First 30 minutes on a warlock, the initial impression.

[redoubt]

I started at the bottom, level 1. I'm a TR addict, so I'm used to these quests and figured I'd just run a character up from scratch to compare.

My recentlives have been (going backward): Swashbuckler, Assassin, Paladin, Paladin, Fire-Sorc, Wolf Melee Druid, Wizard CC/necro. So I've played through the low content on a variety of builds.

Caveats:
I usually have ship buffs and do not on Lama.
My recent builds have all had at least 2 past lives and my main has 20+.
I don't usually run any quests naked, but I could not find any level 1 gear to put on, so I started running naked.

Build:
Drow. 20 Cha, 14 Con, 12 Int.

Korthos. Snooze-ville right? Wrong.
- Helping Kaja is normally a 2 minute quest at level 1 on elite. This time it was well over 5 and I used every starter potion I could find and still died after the boss did.
- Then I went and got the scroll. That was not too bad, but still about 3x longer than I'm used to.

I bailed and went to the dojo. Picked up +2 cha and +2 con items and leveled to 2. Went into Tainted Scholar and took strong pact and command.

- Went to defend the crystal. Failed 3 times. First time I just tried to kill them like always. 2nd mob killed crystal.
---- 2nd try I started charming. Several broke at once and they killed the crystal.
---- 3rd try I was using command and killing the one that was down. If a second showed up I'd charm it. Still got over whelmed.

The damage at level one using EB feels really bad to me, but I can really only compare it to melee at this level because I usually melee for several level no matter what the build is, but I wanted to see how EB compared, and it was not good.

Pushing up to level 2 it is better, but it still feels behind melee by a large amount.

I'm sure i'll play it some more and see how it goes as the levels progress.

[Hiponic]

I just ran my first korthos quest as well.

Although the EB is low damage.. Its unlimited.. I stood back and just click click click ya know..

Instantly I thought "Omg.. Shiradi is gonna get sooo abused here"


Im going to go through the pain stacking process of TRing this toon 3 times since Im premium and cant copy a toon..
.. Come back and try to solo some EH or something.

[bosyber]

Although the EB is low damage.. Its unlimited.. I stood back and just click click click ya know..
...

My own experience was a bit different from the OP, and it boils down to the above.

I also felt quite squishy, with only very few hits to be gone. So keep distance, or use a group/hireling. It is like a classic PnP caster in that way: to start out, you have to be really careful as you don't have many buffs or CC, and you need those.

But, unlike those, EB is indeed unlimited, so you can just keep blasting a 'thousand knife cuts' massacre - at least at the lower levels.

Admittedly, I jumped to lvl4 straight away, and there I had some buffs, but still had to be a bit careful and keep mobs at a distance, but with that, at level the damage is low but counting up to make it easy (too easy, I think). HE is quite doable, as long as you kill heavy hitters before they reach you. Too easy probably, especially with chain bolt (ran Irestone Inlet, with nascoe as melee Warlock) - very easy.

Then I leveled up to lvl6, did some ToEE (normal, no VIP ..). Again, only problems if I ran headlong into room with mobs that could trip/stun or hit me for >50% HP in one go (timely command helps some). Really, just keep that EB(chain) blasting when you round a corner, no worry about it running out after all. HE might be different, haven't done higher levels.

So my first impression was that in low-mid levels Heroic levels, EB is likely too easy, unless you barge into fights as if you are a tank, or if you stop to think and try something else than EB, and be creative as you did; Just don't stop that EB

I felt EB needs to be like rage, in that it fatigues, or some other reason to also use CC or strategy. Or make me get wisdom drain for sticking with the Demon power without thought, something. It was honestly getting a bit boring.

[Chi_Ryu]

(normal, no VIP ..)

FYI: You can buy Elite unlocks in the store, just grab some free TP from Sir Poincelot in the dojo.

OP: level 1 on most characters is underwhelming and I tend to go melee on everything until level 3; Warlocks are no different for me and felt like a low level Wiz/Sorc.

Ship buffs are also disproportionately powerful at level 1, so if you are used to those, you'll feel the difference.

[Ausdoerrt]

@OP: You know, much of what you described probably boils down more to being out-of-touch with playing first life and/or non-frontloaded toons. For example, the "slowness" is just as normal for low levels as a ranged build (unless you're willing to pick up a two-hander until level 6 or so).

Likewise, Cannith Crystal can be a pain on lvl1 elite, but a barb hire easily solves the issue.

