Initial Impressions of Combat Change: Displeased.

[Adewale]

<div></div><div></div>Well, I had been out of the game for about four months and just recently came back because of DoF. I learned about all these combat changes as I got myself familiar with what was going on. After experiencing things before and after, I have to say, the irony is I feel almost stronger offensively, yet most decidedly a weaker tank. A few days ago, I could make my way through SS: Upper Tunnels as a 50 Berserker (no ebon, fabled 2h, rest white-orange gear mostly) with some effort. I could make my way to the Pit Champion fairly easily though I would lose to him everytime. And, I could go into the Harclave trial and when I got buffed, would have roughly 16k hp. Now, I cannot get through Upper Tunnels on my own as it's far too risky. One add and I'm dead, simple as that. The Pit Champion obliterates totally destroys me. I now have less than 11khp in Harclave. I like a lot of the new spells and the way it's set up. It feels like less of a burden to keep track of and some of the stuff is pretty original. But, my one overwhelming dislike is the lack of being able to buff HP. In short, I think that's the biggest flaw in this new combat change when it comes to Berserkers. I simply don't have the HP to keep up things (roughly 3.7k self buffed) when I had 5.7k before.  Yes, raid encounters were toned down, but the rest of the game is all the same... which means everything got harder, and I think too hard. I feel there's no reason I shouldn't be able to handle two adds in Upper Tunnels. Maybe I should get all ebon and fabled gear (which I hope to do), but aren't the changes meant for an average gear setup (which I think I'm fairly close to)? My spells are an average of Adept 1. I feel like I really have to be extra super cautious when doing anything now because an add most anywhere is going to spell defeat for me. It's not very fun, especially after 7ish months being able to handle more than that. I don't see why a 500ish hp buff would be out of line, and maybe not make avoidance so much lower than it was before. Losing the Mana drain wasn't helpful either, or some of the stunning power. Also, there seems to be a handful of bugs. The third attack of my Frenzy does less damage than the second. Weapon Guard and Rampage *always* wear off early (they seem to have a limit as to how much damage they cause, but if so, why not put this in the message box?). After dying in a duel, I have to relog to reset my stats properly. Sorry if I wasn't completely coherent, but I just wanted to get my initial thoughts out there. Maybe I'll overcome and adapt and find new ways to do the same old things, but for now, I feel disappointed. I wish I was a paladin now, or a Monk class, to be honest. <div></div><p>Message Edited by AdewaleTD on <span class="date_text">09-13-2005</span> <span class="time_text">05:44 PM</span></p><p>Message Edited by AdewaleTD on <span class=date_text>09-13-2005</span> <span class=time_text>06:01 PM</span>

[Buggrit]

I've been away from EQ2 for about a month figured i'dcome back and try it give it ago not very happy at all with changes i mean lvl 30 and 5 green adds lvl 24s kill me and thre not heroic <span>:smileysurprised:</span> i mean what the hell <div></div>

[Sli]

yeah at lvl 35 I tried to take a 27 (green) triple up (used to be double up) and it handed me my [Removed for Content].  Maybe I should have tried my defensive stance instead of offense.

[Khal]

For soloing green grp mobs, DEF use your defensive stance. 

[Splinte]

<P>You people MUST be joking...</P> <P>We are tanking GODS now. This is how a zerker should be imo, its so fun now. Bravo Sony you hit the nail on the head with this change.</P> <P>Zerk.</P>

[Khal]

<DIV>Remember that this is also your first day with major changes.  Takes time to get used to the new arts and such.</DIV>

[Khal]

<P>" Weapon Guard and Rampage *always* wear off early (they seem to have a limit as to how much damage they cause, but if so, why not put this in the message box?). "</P> <P> </P> <P> </P> <P>It says it drops after 3 counterattacks on the spell description.  Rampage also lists when it drops as well.</P><p>Message Edited by Khalad on <span class=date_text>09-13-2005</span> <span class=time_text>07:59 PM</span>

[Tudd]

