Hunter Balance update

[Epic-Hunter]

Originally Posted by NSer

As far as i read wiki there was +damage per ally don't know exactly but pretty much in zerg v zerg wars will resultative bonus... I heard some hunters old days was doing 1200 ens arrow on mages with this (it was passive seems)
This poll need option:i play mage and don't want it back

If you are not a hunter, don't vote obviously ever non-hunter player hates the spell and don't like it back.

[bois]

Head of the pack: It increases archer damage with each additional nearby ally up to 5 allies. This operated in a 25 m range I think. Damage boost for each ally was +3, +6 ,+9, +12, +15 (level 1-5)

It was a passive spell. Cold blood replaced it. It was the 4th power on the scouting tree. Hope that helps the lazy.

I won't vote

In combo with cold blood and at levels above 3, damage will be pretty strong. But then if it is group vs group, allied buffs and auras should help stifle damages.
If you run outside the aura well, that can't be helped. in situations of 5 vs 1 you are dead anyways so that is a non issue.

Regards

[The_Krome_Dragon]

Originally Posted by bois

Head of the pack: It increases archer damage with each additional nearby ally up to 5 allies. This operated in a 25 m range I think. Damage boost for each ally was +3, +6 ,+9, +12, +15 (level 1-5)

It was a passive spell. Cold blood replaced it. It was the 4th power on the scouting tree. Hope that helps the lazy.

I won't vote

In combo with cold blood and at levels above 3, damage will be pretty strong. But then if it is group vs group, allied buffs and auras should help stifle damages.
If you run outside the aura well, that can't be helped. in situations of 5 vs 1 you are dead anyways so that is a non issue.

Regards

Arigoto, and yes it does help the lazy
Anyway i think hunts should get ally buffs instead of a self buff, but thats just me opinion.

[Vaylos]

Eh, I'm on the fence for this one. Yeah, Hunters need a balance update, no I don't think HotP alone is the answer.

As it is, NGD took the hunter, nerfed em and tried to fit them into the "supportive" role. I think the job done was a bit half-assed, and hunters really need some different, ally-helping or enemy-hindering skills to make them more viable in fort wars and RvR in general. Yeah we're still pretty dangerous on our own with pets to go ganking grinders, or in small hunting groups, but we don't have a strong focus in RvR as a supportive role.


Yes, tracking and stalker are supportive, but not nearly enough, as we don't have any other ways of supporting our allies. And don't say tricks, because we all know Marks get tricks as well. :P We need some hunter-specific support options, either in the pets tree, or in scouting. Something where we can actually aid our allies, and not just a buncha self-buffs, or auras.

(and remember, they removed HotP because it behaved kinda like an aura, and their hardware couldn't handle too many auras going at once, at least that was one of the reasons.)

I don't think we need HotP back really. what we need is a better supportive role in RvR. Some kinda area supportive skills that would help our allies that fits with the hunter/ranger archetype. Many have suggested different types of traps. I still suggest this, and it would fit well in the scouting tree after moving things around a bit.

Or, optionally, give marks the tricks tree, and rename it as trick-shot, and give hunters their own traps tree. (this would also be helpful in further separating marks/hunters, which IMO really needs to be done, and it would put hunters closer to their archetype, and also give them a good defined role overall) Of course, Pets could be reworked as well, and many suggestions have been given on how to do so.

[_Nel_]

Head of the pack : It gave +75 damage at maximum, so level 5 with 5 allies nearby.
Removed in v1.6.3 during aura balance.

[Zas_]

I'm playing a hunter and used HOTP before it was removed.

NGD removed it together many auras because such power need to check permanently characters around the caster, and this is bad from server POV, as far i understood.

I don't think we need HOTP back, but instead a base damage increase, together with cold blood effect reduction. Hunter's base dmg is simply too low.

Versus buffed enemies i hit with uber stuff for 17 dmg to 80 dmg normals.

But imho hunter is OP when he chains Ambush + Cold Blood + Ens (eventually with Sudden Strike), then he can hit 3 hits with 900+ dmg ( 2 crits + ens ie.).
And i understand many complain about that. Being knocked and almost dead when waking up is really boring. The fact is hunters have not much choice to win atm (and even more since stage 1, no more Cannot attack). Well, this is not as boring as with barbs, a hunter cannot kill buffed and fully health characters with any combo, so enemy has at least a chance to ripost (well, Confuse still around...).