EB is unlimited and shoots as fast or probably faster than a regular bow/crossbow, and is affected by spellpower.

[slarden]

@OP: You know, much of what you described probably boils down more to being out-of-touch with playing first life and/or non-frontloaded toons. For example, the "slowness" is just as normal for low levels as a ranged build (unless you're willing to pick up a two-hander until level 6 or so).

Likewise, Cannith Crystal can be a pain on lvl1 elite, but a barb hire easily solves the issue.

EB is unlimited and shoots as fast or probably faster than a regular bow/crossbow, and is affected by spellpower.

Yeah that is what I was thinking. My level 1 strategy on casters is master's touch + my bta no min level lacerating festival icy burst weapons.

[Gimpy007]

Here are my first 30 minutes..

I started out at level 7 and upon entering a quest (first chance to be able to use EB) I immediately appreciated the fantasy aspect of channeling power through an other worldly entity and hurling it at my foes. Unfortunately my impression is mostly downhill from there...

*Pros

New Aspect and feeling

Has more of a P&P feel and speaks to my nostalgia

No spell points used so as a toon just starting out I was able to kill enough mobs to go buy some bolts for my crossbow


*Cons

I must have misread something previously. I didn’t know it would be an Either/Or situation with standard attacks and EB. Not be able to use a weapon while EBing makes it weak. Auto attack on, sword in hand, up close and personal with a mob and I fire only EBs. Crossbow in hand and far away with auto attack on, I fire only EBs.

The damage of EBs is low. It can be out damaged by almost any melee or ranged weapon. And with the inability to use a weapon while EBing you are a putts when it comes to dps

EB shoots straight ahead when no mob is targeted. If you aim your targeting circle at a ledge it shoots straight down the hallway as if you were facing straight ahead (similar to many of the enhancement SLAs). This is a bit frustrating.

EB range is a little short. I didn’t pick up enlarge to see if this would help. If it does it would be worth the feat for the utility.

Squishy. I played quests below my level and I had a 16 con and I know my way around mobs… and I had to watch my health bar VERY closely.



Recommended Modifications so far

Up the EB damage significantly ***OR*** make it work while using a weapon. For example if I’m standing in place and going through an attack routine with a quarterstaff make it so I’m shooting EBs at the same time. The second option is preferable because the first option would lead me to just stand back and only hurl the same EBs over and over again, which would get boring.

Make EB work with targeting.

Up the HP a bit or increase damage mitigation in enhancements or as part of pact growth.



Summary… I enjoy the flavor but it feels too weak/limited and squishy to play as a main character.

[Seikojin]

In my first 30 I felt it seemed weak if I tried to make it a melee or mundane ranged type. As soon as I went to full on caster mode, things picked up. At level it deals the damage you want. It does not scale into epics well, however this round of preview was very early (2 out of 3 trees and no epic scaling). So I stand on that it is pretty solid for heroic, but epic it will fall short.

There are some bugs around the blast, so fixes there hopefully will yield better results in the next round.

[Drakos]

I started at the bottom, level 1. I'm a TR addict, so I'm used to these quests and figured I'd just run a character up from scratch to compare.

My recentlives have been (going backward): Swashbuckler, Assassin, Paladin, Paladin, Fire-Sorc, Wolf Melee Druid, Wizard CC/necro. So I've played through the low content on a variety of builds.

Caveats:
I usually have ship buffs and do not on Lama.
My recent builds have all had at least 2 past lives and my main has 20+.
I don't usually run any quests naked, but I could not find any level 1 gear to put on, so I started running naked.

Build:
Drow. 20 Cha, 14 Con, 12 Int.

Korthos. Snooze-ville right? Wrong.
- Helping Kaja is normally a 2 minute quest at level 1 on elite. This time it was well over 5 and I used every starter potion I could find and still died after the boss did.
- Then I went and got the scroll. That was not too bad, but still about 3x longer than I'm used to.

I bailed and went to the dojo. Picked up +2 cha and +2 con items and leveled to 2. Went into Tainted Scholar and took strong pact and command.

- Went to defend the crystal. Failed 3 times. First time I just tried to kill them like always. 2nd mob killed crystal.
---- 2nd try I started charming. Several broke at once and they killed the crystal.
---- 3rd try I was using command and killing the one that was down. If a second showed up I'd charm it. Still got over whelmed.

The damage at level one using EB feels really bad to me, but I can really only compare it to melee at this level because I usually melee for several level no matter what the build is, but I wanted to see how EB compared, and it was not good.

