Path of Exile is a MAJESTIC incline

[Absinthe]

If you spread yourself thin then yes, you are screwed. Another generalist build I can think of is crit build. That way you can just pick up any non-minion skill and crit everything to death.

Puncture's DoT is definitely stronger with a 2H sword. Add a shockwave totem and that does some decent DPS. Viper Strike's damage also scales off of your attack and the sword is the only 2H that can Viper Strike.

Builds I read recommend Puncture oo, but I don't understand why it's considered good if it's DOT does not stack.

Because the DoT is free damage during your other stuff. It's not very impressive on its own but if you move them around (shockwave totem) the dps gets a lot better. In Awakening they're also adding Bloodlust and various passives to increase the damage you deal to bleeding targets.

 

[Aothan]

generalists can work for most of the game including what would be starting maps, unless compared to very specific builds and what they accomplish by way of undermining (most except more challenging maps) much of the game.

As to "Claws and staffs suck", that is as above, I don't see the problem with claws in and of themselves, especially in note of some of the passives. Likewise or even more so with staffs, which are thankfully universally underrated.

Trying to play this game with friends and they're getting bored by the end of Act 2 - the game starts out way too fucking easy with way too little skills. Nobody ever dies; all combat is resolved by holding down the mouse.

there is a history involved here about how GGG changed and adjusted the game for players, whether new or experienced, and I think this has affected the experience for some players. For those who need challenge the recent hardcore leagues would have been particularly engaging, perhaps too much so, but hopefully the positive feedback relating to those will ensure future possibilities of the same game types.

 

[T. Reich]

If you spread yourself thin then yes, you are screwed. Another generalist build I can think of is crit build. That way you can just pick up any non-minion skill and crit everything to death.

Puncture's DoT is definitely stronger with a 2H sword. Add a shockwave totem and that does some decent DPS. Viper Strike's damage also scales off of your attack and the sword is the only 2H that can Viper Strike.

Well, generic spellcaster is a thing allright, but it's "generic" mostly in terms of which spell you pick to use. In terms of survivability, you have to focus on something, or later on in the game you would be spread by monsters' attacks about as thin as your skill poiints are.

Puncture doesn't work as a main AoE skill, and neither does Viper Strike. Well, you could try, but the results would be pretty pathetic. Wanting to add SwT to that set-up is just a testament to that, since you flat out admit that you need another source of AoE damage to clear mobs. Not to mention that DoT nodes do nothing for SwT, and that SwT's knockback doesn't exactly work with melee. How about simply focusing on SwT?

While VS's DoT scales off damage, it's also allowed to overlap several instances of it, unlike Puncture. Therefore, focusing on 1h and attack speed is better, because DPS-wise you'd be doing the relatively the same damage, but you'll be able to stuck much more DoT balls thanks to the simple fact that higher APS = more DoT procs per second. And you still have your shield and all the goodness that comes with it.

 

[T. Reich]

generalists can work for most of the game including what would be starting maps, unless compared to very specific builds and what they accomplish by way of undermining (most except more challenging maps) much of the game.

As to "Claws and staffs suck", that is as above, I don't see the problem with claws in and of themselves, especially in note of some of the passives. Likewise or even more so with staffs, which are thankfully universally underrated.

Regarding claws+staffs, I said "unless weird gimmicky build".
Staffs are hard to build around, and you're basically forced to do a Hegemony build eventually, bacause that staff is the best attack staff in the game hands doen, and better rare alrernatives are much rarer and hence more expensive.
In the main game (non-Beta) claws are absolutely worse than daggers: fewer weapon-specific nodes (especially crit ones), comparable base damage but lower crit, relatively lower base attack speed, much fewer decent available claws on the market, meaning they are also more expensive.
The good thing about claws is that they provide good leech (or excellent leech if you took the corresponding claw cluster, which is awesome), but given the damage dealt by a good dagger build in endgame, you don't even need that much leech to sustain yourself, so that advantage is kind of moot. Also, blood rage.

 

[Absinthe]

The main benefit of staves is that they're the only 2H with Block and with the right passives you have 28% block right there (add Anvil and/or Bringer of Rain and you have some solid block). In Awakening you can also add 2% staff block with jewels. The downside of staves is that their DPS is weaker than the next 2H unless you choose to go staff crit in which case you have to deal with accuracy.

