Heartsteel 115 Share Posted April 17, 2020 Here are some of my thoughts on the Druid class with 5.110 changes. TL:DR, sacrifice shouldn't be a required talent on the tree, basic attacks and left click heals need to drop faster or be cast interruptable, life ult should push people away, earthkeeper plate, and buff the Archdruid. With the update to the talent trees for classes, I think Druid could use some switching around. With more points being needed for majors and minors, I feel that some talents are placed in necessary spots they don’t need to be. Looking at the talent tree for Druid, I’d start at the first “triangle” of the tree, where sacrifice, bark skin, and call storm sit. I feel that sacrifice should switch spots with bark skin or Call Storm, (ideally bark skin, as it’s a crucial barrier), as Sacrifice isn’t entirely crucial to all three subclasses as bark skin is (as all three specs have a choice to upgrade bark skin in their talent lines). Earthkeepers and Archdruids generate their own essence, so needing to trade health for it is moot. My other suggestion would be to get rid of sacrifice all-together and just keep ritual sacrifice, 20% health for 20% essence isn't worth anything in combat, and the only class that really utilizes sacrifice needs the upgrade. Again, crunching talent points. Going into the subclasses, Stormcaller needs the druid bear to target better and the basic attack to hit faster and not be animation locked. The animation lock with the slow third basic hurts you on casting your powers. This also applies to the basic orb heal, animation locking prevents you from casting other needed powers like rescue. My thoughts on Archdruid are comparative to Frostweaver, because both use the “bomb” mechanic. Simply put, Archdruid needs to be buffed. Archdruid is intended to use the blight mechanic for bombs, but Frostweaver does bombing significantly better and pretty much renders the Archdruid useless. Why run in on a mail class that has to be out of group when you can run in on a much more survivable class that can benefit in group? On the flip side, there is no reason to even run Archdruid as a healer either, it doesn’t put out near enough to be viable, even on a small scale. For Earthkeeper, I’d just put it in plate. It’s a good healer but has nothing in it’s arsenal for attacking, and with crusader being moved to plate, I think it’s a way to keep it relevant now that it’s also competing with the Icecaller, who can sit on a permanent stack of aoe healing. Also healing rain needs a better indicator for where it is, especially one that isn’t delayed either. My final point is on the life tray ultimate. I think it should go back to pushing away your enemies how it used to, especially since fall damage has been changed. I think having it heal aoe and push enemies away is a nice complement to the death ultimate that heals you and pulls enemies on you and does damage. The push would also help if you need to use it as a last resort, so you aren’t just rooted in place and getting piled on. If you die after using the life ultimate your essence is also drained so your death orb won’t do much either. Staff and galvia 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pamintandrei 305 Share Posted April 17, 2020 14 minutes ago, Heartsteel said: Going into the subclasses, Stormcaller needs the druid bear to target better and the basic attack to hit faster and not be animation locked. The animation lock with the slow third basic hurts you on casting your powers. This also applies to the basic orb heal, animation locking prevents you from casting other needed powers like rescue. Oh yea we should buff the 2nd best damage dealer in game good idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heartsteel 115 Author Share Posted April 17, 2020 (edited) 9 minutes ago, pamintandrei said: Oh yea we should buff the 2nd best damage dealer in game good idea. Asking to get rid of animation lock, which is also an issue for Stormcaller with aura emitter as the first animation takes up the entire cast time for the second chain, isn't really a buff. But the issue is the auto attack, you can't cast anything during that third basic to interrupt, and it does impact the playstyle of the class compared to last patch. This also applies to the other two subclasses too. I miss rescues because the third basic heal for Earthkeeper is animation locked, and takes a significant amount of time. If we're using cast animations to balance a class, then that's probably a sign that it needs power rebalancing or a rework. Edited April 17, 2020 by Heartsteel Staff 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pamintandrei 305 Share Posted April 17, 2020 1 minute ago, Heartsteel said: Asking to get rid of animation lock, which is also an issue for Stormcaller with aura emitter as the first animation takes up the entire cast time for the second chain, isn't really a buff. But the issue is the auto attack, you can't cast anything during that third basic to interrupt, and it does impact the playstyle of the class compared to last patch. If you can interrupt that gives you mobility, which stormcaller shouldn't get at this point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heartsteel 115 Author Share Posted April 17, 2020 (edited) 2 minutes ago, pamintandrei said: If you can interrupt that gives you mobility, which stormcaller shouldn't get at this point. As squishy as stormcaller is, I don't mind having more mobility. There's plenty of other ways to counter their dot and damage. My point still stands, if this is how they intend to "balance" it, then the class itself needs a rework. Edited April 17, 2020 