When I started playing this game over 2 years ago, I had to choose a character ...
This game being a mass-PvP MMORPG, I wanted to be as much use to my clan/alliance as I could be. So I chose the character and setup that was "originaly" meant for mass-PvP: An Overlord in robes with m.atk weapon.
I have enough money for only one weapon/armor setups. So right now, I am equipped with the NM robe set and SOM w/ Acumen, which give me good m.atk for seals, casting speed and MP pool, for mass-PvP of course.
With the latest changes to drains and seals made at C5 and at the latest patch, I am really confused as to how I should play my OL and what weapon/armor setup to use.
In party, my M.Atk and casting speed allows me to act as crowd control. With my seals, I can sleep, silence, root about any mobs up to 10 levels above me. That is about the only time I feel really useful and have fun playing an OL :).
During sieges, all I seem to do is HOP/CP heal. Seals are no use thanks to their newly limited range. Drains are now underpowered and quite ineffective against CP pots spamming, and is now limited to solo PvE. I know the usefulness of mass-CP heal (even though everybody just spams CP pots now), but it makes sieges rather boring for me. Especially since I have so many seals that I could use, if it wasn't for their very small range since C5.
In raids, I am downright useless :(. I can't hit hard enough to make any difference. Whenever a raid lasts too long and we need to rebuff, we all restart the game, relog, rebuff and start hitting the raid again. No use for the OL here that could just buff everyone instantly, no sir.
About buffs, no one wants em. Everybody screams "overbuff". So I have to limit them to WW, Shield and M.Barrier.
:mad: ALL buffers have those anyway.
Is this what NCSoft intended the game for me to be ?
Where is the logic of wasting SP on over 12 unuseful seals and 6 unwanted buffs (not including the low level skills/buffs that get replaced by stronger ones) ?
Am I missing an aspect that I haven't explored yet ?
For a PvP supporting character in a strongly PvP game, I don't feel any satisfaction because I don't believe that I am truly fulfilling this role.
My clannies offered their moral support, suggesting that I change playstyle, go for heavy Majestic set + Elysian w/ Health. None of them have any experience playing an OL, making me sincerely doubtful about the change. But change is good, so they say...
Overlords, what is your view on this?
How do you adapt to this?
I only use Evasion and my WW when in party with our prophet unless the party is large, then we work together to maximize his mp and buffs.
You are now the ultimate crowd control toon in parties. Hands down. Your sleep is awsome. The rest, well if and when they land they are ok. You can powerlevel your clan's academy members though so you can use your debuffs there.
As for seige, well, we are just a giant heart and cp battery. You can try to sleep other players, but most others you will face in seige are much higher level than you. The days of mass root and gloom are long gone.
I have just tried to get my toon to the point where I can solo or duo easily. As such, I have now a dagger w/ focus and I am working on a set of heavy armor. I am in DC robes at the moment for my parties and I love the armor. Problem is the loss of mp regen over time, but if I watch myself, I am ok. Usually only need to sit once ever 4 buff rounds or so for a bit.
I am hoping that with C6 and beyond, they will give us back some of our AoE debuffs, so we can start to play like our description says, not like a giant CP battery.
CP Heal is a huge factor in mass PvP.. It can be the difference between a win and a loss. Depending on the cirumstances of the siege, the only buffs an ally might get are OL buffs.. if the enemy is coming through your doors, that's frequently all there is time for.
You did a good job if identifying your roles:
Sieges/Mass PvP - CP regen/Buffer
Group PvP - CP Regen/Debuffer
Raids - Buffer
Group PvE - CC
I'm not that huge on Acumen for OL's - the super fast CP regen is cool, and so is spamming lifedrain in small scale PvP's, but that's about all acumen is good for.
I like OL's with Manaup. The reason - their primary role at most times is Buffer/CP Regenner. This relies on having MP, which OL's do not have enough of.
It is true that OL is a versatile hybrid class, and that you can do other things, like solo. The problem is that those other things are not playing to your biggest strengths.
Sieges/Mass PvP - CP regen/Buffer
Group PvP - CP Regen/Debuffer
Raids - Buffer
Group PvE - CC
Sieges/Mass PvP - CP Heal only, nobody wants OL buffs
Group PvP - CP Heal only again, debuffs dont land enough to rely on
Raids - NO USE, no one wants OL buffs
Group PvE - CC and buffer, if no other buffer in party
I am just frustrated by the fact that I am now limited to CP heals in PvP. A bot could do that. I used to be active on the battlefield, trying my seals on the oncoming enemies.
BTW, bighands, are you doing well in PvP ? You mention using drains, have the nerfs made to it and CP pots spamming slowed you down ?
The role of the Overlord :
- CP Heal in PvP
- Crowd Control in PvE
For a PvP game, that makes a rather boring class to play now.
Noone wants OL buffs at a raid? This is a mistake. OL's can buff a raid much faster than any other buffer. If you're forced to rely on Prophets and SE's for your buffs, you'll be waiting several times as long to get ready. Speeding up raids is always a bonus. Maybe once other buffs are available at 76+ this is no longer the case, but for groups 75-, it is very advantageous to have an overlord.
I think one of the main issues is that there are so few OL's past level 65 or so on all the servers in respect to the rest of the server's population.
The thing I see over and over is that the pocket prophets dont' know how to use the OL to do the main buffing and then just apply their special buffs on top.
I do have issues with the OL buffs like Shield and Zerk cause they effect everyone, but that is also their power.
I do believe that the range of the debuff nurf is probably the worse thing they did. That was the one thing that made us more than just CP healers. Those debuffs hardly landed at all anyways and to make the range so nurf'd just made the investment in them stupid. If they would have adjusted them so they landed more or maybe went out much further once you had the first person(s) in range, then it may have been better, but now I need to stand almost next to a MOP or another player just for it to land on them. Even in the Arena, it doesn't cover the whole place anymore and it should.
I feel your pain DarkLordSeb :eek: I wish the one's who keep writing in these nerfs actually played these characters so they could see how silly the nerfs are. We pick a class based on it's abilities but they keep changing things on us, it's just very annoying. I have a mid 40s OL but with all the changes I doubt I will be leveling her much... :confused:
Valdis, yes the OL can buff much faster. But the problem with OL buffs is that everybody wants THEIR buffs and no others. Their buff bar is filled with the ones they need and want no other because they get replaced (overbuffed).
Mages don't want Might, Bless Shield or Acuracy.
Melees don't want Acumen or Empower.
Tanks don't want Zerk.
Weirdly, no one wants Evasion.
That leaves with only Shield, M.Def and WW, which are not used in raids, except those such as Antharas.
I know, I know. It's possible to organize buffs so that you buff melees and mages seperately, but it's complicated. People respond slowly or don't listen altogether. And you have to repeat that every 20 mins, so people just get annoyed.
The way my (old) ally does it, is everybody gets everything, aside from the tank who will run away when OL buffs zerk. mages wont get overbuffed because there are so few buffs they need and buffs that fighters need that OL doesn't have are focus and death whisper as the most important ones. this is for raids. OLs have always had a key role there for us. When no OLs were online, we would break out our boxed OL.
Same for sieges, OLs are very important. Especially for attacking with CP heals - follow the clan leader to the throne room and keep his/her CP up at all times. But I do understand that it would be more fun to be using seals (and have them land). Prior to CP you wouldnt make an OL to be a healer.