question about the classes in PoE

[Guest 4ward]

i'm just curious how much fun you guys who play the beta have with the different classes. Without the sorcerer in BG2, that game would have only been half as fun for me. So how does it feel playing a spellcaster, is it fun, is he active in combat? Or would you rather say the experience is the same with any class you play?

Thanks!

[Namutree]

i'm just curious how much fun you guys who play the beta have with the different classes. Without the sorcerer in BG2, that game would have only been half as fun for me. So how does it feel playing a spellcaster, is it fun, is he active in combat? Or would you rather say the experience is the same with any class you play?

Thanks!

The classes definitely feel very distinct in combat, but very similar outside of combat. You may be happy to know that wizards in poe are pretty similar to sorcerers in combat. The only issue I have is that all the classes seem to need micromanagement, but I hear certain builds will allow for a more classic feel.

 

The impression I have is that the class system in poe will be good in new ways, but will have new flaws the IE games didn't. 

[PrimeJunta]

As things currently stand, the combat itself isn't all that much fun. It has a lot of potential, but it's not there yet.

 

As to the classes, some of them are much more fun than others. The priest is boring, the wizard is serviceable and versatile but not particularly exciting, the cipher, druid, and chanter are genuinely cool. The wizard could easily be made much more interesting with some cool talents and a broader selection of spells, and I'm not quite sure what could be done about the priest. Which is a shame, but perhaps they'll come up with something.

[Sensuki]

The 4 spells per grimoire level is p. bad atm. Talents that gave an extra 1st level spell per day would be cool as well.

Edited September 8, 2014 by Sensuki

[Labadal]

The 4 spells per grimoire level is p. bad atm. Talents that gave an extra 1st level spell per day would be cool as well.

I think that having more than one grimoire will help.

[PrimeJunta]

I haven't really missed having more than those four. OTOH the wizard spell selection is kinda limited as it is. One point-damage spell, one area-damage spell, one area-debuff, one self-buff. Mix damage types, debuff types, and buff types for each level.

 

With more spell variety it could be, but then having multiple grimoires will help.

[Kjaamor]

Cipher spamming "Whispers of Treason" = God Mode.

 

Barbarian, Fighter, Paladin, Rogue = Fine.

 

Priest = Useful and cool while the front-line is weak, when the front line gets stronger, unneccessary.

 

Wizard = Terminally useless for artillary, although I'm reliably informed they perform better in Muscle Mode.

 

Rangers = Handy for crashing the game or getting slaughtered in the back row because ILOVEMYBEARSOMUCH.

 

Chanters/Druids = Not really touched so far. They crash the game disproportionately frequently for me.

[Karkarov]

As things currently stand, the combat itself isn't all that much fun. It has a lot of potential, but it's not there yet.

I feel pretty conflicted here.  I don't disagree, but I feel like we have a couple issues in the BB that sort of block us from seeing it.  Most of the encounters, lets be honest, are what we in the MMO world would call Trash Pulls.  Mobs that exist for no other reason than being in our way and don't really pose a big strategic challenge.  There is nothing wrong with this kind of encounter either, not every fight should be a knock down drag out death struggle that requires perfect execution.  The second problem is many of the fights that could provide a more strategic bent might be getting hampered by bugs or over tuned abilities.  Deep Wounds?  Crystal Spiders? Teleporting Enemies?  Once these types of issues get smoothed over those fights could become far more satisfying.  However I don't ever see those three wolves by the ruins ever being an exciting fight.

 

You get where I am coming from here?

[Sensuki]

Weren't you disagreeing with me the other week about the Wolves being a terrible encounter ?

[Karkarov]

Weren't you disagreeing with me the other week about the Wolves being a terrible encounter ?

I was disagreeing about them not making sense or being out of place.  I can see them there, the fact that they exist works for me, my immersion is in no danger.  That said BB Fighter can still solo them simply because it is impossible for them to put a dent in his stam due to his high DT and their mediocre damage + low DT themselves.

Edited September 8, 2014 by Karkarov

[PrimeJunta]

@Karkarov yeh, I dig... although I only agree, like, 50%.

 

My only real beef with the encounters is those $!#@!! beetles. Get rid of at least two groups and make the remaining ones wander around a bit. Maybe have the stone beetles lie in ambush underground for more excitement. A bigger map wouldn't hurt either, those drakes and wolves and totally-not-shambling-mounds were crowded quite close together.

 

I liked the spider-infested cave -- man, there are a LOT of spiders there, and it builds up kind of nicely from the crystal spider to the real mob with the spider queen -- although I would've liked to see some rationale for the friendly cohabitation they were having with the ogre; I'd have thought that one or the other would've seen 'lunch' rather than 'roommate' there.

