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Let's Talk Balance Bubbles

AuthorMessage
Defender
Mar 02, 2009
108
For those of you who don't know, "bubble" refers to global spells (i.e. balefrost, wyldfire, sanctuary), buffs that remain over the course of the duel. Balance's first one is horrible. It upgrades the Power Pip Chance of everyone by 45%. Absolutely useless, in meta and lower levels- in meta the top tier gear allows near perfect pip chance for all players, and in lower/mid levels, it gives enemies the otherwise impossible ability to gain power pips.

So, here's the proposal: Power Play, instead of adding 45% pip chance, will now cause all damage to be heightened by 25%. This will help in team play, in that it aids every player- storm hitters, fire hitters, any school that chooses to hit can now benefit. And it does not upset PvP much. The opponent gains just as much from this spell as the caster does, which means it will not be used in what is being called a broken meta, especially with the bubble coming from Gaze of Fate.

Balance is missing out on a tool that so many schools have, which some would say is fine considering the blessings of Loremaster, Availing Hands, and so on, but especially for those who are below level 70, this spell would allow for a small damage spike in PvE, while also adding a wrinkle to PvP--- just not one that would completely upset whatever precarious balance remains.

Thoughts? Critique? Post below!

Survivor
Mar 15, 2009
31
I don't know how long ago it was, but balance did get a bubble called "counterforce." It doesn't give damage, but it does give pierce and crit which is probably more help for balance than a damage buff. - Michael Shadowblade 110

Defender
Mar 02, 2009
108
Counterforce was part of the updates coming with Khrysalis part II, in which every school got a crit/pierce bubble. However, none of my characters use that bubble in PvE (I rarely need bubbles in PvE anymore), simply because the pierce is useless-- the only time I would need it is when facing an enemy of my school, in which case they would benefit just as much as me.

This spell would also aid lower level players more than higher level players, again, because bubbles are not a core part of the meta spell decks.

Defender
Dec 05, 2013
156
rtdv on Aug 14, 2016 wrote:
For those of you who don't know, "bubble" refers to global spells (i.e. balefrost, wyldfire, sanctuary), buffs that remain over the course of the duel. Balance's first one is horrible. It upgrades the Power Pip Chance of everyone by 45%. Absolutely useless, in meta and lower levels- in meta the top tier gear allows near perfect pip chance for all players, and in lower/mid levels, it gives enemies the otherwise impossible ability to gain power pips.

So, here's the proposal: Power Play, instead of adding 45% pip chance, will now cause all damage to be heightened by 25%. This will help in team play, in that it aids every player- storm hitters, fire hitters, any school that chooses to hit can now benefit. And it does not upset PvP much. The opponent gains just as much from this spell as the caster does, which means it will not be used in what is being called a broken meta, especially with the bubble coming from Gaze of Fate.

Balance is missing out on a tool that so many schools have, which some would say is fine considering the blessings of Loremaster, Availing Hands, and so on, but especially for those who are below level 70, this spell would allow for a small damage spike in PvE, while also adding a wrinkle to PvP--- just not one that would completely upset whatever precarious balance remains.

Thoughts? Critique? Post below!
Yes I agree although it won't ever happen. Balance isn't just missing out on one tool so many schools have. How about a convert? Shield? Recent crown pack wands? And so much more.

Delver
Aug 05, 2013
253
25% power pip chance
20% balance damage increased.
seems balanced enough
OR
25% balance damage increase

Mastermind
Mar 13, 2010
328
XaZeRs on Aug 23, 2016 wrote:
Yes I agree although it won't ever happen. Balance isn't just missing out on one tool so many schools have. How about a convert? Shield? Recent crown pack wands? And so much more.
Balance shouldn't have a convert. Or a shield. It doesn't have an opposite, so what would it convert to?

Balance has multiple spells that, still using power pips and not wasting stats on a Mastery, hit other school damage. It has the single strongest damage buffs in the game (well, all four of them) and it can take advantage of all parts of them, using power pips, not just one as when, for example, a Storm uses them.

Those complaining that Balance is underpowered don't know how to play Balance. They want to play it like it is one of the other six schools; the very uniqueness that makes it Balance prevents that. If you want to have a shield, a convert, and one-shot bosses, play Storm. Dull, but that's what Storm does.

Balance outthinks its opponents. Balance outstrategizes its opponents. Balance has more tools in its wheelhouse than any other school - the player just needs to know how to use them. It isn't the school for everyone; it's not my favorite school, but when I play Balance I want to play BALANCE. I don't want to play Storm in Gold, Pink, and Orange. I want to play the slightly slower pace, more utility-utilising school that Balance is.

(This is all moot. Players have begged for converts and shields long enough that shield Treasure Cards exist now. It's not long before Balance no longer exists. It will just be another Storm in PVE and unbeatable in PVP. Irony, that the school named Balance would be the sole unbalancing of the entire game.)

To the OP: The benefit at low-level of the bubble is that it doubles the damage of the player's Judgement which is extremely dangerous at the level it is granted. I can see the argument that it was outdated before it was useful, I never used it myself. 25% Damage boost is too much since it's a global spell; 20% since others benefit too seems more balanced. I don't object to the idea at all.