In this video, I provide an update to my “Melee Mage” Esper PVP build for the PVP Drop 2 patch. I’m glad to report that the build is performing well :)
I discuss the patch changes, adjustments to my build, Esper lifesteal mechanics, and last but not least the *fantastic* news from MuffinMan about proposed changes to the PVP gear system:
Gear Gaps:
The gear gaps are being closed. The intent is to make it so skilled players in blues will still be competitive with players in Tier 2 sets (1800’s). We will be making following changes:
- The PvP blue set will be boosted to the current Tier 1 set
- The Tier 2 set will remain the same
- The Tier 1 set will be boosted to bridge the gap between blues and Tier 2.
- This change is targeted to be pushed out in the next few weeks.
Making Tier 2 Gear obtainable in Rated Battlegrounds:
I would also like to make Tier 2 pvp gear obtainable in Rated Battlegrounds. This is another change that will require approval and again, I will provide updates when I am able.
Carbine’s proposed changes are almost identical to what I recommended in my recent blog post about the endgame PVP system.
I am so psyched that they are going with a solution that makes PVP more skill-based, and still supports gear progression for those who want it.
MuffinMan also said that healing will get increased:
Healing in PvP:
Adjustments are being made internally to increase the effectiveness of healing in PvP. This change will need a balance pass and testing so I can’t provide an ETA at this time.
While I agree with Carbine that healing was too strong pre-Drop 2 – combat sometimes boiled down to no one dying until healers went OOM – it was overnerfed in Drop 2, so it make sense that healing will be re-adjusted.
Taugrim's MMO Blog 
These are really responsive changes. They may actually be listening!
On the healing balancing: it was definitely a problem. Now it is a problem in the other direction. After this next balancing pass, it will probably be too strong again. Then it will be too week. The hope is that is a converging series to a good value, with smaller and smaller overshoots every time. Frequent adjustments is the key, and they are already doing better balancing this game than SWTOR did, even though SWTOR started out more balanced. They just let it stay unbalanced too long when it did finally shift.
I don’t think so.
My guess is that they’ll balance healing between where it is now and where it was pre-patch.
Any discouraged thoughts on RNGing the PvP gear runes? It seems so silly after having just proposed the changes you mention in your video that I can’t help but think they’re going to quickly reverse it. I read that it just went live today though.
Yes, I am disappointed that Carbine went live with the RNG runes on PVP gear, considering that aside from DPS Medic, the runes were good. That is, players who already got their gear have an advantage.
J-Tal already acknowledged that RNG on runes isn’t something that players will like, and that Carbine wants to fix RNG by adding a way to re-roll colors. IMO that fix should have happened before the RNG went live.
http://www.reddit.com/r/WildStar/comments/2cvazw/pvp_gear_will_now_roll_random_rune_colors/
With the pace that you get Prestige I really don’t see a problem with random rune slots. Is like D3 Kadara. You just do it again and again for the hope of the best combination.
BTW what would you chase? Double Fire in every slot? What do yo think would be the best rune slots possible for this build?
With the RNG, I don’t think this is worth mapping out until the rune color re-rolling is implemented.
For me I’ll focus on getting whatever colors (hopefully Fire and some Fusion and some Earth) that allows me to get 12/12 SW, 11 or 15/15 SBS, and 4 or 8/12 PYN).
Will you try out Archeage Taug? I heard that its PvP modes are too good to ignore, but a lot of other designs are backwards (mobs/resource nodes are first tag, first serve for example, and combat feels WoW-ish)
Yes, if the next ArcheAge Closed Beta event doesn’t coincide with a major patch for WildStar.
I heard you have to be level 30 to PVP in ArcheAge :|
Hey Taugrim. Been quietly stalking your blog since the Swordmaster / BW days :) May have commented once/twice before only.
Re. Archage, thats right as you won’t generally have completed primary skill-lines to viability much before this. That’s right although there’s been rumblings that they will provide ‘insta 30′ option during the PvP focus test (whenever that is), which would be nice. To be honest, the real exciting one for me is Camelot Unchained: evokes very, very fond memories of DAoC’s skill-orientated, team-centric, well-balanced PvP. Hope they will take the great elements of WAR and DAoC and blend them.