by Heartsteel Staff 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pamintandrei 305 Share Posted April 17, 2020 Just now, Heartsteel said: As squishy as stormcaller is, I don't mind having more mobility. Stormcaller is one of the tankiest damage dealers in the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medicaid 158 Share Posted April 17, 2020 @pamintandrei do u have my $5,000 from the bet we made a few months back... my paypal still hasnt seen the funds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pamintandrei 305 Share Posted April 17, 2020 Just now, Medicaid said: @pamintandrei do u have my $5,000 from the bet we made a few months back... my paypal still hasnt seen the funds. Tag me in off topic 😜 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pamintandrei 305 Share Posted April 17, 2020 5 minutes ago, Heartsteel said: My point still stands, if this is how they intend to "balance" it, then the class itself needs a rework. I agree with this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heartsteel 115 Author Share Posted April 17, 2020 1 minute ago, pamintandrei said: Stormcaller is one of the tankiest damage dealers in the game. If only to make up for the fact it has 30m range. It's an easy range target for knight pulls and cycles between autos and bascially three powers. The bigger picture is this also affects the other two subclasses, and as a healer you need to be able to react fast to save people. Animation locking is a poor mechanic if it's intended to balance. Staff 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pamintandrei 305 Share Posted April 17, 2020 1 minute ago, Heartsteel said: If only to make up for the fact it has 30m range. It's an easy range target for knight pulls and cycles between autos and bascially three powers. The bigger picture is this also affects the other two subclasses, and as a healer you need to be able to react fast to save people. Animation locking is a poor mechanic if it's intended to balance. I agree with the other 2, but stormcaller needs to be stationary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yianni 1,758 Share Posted April 17, 2020 Druid was a lost cause when the split happened. The class was a beast prior, don't think you ever played it. Prolly before you started. Jjusticar 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoberSoul 90 Share Posted April 17, 2020 I disagree with this statement. Sure it was a good healer, but nothing to write home about as far as dps and whatnot was concerned. 12 minutes ago, yianni said: Druid was a lost cause when the split happened. The class was a beast prior, don't think you ever played it. Prolly before you started. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yianni 1,758 Share Posted April 17, 2020 3 minutes ago, SoberSoul said: I disagree with this statement. Sure it was a good healer, but nothing to write home about as far as dps and whatnot was concerned. I could heal and bomb Sickle druid was good as well back then with the weapon disc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medicaid 158 Share Posted April 17, 2020 i duno.... druid healer before the talent tree split reminds me of current icecaller healer.... it can bomb... it can place stationary heals... just with out tray swapping or dealing iwth essence burn... maybe they should add frostburn to frostweavers...hmmm... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ble 1,098 Share Posted April 17, 2020 Combine archdruid into stormcaller, then make the 3rd druid profession a pet class with a bear. DO EET For reals tho, this class needs some polishing. They have made the heals work better (through other changes that are bigger than just Druid) which I appreciate, but so much of this class is incomplete, needs an overhaul. If druid is going to be the squishiest, it needs to be compensated. FW Healer has HPS, druid could go the other route with buffs/barriers - it needs more. Heartsteel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jjusticar 102 Share Posted April 17, 2020 (edited) 9 minutes ago, SoberSoul said: I disagree with this statement. Sure it was a good healer, but nothing to write home about as far as dps and whatnot was concerned. It was a pretty good dps as long as you focused on positioning. It was far more position based than any other dps in the game at that time and could certainly put out pretty solid numbers. but ya current druid is bricked. Edited April 17, 2020 by Jjusticar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heartsteel 115 Author Share Posted April 17, 2020 I really think druid is a class that suffers because they tried to split it into three subclasses. I don't think every class needs three. Staff 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigglyDaddy 18 Share Posted April 17, 2020 1 hour ago, yianni said: Druid was a lost cause when the split happened. The class was a beast prior, don't think you ever played it. Prolly before you started. almost every class suffers from this. The good classes/specs are the ones who gained something from the split. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yianni 1,758 Share Posted April 17, 2020 (edited) The split isnt bad, but they did it the lazy way... they kept the powers each class had without adding or tweaking them. They just need to add new skills/powers to each to make them viable, in addition to change some like confessor meteor purge or conflaguration, druid gaias, or add worthwhile talents to buff those skills. Plain lazy Edited April 17, 2020 by yianni Jjusticar 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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