We will have 'Focus' instead of 'Parry' after combat revamp ?

[Spakka]

Looking at Blackguards latest notes on combat change testing I saw this; - Spell casters now make use of a skill called Focus. It is raised by casting spells while being attacked. The Focus skill will be maxed out at the character's current level. - Your chance to be interrupted while casting is now determined by your Focus skill and the amount of damage being done by your attacker. Does anyone have any more information on this ?   At first I thought why bother changing the name of a type of avoidance when the overall result is the same, but then I suppose it is more in the nature of a spellcaster to want to concentrate on finishing your spell to hit a monster, than to stop casting and try to parry an attack .... However I suspect there may be more to this change than that, has anyone currently on test found if there is more to 'Focus' than a renamed 'Parry' effect ?   If there is I may have to change my soloing style.  I normally like to solo yellows and oranges by rooting and DD-ing, but it looks like now I may have to solo greens and blues without rooting them to give my Warlock a chance to build up his Focus by being whacked on ? <div></div>

[TheLo]

If you ever played EQ1 you would recognize what this is instantly. It isnt parry, its a skill called Channeling, which allows you to cast spells efficiently whilst being hit. The higher your channeling, the more crap you can take and remain focused on casting a spell. <div></div>

[Spakka]

I never played EQ1, so never heard of Channeling.   From what you say this sounds better than Parry ?   If so that will hopefully compensate a little for the nerf we will be taking to our roots, as we will have a slightly better chance to kill as they run towards us and hit us (for the one or two hits before dying anyway).   At the moment I seem to get stunned/interrupted almost every time on the first hit. <div></div>

[tiki-jiki]

Well i dont think it is better than parry, but it should help us not to get continually interrupted. <div></div>

[Damari]

You cant really compare parry with focus.  Parry is the ability to avoid taking damage, where as focus is the skill used to cast a successful spell while taking damage.  The point being is that as casters we had a chance to avoid taking damage, now we dont.  But to make things fair, while we are being beaten on and losing health at a very fast rate, we have a chance to cast a spell without it being interupted.

[Andre]

Neat, pretty neat "we have a chance" . Before we have a chance to avoid damage adn not be interrupted and now we will always get damage and only "have a chance" to not be interrupted. Did SoE rised HP pool for casters?!

[Crono1321]

Channeling is awesome because it lets you take the hits while still [Removed for Content] the mob / PC off by continually casting while being [expletive ninja'd by Faarbot]slapped.  Tons of fun in PVP...."WHY ARENT I INTERRUPTING YOU!!" <div></div>

[anshar]

Hmm...does this mean that mobs will have focus also...and thus be harder to interrupts...my guess is yes...joy oh joy.

[Dae]

My impression is that Focus is there to stop you getting interupted by mobs regular melee attacks not their combat arts or spells. You won't be meleeing the mobs in order to interupt them you won't have to worry. <div></div>

[FilanFyretracker]

Channeling would be sweet to have in this,  as would the stun resist AA wizards have in EQ1.

[Dae]

Oh god no... There are many better AAs to get put into this game before they bother with that crap (not to mention we're at least another expansion away from them :p). Stun resistance was about as much of a priority as stat boosting AAs. <div></div>

[Crono1321]

I hope since my parry skill is maxxed right now that my focus skill isn't going to be 10 when I log on sept12.  (haha who am I kidding..?) <div></div>

[tiki-jiki]

<span><blockquote><hr>Crono1321 wrote:I hope since my parry skill is maxxed right now that my focus skill isn't going to be 10 when I log on sept12.  (haha who am I kidding..?) <div></div><hr></blockquote>It should start maxxed out, if its not we will be getting interrupted alot the first few days. Better save up some gold for all the repair costs. <span>:smileyvery-happy:</span></span><div></div>

[jordaann]

Per patch notes on the test server the focus skill will start out maxed for your level <div></div>