"... to let spell block be something all characters can have access to, ..."

"

ACGIFT wrote:

Meanwhile, tiny numbers are just not worth taking. As Acrobatics is NOT viable for an ES-based build (50% less eHP would require you gain 100% more eHP from the dodges just to mathematically break even) it means that as a mechanic dodge is largely restricted to pure evasion-life builds.

Skilling Ranger Dodge "just" means 30% less ES, not 50%.

I remember when they lowered the handicap from 50% less to 30% less because they think "ES and acro are meant to played together". Ridiculous, innit? If the stuff is meant to be played together then a handicap of 0% would make morse sense.

In relation to the implementation of the ascendancies and how they are balanced, combined with how certain forms of defense and skill tree nodes are treated, it's safe to say that developers intentionally differentiate character classes.

There's no more "you can be everything" in this game, and it's a process.

Block build? Gladiator or you are fucked all over.
Dodge build? Ranger/trickster or you'll regret. Acro node itself pigeonholds you and shows the direction of build choices and progression.
ES? Witch/Templar. Shadow? Lol.
Chaos damage? Trickster.
Traps? Saboteur.
Totems? Templar.
Etc.

Thinking out of the box slowly turns into non-existing option. The options you are given is by working around certain items and exploiting intentionally broken temp meta skills.
There are nobrainers people are pushed to follow, further stomped to the ground and replaced by another "a must use" toy.


This comment was provoked by the talk over Acro node penalties, altogether with the obvious intent to force non-gladiator builds to dodge/spell instead of block.
Why forced? Because players know well which are the most powerful sources of defense, and will automatically switch.

I bet $10 that dodge will be overused this league, and will get fisted within the next big patch.

"

torturo wrote:

I bet $10 that dodge will be overused this league, and will get fisted within the next big patch.

Just so that you know, (from poeninja), most used keystones in incursion :

Acrobatics 48%
Phase Acrobatics 41%
Mind Over Matter 31%



Most top racers seem to opt for Acro too, at least from the little I've watched.
There is of course no way that GGG isn't aware of this.

Good to know.
So it will grow even further in numbers in Delve, and will trigger the red alert in the office.

I raise by $100.

"

Fruz wrote:

They pretty much used the old % values applied to a character using a 30% block shield without any block investment whatsoever and made them flat, or ?

pretty much. In a lot of cases calculated against someone using a 24% block shield base, so not even a shield with a block roll, literally 0 block investment.

https://pastebin.com/6f3p1Yk7 Lv 95 Ascendant (Necromancer/Gladiator)

I reworked my current Ascendant to get 78/78 block in 3.4. (without Rumi's)
The cost was : over 300 HP, 25k dps and a Blue Nightmare Jewel for 5 ex.

IMPORTANT : Right now PoB doesn't account for Stone of Lazhwar, so the numbers in PoB are 78% chance to block and 63% chance to block spells. Once Stone of L. is changed in the content.ggpk this should be 78% spell block chance.

It could be 75% as I am not sure if the block cap raise affects spell block in 3.4.

Either way, achieving 78/78 (or 78/75) is still possible if you make use of both Red and Blue Nightmare Jewels.

I guess there is an alternative with a Watcher's Eye, but that will require you to run Determination (block) and/or Discipline (spell block bonus, next to even getting one with both mods on it.

I'm sure you can build it differently with spell block on rare jewels and a Rumi's flask or other uniques like Rainbowstrides, and not "waste" as many points on block as I did. But my clear goal for this spec was to get capped block WITHOUT needing a flask, as it's just too unreliable (2 uses aren't enough when you need the flask buff the most).

Good luck in 3.4 Exiles !!!

:D

regardless of everything (And there is lot to talk about) Necromancer's block is one of the DUMBEST 'design' choices Ive seen in years

"hey, look, this one node gives you capped block for the cost of running cwdt setup"(oversimplification but in 3.3 necro was the class with the easiest and cheapest access to 50%+ block - pretty good indication of how sh.. melee is btw)

"

The_Human_Tornado wrote:

Skilling Ranger Dodge "just" means 30% less ES, not 50%.

Oh yes, my bad; "just" 30% less.

And yeah, I've been saying for at least a year or two it should've been reworked to something like "100% slower start of energy shield recharge," to actually address the only real "problem" it could have: if you dodge/evade so much, recharge would start well before every single hit, making you nigh-invulnerable. Having full ES would let you avoid one-shots and also still retain decent survivability vs. spike damage.

It is still pretty ludicrous that Phase Acrobatics largely exists as a freebie reward for using a bow, which is easily one of the best-clearspeed metas in the game. The most over-used meta in Incursion, as well as Bestiary, was NOT Arc traps or Blade Vortex: it was the ranged meta, since it consisted of Tornado Shot, Barrage, Kinetic Blast, and for 3.3.0, also Elemental Hit.

"

Fruz wrote:

"

torturo wrote:

I bet $10 that dodge will be overused this league, and will get fisted within the next big patch.

Just so that you know, (from poeninja), most used keystones in incursion :

Acrobatics 48%
Phase Acrobatics 41%
Mind Over Matter 31%

HC

Acrobatics 38%
Mind Over Matter 37%
Phase Acrobatics 35%

Most top racers seem to opt for Acro too, at least from the little I've watched.
There is of course no way that GGG isn't aware of this.

To be fair most builds on the right side of the tree path by it anyway since the middle is kinda suboptimal. So 1 point for 30% dodge is a no brainer.

"

"... to let spell block be something all characters can have access to, ..."

reminds me of "this is a buff"