DJWolf5
06-10-2011, 04:11 AM
<p>We were all stunned when Sony changed the mechanics of the game so that the stats, Strength, Agility, Stamina, Intelligence, and Wisdom no longer performed the same function for every character class but instead were made the defining feature of each archetype: Strength for fighters, Agility for Scouts, Intelligence for mages and Wisdom for priests.</p><p>This was fine as long as the new system was equally applied to all. The problem was that it wasn't. We knew that the newly implemented system was unfinished when patterns looted from level 80 raid zones that were designed specifically for certain classes had stats on them that were useless in the new mechanics. For example, bards and paladins having intelligence stats on their armor that once bonused spell casting and now does nothing.</p><p>This, of course, didn't really affect many because when the level cap was increased there were not enough people raiding these zones to make it important even if leaving the armor and other drops as they were did scream "unfinished", "unprofessional", "uncaring" and "slapdash".</p><p>However, where this unprofessional change did impact the players massively is in the buffs. Let me give you an example. Prior to the mechanics change there were as many troubadors as Dirges because the classes were balanced. Dirges excelled at melee and troubadors excelled at casting. While both are support classes their buffs supported melee - Str and Agl for the dirge - and casting - Wisdom and Intelligence for the troubador. However, these were balanced for when Intelligence improved casting for all classes and now they don't so the stat buff for dirges which includes Agility helps dirges in all aspects of their play but the stat buff for troubadors (Wisdom and Intelligence) now does nothing for them. We see this again with PoTM that gives an intelligence boost</p><p>In this way troubadors became the poor cousins of the scout class. They were nerfed not because they were over-powered but because the new mechanics that were put into play were never finished to return the balance that used to be there.</p><p>When will the job get finished?</p>