Is there a way to build micro-free nuking caster?

[Lampros]

Hi, one character type I am having trouble building in terms of a script-reliant (or micro-management-free) is a nuke caster. I tried it with a pure Wizard, and it failed miserably in terms of efficiency.

 

I think there are two main problems: First, since I am entirely reliant on scripts, I can only use either single target damage spells or foe-only AoE damage spells. But there aren't enough of those spells, so the Wizard basically had nothing but Minoletta's stuff, Ninagauth's Killing Bolt, and the lightning spells, as everything else was friendly-damage capable. So I just didn't have enough spells in a prolonged fight.

 

Second, I don't think you can tell the script to use a different spell when the caster faces enemies with immunities - especially fire immunities. This makes elemental spells very problematic; and thus I would prefer raw damage spells or weapon-type damage spells. So I have to narrow the list of spells I can script even more.

 

So is it even possible to build a script-reliant caster who can do comparable damage to other strong ranged DPS characters such as a Aamina's Legacy machine gun build with Ranger/Devoted or the various dual mortar builds? And if yes, what class combinations and list of spells would I be using?

[Hulk'O'Saurus]

To answer your question--I don't know. 

 

Slowly I've come to accept no AI for my games and even enjoy it. Every combat is it's own thing and I don't mind devoting the time to it. 

 

But then again I don't play full party. 

[Lampros]

To answer your question--I don't know. 

 

Slowly I've come to accept no AI for my games and even enjoy it. Every combat is it's own thing and I don't mind devoting the time to it. 

 

But then again I don't play full party. 

 

I am precisely the opposite: Full party, and I play combat as if I am watching a movie

[whimper]

Have you tried single class druids? Tekehu in particular is great here, with his foe-only versions of various wizard spells.

[Lampros]

Have you tried single class druids? Tekehu in particular is great here, with his foe-only versions of various wizard spells.

 

No, I haven't tried Druids outside of Tekehu. And when I did, he was mainly my healer/debuffer support (I rotated him and Xoti in and out).

 

I want to use non-story characters in any future playthroughs though. Perhaps I have to get that mod that makes Tekehu's class playable?

[InsaneCommander]

I didn't use the AI in my first pt. I like to control my casters and my long range character was my Watcher (Assassin), so I wanted to control her too.

 

The last ones were melee characters and I couldn't find an option to prevent them from moving, so I just disabled the AI. I would rather not have them move in the beginning of combat, so that I can buff them and target the enemies without risking hitting mu team.

 

For later pts I'll definitely use the AI since I want to make battles faster, if possible.

[Lampros]

I didn't use the AI in my first pt. I like to control my casters and my long range character was my Watcher (Assassin), so I wanted to control her too.

 

The last ones were melee characters and I couldn't find an option to prevent them from moving, so I just disabled the AI. I would rather not have them move in the beginning of combat, so that I can buff them and target the enemies without risking hitting mu team.

 

For later pts I'll definitely use the AI since I want to make battles faster, if possible.

 

You are right: You can run a reasonably efficient melee character with just AI scripts; but you cannot with casters, because there abilities are so situational. This is the main problem I am running into: For instance, if I script fire nuke spells, then they will be completely wasted against fire immunes. You don't run into this problem with melees, as there are no "melee immunes" or "weapon damage immunes" (only immune to a particular weapon damage).

 

On a different tangent: I am looking at Druid spells, and all he's got that won't do friendly fire are the two foe-only electricity AoE spells and the two foe-only insect swarm raw damage spells. Perhaps if you combine those spells with the Wizard single target and foe-only spells, then it can do reasonable DPS?

 

I may try such a build and test it out now that I have a level 20 save game (still left the high-level Fampyr areas in top left and bottom right for such testing).

[Hulk'O'Saurus]

What you can do instead is build a very heavy tank that stays behind large shield modal, and then just spam reflex stuff on top of that. Maybe have two, or three of those, with Lay on Hands set to 50% health on allies. About the closest thing I can think of. 

[1TTFFSSE]

you can it is just some minutes to program the ai. It will not be 100% effective but maybe 90%. Always defensive/ low health defensive buffs to self on top of ai, then critical pre nuke buffs like alacrity / gaze on wizard or borrowed instinct/ time parasite on cipher then the nukes in order of the most effective on top and situational on bottom, 0 sec cooldown. Try to optimize for most enemies targeted on aoes or lowest will/fortitude/reflex save or deflection depending on each scripted attack. 

 

i say it takes minutes to program ai because to make a clean ai sheet you have to pretty much build one from ground up and always use one ability per slot in order, so not group abilities or spells because then you get clunky stuff happening again. 

 

for situational nukes the per slot ability rule helps as you set complicated triggers like "enemy lowest fire ar, enemy lowest will etc".

Edited October 22, 2018 by 1TTFFSSE

[DozingDragon]

Program the AI to use fire abilities and equip your party with fire AR boosting items and Revku’s Scorched Cloak.

