Favourite Class and why?

[chickenhed]

Pretty straightforward question. The game has been out for a while and all the classes have gone through at least some sort of revision. Now that we are at a, fairly, "endgame" state for the game, do you have a favourite class? If so, why? Is it for roleplay reasons? Class implementation? Power?

 

For me, it's probably the druid after all of the shapeshifting fixes. I think the druid's spell selection is a great deal of fun with all of the AoE attacks and disables. In addition, shapeshifting can be a powerhouse if you build around it. Even if you don't, it augments your spellcasting quite well and I'm never bored with the class.

 

Runner up is Fighter. Plain 'ol fighter. The rapid recovery mechanic paired with high might, low res/con, and high dex/per allows for a VERY durable damager dealer. The "Lady of Pain" build with a focus on healing items and abilities is probably my favourite, overall, build in the game. The character deals for more damage than I think most people give it credit for and can take a few punches to the face. I love that.

 

Your turn!

[Teioh_White]

I guess Barbarian. It kills trash with best effort/results ratio, which is which I spend most of the game doing. Makes it the MVP for me. For more personal reasons, I tend to like the Berserker/Reaver gameplay aesthetic, and while it doesn't super factor into what Barb is in this game, it's at least kinda in the ballpark.

[Elric Galad]

You should make a Poll.

 

I would say... Druid.

I like what they did with druids in PoE : embodiement of the Nature as beauty and destruction.

Eora Lore is also very kind with "druid spirit" with Glamfathans, Pwgra and the dreaded adragans. Nature powers really feel like something you have to FEAR, even you have access to firearms.

 

 

They might be slightly less relevant than wizards and priest but they are an excellent addition to any party.

 

Storm spells are so powerful and nice to see in action. I hoped during the whole IE area that storm spell could really feel "special", and now Relentless storm is probably the overall strongest CC spel of the game... You don't even have to aim, Storm will do it for you.

Venombloom might have the nicest visual effect of the whole game.

Moonwell is really sweet too.

Insects, ground attacks, firebugs, blizzard and this delicious lvl 1 sunbeam... what's not to like ? It is so nice to have the four seasons in your spellbook )

 

And Spritishift is really nice to use too since 2.0 scaling. Druid, bash ! Probably among the highest Single target DPS of the game. I have not tested stag carnage yet but Stag Druid is probably going to be my next MC. 

Edited April 13, 2016 by Elric Galad

[JerekKruger]

For me probably the Monk. I like melee classes, and the Monk is just the most interesting melee class from my point of view. Unfortunately, Zahua is one of my favourite NPCs and I don't like doubling up on a class so I don't usually feel right about playing a Monk.

 

Of the caster classes I like the Druid a lot but wish their 7th and 8th level spells had been a bit more exciting and wish spiritshift had been handled a little differently (I'd prefer modal).

[Elric Galad]

Just checked what form of the Delemgan actually did.

 

+8 to all physical DR (and 2 elemental ones : electrical and corrosive. It doesn't overlap with Pale Elf resist ) ).

Stacking with Armor of faith/Zealous Endurance...

And couple of other goodies : +1 speed, bonus against disengagement attack, immunity against immobilization (which can lead to sick combination with binding web). It is fast casting with a nice AoE.

This spell is crazy.

 

I would have preferred it as a lvl 7 spell !

 

At least on level 8, avenging storm looks good. But for level 7 is really lacking non-weird spell.

 

Nature's bounty is a pain to use, and overlap with many priest buff, except for the speed part. 

Elemental resist only lasts 10s.

Call of the primordial, at least, will provide some okayish meat shield. They seem to have many more HP than Blights. Oozes are not very good attackers but they have sides effects like paralyzis, immobilization and even petrify on death for ice ones.

 

So either you have a priest and you may cast ooze, THEN buff your whole groopze with devotion of the faithfull and some accuracy stuff.

Or you dont' have priest and Nature's bounty suddenly looks OK because of Might and Perception bonus. Nothing great but at least next time, I will know how to use these 7 level slots.

Edited April 13, 2016 by Elric Galad

[DreamWayfarer]

Favorite class? Couldn't you pick an easier question?

