DualShocker Interview - 3.5 pt 2 next week, supposedly

[Shougun]

For paladins, instead of Flash getting damage I'd like to see Circle of Scorn being made into a proper, stronger spell (triggers the GCD and has a MP cost), that would distance paladins from dark knights while not stepping into the warrior territory since Flash would still be needed for AoE aggro.

As for Sword Oath, it needs to do something interesting rather than just add damage. I don't know what, but right now it's really boring and weak next to Darkside and Deliverance.

Personally would like to see flash changed to not be spammed /at all/. At least it seems like you suggest it remains a spam aoe spell to Paladin, without damage - and spamming a damageless spell with a buff that gets shortened on recasts (debuff resistance) just for a ping of enmity feels really meh lol (also the lack of damage means it produces less enmity than a damage + enmity ability, extra meh). Perhaps because at least for warrior flash is actually fairly helpful in certain situations, that flash is given to everyone. With a little tweak so it can even be useful on Dark Knights like flash has slightly lower enmity generation, no damage still, but double the distance (or even leaves a field effect for say 5 seconds where if an enemy enters the field they will receive flash's effects, doesn't reapply - awesome for mobs you know that will spawn). Would be cool if the ability shifts slightly, every tank gets access to flash but the ability aesthetics change slightly. Fearsome Shout for Warrior (red/shouty effect), Gloom or Shade for Dark Knight (instead of light it's darkness), and Flash or Blinding Light for Paladin (same spell).

Unless you were suggesting CoS also keeps its enimity generation (perhaps even more), and that CoS becomes Paladin's spam tool once they unlock it. I was thinking you meant it becomes more like a steel cyclone / decimate, so you'd still be spamming flash though. If its more like an overpower then you'd just spam CoS instead and flash would be like the other spells SE wants to get rid of since higher tier ones are just better.

I would like to see chance buffs changed into something else like every third attack will miss, a monster cannot miss more than 5 attacks every 2.5 minutes (half effective on magic users, and 15% reduction on third attacks in PvP and only functions on auto attacks with 15% reduction on bosses). The massive aoe range would make flash useful for all tank jobs in grabbing large spawned packs, even allow SE to make different strategies (room starts to pour from all corners, tank can handle it opposed to now which would be like "wut you doing SE?"), and with the damage reduction it could be useful to cast once in the fight (and so long as the fight wasn't slow or big groups not spawn, it would be useful to cast /only/ once).

Then give Paladin something else (now that flash is a sort of /massive/ aoe grab, and slight damage reduction for all tank jobs), something that also doesn't require spamming. Before I suggested an ability that causes Paladin's enmity and damage to reverberate within a given effect, like through a new flash (but seeing as now I suggested everyone gets a big flash) perhaps another skill. So say Radiance, an MP draining aura or an efficiency decrease cost while active ability (higher tp cost/mp) that allows Paladin's attacks to reverberate to nearby targets (both portions of enmity and damage). Of course the AoE part of the enmity and damage would be reduced but basically CoS would turn into a mini holy bomb (in large packs of monsters) and Paladin would cycle through their regular combos on monsters. The calculation for damage would be something like % of potency to a maximum of X amount per ability, DoT potency is included into the calculation (but again there is a maximum potency damage). So while using the 1/2 you'd do quite a bit less aoe damage than War/Drk still (but more than before) but your 3 / CoS / Spirits Within could provide sudden burst that makes your average AoE damage acceptable, so you don't slow down the group in the end (so long as the monster doesn't die so fast you can't finish a combo lol).


Tl;dr - If flash doesn't become a damage spell I do not want to spam it, at all - ever lol.

My fantasy of 4.0 PLD change is we become like ninjas in our stances with some skills getting added effects. Flash is one of the main skills I see getting that treatment. Mind you its all in my head and not anything more.

Flash: As it is.
Under Sword: Adds damage.
Under Shield: Adds a DoT.

I would love to see the oaths mean more I feel it has a high opportunity for theme on the paladin as well, while keeping the stance management different but also /encouraged/. Since it feels weird to leave stance when you're new but if you have a bunch of neat effects on a different stance you'd be like "hey I really want to get my TP back so maybe I should use tempered will with my sword oath!". While adding an extra layer it is still relatively straight forward compared to Warrior and still leaves Paladin that streamlined feeling, but also offering them a bunch of support / self options in each ability. Bulwark + shield oath = 360 degree block and each block reduces sheltron cooldown (by a small amount, like 1.5 to 2 seconds), + Sword Oath = each block reduces spirit's within (2-4 seconds) and every second block adds a double auto-attack.

Would like to see cover have something with it too, so you'd be promoted to use it to take advantage of block related skills. Like in shield oath it stays relatively similar perhaps longer max range with damage reduction built in. With sword oath however it would only share a portion of the damage, but each blocked attack would also invigorate the covered target with % blocked amount into HP/TP/MP as a comrade sort of effect (not a lot, but like after covering the warrior for the full duration he gained a total of 7% hp, 15% tp, and 15% mp) meanwhile you were able to use the blocks to power your other block related abilities and you could self heal the damage you took with a clemency or a healer drops a HoT on you.

They may want cover sword oath not to function on tank busters though, it would add extra strategy options but may result in cases where Paladin is deemed required because instead of being required to make a single super shielded full health tank with defense cooldowns up you'd just share the load between two fairly full tanks (the later being a significantly easier task to do, than being prepared with all the cooldowns and full health on a single person).