Game mechanics and equipment, a thread to reform PL and re-establish class balance
Purpose of this thread
This is a thread that proposes a complete re-balance of Pocket Legends game mechanics, particularly towards end game, (although it's likely that twinkers too will find this useful).
It's goals are to:
1. Get PvP balance for all sets, Str, int, and dex.
2. Make all classes competitive. Some classes will have advantages and disadvantages over others, but none will be totally dominant.
3. In PvE, create an environment where all classes have a useful role to play.
4. Make the classes closer to what they were according to the official lore.
And perhaps most of all,
5. To be THE definitive guide to balancing to present to the devs as a community.
This thread will be divided into subsections (there's a 5000 character limit to PMs, so just in case, I'm not going to exceed that). There will be several parts dealing with equipment, skills, and spec mechanics.
Background Information
In 2011, I created a thread that I felt (and to some extent still do) was the ideal (for all classes PvP balance). In other words, a relatively well balanced PvP set. Since then, a few things have happened - the introduction of 2 new classes (of which I have to admit, I do not have as much experience working with), and the fact that the main hardcore base has largely left PL (or in some cases have been banned).
The other issue has been that with the introduction of each new level, we have seen the percentage stats go closer and closer to 100%. Particularly for dodge, this has become a huge issue. Buffs too were more and more potent, but corrected somewhat with the latest nerf. Somewhat. It has led to the following:
1. In PvP, dodge has made the game pure luck-based (and to some extent it still is). Imagine a pure int mage and a str based character fighting. Even after the nerf, we still have the following. Most of the time, the main attacks from the mage will be dodged. The end result is that that the mage will die. Occasionally, the attacks hit and the str character is dead. Not much they could have done. This has been somewhat, but only somewhat rectified by the nerfs implemented recently.
This can also be an issue when tanking in PvE. Under certain circumstances, the str based character will be effectively one-hit when their dodge does not "work".
Essentially, we have created an environment where well, skill is no longer relevant. Knowing when to hit the right skill is no longer an issue (assuming an elixir free environment; with elixirs, there's no point in skill as well because each toon is super-buffed). Instead it's all about the random number generator and whether each shot is a hit or a miss.
2. Also, unique to dodge, as we approach 100%, str type characters become effectively invincible, forcing dex and int based characters to respec purely to re-spec to stay competitive at all. This is true in both PvP and PvE (when nobody is using elixirs - with elixirs of course, well it's all moot). With each new content addition, that becomes progressively a bigger problem because historically each new tier adds equipment that percentage wise is more potent than the last.
In PvP, because of what I wrote in part 1, you'd be totally at the mercy of the RNG if you did not go str, and you'd be totally
3. Buffs and debuffs became more potent. That's a problem because well, the difference between buffed and unbuffed becomes so big that well, an unbuffed toon stands zero chance in PvP.
In PvE this is also an issue. It's an issue because well, a party without elixirs (and without a competent tank - I especially stress the competent part, since there's a lot of scatter bears these days) will be forced to only advance with buffs on. This was partially addressed with the latest nerf.
However, the same cannot be said for debuffs, which are inconsistent these days. If they miss, they miss, but if they hit, they are very potent.
4. It takes a really long time in many tiers for str vs str based fights to conclude. Why? With high dodge and high armor, along with reduced damaged output from going str, it takes a while for someone to get the lucky kill. Plus, you get other issues like when the kill finally occurring, it's more of a luck-based than a skill based.
5. It has led to a de-skilling. There's now a large generation of players that attribute their successes (mostly due to luck) to superior ability when the RNG favors them and go "luck!" when it does not.
The goal of my thread will be to address all of these, 1 by 1.
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