Continuing the discussion from Midnight: Curse of Ula’tek PTR Development Notes:
After testing this out some more, a few of the major issues still persist.
- Issue 1: Using AoE abilities in ST Rotation, or ST in AoE
- Feedback: It still just doesn’t feel great to “have” to use Divine Storm in Single Target rotations, or to prioritize FV during AoE ones. It can just ruin the flow.
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Issue 2: Lost of Player Choice and Agency over what to spend Divine Purpose On
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Feedback: Divine Purpose’s draw is the fact that I can use DP on whatever Holy Power makes the most sense in that moment. For example, casting 2 WoG’s back-to-back because a DP proc’d feels really powerful and rewarding.
While I still can use DP on other abilities, it feels “punishing” to do so, and due to the RNG nature of DP, could have a negative snow-ball effect feeling.
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Issue 3: “Queueing” up a Spell in the Heat of Battle can Consume DP without you expecting it.
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Feedback: So this is a “getgud” situation for sure, but due to how Crusading Strikes generates Holy Power, there are times when you are at 5HP, and you know you’re about to generate 1 Holy Power with your Swing Timer, and you just “accidently” hit FV back-to-back… quickly consuming the DP Proc.
As a Templar Paladin especially now;
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5 Holy Power Generated
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Hammer of Light (-3 Holy Power)
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2 → 3 Holy Power about to Generate in the Swing Timer
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Final Verdict
If that Hammer of Light just so happened to Proc a Divine Purpose, then you can find yourself quickly consuming that DP with keyboard input, especially during Blood Lust, without really “planning” on it.
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It’s just a bad combination of Ret’s “fast pace – whack-a-mole” game play, Crusading Strikes HP generation, and computer/keyboard/lag input.
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Issue 4: Adding back Burst, after it being removed, tied to RNG
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Feedback: Again, just another easy point of feedback. This adds back a pretty decent amount of Burst back to our already overburden Burst Window (Templar especially).
Add in how RNG this feels and it’s just not a great gameplay experience. =/
Overall, I’m still not a really big fan on this set bonus, it still feels “forced,” like it removes a bit of player choice, clunky, and unintuitive.
- Crusading Strikes, Art of War Procs, Light’s Deliverance, Utility, Positioning, etc… is already a lot too track. To also now track Divine Arbiter Stacks just feels like it’s getting to be too much for your casual gamer.
- Paladin Cooldowns really need to be updated/modernized – they aren’t fun and engaging, and things like ES can really overload this Set Bonus.
- Too much is still happening in the Templar Burst Windows, and Hammer of Light being 3 HP feels worse in these Divine Purpose procing moments of gameplay, where snap RNG can feel wasted due to “Spell Queueing.”
Edit: Also, maybe a lesser issue just due to the length of Patches, but it could also feel a bit jarring for your casual player to get such a big “change” from a set bonus 4-5 weeks into the Season or whenever the Catalyst charges stack up.
While I understand its part of the ‘ever evolving gameplay’ – and the challenge and intention of these Set Designs — it doesn’t feel great to play Divine Purpose a certain way for X weeks, only to have a Catalyst Timing kindof dictate your gameplay. 