This is a BLOG. In order to be able to post here, you need to be friends with me. Consider this my cunning plan to become friends WITH YOU. That or I just CBA responding in the Strategy Section with users that don't play MLD, are not Invested in MLD, are still living in D2LOD or simply dont care for Balance in the game at any level.
History of D2LOD Tournaments:
https://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=77689883&f=143History of MLD Events / Activities to date in D2R:
https://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=92826330&f=276 Includes an outdated Tierlist as well as maxroll builds.
Adjusting your Screen Size for the purposes of PVP :
https://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=92267109&f=276The Idea of the MLD Tournaments Hosted by me in D2LOD was for each class to have 1 build that was competitive, that is to say, that the player skill determined the winner of tournaments, and not the Build used, and that every class had at least 1 build that won in my tournaments. Naturally there are bad matchups (Barb vs Sorc ok) but the idea is to bring the distance between such builds closer in order to enable the higher skilled opponent to win.
Faster Run WalkThe most basic and fundamental way to Balance PVP, Where only 1-2 Classes teleport (forshadowing tele druid here ok!) is in having a Faster Run Walk (FRW) restriction. In terms of determining the "baseline" FRW there are some key considerations that I used.
1. Items & Builds : Barb vs Necro.
2. Skill Speed & the 7 Classes
3. Teleport1.
Items : In terms of items, Rare Boots(and Goreriders) spawn 30FRW (Aldurs and IK spawn 40FRW). For most FRW builds thats the minimum FRW that boots will have. Circlets and Coronets (the go-to for alot of MLD Builds) spawn 30FRW. So now we are at 60FRW. Crafted FRW Amulets (Amn, Pruby, Jewel and amulet bought and crafted with a level 55 character) can spawn with 10FRW and finally, Barb FRW Skill can grant up to 45% FRW, but typically is 38~40 FRW. This equates on a barbarian to: Boots(30)+Circlet(30)+Amulet(10)+Skill(~40) or 110FRW. Diminishing returns on FRW also really kick in at around 120FRW. While most Barbs will use Arreats I dont want to have rules that will bar some of the best items (Circlets/Coronets) from the Class. Charms with FRW are also relatively cheaper to buy so all in all 110FRW looks to be the sweet spot (while accepting that less FRW would give the necro an easier time of it. This is already more then enough vs a Necro with equal FRW and therefore the quick fix is Necro to 115% FRW. If thats not enough, some consideration on capping Open Wounds etc. could be considered. Once it has been determined (with further testing Barb vs Necro still to take place) the optimal amount of FRW, we will have a definitive FRW baseline to work with for every other class/build. Translation: Without Teleport (and Bone Prison Banned) Barb is favoured vs Necro. The Balance is to make this matchup closer to 50:50.
With the changes made to the Skill : Whirlwind, we may never see better rare swords then the Oath Runeword ( grants 50% ias, Max WW Frame needs 52% ) noting a rare sword would need to spawn 40% IAS to easily get to 52% with Rare Gloves (20ias) or 30% IAS with IK Combo (25IAS). Small Crescents need 89% IAS now for WW btw. Better to use a Small Crescent on another Build (Shaper/Smiter) or for Conc Duels.
2.
Skill Speed & the 7 Classes : With Barb's and Necro's capped at around 110FRW and 115FRW respectively, Assassins, Amazons, Shapers and Paladins swiftly fall into the same bucket with only minor tweaks needed - i.e. Sorc does not need as much FRW (Cold needs FRW most, then Fire, then Lightning, but typically this will never be above 60% FRW) and Paladin, particularly FoH Paladin, would have a lower FRW restriction (with Passive Charge Banned vs such char's as Barb / Shaper) while shapers probably still need 130FRW.
3.
Teleport : As a consequence of the removal, or vastly nerfed, Desync, in the game D2R compared to D2LOD, it is now next to impossible for the likes of a Barb, or Shaper, to beat a Sorc. The consequence of this is from a competitive and balancing standpoint, in 1v1, is that we were forced to implement widespread telestaffs in LLD (Level 30 Dueling) and I am basically forced to entertain the notion of allowing Telestaff's on Barb's and allowing TeleWindy's to feature in MLD. I envisage not allowing Barbs to teleport in Team duels but allowing Tele Dudu's in team duels. Further to Windies : with learnings from D2LOD (no one wanted to play Teledruid as it was too clunky) the likely hood is I will allow some kind of Windy, using Enigma (this means level 65) to compete. This is because Druids had 0 love in D2LOD at MLD and we have the ability now to do something about it as a fresh start. I accept that this is quite radical so for the time being this build is "shelved" until a degree of testing has been completed (maxing damage and % block as well as minions would probably be how I will do it).
The Main Builds:If the primary goal is for each class to win a tournament, then each class needs to have 1 "build" favored by the rules. For D2r that looks like:
Amazon : Bowa
Barb : WW (with teleport allowed vs Sorc)
Nec : PNB
Sorc : ESFB (or Blizz)
Druid : TeleWindy (the go-to build for Druids at 30 and HLD)
Paladin :
Libby V/T
Assassin : Trapper
Barb and Hammerdins have had the largest nerf since D2LOD. While every build other then sorc suffers in this post-Desync era, there is no getting over the fact that Barbs as a class suffer more then others - It is much harder to get a perfect inventory, perfect Sword etc; The screen size is bigger so opponents have more time to react, Lack of Desync adds to this and to cap it all off changes to the skill WW (you now need more IAS) means that it could be years before (m)any barbs are running around with rare weapons. Hammerdins or "dissapearadong's / Yoders" are now hard nerfed with greatly diminished desync with FoH probably now the Go-To for the Class.
Meanwhile, Necro, Trapper, Shaper and Java have all benefited damage-wise from the most recent changes to D2r. Necro only has 1 build, (Poison and Bone - PNB) and therefore alongside Trappers, they are now in a fantastic place. Trappers are so good now we will have to explore limiting their total damage. Finally Shapers and Java's - builds that were ever considered B Tier at best, while their attack mechanic's are such that they will never be S Tier, they are now way more viable in TvT due to their stupidly good damage output now.
More to follow, which will also include an overview of the current ruleset as well as consideration for Melee only tournaments.
This post was edited by ferdia on Oct 12 2022 07:32am