Champions are not fun

[Connman]

It's what I've been saying - I'm NOT against Champions per se BUT I am against the Devs taking the lazy route and not fitting them into the game properly!

I will go farm you a PLIS if you can find a post where I disagree with that sentiment, however, as far as my no ML solution, if you can't afford one, maybe, just maybe, you have no business bringing that toon into that quest. Try normal, you just described the toon this difficulty setting was designed for.

Qhualor, about time for you to dig up that dev post about new players and difficulty settings.

[dunklezhan]

Pre champs: I liked that there were some mobs that in vamp form my wiz had to be very very careful around due to light vulnerability
Post champs: I like that there are some mobs that in vamp form my wiz had to be very very careful around due to light vulnerability. If those same mobs have a crown, I am probably in trouble. I like that too. This is why I bring another player/summons/hire who can get it's attention while I try to use my own horrible one shotting cosmic power to bring it down.

pre champs: I liked that there were some mobs I did NOT want to allow to stay unstunned on my monk, and this meant that some large fights were a real problem without other players to help out.
post champs: This has not changed. Every champ I've run into of a base type which can be CC'd, is subject to it. (though talking of base types, the champ willowisp with electric vulnerability really shouldn't be allowed to happen. pointless debuff is pointless but it does prove that the champs are following the base template of the creature they are based on. Base template has priority, and that's good).

I could go on with examples from all my characters - they are all pure classes, and all have problems in certain situations, and are stronger in others.

Essentially - it means you want a diverse party. Soloing is now harder because you never know when you're going to run into something you're not personally equipped to handle. It's called teamwork. Our guild runs have become a LOT more fun. we still complete quests. It takes us longer and we have more deaths. Complete wipes are only marginally higher in frequency than they ever were for us.

I of course don't like being arbitrarily and randomly one shotted. You can't learn from that. However, presumably whatever character you had is not completely defenceless. AC, MRR, PRR, dodge, concealment, incorp, stoneskin... some portion of that still works against every champion. Wizards and cloth casters are probably the most vulnerable because lots of champs get true seeing so the normal caster defences dont' work so well, but that's ok. Casters don't do well against hard hitting melee champs who can get past magical defences. But I bet you anything that thing, whatever it is, can be CCd by something. Bring friends who can deal with that kind of stuff, and lay down cover fire and CC to help them to overcome it.

I still think they need tweaking - a cap on the number that can spawn at once would be good. Some epic hard encounters are silly-full of champs, for instance. But on the whole I think they've done what they set out to do. If they bring in a story to explain them (though how they explain the silly crowns I've no idea) and some kind of crafty-plotty mini game to join it all together, tied in somehow to the new shavarath and vale plots... I'll actually be very happy with the whole thing. That's a world event, is what that is. And I do so love when the game gets treated like a world and not an "engine".

[FranOhmsford]

I will go farm you a PLIS if you can find a post where I disagree with that sentiment, however, as far as my no ML solution, if you can't afford one, maybe, just maybe, you have no business bringing that toon into that quest. Try normal, you just described the toon this difficulty setting was designed for.

Qhualor, about time for you to dig up that dev post about new players and difficulty settings.

Way to make it personal - I don't give two figs about Ioun Stones and certainly ain't going to farm a quest I hate {Dreaming Dark} to get them!

Yet I don't have any issues running Threnal!

However YOU'RE the one who brought up Ice Flensers!
These things are at their worst in mid level quests LONG BEFORE most 1st lifers are going to have an Ioun Stone!

There are other ways to avoid taking dmg from Ice Flensers that DON'T require a smeggin' GEAR CHECK!


As for running Normal - Please!

Normal was barely viable as a learning experience BEFORE Champions - Now it's completely worthless!

1st Lifers need one thing that's never mentioned when Vets insist they should be running Normal - FAVOUR!

Even the VIP 1st Lifers still need every last Favour point they can get!

If Elite is so difficult that you need multiple past lives or veteran knowledge only gained from you know...actually running elite!
Then:
The game will die!

[Qhualor]

The vampire form was an example. Another example is the three champions before the end of Von3 , that beholder can one shot you as a champion using disintegration.

I have run Running with the Devils many times but not in vampire form or after champions yet; I might have run it in lich form as a PM before champions, but I do not remember it being a problem.

non Champion beholders can one shot you with disintegrate too. its all about the saves and rolls.