2010-06-22, 12:24 PM
While all Magicians rejoice and fill the world's oceans with their joy, I feel as though many people don't fully understand how the skill Big Bang operates in the environment of the game. It's a very different skill, yet carries some ugly "side effects" that may change the opinions of those screaming "zomg new bossing skill!!11one." Let's get started:
First off, Big Bang finally had a range change in KMST (from what it appears in the now-famous screenshot of the 124 LOLFP at Buffys). This is fantastic, as the current range of the skill is about the same as Angel Ray's new KMST range - 120%ish, aka utter crap. Cross your fingers they don't nerf this change.
Secondly, the skill is a charge-up skill. While this is obvious, it plays a role in exactly how you're using it. Thankfully the charge-up time was decreased to ~1 second during the "first" balance patch (from ~3 seconds, mind you), so it's a lot easier to release big explosions of max damage. Still, it's not possible to spam the fully charged damage due to the charge requirement. You can spam the skill at a speed equivalent to Magic Claw cast rates, but it's the fully uncharged damage (to give an idea of values, my uncharged hits back when I was geared were ~15k, while my charged hits were ~85-88k).
Perhaps one of the biggest challenges is that you cannot teleport while charging or using the skill. Even though speed and jump affects walking speed while charging, the lack of a telecasting ability with this skill makes it a mite more difficult to time when training. It's not impossible, as several videos will show you, and as I will tell you myself after using the skill at O5 to farm PoTs, but it's not some godly map-decimating, telecasting skill like many are making it out to be.
What I believe is the most detrimental aspect of the skill (and which also happens to be one of the more subtle that most people don't notice unless they've physically tried BBing) is that the skill is neutralized in the air. In other words, if you were to release the charge upon jumping, the skill would dissipate. Even worse, if a mob kbs you the moment you release the charge (you're knocked an absolutely miniscule distance through the air backwards when kb'd), the skill dissipates as well. This has massive consequences for boss runs, in that people are constantly getting kb'd by attacks spanning the map nonstop (especially Horntail and Pink Bean). You literally have to have both feet firmly planted on the ground before releasing a charge in order for the charge to connect. Otherwise, it dissipates, and you get to spend another second recharging.
Air neutralization also makes jump casting excruciatingly difficult as compared to other skills.
So what does this all mean? Go pump a point into Big Bang if you want and see, but it's not as pretty as people think. For the skill to be as useful as we'd like with the new updates, the ability to teleport while charging (I'm thinking analogous to Battlemage's ability to teleport while in Tornado), as well as the ability to cast in midair are essential.
First off, Big Bang finally had a range change in KMST (from what it appears in the now-famous screenshot of the 124 LOLFP at Buffys). This is fantastic, as the current range of the skill is about the same as Angel Ray's new KMST range - 120%ish, aka utter crap. Cross your fingers they don't nerf this change.
Secondly, the skill is a charge-up skill. While this is obvious, it plays a role in exactly how you're using it. Thankfully the charge-up time was decreased to ~1 second during the "first" balance patch (from ~3 seconds, mind you), so it's a lot easier to release big explosions of max damage. Still, it's not possible to spam the fully charged damage due to the charge requirement. You can spam the skill at a speed equivalent to Magic Claw cast rates, but it's the fully uncharged damage (to give an idea of values, my uncharged hits back when I was geared were ~15k, while my charged hits were ~85-88k).
Perhaps one of the biggest challenges is that you cannot teleport while charging or using the skill. Even though speed and jump affects walking speed while charging, the lack of a telecasting ability with this skill makes it a mite more difficult to time when training. It's not impossible, as several videos will show you, and as I will tell you myself after using the skill at O5 to farm PoTs, but it's not some godly map-decimating, telecasting skill like many are making it out to be.
What I believe is the most detrimental aspect of the skill (and which also happens to be one of the more subtle that most people don't notice unless they've physically tried BBing) is that the skill is neutralized in the air. In other words, if you were to release the charge upon jumping, the skill would dissipate. Even worse, if a mob kbs you the moment you release the charge (you're knocked an absolutely miniscule distance through the air backwards when kb'd), the skill dissipates as well. This has massive consequences for boss runs, in that people are constantly getting kb'd by attacks spanning the map nonstop (especially Horntail and Pink Bean). You literally have to have both feet firmly planted on the ground before releasing a charge in order for the charge to connect. Otherwise, it dissipates, and you get to spend another second recharging.
Air neutralization also makes jump casting excruciatingly difficult as compared to other skills.
So what does this all mean? Go pump a point into Big Bang if you want and see, but it's not as pretty as people think. For the skill to be as useful as we'd like with the new updates, the ability to teleport while charging (I'm thinking analogous to Battlemage's ability to teleport while in Tornado), as well as the ability to cast in midair are essential.