(repost from battle mechanics forums for an attempt at a more lively discussion)
Respawn Rate / Links / Crowd Control - adjustments incoming?
While we still have a little bit of time to learn how the new battle system works out. Right now these are my main concerns with EXP parties:
1)The number of Linked mobs.
2)The lack of access to early crowd control.
3)The respawn reset timers.
While the above were a minimal issue in 1.19 (especially at higher levels) because of the abundance of AOE skills, however with 1.20 things really change.
First and foremost:
1)The lack of early access to crowd control.
This really makes it difficult to manage a link or an add from a respawn.
Mages don't get sleep until Con: 50 and THm: 42. Why so late in the game? Those skills should be around low to mid 20's when EXP parties start to become more popular over Leve Quests.
Gla does not have reliable multi mob hate managment until 48 when flash becomes AOE. Wardrum which is a reactive ability is learned at 38 but is of no use when hate is pulled away from you or an add is introduced and you have to wait on a block. Rampart has a 120 sec cooldown and seems to be a skill to pop to secure hate in long 1 vs 1 fights after the GLa has enmity on everything being fought. Flash is decent as a lv 14 skill for single target (until 48)
Pug doesn't learn Taunt until 42! So again lack of early hate management
and Mar Provoke lv 14 is decent.
So this leads me to the Link algorhythm:
2) Number of linked mobs
I thought it was supposed to be based off party strength. It seems to be based of Party size.
As a lv 50 If I agro a lv 20 mob that mob should CFH like there was no tomorrow and bring the whole zone down on me. yet It doesn't CFH.
Now, if I were in a party of lv 15's I agro'd a lv 20 mob with 2-3 other close mobs, I would brign back to the group 3-4 mobs total. That alone is too much for any low level party to handle, even if in a full PT 8/8. Especially with the hate managment tools and crowd control available at that level.
3) Respawn Reset Rate:
Pre 1.20 AOE skills made links and the rapid reset of respawns a non issue especially at higher levels. Now post 1.20 most melee AOE is non existant or on such a long cool down (80 seconds for whirlwind and wide volley.) That Damage dealing AOE skills aren't effective when they are needed the most.
When you combine the above 3 situations, it creates a frustrating game experience.
So devs I'm curious; Will there be any adjustment to when the Crowd Control & Hate Managment skills are learned?
Are there any plans to adjust the number of linkable mobs?
Will Mobs have independant respawn timers or will some zones see a increased timer for reset?