Pls consider reworking the new DH set Gears of Dreadlands.
Here are some ideas for the rework while retaining the set’s theme.
2pc
Increase Primary skills and generator skill damage by 300%
(Note: just a simple damage buff)
4pc
Gain a momentum stack while casting strafe up to 5 stacks.
Each stack increase movement speed, attack speed by 5%.
Reduce damage taken by 60% while in momentum.
Momentum last for 10 seconds.
(Note: casting strafe will gives you momentum. After 10 sec of not casting strafe, the momentum will drop off regardless of the number of stacks.)
6pc
Each stack of momentum increases your damage by 3500%.
Casting strafe will automatically cast you last used primary skill or generator skill
(Note: The primary skill and generator skill needs to be able to proc other legendary powers)
Also adding some other legendary power to compliment this new set would also by nice. An example would be a new legendary power for necklace: Increase momentum stacks to 10 and reduce damage taken by 4~6% per stack.
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.
Also, I don’t understand why people here don’t want a spin-to-win build. The reason ww barb is so damn popular is because it’s an easy playstyle and quite strong. For those super try hard, they have the option of using spear + hard casting rend.
The same should be implemented here for the new set. It should be easy to play, with only the tedious stuff left for try hards who want to push the set to the extreme.
I have a feeling the majority of players don’t want to press a million keys every second (like back in CM wizard era). They want a chill build that’s also strong.
The problem, however, is that tryhards are disproportionately over represented in the feedback stage, since casual players rarely bother with PTR.
From what I gather, the try hards are just as upset about the new set as anyone else.
In terms of spin to win, I think it’s more about not wanting every class to feel the same. A lot of DH players played barb when WW rend became the thing, and for some of those players it could be a letdown to just be doing the same thing you did from another class.
I don’t think anyone’s asking for it to play like UE, but maybe not play like WW either. It would be cool if it had it’s own thing. That thing is currently non-existent in the new set as it’s frustrating to play.
I do agree that the Momentum stacks should last a little bit longer - maybe 5 seconds, or even 10 seconds. But I do not think that it would be the best solution to let the autocast primaries renew these stacks.
I actually kinda enjoy the playstyle of the new set with HA: Attack some enemies with HA, then spin a while (but keep attacking them), searching for another spot where you can attack them again for a few seconds. And before the demons even notice that the threat is coming from a new direction, you’re already spinning to somewhere else. I like that.
I do not want to be stutter-step the one-and-only way to play this set (like Natalya back then). But spin-to-win would be boring, imho. Changing attacks every few seconds is a nice compromise between these two extremes.
Regarding Rend/WW: I think that can’t be compared directly. From what I remember, Rend was a rather slow attack, where the Barb swings wide to a slow stroke, totally different from the fast spinning Whirlwind. Here, the transition between primary skills and Strafe is smooth, as both attack modes fire rather quickly - at least with Dualwield.
Maybe I’m doing it wrong, but that’s the way I play the new set currently. (There is much room for improvement, of course)
Thats how I play it as well.
I also think that for this play-style, it can be implemented better with a little rework.
2pc
Increase Primary skills and generator skill damage by 300%
4pc
Gain a momentum stack while casting strafe up to 5 stacks.
Each stack increase movement speed, attack speed by 5%.
Reduce damage taken by 60% while in momentum.
Momentum last for 10 seconds.
6pc
Each stack of momentum increases your primary skill and generator skill damage by 3500%.
Hitting enemy will a primary skill or generator skill refresh momentum stack.
Strafe no longer have a channeling cost.
New legendary power for necklace: Increase momentum stacks to 10 and reduce damage taken by 4~6% per stack.
Something like this might have a more fluid combat flow.
Any single change to this clunky mess of a set would be appreciated but I hope they pay attention to the generators themselves or chances are we’ll all be railroaded into using grenades because of the belt.
I don’t usually post to the forums, and I don’t know if I have enough experience under my belt to talk specifics about mechanics that need changing (though from my experience much of what has been said is true). However, as a long time Diablo fan, I really want them to change the Gears set aesthetic. To me it looks more like a Torchlight set. I’m not saying Torchlight is good or bad, I’m just saying I want Diablo to stay in its lane and at try to work back towards a classic Diablo feel.
If this is to a be a strafe build, because natalya’s has become not a real strafe build anymore, then there should be a bump in strafe’s actual damage. I understand people see strafe as more about movement but I’d like it to actually be part of the damage.
There is a huge imbalance currently with what abilities to use with this set as well. Hungering arrow is far and away a greater use than any other generator. I tried to incorporate bola for clusters and maybe an entangling shot for named/bosses, but they are nothing compared to what hungering arrow does by itself. If the build isn’t revamped then the other generators (or items boosting them) need one heck of an increase.
