Mechanics Suggestion: Eldritch Battery
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This thread aims not to buff or nerf, but change Eldritch Battery.
The potential result could be seen as overcomplicated or more consistent, depending on your personal viewpoint. The Ability
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Eldritch Battery converts all your Energy Shield into Mana. A dedicated niche passive like only a Keystone can be, it makes caster classes extremely vulnerable and doesn't work well, or at all, with many other Keystones, like Chaos Inoculation, Acrobatics, or Blood Magic. It has it's use when employing extremely manaconsuming skill combos or Auras with integer Mana costs, but offers no benefit with auras reserving a % of maximum mana. My suggestion, in length:
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Instead of just converting all Energy Shield to Mana and adding it to the maximum pool, Energy Shield could stay, but be used differently. The Energy Shield would show up over the Mana Orb instead of the Hitpoint Orb, and be consumed with Priority, but not count towards the maximum Mana. The Keystone might then look somewhat like this: Eldritch Battery Energy Shield functions as additional Mana Pool. 100% of damage taken is substracted from heatlh. Mana Regeneration Bonuses affect Energy Shield Regeneration. The ES would function like it always does, with the exception of not blocking damage and regeneration being delayed not only while taking damage, but also when using skills with the ES (if ES is depleted, it might regen even while Mana is being used; Not sure about that one). What Effect would this have on Gameplay?
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In short, Eldritch Battery would grant a secondary Mana Pool with blazing fast regeneration, but no regeneration in direct combat. It would effectively cheapen %-Auras and work with more keystones than a pure Mana-pool conversion. Tl;dr: I suggest turning ES into a secondary Mana pool instead of just converting it to mana. Looking forward to constructive criticism and discussion. Regards Zaanus:
Global chat: Mechanics for A work one way, B for another, C for a third but also with A, B uses C but not A, and D uses A&B but not C ___ Isn't a "no" better than an ignore? This thread has been automatically archived. Replies are disabled.
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Not trying to shamelessly bump this thread, even though the result is just that;
But I've actually got a question: Should this thread be in "Suggestions" instead of "Feedback"? For it does indeed contain feedback;
But it ultimately is a suggestion, as even put in the title. Maybe I should repost it there? Might actually get an answer, then ;) Zaanus:
Global chat: Mechanics for A work one way, B for another, C for a third but also with A, B uses C but not A, and D uses A&B but not C ___ Isn't a "no" better than an ignore? |
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I am still new to this game, but Eldritch Battery definitely seems pretty weak compared to the other keystones available. I think this idea would make the passive a lot more viable and a lot more interesting. It might need some kinks worked out, but all in all, this is a neat idea!
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EB is not weak, though the suggested mechanics would open more builds for it. It has a very niche use right now, but is powerful when used properly.
My Keystone Ideas: http://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/744282
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Well, you basically said it. :D
It's not about balance, but the utility and feel. Zaanus:
Global chat: Mechanics for A work one way, B for another, C for a third but also with A, B uses C but not A, and D uses A&B but not C ___ Isn't a "no" better than an ignore? |
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This idea, honestly, feels like an extremely unneeded nerf to EB in general. Honestly, if anything, this skill needs some kind of a buff, rather then a change as you are asking for. Possibly something along the lines of +ES% or possibly even allowing a small % of damage to be absorbed by mana pool. Not a large one, but something to mitigate the fact that in many builds, giving up ES can have a rather drastic effect on their survivability. Especially granted that this node is in the INT region of the skill tree.
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The keystone needs no buff at all, or so it seems, as detailed here.
Spoiler
" It is niche beyond any comparison, but there's apparently a few very powerful builds possible that the devs were impressed enough with to deny any calls for a buff; What kind of builds I can only imagine; As such, I'm suggesting this change, which I don't think will be a nerf at all; Nerf:
Buff:
Ultimately, the aim is to buff EB to all builds that are not the unknown niche OP build, if it gets more interesting mechanics on the way, bonus. However, I'm interested in you're opinion; Why do you think the suggested chance is a nerf? Zaanus: Global chat: Mechanics for A work one way, B for another, C for a third but also with A, B uses C but not A, and D uses A&B but not C ___ Isn't a "no" better than an ignore? Last edited by UnDeaD_CyBorG#7056 on Oct 8, 2012, 3:54:39 AM
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It reduces inherent mana regen, which is one of the only two reasons to get the skill.
I don't see any specific increased synergy with other keystones as you mention, and out of combat mana regen is almost pointless to bring up, becuase mana regen at that point is so high, that if you REALLY need mana, its when your fighting, not outside of it. Its your opinion that it would make % based auras easier to use, but in actuality, it would actually nerf your ability to run many total auras, which is one of the draws of this skill. Because of its relative location and its general reduction in survivability, it causes a huge drought in skill nodes, which would need to go to armor/hp nodes to make up for the loss of a rather large amount of inherent armor off items and/or life given up, because ES basically is life. Possibly making it more accessible is the answer, perhaps a SMALL buff is the answer. I think its fine, however, I believe it needs a buff more then a nerf, as proposed above. Personally, It needs neither. Last edited by EpsiIon#3923 on Oct 8, 2012, 4:22:49 AM
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I base my experiences on both of My EB toons, one of which was a duelist, the other was a shadow. Now I don't have a good comp, so I have never exhibited their potential to a max, and have rather kept it quiet, but I believe I had the highest DPS toons in both patches I played, at least as far as I have seen. As well as not being a glass cannon by any standards.
However I do digress, I have no proof of the above, though I am curious to see what this build the devs speak of is, as my own builds were relatively incredible, outside my bouts with horrible lag. Last edited by EpsiIon#3923 on Oct 8, 2012, 6:07:23 AM
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" As you'd still have ES, it would allow you to also pick Ghost reaver to turn life leech into mana leech. And if you want to make a specifically geeky build, Using Blood Magic would still draw ES before taking down life. " Given that % Auras cost based on your maximum mana, if ES would function like mana, but not be mana, you could effectively reserve 100% of your mana pool and still have a casting resource left. As such, it effective reduces the cost of % auras by however much percent of your total EB mana the energy shield makes up. I'd call that easier usage of auras. Regarding it needing a buff or nerf, that is not a point of this thread; I ask for a complete change of the mechanic; The devs have stated it won't be buffed, my problem with Eldritch Battery is that the skill is boring. It more or less takes away any management of mana regeneration or hiding to fill shield, and it has practically no synergies to other keystones, neither existing ones nor suggested ones. It's just bland. Zaanus:
Global chat: Mechanics for A work one way, B for another, C for a third but also with A, B uses C but not A, and D uses A&B but not C ___ Isn't a "no" better than an ignore? |
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