My thoughts on the latest update!

[gjaustin]

Dwarves: While these have a great early game, they begin lacking way to fast. You do well against normal modes, but the DR won't even stop a level 5 in vicious. And against bosses, you're really hopeless.

Jehora Jeheyu: Now he seems much more balanced. +3 mp is good, but I would lower the hp bonus to +20. +75 max is just too good for rogues.

I don't really have a problem with the +25 health bonus, due to the massive Dwarf nerf. I really enjoyed playing Dwarf Rogues before, but now they're absolutely awful. Without some efficient way to raise Health, Rogues will end up being an incredibly random class - either you one-shot the enemy or they one-shot you.

[The Avatar]

At +20 you can get +60 hp! You're only losing out by 15. And there are good ways to raise hp, for example, I love the troll heart!

[Darvin]

JJ was working fine for Rogues last version. Even other classes could still use boost health to push themselves above a critical threshold. I play JJ extensively, and I was surprised when they buffed boost health. It looks weak, but it's the difference between surviving 0 and 1 hits. Now, with a little bit of resists or healing, it's the difference between 0 and 2 hits. For a Rogue, that is phenomenal.

[The Avatar]

Yup! Prep the Avatar symbol for resist and attack and Vicious doesn't stand a chance.

[Fran]

Incidentally, since we have 2 tier 3 classes with special effects on the glyph they start with, do you think Paladin and Bloodmage will eventually get special effects too?

I'd like to convince myself that this follows the idea that the tier 3 classes are better at using their own glyphs compared to other classes.
Every class should have three unique abilites, and I think gylphs that every character can pick up certainly aren't. The advantage that you don't have to scum is not a compensation in my opinion.

I think the paladin is already fine as he is in this context as his initial resist translates to a better HALPME which other characters (apart from the monk) have to earn in the first place.
I guess we'll see another change of the way BLUDTOPOWA works soon so I'd welcome a special effect for the Bloodmage in this context.

[The Avatar]

Another change on how BLUDTUPOWA works? What was the first version of the glyph? Right now it's the same as the alpha...

Speaking of BLUDTUPOWA, Vicious HoS just went down as a Bloodmage. Use Yendor Amulet right after you begin to fireball Indomitable. Use BURNDAYRAZ/BLUDTUPOWA combo until he dies. Use whupaz and mana potions on Blah Blah. This will also work as a wizard if I can pull the glyph. In fact, I can do that with any class! I didn't use potions on Indomitable, so anyone can regen fire him. So as long as the class can take Blah Blah, it isn't very hard!

[Fran]

Another change on how BLUDTUPOWA works? What was the first version of the glyph? Right now it's the same as the alpha...

With another change, i was referring to all the recent balance changes, not the history of changes on BLUDTOPOWA.

[The Avatar]

Ah! A simple 1 mana increase to BURNDAYRAZ would kill a lot of the too good strats, while leaving good ones left.

[gjaustin]

Honestly, I really like the new Fireball and don't want it changed. Fireball needs to be this powerful to compete with melee, since outside of a few exceptions it's been weak for the entire Beta.

Does anyone know if it still has the 3 x level cap from the old Fireheart? If it doesn't, I'd be good with that being added back. Maybe even dropped down to 2 x level cap.

But raising the mana cost would mess things up quite a bit. Suddenly your 13 mana on an average character can't cast two of them! The 18 mana on an average Sorcerer isn't enough for 3!

[Darvin]

Honestly, I really like the new Fireball and don't want it changed. Fireball needs to be this powerful to compete with melee, since outside of a few exceptions it's been weak for the entire Beta.

It only became good once they introduced the Fire Heart, which is why I found this change so fitting. Now any class can actually play a decent caster without having to prep an expensive item ahead of time.

Does anyone know if it still has the 3 x level cap from the old Fireheart?

Yeah, it's still there. Not really an issue, unless you're trying to do a level 1 boss kill.

But raising the mana cost would mess things up quite a bit. Suddenly your 13 mana on an average character can't cast two of them! The 18 mana on an average Sorcerer isn't enough for 3!

It'd be a bonanza for elves and Jehora Jeheyu. There's a reason people run screaming from the piercing wand; 7 mana is a very significant threshold.