Make all those temporary summons, spells and spirit companions more permanent

[IndiraLightfoot]

 

• Druid spiritshift that doesn't become useless by half-way through the game (let it start less powerful and scale).

 

This first point made by Silent Winter in another topic, inspired me to have a topic on something that I somehow missed in PoE 1, especially in combat, and which I now understand will continue in PoE2 (for instance the ghost animal companion mentioned), but I do wonder if it's the best and most engrossing way to do stuff like that, RPG-wise.

 

It always annoyed me a little bit that the Druid shape shift was temporary, or even those items and spells summoning stuff. Instead of being summoned and then they fight until death, they just blinked out of existence (de-summoned?).

Not fun, although I understand it perhaps makes sense balance-wise, it just makes me wonder if there aren't other ways to balance such summons, temporary companions and shape-shifted druids. It is the temporary bit that's bothering me.

 

I'd much rather have these things go more permanently. If I enter combat as a feral wolf Druid, I don't really care for being forced out of my animal form 22.4s into the fight.

 

What are you thoughts on this?

 

Surely, this stuff could be made more permanent and then be balanced? I mean, Obsidian, went through all this trouble animating and solving other 3D graphics and FX for it, only to see it last for a few seconds. Some summons I rarely have the time to enjoy. It feels a bit like all that wonderful content goes to waste.

 

I'd say, it would make a really fun game even more entertaining and cool as far as your CRPG-characters go.

Edited January 29, 2017 by IndiraLightfoot

[SkySlam]

I totally agree about Druids! It probably made sense balance-wise, but it was really annoying to have their signature skill so short, and in effect I've always ended up using my druids as spellcasters only, with shapeshift left as a jolly card to solve a couple of specific situations.

 

I believe that subclasses might be a great answer in this case. They could focus on the two druid archetypes of caster - shapeshifter, giving us a long-lasting transformation in the second subclass.

[Boeroer]

What are you talking about? The natural weapons of druids do scale with level.

And at later levels you even will have a powerful spells that works best with very fast melee attack speed (aka claws and such): Avenging Storm.

 

It's true that it's too short though.

 

What I would like: Spiritshift becomes a modal, gets some extra talents - and spellcasting is only possible while not shifted. Maybe we'll have that with subclasses.

Edited January 29, 2017 by Boeroer

[Ashen Rohk]

The one thing that I'd actually like to see is spells becoming unavailable to cast during Spirit Shift. It got a bit OP towards the end of the game.

 

In the beta of PoE1, summoned beasts from either the statues or the Chanter phrases did hang around after combat. It created a very unbalanced rushing mechanic because odds were you could take your Adra spiders, wyrms and wyvern straight from fight to fight.

 

A modal spirit shift could possibly work as a sub-class, but the base class from D&D which druid is based on had a limited number of shifts per day until super high levels which balanced it out a bit.

[Varana]

Also, the ranger companion was permanent. He didn't even die unless the ranger died, as well.

[anameforobsidian]

I wish there were findable druid spells / spiritshifts.

[morhilane]

It's true that it's too short though.

The duration fluctuated through out the different version of the game...and bugginess level too. In beta remember a version that latest for a long while and all the crazy bugs that went with it like druid refused to attack after transforming or never shape-shifted visually. I think it could even cause CTD.

 

Now though in v3, it's way too short. I would prefer shape-shifting to be a modal (with max use per rest) personally. I kinda like whacking people in the face with paws (and not because they deal lost of damages, I just like the look of the shapeshifting forms).

Edited January 29, 2017 by morhilane

[IndiraLightfoot]

Also, the ranger companion was permanent. He didn't even die unless the ranger died, as well.

Oh, I had a hunch that was the case. I've changed my OP. I'm after anything that lasts but a short time during combat, which I feel should last all combat.

[IndiraLightfoot]

The one thing that I'd actually like to see is spells becoming unavailable to cast during Spirit Shift. It got a bit OP towards the end of the game.

 

In the beta of PoE1, summoned beasts from either the statues or the Chanter phrases did hang around after combat. It created a very unbalanced rushing mechanic because odds were you could take your Adra spiders, wyrms and wyvern straight from fight to fight.

 

A modal spirit shift could possibly work as a sub-class, but the base class from D&D which druid is based on had a limited number of shifts per day until super high levels which balanced it out a bit.

Yeah, no hanging around after combat.

[Jarmo]

In the beta of PoE1, summoned beasts from either the statues or the Chanter phrases did hang around after combat. It created a very unbalanced rushing mechanic because odds were you could take your Adra spiders, wyrms and wyvern straight from fight to fight.

 

Why shouldn't you be able to do just that if the next group of enemies is right there 10 meters away.

[anameforobsidian]

 

In the beta of PoE1, summoned beasts from either the statues or the Chanter phrases did hang around after combat. It created a very unbalanced rushing mechanic because odds were you could take your Adra spiders, wyrms and wyvern straight from fight to fight.

 

Why shouldn't you be able to do just that if the next group of enemies is right there 10 meters away.

 

 

I liked it, because it pushed me into doing more risky but quicker continuous combat runs.

[IndiraLightfoot]

 

In the beta of PoE1, summoned beasts from either the statues or the Chanter phrases did hang around after combat. It created a very unbalanced rushing mechanic because odds were you could take your Adra spiders, wyrms and wyvern straight from fight to fight.

 

Why shouldn't you be able to do just that if the next group of enemies is right there 10 meters away.

 

 

 

 

 

In the beta of PoE1, summoned beasts from either the statues or the Chanter phrases did hang around after combat. It created a very unbalanced rushing mechanic because odds were you could take your Adra spiders, wyrms and wyvern straight from fight to fight.

 

Why shouldn't you be able to do just that if the next group of enemies is right there 10 meters away.

 

 

I liked it, because it pushed me into doing more risky but quicker continuous combat runs.

 

I've never thought about that, but they way you describe it, it somehow makes sense. Perhaps the game should have some timer going on, like turns in D&D, rather than combat rounds, something that ticks a bit longer and keep track of such cases. It's a bit bizarre that they vanish only to reappear a few meters later. The same would go for shape-shifting then.

[Ashen Rohk]

 

In the beta of PoE1, summoned beasts from either the statues or the Chanter phrases did hang around after combat. It created a very unbalanced rushing mechanic because odds were you could take your Adra spiders, wyrms and wyvern straight from fight to fight.

 

Why shouldn't you be able to do just that if the next group of enemies is right there 10 meters away.

 

 

Because being able to regen and reset per-encounter abilities while still having a wyvern active is a bit broken in terms of combat balance.

[Eurhetemec]

 

 

In the beta of PoE1, summoned beasts from either the statues or the Chanter phrases did hang around after combat. It created a very unbalanced rushing mechanic because odds were you could take your Adra spiders, wyrms and wyvern straight from fight to fight.

 

Why shouldn't you be able to do just that if the next group of enemies is right there 10 meters away.

 

 

Because being able to regen and reset per-encounter abilities while still having a wyvern active is a bit broken in terms of combat balance.

 

 

Yep. If you can drag Chanter summons to a fight, you should not get your per-encounter abilities back. I mean, I'd be okay with that design - that encounter abilities came back and summons vanished maybe 10 seconds after combat ended, but you can have both your encounter abilities AND your summons.

[Jarmo]

 

Because being able to regen and reset per-encounter abilities while still having a wyvern active is a bit broken in terms of combat balance.

 

 

That only highlights how silly and gamey per encounter abilities are as a whole.