AndreaColombo

You could use a console command to move to a different area outside of the pit, but the Stronghold UI would still be disabled.

I think QA already acknowledged this as a bug (in fact, I'd be surprised if this wasn't fixed in 3.0 as it was reported back when TWM pt. I came out.)

Most Cipher powers now cost more Focus than they are worth. If I'm to play a Cipher never to use their powers, I'd rather roll a Fighter. Mental Binding already underwent a nerf in 2.03—there was no need to increase its cost; 7th-level powers were already fairly useless as they were, without the massive cost increase. If the argument in favor of the nerf boils down to Amplified Wave, it would have sufficed to nerf that power. Which was done, alongside a cost increase for all powers and the elimination of any convenient Focus booster. Now Ciphers are weak.

Or, you know, you could use the console to get what you want right away (with the IE Mod if you're into achievements)

Shields provide no Damage Reduction; are you sure you're not getting confused with Deflection (which armors provide none of)?

Actually the drugs balance pass includes another Cipher nerf. Prior to 3.0, Ciphers could get +2 PER and +20% Focus gain from Blacsonn, or +4 Focus gain from Carow Golan. Now they can only get +20% Focus gain from Carow Golan if they also suck up a -4 INT penalty that massively shrinks their powers' AoE and shortens their duration. Ciphers really got the hate in this patch, for some reason...

I never swap Grimoires. Seems like an unnecessary waste of time and DPS.

I wished I knew how to build an optimized single-target DPS machine, because that's how like my main to be. It took me months of playing until I figured out the mechanics well enough to make a build to my liking, and I'm still perfecting it as I learn new things. POE sure has some fair deal of mechanical depth

We did, but I never really used the ability anyway so I felt it much less. Appreciate people playing defensive Fighters got burnt quite a bit with that one.

...indeed, and that was already unwarranted! I mean, I love this game and I like most of the changes they're making, don't get me wrong; but the Cipher and Constant Recovery nerfs are just out of place.

I used to do this all the time when playing Starcraft. Some of the ticked off lines were epic in that game. "This is not Warcraft in space!" "It is much more sophisticated!" "I know it's not 3D!" XD

Hope the fix for friendly fire and Caed Nua barks makes it in for 3.0 final

BMac's console commands should do the trick; just type them in upon starting a new game. And Blacsonn doesn't give +20% Focus any longer. It used to be +2 PER, +20% Focus which was pretty good for a Cipher. Now if you want +20% Focus, you need to chew Carow Golan and suck up a -4 INT with it, which is pretty non-ideal for a Cipher (and of course the option to get +4 Focus is no longer there.) I thought drugs were getting a boost in this patch? Doesn't look like it. Ciphers really got nerfed into a nadir for no apparent reason; what Josh mentioned on SA doesn't justify a nerf of this magnitude imo. Goodbye Cipher; it's been good while it lasted, but now pretty much any other class is better than you to have around. It did. It's called Spell Mastery.

But the nerf to 45 seconds was very much uncalled for.

^ as in, making Act I and II also scale up? I don't think so. Re: cipher nerf. Looks like there's no more room for a cipher in my parties. Pity; I was planning to hire a Backlash Beldam for one of my next play through. Will have to figure out a different character.

It was definitely 2/encounter in 2.03. Well, this Brisk Recitation thing kind of puts INT in a rather ... peculiar place with Chanters, now. You either keep it a 10 and try to chant as many phrases as possible so you can cast, or you pump it and you have an unavoidable ability that runs counter what you're trying to accomplish.

Yeah, when I raised this in the tech forums, Aarik mentioned his inability to repro the issue in 3.0 so I expected it to be fixed.

Weird, considering it is not optional. So it's basically a nerf to your chants' overall duration (which tangentially works counter your bonus from INT) in exchange for faster spellcasting?

Do they now? How does the scaling look like?

Why nerf? It already costs a talent slot to do less than a Barbarian (or Sanguine Plate) can do. I think 1/encounter would be OK (I know I would not suddenly rush to it anyway.)

I've just checked and Outlander's Frenzy was always like that. Pity it did not receive the per-encounter treatment; it might have made it a worthwhile talent (which it currently oh-so-isn't.) EDIT: Does Brisk Recitation increase linger length by the same amount the recitation time is reduced? E.g. If a phrase has a recitation time of, say, 4 seconds and a linger of 4 seconds for a total of 8—does Brisk Recitation change it to, e.g., 3.6 seconds recitation, 4.4 seconds linger so as to maintain the total duration of 8 seconds?

Nothing new under the sun, then But according to the patch notes: So all powers of the same level should always have the same cost. Whether that cost is fair or excessive is, of course, debatable (with immunities in place, I wouldn't waste 60 Focus on an Amplified Wave, for example.)

I can't remember either, but I recall Josh saying on SA that it would indeed be tied to the type of attack that downs you.

This is only partially accurate. DEX is the only way to shorten your casting animation; anything else will only affect your recovery time between spells. I usually keep DEX high on my casters as there are many ways to buff Accuracy into the stratosphere, but not many to buff DEX, and none to speed up your casting animations besides DEX.

^ getting frostbitten from cold-based attacks makes sense though, does it not?