Patch 1.0.3 is incoming. In contrast to the Legendary item changes to come (later) the increased attack speed (iAS) nerf will be retroactive. This is a blow to Monks (life on hit and iAS), to a lesser extent Barbarians and Demon Hunters (glass cannons) progressing through Inferno:
As a reminder, we will be nerfing “Increases Attack Speed” (IAS) effects on all items except quivers with the 1.0.3 patch. Please note that this change does affect unidentified items as well, as item affixes and ranges are determined at the time of an item being dropped, and not when identified.
Characters with IAS on their items will see a drop in their character sheet damage, as character sheet damage takes into account attack speed (among other factors).
This change should not be confused with the Legendary buffs coming in a future patch (not 1.0.3), and those buffs, as previously mentioned, will not be retroactive.
You can read more about these and other upcoming changes in the 1.0.3 Design Preview blog.
It’s time to find a new ‘best stat’ for progression. It may even be time to change playstyle. After great progress with a survival geared barb I found my glass cannon Demon Hunter too punishing so invested in some resist all gear. A great improvement! Though ranged will never be as durable as melee – quite so, given the other advantages you get as ranged.
Ray
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Blizzard is butchering this game. I really hate to see these kinds of decisions made. IAS being nerfed? Diablo isn’t about complete balance, it’s about fun. IAS being one of the best stats ever in Diablo. Now that they realize just how many people love it they nerf it in half? They can’t just buff other stats, or make small changes. Nerfing IAS on rings (17% is a lot) and slight changes to other armor makes sense. Nerfing IAS on everything by a whomping 50% is insane.
This isn’t fun anymore. We were all promised thousands of viable builds and yet we are all being forced into a gameplay style that Blizzard approves of. How many D2 Veterans spent years having fun smashing destructible objects? Well not anymore, Blizzard doesn’t want you doing that even though they brought that feature back from D2. You like attacking fast? Hell no man, you’re stacking that IAS and we want you to be a slow and boring attacker. You like pulling your hair out and raging like a maniac? Good, Blizzard just set forth several new features to send you into a rage 50% faster than before.
I’m already raging too much. My friends list is thinning out by the day. ALL of my real life friends who I spent years playing D2 with are gone. They all quit and it sucks since it’s only been a month, A MONTH. I’m so wonewy
Hope everyone else is enjoying the changes though. What is everyone else’s thoughts on the direction the game is taking?
This whole whining because a nerf happens is counter productive… yea they nerfed he ‘best stat’ but so what? now everyone won’t be bound to just searching for items with IAS on them. Now they can let their minds explode and come up with new and inventive builds as opposed to ones that revolve around just stack ias and damn the consequences.
I don’t think you see the real problem. Attack Speed. Diablo is a fast paced game, hince HACK N SLASH. We aren’t whining that we can’t stack IAS to increase DPS. That’s not the issue. In fact, if you crunch your numbers you’ll see that it isn’t even over powered. Crit dmg and Crit Chance have always been better stats, but people like to trade off massive damage numbers for a comfortable attack speed. Take my 30% dps I don’t care. I do care, however, that I am attacking in slow motion. How am I to enjoy playing the way I want to when they nerf a stat so bad that I need to sacrifice more dps and more alternative stats to stack even MORE ias because I can’t stand attacking so slow in a ARPG. Not very heroic when your hero is swinging his sword like a 6 year old underwater.
You know what’s counter productive? Blizzard making decisions like this. Throwing out a 50% nerf without serious consideration of the players. My post about nerfing ring IAS was productive. Do you have a better, more productive suggestion other than claiming our whining is counter productive? Out of everyone on the forums, general chats, real life conversations I can easily say 90% of the players I’ve encountered are against this decision. What is your solution? Keep the slow-motion style of ARPG and stack crit dmg and crit chance until they’re nerfed? There’s not much else to choose from and IAS is the ONLY stat that gives us a VISUAL representation of adding more of it. Plus, like I said… Hack n Slash.
Let’s not even talk about the failed fixes, the added bugs, insane repair bills and the fact that your GF and MF got nerfed too. You will find that you will make even more money NOT playing this game and sitting on the AH all day now. When will they nerf that? Making money from a video game is only fun for so long until the game play aspect is completely destroyed.
Good news? I made $50 within the first couple hours of patch from people re-gearing their characters. But I’d give it back for a better game play anyday.