One big disclaimer before we move onwards, okay?
This thread focuses on PVE aspect of the game, meaning dungeon delving, event situations, raids and npc fights. I do NOT have extensive knowledge in PVP and I trust all the people who have posted about it to know better than me when it comes to PVP balance. Now, with that out of the way? We can move to the main topic.
As it stands currently after GR2 changes?
HEAVY ARMORS ARE NOT REALLY WORTH IT
So, what do I mean with this exactly is quite simple. The drop to def/res for each point was fine and I get it why it was done, but less known change is moving damage reduction from armor/magic armor from its original position of applying AFTER damage reduction sources to applying BEFORE the said sources. While I can understand why this change was made to some extent, it has hurt ability to effectively utilise "tank" playstyle with everything starting to hit relatively harder (around +20-30 damage from all attacks at level 60, assuming you had high armor).
And that isn't even my main complaint here. Its the fact that this change has made the main selling point of heavy armors, that being high armor and magic armor, near useless *when* compared to other armor types. Unarmored, light armor and medium armor have items with more desirable effects over what heavy armors can provide. And even in cases of good effects like dragon king armor, there is sadly one problem which makes lot of people steer away from them:
Heavy armors require investing into battle weight!
The above can be smaller or non problem on some races or people using light weapons, but the moment someone wants to use something heavier, they are going to need to invest more into the battle weight. Be it by putting talent points into packrat, investing more into strength, using lighter materials or floating enchant, they have to adjust their build for that which means they can't go the same way as other people when it comes to gear. They will be missing on few talent or stat point or have to use less than desirable materials/enchantments compared to just using lighter armor type.
Speaking of lighter armor types, we need to bring in another issue:
UNLESS ENEMY NPC HAS AUTOHITS, DODGE IS MORE USEFUL THAN DR WHICH LEADS HEAVY ARMORS BEING LESS USEFUL!
Let me explain: When you roll dodge, one of three things happens.
1) You fail and get hit. Will barely ever happen in PVE after you get dodge build going.
2) You don't dodge fully, turning the glancing blow which is 70% damage reduction.
3) You dodged it fully, taking no damage.
With heavy investment into defense (BK/Hexer, shield, facing the enemy), I managed to get around 77% damage reduction. This sounds like a lot and to be honest, it is pretty good. The problem here is that the 70% damage reduction you get from glancing blows is the LESS desirable result for dodging. Even if it would happen most of time, dodging attack fully negates the damage. And sadly, you can't really dodge in heavy armors (none of them give evasion at base) so after all that investing into using heavy armor? There is high chance that dodge build will actually survive longer... Oh and get buffs too if you have right class going.
As last thing I would like to discuss is one of the reasons defense/armor changes were a thing in first place: Tanky mages were considered too strong with combination of earth/dark/water attack and def/res/vit, meaning they could get best of both worlds. I know this goes bit into PVP but since its in past and reasoning, I do not think its too much to mention following:
Basically none of the "tanky mages" ever used heavy armor in their builds!
From what I have learned, they stuck to no armor for power boost or some utility. None actually went out of their way to get bellplate or anything to cover themselves so there wasn't exactly reason to change up armor/magic armor for this reason.
TL:DR;
- Heavy armors and their main selling point of high armor numbers lost its value when armor was moved to apply before DR, causing increase of damage taken.
- Heavy armors will in most cases require at least some additional investment into battle weight compared to using lighter armor type.
- You can't really make evasion work with heavy armor, so you are kinda stuck into taking his.
- One of reasons for defense nerfs, "tanky mages" did not use heavy armor themselves.
So, I would humbly request either buff to heavy armors or making armor apply after DR again.
This thread focuses on PVE aspect of the game, meaning dungeon delving, event situations, raids and npc fights. I do NOT have extensive knowledge in PVP and I trust all the people who have posted about it to know better than me when it comes to PVP balance. Now, with that out of the way? We can move to the main topic.
As it stands currently after GR2 changes?
HEAVY ARMORS ARE NOT REALLY WORTH IT
So, what do I mean with this exactly is quite simple. The drop to def/res for each point was fine and I get it why it was done, but less known change is moving damage reduction from armor/magic armor from its original position of applying AFTER damage reduction sources to applying BEFORE the said sources. While I can understand why this change was made to some extent, it has hurt ability to effectively utilise "tank" playstyle with everything starting to hit relatively harder (around +20-30 damage from all attacks at level 60, assuming you had high armor).
And that isn't even my main complaint here. Its the fact that this change has made the main selling point of heavy armors, that being high armor and magic armor, near useless *when* compared to other armor types. Unarmored, light armor and medium armor have items with more desirable effects over what heavy armors can provide. And even in cases of good effects like dragon king armor, there is sadly one problem which makes lot of people steer away from them:
Heavy armors require investing into battle weight!
The above can be smaller or non problem on some races or people using light weapons, but the moment someone wants to use something heavier, they are going to need to invest more into the battle weight. Be it by putting talent points into packrat, investing more into strength, using lighter materials or floating enchant, they have to adjust their build for that which means they can't go the same way as other people when it comes to gear. They will be missing on few talent or stat point or have to use less than desirable materials/enchantments compared to just using lighter armor type.
Speaking of lighter armor types, we need to bring in another issue:
UNLESS ENEMY NPC HAS AUTOHITS, DODGE IS MORE USEFUL THAN DR WHICH LEADS HEAVY ARMORS BEING LESS USEFUL!
Let me explain: When you roll dodge, one of three things happens.
1) You fail and get hit. Will barely ever happen in PVE after you get dodge build going.
2) You don't dodge fully, turning the glancing blow which is 70% damage reduction.
3) You dodged it fully, taking no damage.
With heavy investment into defense (BK/Hexer, shield, facing the enemy), I managed to get around 77% damage reduction. This sounds like a lot and to be honest, it is pretty good. The problem here is that the 70% damage reduction you get from glancing blows is the LESS desirable result for dodging. Even if it would happen most of time, dodging attack fully negates the damage. And sadly, you can't really dodge in heavy armors (none of them give evasion at base) so after all that investing into using heavy armor? There is high chance that dodge build will actually survive longer... Oh and get buffs too if you have right class going.
As last thing I would like to discuss is one of the reasons defense/armor changes were a thing in first place: Tanky mages were considered too strong with combination of earth/dark/water attack and def/res/vit, meaning they could get best of both worlds. I know this goes bit into PVP but since its in past and reasoning, I do not think its too much to mention following:
Basically none of the "tanky mages" ever used heavy armor in their builds!
From what I have learned, they stuck to no armor for power boost or some utility. None actually went out of their way to get bellplate or anything to cover themselves so there wasn't exactly reason to change up armor/magic armor for this reason.
TL:DR;
- Heavy armors and their main selling point of high armor numbers lost its value when armor was moved to apply before DR, causing increase of damage taken.
- Heavy armors will in most cases require at least some additional investment into battle weight compared to using lighter armor type.
- You can't really make evasion work with heavy armor, so you are kinda stuck into taking his.
- One of reasons for defense nerfs, "tanky mages" did not use heavy armor themselves.
So, I would humbly request either buff to heavy armors or making armor apply after DR again.
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