Hunter need supportive spells, not damage spells.

Few ideas (random numbers):

- Camouflage corpse:
increase duration and allow to move corpse with movement penalty while under camo, allowing the hunter to move dead friends near conjs for resurrection

- ranged casting speed debuff

- mana regeneration speed debuff, than can be cast under camo, area 10m around caster

- Agressive Beasts:
mobs within sight around hunter will attack hunter's enemies and respawn much faster for few mins (level 19 Pets)

- Visible tracks:
when active (mana cost ala Recharged arrows), Enemy Surveillance results are written in General chat

- Wind Runner:
casting time of 6 seconds, hunter movement speed is increased by 50%, any attack or dmg break it, Enemy surveillance cast speed is reduced by half, no duration limit but mana drain depending on spell level, break if mana is 0.

- Poison Arrow:
damage is 2 per sec, but contagious, so enemies near target, during spell effect, can have it too, each dispell attempt has 50% to stop or 50% do increase dmg by 1, duration 1 min/level (2*5*60 = 600 dmg max)

[Klutu]

I would like to see HotP back It wasn't the reason why hunters use to be overpowered, It was generally their movement speed

[Bad_Yusuke]

Originally Posted by Zas_

I'm playing a hunter and used HOTP before it was removed.

NGD removed it together many auras because such power need to check permanently characters around the caster, and this is bad from server POV, as far i understood.

I don't think we need HOTP back, but instead a base damage increase, together with cold blood effect reduction. Hunter's base dmg is simply too low.

Versus buffed enemies i hit with uber stuff for 17 dmg to 80 dmg normals.

But imho hunter is OP when he chains Ambush + Cold Blood + Ens (eventually with Sudden Strike), then he can hit 3 hits with 900+ dmg ( 2 crits + ens ie.).
And i understand many complain about that. Being knocked and almost dead when waking up is really boring. The fact is hunters have not much choice to win atm (and even more since stage 1, no more Cannot attack). Well, this is not as boring as with barbs, a hunter cannot kill buffed and fully health characters with any combo, so enemy has at least a chance to ripost (well, Confuse still around...).

Hunter need supportive spells, not damage spells.

Few ideas (random numbers):

- Camouflage corpse:
increase duration and allow to move corpse with movement penalty while under camo, allowing the hunter to move dead friends near conjs for resurrection

- ranged casting speed debuff

- mana regeneration speed debuff, than can be cast under camo, area 10m around caster

- Agressive Beasts:
mobs within sight around hunter will attack hunter's enemies and respawn much faster for few mins (level 19 Pets)

- Visible tracks:
when active (mana cost ala Recharged arrows), Enemy Surveillance results are written in General chat

- Wind Runner:
casting time of 6 seconds, hunter movement speed is increased by 50%, any attack or dmg break it, Enemy surveillance cast speed is reduced by half, no duration limit but mana drain depending on spell level, break if mana is 0.

- Poison Arrow:
damage is 2 per sec, but contagious, so enemies near target, during spell effect, can have it too, each dispell attempt has 50% to stop or 50% do increase dmg by 1, duration 1 min/level (2*5*60 = 600 dmg max)

OMG, +1 to all that Annavilya said.

[Minorian]

It was not removed without sufficient reason. Hunters were outperforming Marksmen in fort wars. They came out with roughly the same damage for normals, marksmen had barely superior range, and in general, Marksmen had no place. Lets not forget this was before the mana regen buffs, so the mana lost to recharged arrows also made the spell completely inferior to Hotp.

Hunters need a buff, but I think this would be one of the worst ways to go about it.

[Kitsuni]

Originally Posted by Need_More_Invasions

It was not removed without sufficient reason. Hunters were outperforming Marksmen in fort wars. They came out with roughly the same damage for normals, marksmen had barely superior range, and in general, Marksmen had no place. Lets not forget this was before the mana regen buffs, so the mana lost to recharged arrows also made the spell completely inferior to Hotp.

Hunters need a buff, but I think this would be one of the worst ways to go about it.

So doing a normal hit of 11 on a buffed level 60 Barbarian is better how?

Hunter damage without Cold blood is absolutely pathetic now. Even the weakest armors can block most of it.

Good thing I have a pet... oh wait, my pet hits get reduced to 11 too. Damn.