Claws have some uses. With Vaal Pact, claws can easily leech more than mobs reflect. With 35% lifeleech at 40% effectiveness, Vaal Pact is equal to the mobs' 14% reflect phys reflect, and with 2 claws you can get 12% innate lifeleech (20% in Awakening) and bloodrage gives you another 6% with the Shadow's Blood Drinker and Soul Raker passives contributing another 8%. Add Warlord's Mark curse, gear, or lifeleech gem and you will outleech the reflect just fine. That's the benefit of a straightforward claw build.

Another fun thing to do with claws is to make basically a 1H build where you use abilities like Double Strike, Cleave, Ground Slam, Heavy Strike, Leap Slam, etc. to only attack with your main hand while you use an offhand claw to cash in on 6% lifeleech (10% in Awakening), mods (more lifeleech, resists, attributes, Vagan-crafted dualwield block), and dualwield bonuses: 10% more attack speed, 20% more phys attack dmg, 15% block, and DW passives. This is more of a gimmicky build but it's actually fairly powerful. I wonder how it stacks up against the staff.

Shockwave totem is not a good combo with melee unless you have those new Awakening unique gloves that reverse knockback direction. Awakening is also adding Bloodlust which will make melee puncture more appealing. And if you go 2H sword then really Cleave should be your primary source of AoE damage. Awakening is also buffing cleave a bit. Basically a 2H sword is looking at using Viper Strike for single target and Cleave for AoE.

Also, there's another generic build in the form of stacking ele dmg. Here's a simple 30 skill point templar. He has over 100% increased elemental damage and +10% chance of inflicting elemental status effects, which lets him throw elemental spells and attacks no problem. Courtesy of the new Physical to Lightning conversion support, he can also pick up any physical weapon other than a wand and convert its damage to 100% elemental by using a damage conversion attack with it. If you use The Goddess Scorned, you can also do 100% fire EK and Bear Trap.

 

[Aothan]

Staffs do not need anything particularly special to utilise, this is either a misunderstanding I have or a widespread view that thankfully keeps prices relatively low. Although not definitive the base dps values of two handed staffs are equivalent to maces and swords, axes are slightly more advantageous but not in any substantial way to always be better than a similar quality staff.

this leaves the properties on the different types as with their explicit differences, with staffs, as noted this means block, which is an incredibly useful trait for two-handed weapon styles. In addition to this is the high level skill nodes and notables near the Templar area and the combined universal critical nodes. Furthermore unlike most other types staffs can include elemental percentage values among other novel properties to dually enhance the melee and spellcasting methods typical (or rather not so typical..) of the Templar class.

they are a really good choice being nigh equivalent to every example in base dps and yet having unique qualities and accessible high level skill choices that are not comparable with other selections.

perhaps best of all, very few share this view, so their prices are typically accessible in leagues except for anything that approximates any other end-game item.

regarding claws, well they have great passives and interesting playstyles, the real issue is not so much claws but that daggers over perform, I think this is generally recognised and is just one of those issues that has yet to be appropriately addressed, but I'm reasonably sure claws in themselves can be used.

 

[Aothan]

now that I am in Act 4 I have to say I'm really surprised, and pleased, by the level of challenge evident in the new design. This is Normal difficulty but it is easy to envision just how challenging many of the levels of specific challenges will be come in the other difficulties.

that said, it is not just the heightened level of damage but rather how the design encourages players to be more attentive to situations, where multiple waves tend to surround or begin to cover players from different angles. And also how the new creature designs move to avoid or limit just point in one single direction and firing.

I could elaborate more carefully on these points but in short the design is very welcome and actually quite surprising. It was just recent that it dawned on me even if there twenty additional acts they would basically feel the same at this point after so many years of playing what is the same game, but these new directions and innovations have helped a lot more than expected.

the new skills and items are also worth commenting on, as the new gem system produces very novel possibilities for character design.

the first hardcore leagues when Act 4 and the new content is released are going to prove interesting, Act 4 (except for that thing that explodes in the dungeons..) are going to be very challenging and require players to be more thoughtful about how they build in advance of the new encounters.


edit:

"There is a wipe of the Beta realm with this patch."

