lightning nova splits its damage across all targets it hits equally, whereas, frost nova deals the same damage to each target it hits regardless of number of targets.

For example, with equal stats, shock nova would be better against 1 to 3 targets, but once there were 4 targets ice nova would be better. Dual nova builds to follow.

I have low hopes for a change, I think the Devs have their heels dug-in regarding the deadzone. The latest Diablo 2 ladder reset reminded me how much I loved playing a lightning nova Sorc.

Maybe it should be changed to "Shock Torus" in POE? :)

im fine with the deadzone as long as there is no desync.
which is never.

The good ideas I've seen for Shock Nova are:
- To make it like Razor's Plasma Field from DotA (no deadzone, but less damage in the center, more at the edge)
- To make AoE change the width of the donut in both directions (enough increased aoe and you nullify the deadzone, concentrated effect turns it into a thin band).

Both keep it from turning into "Ice Nova But Lightning".

There's a bunch of single projectile skills that players slap LMP/GMP on it and spam into packs of monsters and no one complains, and yet we can't have more than one functional nova AoE skill?

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pneuma wrote:

- To make AoE change the width of the donut in both directions (enough increased aoe and you nullify the deadzone, concentrated effect turns it into a thin band).

This is the superior option

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semblance wrote:

Damage per target - lightning nova splits its damage across all targets it hits equally, whereas, frost nova deals the same damage to each target it hits regardless of number of targets.

For example, with equal stats, shock nova would be better against 1 to 3 targets, but once there were 4 targets ice nova would be better. Dual nova builds to follow.

Oh my god, that would be insane with Elemental Equilibrium. Maybe. Do they do enough damage? -shrugs-

I really like shock nova as it is. I mean, really really really like it. The dead zone gives it character, sets it apart from other skills, and encourages you to adapt your play style to use it (or encourages you to adapt it to your play style). It is exceptionally good at shocking targets, capable of impressive aoe dps, but has this disadvantage of hitting melee targets.. Which is huge (when using clear speed as the benchmark for balance).

This is one of the few skills that I believe is perfect as is, and requires no rebalancing at all.

What I find most interesting about it is that is has two separate radius that interact differently with inc/conc effect. It is an inherently diverse skill that can be beneficial for some builds to maximize aoe without conc, some builds to minimize aoe with conc but no inc, and some builds to balance the two. With that said:

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pneuma wrote:

The good ideas I've seen for Shock Nova are:
- To make it like Razor's Plasma Field from DotA (no deadzone, but less damage in the center, more at the edge)
- To make AoE change the width of the donut in both directions (enough increased aoe and you nullify the deadzone, concentrated effect turns it into a thin band).

Both keep it from turning into "Ice Nova But Lightning".

If something had to change, then I don't mind the first option so much, as long as the actual aoe and the "rate of damage effectiveness" are two separate areas so the skill continues to to be a balancing act between inc/conc effect. The second I do not like so much as it changes the way inc/conc effect can be simultaneously beneficial and detrimental to the skill. It would mean conc effect alone is nearly useless, as the current benefit is to make a melee knockback nova for ranged characters. It makes conc effect only detrimental, no longer beneficial, and inc effect only beneficial, no longer detrimental. Very bad suggestion, imo, as preventing it from being "Ice Nova but with lightning" is not the important thing to preserve here.

lightning nova mixed with faster casting is very effective in stutter step kiting. I was messing around with a nova based character in the one month league, using frost nova to slow mobs, and then stepping away with lightning nova. (i died, but that is because I am impatient, not necessarily a problem with the skills), but my plan was to also get discharge and CI, and build power charges and frenzy charges for my finisher nova discharge after building my combo points with other novas.

I think I might also get knock back for my ice nova, that could be fun :D

I think enduring Cry would have a place in the nova theme as well, and will probably pick it up as I continue my character in default. I started witch so I didnt really have access to it in the race league.

I like that lightning and frost nova function differently, as it encouraged the use of both novas in my build.

The plasma field thing I think would be the best change if one had to occur, as it still encourgaes moving to keep mobs in the sweet spot, while making it not as punishing to miss the sweet spot on fast mobs particularly.