Path of the Sun

[MarginalMagus]

I've been looking for a new playstyle to try beating insane (I play kite-heavy classes most of the time), and the new Sun Paladin has been a lot of fun--tanky, aggressive, with good skill synergy. One of the reasons I've avoided archmage for insane is that optimal archmage play, with arcane eye and shields every 8 steps instead of autoexplore, is mind-numbing. Path of the Sun, however, seems to allow perfect safe scouting at all times, but I don't want to do it. Two questions, then: is autoexplore usable on insane? Does the ai recognize Path of the Sun as originating from the player, and if not, should it be changed to do so?

[Marson]

Two questions, then: is autoexplore usable on insane?

In a couple of the starter zone it's less of a risk, but even Norgos will have multiple named mobs waiting for you. I personally wouldn't risk it.

Does the ai recognize Path of the Sun as originating from the player, and if not, should it be changed to do so?

If you are asking if the pathing AI will use the PotS line in preference to other options, that's something worth testing. The pathing AI will calculate a path based on how "fast" a tile is, which is how it goes around swamp and water. But even if PotS affects that calculation, it will only have an impact if the AI is sending you in the direction of the path to begin with. AI pathing has a list of preferences it prioritizes when exploring, including objects on the ground, unseen tiles, etc. If it sees an object to the west and your path goes east, it's going to ignore your path and just go towards the object. If it then wants to send you east and the path still exists, then it might take the path if that's the quickest way.

My guess is that using Path will still be a bit tedious for exploring. Even if you tell the pathing AI to rank the path endpoint as the highest priority, you'll still have to cast it over and over.

[donkatsu]

On Insane I usually just risk the oneshots until level 30, grab Cauterize, then autoexplore to my heart's content until High Peak. It's worked out pretty well for me. It's suboptimal but I can't stand exploring manually.

[MarginalMagus]

Donkatsu, that is reassuring. I will doubtless do the same. Sun Paladin also has Second Life, but I'm insufficiently experienced with it to know whether it adequately replaces cauterize.

Marson, what I mean to say is I think that the enemies should investigate a Path of the Sun, even if they have not seen you yet, so that throwing one out into the fog of war has a risk. I know that ability-specific ai exceptions are frowned upon, but perhaps the enemies should be able to see all particle effects, and infer their origin!

[Marson]

Heh. They have enough problems going around corners.