ARPGs just need to embrace the fact that they're twinstick shooters with bungled controls, and PoE2 is already doing that by saying "ok fine you can move with the keys and aim and attack with the mouse separately, jeez"
This is true in other things too like DND. Take a race like Aaracokra and equip a bow, most things will be unable to deal with you until you hit a later level.
Honestly there are only a handful of ARPGs I can think of where it is a bit of an inverse or more fairly “balanced,” with the most recent to memory being Grim Dawn. Granted it’s an issue in a lot of RPGs as a whole that aren’t turn based and a bit of a shame it is almost a standard at this point.
Grim Dawn' own problem is that it doesn't matter if you're melee or ranged, the AI for nearly every mob in the game is set to run directly towards the player. But, Grim Dawn also gives the player a lot of defensive options within its sandbox in comparison to other ARPGs. Not sure if that's better.
Unfortunately they all have some sort of issue. Granted with the defensive tools in GD it’s not too terrible, outside of a few of the super bosses still being able to one to two shot a lot of builds.
In Dark Souls 2, magic is less powerful than the other Souls and in Bloodborne, arcane tools are the least efficient magic spells of FromSoftware ARPGs. In my opinion, it's a good thing.
It's less powerful sure but it's still a very versatile tool. Going all in on melee actually hurts your playthrough a bit, putting some points into attunement and either faith or int (or neither for pyromancy) makes the game a lot easier
most of the early mobs you fight are primarily melee, so right from the start melee characters are at a disadvantage having to go right up the mobs face to deal damage and taking any incoming attacks while ranged and magic characters can kite the crowd at a safe distance
In a single player game it's not quite so much a problem, the game's designed around your toolset at any given moment (barring cheating).
But in multiplayer games, including co-op if you break away from digital rpgs, yeah it can get hard to balance.
Even the first rpg still hasn't figured it out
This is generally an issue in a lot of games, you usually just have more to offset it. With a lot of ARPGs being mostly singeplayer affairs you don't have something like a tank/healer/dps triangle to balance it out, each class just has to do it all.
I will be interested as to what Melee is like in PoE2, since melee feeling really bad in PoE was supposedly the first domino that led to PoE2 existing, so you would hope that it's gotten better
My preferred play style / player characters will always be melee- it’s always infuriating to see a mage type clearing an area/battle with one OP skill like huh?! 😭
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like having skills that require a melee weapon equipped, and are tagged as a melee skill, but have the range of a ranged skill
Still hate the fp bar system of DS3 and ER tho
But in multiplayer games, including co-op if you break away from digital rpgs, yeah it can get hard to balance.
Even the first rpg still hasn't figured it out
THIS.
My preferred play style / player characters will always be melee- it’s always infuriating to see a mage type clearing an area/battle with one OP skill like huh?! 😭