Group buffs and auras

[Archaven]

I like to talk about group buffs and auras. I think it should be global and has no area of effect. Take for example Paladin's zealous aura. It covers a small area of effect. This limit combat flexibility and encourage you to group all your companions together to ensure you get the aura. This goes same to Chanter Sure Handed Ila and Priest buffs. I kind of think it makes combat less interesting as you are not encouraged to split your companions further apart. And what this mean is that devs constraint it that way so you may eat up all the nukes the enemies are targeting you as part of artificial difficulty?

 

But i agree certain powerful buffs should still have area effect. Bear in mind this is about auras and buffs not debuffs. Debuffs should definitely still have area of effect. With enemies very fast movement speed, engagement and the number of mobs (i play all my games in POTD) i find myself often at disadvantage in spreading my companions and has far more micro management.

Edited November 12, 2017 by Archaven

[cheesevillain]

AOE auras are only tactically interesting in the first place if they have disadvantages which make them better and worse in different situations.

 

Splitting up your party should be a viable tactical option, but it shouldn't be a no brainer tactical option which the mechanics of the game accommodate so that it is the best one.

Edited November 12, 2017 by cheesevillain

[Fardragon]

To play devil's advocate, what about NPCs who use the same abilities? You could find yourself fighting enemies benefiting from the aura from a paladin who is lying asleep in a far off corner of the map.

[Sedrefilos]

Won't global buffs just make all too easy? I dunno, I kinda like the AOEs and the tradeoffs they have.

Also, if the case is true also for opponents and what Fardragon describes happening, won't it be just too annoying?

[Juodas Varnas]

I'm fine with AOE buffs, especially since we have the whole attribute of Intelligence based on increasing the radius of it.

 

Making buffs global would BASICALLY nerf the attribute (and i don't think Intelligence is an attribute that needs to be nerfed).

[MaxQuest]

Tbh, I am fine with buffs radius as it currently is.

 

But for auras I agree. Actually radius limit is the main reason I didn't take Zealous Focus on my paladin (during 2nd run), because often (and especially during boss fights) he is quite away from the party. Still I don't think it should be global (as it partially would nerf the INT impact), rather x1.5 as it is now.

Edited November 12, 2017 by MaxQuest

[Archaven]

Tbh, I am fine with buffs radius as it currently is.

 

But for auras I agree. Actually radius limit is the main reason I didn't take Zealous Focus on my paladin (during 2nd run), because often (and especially during boss fights) he is quite away from the party. Still I don't think it should be global (as it partially would nerf the INT impact), rather x1.5 as it is now.

 

Perhaps i didn't word my meaning properly. It doesn't make sense global if the other corner of the map where enemies/NPCs being buffed for no reason. I would say perhaps "Active" while in combat would be a better meaning.

[Benedictous]

Game sorely needs auras. The constant rebuffing and no out of combat buffing ..... i mean  its not the trash heap of a system that Tyranny had but its still pretty awful. Either auras or buff durations need increased by 10x. Will never happen though 

[cheesevillain]

Game sorely needs auras. The constant rebuffing and no out of combat buffing ..... i mean  its not the trash heap of a system that Tyranny had but its still pretty awful. Either auras or buff durations need increased by 10x. Will never happen though 

 

I sure don't enjoy out of combat buffing. And I'm not sure the answer is to make buffs last longer. I think the answer is to make them more powerful and significant so it really matters if you have them. Now, buffs are pretty powerful as they are currently, and it's not hard to stack several buffs on each and every member of your party.

Edited November 19, 2017 by cheesevillain