Join up the Scion starting nodes please!

It is extremely annoying, irritating, depressing and exasperating to find out that every build I plan from the shadow tree is always outperformed by a build planned from the scion starting area.

Look at the below two examples:
Shadow Crit Caster
Scion Crit Caster

The Scion example has similar defenses, much higher life, 1% extra life regen and similar DPS with the same number of points spent as compared to a shadow or a witch, despite the scion going all the way to the shadow and even the ranger area. On top of that, by virtue of the circle of life, the scion gets to pick another 3 x 8% and 2 x 4% incr. life nodes in the next 5 levels whereas the shadow is so starved of hp nodes he can only pick the 3 x 8% cluster near pain attunement.

I therefore propose a joining up of the scion starting area which will not benefit the scion in any way whatsoever but will benefit the other classes and grant them a way to traverse the center part of the tree again.




edit: this doesn't mean that shadows shouldn't be buffed btw! they should still be buffed! :p

edit2: buffing other classes is not the solution to balance the class distribution. any buff to any other class will still be a buff to scion indirectly while continuing to maintain the dominance that scion has over the other classes. Not to say that other classes do not need a buff. They do! However, just buffing them alone is not going to be the solution to the scion's current dominance. Indeed, joining up the start nodes, although it will be a buff to other classes, doesn't change the fact that the scion has easier access to alot of keystones

That's actually an interesting idea.

I like

I can think of no reason why the Scion should be the only character able to bridge these proposed links, and I see no drawbacks or reasons why this simple solution shouldn't be put into place. Each of the three proposed links lie entirely within one of the three main areas (STR, INT, DEX). Since they do not provide any new connections between areas of different attribute types, these links will not alter the current passive tree balance among the six original character types.

Yes Please

Invalesco forced me to bump his thread.

Just kidding. I think its a good idea, but I feel like it would make more sense to buff shadow. Everyone knows shadow's starting area is lackluster compared to scion, GGG just needs to show shadow some love. This is coming from a racer's standpoint by the way. I do not consider myself a good theorycrafter/build maker, I just play a lot of races and see the same complaints time and time again about shadow starting area.

I guess I approve, but other areas of the tree need more improvements than just something like this. Like NW Witch or much of the Duelist/Marauder area still feels incomplete.

Because everything should be easy to get to, nobody should ever have to make tradeoffs, and all classes should be the same. I propose that the witch starting spot be linked directly to MoM!

An idea worth considering would be to shift the nodes in the scion es/ev/life clusters around so that you can get across them in 3 nodes total if you want.

This is a very simple solution.

Other options are make Scion's travel longer (or starting passives weaker)

Orrrr make it so each class requires less traveling to get required passives like life. Basically going away from the idea that each class can share with it's neighbors, making it so each class is whole, might go to one other area for support while scion becomes the only class that really needs to go to two classes to complete.

Kinda like the simpler option but not against radical changes!

in b4 nerf