 

Oh, well, I will try to answer.

 

 

Druids are, indeed, storming awesome (I hope zered isn't the only one to catch the reference). I personally like to focus on the defenses of the human form, in part because I dislike the look of the beast forms, in part because I dislike to babysit more than one squishy at a time. They also have very good looking spells.

 

Other than Druids I also like damage dealing Fighters with non-dumped INT. Powerful, with a certain flexibility, very durable because of self-healing and always an useful asset. And most important of all: no need to turn on the AI so you don't have to manually spam Torment's Reach. Stupid AI, always breaking rank to enter Aloth's Chill Fog and expose him to enemies in a single move.

[Batbro]

Cipher, personally.

 

Tons of build variety possibilities, and between their utility, damage, and crowd control, they always have something meaningful to contribute to every fight.  To top it all off, they narratively fit very neatly into the player character's role in the story.

[anameforobsidian]

I like how unique ciphers feel for a crpg, and they're one of the best classes to play in the game from a narrative perspective.  Wizards are suitably beefy for an IE style game, they might use a tone down.  Monks are also pretty fun, although I would like to see them using the damage converting ability originally planned.  I like the Barbarian playstyle quite a bit, but their accuracy hurts on potd, and Maneha is not my favorite character.

[Crucis]

I've always been a fan of Rangers in the old IE games and I'm still a fan of rangers, though I'm not particularly a fan of the animal companions.  I will freely admit that the pets are a LOT better since they were buffed.  At the same time, I wish that pets were a level 1 option, so that if you wanted to play a pet-less ranger, you could do so.

 

Also, I've never particularly been a fan of Fighters in previous IE games as they seemed a bit bland.  However, I love playing fighters in PoE.

 

Lastly, I was also always a big fan of paladins in the old IE games, but I just can't get into them in PoE.  This isn't to say that they can't be built and played productively.  I just don't like how they were designed as "leaders" and so forth.  I long for the old holy warrior style of paladin.

[Kingsman]

The classes that I enjoy playing the most are Druids, rogues and ciphers.

 

These are the only three classes that you can build to truly break the game.

 

I would have said ciphers where the most powerful prior to patch 3.02 before they nerfed amplified wave but now Druids and rogues I think equally take that title.

 

Druids because of the storm spells and I hardly ever encounter an enemy that can take on a dual weilding sabre or rimecutter rogue built for sneak attacks, cits and deathblows.

[Blunderboss]

I like paladins the most , ciphers probably would be second on the list . Paladins are amazing currently playing Kind Wayfarer and im shocked of the raw healing power they have , last playtrough i went Bleak Walker and it was destroying stuff left to right with Double Bittercuts , yet to play Palegina with quick switch setup which should be very interesting because of Wrath of Five Suns talent she has , and then there are tank paladins who are unmatched when it comes to defenses .

Ciphers has most interesting Resource mechanic in PoE , tho it by default makes them hybrid class which somewhat limits the variety of cipher builds ( basically you can only change the weapon u deal damage with ) , and yet their powers are most interesting spells in PoE 

Edited April 14, 2016 by Blunderboss

[Blades of Vanatar]

Fighter. They're survivors and have many different roles.

Edited April 14, 2016 by Blades of Vanatar

[falchen]

Ciphers, they are pretty much mage warriors, can work either melee or ranged, and none of their stuff is per rest.

[mishkoff]

For me it would be Wizard - the idea of creating a Mage in Full Plate that wrecks havoc in melee with 1st level spell is just crazy

[rheingold]

Phew tough one.

Druids definitely no 1. But after that....

Barbarians, monks and rogues and chanters in no particular order. I reckon they have done a great job with the classes.

In fact the question is easier to answer if you flip it. What are your least favourite classes?

Well, for me it's a really short list:

Cipher

Priest

Wizard.

It's not a power issue or class mechanics, they just don't excite me. (Priests and mages have never been my among my favourites)

 

Edit: forgot completely about Rangers... They are great to play as well.

