Balance Rationale For Gift Of The Pure/Highborn?

[Lubaf]

(BTW, small bug report: the talent is referred to as Gift of the Pureborn on the character select screen, but as Gift of the Highborn in-game.)

What's the balance rationale for Gift of the Highborn being based only on Willpower, rather then the higher of Magic/Willpower? Is there one?

Thanks
Luc "Query" French

[Zeyphor]

only 6 magic users in the whole game don't want willpower over other stats for whatever reason
anorithils sun paladins arcane blades shadowblades reavers and corruptors
actually thats half of the magic users now that i think about it, including stone wardens who want willpower

[Sradac]

what's the rationale behind skeletons bone armor scaling with Dex? Its just the way it is. Gift of the highborn isnt even that great. It helps, but its not going to make or break any character

[cttw]

Highers have too good stats/abilities for their exp. penalty. But please, don't increase their exp penalty, instead reduce everyone else's (except yeek and cormac).

[grobblewobble]

Highers have too good stats/abilities for their exp. penalty. But please, don't increase their exp penalty, instead reduce everyone else's (except yeek and cormac).

They do? I rarely play them because other races nearly always seem better. :/

[cttw]

They have decent HP. They can use a lot of abilities without paying the cost, cost being the thing that balances a lot of abilities. They are magic friendly without being magic dependant. They have their own heal for classes that have trouble healing.

[breadsmith]

And of course, all of the above makes them fantastic liches

[Plak]

Lichdom is pretty much the only thing they do better than other classes, though (and perhaps niche Aether Permeation builds). I'd say they're by a decent margin the weakest non-challenge class, so if anything they badly need a buff.

[Mewtarthio]

They have decent HP. They can use a lot of abilities without paying the cost, cost being the thing that balances a lot of abilities. They are magic friendly without being magic dependant. They have their own heal for classes that have trouble healing.

They have a pretty lousy heal, honestly. It's nice in the early game, but unless you've got some Fungus shenanigans going on, you'll probably stop using it during the tier 2s (and those Fungus shenanigans don't care about the heal value, just that it's instant). Highborn's Bloom isn't that awesome, seeing as most classes can manage resources just fine without it (though it is great on Defilers and Necromancers). The other two talents are pretty niche, as well. They're hardly overpowered.

[cttw]

The heal is not ideal but it is there and does not use a turn. And they don't just make good liches and archmages. You just haven't given enough thought yet to how abusable their 4th ability is. I've won the game with a very powerful higher shadowblade build described here:

http://forums.te4.org/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=39081

It is true most classes can manage resources, but many classes have to make choices in that matter, and highers can get it all when it comes to resources, rather than "managing".

[jotwebe]

Lichdom is pretty much the only thing they do better than other classes, though (and perhaps niche Aether Permeation builds). I'd say they're by a decent margin the weakest non-challenge class, so if anything they badly need a buff.

I'd say they're about on par with Halflings and Dwarves, but more specialized. Which is pretty okay: they could stand a buff, but they sure don't need one "badly". Anyway nobody mentioned my favorite Higher talent yet: Overseer of Nations is really nice with the vision buff. And their 4th ability is basically Hidden Resources for free. I'd like to see them a bit less specialized and grant their magic boost on all non-physical damage, not only magical.