 

[Aothan]

how long will it be until Sire of Shards becomes a legacy item ?

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[Aothan]

one particularly noticeable change for those who use or have even a moderate amount of energy shield is how much quicker the full restoration starts.

many of the auras have had substantial reductions in the amount of mana reserved, from 60% to 35% which makes aura stacking very easy to incorporate. I had Herald of Thunder, Herald of Ice and Discipline before deciding to change Herald of Ice for Clarity because of Mind of Matter (i.e. 'out of mana') constantly leaving my character skilless and taking 30% more damage than usual.

it is a great expansion but I strongly recommend to any who are playing in the coming hardcore league to build their core defensive strengths and abilities firstly, even in Normal difficulty, the reason will become apparent on day 1 when players start reaching approximately level 39 (or thereabouts).

 

[Carceri]

many of the auras have had substantial reductions in the amount of mana reserved, from 60% to 35% which makes aura stacking very easy to incorporate

Are the aura effects nerfed now that you can stack them easier?

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[Zdzisiu]

many of the auras have had substantial reductions in the amount of mana reserved, from 60% to 35% which makes aura stacking very easy to incorporate

Are the aura effects nerfed now that you can stack them easier?

reduced mana gem is not working on reserved mana if i recall corectly.(in awakening that is)

How many people from here will be playing softcore?

I know I will be playing softcore for a bit starting on 10 July.

 

[Quatlo]

I have better shit to do than farm docks on hardcore untill I feel ready to start mapping thank you.

 

[Radech]

Going to be playing with 3 other guys over the weekend, who haven't played the beta, so we're probably going to play softcore, instead of doing the new bosses blind on hardcore, the buff/debuff zones on hardcore sounds pretty fun though, but looking forward to see the AI of the warbands as well.

I hope they keep the map drops in the world from the beta, since you can still start doing maps in act III, but higher than 68 maps would drop while progressing through act IV, which should be more fun than farming docks(piety really oldfag ), of course this means going to dominus a lot earlier than usual, and with the overall damage buff he's going to be a bitch in merc...

yeah I'm going softcore

 

[bloodlover]

Is Arc Witch still viable and cheap?

 

[Aothan]

Carceri: not to my knowledge, however I limited my choice to the aforesaid abilities (and have not extensively read over changes on the forums). I think one possible change is that the Herald of Thunder description now states that if the aura effect finishes a shocked enemy that won't count for generation of another area of effect (i.e. more lightning bolts)


Bloodlover: my guess is probably, and some of the changes to the skills can help, there also appears to be either an additional or improved group of increased cast speed nodes on the left side facing towards the Templar area.


basically my plan for Awakening is to start with the Armour and Energy Shield nodes, transition to the next Energy Shield notable, and then venture up to the Templar's main aura reduction nodes with an early focus on Armour, Energy Shield and the Grace aura (50% mana).


http://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/1303665


alas I won't be around for this

 

[Whiran]

reduced mana gem is not working on reserved mana if i recall corectly.(in awakening that is)

How many people from here will be playing softcore?

I will start a character softcore to see how the lag change is.

If it is a noticeable improvement I'll probably switch to a hardcore character.

All of my hardcore characters except one were lost to the de-synch issue. That other one was lost to pure human stupidity.

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[Carceri]

Patch Notes up. Man, a lot of changes. I haven't been in touch with the game for quite some time as I was burned out, so all this shit they have changed and/or added seems like a fuckton to me. I'll probably start on softcore to get the overall feel of adjusted mob damage and get some practice with the new bosses. I'll switch back to hardcore eventually.

 

[AMG]

Yay, they actually tackled the desync, which was what made me kinda give up hope on the game. Definitely trying this shit out today.
I think I'm gonna go straight HC, these games are most exciting when you don't know what you're up against.

 

[Hoaxmetal]

Only 8 hours to go, gonna make a character in the new sc league. Codex has a guild btw, contact Hoaxmetal this evening (GMT) for invites.

 

[made]

So many changes and additions... this gon be fun. :O

 

[Icewater]

Bout 30 mins to go. can't wait!

 

[Padre]

FFS I won't be able to play this month. Getting married tomorrow. Maybe I can postpone it somehow... Anyway, starting a SC Templar in 10 minutes.