Artificer: Meh..

[Gimpinator]

So after leveling a naked Artificer to Level 20, I've become rather underwhelmed with the class at a first glance. Despite the interesting novelties, some incredibly good and some incredibly bad, the appeal has went from a roller-coastering* "10" to a flat "3" on the "OMG Scale".

The average player, with solid end-game gear, can expect 1800ish SP. These Spell Points are quickly diminished by the amount of buffing one will be doing (for yourself, others, pet and hireling), the lackluster AOEs you will throw (likely pretending they are useful), the amount of healing required to keep a hireling (your pet) alive, and of course, healing yourself or others.

Most players can expect an Intelligence score of 38-40 on a Warforged Artificer. (10base + 6spell level + 15mod + 2Evocation Item = A whopping 33 Blade Barrier D/C. This can obviously be pushed to a 39ish with Greater Spell Focus: Evocation, Wizard Past Life and three Sorcerer past lives, but for most players, their Blade Barrier will be incredibly limited. While the Blade Barrier route would prove worthy with an overly competent player behind the wheel, the Artificer will still be lacking in the SP department due to the excessive buffage and the god forsaken hireling. Anyone who goes this route should probably throw a bucket of iced water down their pants, and immediately reincarnate into a Divine-type class. Do you want to take advantage of the Direct Damage / AoE spells? Lightning Sphere? Lightning Motes? Tactical Detonation? Well don't bother, because that's SP that can be used much more effective and efficiently.

Pros:
Flame Turret: Awesome.
Incredibly high Blade Barrier damage if you can afford to use it.
Deadly Weapons.
Damage Reduction buffs that can be cast on others. (Probably the only thing making this class truly viable at end-game)
Capstone: The Capstone is amazing. Don't talk back.
+11 Crafting Levels for those who need a little shove to get off their bums. Oh, and a bonus for new players!
Traps. You can do traps! Personally, I could care less, but that's just me.
The pet is cute.... Initially..
Pew Pew!

Cons:
The Pet. Words cannot describe how much I hate this hireling. I've grouped with a fairshare of griefers back on my home server, and I'm fairly certain this pet puts them to shame. I'm convinced it's out to get me killed most of the time. If you EVER need it to be useful, it will defy you EVERY time. It simply cannot be trusted.
Lack of SP: I cringe at the thought of buffing raid groups, let alone buffing a small group of six. Sorry in advance for not buffing you when this class goes live!
The Pet: I hate that thing.
Potential to be a solid 'nuking' class, but pushed aside from the lack of Spell Points and Spell Levels, which is to be expected of course.
Pew Pew


A couple things I didn't get involved with would include Rune Arms, Wondrous Items and Potions. Granted I never got my hands on an amazing Rune Arm (haven't seen one I liked yet), I can't imagine it being more effective than your Repeater. They are essentially a bonus while your Pew Pew is equipped as far as I'm concerned. My biggest hope is that Viles' Caster Level increases, making the strain on Spell Points more bearable.

Though my post might seem negative towards the Artificer, I still have only been able to play a naked one to level 20. I plan to immediately TR my Bard into one because this class is slightly more fun than playing a lame Bard. Heck, the Artificer is basically a fun Bard with a hireling that gives you an extra challenge when you need it.

So, does anyone else feel similar about the class? It's probably just a matter of time before their most useful spells get nerfed, making the Artificer very "Meh" and forcing Monks to suddenly become more broken, somehow.. Oh, and sorry for the typos and walls o' text. Perhaps a Developer could reassure me that the Pets will be looked at? Don't you lie to me, either. I know where you live!

[FrozenNova]

Yeah - artificer merits appeared dubious from the pilot's fun perspective from the start, and my playtesting has more or less confirmed that. If you want to be an asset to your group, you spend 75% of your sp and a great deal of time applying single target buffs, and most of the rest of your time disabling traps. A couple of neat and interesting non-buff spells are available, but as stated only a couple of them are worth using. The crossbows are really rather fun, though largely due to the capacity to fire much faster manually, which I imagine will be scaled down for live and return to being fairly useless.
It's hard to judge the effectiveness of the pet, since its AI on lamania is several kinds of broken, but it doesn't seem as though its abilities scale well enough to continue serving much use later on.
I didn't hit cap - I imagine the capstone is really what's supposed to make the whole class worthwhile (something of a shame, but nevertheless). DC's arn't that impressive - you need to grab the offensive spell wand/scroll enhancements, and quite likely some focus feats. However, it is free web, soundburst, hold person and similar at full dc, and some minor free nukes.

I reckon this could be dramatically enhanced by the ability to craft higher level wands. Free finger of death? Dancing sphere? Mass hold person? Or even, the capacity to cast maxed/emped/heightened biting cold/electric surge/divine punishment/burning blood/melf's/black dragon bolt/acid rain/ice storm/acid fog/incendary cloud/firewall for free almost all at once.