Pushing up to level 2 it is better, but it still feels behind melee by a large amount.

I'm sure i'll play it some more and see how it goes as the levels progress.

I'll have to say, your and my experience is compleatly different here. I rant a new character through, Drow Tainted Scholar, through all the Korthos quests on elite solo, except the defend the crystal, with no problem. The defend the crystal was on Hard because that one traditionally is rally tough solo.

[redoubt]

@unlimited EB.

So are swings of swords, throws of returning weapons, and shots of arrows (you can have enough, yes). And melee does a lot more DPS.

@OP: You know, much of what you described probably boils down more to being out-of-touch with playing first life and/or non-frontloaded toons. For example, the "slowness" is just as normal for low levels as a ranged build (unless you're willing to pick up a two-hander until level 6 or so).

Likewise, Cannith Crystal can be a pain on lvl1 elite, but a barb hire easily solves the issue.

EB is unlimited and shoots as fast or probably faster than a regular bow/crossbow, and is affected by spellpower.

Absolutely. That's why I put all the caveats in my post. I know that I tend to run fairly heavily buffed and that those buffs are very prominent at low levels. That said, I've also run a 1st life druid caster, a second life sorc and a 3rd life melee druid in the last 6 months. Those three builds are all far weaker than my main who has 3xmonk, 3xfighter, 3x arcane, etc...

Even with the lessor built characters the low level quests have been a snooze fest, but I also purposely play them in melee. I'll be playing up a DC casting wizard and run a great axe until somewhere from 5th to 8th level depending on my mood. I do this because I find casters horribly underpowered and under whelming at low level. This could very well mean that warlock is right on the money because that is how it is playing to me.

I'll have to say, your and my experience is compleatly different here. I rant a new character through, Drow Tainted Scholar, through all the Korthos quests on elite solo, except the defend the crystal, with no problem. The defend the crystal was on Hard because that one traditionally is rally tough solo.

I was completing them, they were just very long. I went back the defend the crystal on normal and completely easily.

I was testing elite because that is the only thing I've run of late in heroic and I wanted to be able to compare it.

[Drakos]

I was completing them, they were just very long. I went back the defend the crystal on normal and completely easily. I was testing elite because that is the only thing I've run of late in heroic and I wanted to be able to compare it.

Ok, but for me they didn't take any longer that with a non-warlock character. Some even went faster.

[Lonnbeimnech]

Anyone else bothered by the fact that EB doesn't break breakables? so you need to turn it off swing your weapons to break down doors, then switch it back on. That alone would make me want to never play this.

[Chi_Ryu]

Anyone else bothered by the fact that EB doesn't break breakables? so you need to turn it off swing your weapons to break down doors, then switch it back on. That alone would make me want to never play this.

That depends on the blast shape; the basic one does, the chain one does not. I'd prefer they all did, personally.

[bosyber]

Anyone else bothered by the fact that EB doesn't break breakables? so you need to turn it off swing your weapons to break down doors, then switch it back on. That alone would make me want to never play this.

Actually, I found that EB does break breakables. But with the somewhat wonky aim (and slow start), it might be harder to do up close. Also, it doesn't seem to do so with the chain shape, which is one reason why I switched that off for 'regular' running, only to activate it for a fight,or when running into a mob.

Still to try anything but lower levels though.

I agree that it seems counter intuitive for EB to not blast down smashable doors and breakables in all shapes (but aura, probably).

[dunklezhan]

That depends on the blast shape; the basic one does, the chain one does not. I'd prefer they all did, personally.

I agree. All except the aura should break breakables. The AOE blasts should also break down smashable doors like fireball.

I doubt they will. But that they should would be my expectation if I were a new player.

[jessman615]

Not impressed started from beginning. Jeets is unresponsive at trapped door so cant even get to korthos. Lame.

[Vargouille]

Thanks for the feelings & feedback on initial play. That kind of thing is helpful.

[Certon]

My impression of Warlock is that it was OP. And such a one trick pony that I got bored. They should add more variety and options.

[Seikojin]

Oddly enough, I feel they are strong in heroics, but lackluster in epics. Their damage output is not the greatest, but can be pretty solid if you look at it from a big picture level (chain with range advantage, aura with melee tactics).

Playing with more combinations did not really change much. Which is good. My biggest concern will be the 8k dps pally builds splashing 6 levels of warlock to add another X dps to the already highest dps in the game.