<span><blockquote><hr>AdewaleTD wrote:<div></div><div></div>Well, I had been out of the game for about four months and just recently came back because of DoF. I learned about all these combat changes as I got myself familiar with what was going on. After experiencing things before and after, I have to say, the irony is I feel almost stronger offensively, yet most decidedly a weaker tank. A few days ago, I could make my way through SS: Upper Tunnels as a 50 Berserker (no ebon, fabled 2h, rest white-orange gear mostly) with some effort. I could make my way to the Pit Champion fairly easily though I would lose to him everytime. And, I could go into the Harclave trial and when I got buffed, would have roughly 16k hp. Now, I cannot get through Upper Tunnels on my own as it's far too risky. One add and I'm dead, simple as that. The Pit Champion obliterates totally destroys me. I now have less than 11khp in Harclave. I like a lot of the new spells and the way it's set up. It feels like less of a burden to keep track of and some of the stuff is pretty original. But, my one overwhelming dislike is the lack of being able to buff HP. In short, I think that's the biggest flaw in this new combat change when it comes to Berserkers. I simply don't have the HP to keep up things (roughly 3.7k self buffed) when I had 5.7k before.  Yes, raid encounters were toned down, but the rest of the game is all the same... which means everything got harder, and I think too hard. I feel there's no reason I shouldn't be able to handle two adds in Upper Tunnels. Maybe I should get all ebon and fabled gear (which I hope to do), but aren't the changes meant for an average gear setup (which I think I'm fairly close to)? My spells are an average of Adept 1. I feel like I really have to be extra super cautious when doing anything now because an add most anywhere is going to spell defeat for me. It's not very fun, especially after 7ish months being able to handle more than that. I don't see why a 500ish hp buff would be out of line, and maybe not make avoidance so much lower than it was before. Losing the Mana drain wasn't helpful either, or some of the stunning power. Also, there seems to be a handful of bugs. The third attack of my Frenzy does less damage than the second. Weapon Guard and Rampage *always* wear off early (they seem to have a limit as to how much damage they cause, but if so, why not put this in the message box?). After dying in a duel, I have to relog to reset my stats properly. Sorry if I wasn't completely coherent, but I just wanted to get my initial thoughts out there. Maybe I'll overcome and adapt and find new ways to do the same old things, but for now, I feel disappointed. I wish I was a paladin now, or a Monk class, to be honest. <div></div><p>Message Edited by AdewaleTD on <span class="date_text">09-13-2005</span> <span class="time_text">05:44 PM</span></p><p>Message Edited by AdewaleTD on <span class="date_text">09-13-2005</span> <span class="time_text">06:01 PM</span></p><hr></blockquote>Weapon Guard and Rampage have a set number of times they will go off. If you look at their descriptions, you will see Weapon Guard is good for 3 counterattacks and Rampage wears off after 10 hits. The new system will take some getting used to. Mobs that are close to your level are tougher, so yeah, you have to be more cautious in what you are doing. Personally, I get my defenses up as high as I can, have all my HP regens running, and let Offending Defense and Weapon Guard just chew mobs up. If I really need to take down mobs fast, I'll hit Rampage (3 minute timer, Woot!), Weapon Guard, and Frenzy. It's simply jaw dropping the amount of DPS you can put out in short order. On 4 Lvl48 double-down arrow mobs, I walked up and did this, and the entire group was dead in less then ten seconds. And that was using a slow 1 hander. Even with 3 even con mobs on me at once (white no arrow), I did this and still beat all 3 mobs. Granted I was down to around 20% hp afterwards, but it's was still pretty awe inspiring for me. Once you start developing strategies like I've highlighted above, you'll find that you can mow through mobs in short order. BUT, you have to learn what you can handle and what you can't. And make sure to pick your fights based off that. As far as just straight out tanking, lol, Berserkers absolutely rock now. Once everyone gets accustomed to the new con system and learns the ins and outs of their classes, you'll find that it can be a downright blast to play.</span><div></div>

[Adewale]

Sorry I didn't notice their wear-off limit. I was just using the info from the mousover of the CA hotkeys. And I just realized Controlled Rage actually truly stacks so I can go up to 280 defense currently (previously, the description would say it would add 15 or so but only add about 2 when you had Unflincing Will up), so that's a good bonus. And the 3 minute timer on Rampage is great. I guess if everyone tanks like this (relatively speaking), it really won't bother me too much... it's just kinda annoying to get used to, plus I miss some of those HP. <div></div>

[Prothos]

I retired my zerker but saw people bickering so logged him on respeced and went out.  I was owning mobs.  Point blank from one blue to the next no rest no downtime.  Then I went out and tanked some for a short xp grp.  Everythings working fine.

