# Without Polearm Mastery skill – approximately 30% of previous ability
# With Polearm Mastery skill but before completing the 2nd class transfer – approximately 60% of previous ability
# With learning Polearm Mastery skill level 9 after completing the 2nd class transfer – same as previous
So...what did this eventually do? I tried testing it on one of my D-grade dwarves, but couldn't tell the difference during my normal play. I appeared to still be hitting the name number of targets. I appeared to still get kills as quickly as before.
A long while back, when this change was first announced on a translated page, there was some question as to what was actually being altered (same bad translation on the official notes, too, it's eerie). I remember saying something along the lines of "if they're changing the angle of the polearm's sweep, it'll either still be enough to work, which means it's a false alarm, or it won't be enough to work, which means polearms are through"...well, apparently whatever they did is dropping below my radar.
And yes, it's a level 35 dwarf, which means no second-class-change skills. I should be at 60% "physical attack ability".
Can anyone even tell if this "nerf" was put on live, or did it just make the notes and never happen? Or did "physical attack ability" mean something we never anticipated, and I'm just not looking for the right change?
I am not positive, but I think these nerfs are more aimed at the areas like ancient battlegrounds, where people were pulling 100 mobs at a time and then AOE'ing them to the ground in no time, and repeating endlessly.
I think we lower lvls aren't going to be effected by it as much, and if they do effect us, I think will be more to teh classes with no pole skills, rather then those with 1st class change pole masteries.
I would also like to ask this question, although until its answered specifically I've just assumed this-- classes with polearm skills at whatever level they grind at are basically unaffected. Also, the classes who don't have polearm skills but still use polearms aren't as effective with them. In C3 I always saw healers or prophets with polearms-- not anymore.
The AOE spell nerf is a different nerf and should certainly not be under the same category as the polearm "nerf."
on my monk i was in a pole group (no one knew what they were doing). w/ my glaive i was able to hit at least 5 mobs all at same time (if puller actually pulled correctly). our group was so crappy that i never got to try more then 5 mobs.
PS w/ bear totem i was pulling agro from dwarf w/ +4 glaive :)
Actually if you tried it at high levels it makes a difference. First pf all the effectiveness measn the area effect a polearm usually hits. 30-60% means you'll get only 30-60% of the area effect in each swing you do with a polearm with no masteries or under level 40. I managed to party with a Tyrant in the Lair and with myself and a fellow Warlord. Both Warlords took aggro off the Tyrant regrdless if he/she was doing more damage because we were hitting at the 100% range a polearm should while they were doing 30%.
You won't notice it really unless you really have no masteries in my opinion. Have you tried AoE'ing in Ancient Battlegrounds since C4? It's horrible and I've actually died once already because Sleep Cloud does not hit a majority of the mobs regardless of the 20 mob limit.
You never say how many mobs you are attacking. If you have then all neatly stacked on the same spot, then you may notice no effect.
Check the "angle of attack" screenshot, I was hitting around a 90-degree arc. Generally 8+ monsters fit into that arc, I haven't tried to fit more yet...not very healthy for a solo D-grade dwarf ;)
Edit: maybe it's working right over 40, or with sub-40 people with no masteries, but for the with-masteries sub-40 crowd, who is supposed to be 60%, it really doesn't seem like the nerf went live. If you check the two screenshots, you'll see I was hitting a fairly wide arc for full damage. I could easily make more when I get home, if it would help.
I'm playing a Warlord with all the skills etc, and the only dif. I have noticed is that sometimes my 360 degree specials dont hit all the mobs near me. Not too bad, I usually duo and pull about 8-10 mobs at a time, but kinda annoying when I am hunting dark blues for fish shot :p