If I compare champs from preview 2 to Magnus from preview 1, I can't help myself but I think both from preview 2 are overpriced (or Magnus is way underpriced). I guess it depends on point of view which power level we want to set as "default". Magnus for 88 (default 86): dam 13, spd 7, def 3, HP 46 - Consecretion (and its paladin), Bounty hunter - Adaptive Ironfist for only +2 nora, Resistance magic 2 (upgrades option unknown) DEM for 76 (default 78): dam 8, spd 6, def 0, HP 62 - Tormented, Tough 2 - Calcify, Reflection 3 for -2 nora So face to face, dam +5, spd +1, low CD self healing and self cleansing, more damage and better def from bounty hunter, and on top more damage and HP from Adaptive, just for extra 12 nora? I believe Magnus would eat Firemaw face to face for breakfast even with Firemaw's 16 dam, and it is 109++ champion (128!! with Lava storm and Tunnel lava if I calculate correct). I wonder if price tag on Consecretion (compared to Lava storm for 14) and Bounty Hunter and Adaptive isn't too low. Does race/class also cost nora?
Why is a DoT bad? It has the unit take damage it would not have taken before without making it the complete waste of nora that current Vuln does. If they played a vuln frost unit versus FW thinking they have a high chance of being fine and then had a Frostvein Witch played, the current vuln is a heavy nora penalty for that small chance.
This new upgrades choice will be a nightmare for new players. At least limit the choices of each to 2 skills (total of 4). Not like that Deep Elf Masochist(with total of 6).
It will be even more confusing for them. When they will see champs they use with different skills out there, alot of question marks will appear. Best thing if you want new players, its to make it more simple, with NO upgrade choices at all.
If you don't want upgrades don't play pox I don't spend money to play a flash game simplicity is not always the answer and if anything this revamp is making the game a bit more complex
Customisation is always kind of an illusion if you are trying to win / optimise. This is true across all games IMO. Players will always work out the optimal selection and most people will follow that (and for good reason). Think of wow talents, diablo class builds, every pox champion ever (including pre-original revamp), etc. Even outside of video games you have things such as D&D character builds. It doesn't, however, stop people from experimenting and occasionally finding things that work well in other (perhaps less obvious) ways.
I don't like the masocist purely on flavour. She's a skinny elf girl in a bikini yet she has better stats and resilience than a swampguard crusher. She's always been a bit of a messed up design. The high hit points were originally needed because of thrash and blood frenzy but they felt wrong even then. Now she has lost those abilities to simply be a tank -- despite the fact that this is completely ill fitting to her flavour. She needs a complete redesign IMO, recast her as champ control with benefits for taking damage.
I see the direction we're going in and see the good reasons behind it. I played back in the day before Pox was bought the first time- back when abilities added or subtracted from cost. It theoretically added to the strategy of the game, but the reality was that people stripped their units down because cheaper = better in almost all instances. The end result was a very vanilla playing field. I'm hoping we can avoid that and find a nice middle ground.
Surely the flavour of a masochist is 'gets off on being hurt', which translated into game terms is 'gets buffed when damaged', which is exactly what happens? Obviously the visual does not necessarily correlate with 'being a tank' but I personally feel that's kinda irrelevant in a fictional fantasy game involving magic.
Yeah, make it more complex for you to enjoy. Lets keep the low players database at 200 players online! (in a good day)