In case anyone wants a quick, easy comparison, here are the shadow spell changes (additional effects that weren't changed remain unmentioned for the sake of space). Text in green are spells that received a buff. Text in red are spells that were nerfed.
School (Spell) Original Adjusted Delta Fire (FFA) 1100-1300 dmg + 3 25% fire traps 720-840 dmg + 1 25% fire trap 460 max dmg & 2 fire traps Fire (Bull) 775-900 dmg 700-820 dmg 80 max dmg Ice (Weaver) 950-1150 dmg & -75% shield 590-710 dmg & -50% shield 440 max dmg & 25% on shield Storm (Glowbug) 1120 dmg & remove all blades 730 dmg & remove one blade 390 dmg & blades removed Storm (Rusalka) 1445 dmg 1165 dmg 280 dmg Myth (Colossus) 880 dmg & remove all shields Remove 1 shield & 450 dmg Shields removed (also now before instead of after) & 430 dmg Life (Caterpillar) 950-1150 dmg 590-710 dmg 440 max dmg Death (Lulu) 830 drain 595 drain 235 dmg Death (Sorrow) 850-1030 death dmg 940-1120 death dmg 90 dmg Balance (Gaze of Fate) 550 balance dmg + 550 random dmg 250 balance dmg + 250 random dmg 600 dmg (assuming neutral random school)
Things to highlight:
- FFA now does significantly less than Scorch.
- Weaver now does significantly less than Climaclysm.
- Caterpillar now does significantly less than Lamassu.
- Gaze of Fate now does significantly (a tiny bit more than 50%) less than Wurm.
- Rusalka now has a base damage that is only 17 points higher than Sultan.
- Lulu now has a base damage that is only 25 points higher than Deer Knight.
- For the same amount of pips, Colossus does only 25 points of damage more than Snowball Barrage. With this exception (which arguably isn't much of one, since one additional pip puts Barrage higher), every school now has a stronger AoE than myth.
- Rusalka now has a base damage that is only 32 points higher than Witch's House Call (at its strongest).
- Snowball Barrage is now the single strongest AoE available to players in the game at 10+ pips (850 dmg). Note that this was previously true as well, but only at 14 pips, and only by 70 dmg (vs Glowbug).
My takes, coming at this from an exclusively PvE standpoint, since I don't PvP:
So... the purpose of this update was to largely make the 5/6 pip shadow spells nearly if not completely defunct? Why? I guess we can say goodbye to FFA, Weaver, Caterpillar, and Rusalka. I cannot see an argument for using any of those spells now unless you wanted the secondary effects... but if you're fire or ice, you're still better off casting Scorch or Climaclysm + a fire trap or tower shield respectively. There is no point risking the weakness with Rusalka, and the absorb isn't strong enough to make Caterpillar worth it.
This is going to be harsh, but, Gaze of Fate. I think it was, err, difficult to use to start with because of the random school damage. So... go ahead and make it even more useless, I suppose. Might as well. Have fun. I wasn't using it before and I won't be using it now. (Side note, you could probably now argue for skipping Darkmoor entirely on balance; I would still do it for the xp, but with gear additions and much better spells, the time seems better spent just working on the main quest line and farming the Catacombs.)
I don't know what's to come, but quite frankly, this doesn't look like "balancing." Especially for myth and death, these are crippling changes. Myth's AoE is now on par with ice! Ice! In case it wasn't hard enough to make an argument for myth, they now have the second weakest AoE for 5 pips. And once ice gets 6+ pips, myth has the weakest AoE of all the schools. Even if that was sensible in the first place (which it's not, as myth is supposed to be one of the higher damage schools after storm and fire), it's even less sensible when you take into account that it's a shadow spell. For one more normal pip, one shadow pip, and 88 levels, a 105 damage increase from Humongofrog is pitiful. And death is getting shafted, too. Lulu will still be in play because of the drain (and because Deer Knight is 1. not universally accessible and 2. a DoT), so they're just doing even less damage than they already were. Which was moderate damage at best.
These changes are at least a little more sensible for Glowbug, which is still storm's strongest AoE for that amount of pips (Tempest becomes stronger at 10+); Bull, for the same reason, and because it didn't change much; and technically Colossus for the same reason, but see my prior point about it now being as strong as Snowball Barrage for that amount of pips.
Side note, I don't understand the Sorrow buff at all. I don't think that was necessary.
Unless there is some specific game mechanic in the works that would suit or reward these changes, they seem random, with the exceptions of Bull and Glowbug. Personally, I'm not pleased about those two nerfs, but they can be managed without dramatically changing gameplay. Maybe there's something about these other changes that I'm not seeing? I'm totally happy to admit if I'm being obtuse here. Mostly, I'd like to know where these changes came from and the logic employed here.
My main takeaway: it really stinks to be myth.
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