[Rami]

<DIV>Took my 27 Zerker out to TS. Wandered down to the dry riverbed to try my hand at some of the various undead lurking there... FYI, Defensive stance, using Armor quest armor (all pieces), Sword of Thunder and Aegis of the Guardian (Think that is what the shield is called). Felt like I was doing well, Solo Blue ^ could just get me just into the yellow when they droped.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Anyhow, Watched some others soloing... 26 pally caught my eye. He was taking on the same MOB's in what looked like was Forged Carbonite plate. His health was hardly droping. He then took on a 23 (green to me) ^^^ heroic. it was a tough battle but he pulled it out. I then tried to take the same MOB and had my [expletive ninja'd by Faarbot] handed to me. I heard that pally Wards and Heals were improved but didnt think it was this much. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>My impression from my time on test (leveled a zerker from 3 to 27) is that we did not come out as well as most of the other classes. We are not completely gimped but, IMHO, we could be better. Lets see if things improve in the days ahead.      </DIV>

[thygeson]

<P>Quite frankly I don't like this either.  The timers on recast are ridiculous.  When I attack I go though assault, vanquish, frenzy, raging blows, and three others then an heroic.  I then have to wait about 15 seconds before I can do anything again.  And the DPS is way down.  I am a 44 zerk.  It took me over two minutes to kill a 42 blue solo brute with a one hand sword 92 damage 1.7 delay.  I almost died because it took so long.  A 5% chance to increase attack speed by 11%?  That is one extra attack for every 10.  Is that Berserk?</P> <P>This class needs to be fixed if Sony truly intends for Berzerkers to be like their class name.</P> <P>Also, I grouped with a guildee who is a 44 necro.  He was soloing 49's and 50's easily while I was struggling with 47's taking 2 minutes to kill it.  Berzerkers are radically underpowered.  They have taken away what makes a Berzerker a Berzerker and given much improved defense for tanking purposes.  We are now lite Guardians.    </P>

[Ethelwo]

<P>My experience as a 50 Berserker combat wise is that with defense stance up you need someone else to kill the mob for you although tanking goes way up. With offencive stance up you can do fine on the damage end except for a few certain flaws.</P> <P>Flaw one is the Berserk emote trap. I spent hours doing nothing but this emote and watching as  little or no damage was being done.</P> <P>Flaw two is the utter lack of haste gained while Berserk.</P> <P>On the bright side my monk rocks. I do even more dps now with him then I did before the change.</P> <P>There is no comparison to the dps of my Monk compared to my Berserker. The Monk rules in a big way. Monk haste works and works well. Berserker haste doesn't work and hence the Berserker is broken even though his tanking has gone way up. Berserker single target attacks are virtually worthless and even the AE attacks rarely hit for the minimum posted damage.</P> <P>All plate classes I watched duel tonight got owned by every other class including healers. Berserkers were no exception.</P> <P>The Berserker class has good regen, but thats where it stops the rest of the skills dont work as posted or were nerfed to oblivion, The one and only thing that helps at all for dps is the counter attacks and procs. outright attacks, and haste are gimped and the Berserk emote trap is the game killer. </P> <P>Can you play the Berserker, sure. Is it fun, not at all. Who wants to squat and glow orange in unending cycles while you watch as no blows are being landed on the mob. Who wants to see the berserker fist blinking and no increase in attack speed or dps.</P> <P>I'll be putting mine on the shelf and be playing my monk until SOE fixes him. My monk is so much funner to play now then my Berserker is. The Opposite was true before the change.</P>

