IPS replacement?

[Sonoma]

In every ranged build I have used, IPS was a must-have feat. If it does not survive, what is a logical replacement?

[MistaMagic]

A different Game

[HungarianRhapsody]

In every ranged build I have used, IPS was a must-have feat. If it does not survive, what is a logical replacement?

Archer's Focus will probably be better damage against single target (i.e. bosses).

Since 90+% of your time in DDO is going to be spent clearing swarms of trash, IPS is still going to be a must have. It isn't going to work as well as it used to, but it's still must-have if you're going to pew pew (or throw daggers/darts/shuriken).

[droid327]

IPS is slated for a -20% penalty. So as long as you're still hitting at least 2 mobs, you're doing at least 160% of the total DPS you'd do against a single mob.

We need to see what AF is like, but unless it's going to boost your single-target damage reliably by 60% or more, then IPS is still going to be optimal in any situation where you're hitting more than one mob.

Likewise, as long as you're hitting at least two mobs with at least 25% of your shots, IPS is still a net DPS increase over no-stance. The break-even point vs AF will depend on what AF's net bonus is.

In other words - IPS doesnt suck enough to not still use it, just using it is going to suck more now.

[bracelet]

In other words - IPS doesnt suck enough to not still use it, just using it is going to suck more now.

It will suck a lot more. Killing that last mob, or those guys that refuse to line up will now have to be done at a penalty. No one is going to stay sane long toggling the thing on and off. And it wouldn't really matter since the global cool down is probably more than a 20% penalty on its own. It is a horrible nerf to a high cost feat.

[Chai]

People under rated the skill floor of using IPS to its fullest potential, like its just some point and click scenario where all stars align all the time - which very rarely happens. Its one of the more difficult AOE skills to get right. Other AOE, including melee AOE, are far easier to use. Keep in mind we arent talking about risk here, but skill floor.

A 20% attack damage nerf wasnt warranted.

[Saekee]

the nerf is on ALL ranged damage or just the FIRST number? eg the base damage? Because if imbues are unaffected, EKs may take first place on ranged trash removal since IPS nerf won’t matter

[HungarianRhapsody]

the nerf is on ALL ranged damage or just the FIRST number? eg the base damage? Because if imbues are unaffected, EKs may take first place on ranged trash removal since IPS nerf won’t matter
First number only. Sneak damage and law damage and poison damage also unaffected.

[DRoark]

A 20% attack damage nerf wasnt warranted.

They're trying to compensate for the INQ-Meta by slamming group damage on ranged classes. No AOE class (IPS isn't actually an AOE) has a "do less damage if you hit a few kobolds" mechanic.
This like swatting a crippled Orc with a claymore, loaded with nails, coated in nerve venom. Instead, they're taking a feat that worked for a decade, and shanking it prison-style.

This is exactly like when they "balanced" Epic 29+ monk DPS, that were using ONE set of wraps, with a specific ED, by nerfing HEROIC monks and removed canon unarmed progression.

Let's not forget the poor Monks and their "Wraps of Hey, You Can't Wear Gloves +1". Yeah, those. Not even sure of the decision-making that was involved in that little gem.

[KoobTheProud]

To answer the original question: it really depends on your build and the number of feats you have available. It's hard to see how IPS in it's nerfed form won't still be much better than the alternatives, however there are other feats that are perfectly good that lose out easily to IPS now in feat-starved builds.

Precision is probably the best feat that a feat-starved ranged build might not take in deference to Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Imp Critical - Ranged, Imp Precise Shot, (Rapid Reload/Many Shot) and (Insightful Reflexes/Quick Draw). If you wanted to one-for-one replace IPS with Precision you'd certainly raise single target damage some.

If you already have both IPS and Precision and either Rapid Reload or Many Shot or Quick Draw, well nothing that you replace IPS with is going to be anything but a major damage loss overall. You probably just want to keep IPS and do more damage (by far) than any replacement feat is going to produce. They could take IPS down to 60% damage and it would still do more damage than any other feat if all appropriate of the above were already in the build.

Let's not talk about Vorpal either because the IPS nerf is nothing compared to what having Vorpal go from high volume ranged weapons would be.

[Saekee]

First number only. Sneak damage and law damage and poison damage also unaffected.
This is what I thought so yeah just go EK, do a thrower 3 monk/15+ wiz or EK inquisitor imbuing away

[K_9]

IPS as a toggle was the worst thing ever to be introduced for ranged builds IMO. For a long time it has been a crutch rather than allowing for the problem to be properly addressed.

IPS should simply have had a cool down w of X seconds and duration of of Z seconds like manyshot has. I'm disapointed by this point that we don't have enhancements that give you an attack button to single strike one target while hitting a secondary target close to it. Eg +3W damage on primary target, while 1-3 other close targets get hit by +1W damage. You could even have added a secondary attack that hits everything for +1W damage to everything in a small cuircle radius or cone that would still be an improvement over what we currently have.

If this approach had been done then ranged would be in a much better state than it is now and easier to balance in the long run.