BlackW
09-30-2005, 03:00 AM
<DIV>I have not had a lot to say about the changes to the Paladin since the combat changes/DoF went live. I did have a lot to say before they went live. I saw all of this coming (problems with dps, avoidance etc.) as some of you did. My goal was for us to have a playable class regardless of any other class. The issue was never us vs. them (brawlers, mages etc.) but the Paladin. I wanted the Paladin to be true to his crusader roots and to be a playable subclass in every situation in EQ2. I think we are playable but we need some work.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> <DIV>What the devs have done is create an imbalance not just between Paladins and brawlers but between all plate-armor tanks and brawlers. The imbalance is so extreme that we cannot help but notice it. I cannot imagine what the devs were thinking when they turned brawlers into the uber fighter class in every situation in EQ2 including tanking. Did they think no one would notice or care? All they have done is set brawlers up for a nerf which was something I never wanted. I did not want Paladins to be turned into the uber tanking class in EQ2 and I do not want that now. If we become uber, sooner or later, we will be beaten severely with the nerf stick as gaurdians have an brawlers almost certainly will be (should be).</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I have a few suggestions on what we need and how we should go about getting it:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>How we should go about getting it:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>1. This is not about us vs them (brawlers, mages etc.), this is about Paladins. Lets focus on making Paladins better and not other subclasses worse.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>2. Don't reach too far or ask for too much, that is just begging for the nerf stick later on.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>What we need:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>1. Dont be fooled by how strong your character is in DoF. Go back to the other EQ2 zones and play, the mobs are much tougher there. Fight your way through Lavastorm if you can, that will give you a cold hard slap in the face with reality.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>2. Try different combinations of equipment, buffs and skills. What are our weaknesses, what are our strengths?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>3. Avoidance, avoidance, avoidance. Avoidance, not mitigation is now king. We have too little of it. Plate armor fighters get hit too often and take too much damage compared with brawlers.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>4. Heal and ward dependency. We are too dependent on our heals and wards for survival. Our heals and wards are too easily and too often interrupted and take too long to cast.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>5. DPS, DPS, DPS. Our dps when tanking using our defensive stance is just too low. We take too much damage while using our offensive stance.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>6. Equipment. We really got hosed here. All of our equipment has been scaled down, too much. We lost all the mitigation from our jewelry and it was not replaced. Handcrafted armor is crap. Legendary and fabled are just adequate. We need an across the board buff in the mitigation, stats and resists on all plate armor.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>7. Is that mace the best you can give us for a quest reward for the "An Ancient Desert Power" HQ? The Screaming Mace is better. Give us some good weapon and armor quests/drops for Paladins in DoF.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>To sum it up, it could be a whole lot worse for Paladins but it could also be a whole lot better. We are tired of seeing guys wearing dresses, pajamas and chainmail wipe the floor with mobs that just used us to wipe the floor. If Paladins were balanced with the other subclasses we would probably be ok. However, the imbalances are glaringly obvious, so obvious that we can no longer overlook them. As I have seen stated many times in these forums, "Fix it SOE" and not just for Paladins but for all plate armor fighters.</DIV></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=time_text></SPAN> </DIV><p>Message Edited by BlackWeb on <span class=date_text>09-29-2005</span> <span class=time_text>04:05 PM</span>