Oh, another thing - for a class supposedly the most proficient at cannith crafting (giving flat bonuses that I consider a horrible, horribly cheap idea), the artificer has no way to procure soul gems, and hence cannot actually craft anything on its lonesome. DDO is not an incredibly social game - forcing people to rely on others for crafting ingredients is not a great plan.

[MRH]

Well i may roll one up on live maybe one of my TRs, but i don't think i need anything they provide.

I have weapons and gear to get me through any quest or any raid......

They do have some appeal , but like ship buffs...... they were not needed before to get quests and raids done.
I see your meh and raise you a meh...

[sirdanile]

Erm, You're complaining about having a 33 spell dc on blade barrier and having as many sp as a cleric.

Yeah ok, sure.

And rune arms can be equipped with a xbow or 1 handed melee weapon.

[Bodic]

but but so many are crying Nerf Nerf Nerf because of the rapid reload feat.

and ooooh noooo's a choice of 3 repeaters.

[InvadeNormandy]

I find that most people who talk ill of the rune arms havn't properly invested in the enhancements for them nor found a nice one.

I'm always using the blasted thing!

[Gimpinator]

I find that most people who talk ill of the rune arms havn't properly invested in the enhancements for them nor found a nice one.

I'm always using the blasted thing!

I invested into Tier 2 and used the one from Tangle Root until cap. It was my only source of fortification and practically my only item. Sorry for being unable to justify the use of something. How did you manage to fit all the useful enhancements into your build? I get the impression you somehow have double the Enhancement Points I had...

[InvadeNormandy]

I invested into Tier 2 and used the one from Tangle Root until cap. It was my only source of fortification and practically my only item. Sorry for being unable to justify the use of something. How did you manage to fit all the useful enhancements into your build? I get the impression you somehow have double the Enhancement Points I had...

I didn't touch any enhancement outside of my chosen weapon for each arti (IE: Other than getting battle engineer, I had no ranged enhances on my melee arti, and no melee enhances on my ranged arti) and I used the rune arm points (and the associated damage boosting points) as gap fillers instead of say. any sort of minor skill boost.

[Gimpinator]

I didn't touch any enhancement outside of my chosen weapon for each arti (IE: Other than getting battle engineer, I had no ranged enhances on my melee arti, and no melee enhances on my ranged arti) and I used the rune arm points (and the associated damage boosting points) as gap fillers instead of say. any sort of minor skill boost.

Oh, you left out the point where it worked for your melee build!

..Well you'll never convince this Power Gamer that the current implementation of the Rune Arms are anything but useless, though I was willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. It worked for your build? Grats! Now how about something constructive, like an example of how effective your precious Rune Arms are?

I'm not trying to be a prick about it. I'd love to hear why it works so well for you, whom clearly swears by it. (Trying to be serious here!) *Smiley Face*

[Letrii]

On runearms, they are supplemental damage to use while clicking away with main weapon and they add damage to main weapon too.

[Grosbeak07]

I wouldnt close the book on Artificers until they are live. I expect quite a few changes and tweaking between now and then.

If someone asked me today what I exactly thought of them, I would say they would be the new bard.

Now I happen to like bards, so Artificer works for me, but those who don't like playing bards won't like Artificer. (as it stands now)

[Gimpinator]

I wouldnt close the book on Artificers until they are live. I expect quite a few changes and tweaking between now and then.

If someone asked me today what I exactly thought of them, I would say they would be the new bard.

Now I happen to like bards, so Artificer works for me, but those who don't like playing bards won't like Artificer. (as it stands now)

I was banking on kick-ass Bardificer the entire way! It's a shame the Artificer's Capstone is so awesome.

Now some schmuck gets to steal my build's name, claim it as his own, and ruin what could have been.

[icepick320]

Atrificers r great and kind of Op. The pets are great, u can get their hp up to 700 buffed with dr8 and good ac along with improved evasion. And u didnt add heighten to the bbarrier DC. http://ddowiki.com/page/Glorious_Obscenity is a great rune arm and ur completely ungeared. About the buffing a whole party, wizards dont do that imagine a wiard casting every buff they can on every player theyd be at less then 500 sp. What i do is buff characters before i shrine and equip an archmagi item before i rest. The insane fire rate of a repeating xbow with the int to damige buff is atleast solid dps, the high UMD along with usefull 1 person buffs is great, imagine an artificer buffing a ToD tank and umd scrolls on him/her.

[InvadeNormandy]

Oh, you left out the point where it worked for your melee build!