I don’t feel squishy and i don’t feel over powered. I can clear T16 without using vengeance, but I also can’t clear GR over 100. This build feels more in line with a farming set rather than a GR pushing set currently.
Moving the generation of momentum stacks from primaries to strafe would be the logical choice as well. You move you gain momentum, you stop you lose them. Simple
Personally, I like the set just the way it is. Just needs a bigger 6 piece bonus and it’s good to go in my opinion.
I like that strafe is principally just a movement skill that reasonably simulates the “stutter-step” playstyle of UE. It’s tougher than UE, which is a huge plus in my book because you can choose more defensive passives, or legendaries, or both.
You can put CoE in the cube and don’t loose anything if you have to move during the cycle you’re interested in.
It’s not as a demanding playstyle as many folks here or on General Discussion are assuming. In fact, I think a lot of the uproar is over the fact that it doesn’t function just like WhirlRend. That shouldn’t be a deal breaker for the set.
I’m as laid back as it gets, though I do play UE mostly, but if Gears gets a bigger 6 piece bonus, like say something like UE’s say 30,000-50,000 (closer to the upper zone of that, I’m hoping) it most likely will be as strong or stronger than the new Shadow Impale which will thrill me to the moon.
It still means that UE is best for everything outside of Grifts and makes it the red headed step child unless you like playing real squishy with the new Leonine/Emmenie’s or NCS but I can sort of live with that.
Yeah, the Gears of the Dreadlands is far from DOA in my estimation. Like I said, it just needs a bigger 6 piece bonus. And maybe a few bugs with its interaction with NCS worked out.
I agree with that. But I think that the Momentum could last a little bit longer, so that you can hold full stacks (seconds, whatever), even after using Strafe for more than just 2 seconds. I would like to see 5 seconds there.
Also 8 seconds for the toughness buff (like it is on Elusive and UE) would be nice.
But in my testing, with just 10,000 as it is now, it completes a 110 in between 6 and half to 7 and a half minutes with 3000 paragon. In comparison, and I realize I’m not the best UE player, my UE/Crimson’s Gizzard set up does the same with it’s 30,000+ buff to Multi-shot. So I’m figuring if you give Gears a buff of say 50,000 (maybe it needs more, I don’t know haven’t pushed with it yet) it’ll much better than my UE set up. Where my top clear when season is over is 118. I’m thinking, and like I said, I’m not good at math but I figure I could get 121 or 122 with the same paragon and the same buff as UE. And better players will probably be doing 125,126, maybe 127 or higher depending on skill and paragon.
But that’s just guesses. Later, I’m going to bump up to 115 with the set like it is and see how it does. I figure the result of that will be more determinative for me what kind of buff the six piece needs.
Edit:
And I’m also going by Blizzard’s parameter they set a while back where sets should be doing 130 with about 5000 paragon. I’m not really comparing it to other classes and what their sets are doing because it appears that Blizzard is still in the process of nerfing the ones that outperform other builds. Evidenced by what they did to the Witchdoctor in this PTR.
But some sets for other classes are doing way above 130 @ 5000 Paragons. So I don’t understand why you aim for power of Shadow Impale and not other, more powerful sets.
They don’t nerf all other sets. Evidence Barb ww rend. Many sets where super strong before they got nerfed.
If they give this set power of Shadows Impale it will be dead on arrival for me.
Things are looking really bad for DH 4 man group play at a moment.
I’m don’t mean for this to sound like it’s going to sound, but if it’s DOA to you if it isn’t 135+ then sounds like a you problem and not a problem with the set.
Of course, they could throw a bigger 6 bonus on it to make it capable of that and I won’t argue, but if they don’t then it’s just falling into the zone Blizzard wants it to.
Hell, they could throw 100,000 bonus on it for all I care. I’d love to be doing 130’s at my paragon but that doesn’t mean the set won’t be fun to play if they don’t.
JMO.
And I want to add, I just tried a 115. First map was Battlefields with Reaper Shield Bearers (Good map, Good Mob type) got a Speed Pylon about half through and a Power Pylon toward the end. Died to champion Kazra Shamans because of sloppy play. So lost a little of the Power Pylon.
Second map was Halls of Agony with Fallen Shamans (bad map for me, and really poor mob type). Got a Shield Pylon at Rift Guardian. Missed finishing the Grift by just shy of 2 minutes but died a couple of more times on the second floor because I’m still getting used to the set.
But yeah, I stand by my assertion that with a bigger six piece I’d be doing around 122 with just UE’s bonus of 36,000+. Give 50,000 and I might be doing 123-125. Give 100,000 and I’d be 130 around abouts.