This is exactly why I have major issues choosing a main. I reckon out of the gazillion hours playing pillars, most of the time has been spent in the character creation screen and tutorial. Poor Odema just dies and dies...

Edited April 14, 2016 by rheingold

[the_dog_days]

From a role playing standpoint, I love my rogue (former pirate) and my monk (death godlike + monk = Death Monk--I like to listen to Slipknot while I play him).

[Jojobobo]

I really have a strong liking for Rogues. People seem to think they're now out-matched in terms of DPS, and they probably are, but they're so easy to use and I think they're realised very nicely conceptually (taking broken DnD Backstab mechanics and making them more sensible). Also I think they're extremely versatile, I'm currently soloing a tank Rogue - because of their easy ways to increase damage (Reckless Assault, Sneak Attack, Deathblows, Dirty/Vicious FIghting) coupled to their naturally high accuracy it's trivial to maintain a good damage output while investing heavily in your defense.

 

With Sneak Attacks/Dirty+Vicious Fighting/Deathblows now working with Retaliate (and Retaliate triggering Deep Wounds) their ability to tank is now even better (at 21 Might Deep Wounds does 4 damage per tick, and if you have Intellect 20 you're getting 5 ticks, so in a minute you're doing 80 damage from Retaliate for just sitting there against all melee foes), and then when you think about spell scrolls also benefitting from Deathblows there's a literal crap load of roles they can have.

 

So yeah, Rogues = good.

[JerekKruger]

^ One of the nice things about PoE is even the weaker classes are still perfectly viable.

[MaxQuest]

Well, it's Cipher.

Because:

• I like the thematic of this class
• I find it easier to associate with this archetype. For some reason I always feel odd, when trying to play barbarians, fighters and especially paladins.
• It fits nicely with the main story
• It is capable of very high damage output
• While also being quite versatile
• Ah, and lastly they don't depend on per-rest abilities. And I am crazy one, always saving everything for later. (esp. on first playthrough, when you never know what to expect next)

[Teioh_White]

^ One of the nice things about PoE is even the weaker classes are still perfectly viable.

 

Downside is, if everything is viable, but classes aren't balanced, some classes will have hilariously easy times in the game. Which we got.

[JerekKruger]

This is true, but at least when you're overpowered you can impose artificial restrictions on yourself. Avoid certain abilities, spells or items. Not saying it's perfect but it could be worse.

[Gromnir]

"favorite" is actual kinda a sticky identifier.  class we is most likely to play, or would favor, is different from the classes we think is best designed.  class we is most likely to have in a party is a different kinda showing o' favor... we s'pose.

 

initial observation--

 

a few o' the classes has changed since the beta, so our opinions have also had to change.  cipher seems particular difficult for the developers to strike good balance.  what amounts to the cipher's mana generation through combat damage is a nifty mechanic, but has been extreme difficult to keep from becoming overpowered.  the cipher "problem" is frequent tangential related to the class as folks has found ways to exploit various weapons and talents to create powerful alpha strikes, regardless o' class. a bit different is our concerns regarding the fighter. the poe fighter were presented as a low-maintenance and durable melee combatant who would be ideal as a front-line party member.  unfortunately tanks from multiple classes were functional indestructible at  launch.  so obsidian tunes down tankability o' the fighter while responding to the (misguided) demand for more dps.  so we end up with the fighter filling the same role as the monk, although absent the wounds mechanic.  the paladin, as mentioned in other threads, has undergone many changes, not the least o' which were the addition o' fod during beta.  that being said, while we found paladins boring-but-useful in beta and at release, we now actual enjoy the class... though am admitted annoyed that pellagina is fundamental better in a striker role than any main character paladin build.  point is that our opinions has evolved as has the classes. 

 

for pure practical reasons, Gromnir tends to favor playing priests and paladins.  faith and convictions has been nerfed more than a little, but even so, a main character paladin is gonna have defense advantages over a hireling paladin.  a priest will similarly get a significant boost to their per-encounter holy radiance if the priest is a mc with maxed dispositions.  makes some sense to play as a priest or (tanky) paladin if we were planning to have one o' those classes in our party anyways.

