Got in a couple hours in a nice fps environment. The steampunk theme is aesthetically pleasing and having primary skills be the damage dealer is a great change for the DH that other classes have enjoyed for many seasons already. However the synergy mechanics are clunky and the play style feels disjointed.
- The 2 pc bonus only works while standing still and firing primary skills but the 4pc wants the player to strafe while the damage bonus decays while strafing. This constant stop/go play style reminds me of the WW Barb before the change to rend (used to require a stop to rend the enemy to trigger the dmg bonus) which was unpopular back then or simply a more annoying Natalya build because the movement pause is even longer.
- Keeping up the momentum bonus and dmg reduction at the same time is hard when you deal too much dmg to enemies, especially if you one shot them.
- Requiring the primary skill to hit an enemy to keep up momentum is a chore in indoor maps.
- Momentum stacks are stored with the individual primary skill and not as a player buff. Switching from one primary to another will instantly cancel the existing stack player built up.
- While momentum is up, it appears Wraps of Clarity does trigger but the primary buff from Focus/Restraint does not.
I think the build would be more enjoyable to play as the DH equivalent of WW.
- Strafe needs to trigger the 2pc bonus (which would make sense given the set description) and stack on attack rather than hitting an enemy.
- Momentum stacks stored as a player buff instead which would allow interesting combinations of multiple primary skills like entangle shot with another primary skill in the same kit.
Other observations:
- I’m guessing the flavour text for this set is meant to throw casual insider references to shows and media at the player. Fans of the various shows may get an initial kick from recognizing a reference but it feels like a missed opportunity to expand the world of Sanctuary in a meaningful way.
- Kridershot is inexplicably missing in the weapon pack that Djank Meme sells. Would like to test using elemental arrow as a generator (or was this deliberate to avoid ball lightning lag monster antics).
Hope this has been helpful.
5 Likes
Also 6 pieces set % damage is really bad. I couldnt even clear t16 rift with this set while i did very easy when previous sets released. They must fix this set, otherwise it is already dead set.
1 Like
Dreadlands is very capable of clearing T16. Maybe try the shatter shot rune on hungering arrow.
It is merely the initial test value. All previous new sets were introduced with the same value. Did they stay that way? Of course not.
Deleted Content Due to Regrets
1 Like
Well, hydra also started low and then got nerfed for second week and nerfed more for release.
1 Like
Support items got gutted, not the set. Typhon’s Veil itself got actually buffed but not nearly enough to compensate the damage loss from the support items. I estimated that the damage buff per Hydra head should’ve been ~2300% to make TV Hydra build match its power level on the latter week of PTR.
The set itself is VERY Clunky to play. Is it a start / stop type playstyle? I was hoping for more of a Strafe Barb WW clone that just allows you to “spin to win”. I guess I don’t understand the set itself, its self defeating. Your primary damage is from your primary attack which you have to stand to fire. But the momentum stack just allows you to move to the next pack? Again, is it trying to persuade you to move or stand still?
And the 2ndary items just aren’t there. The set is designed around a Primary Generator (PG), but honestly all of DH’s PG kinda suck. Hungering Arrow and Bolas don’t have good weapon / satchel synergy. They only kinda boost the damage but not the actual build itself.
My suggestion is to either buff the momentum time limit (because its annoying to have to keep reapplying) or bake in the ability for momentum to gain charges with Strafe in the 6 piece bonus. And boost the damage significantly. I was doing way more damage with my UE Multishot build which winds up being quicker for speed farming anyways.
Regarding the playstyle, you are correct. It seems it is intended to be a stutter step mechanic. Kill mobs manually casting primaries and then move on to the next pack using momentum.
The problem arises when you outgear the content. For instance, my primaries one-shot near everything in T16 so I can never stack momentum and I’m just walking everywhere which feels slow and dull.
I think the resounding call for momentum to last longer needs to be addressed. If you are tearing through the content, you lose momentum and can never keep it up.
I agree with so much of what has been said. One thing that I want to add is that I thoroughly dislike the set aesthetic. It feels like something straight out of Torchlight. I am not saying that Torchlight is a good or bad game. Rather, I see the new sets as a chance to return to a more Diablo feel, not become even more cartoonish than before.
Deleted Content Due to Regrets