I'd like to ask the backer beta players, based on their exp with the different beta builds, and their intution on how the classes will end up in the final build, to make a top 3 list of the most valuable classes, explaining the reasons they find them most valuable.

 

Of course the top 3 will be subjective to one's playstyle (for example someone may manage without fighter's sticky methods, while someone else cannot picture playing without it) and to play difficulty (some classes may shine on hard-PotD, while others may become obsolete and hamper the player), but in general the feedback will be tons of useful to us non-beta players who didn't have the opportunity to play the game.

 

 

Thank you in advance for your feedback

Right now, Chanters and Druids seem to be the strongest classes. Without going into too much depth:

 

-Chanters have strong buffs through their use of strung together chants and have decent summons and other invocations.

 

-Druids are the best utilitarian spell casters --good at crowd control and act as ranged damage dealers and healers.

 

-A toss up for third class, though I like the Paladin for Zealous Focus and all around melee ability.

v392: Druid, Chanter and Monk

 

edit: oh sorry reasons - they're OP ?

 

Druid spells have hilariously imbalanced damage and CC

 

Chanters Flame Aura is so good, and their summon chants are strong

 

Monks = laf, especially with that knockback disable move

Edited January 31, 201510 yr by Sensuki

v392: Druid, Chanter and Monk

 

edit: oh sorry reasons - they're OP ?

 

Druid spells have hilariously imbalanced damage and CC

 

Chanters Flame Aura is so good, and their summon chants are strong

 

Monks = laf, especially with that knockback disable move

This. I've been playing as a monk, killing off my wizard, and taking on a druid and chanter. I then proceed to ruin everything.

Other classes are more powerful but I wouldnt play without a priest.

I would prefer responses of the kind:

 

X class is useful b/c of said talent/spell/mechanic, Y class shows its value if used like this and that ..

 

Like, share your strategies and say how you use your preferable classes

Monks as frontline for their cone of prone and much higher damage than other "tanky" options

 

Druid as nuker/controller due to their strong AoE damage(returning storm, burst of summer flame) and CC(tanglefoot, insect swarm on casters) while being more survivable than a Wizard and having solid support/healing

 

Chanter for support with the burning weapon buff and ranged weapon speed or the endurance draining one. I didn't even use Invocations much but the summons seem strong.

 

 

Mostly, my strategy was equipping my whole party with ranged weapons, using the burning weapon and ranged weapon chants, and locking everything down with Druid and the BB Wizard(slicken is OP though I find wizard lackluster overall) while I shot everything to death. I used the BB Fighter and sometimes the chanter to engage/chokepoint situationally, although monk would've been better.

Edited January 31, 201510 yr by Odd Hermit

Also, I'm thinking of fighter as a protagonist (and I'll most likely not use adventurer's hall) and I was thinking of opting her for two-handed weapons, particularly a greatsword since I like them so much.

 

However I am also thinking for one-handed weapon style (again, sword type ), due to the +15 accuracy of the style maybe you can opt a high-critical build.

 

Anyway, thoughts ? How do you suggest I build my two-hander, or should I go for one-handed style ?

 

I want to spec a high dmg-per-hit fighter that isn't too slow and can hold her ground.

 

*I don't want to min-max attributes, so I hope that will not be necessary

Also, I'm thinking of fighter as a protagonist (and I'll most likely not use adventurer's hall) and I was thinking of opting her for two-handed weapons, particularly a greatsword since I like them so much.

 

However I am also thinking for one-handed weapon style (again, sword type ), due to the +15 accuracy of the style maybe you can opt a high-critical build.

 

Anyway, thoughts ? How do you suggest I build my two-hander, or should I go for one-handed style ?

 

I want to spec a high dmg-per-hit fighter that isn't too slow and can hold her ground.

 

*I don't want to min-max attributes, so I hope that will not be necessary

 

High Perception and Int for accuracy and deflection, and you can pump might up to get higher damage of course. And I think you could comfortably drop dexterity a fair amount to increase those.

 

Then you need to decide how you want to balance defense vs. offense since Fighter has a lot of modal options. Offensively I like Vulnerable Attack which bypasses 5 melee damage threshold - essentially you pierce through more armor, at the cost of slower attack speed(. which will get you that higher damage per hit. But I think the Fighter's stronger modals are more defensive personally, but then I didn't use my fighter for damage as much as just putting him somewhere as an obstacle between enemies and my nukers.

 

The Graze to Hit passive is a good choice for overall damage output as well.

 

For a Weapon Focus I like picking one with a good multi-damage type and then a strong ranged option - personally I think guns/crossbows feel a lot stronger than bows especially if you're just gonna open from stealth and then swap to melee. All that in mind I'd say Soldier seems like a good pick.

I would like to remind you that the attributes have been changed since BB v392 and you do not get accuracy from an attribute anymore.

 

Regarding 1H and 2H weapons you only get the additional accuracy (it is +10 now I think) if you only equip one weapon and no shield. A 2H will swing very slightly slower but deal a lot more damage on a hit usually.

v392: Druid, Chanter and Monk

 

edit: oh sorry reasons - they're OP ?

 

Druid spells have hilariously imbalanced damage and CC

 

Chanters Flame Aura is so good, and their summon chants are strong

 

Monks = laf, especially with that knockback disable move

 

So much this. But it is hilarious.

• Rogue. Unbelievable DPS. Killing them first is all that matters in PoE and Rogues do exactly that.

