1.7 Archmage feedback

[Delmuir]

So I've run a few archmages on Nightmare... Not really a fan of how this class has changed, generally speaking. I didn't love the "huge heal shield" style of play that focused entirely on crit and crit multiplier plus needing the Celestial tree and so I understand why that's changed, but this currently form is frustratingly dull.

I posted my suggestions in the idea's section here:

http://forums.te4.org/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=51341

Basically, the problem is that the new changes don't really make the class more interesting but less. Lightning is definitely the strongest category but the new Meta ability "Energy Alteration" doesn't quite add the build-variety that was hoped for, at least not anywhere other than Normal difficulty. The simplest reason is that you still need the locked class for all of the secondary functions of one element but now, you just need to pick up the easiest, quickest damage category to use (once you've locked in your element that triggers Energy Alteration), and that's easily Fire (it has a stun and four highly useful damage skills). Now there's zero reason to use Arcane/Aether, though with the Adept prodigy you can now justify picking up Earth/Stone for some defense. Cold, while clearly the second best primary category is so far behind Lightning that it's kind of sad. The new Phantasm tree is decent enough and, again, with Adept, it's worth throwing four points into.

Worst of all is the previous changes to Disruption Shield really messed with the entire class design and has made it boring. I recognize the problems that produced said changes but I don't think this was the right direction to go in.

The thematic variety is essentially gone now. Nerfing the Archmage is fine but making it boring? I don't get it.

Perhaps I am missing something but I've played a LOT of Archmages and won with every conceivable combination so I know the class pretty well.