..Well you'll never convince this Power Gamer that the current implementation of the Rune Arms are anything but useless, though I was willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. It worked for your build? Grats! Now how about something constructive, like an example of how effective your precious Rune Arms are?

I'm not trying to be a prick about it. I'd love to hear why it works so well for you, whom clearly swears by it. (Trying to be serious here!) *Smiley Face*

Wow. Hostility much? I'm not implying not using them is an affront to all that's good. I'm just saying most don't give them a fair shot, invest in the enhances for it nor have an up to date one. Which is like saying a certain weapon type of any other variety is terrible when you don't have the benefits to use it :P

As far as constructive goes! In my experiences the following works for rune arms.

Part of the rune arm power comes from (above) tier 2 charging, rune arm overcharging (which lets you sit at a higher rank of charge without much stress to stand stone still or worry about losing ranks mob to mob) and being able to use it whenever you want, I also believe it gains a slight damage kick from potency/enhances/clickies relevent to it's element (IE: It might actually be more prudent to use a "lesser" rune arm you have a high damage focus in than one that does a few points more that you have no investment or damage bonus to)

Add to the fact that the damage bonuses to your main hand, on top of the offhand "Free Damage" is to make up for the lack (or choice) to not be another dual wield leaning class.

[mystafyi]

Erm, You're complaining about having a 33 spell dc on blade barrier and having as many sp as a cleric.

Yeah ok, sure.

33 dc evocation is pretty bad for endgame. might as well have 20 dc.

And u didnt add heighten to the bbarrier DC.

Isnt the Arti's highest spell level 6?

[Gimpinator]

I also believe it gains a slight damage kick from potency/enhances/clickies relevent to it's element (IE: It might actually be more prudent to use a "lesser" rune arm you have a high damage focus in than one that does a few points more that you have no investment or damage bonus to)

Well now you're being helpful! I would need to verify this of course. For the record: I'm not trying to be hostile. I just want to be enlightened, and provided this information turns out to be accurate, I may have to go test these Rune Arm out a little further.

As for the previous link of the Rune Arm a couple posts above: Meh!

Yeah, let's not talk about the Heighten Feat when it comes to Artificers.. I'll pretend you didn't bring that one up.

PS; The d2-d6 (d8?) of elemental damage you get (added to your Primary Weapon) is hardly note worthy, but like we both agreed on, it's still a bonus! Hence the reason I wore one at all.

[InvadeNormandy]

Well now you're being helpful! I would need to verify this of course. For the record: I'm not trying to be hostile. I just want to be enlightened, and provided this information turns out to be accurate, I may have to go test these Rune Arm out a little further.

As for the previous link of the Rune Arm a couple posts above: Meh!

Yeah, let's not talk about the Heighten Feat when it comes to Artificers.. I'll pretend you didn't bring that one up.

PS; The d2-d6 (d8?) of elemental damage you get (added to your Primary Weapon) is hardly note worthy, but like we both agreed on, it's still a bonus! Hence the reason I wore one at all.

Truth be told! I do know the damage enhancements work with it... I THINK maybe (Keyword being think) that the artificer wand/scroll/etc. focus might boost it as well. Since it counts it as an item that casts a spell.

Potency/clickies I hear conflicting reports about and I have no potency items as of yet, so I have to test that one (easy way would be me to get a fire pot and try out my flame warden before and after... which I am actually gonna do now!)

[Aashrym]

but but so many are crying Nerf Nerf Nerf because of the rapid reload feat.

and ooooh noooo's a choice of 3 repeaters.

That's because I was a no past life non twinked artficer can run walk all over low level quest with the starter repeater. Hold off on Delera's until level 6 when the turret becomes available.

They don't need nerfed so much as spread out a bit. They have a lot of bonus feats and removing rapid reload as a bonus feat while fixing the manual rof and removing magical training will not gimp them at low levels while high levels will not have any real impact.

Other than that I would expect to see some more weapon augments. If we can only have one at a time I can make a list that I would like to see added. I would trade that off for some better options at higher levels.

[sirdanile]

33 dc evocation is pretty bad for endgame. might as well have 20 dc.


Isnt the Arti's highest spell level 6?

Says the people with 9 past lives, my gimp human sorc touts a 33 due to "lack of gear" (Large scales for a +3 exceptional cha weapon, would bump me to 35) and still murders things with instakills and gets CC to stick relatively frequently.

My melee fvs uses blade barrier often with an astounding 20 dc, I only ever notice on enemies with evasion.

[Gimpinator]

It also wouldn't hurt this case if the Developers were a little less vague. "This spell will deal half damage on a successful save, but we won't tell you what the Difficulty Check is! Muahahaha, I am <Insert Neutral Evil Developer Name Here>!"

I understand most of the Developers like to talk in riddles, as they seem to get a kick out of it, but there is a line that shouldn't be crossed.