Why are fortify nodes and the fortify gem so punishing/bad?

As the topic says, why is the fortify support gem and the Fortify Wheel of nodes so bad for melee, the INTENDED users of fortify?

The Fortify wheel's 2 starter nodes gives you +10% increased melee damage with fortify: This is absurd for a stat that is restrictive, requiring a buff to have-- It should be at least 12% if not 15% like other restrictive melee damage nodes (one handed or weapon specialization). 10% is just an insult to melee. The only reason to take the wheel is for the increased effect of fortify, which is not NEAR enough to justify going through VERY subpar DPS nodes to get to it (the 5% increased duration of fortify from the third node is basically worthless to a melee user who is constantly hitting things and thus refreshing fortify).


This brings us to the fortify gem itself: WHY is it designed to be more for ranged users to cheese with than Melee? Its damage bonus is ABYSMAL while its "increased duration" benefit is mainly for people using traveling skills, meaning Melee gets shafted and has to gut their damage if they want to use fortify, or hop around like a ranged character with fortify on a movement skill.
Change this to at least "10% more physical melee damage" instead of its currently ultra bad state.




Why is fortify set up seemingly to be in favor of RANGED using it and not be more rewarding for melee users?

Agreed,

calling for Fortify gem buff for a while now... we do get dmg % reduction, but we have to get close and personal with bosses etc, that's why GGG put it in in the first place. Gem must have more damage on it.

It should maybe have % MORE melee damage, or +# to range, or both.

And drop the duration to 1s

Why? Well that would "fix" the ranged users permanently having fortify with for example shield charge.
And it wouldn't affect melee at all, well.. as long as you have it linked with you attack skill.

:)

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Dharall wrote:

And drop the duration to 1s

Why? Well that would "fix" the ranged users permanently having fortify with for example shield charge.
And it wouldn't affect melee at all, well.. as long as you have it linked with you attack skill.

:)

I like this. A lot.

"

Dharall wrote:

And drop the duration to 1s

Why? Well that would "fix" the ranged users permanently having fortify with for example shield charge.
And it wouldn't affect melee at all, well.. as long as you have it linked with you attack skill.

:)

I would drop fortify's duration to 1 second in a HEARTBEAT if it also came with a nice "This skill deals % more physical damage" attachment.

"

aleksandor wrote:

"

Dharall wrote:

And drop the duration to 1s

Why? Well that would "fix" the ranged users permanently having fortify with for example shield charge.
And it wouldn't affect melee at all, well.. as long as you have it linked with you attack skill.

:)

I would drop fortify's duration to 1 second in a HEARTBEAT if it also came with a nice "This skill deals % more physical damage" attachment.

This would only make Fortify a must have support in any melee attack skill. You either make Fortify too good, eg. 30% more melee damage at max level & Fortify buff, so every melee use it as a no-brainer support or you make it still not worth a socket while killing it for anyone not having it in main attack skill due to its 1s duration (this would include melee characters who can't afford to waste socket on it).

Any buff to Fortify damage increase should be strictly melee, not physical, because the game has evolved from melee being strictly physical damage dealing class to full hybrid. Giving Fortify just physical damage increase would hurt elemental attack skill melee characters.

It would be even better if using fortify causes your attack skill to make you zoom into melee range of the target.
This would help melee users close the distance to their target without getting barraged all the while. And it would make fortify less attractive to ranged characzers.

"

Dharall wrote:

And drop the duration to 1s...

And it wouldn't affect melee at all, well.. as long as you have it linked with you attack skill.

Assuming all you do is SPAM THE SAME GODDAM ATTACK OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

As if melee in POE wasn't already straitjacketed enough...

Because GGG can't solve the "Riddle of Melee?"

Fortify should have not been a support gem in the first place they should have tied it directly to namelock melee skills on hit only.

However rangers, casters, golems, totems, etc. need fortify also (for what they need it for I still have no idea but then again I am not one of those 1K meme dream balance team members) so now they can cheese it and use it more effectively than the melee players ever could.


Maybe GGG will "fix" it in 4.0.


Also smile more this POE for fucks sake.

Fortify is good, dunno how it is possible to do something wrong with the easiest skill in the game.