Just read the storm chaser nerf, for me personally I don't think it's such a huge deal.
With a big buff to healing blades just use that during your extended non-archon phase.
Until we know how monster level scales it'll be tough to theorycraft relatively optimal builds.
Currently in multiplayer games more players just gives monsters more hp (70%), from the sounds of it the new monster level system will be increasing monster damage as well like the old days? This could bring new problems as it is, depending on how much dps boost the monsters get.
Monster levels go up to 10, but it may not mean monsters have 730% of a 1 player game. (100% hp in 1 player game 9 levels of increase each giving the monster 70% more base hp, = 730%). It surely can't mean monster dps are buffed to equivalent amount of dps of a 10 player game 3 patches ago.
The patch is making the lives of lower end geared players harder but at high ends the difference is not crippling, same with barbs.
I'm a bit tired at the moment so correct me if im wrong.
200k on screen dps. archon beam in improved archon would be 200k*3*1.25 = 750k damage per second. Since most of the time you are not hitting single targets, seems to me that even at 730% hp we'll be able to sustain archon form for long periods of time.
It's really common to stack 1-2min+ of archon time remaining right now, most of the archon time wasted is walking around, probably 90% walking 10% dpsing.
I think high end archon will still be very viable, especially if the monsters really do get a dps buff as well. Then the extra armor/res in archon mode is very useful as well.
also does exp increase at the same rate as monster hp?
mf increase would be less important in my opinion since it has diminishing returns.
This post was edited by RedV on Sep 22 2012 12:01am