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TFS -> RE: =DF= September 13th Design Notes: Maleurous: Part II and Chaosweaver Testing (9/15/2019 12:40:11)
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So after another day of playing around I think I have feedback that's a bit more specific.
Rebuke is way too strong and encourages really degenerate play. I feel like I did a decent enough job communicating this earlier but forgot to include a demonstration so here. I think being capped at 12 statuses (780%) is incredibly high given that the class on its own can't put that many statuses on itself and there are few if any enemies that can make up for the difference - I don't feel like being rewarded for slapping on all this gross stuff is the kind of gameplay that should be encouraged. The actual damage isn't in line with the class's other skills, either, considering they're all moderate-to-low to make up for Gambit's damage buff being so high. Outside of Rebuke, your strongest skill (Assault) is capped at 502% damage and requires you to take a huge risk in lowering your health to the point where you're almost dead - There is no risk at all in using Rebuke, and the reward is much, much greater.
Obliterate feels kind of like a filler skill that got carried over from Corrupt Doom Epoch but has no particular use on Chaosweaver. A 1 turn stun isn't particularly great on a class that you definitely don't want to be stalling with - especially now that Soulthreads are gone and there's no reward for stalling a turn. This is of course assuming the enemy can be stunned at all, which the vast majority of endgame enemies can't. The animation and sound effect are really fun, though, which is kind of a bummer given that they're on a skill that isn't particularly useful lol.
While Soul Shred definitely fits with the class thematically, I don't feel like a dedicated finishing move really has a use on a class geared towards hyperoffense. You're going to be ending fights with Gambit-boosted damage - ALL your skills are finisher moves. I don't think there are too many situations where a class geared towards fragility and high damage will need a dedicated autokill to finish off an enemy that's already severely weakened. You either kill it or you don't - Soul Shred doesn't really match what you're trying to accomplish with Chaosweaver.
Vengeance is kind of similar to Obliterate in that you don't really want to be stalling with this class. In the rare situation where Gambit's damage buff has expired and you aren't already dead, there's definitely a case to be made for trying to stall, but even if that comes up -50 Boost on a single target isn't going to save you. While this would certainly be a very useful skill on a more neutral or defensively oriented class it doesn't really fit the goal or playstyle you want to be accomplishing with Chaosweaver. The high hit count for proccing a weapon special is more useful than the skill's actual effect.
While Untangle is going to be your best skill for turn 1 damage (assuming you go into the battle with full health), it's overshadowed damage-wise by both Assault and Rebuke despite being a Final. It doesn't have any utility now that Soulthreads are gone, either. This is definitely a minor nitpick not on par with the above stuff and I've already communicated this in my earlier post, but I feel like there should be some reward for using your Final or at least something to make the skill stand out. I said this earlier, but the extensive duration of Gambit's debuff is a weakness you try your hardest to play around and I feel like giving the Final some synergy with that would be really neat.
All that aside, this is still a very fun class that's already managed to carve out its own identity. Like I've said in prior class threads I love the sort of risk-vs-reward design mentality that most of Verlyrus's classes have. It encourages resource management and strategic forethought; in the case of Chaosweaver the resource is the amount of damage you've taken and thus how close you are to losing. Surviving an attack by the skin of your teeth and then ending the battle with a massive counterattack is exciting! It's close! It's fun! You're on the edge of your seat! I've already said this but the synergy between Gambit, Assault, Aegis, and Siphon makes up the core of the class - like an actual Chaosweaver, you live on the edge. You come close to death by your own doing, in turn boosting the effectiveness of your own skills. Chaosweaver is already exciting, unique, and very enjoyable to use - that's why I felt compelled to write out two long posts of feedback that hopefully are helpful in determining balance haha. I'm definitely loving the class already.
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