[KagnarL]

<span><blockquote>Ramius wrote:<div></div> <div>Took my 27 Zerker out to TS. Wandered down to the dry riverbed to try my hand at some of the various undead lurking there... FYI, Defensive stance, using Armor quest armor (all pieces), Sword of Thunder and Aegis of the Guardian (Think that is what the shield is called). Felt like I was doing well, Solo Blue ^ could just get me just into the yellow when they droped.</div> <div> </div> <div>Anyhow, Watched some others soloing... 26 pally caught my eye. He was taking on the same MOB's in what looked like was Forged Carbonite plate. His health was hardly droping. He then took on a 23 (green to me) ^^^ heroic. it was a tough battle but he pulled it out. I then tried to take the same MOB and had my [expletive ninja'd by Faarbot] handed to me. I heard that pally Wards and Heals were improved but didnt think it was this much. </div> <div> </div> <div>My impression from my time on test (leveled a zerker from 3 to 27) is that we did not come out as well as most of the other classes. We are not completely gimped but, IMHO, we could be better. Lets see if things improve in the days ahead.      </div><hr></blockquote>Part of that might be because Paladins are undead killing machines...lots of their skills do double damage to undead</span><div></div>

[Khal]

<P>Guys gotta understand, we were the second best tank in the game and did top dps.  That was not gonna last.  Class is still playable, does good dps and tanks very well.  </P> <P>Its only been a few hours.  I had the advantage of playing on beta and did very well today.  Takes time.</P> <P>Don't just look at raw numbers, the entire scale across the board of damage taken and given was  changed.  </P>

[Padi]

<P>I was just in an interesting group.</P> <UL> <LI>Warlock</LI> <LI>templar</LI> <LI>bruiser</LI> <LI>zerker</LI> <LI>dirge</LI> <LI>troubador</LI></UL> <P>What was interesting is almost routinely the bruiser and zerker out dps'ed the warlock.  They were getting DPS numbers up to 900.  This was fighting level 57 heroic mobs (was playing the dirge although I have a 50 zerker as well).</P> <P>It was pretty sick.  I'm curious how much of their DPS was buffs and how much of it was that melee are still doing sick damage.</P>

[EnigmaticCipher]

<DIV>I soloed a lot playing my 50 zerker.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>After the patch, well.  My soloing days are pretty much over.  Normal routine encounters prior the patch have become almost impossible to kill and many times over I can't kill them.  Grouping, you don't seem to notice the changes as much, but soloing really shows just how much we lost.  I'm down ~2500hp from normal, then add up all the damage that's no longer there, and all the haste that's gone...it's depressing.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I soloed a lot in OotLS.  heh, things that were grey prior to the patch are green.  Those things that I could pull literally in droves, 9+ mobs in encounters...now I can barely handle 3 at a time.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Hitting HOs in groups seems way to too difficult, due to lack of spell options that make up the components.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>All in all, I can't say I had much fun grouping or soloing all day today.</DIV>

[Kodachi]

Kill SOLO encounters when you are solo.   Don't really care what things you could take or how much exp they gave before the patch.   Go kill SOLO stuff, you will get good exp for killing green solos now, unlike before.  I have pretty standard gear for my level, nothing legendary or fabled, mostly handcrafted, and I can easily take on yellow solos and lower.   Stay away from heroics unless you bring friends and you will be fine. Indya 43 Berserker Rat <div></div>

[kr8ztwin]

<P>OMG I don't know whats wrong with some of you but I'm UBBER now and I love it.  I've won every Duel (assassins, necromancers, guardians, warlock, wizards) of comperable lvls and I eat mobs like crazy.  I don't know what some of yall are doing but at 44 I'm taking out lvl 46^ mobs with little trouble.  Thats good enough for me.  I'm also tanking yellow^^^ mobs very very effectively.  I had a blast last night woooooot!</P> <P>I just switch stances and weapons like crazy.  For tanking you have to use a shield now.  I go from 17.5%avoidance to 40.5% using a tower shield and defensive stance.  When I'm off tank I run a 2-h in offensive.  Last night I had a group of 3:  Assassin, Necro, Me and we were takin down yellow^^^ and it was great.  I used offensive with 1-h/shield and quickly shifted to defensive. </P> <P>I also love how fast skills go....I eat mobs alive in the first seconds of a fight....we do kinda tinker out after that though heh.</P>

