Feedback - Bad game design punishes melee characters unfairly

Everyone knows that melee has the least range as its limited by weapon range and the need to be within range of enemies (can't offscreen mobs like with bow/spellcaster builds). This in itself isn't a problem, however...

Lets have a look at some Archnemesis mods:
Bloodletter - "Nearby Enemies are Maimed with 30% reduced Movement Speed"
Malediction - "Nearby Enemies have Oppression, causing them to deal 30% less Damage, take 30% increased Damage and have 20% reduced Movement Speed"
Executioner - "Nearby Enemies cannot Recover Life or Energy Shield to above 50%"
Drought Bringer - "Nearby Enemies' Flasks lose 6 Charges every 3 seconds
Nearby Enemies cannot gain Flask Charges"

While these modifiers can also affect bow/spellcaster builds they will be affected FAR LESS as melee builds HAVE to be "nearby" and the former DO NOT.

The same can also be said for bleeding as "The Damage will be higher while you are moving." and melee builds constantly HAVE to move into range of enemies to damage them, wheras bow/spellcaster builds DO NOT.

The above factors are just a few examples of how melee characters are at a constant disadvantage due to game design choices. I haven't played a melee build in a long time but even I can see the joke of this...

couple things:

regarding bleed, its FAR WORSE for ranged characters to deal with. Ranged characters kite, whereas melee sits there. It's far more likely for melee characters to be stationary than it is for ranged players. Especially since bleed is primarily inflicted by a big melee hit, the ranged player then needs to escape real fast and can't because...bleed.

Yes, there are tons of nearby AN but there are basically an equal amount of ranged killers as well. Hasted, Mana Siphon, Temporal Bubble, Bombardier just to name a few are targeted at ganking and screwing with ranged characters. Also all this new shiezuh that freakin teleports right on top of ranged characters when the entire design is to stay AWAY from monsters...that isn't even an option anymore.

I'm not disagreeing, there is plenty wrong in the game that discourages and beats down melee...but AN is pretty equally torturous across the board. And bleed shouldn't be a problem for melee characters at all (unless you are cycloning).

"

jsuslak313 wrote:

couple things:

regarding bleed, its FAR WORSE for ranged characters to deal with. Ranged characters kite, whereas melee sits there. It's far more likely for melee characters to be stationary than it is for ranged players.


I'm not disagreeing, there is plenty wrong in the game that discourages and beats down melee...but AN is pretty equally torturous across the board. And bleed shouldn't be a problem for melee characters at all (unless you are cycloning).

in regards to bleed

dont forget, in poe ranged/melee/caster/minions can have the same amount of defenses, with similar investments.

either way, we are in the "you stop moving you die" meta. melee is expected to GTFO as much as ranged when it comes to huge ass attacks.

but yeah there are times when melee can afford to spam skills while stationery as they tend to have more defences.

then again i've died to bleed more times than i'd admit, AFTER killing the mob, rushing to the next mob pack.

but in regards to ranged, they're technically not expected to get hit as they should be busy kiting in the first place.

to add on to OP, melee strike skills especially 2 handed melee is in a real bad spot.

Problems of melee:

- Spriggans
- Heralds of Obelisk
- Corpse explosions
- Lightning mirages

- Too much vfx screen clutter

- Lack of power to justify the dangers of staying still and dealing with all of the above.

It's not really new. Just gotten worse.

Melee first started to really fall behind after Legion and it's been downhill since.

- Enduring Cry + Second Wind combo was killed.
- Immortal Call stacking was thus killed.
- Fortify is just scuffed at this point.
- Blind was killed.
- Spell Suppression is objectively worse high end.

This is just stuff off the top of my head for Defense. Offense is even worse off.
Pretty much only options are front-end Elemental/Rainbow damage or CoC.

It's kinda funny they buffed bows and players are back to using CoC again anyways.
I've always been a 2/3 melee player but I'm not touching it right now.