 

The Dyrford ruins and the Pwngwllwenhwhwatever dungeon were right cool.

 

But overall there was way more variety by way of enemies and encounters in the little beta than I would've expected. Dozens of different critters, not just three or four. Felt like a bigger variety of beasties here than in all of Dragon Age.

[Sensuki]

They could make the bigger wolves more interesting, give them a stun or something like Vampiric Wolves in BG2.

 

The beetles need to be further apart.

Edited September 8, 2014 by Sensuki

[wanderon]

One issue I am having with the wizard is not enough spells that can target one single enemy - it seems to me that almost everything is an area effect and even tho most of them are relatively small areas with combat as it is now I still can't find a way to use them without attacking my own comrades (and almost none seem to be enemy only). Mostly I use the occasional opening salvo then let them use their rod. Pretty ineffective over all...

 

Disclaimer - I'm not really much into playing wizard types so I may just be doing it wrong 

[Ink Blot]

One issue I am having with the wizard is not enough spells that can target one single enemy - it seems to me that almost everything is an area effect and even tho most of them are relatively small areas with combat as it is now I still can't find a way to use them without attacking my own comrades (and almost none seem to be enemy only). Mostly I use the occasional opening salvo then let them use their rod. Pretty ineffective over all...

 

Disclaimer - I'm not really much into playing wizard types so I may just be doing it wrong 

No, I think it's a concern as well. There don't seem to be very many single target choices in the beta, and there are very few that don't also have friendly fire (the full release may have a much wider selection though).

[PrimeJunta]

One issue I am having with the wizard is not enough spells that can target one single enemy - it seems to me that almost everything is an area effect and even tho most of them are relatively small areas with combat as it is now I still can't find a way to use them without attacking my own comrades (and almost none seem to be enemy only). Mostly I use the occasional opening salvo then let them use their rod. Pretty ineffective over all...

 

Disclaimer - I'm not really much into playing wizard types so I may just be doing it wrong 

I agree about the somewhat boring spell selection, but not about them being useless. I've found both the fireball and the cone-shaped spells highly useful, and the line-shaped ones pretty handy too. Open up with a fireball, then when the battle lines settle, move your wizard to the side and use one of the cones or lines.

 

Or just make a muscle wizard, kit him out in heavy armor, and put him in the front line and blast away from there. Works great.

 

I too would still like more variety in the spells beyond [apply damage of type T/debuff of type D to area shaped A].

[Ink Blot]

Open up with a fireball, then when the battle lines settle, move your wizard to the side and use one of the cones or lines.

 

Don't you find that the beetles swarm the Wizard because he initiated the battle and injured them? Then you suffer a crapton of attack when trying to shift position and end up dying in 3.2 seconds from massive poison snuffage?

[PrimeJunta]

Oh, the beetles. I'm getting heartily sick of beetles to tell you the truth, only because they're always the first thing I get to fight.

 

Yeah, you'll have to adjust the tactic for the beetles, i.e. omit the opening fireball, or only fire it after the beetles have picked their targets.

[Zansatsu]

One issue I am having with the wizard is not enough spells that can target one single enemy - it seems to me that almost everything is an area effect and even tho most of them are relatively small areas with combat as it is now I still can't find a way to use them without attacking my own comrades (and almost none seem to be enemy only). Mostly I use the occasional opening salvo then let them use their rod. Pretty ineffective over all...

 

Disclaimer - I'm not really much into playing wizard types so I may just be doing it wrong 

Agree. Different encounter types and less scrumming to the middle would help a lot.

[Sensuki]

Oh, the beetles. I'm getting heartily sick of beetles to tell you the truth, only because they're always the first thing I get to fight.

 

Yeah, you'll have to adjust the tactic for the beetles, i.e. omit the opening fireball, or only fire it after the beetles have picked their targets.

Haha you know, if you cast Web first it doesn't initiate combat, but it hobbles the Beetles. Then you dump a fireball with targets Reflex. Hobbled reduces Reflex defense.

[PrimeJunta]

Yeah, that. Or roll a druid and paralyze them with that second-level spell, or a cipher and hold/halt them with that one thing that... holds or halts them, or any of a number of other things.

 

The beetles aren't hard at this point, only annoying because they take a while to whittle down.

[morhilane]

The beetles aren't hard at this point, only annoying because they take a while to whittle down.

 

Pillar of Faith (Cleric level 3 spell) is your friend. Just try to have all the beetles close to each others so they get knockdown.

[Sensuki]

Suppress Affliction stops Poison too.

[Ink Blot]

Suppress Affliction stops Poison too.

Are you getting an absolutely enormous AoE with that spell? Mine pretty much covers the entire screen.

[Sensuki]

Yep lmao

[Ink Blot]

Bloody spell should burn the poison glands right out of those damned beetles and spiders...