[Razie]

I'm having an absolute blast playing my Berserker now.  Its nice how most of our buffs take up a conc slot,  now i dont have to keep rebuffing every 10 minutes. Offensive Defence i chose for Master 2 is awesome, and if you use the buffs properly, its great fun and can do alot of damage. People can whinge and complain all they want, at least I'll sleep at night knowing I still love my class.  People have only been playing thier berserkers for no less then a day. Learn how to play the class properly then make a judgement.  At first i was really worried when i logged on and got my [expletive ninja'd by Faarbot] handed to me by some three lvl 40 ^'s . Im 49.  So when i died i was pretty annoyed.  After hours of playtesting and killing I found out we are an absolute beast. Be positive. we are truley an awesome class now. =D <div></div>

[Padi]

The thing I found interesting is that at least in the group I was in, our melee was doing more DPS than before the patch and we were supposed to get a nerf.  Go figure.

[Stromul]

<span><blockquote><hr>Razieth wrote:I'm having an absolute blast playing my Berserker now.  Its nice how most of our buffs take up a conc slot,  now i dont have to keep rebuffing every 10 minutes. Offensive Defence i chose for Master 2 is awesome, and if you use the buffs properly, its great fun and can do alot of damage. People can whinge and complain all they want, at least I'll sleep at night knowing I still love my class.  People have only been playing thier berserkers for no less then a day. Learn how to play the class properly then make a judgement.  At first i was really worried when i logged on and got my [expletive ninja'd by Faarbot] handed to me by some three lvl 40 ^'s . Im 49.  So when i died i was pretty annoyed.  After hours of playtesting and killing I found out we are an absolute beast. Be positive. we are truley an awesome class now. =D <div></div><hr></blockquote>I agree we are looking pretty good.  I was in a zone last night with a group called Caza Mesa or something like that.  Well I was MTing and I haven't even done my respec and we were taking out lvl 60^^^.  Just outside that zone in Pillars of Flame we were taking out 59^^^ Raptor no problem.  At lvl 50 with a healer I just don't see how we've been nerfed at all.  We took a slight dip in dps but mobs have less hp also so I think it evens out. So far I'm pleased.  The only think that disappoints me is the Training choice at lvl 14, 24, 34, etc.. and that they are just regular spell upgrades.  There' really no flavor to them.  </span><div></div>

[Rami]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Stromulis wrote:<BR><SPAN><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Razieth wrote:<BR>I'm having an absolute blast playing my Berserker now.  Its nice how most of our buffs take up a conc slot,  now i dont have to keep rebuffing every 10 minutes.<BR>Offensive Defence i chose for Master 2 is awesome, and if you use the buffs properly, its great fun and can do alot of damage.<BR><BR>People can whinge and complain all they want, at least I'll sleep at night knowing I still love my class.  People have only been playing thier berserkers for no less then a day.<BR>Learn how to play the class properly then make a judgement.  At first i was really worried when i logged on and got my [expletive ninja'd by Faarbot] handed to me by some three lvl 40 ^'s . Im 49.  So when i died i was pretty annoyed.  <BR><BR>After hours of playtesting and killing I found out we are an absolute beast.<BR><BR>Be positive. we are truley an awesome class now. =D<BR> <BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE>I agree we are looking pretty good.  I was in a zone last night with a group called Caza Mesa or something like that.  Well I was MTing and I haven't even done my respec and we were taking out lvl 60^^^.  Just outside that zone in Pillars of Flame we were taking out 59^^^ Raptor no problem.  At lvl 50 with a healer I just don't see how we've been nerfed at all.  We took a slight dip in dps but mobs have less hp also so I think it evens out.<BR><BR>So far I'm pleased.  The only think that disappoints me is the Training choice at lvl 14, 24, 34, etc.. and that they are just regular spell upgrades.  There' really no flavor to them.  <BR></SPAN> <BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE> <P>Im seeing a pattern emerge here. The lower level players are having a more difficult time with heroics then end game players. In a group, taking on a ^^^ heroic just a few levels above us (approx 25) will end in a death or two and maybe a complete wipe. I think most of this is due to the fact that most players around my level do not have Fabled armor or weapons available. And with the increased difficulty it may be difficult for most players to obtain Fabled gear in the furure. <BR></P>

