Inquisitor Question for Guardians. PVP server Specific. Help me out Guards!

[Somatic]

So I play an Inquisitor on a PVP server (you guys are so rare on this server--ARRR).  This question is mostly focused on level 70 gameplay.I was thinking of trying to go max Defense build.  How smart is this?  Is it smarter to go +Parry or some other items?I just notice + defense items tend to be more common.I was told by a friend in game that every +5 defense is like an extra level on players.  Is this correct?Lets assume I somehow get +30 Defense in items.  Would that Mean at level 70 players are attacking a level 76 monster(me)?What items should I focus on getting?Will this really help me stay alive as a healer in PVP, or is this a foolish route to take?<div></div>

[Docimodo]

<DIV>+5 to a skill used to be as significant as one level increase but that is no longer the case, now getting +5 defense simply equates to a tiny boost in the % avoidance you have which as a plate healer is rediculously low anyway what with having low agility and no parry skill.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>To be honest i would expect practically every melee attack targetted on you to land.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>In this sense I would focus on acquiring the highest physical mitigation you can manage (to counter the rediculous number of melee classes on pvp servers) whilst keeping all around resists as high as possible (to counter those rare but not too rare magic damage dealers priority in mitigation values would be:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>physical mitigation > cold resist = heat resist  = desease  resist > poison resist  = mental resist  > magic resist  > divine resist . </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>its hard to raise all at the same time but it is definitely possible if you can get yourself into a semi decent t7 raiding guild.  Since you are working versus level 70 players only you dont need to worry about getting much more than 5k resist all around plus high 4ks to 5k+ mit.  (Will take you some time to get the physical mit up though as tanks will likely have priority on high mit plate loot)</DIV>

[Somatic]

"+5 to a skill used to be as significant as one level increase but that is no longer the case"-- When was this changed?I know Brusiers on my server seem to all stack +parry/deflection gear?  Are those still working good compared to +Def mod?<div></div>

[Docimodo]

<DIV>Brief and overly simple review of this mess:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>In the early days (level 50 cap) when a tank buffed his defense skills up etc he could become practically immune to mobs as he was considered by the game to be like a super red con god versus them. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>+5 in a skill was considered as + one level in the con system and stacking it up was in effect as you say like walking up to a mob and being level 75 compared to its pitiful level 50. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>When DoF was released (level 60 cap) the skills no longer scaled in the same manner and caps have been placed on everything including mitigation, resists, defense/block/parry/deflect and other skills. Your level versus the level of the opponent sets this unmoveable scaling factor on the values listed in your persona window with red con basically laughing as he ignores them and the grey con screaming at how miserably impotent he is against you.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>This con scaling factor has been removed from pvp fights, or atleast been made practically insignifiicant on top of the fact that bonuses in skill do not change your effective level in such a system.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Thus simply skills translate into simply pure avoidance % until the cap v even con for that skill has been reached. Currently 420 for level 70.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>lets not forget the quality in combat arts one has makes a significant impact on whether it lands or not. Master quality in rough terms ignores 30-40 percent of your targets avoidance and thus we get to the point that if you have less than 20% avoidance you will be hit everytime by a melee char with adept three or greater combat arts not to mention the fact most tanks and fighters have ways of dropping your avoid skills anyway. Thus my recomendation that you go for pure mitigation and resists. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>This is not exactly the way it works but it gives you the general idea.</DIV> <P>Message Edited by Docimodo on <SPAN class=date_text>09-19-2006</SPAN> <SPAN class=time_text>11:28 AM</SPAN></P> <P>Message Edited by Docimodo on <SPAN class=date_text>09-19-2006</SPAN> <SPAN class=time_text>11:34 AM</SPAN></P><p>Message Edited by Docimodo on <span class=date_text>09-19-2006</span> <span class=time_text>11:36 AM</span>

