Seems like the only viable sorc builds all using the same 4 skills. Teleport, frost nova, ice armor, fire armor. Was the fact that every build is the same shell not noticed during all the testing? And they are all using it for the same reasons, to proc the CC damage buffs. So basically the sorc has one build with the ability to select between the 3 core elements. Has this gone that far under the radar?
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People are grossly overusing the word “Viable.”
Rational builds are viable in WT4.
They didn’t “notice it” in testing because they are balancing for the average player, not Streamers and No-Lifers pushing Nightmare T80 Dungeons.
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So the average player wants to be hamstrung into using the same 4 skill across most builds?
I mean if they were “balancing” around the average player wouldn’t most skills be equally usable? I don’t see winter orb around. I don’t see meteor around. I don’t see chain lightning or charged bolt. It’s arc lash ice shards and flame wall. All built around the same shell because the skills just aren’t very good and they need that shell to get any damage out of them.
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Stop watching streamers.
Play the game. Come up with your own build. It will work in WT4 as long as it is rational.
However, you won’t be getting to Nightmare T80 and that is OK.
I’m trying to make a changes bolt build based around vulnerable and stun damage boosts. It works but it’s clunky. I’m into wt3 and it’s not struggling by any means. It’s just frustrating that having most of the skills available being objectively worse options.
And the only reason I’m even using charged bolt is because I didn’t want to copy paste a meta build. I initially wanted to go chain lightning. But that didn’t pan out well. So I use arc lash and it’s stun procs to burst down elites with charged bolt.
Focus on what you enjoy playing.
Blizzard will come around randomly with Balance patches. I expect a major one before Season 1.
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I do agree there. They will eventually smooth things out. It took a while for d3 to become a decent game.
Wizard and Necro really need another action bar.
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Ah, there you go, the sorcerer in a nutshell… I miss my ranged Hydra/Frozen Orb build from the beta.
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It’s not OK. Game needs to be balanced. Most sorcs run 3-5 cooldowns with the mana restore aspect because it is REQUIRED to even cast anything. Also, frost nova is required in every build.
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What? How is that ok? Imagine you invest all this time, play with your friends to push higher level. At level 80 you have to stay on the bench because you rolled a shytt class.
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Balanced for the average player who will be restarting every 3 months. Which is what the game was designed for. Average player will not be reaching T80 each season.
Pushing a higher level for what? This ain’t Diablo 3.
Most Diablo 2 build guides stop at about level 85 for the same reason you won’t be hitting level 100 here.
i did, 10days after launch im still waiting for them to fix combustion and burning instinct. 2 massive dmg buffs that are broken since release. Im full burn mage on lvl64, campaign was fine on t2. but starting to play with others like in legion events just make you realise how patheticly weak fire is compared to everything else.
10 days and a key passive hasnt worked once…
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Slinging mud is worthless. Make a point or go back to lurking.
I wouldn’t expect it to change for a while. I would also expect the major balance patch to put the “Meta” builds closer to where Burn is. Deleting everything in seconds does not seem to be how they want the game to go.
Fun fact, they nerfed the cooldown only build,
Ice blade + ice blade slottet, and than 6 cooldowns in the skillbar, so hard, that it isn’t playable anymore.
While I don’t think the games should be balanced around streamers, if they are reporting balance problems at these higher levels, the devs should listen because the casual players will run into the same problems, just a few weeks later.
It is undeniable that Frozen Orb, Fireball, Chain Lightning and other skills cost too much mana and don’t do enough damage compared to the more meta options, which clear faster and have more accessible mana (Arc Lash literally has no mana issues, and is one of the fastest attacking, best AoE attacks the Sorc has, which is actually stupid considering this is supposed to be a ranged specialist).
I just want to point out that all the builds are using close combat, pulling enemies to them, frost nova’ing them and kill everything. Arc Lash, Firewall and Ice Shards all work this way. Every ranged playstyle the sorc has is underpowered. Nobody with D2 or D3 experience picks a sorc and expects to play like this. So it turns out that the biggest drawbacks to a skill like Frozen orb is that you actually need to have distance from your enemy for the explosions to be effective. Chain Lightning is weak to packs due to Damage Reduction Auras. These are playstyles not supported by the endgame at all, yet this should be the bread and butter of what a sorc actually is.
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You have 0 clue what you are talking about. Sorcerer, even with the most viable builds is miles behind Druid/Rogue/Barb. Furthermore, little johnny over there trying to make his own build will simply A. Do less damage than actual builds, causing him to progress much slower B. Die more frequently, aka not enjoying his time as much and C. Give up because after he hits level 80 + his “build” will simply not work anymore. This is not about pushing t80 nightmare sigils, this is about doing regular SCALING world content which after level 80, will only be possible using 1 of 2 builds.
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I don’t believe they will.
Leveling slows down the higher level you get, just like Diablo 2. The REASON people are doing Nightmare Tier 80 dungeons is to speed up leveling.
All this whining is not about people playing WT4 at level 80.
I have been watching people whine about how Meta builds are the only thing that can be used after WT1. Then after WT2. Then after WT3. Now it’s Nightmare T40. It keeps getting pushed back.
Incinerate is a “terrible skill”. You know, the one that costs 25 mana per second? Completely unviable. Worthless even in WT1 because it’s too expensive. I am cruising EZ on WT3 with Incinerate as the keystone of my build.
Am I soloing the WT4 Capstone at level 60? Nope. That’s a level 70 dungeon. By the time I get there, people will have calmed down quite a bit.
On that note, I fully expect Blizzard to bring the nerf hammer down hard on the “viable” builds to bring them back in line with the rest of the game. I expect every rational build to ONLY be able to do a Capstone dungeon at around 5 levels below or above.