[kr8ztwin]

well i have rare weapos, shield and ebon chest/legs and no fabled and i'm doing great solo.  I do understand the lower lvl players will have difficulties now with handcrafted or worse gear BUT rares are alot less rare and the equipment you'll be seeing on toons 10-40 is going to be alot better in the near future (my opinion).  It might take a little work but getting a decent set of rare weapons and a few armors wont be near as difficult or expensive.

[Rami]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> kr8ztwin wrote:<BR>well i have rare weapos, shield and ebon chest/legs and no fabled and i'm doing great solo.  I do understand the lower lvl players will have difficulties now with handcrafted or worse gear BUT rares are alot less rare and the equipment you'll be seeing on toons 10-40 is going to be alot better in the near future (my opinion).  It might take a little work but getting a decent set of rare weapons and a few armors wont be near as difficult or expensive. <BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE> <P>Not talking about solo, these are Heroic ^^^ MOB's that a group is taking on. These are the types that need to be defeted to get most of the 'Good' equipment. Yes a rare drop can come from a solo MOB but it is not likely. I played a 27 Zerker on test and spent every gold I have on upgrading my armor/weapons/arts. I have yet to complete Armor Quest 3 in Stormhold (level 20-23 quest). True, it is difficult to get a full group together on test in Stormhold. But even with a full group of good players it is extreamly difficult if not impossible to complete this quest for the targeted PC level.</P> <P>     <BR></P> <p>Message Edited by Ramius on <span class=date_text>09-14-2005</span> <span class=time_text>09:14 AM</span>

[-Aonein-]

<P>Treasured is beter then Handcrafted, so if you have any Handcrafted gear now is the time to ethier do quests or search the broker if you have some cash laying around.</P> <P>Also now is a good time to increase your CA quailitys also, this is a must.</P> <P>One more thing, dont try and use strats from pre patch to try and solo now in the current state of the game, unless you want to die constantly.</P>

[Rami]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> -Aonein- wrote:<BR> <P>Treasured is beter then Handcrafted, so if you have any Handcrafted gear now is the time to ethier do quests or search the broker if you have some cash laying around.</P> <P>Also now is a good time to increase your CA quailitys also, this is a must.</P> <P>One more thing, dont try and use strats from pre patch to try and solo now in the current state of the game, unless you want to die constantly.</P> <BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR>Back up one post :smileywink:

[-Aonein-]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Ramius wrote:<BR><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> -Aonein- wrote:<BR> <P>Treasured is beter then Handcrafted, so if you have any Handcrafted gear now is the time to ethier do quests or search the broker if you have some cash laying around.</P> <P>Also now is a good time to increase your CA quailitys also, this is a must.</P> <P>One more thing, dont try and use strats from pre patch to try and solo now in the current state of the game, unless you want to die constantly.</P> <BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR>Back up one post :smileywink: <BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR>You got in before me, cheater :smileytongue: <p>Message Edited by -Aonein- on <span class=date_text>09-15-2005</span> <span class=time_text>03:18 AM</span>

[Wolfmist]

<DIV>I like the changes just fine.    My little dwarf zerker can take on yellows as well or better than she did before.  And she doesn't take as much damage.    Didn't use any stances -- just the regular stuff!    Was doing writs in Everfrost last night -- she's 43 by the way.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Thanks</DIV>

[eqaddi]

