For a single target, 2 is a workable pierce cap, but that cap is complete garbage for multiple targets.
And for those thinking it’s a per target cap of 2 pierces, that would be very complex and inefficient coding wise. To do that, the developers would need to introduce a counter, per arrow, per monster which checks which arrow has pierced which monster and delete the arrow if it’s greater than 2; then it would need to delete that pierce information for that arrow from all other mobs or face a memory leak (which could lag and/or crash the game after a while).
For example, if you did a high GR with a lot of monsters, each monster would have a counter for every arrow you shoot and if the monster didn’t clear out arrow counters for deleted arrows (which might have been absorbed by another monster or a wall), then the number of arrow counters will keep growing and use up more and more memory until the monster is killed.
A simpler way to visualize this is imagining a serial number on every hungering arrow you shoot, and then each monster keeping track of how many times that particular serial numbered arrow hit it. This would be rife with memory leaks or performance issues.
You’re right that this solution would be a little bit complex, but it’s not that complicated.
The number of relevant arrows is quite limited, as the maximum traveling distance of HA is limited. After some time, the arrow vanshishes anyway. As the attack speed is also limited, we need only a constant amount of arrow counters, maybe organized in a ring buffer. Finally, as the maximum number of pierces is very limited, we need only a few bits per counter. With a maximum of 2 pierces, even one bit is sufficient.sry, we would need 2 bits for that.
Afaik D3 is based on 64 bit datatypes. Therefore, with one additional 64-bit-variable and some bit-shifting in the base Monster-Datatype, we could handle 32 arrow counters. Or maybe 16, if they want to allow some more pierces. A higher counter than 4 or 5 wouldn’t be necessary (afaik), as more pierces per target aren’t going to happen anyway (except on MD shields).
However, I obviously don’t have any insights into the code, and what the model is capable of, but it is doable.
As far as I can tell, I think they’re (developers) not happy with GoD6 being such a linear going Set for clearing GR150 regardless of how demanding it is to upkeep. They’re trying to make N6G4 and other builds shine through by nerfing the GoD6 set.
What about either of these approaches instead of cutting down the maximum pierces?
Make GoD 6p bonus increase resource costs or slow down the attack speed so you underhandedly nerf the build by restricting defensive buffs or passives you can pair up with the build. This forces DH to have resource battery skills like Preparation- Punishment or Bat Companion while lacking discipline or defenses.
Make GoD 6p bonus make your primary attacks ignore missile dampening effects; no slow down, no tick increase. If that’s the main concern, developers should take this approach but I doubt it is.
My last option would be diminishing the some damage values or giving GoD6 Set a belt piece by removing one of the pieces such as boots or creating a mandatory Strafe damage increasing belt and giving it Rocket Storm skillrune.
I think main problem in their eyes are about effort required for mechanical skill to operate the builds, so I doubt they’d even consider any of the approaches I consider. If only Missile Dampening is the problem and they take it then fine, the build won’t be dumped for a single elite affix randomly coming up at Greater Rifts and require tons of fishing to get good random chance at elites.
Alas, they didn’t take a simple solution as this and went for nerfing it directly instead. For some change to apply, it must once playtested for prolonged periods and decided upon by a group of people. Without anyone deeming this fair enough to test, the patch notes in PTR wouldn’t serve that way. They can always change it after hearing feedback and playtesting it for their own measures.
Recently, D3 has been taken out from Blizzard Classic Games division and the upcoming Follower changes also remarkable for this. They have a large enough developer group for Diablo 3 under Rod Ferguson right now and I think they can take decisions on their own.
Because its buff uptime is near 100% efficiency and has linear interaction. Just because you can spam a hundred bolts by pressing down a button and using a dedicated build doesn’t mean you get to climb the top of a yard stick.
Scaling builds at effort requirement is the reason why developers refuse to buff your favorite builds at 2.7.0 patch and “fail” to meet “your demands” for years to come. They have their own devices and measures that we possibly can’t comprehend. I once thought they’re crashing the entire of HA builds then realized it’s only limited to GoD6 for pushing the brakes abit.
There’s a reason why developers favor short decay or long wind up builds over two button presses and linear cycle shift ones with high buff uptime. It’s the effort requirement and think process to operate the character efficiently. No, they’re not deaf or hate you either, just they are not planning to add more power creep when they already hit the limits.
I’m hoping they take the alternative solutions me and other community members offered or at least do something to amp up other builds if that’s the direction they’re going for. Fixing such interaction is easy as tweaking the subjected affix or making the projectile ignore the interaction. It doesn’t make sense to crash the entire build because some dedicated players can fish GRs exclusively.
I’ll be honest, I haven’t participated 2.7.0 PTR yet but the nerf numbers look way too low and apparently it cuts the performances by 15x at least.
True, if they attach the list of counters to the arrow with monster IDs (instead of monsters with arrow IDs), then it might be feasible. Also only 1 bit would be needed, here is the psuedocode:
Arrow travels until hits a target
Check if arrow has a counter for that target:
2.1 If no, create a counter and set it to 0, apply damage and go to (1)
2.2 If yes, go to (3)
Check value of counter:
3.1 If counter is 0, set counter to 1, apply damage and go to (1)
3.2 If counter is 1, apply damage and delete arrow
The idea is that the first hit creates the counter and pierces, the second hit increments the counter to 1 and pierces, and the last hit deletes the arrow with this code.
The only issue is that the number of counters on every arrow can be arbitrarily long if the arrow happens to pierce through a HUGE crowd without hitting the same thing more than twice. I’m not sure how efficient pre-allocating memory for that would be given you don’t know in advance how many counters you need.
I’m in the same situation as well and can only speculate as you have as well. My guess is based on the fact they already have a pierce counting mechanism independent of monster through the devouring arrow rune and it would be much simpler to just work with that.
More and more I lean towards the idea of, this change has been made to redirect GoD6 build to Shatter Shot instead of Devouring Arrow and it had nothing to do with Missile Dampening from the start.
Every game I have ever played has had some form of nerf or balance change at regular intervals. While I really enjoy playing my GoD I’m actually looking forward to something different, possibly in a different class.
There’s no amount of complaining or objecting that the game devs are going to listen to. Change happens and those who fight it are destined to be unhappy and claim it isn’t fair. Those who embrace it allow themselves to be happy with :what is", not “what used to be”.
There will always be fun police that flags perfectly fine builds for the devs to mess with. Such is D3 life.
So many fun builds buried deep in the past. CM Wiz, Static Monk, etc. There will never be time to remember them all. At least they brought back the Shotgun sader.
Not the best idea to embrace that while they are trying to make us preorder the D2 Remake, a game based solely on old builds often existing since 20 years. And no, while they changed sometimes in Diablo 2, they never changed as much as they do in WoWiablo 3. Especially not the essentials like Whirlwind barb or Multishot-Amazon.
Noooo, they better get rid of that spirit about changing peoples favorite builds very fast. Or things get really ugly with people and social media nowadays.
