The post I quoted stated that casters get their spells right away, hence the inference that they get their power right away. My argument was that casters are not using any TOL damage spells until they get the next level of their focus so that the TOL gets boosted. And while you (and others) have hit 120 and got your focus... I don't feel as if you are the majority representation of the player base. My guild is probably 1/3 - 1/2 at 120. I am 118 close to 119, another mage is 119, another is 118, another is 117. So no, casters don't get their spells and immediately benefit. We all level up at certain times, just like you mentioned. But I was just discussing the thought that casters auto benefit with a 5k purchase.
All this means to me is that I can slack and if we don't win an event for DPS reasons, I can point to the casters. Get me my loot, casters!! I need upgrades!
Why do you need 120 to see a big increase? Every class is different but for mine, I was using a new beam and a new claw within a few minutes of the new expansion. I assume Mages have to wait till 117 to get good upgrades but getting 1 level isn't that bad. I hope everyone is prioritizing their AA spending based on what will have the most benefit and definitely not waiting until max level for focus AAs when just 1 level is enough.
This is what you said: I know the OP, I know casters in his guild/whom he plays with are 120 with the relevant Focus AA. As I said, people progress at different rates; you're the one (incorrectly) extrapolating the progression of others from the rate at which you progressed.
The majority of our rotation damage spells are 120, with the exception of the one 117 Of Many spell. And I may have misspoke, but yes you don't need both new focus AA levels- just the first new one. Which again does not come until 120. My only point was to the post I quoted originally, where I cannot spend 5k on a spell and benefit. For most classes, the older rk3 with focus AA and type 3 is currently better than TOL rk1. That changes once you get the first rank of your focus, but again that may take weeks or months for some casters.
I made a mistake on that one line. Sorry. I was debating .... o never mind. I should have said the name of the person I was quoting instead of the OP. Sue me. I fail at FQ. EDIT- I missed the back handed swipe at how fast I progress. With all due respect, I would guess out of the ENTIRE playerbase that was 115 on expansion launch day that the minority is 120. Most are between 115-119. So it is not how fast "I" level up but rather an observation of how fast "most players" are leveling up.
This is a thread about caster vs melee balance in which the OP made a claim that "melee got the raw end of the deal." That experience is influenced by the caster(s) he's playing with having level 120 and new Focus AA, while raid weapons are not accessible until January. (That doesn't mean there won't still be a gap in January, just that the scale of the gap is partially a function of that). I'm not debating the rate at which most people level, nor am I making back handed swipes at you. I responded because if what you said was true (that the casters he's playing with weren't 120/didn't have Focus AA), it would mean that the gap that he's calling out would get even larger (i.e. melee would be even worse off later). That's not the case, because, as discussed, those casters have those things. You and anyone else are welcome to progress at whatever rate you want. The only thing I care about in this thread is that, if balance is being discussed (which is the actual topic of this thread, whether or not it's what you're debating), that its given the correct context.
I did not quote the OP in my first post. I quoted a response where someone had stated casters get new spells while melee have to wait for raids. I was making the point (well or poorly) that for many casters, they cannot use their new spells until they get the first focus AA for the spell. Which could actually happen after a melee gets their raid weapon. Which would defeat the statement "casters get spells now, melee have to wait". I made a mistake in the assumption of the casters OP plays with. I already apologized and acknowledged it. Why you continue to want to bring up that one line and disregard everything else I stated, I don't know. I can't comment on melee/caster imbalance right now because I don't have 120 and Focus stuff yet. I can comment on "melee have to wait/casters get powe right now" thought process because I am going through it and can state that is incorrect theory. Hence why I quoted that post. Anyways I hope we can get back on topic and not go back and forth over a mistake I already owned up to and yet it keeps getting brought up. Sounds like an argument with my wife LOL
Also factor in those who don't have as much time to play. When new ranks of an AA line take 100+ points to unlock, it can be days/a week to unlock just one rank. That's kinda depressing. I really hate the focus AAs!
So you don't use your beams in group content at all? Never hit thaum focus? It would make the shock line worth using for a little bit too. Plus you get new pet before 120 for a dps increase. I feel like you should be getting some noticeable improvements before hitting max level if you try a little.
ToL has at least 2 quests that can be beaten within 5 minutes with no combat that give 20 AA each, with 30 minute lockouts each
Thanks for the Memories the 4 spots have see invis npc's but if you have FD or mez, it works on this stuff, as a FD user with a little luck you can complete this in as little as 1m 45s or so When Soul meets Soul if you are careful there is only 1 see invis golem to contest with before the update floor island thing (as long as no one like spawned the named and stuff), the other 2 see invis golems can be avoided by hugging the side of the entry island The only downside with them is you have to complete the partisan to re-request, but after that especially if you play a FD class (or like a bard that can fade a lot, idk if any see through rogue SoS) or other people kill them/train them away, etc they are easy and have no kill updates required They give 0.8% regular or 20 AA, at 100% to their respective, it is basically ToL's Ada quest from ToV except these are solo quests instead of group Since the zones are too spread probably and annoying to move between to maximize a 30 minute lockout just pick one
Nope, every time it is completed (all partisans in ToL give 19.1 AA if set to 100% for the AA or 0.8% for the regular exp if AA exp is off) If you hug the edges and no one popped a named the Basilica one is easier of the 2, since if you do that you wont actually aggro the see invis golems (be sure to click the shadow bridge to bring it out)
If you're not a class with FD these quests are still easy. Thanks for the Memories first. There's a see invis mob you have to deal with. If you attack it from a distance the 2 shades on the side of it won't aggro, just don't get too close. I just send my 2 pets in and nuke it down. One thing to watch out for. There's a wandering shade in the hallway. Kill it first so you don't have to worry about it. When Soul meets Soul. I just kill golems and do the hails. If you kill them all, you don't have to worry about them when you head back.
I like to just lev over. Go 3rd person view, angle the camera up, use the mouse scroll wheel to go back to 1st person, float diagonally across to the oubliette. For the other one, mez the hallway pather, mez the see invis, fade, run in and clickit.
Casters always jump ahead to the front of the DPS parse in the beginning of an expansion, and float to the back of the parse by summertime and then remain there until December. As Sancus has already stated the reasons for this, I would ensure those are what is currently going on right now.
