Cipher 3.0 : Power buffed list released by Obsidian

[Dr. Hieronymous Alloy]

I have no objection to re-spec being available for power gamers but as a role player I would prefer to avoid using it at all.

 

I am concerned that focus is starting to feel less like a natural/organic capability and more  like an arbitrary game resource which must be optimised (EG by using re-spec) for the class to remain interesting/viable to play.

 

In v2 Greater Focus was optional, now I'd say it's essential at L2 but may become superfluous and even waste of a talent slot at higher levels. For me this is not an interesting character build progression.

Greater Focus is still very useful at higher levels because it always lets you open the fight with a power one rank higher than you would otherwise.

[DreamWayfarer]

Personaly, I only use respec if I made a build error because I am not familiar with the class. The idea of changing your build for easier leveling feels wrong for me for some reason.

[HawkSoft]

 

In v2 Greater Focus was optional, now I'd say it's essential at L2 but may become superfluous and even waste of a talent slot at higher levels. For me this is not an interesting character build progression.

Greater Focus is still very useful at higher levels because it always lets you open the fight with a power one rank higher than you would otherwise.

 

I agree that Greater Focus is still useful at higher levels but potentially less so than other talents which might create much better overall synergies.

 

What I am noticing with the lower level powers is that most of them have shorter ranges so a cipher can no longer open with (EG) a MindWave against an onrushing mob on the limit of visibility but is better to start with a long range missile weapon. I think this is a good change.

[Dr. Hieronymous Alloy]

I agree that Greater Focus is still useful at higher levels but potentially less so than other talents which might create much better overall synergies.

 

What I am noticing with the lower level powers is that most of them have shorter ranges so a cipher can no longer open with (EG) a MindWave against an onrushing mob on the limit of visibility but is better to start with a long range missile weapon. I think this is a good change.

Possibly. I find so far that I'm still picking essentially the same powers, I'm just delaying some of them. Before, I'd grab biting whip, draining whip, ruffian, penetrating shot, and after that it was sortof open ( Gunner? Marksman?)(In prior 3.0, Greater Focus?). Now that they've added two (four) extra levels, I think the progression is greater focus, biting whip, ruffian, penetrating shot, draining whip, (gunner) (marksman). It's a change in what order you get powers but not a big change.

 

Said another way, by the time you get to the point where you might think about re-speccing away from greater focus, you're probably running out of good talents to pick anyway. Of course that might change with WM II if they add new awesome talents.

Edited February 7, 2016 by Dr. Hieronymous Alloy

[ottffsse]

 

I agree that Greater Focus is still useful at higher levels but potentially less so than other talents which might create much better overall synergies.

 

What I am noticing with the lower level powers is that most of them have shorter ranges so a cipher can no longer open with (EG) a MindWave against an onrushing mob on the limit of visibility but is better to start with a long range missile weapon. I think this is a good change.

Possibly. I find so far that I'm still picking essentially the same powers, I'm just delaying some of them. Before, I'd grab biting whip, draining whip, ruffian, penetrating shot, and after that it was sortof open ( Gunner? Marksman?)(In prior 3.0, Greater Focus?). Now that they've added two (four) extra levels, I think the progression is greater focus, biting whip, ruffian, penetrating shot, draining whip, (gunner) (marksman). It's a change in what order you get powers but not a big change.

 

Said another way, by the time you get to the point where you might think about re-speccing away from greater focus, you're probably running out of good talents to pick anyway. Of course that might change with WM II if they add new awesome talents.

 

That's gun cipher. I personally found though that I never lacked focus generation in my last potd playthrough to the point I ditched taking draining whip entirely as I was getting more focus than I could use without it and in the fights that focus gain is a challenge draining whip is not the issue, accuracy is.

 

But recently for bow build I speced bows and went stormcaller as early as possible as the shock damage was generally more consistent than pierce. 1.biting whip 2. Marksman 3. Weapon focus 4. Baby sneak attack 5. Heart of the storm (yeah sure it does not work in 2.3 with the bow yet but hopefully they'll fix it and soul shock whatever spam every now and then is ok) 6. Draining whip - yeah why not don't really need it but at this point I am also running out of useful talents to take . I guess you can take penetrating shot on this build but you don't need it really as both bows have rending and you get those 3 Dr bypass bracers eventually. Lynes er as second bow for debuff. Maybe in 3.0 draining whip and greater focus will become essential but they're not currently and even than just stacking accuracy and damage may be more efficient in the long run. I would say pending these changes greater focus will become actually very useful to open fights with bigger spells as you and others have tested and pointed out. But with the increase in focus gain from damage draining whip may not be needed if your dps is high enough and you have the focus gain amulet. Cheers!

[delfador]

 

 

Whisper of Treason. It feels too good for a level 1 power now. All level 1 powers were buffed indirectly by faster focus gain, and Whisper went from Slow to Fast cast.  I really like the Fast casts, as Ciphers have so many things competing for their time, but it feels a little too good at 10 focus. Not sure what to do there. Puppet Master feels about right, though. Maybe make Whisper Average speed, and leave Puppet at Fast, so you have a choice between spending time or spending focus.

Yeah I agree about Whisper. It's too strong now and I don't understand why it got buffed (though I'd still recommend against taking it, because I think Puppet's the better overall option now). If anything I would have given Tenuous Grasp the fast-cast speed and left Whisper at Long.

 

Whisper makes some of the tougher low level fights feasible for a party led by a melee focussed cipher.

The behaviour of charmed victims when they are the last foe standing seems inconsistent, it cam:

• Time out naturally
• End immediately
• Enemy remains charmed but attacks you anyway (party can't fight back until charm expires)

 

Greater Focus is HUGE at L2, 20 initial focus instead of 10 makes it almost compulsory.

 

 

Pressing "A" then clicking will allow you to attack a friendly target. So you don't have to wait for Charm to expire. Usually the charm won't expire instantly even after you start attacking, so you get some time (1 "round" ?) of free attacks against a weakened target.