Re. the Melee Esper, great guide, i’m working on my 2nd char quietly which is an Esper that will swap to this spec at 25+. I’d love to hear your thoughts on Engineer PvP: i’ve got one now as my main. Right now feels very… lacking. Fantastic survivability (even in dps spec) but just no ability to kill anything with even a modicum of self-healing.
I wish Turbine would get the ArcheAge developer to change the game to have PVP very early, as most MMORPGs have been doing for years.
I have no interest in leveling a character strictly via PVE up to level 30.
Also, AA from what I’ve heard is tab target combat, which feels so stale and dated now.
CU feels a long way from live.
I didn’t play DAoC but it’s the most oft-referenced example of good World PVP.
You should be able to out-DPS the healing of any hybrid or DPS. A full healer if they’re good can kite you for a long time, but you can eventually Focus starve them.
I played against you last night, you were running with a warrior. We were steam-rolled =) Super happy to see you in game! Anyway, the following is a rough idea I had for assisting with grouping up for PVE content. My question is two-fold. 1) is this even possible? 2) could the “gauntlet” would be equally viable for PVP/PVE content.
Upon entering the instance, group leader can choose to enter into the “gauntlet” or to skip it. If the choice is no, the party continues into the usual content. If the leader chooses yes, something like the following could happen: 1)gear neutralized 2) objective based running, dodging, and positioning for all classes 3) after 5-ish minutes, a concise report on all players showing the following: 3a) dmg/threat/heals 3b) damage taken 3c) objectives completed 3d) movement/resource efficiency 3e) etc.
So, after 5 minutes I can get a better picture of my individual group members. The important part of this concept is a focus on player skill measurement (is that even possible?). Proposed methods include a gear normalization to some pre-set level, and tasks which progress from easy–>difficult–>King Leonidas. This is an effort to decrease the amount of players who “out-perform the test” or “reach the ceiling.”
Re: #1, I think a game has to take a stance on how the combat mechanics works. E.g. are there gear differentials or are there not. It shouldn’t be up to the players. It should be designed into the game.
E.g. if you turn gear off, what happens to enchants/runes/sigils/etc that are required for a spec to function?
Re: #2, interesting idea, but I’m not sure how one measures how successful a dodge is. Did you dodge a small attack but eat a big one?
#3 is basically what games have now in terms of scoreboards, and it would be nice if those were also visible in PVE, although addons do provide the stats if people want them.
I think games have implemented a similar concept simply by having the party selecting the dungeon difficulty: normal, hard, freaking nuts.
Another good post, thanks. I hear people still complaining about endgame pvp, mostly raiders hint, hint. That PvP is broken and unbalanced and so forth. I’m still leveling so I would not know. Would you say it’s broken or just suffering the PvE – PvP balance problems? It’s something many MMO’s have to deal with among other things. In lower brackets i don’t perceive PvP as broken…
As of the patch earlier this week, which made 50 blue gear easy to acquire (6.5k Prestige, and you can cap 5k prior to dinging 50, and get the rest from saved-up bags) and also boosted the stats of the blue and 1500 gear so that they’re closer to 1800 gear, the endgame PVP is now awesome.
Which is great, because as you alluded the leveling PVP in WildStar is excellent.
https://forums.wildstar-online.com/forums/index.php?/topic/110760-ratings-will-be-reset-with-the-next-drop/#entry1148632
Extremely happy to see this. As a newbie to the game, I’m getting close to 50 and didn’t want to step into 50’s PvP and get facerolled into a quick rating hole. This is perfect timing for myself and other people who just started the game.
Now I’m just crossing my fingers that Rated PvP will be PUG-able up to 1800 gear.
Sounds fantastic indeed! I’m in the same boat.
Well as you’ve noticed by now, the gear differentials were narrowed, which was a terrific change.
The following things have not been implemented yet:
1. PVP ratings reset, which is coming in Drop 3
2. Having 1800 gear acquireable via RBG
Taugrim, all respect to you sir, but I am tired of going against your build in BGs. :) I build my Engi with some solid cc counters in order to cope. Anyways, you definitely have folks reading your posts.
I hope pvp players who have taken a break are willing to come back and try again, as the changes have been really good.
Lets go play tanks.
I’m back on WoT as of this week :)
Look me up in-game.