<P>As a 50 zerker with decent gear, I was having no trouble tanking last night, I was actually surprised at how well DPS I was doing also. There are a few things that was bothering me though, and the main one was my aggro... With a brigand, assasin, SK, and a monk in the group, pre-update I could hold aggro extremly well, now I have a difficult time keeping mobs on me full time. This is probably due to taunt resists now, but I did get the Master II root+hate CA, forgot the name.</P> <P>I am very pleased with the changes so far, and the fact we can so easily change our stances is a big help when you are fighting different encounters off and on. Those that are having trouble I think they just need to sit down and read their new arts more and try out more combinations. I can almost solo the ^^^ spectres on the beach in sinking sands, I got a few adds so didn't get to finish the fight.</P>

[Espyderman]

Zerkers and Wardens were severely gimped, and due to timers and low stats on spells they have become less effective then before. Why make something less effective?

[kr8ztwin]

can ya explain why ya think zerks were gimped?  we've been sayin how ubber we are <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[eqaddi]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> kr8ztwin wrote:<BR>can ya explain why ya think zerks were gimped?  we've been sayin how ubber we are <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> <BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE> <P><BR>/agree</P> <P>Most of the high level more experienced zerkers seem to be happy with the changes. The nerf complaints seem to be coming from the lower level zerkers. But who knows maybe SOE didn't balance lower teir skills just right.</P>

[zt]

<P>I am happy with the changes as well. For the last month or so I quit playing my 50 Berserker and played on a Templar alt, because, well, he just wasn't fun to play on. I could kill decent stuff, could solo 46^^ mobs without too much trouble, etc. Of course now that is changed, because they are making HEROIC mobs really HEROIC. </P> <P>The 3-Minute recast on rampage is a huge improvement, and the Controlled Rage / Unflinching Will / Anarchy combo really, really is nice as far as tanking, can now buff my defense up to 292 pts, whereas prior to the exp-pack, I could hit 275 because Unflinching/Controlled wouldn't stack defense-wise. With those three buffs on now, I can basically avoid taking damage for at least a minute. </P> <P>Turning on Rampage, offensive stance, weapon guard, then running into mobs with Slaughter casting (Slaughter improved VASTLY with the changes) I can stun/throwback, then hit frenzy for all 3-attacks (because of the stun) doing massive amounts of damage via Rampage to the encounter. </P> <P>The instant-cast times are also large help for making battles faster, and less boring. Instacast defensive abilities and taunts actually helps tremendously for tanking.</P> <P>PvP-wise I'm not complaining, it's ALL about using all of the buffs available beforehand, then going in and shield bash-vanqish-slaughter-frenzy- etc. Can get some nice damage combos off. Only real weakness in PvP is less than-stellar HP's, and vulnerability to stun attacks.</P> <P> </P>

[Adewale]

I must admit, I was wrong. I feel bad having made this post and contributed to the knee-jerk reactions that infest this message board. I got my crap together, figured out what would work, and am doing pretty good. I actually have to pay more attention now, make less mistakes, and be on top of my game... and that's a good thing. The game is more challenging but not overwhelmingly so. In fact, I think you can probably seperate the wheat from the chaff a lot better now. I even defeated the Pit Champion for the first time last night... and I gotta say, I creamed him. I'm liking these changes, and a few minor tweaks would be nice (HP buff!), but overall I'm glad it happened. <div></div>

[eqaddi]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> AdewaleTD wrote:<BR>I must admit, I was wrong. I feel bad having made this post and contributed to the knee-jerk reactions that infest this message board.<BR><BR>I got my crap together, figured out what would work, and am doing pretty good. I actually have to pay more attention now, make less mistakes, and be on top of my game... and that's a good thing. The game is more challenging but not overwhelmingly so. In fact, I think you can probably seperate the wheat from the chaff a lot better now.<BR><BR>I even defeated the Pit Champion for the first time last night... and I gotta say, I creamed him.<BR><BR>I'm liking these changes, and a few minor tweaks would be nice (HP buff!), but overall I'm glad it happened.<BR> <BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR>Great news, and thanks for sticking in there, grats on the Champion kill.