Jump to content

Force Lightning


Padewan

Recommended Posts

I really enjoyed playing my hybrid sorcerer before 3.0 hit simply because it gave me an incentive to use FL. It seems like now there is little reason for those in the discipline named for the iconic power, Lightning/Force Lightning, to use their own namesake force power.

 

I'm only level 50, so I haven't seen if higher levels give the incentive to use it again and haven't been able to actually try gameplay without it due to work. I'm mostly disappointed from a flavor standpoint right now as losing game mechanics doesn't really matter to me. FL is such an iconic ability to not have be useful to the discipline with the same name.

 

So for those of you higher levels out there in the lightning spec... Is there a reason higher up to start considering FL for Lightning spec or is it just a filler ability that will always lose priority to most other abilities? If there isn't, do any of you use it just for the flavor of feeling "Palpatine-ish"?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They're going to murder Force Storm next patch, I think.

 

Resources

With the new way resources are spent per tick instead of instantly, Force Storm's resource cost is meaningless, because you regenerate it as fast as you can spend it, even if you get interrupted halfway through. There is no resource benefit to using Force Lightning over Force Storm.

 

Damage

Force Lightning receives zero buffs from the Lightning discipline. The faster cast time has been moved to Madness. The double-tick has been removed. No damage bonuses applied. Does not proc other abilities. Force Storm gets +25% damage from utility, +15% crit chance and +30% crit damage from discipline path, and it procs instant Chain Lightning. Oh, and Force Storm is AOE.

 

Utility

Force Lightning roots weak NPCs and slows everything else. Force Storm has a chance to stun weak NPCs and slows everything else. This is arguably where Force Lightning has its use, because the slow is more powerful than the one on Force Storm.

 

Outside of the odd case where you need to slow someone for 50% instead of 30%, Force Storm does everything better than Force Lightning. More damage to more targets with same resource penalty (none) and arguably better utility.

 

Edit: Oh, and I *********** love the beefed up Force Storm. Just wish Force Lightning had a place in the Lightning rotation, but I feel like I'm gimping myself (because I am) whenever I use it for nostalgic reasons.

Edited by Qaoz
Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...