Can someone confirm melee getting buffed?

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melee is better in melee as ranged in melee.

Not very much, and that's really the problem. Most ranged builds become pretty much just as tanky as melee builds. Most things also can be kited if you use Temporal Chains, or can be parked permanently with a skelly brotem. Ranged builds can stay ranged 95% of the time, almost nothing is unkitable.

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+ Way better base stats of weapons

Doesn't really matter, it's not like melee is better damage than caster builds. In fact, it's usually the opposite. Having higher base stats on weapons doesn't matter when the end result is still a less effective character.

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+ Easier to build tanky

Barely, and in some cases not at all. Kripp is currently playing a caster that, with the right gear, becomes practically unkillable. The game isn't divided into 'melee' and 'glass-cannon witch,' you can be a ranged build and have access to literally the very same defensive passives as a melee build. Most archer builds do, for instance.

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+ Easier escape

Barely. The best escape is actually a Quicksilver Flask, and most of the game's mobility skills are actually kind of crappy. Melee builds have access to a few more of them, but ranged builds tend not to need them at all.

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+ Better AOE skills

That's simply not true. The best AoEs are all exclusively ranged.

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+ Blood Magic

Available to everyone. Some of the most popular ranged builds use it.

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+ Str based (and Str >> Dex and Int)

The only reason strength is better than the other stats is because it can be converted into projectile or spell damage with Iron Grip/Will. Doesn't seem to count in favor of melee builds.

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Thirion wrote:

+ Way better base stats of weapons
+ Easier to build tanky
+ Easier escape
+ Better AOE skills
+ Blood Magic
+ Str based (and Str >> Dex and Int)

I am playing a melee build at the moment. Sure, you get lower easier but you can always get out fast and regenerate life quickly. With ranged you have really hard situations when some hard mods mobs are in your face all the time - and you have to tank them. Try to fight a faster attack+move life regen snake/rhoa/flicker without decoy totem.

You equate playing melee with playing a strength build, and that is where your argument falls apart. I can make a strength bow user just as easily. Rangers and Shadows have melee builds too.

You are right, strength melee builds are still somewhat viable. But that is because strength is overpowered (as you yourself admit). But the design philosophy of this game is build diversity and that includes melee not being limited to one type of build (the Strength-life-armour-endurace build).

@ Jakabov, Cronos988 :
You didn't understand what i was trying to say sry my bad.

You have to look at a whole build and not just one thing. Because of course i can build tanky as bow. But then i deal less damage than a melee. Of course i can get blood magic as ranged. But then i deal less damage as a "normal" ranged build or tanky melee.

Safest build with little damage : Tank Bow
Safe build with a bit more damage : Tanky melee
Glass cannon with insane damage : glass cannon Ranged

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But the design philosophy of this game is build diversity and that includes melee not being limited to one type of build (the Strength-life-armour-endurace build).

Shadow melee was viable with CI - but after CI nerf they are useless. I Agree here.

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The only reason strength is better than the other stats is because it can be converted into projectile or spell damage with Iron Grip/Will. Doesn't seem to count in favor of melee builds.

What????
Str : melee p-damage (++), Health (++)
Dex : Accuracy (0), EV (+)
Int : ES (+), Mana(+)
With str you get the best offensive AND defensive stat you can get with stats.

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That's simply not true. The best AoEs are all exclusively ranged.

Lets compare some examples
Lighning arrow + Chain = around 9 mobs hit. With 30% + 50% less damage.
Sweep : AOE that hits all mobs around you. 75% of base damage. 1 free damage support.
Ranged deals less damage to a more spread area. But wait, there is Enduring Cry and Jump to counter that for melee. (I Agree btw that chain is broken and should be removed ...)

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Barely. The best escape is actually a Quicksilver Flask, and most of the game's mobility skills are actually kind of crappy.

What????
E.g. Leap slam is an insanely good escape. Because while jumping you don't get hit and get away fast.

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The game isn't divided into 'melee' and 'glass-cannon witch,' you can be a ranged build and have access to literally the very same defensive passives as a melee build.

No, the game is divided into Tanky and Damage. The more Tanky you are the less damage you deal. And well i haven't seen a tanky build that deals insane amounts of damage tbh.

And well Kripp ... he builds safe builds with no damage ... don't like that because it's boring and slow to play. Again, you can play glass cannon in HC with no problems.

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anubite wrote:

Many top-tier characters in HC are melee.

Do you really think that says something about the balance? Or is that just a list of the amount of XP somebody obtained?

confirmed!

At some pt, melee will be buffed/changed
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oh! and so will every other build, that's why we're in beta and things keep on changing!

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Thirion wrote:

@ Jakabov, Cronos988 :
You didn't understand what i was trying to say sry my bad.

You have to look at a whole build and not just one thing. Because of course i can build tanky as bow. But then i deal less damage than a melee. Of course i can get blood magic as ranged. But then i deal less damage as a "normal" ranged build or tanky melee.

The amount of damage you lose from not getting damage type nodes in general, in the tree is surprisingly minimal. Most of the damage you deal is through obtained items. There are a few nodes which give massive bonuses to damage, but thats just a few nodes (catalyst is a good example)

Also after rerolling a ranged character (cold damage witch), I am pretty much convinced that ranged heroes have a much better time than melee ones. Ranged heroes have just as many abilities to get them out of crap situations (quicksilver flask), and ranged, just as melee, have access to things like ES and life.

As has been said many times, there is nothing stopping a mardauder from holding a bow and using rnaged spells like ground slam (and they can still use blood magic and get the various life regen passives)

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deteego wrote:

The amount of damage you lose from not getting damage type nodes in general, in the tree is surprisingly minimal. Most of the damage you deal is through obtained items. There are a few nodes which give massive bonuses to damage, but thats just a few nodes (catalyst is a good example)

Thats your opinion and thats ok. In my opinion you don't need that much defense and most builds scale really well with damage (and more damage means mobs are dead faster in 90% of times -> no def needed as ranged). But well, some people like tanky, some people like offense, that doesn't make something better.

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deteego wrote:

Also after rerolling a ranged character (cold damage witch), I am pretty much convinced that ranged heroes have a much better time than melee ones. Ranged heroes have just as many abilities to get them out of crap situations (quicksilver flask), and ranged, just as melee, have access to things like ES and life.

Quicksilver flask is no escape tbh. There are a lot of mobs (e.g. snakes, flicker, ...) were it doesn't help much compared to a leap slam. I am playing a melee atm and there are more hard situations but by far less "fuck that was close" situations.

Everbody has to make his own choice, some like more tanky and/or safe and some want to deal more damage. My point is that if you look at both together its balanced.

The main problem probably is that tank melee is not as safe as tank bow - thats not what you expect - but is still balanced because of more damage.

Whish people would write something that is easy to read.

All these fluffy stories are boring, just make you point plain and simple MAN.

Armour=SUCKING, we got the point, wait for GGG's response.

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Startkabels wrote:

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anubite wrote:

Many top-tier characters in HC are melee.

Do you really think that says something about the balance? Or is that just a list of the amount of XP somebody obtained?

Actually, the top HC builds use 'melee' skills at range. It's either a Maraunder with Ground Slam and the extra distance gems, or a Lightning Strike Templar, with the same range extending gems. Meaning that although they are using 'melee' skill gems, they still get to attack at a LONG range away. Often half the screen or more.

Random thought even though it doesn't really apply, I wish more melee skills could be used with the facebreaker unique. Simple dream i know but i still have hope one day it gets viable.