Daybreak just needs to remove the CB cap completely. Capping a stat in this game is a wasted effort. It's clear that the cap was designed only to curb Focused Casting, because of the way AoM was for warlocks. They can effectively cap everyone's CB with gear instead of hard capping the stat if CB were meant to be capped for everything BUT FC. For the better part of 18 months FC has been broken and the devs refuse to suggest that they are even thinking about a fix for it. At this point we are just kicking at a dead horse and might as well move on from FC. Like Caith said, if it's broken, just don't cast it. (Obviously you're still going to cast FC, because it is still insta cast and a minor POT buff. FB is the same, you'll still cast it because it is insta cast and still "free" damage)
the problem anyway is with all classes. we all have useless spells coz of gear stats and hard caps the dps multi attack of AS buffs now useless. most group buffs are almost useless (+200 int when u already have 13k ... is peanuts) all those caps are reacheble now, that's the pb and DB didn't change the spells maybe they should do with spells what they do with some items (make spells increase the hard cap)
i hope this fix not follow this golden path : broken -> fixed -> very op -> another class whine -> nerf -> useless ability
Raise the damage of Noxious influx from left side spec by like 50 to 75%. When it first came out, sda was not high at all so the fact it can't double attack makes it 1/2 as effective now as it was then. Change the 11% potency gained per rank of left side to some kind of base potency gain. Changing those 2 things will makes us somewhat viable.
Not sure where i saw it suggested, but why not make FC a spell similar to wizard's FB ? That would be a great starting point.
With the high damage of ascension spells and likely more damage future spells will do, if they ever made FC a high burst spell like it was before, it would most likely get nerfed soon after once everyone complained about how much harder warlocks could hit with those abilities. So any change should probably do more damage over a longer period of time rather than short bursts. Based on the name of the spell it sounds like it would give a buff for standing still and continuously casting, hence focused. So perhaps it could give a moderate boost to damage for a short duration that would refresh as long as you stay still and continue casting hostile spells. That way it would essentially be able to add similar damage that it did before over a longer period of time rather than a short burst, at the cost requirement of staying "focused" on casting.
Its not work this way - never did. FC was very short burst that always worked with releasing 180 increments with Toxic Assault or Caustic Detonation (depending on number of targets). In reality (when was no CB cap) FC for the 10s DOUBLED damage output of warlock in conjunction with all temps it was nice burst. In time mechanic changed now scouts have fervor rune that in a sense every 30s do scout focused casting (literally) with long recast FC value was invalidated for prolonged fight (unlike fervor run for scout which work like a clockwork every 30s). But none the less because IN TIME most of other classes did not had any what so ever mechanic for burst (now everyone does!) for the shot duration fights (like 2.5-3 min duration ... like most fight was IN TIME) warlocks with their AOE and burst damage looked on parses as demigods. Now this ability with TWO AND A HALF minute recast reduced to merely 25% Pot booster (I have on my BL TWO such boosters on much shorter recast btw) Basically warlocks excelled particular in 2 situation - AoE fight and/or burst fight now they pretty much suck and only good for suck mana. Don't get me wrong - ANY class with choose of Etheralist Ascending Class , rather large power pool and enough variety of burst clicky can generate reasonably high damage (seen yesterday our wizard was hitting easy with EA on 13B a pop). Problem is fundamental (for both wizard and warlock) - class defining ability been reduced to the point that they are not worth to taking place on hot bar. Epic 2.0 EXPECTED to be take care about disparity but I so far do not see particular drool over epic neither from wizards nor from warlocks
FC is not a 25% pot boost, at max you will get 1250 potency. I currently get ~800 because some of my cb is from tithe and that appears to not count towards fc.
Even worst than I thought - thank you for correction 1.25k Pot is like 5% boost for top dogs? Simplest solution make it double BASE damage of all spells and skills for 10s - that give to this ability decent scalability and not overpowered boost
I never said FC was not a short burst spell. I said that if they made it back into something similar to what it was before then it would get nerfed very quickly, which is why I suggested that it should be made into high damage over a longer period of time so it wouldn't get nerfed immediately. The fact that everyone can get a clicky for high burst DPS is irrelevant. If FC did something similar to what it did before then warlocks would easily be way ahead of everyone even with the clicky because they would get both. Imagine if they removed the CB cap and then warlocks would get 75% more CB added to rising tide or some other similar high burst mechanic. This high burst of damage is what got it nerfed in the first place (and pretty much ends up nerfing any other high burst ability from any class), so why would returning to a high burst spell be a good idea?
I'd argue that since now I am play scout-warlock class - pretty much same mechanic as warlock has ... with 1 notable exception - much faster recycling time. Do you honestly believe that BL primal chain burst for less spike than warlock FC ever was? or ranger sniper shot + squard or Sin FFU chain? Ah never mind how about spikes with Ascending abilities - EA along hit for 8+B. Why you think just recently been introduced panic script? (raid wipe on high DPS) Another notable difference between BL and warlock - BL have casting speed probably 10x faster then warlock and some attack are positional/stealth (which is no good idea anymore since my primal won't double cast if I am in stealth) Basically very last thing that warlock brining now to the group/raid is most powerful powedrain and most powerfeed in game - single spell "dark syphoning". FC need to be something like sniper shot is for ranger or better say FFU chain for Sin
