Folks who claim that nerfing Barb is about “balance” are full of it.
The game has never been, and will never be, balanced. One can work toward a better overall state of inter- and intra-class parity, yes, but those terms–balance and parity–also intersect with other things such as “fun” and “fairness.”
Is it fair that Barbs have been hot garbage for years? Was it fun for us to rely on gimmicks like wall-charging to clear over 130? Was it fun for us to work around broken sets (Rend) and rely on ludicrous amounts of fishing? Was it fair that our two strongest builds relied on gimmicks, and the third place builds are so density dependent as to literally bottleneck themselves into fishing for 2 maps and 2 types of mob combos? Was it fun or fair that one of those builds, WW, was among the toughest to gear and yet was still incredibly weak compared to other builds across most Paragon ranges?
When was the last time it felt fun or fair to be a Barb main?
All this talk about “balance” is plain stupidity. Various classes have had their time to shine and be a little (or a lot) better off than most other classes–all except Barbs. This is the first time we stand out in any significant way and folks want “tone it down,” or “balance it out,” or “nerf it just little.”
To that I say: no, no, and no.
I think I speak for the Barb community when I say that the power increases we got to Rend feel fair and fun if you love Barb. And if you don’t love Barb, you can play a different class and wait for your time in the sun (especially considering you already had it).
It’s fair that after years of literally begging for buffs Barbs finally–finally–feel powerful and fun. When it comes to a 7-year old game, the time to worry about “balance” has long since flown the coop.
Barbs deserve to feel powerful and fun, and even if we do end up OP, quite frankly, we deserve that too.
Folks who feel otherwise–who want to see better cross-class parity–should work to buff their favorite classes, not bring down Barbs.
I’m deeply, deeply disappointed by anyone who has suggested or advocated for nerfs based on 10k Paragon clears and ludicrous Seasonal advantages–or any nerfs, period.
It’s fair that Barbs are finally getting their comeuppance, and to make up for all the years we got literally nothing, it’s also fair that we get a little more heaped on top.
Or HOTA and Slam items could use more buffs. Our Rend buffs? Perfect. Wouldn’t change a thing.
All y’all talking about balance. Please.
That rhetoric is as tired as the regular calls for Barb nerfs.