WOW--Stalkers ROCK now

Havent the devs already said Bursts 100% crit is a bug, they just havent worried about fixing it yet?

Are you sure that was the intent Microcosm? It happens literally every time. If the target of the power dies the chain usually activates, if a target of the chain dies there are no further jumps. I was thinking that was working as intended, myself.

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Originally Posted by Reppu Anyway, I'm bored. Electric Melee is better (in my opinion), due to having substantial AoE AND now far superior Single Target than Spines AND being visually more attractive. You're free to justify spines, I could care less if it's buffed or not. It's an ugly set anyway!

I much prefer elec to spines overall, why else would I have made an elec myself? I've never played spines on either AT. My objection is to the "well I guess you suck then!" attitude while in the same breath getting the numbers wrong. Does spines need a buff to its single target performance? Perhaps it does! If so, I hope they buff its brains out. What they won't do is buff its aoe as it is already one of the best stalker sets by that parameter.

I'm not sure they'd revise it if they were to look at it again. Compare to other chain powers: Synaptic overload, like ion judgement, uses multiple pseudopets per jump to ensure propagation. In SO's case that is because it's a long recharge control power that doesn't even do damage and was performing pretty poorly when it only used one pet. I think it's true in ion's case because it's meant to be an over the top spawn clearer.

The power most similar to chain induction (almost typed chain injunction, every barrister's dream) is jolting chain, which only uses one pseudopet but doesn't require target survival because the damage is delayed until after the next pet has spawned. They could easily do that with CI, but would they want to? Its current behavior more closely resembles typical "missy" attack behavior. If they added a delay on the damage, that aspect would essentially be autohit. CI's jumps do two and a half times as much base damage as JC's, and I think it would be atypical for controllers and doms to be slotting it and buffing it as though it were an attack.

I'm not saying it would be wildly overpowered for CI to be improved, just that there are considerations that may preclude dev interest in doing so.

Actually, double checking it, JC does use two pseudopets but they somehow always target only the same target. Odd. CI, however, has its jump delayed until well after its damage by comparison. My interpretation of this is that it is meant to break upon target defeat, but I guess it could be an oversight.

Reguarding spines.... IMHO, the problem with spines is all about animation times. You can't fully use the new changes to the same relative level of other sets because, while you can pump up the recharge of the new AS, you have no way to build up the 3 stacks of assassin's focus between uses. At high levels of performance, that is far and away the way to pump out the most damage from your attack chains. Furthermore, there's no "OMG" attack that you want to intentially cause a critical every 10 seconds using the ATO proc. Ripper would be a nice option, in that it's decent damage with the bonus that it's a cone attack and can hit multiple targets. However, because it's considered an AoE attack, it follows the AoE rules and only criticals out of hide 50% of the time instead of 100%... 50% is good, but not good in the way other sets have it.

If spine burst had a 1.6 second animation and ripper had a 100% chance to critical out of hide, I'd start playing the set tonight. It'd be an AoE beast in a game that heavily rewards AoE beasts. And the play style would be thrilling. As is, there's at least 3 other stalker primary sets that satisfy my min/max-d damage machine urges in ways spines can't.

Spines has terrific AoE, who can complain about THAT with a straight face?!?

also, why is it letting me post here, I ain't no VIP!

Yes, the best ST DPS for Spines (before the Stalker Buff) in fact used 2 AOEs...

Impale - Ripper - Throw Spines

The animation times on the attacks did well for making it relatively cheap on the amount of +RCH one needed if I recall correctly.

For a Stalker, adding in the new AS, that's over 200 DPS with some IO investment (before the top DPS would be around 120ish, not counting BU and -Resist Proc), and not counting the -Resist Proc in the chain or the use of Build Up, and that doesn't take into account how often Impale would get increased crit chances from the Hide Proc.

Note: Scrapper was getting around 150ish [Edit: from 160ish], without accounting for the -Resist Proc or BU, but throwing in Quills use.

So, yeah...Spines isn't the top set, but it had enough ST DPS going for it imo not to be as bad as many think.

I'm also going with the idea that Impale would be the better attack to follow AS, as it's 100% chance to crit from hide. But Ripper has the better DPA.

Use of Musculature and Reactive, Spines ST DPS is looking to get over 300 DPS.

Anyone playing their stalkers in i23 beta? I have a pylon time of 2:07 for 429 DPS on my DB/Nin (Thought I was going to say StJ/SR, didn't you?) with the new incarnate power. Also have the Hecatomb and a Mako's SBE procs equipped since they're free for testing purposes.

Was probably Assault against a Pylon.

Also, that's a new term. "SBE"?

Store bought enhancements. Good news! They're completely broken, in terms of balance compared to existing procs. Check the most contentious threads in the beta forums for more exposition on this topic.

Ah, right. Yes, well aware of how stupid the PPM system is.