[Lampros]

What you can do instead is build a very heavy tank that stays behind large shield modal, and then just spam reflex stuff on top of that. Maybe have two, or three of those, with Lay on Hands set to 50% health on allies. About the closest thing I can think of. 

 

Confused as to what you mean by this? I want to build a nuke character, not a tank

[Hulk'O'Saurus]

Mean you won't mind nuking the tank along with everthing else. 

[Lampros]

Mean you won't mind nuking the tank along with everthing else. 

 

Ah, ok; thanks

[Boeroer]

SC Druid Nature Godlike Animist with Spine of Thicket Green and later Prestige.

 

Enchant the staff with +3 to PL to Beast and Plant abilities. Then pick Beast and Plant stuff like Plague of Insects and such. It's mostly foe-only (except Wicked Briars and Venombloom I think which are both great but friendly fire) and the DoTs scale well with your PL. And it's raw. Also the AoE of some of those (esp. Plague) is huge. So no issues with perfect placement and so on. And besides that he can heal like crazy, too. It's a nice guy to be led by AI.

 

Touch of Rot is very powerful! Starts with good base dmg and very good dmg per tick which both scales very well with PL. Ijust cannot remember if it's foe-only or not.

Edited October 23, 2018 by Boeroer

[Hoo]

SC Druid Nature Godlike Animist with Spine of Thicket Green and later Prestige.

What does SC mean?

[Boeroer]

Single Class

[Hoo]

Single Class

Oh, thanks.   

[Manveru123]

SC Druid Nature Godlike Animist with Spine of Thicket Green and later Prestige.

 

Enchant the staff with +3 to PL to Beast and Plant abilities. Then pick Beast and Plant stuff like Plague of Insects and such. It's mostly foe-only (except Wicked Briars and Venombloom I think which are both great but friendly fire) and the DoTs scale well with your PL. And it's raw. Also the AoE of some of those (esp. Plague) is huge. So no issues with perfect placement and so on. And besides that he can heal like crazy, too. It's a nice guy to be led by AI.

 

Touch of Rot is very powerful! Starts with good base dmg and very good dmg per tick which both scales very well with PL. Ijust cannot remember if it's foe-only or not.

Cool idea

 

Touch of Rot is not foe-only. Also, wasn't Venomblood foe only in POE1?

[Boeroer]

Yes. Unfortunately that changed. I didn't realize until my people started dying all of a sudden.

[Hulk'O'Saurus]

Touch of Rot has lower Penetration than Autumn's Decay. In the end Autumn's will deal more damage becasue of that, despite the lower numbers in the tooltip and it isn't hard to pump Reflex of tanks to not be bothered by it. Also, I find Reflex easier to target and on a single class Druid you get to reduce it by 20/25 or possibly 35(though not sure the respective stuff stacks) points. Do consider taking Insect Swarm as well as Plague of Insects as the Plague won't affect Poison immune enemies, of whom there are a lot in this game. Those same fellows won't be bothered by Venombloom, which despite that is a very good spell. Relentless Storm into Firebug is quite nice as the storm reduces Deflection in a very large AoE and the Firebug targets that. Call the Primordials is a very useful. Infestation of Maggots is always nice. 

 

And of course, possibly the best Tier 9--Maelstrom. But for that I just don't see why wouldn't do the minuscule targeting it needs in order to get the most out of it. 

[Lampros]

 

 

And of course, possibly the best Tier 9--Maelstrom. But for that I just don't see why wouldn't do the minuscule targeting it needs in order to get the most out of it. 

 

Yeah, it looks like manual targeting is way better even for hand mortars. I just tested, and manually targeting hand mortars caused about 33 percent more DPS relative to auto in 10 repeat fights I tested in Fampyr's Cave at top left of the map. I can only imagine it'd be far worse with spells.

 

Edit: But I am so damn lazy, ROFL.

 

Edit 2: Another reason is that I am testing the DPS and other performances of several builds, and I thought it'd be fairest if I don't control anyone - since I cannot reasonably control everyone.

Edited October 23, 2018 by Lampros

[Hulk'O'Saurus]

 

 

 

And of course, possibly the best Tier 9--Maelstrom. But for that I just don't see why wouldn't do the minuscule targeting it needs in order to get the most out of it. 

 

Yeah, it looks like manual targeting is way better even for hand mortars. I just tested, and manually targeting hand mortars caused about 33 percent more DPS relative to auto in 10 repeat fights I tested in Fampyr's Cave at top left of the map. I can only imagine it'd be far worse with spells.

 

Edit: But I am so damn lazy, ROFL.

 

Edit 2: Another reason is that I am testing the DPS and other performances of several builds, and I thought it'd be fairest if I don't control anyone - since I cannot reasonably control everyone.

 

 

Oh, I think in the end you'll arrive at a different conclusion.