I think it's really important for the wiz playing community to give a detailed constructive feedback on 1.0.5. Most of the feedback is of the "omg barb still op", "wtf wiz nerfed and unplayable", if we try to make solid comparisons and analysis maybe they'll listen.
They probably would ignore us anyway but there's a small chance at least 1 or 2 points are heard.
Gomunkulus already started a bit, I think if we gather all our ideas together and post it on PTR report and get some support we have a chance to make some changes.
I've got a few on top of my head, please do give some feedback.
Sustainability of Secondary Form
For end game content it is important to be able to stay in enhanced temporary form for as long as possible. For us this would obviously be Archon form, this could be compared to a barb's Berserker form (WOTB).
Other classes have a similar need to "chain" or maintain a powerful secondary temporary form. For example a monk chaining serenity (with ascension) and seven sided strike, or a Dh maintaining gloom form either with .0.3 nat set and/or nightstalker.
All of these forms work slightly differently but is a form that greatly improves our character, monk will be out of serenity/sevensided regardless how well they time it. However although they are out of the 2 forms for longer than say a wiz/dh's archon/gloom but archon/gloom are not invincible, serenity/seven sided are basically invincible.
I think the most similar secondary form to archon is WOTB, and we need to analyse it in detail to show archon is inferior in every way. Hence unbalanced and need changes to address our issues.
WOTB:
starting length - 15s, cool down - 120 seconds.
Let's take thrive on chaos rune for our analysis.
+10% crit chance
+25% ias
+20% dodge
+20% MS
Maintenance - 25 fury per second
Archon:
starting length - 15s, cool down - 120 seconds.
+40% armor
+40% res
We need to compare 4 things:
1) Defensive buff, compare the EHP improvement of +40% armor/res against +20% dodge
2) damage buff, compare the 300% weapon damage skills of archon against +10% crit + 25% ias.
3) Life sustainability - take into account of the dps buff above for LL increase and also ias increase for barb's loh.
4) Upkeep of secondary form.
Defensive buff
For a good barb the normal amount of dodge is about 10-15%
check out diablo progress top 20 heroscore barbs to get a rough idea.
The +20% dodge gives the barb a 20% dodge and not +20% of what your current dodge % is, the dodge from dex is added on after with diminishing returns.
E.g. My barb with 13.5% dodge, in WOTB i'll have 30.8% dodge.
New EHP = (Old EHP /1.135)*1.30.8 =1.145. A 14.5% increase in EHP.
For a similar cost wiz, it'll normally have 700 all res, 6k armor (with energy armor but not prismatic). The improvement in archon mode is about 5%-6% in both armor damage reduction and resistance damage reduction (from about 65% to 70%/71% armor dmg red, from about 70% to 76% res dmg red).
I gtg... will finish up later.
TL:DR version (summary)
1) End game WOTB/Archon's effectiveness is similar, but barb can maintain WOTB in MP10 quite easily but wiz will really struggle to maintain archon in MP10.
Other things I wanted to get through are
2) Loh/LL life sustainability. monks/barbs can dual wield for more loh/LL. Loh stacking can be done in ring/amulet slots, and leg items in helm/leg slots etc, life steal can't. Also barbs have passive + mighty belt for even more LL.
melee wiz and any caster in general can't actually stay in casting range forever, some mobs will always be too fast and be in melee range. We have to have a good life source. Loh is not practical and LL can't be stacked enough. Rings need 1% LL, amulets need 2% LL, source potentially need 3% LL as well.
we need more life gain.
3) End game movement - vault, tempest tail wind, wotb+run like the wind etc vs wiz. (Monk/dh have ms passive as well). Tele/Illusionist isn't even close to the effectiveness of the mentioned methods of increasing MS, you risk hits/death to proc it or you have too much defensive for really end game gear and it never procs (this second problem maybe won't be the case in MP10).
4) Bossing/ubering - Most of the other secondary forms don't need mass mobs to maintain. In a single (or 2 target in ubers) situation wiz will be at a huge disadvantage in high MP games. Barbs can still maintain WOTB for long periods with mighty weapon against ubers, archon wiz gets 15seconds and not a single second more.
out of archon we are going to struggle for reasons of defensive nerfs and low loh/LL effectiveness.
anywya i really got to go, will try to fill more theorycrafting in later.