Cipher. Ciphers have meaningful and inexhaustible CC. It's much better to prevent stamina loss than heal it.

Druid. A more meaningful spell caster. General mix of fairly desirable spells with foe-only aoe damage spells.

Chanter - Love the versatility of the class.  A true "Jack-of-All-Trades" class that compliments any configuration of party.  I love that the class can be effective at range or melee, not fighter strong but not wizard weak either just a nice middle ground that still allows the class to be effective in many roles without being better than the classes that can be best in certain roles (depending how you play those classes anyway).  Plus the mechanics and class design are fresh which is a plus for me.

 

Cipher - really didn't have a fair assumption of this class, weak ranged wizard-y sort of class... However I was wrong.  The class abilities really allow you to mold it to the style of play you want and proved to be fun and effective.  The class definitely allows for a lot of creativity in the implementation of it abilities.  For example, mine worked in tandem with the rogue (utilizing its disengagement based abilities) as the medium through which I dealt death to enemies.  Like running my rogue behind a pack of enemies while a beam of crushing force bounced between him and the cipher haha good times...

 

Not entirely sure who would be my number 3.  I will leave that as an undecided for the moment.

Cipher and Druid will be two must haves for me. And will take a Chanter as well. My main will likely be a Monk to complement my power gamer party. Also, be taking the Chris Avellone's companions he's written for which are The Grieving Mother (Cipher) and Durance (Priest).

Cipher and Druid will be two must haves for me. And will take a Chanter as well. My main will likely be a Monk to complement my power gamer party. Also, be taking the Chris Avellone's companions he's written for which are The Grieving Mother (Cipher) and Durance (Priest).

 

Thing is, I'm not sure he wrote enough of those companions that he's taking ownership of them. In one of his interviews, MCA stated that he only wrote the first drafts of each but other writers picked them up and that he can't take credit for them.

So from what I hear, the 'must-haves' should be:

 

 

-Cipher VIP Companion

-Druid VIP Companion

-Chanter VIP Companion

 

How about the Cleric ? Is he kind of redundant with the Druid in party ?

 

I'll stay clear of Palegina, my personal preference- I don't like zealous people that are quite likely to judge my every decision.

 

Also, I'd like to have the Wizard VIP Companion, I love wizards, but noone here mentionts them as a valuable asset, which is a pity

 

My main being a DPS fighter, I already see a problem in my party- I need tanks ? or I should be fine (planning to play on hard-expert)

 

Suggestions on 5th-6th member ? Keep the Wizard as 5th in the first place ? Lastly, will the party suffer a lot without a Rogue-Monk ?

Edited February 1, 201510 yr by constantine

TBH, the only companion that might suck mechanically is probably Sagani. The others are all fairly good to really good classes.

My main being a DPS fighter, I already see a problem in my party- I need tanks ? or I should be fine (planning to play on hard-expert)

The Chanter and Cipher can do well on the line with the fighter if you shape them to be more melee oriented. I guess I don't know about on hard or expert specifically but at normal they still proved fairly effective in the fray assisting the fighter on the front line. Both have skills that enable them to be played that way.

So my thoughts would be (this is based on playing through on PoD, and playing a bit on Hard):

 

Druid/Wizard - Are interchangeable the Druid spells are a bit more powerful at the moment but I feel this is balanced by better versatility for the wizard and the wizards AoE standard attack with implements makes up for the Druids stronger melee abilities.

Priest - As always having some one with a good range of buffs and spells to keep your characters fighting longer is useful, and their combat ability is ok if needed. Some of there spells are very useful in a hard fight. A Druid can partially replace them for there healing role if needed though especially if there is a chanter in the party as well to provide additional constant endurance regeneration.

Chanter/Cipher - Chanter nice Aura like Phrases boost the whole party and some powerful invocations especially the summons. The Cipher however has decent damage and effectively unlimited abilities that are available immediately in PoD mode when I came across enemies that no one could hurt directly it was the combination of Cipher abilities to get an initial debuf on them (could try several times if needed) then the Wizard or Cipher exploiting that debuf to place a secondary more powerful one on them that turned the enemy from neigh on impossible to a target dummy.

 

If I was planning to solo the game then at the moment I think I'd choose a Monk or Druid as they seem like the classes that have a useful enough mix of abilities to allow them to do so. However in a party I think the others mentioned above interact better with each other and contribute a bit more to the party combat.

Edited February 1, 201510 yr by aeonsim

Also keep in mind that all the classes aren't finished yet so some others may prove more useful in full release based on beta feedback and full implimentation of the class.

Also keep in mind that all the classes aren't finished yet so some others may prove more useful in full release based on beta feedback and full implimentation of the class.

 

I'm thinking with less than 8 weeks to release classes are pretty much finished and that what we see in the final beta build is going to be pretty much what we get.

 

Also keep in mind that all the classes aren't finished yet so some others may prove more useful in full release based on beta feedback and full implimentation of the class.

 

I'm thinking with less than 8 weeks to release classes are pretty much finished and that what we see in the final beta build is going to be pretty much what we get.

 

I didn't mean unfinished in the sense that they aren't done as a concept just they haven't all been fully implemented in the beta yet.  So we don't know what they have to offer completely.

Any recent news on when for the next(final?) beta build?

Any recent news on when for the next(final?) beta build?

Should be sometime this week from what I have heard.

 

Any recent news on when for the next(final?) beta build?

Should be sometime this week from what I have heard.

 

Thanks Karkarov !!