Thanks for the opinions in the thread, though I feel there is a lot of unnecessary off-tangent discussions. I would appreciate more opinions on suggested ideas such as map scrolls, or new suggestions or changes.
I'll address the Frozen Orb thing.
Knight_Saber wrote:inori92 wrote:EYE OF WISDOMS
Frozen Orb's mana costs are exorbitant without valid reason
If frozen orb's mana cost was lower, then mana sweep wouldn't be as effective.
The reason for the high mana cost is so that it DOES empty your mana pool, increasing the damage from mana sweep.
As frozen orb is a non-sorc spell, you take chronofield as lvl 90 skill, further improving mana sweep.
With a 5s duration on the post sweep buff to frozen orb, you don't want to spam orb for 5s and still be above 70% of max mana.
Valid enough reason?
Johnny Impak wrote:You are absolutely correct on your reasoning. But people want to spam brainlessly Frozen Orb.
So, I am sure there are more than just you two posting who believe you have valid reasoning on Frozen Orb and the spell in its' current state, allow me to dismantle that.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=41524Not many videos of Median, even less of this "obscure" build, this is about a 2.5 month old video with someone dedicated to a Frozen Orb build, a while after its' introduction. Even Marco, the creator of Median himself, responds in the thread briefly, which shows that he feels people just want to look down on this skill and what it requires, along with the missing effort that could enhance the build in this particular setup.
The gears in this video are pretty good, I would say they are above 70% of the min-max in terms of equipment gears. For a meta comparison, Hellreach on a Bowazon would be 70% of the way there for a farming bowazon right? All the other items on top, Khazra's or whatever other luxuries, are bonuses. But for this build, we already require many items, to even consider its' "viability".
I have said in my opening post, mixed with my complaints regarding Labyrinths, that elemental gears in this game generally lack defensive elements, such as Defense, Physical Resist, Flat DR, Life%/Vit, LifeLeech, and so on. It lacks sustain, because it implies and relies on the buffs to the elements' being so strong, that monsters would be kited or die before they reach their elemental caster target. For me, the issue is simply that it doesn't for most caster builds, especially Sorceress-related ones. Which is why nobody plays elemental Sorceresses on this game. Because frankly, they can't kill shit, and they will die because shit doesn't die fast enough.
The entire process of draining your mana to enhance Mana Sweep's effects, forcing recharge or many pots without sustainability for Frozen Orb use, laying chronofield on the map to buff Mana Sweep, which isn't even the spell of focus here, then cast this costly Orb spell that:
-Lacks accuracy - the ice bolts don't hit the screen reliably unless cast on targets, if you don't run out of mana in the process
-Lacks radius - this spell barely covers 1/4 of the screen, in the targeted direction - doesn't even compare to wyrmshot
-Lacks speed - slow as hell, basic
-Lacks damage - seriously, this spell is treated minature orb of annihilation, but is so lackluster in everything related
-Costs a TON - totally unnecessary, don't agree with the forced design at all - if you don't want a spell to be used in its' nostalgic purpose, you need to make it competitive instead of just killing the draw.
Honestly, I don't have to write an essay to debunk the responses or to say the same thing many others have said before - this spell Sucks. It's not good enough to warrant build changes nor the effort to set it up. I ask again, why would anyone play Orb sorceress over UHC, Trapsin, Bowazon, Traprat, or anything else for that matter, that can kill units without potentially dying every minute. It's not good. At all. Let me ask anyone here very simply:
How many of you ended last season with a Frozen Orb sorceress? How many of you attempted and gave up? How many Frozen-Orb focused Sorceresses ended the last season?
This season, one of the coveted SSSU's,
Wintry Majesty
Wintry Majesty
Long Staff (Sacred)
Two-Hand Damage: 56 to 58
(Sorceress Only)
Required Level: 120
Required Dexterity: 203
Item Level: 130
Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.15 per Dexterity)%
Restitution
(Based on Restore Percentage)
Becomes Available to All Classes
-50% to Enemy Cold Resistance
+150 Life after each Kill
+10 to All Skills
+50% Magic Find
Cube with Trophy Fragment: Restore +5%
5% Chance to cast level 50 Glacial Nova on Death Blow
+(201 to 250) Spell Focus
+50% Damage to Undead
+(41 to 60)% to Cold Spell Damage
+15 to Snow Queen
+(19 to 24) to Frozen Orb
Regenerate Mana +50%
6% Reanimate as: Random Monster
Socketed (4)
, was added to the game, with obvious focus on enabling this Frozen Orb spell. The first one I saw sold two weeks ago, was to DatDudeJay. Why don't you let him tell you, that he couldn't figure out a build for the last two weeks since purchase, that makes the item feasible for use? How much do you think the next Wintry Majesty sells for? How many characters do you think will wear this item as their endgame piece, and end the season while crushing face with this item? I'll give a bold guess : 0.
Compare this SSSU to the other SSSU's in the game - Arrogance, Awakening, Stormblade, Azurewrath, Endless Pride, Hand of Rathma, the list goes on. Can you see any other SSSU in this list, that requires so much charm/gear setup, and character selection to enable a build? These are the rarest items of the game, people should want to build for these items, and these items themselves should almost feel like cheat codes - they should play themselves. All of these other SSSU's are extremely independent and build-enabling, or complimentary, but this item, because of this Frozen Orb spell's short-handed design, require so much that one of the richest players on the game couldn't figure it out for two weeks after getting it. I feel sorry for the impending disappointment and waste of TG. I could wear full crafts and toss any of these SSSU's on and probably find a way to crush T7 rifts, or fautinzville. I don't think I'd survive a minute with Wintry Majesty.
This spell sucks. It needs significant buffs. If you want to maintain its' "hit-and-reset-run" design, make sure it hits and does something instead of tickling 1/4 of the screen, travelling at a snail's pace. Do you want it to farm fauzt? Do you want it to boss? Right now, I see no viable option for this spell to do either, effectively, or enjoyably. It's in a bad place. Forcing people who wield this item or this spell, to wait periods of reset while being an easier kill due to lack of defenses, like honestly who in their right mind would choose anything related to this spell over any of the half-decent meta builds? This monster meat-grinder of a spell has been reduced to something that nobody wants to play, after waiting so long for it to come back to Median XL, along with Lightning Fury. This is a design failure. Frozen Orb, Lightning Fury, Cataclysm set, ATMG Sentry set, every single Eye of Wisdom set, they all suck. They need buffs. They should be in a much better place.