 

monks is the class that has most impressed us from a design perspective.  sure, monks has had more than a few balance issues, but am genuine appreciating how well the wounds mechanic has translated from concept to actual gameplay.  'course nothing 'bout the monk strikes us as particular monastic-- stoopid name.  monk adventurer is an oxymoron. even so, from the start, the obsidians sold us the concept o' the monk as a front-line melee combatant who could absorb damage while being able to dish-out considerable hurt.  the class lives up to the sales pitch. the bare-chested monk inspired by kung-fu movies is viable, powerful and can support numerous different unique builds that alternatively focus on pure damage, debuffing and/or interruptions.  alternatively, the class is flexible enough so that one can embrace an armoured or western "monk" who wades into combat with a weapon and shield. therefore, even though we is less likely to play a monk than a priest or paladin, the monk is the class that most impressed us.

 

honest, the only class we is genuine disappointed with is the barbarian.  is not that the barbarian sucks-- quite the contrary.  a well-built barbarian is capable o' doing ridiculous amounts o' damage.  we actual like what the barbarian adds to poe.  however, the class is far too limited and its actual implementation runs counter to espoused goals o' the obsidian developers. the barbarian is far too dependent on carnage, and as those who listened to developers during the beta, or even to josh's recent gdc presentation, you is no doubt aware that the developers were attempting to avoid class defining abilities.  carnage is particular flawed as it is so inextricable linked to intellect.  tell us how neato it is to be able to play a genius barbarian in poe ignores that a dumb barbarian who relies almost complete on brawn over brains is kinda crippled in poe.  for most  classes, we can find success with almost any attribute spread.  good.  some folks hate that no-bad builds were a goal for poe, but it were an oft repeated goal.  the stoopid barbarian who ignores carnage is a bad barbarian.  bad barbarian is bad design.

 

however, bottom line is that priest is our favorite class.  as a player, we want our character to be able to do a bit o' everything.  

 

 

channeling our inner gordon gekko, we inevitable gravitate towards a character that can do... more.  a priest is the most flexible support caster in poe.  in terms o' force multiplication for a wide range of scenarios, priests is best.  with an enormous catalog o' buffs available, the priest can counter most any foe's greatest weapon while at the same time providing a major power-up to his/her own party.  the priest also enjoys very potent damage producing spells, particular for those who like to play with fire. want accuracy on par with a fighter?  can do that with a priest.  sure, you are gonna be limited to one or two weapons if you wanna be able to hit anything, but that is hardly an onerous handicap. vessels, o' which there is many in the game, disintegrate beneath your power.  heck, you can even cast some o' the most efficacious spells in the game without initiating combat... works as a free contingency. rogues do far better melee damage than priests. druids have better damage spells than does priests. paladins is far better in the tanky role than is priests.  etc.  priests aren't best at everything.  however an intelligent played priest o' wael with a quarterstaff or a priest o' skaen armed with stilettos is gonna pretty good at just about everything.  depending on how the priest is built, you can maximize support or melee combat efficacy or offensive spell damage output.  

 

am greedy.  we like priests.

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

ps am thinking that the reason so few people appreciate priests the way does Gromnir is 'cause people tend to have a single priest in their party.  a single priest is almost indispensable as a party buffer.  if you got a priest, chances are he/she is doing little more than buffing and healing.  boring.  two priests changes the dynamic considerable.  

Edited April 15, 2016 by Gromnir

[Tennisgolfboll]

Fighter

 

Cuz tank and damage.

Edited April 15, 2016 by Tennisgolfboll

[Fenixp]

ps am thinking that the reason so few people appreciate priests the way does Gromnir is 'cause people tend to have a single priest in their party.  a single priest is almost indispensable as a party buffer.  if you got a priest, chances are he/she is doing little more than buffing and healing.  boring.  two priests changes the dynamic considerable.

Well priest in my party is doing buffing, debuffing, healing, damage, area denial and fuels my PCs hidden humiliation fetish.

[Cottonmouth]

I've played a spellcasting sword wielder since the dawn of time, and the Wizard class allows for that quite nicely. And in fine tradition, the fighter mage hybrid is once again just about the most powerful class.