[TanRaistlyn]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Docimodo wrote:<BR> <DIV>Brief and overly simple review of this mess:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>In the early days (level 50 cap) when a tank buffed his defense skills up etc he could become practically immune to mobs as he was considered by the game to be like a super red con god versus them. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>+5 in a skill was considered as + one level in the con system and stacking it up was in effect as you say like walking up to a mob and being level 75 compared to its pitiful level 50. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>When DoF was released (level 60 cap) the skills no longer scaled in the same manner and caps have been placed on everything including mitigation, resists, defense/block/parry/deflect and other skills. Your level versus the level of the opponent sets this unmoveable scaling factor on the values listed in your persona window with red con basically laughing as he ignores them and the grey con screaming at how miserably impotent he is against you.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>This con scaling factor has been removed from pvp fights, or atleast been made practically insignifiicant on top of the fact that bonuses in skill do not change your effective level in such a system.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Thus simply skills translate into simply pure avoidance % until the cap v even con for that skill has been reached. Currently 420 for level 70.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>lets not forget the quality in combat arts one has makes a significant impact on whether it lands or not. Master quality in rough terms ignores 30-40 percent of your targets avoidance and thus we get to the point that if you have less than 20% avoidance you will be hit everytime by a melee char with adept three or greater combat arts not to mention the fact most tanks and fighters have ways of dropping your avoid skills anyway. Thus my recomendation that you go for pure mitigation and resists. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>This is not exactly the way it works but it gives you the general idea.</DIV> <P>Message Edited by Docimodo on <SPAN class=date_text>09-19-2006</SPAN> <SPAN class=time_text>11:28 AM</SPAN></P> <P>Message Edited by Docimodo on <SPAN class=date_text>09-19-2006</SPAN> <SPAN class=time_text>11:34 AM</SPAN></P> <P>Message Edited by Docimodo on <SPAN class=date_text>09-19-2006</SPAN> <SPAN class=time_text>11:36 AM</SPAN><BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE>This is completely correct - and it both blows my mind and makes me laugh when I see people still saying insane things like +def adds 1 level to your toon...I mean that was what? 1.5yrs ago the change was made?  Now +def and really any +skill has almost no bearing on you - I tried for [expletive haxx0red by Raijinn]s and giggles to see how high I could get my Def skill up and see how it changed my avoidance - a whopping 87points over capped Def and my avoidance went up 3percent YAY!!!<BR>

[Somatic]

So.... from the perspective of a plate healer, we never lost the godlike +defense, because by the time we could get it (from items) it was already nerfed?Also..as a priest I have no Defense skill?  So for a priest would the benefit be augmented by the fact I have no +defense naturally or through some Buffs?What is the Mitigation Cap at?Thanks for any information!Also thanks guys for previous posts <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />.<div></div>

[Docimodo]

<P>iirc priests have use of defense skill (im going on my pre kos memories though) but it is nearly useless to you as you would need to be hitting 50%+ avoidance to begin to significantly avoid a melee char with ad3 or greater spells. You cannot achieve this as you will reach the defense cap way beofer your avoid hits that. </P> <P> </P> <P>there is something to be said for a tank class going well over the cap on everything on a pvp server however. It allows you to waste the time of the enemy if they debuff your defense with zero actual effect on your avoidance. </P> <P> </P> <P>btw brigs are overpowered!</P>

[TanRaistlyn]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Somatic wrote:<BR>So....<BR> from the perspective of a plate healer, we never lost the godlike +defense, because by the time we could get it (from items) it was already nerfed?<BR><BR>Also..as a priest I have no Defense skill?  So for a priest would the benefit be augmented by the fact I have no +defense naturally or through some Buffs?<BR><BR>What is the Mitigation Cap at?<BR><BR><BR>Thanks for any information!<BR>Also thanks guys for previous posts <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />.<BR> <BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR>If your a druid your avoidance is actually pretty good, if your a cleric its so bad dont even worry about it.  Go for your mitigation bonus's.  I have an Alt templar on PVE (level 70 50AAs) and just cuz its an Alt I had some fun making it a DPS templar with the AA build.  I chose 100percent critical attacks - 20%dps+20%haste+20%double attack of Yaulp - 40% additional DPS mod - 40%damage proc from melee - and I love going around dueling people with my melee DPS templar.  On a side note he can hit 1k+ dps on raids in the right grp. :smileywink: