In order to give people alternatives and until there are new seasons made, start making a hard mode…
Start with the following concepts/ideas in mind:
1 - Starting from lvl1 every 30th-40th mob should be a problem
2 - Starting from lvl20 - every 20th-30th mob should be a problem
3 - Starting from lvl40 - every 15th-20th mob should be a problem
4 - Starting from lvl60 - every 10th-15th mob should be a probelm
5 - Starting from lvl70 - every 10th mob should be a problem
6 - 80+ - every 5th mob should be a problem
The “being a problem” criteria is a 3-tier issue by itself also
Problem tier 1 - Cannot beat it in “one go”, either have to retreat/replenish or drink a couple/few potions, but tier 1 usually resembles any random gear, i.e. no gear specifications required
Problem tier 2 - Unless having a decent or sufficient counter-gear - cannot tank it for more than a few/several seconds
Problem tier 3 - Unless having a good synergy or sufficient counter-gear, can diminish/reduce-in-effectiveness but probably cannot kill (unless risking it all) the mob
Now the question is - which tier is each mob from above ?, I’d say the easy formula is 30/x where x is the level divided by 10… That means about every 30th “problematic” mob would be tier 2 or 3 even before lvl10, every 15th “problematic” mob would be tier 2 or 3, every 10th “problematic” mob would be tier 2 or 3 nearing lvl30, e.t.c. until every 3rd problematic mob becomes a tier 2 or tier 3 problem at levels 90+
Now, the “special sauce” - each mob should be a challenge of it’s own… Here are some examples:
1 - Skeletons = greater skeletons (not the regular ones but greater with large axes or captains or even archers with the crossbows) ressurect unless killed under CC (i.e. the killing blow also dispersed their bones)
2 - Maggots = greater maggots cast a blood “goo” on the floor that does a slow bleeding damage to the player but more importantly heals the smaller ones. Additionally the greater maggots also have a higher regen while injured
3 - Bats = take half the damage from Overtime damage effects and life-leech on hit
4 - Werewolves/Volkodlaks - are vampiric by default, instead of 50% HP heal they heal a lesser amount (25-35% HP) though
5 - Some pack animals are an actual pack - can have increased HP/Regen/Armor/Damage based on pack size around
6 - Spirits and Banshees - Curse potions by default. Perhaps not with 2 sec. CD, perhaps a bit less (0.75 sec for ex.) but they do this by default. Elite Banshees also curse every other CD on action bar resulting in 0.75 “freeze” of CDs
7 - Bandits have a 30% chance to dodge direct damage and have a 25% chance to critically hit for 50% more
8 - Unless previously impaired or affected by overtime or CC-ed - Succubi are immune to all effects (Crit, Overpower, LH, e.t.c.)
9 - Big demons (Oppressors, Wardens, Balrogs) are immune to Critical hits and Overpower. While healthy they also gain 50% resistance to physical
10 - While healthy - Nangari deal 50% more damage and take 50% less damage from non-physical sources
11 - Snakes “absorb” 75% of overtime damage (this does not occur to the snakemen i.e.e Nangari though)
12 - Cultist’s elemental attacks (i.e. fire and poison) reduce your resistances by 25%
13 - All shielded mobs (unless CCed) are immune to vulnerable
14 - Knights cannot be killed while having their shield up and ready, i.e. have to have either their guard down or simply die under CC
15 - Knight-penitents are immune to critical hits and unless in attacking or in a swinging animation they also shield everyone nearby from direct damage for 50%
16 - The bigger jumpers (Skittering abomination for ex.) remove your abilities to Crit, Lucky-hit, or Overpower for 1 sec.
17 - Chargers on charge reduce your healing received output by 66% (for 1 sec.)
18 - Flies reduce the re/gen of your Resources by 50%
19 - Treants have the ability to “root” and gain a 75% incoming damage reduction for a few seconds. If there are additional treants rooted nearby at the same time also share damage taken
20 - Berserkers deal 50% more damage while not affected by impairment, overtime, or vulnerable. While affected by any of those they deal 50% less damage though
NOW, since we defined the challenges/traits of a good portion of the mobs - let’s think of affixes of how to deal with those:
- Lucky hit and Overpower reduce CDs by 1-2 sec
- Lucky hit and Overpower also knockback nearby targets and stun them for 1-2 sec
- Overpower now also includes Intelligence and Barrier amount in damage calculation
- Critical hits reduce CDs by 0.1-0.25 sec. Direct damage doubles this bonus
- Critical hits also pierce target’s physical resistances by 25% for 0.25-0.75 sec.
- Overtime and impairment also immobilize the target for 0.25-0.75 sec
- Overtime and impairment also reduces target’s damage by 25-75% for 0.25-0.75 sec
- Every 6th/5th/4th/3rd hit against a CC-ed target Overpowers
- Every 6th/5th/4th/3rd cast against an impaired or overtime-affected target is a guaranteed equipped lucky hit
- Every 6th/5th/4th/3rd critical hit against a CC-ed target Overpowers
- Every 6th/5th/4th/3rd critical hit against an impaired or overtime affected target executes
- Every 6th/5th/4th/3rd hit against an impaired or overtime-affected target is a Thorns-strike. (Increase your ATK rating for a single hit baseline by Thorns amount and hit with that value)
- Every 6th/5th/4th/3rd non-physical hit against an impaired or overtime-affected target is a Multicast. (Spell cast twice, one cast is free of charge but does 50% less damage without bonuses from primary stats on your character)
- Every 6th/5th/4th/3rd hit against a vulnerable target is a Multicast. (Same as before)
- Every 6th/5th/4th/3rd hit against a vulnerable target is a Thorns strike (same as before)
NOW, in order to “achieve” something like this 4-ish things have to happen overall:
1 - significantly reduce (not all but say 35-40% reduction) “clutter”, i.e. “excessive” trash mobs
2 - remove redundant affixes on gear and significantly buff everything baseline (everything that’s not Vulnerable damage and Critical in other words)
3 - noticeably reduce baseline damage of weapons but keep the secondary sources even higher than before:
for ex.:
Staff 1 = Baseline damage 1800, damage vs CC-ed 25%
Staff 2 = Baseline damage 1300, damage vs CC-ed 85%
Dagger 1 = Baseline damage of 1100, damage vs Close 15%
Dagger 2 = Baseline damage of 700, damage vs Close +45%
That way what you choose as a weapon affects your choices even more.
4 - Now add “secondary” and even “tertiary” rolls to inherent values on weapon rolls
Dagger 3 = Baseline damage of 600, Overtime damage bonus 35%
Dagger 4 = Baseline damage of 650, Pierce physical resistance and increase Thorns strike damage by 66%
Dagger 5 = Baseline damage of 500, Attack speed and critical hit chance increased by 10%
Staff 3 = Baseline damage 1200, Overtime damage increase by 125%
Staff 4 = Baseline damage 1100, Mastery and Core skills damage increased by325%
Staff 5 = Baseline damage 1300, Fortify and Barrier generation increased by 44%
e.t.c.
Now, in order for things to remain fair upgrades won’t increase those values as they’re big enough to begin with overall
So - long-story-short, what I think the game needs to provide/focus on more:
1 - Overpower and Lucky hit mechanics should see some more love
2 - Add more depth/complexity by adding a new mechanic/hit (Thorns strike), and increasing basic ATK rating for some “baseline damage increase” physical damage playstyle
3 - Overtime could/should also be used as an strategic/tactical asset in game, provide some secondary powers to it also
4 - Weaponry should not be set “in stone”, provide us with secondary/tertiary inherent affix options (Offhands should also roll elemental damage, Resource re/gen/CR, Barrier generation, not just CDR all the times possible, Maces should not roll always Overpower damage, they could also roll CC duration or damage vs CCed or even a Thorns-strike damage tbh)
Is it a bit too much ?, maybe, BUT - game is in serious need of providing secondary/ternary options to every piece of gear as well as not “trivializing” content into maximizing damage just by having more Crit & Vuln.
And last but not the least - “endgame” should be an overall effort and challenge for everyone and everything, not something “dumbed down” into damage maximization and optional content that players choose or do not choose to do so…