What's up with Sega streamlining the classes like this?

[Smithee]

After getting Massive Hunter and Absorption I'm not trusting SEGA anymore when it comes to improving classes. I'm still flabbergasted at how they could think those were good additions to the tank tree as they are right now. :'(

I wouldn't consider either of these useless seeing how I can think of at least one way they're use full.

[MetalDude]

Ideally if you're JG-ing hits, you're barely losing damage opportunities and more often than not creating more in the process due to invincibility. In fact, tank builds are an utter waste for Braver as Katana Gear benefits tremendously from as much S Atk and multipliers as possible and it's most desirable therefore to CA instead of tanking hits. FI is really the one exception if you exclusively use DS but Knuckles and T. Dags both have fast and viable dodging options that will keep you right in the action to the point where sacrificing damage for tanking is simply not that smart.

I seriously can't recommend any more tanking options than Automate. It's really rare that I get hit hard enough to die in one shot unless I'm not careful or get one-two punched extremely quickly (in which Iron Will alone wouldn't even save you). If you're putting points into both Iron Will and Automate, you're losing way more than 5% damage.

[Skyly HUmar]

That's my point, yes, you can make a 100% DPS biuld, but if you're so obsessed with performance, the fact that you're as squishy as an ant is as important factor as getting an extra 5% in damage. A defensive build doesn't just cover your ass in the random case of accidental death, it makes you able to put yourself in more dangerous situations to deal more damage, all the time.

Are you taking defensive measures only a 5% of the time? That does not compute, precisely enemies like Banther are constantly attacking, specially if you're close to them. The fact that with Iron Will or Automate Halfline you can just go "oh fuck this" in front of its face and lock yourself in Over End unflinchable frames, gives you more freedom when fighting them.

Of course that recklessness will not pay all the time since Iron Will has a small chance of failure, but if you combine it with other defensive skills, it pays up much more than just being able to deal more damage. Because technically I'm dealing that damage anyways, just using more attacks than you, while you're dodging.

This would be true if taking damage was an issue though. I mean... i prefer to no damage my bosses just because its funner that way (to me), but i have no problem tanking a banther for a few hits while i over end as a 60/60 hu/fidewm. Sure, it kills me in 3-4 hits in aq, but i can still get in enough damage to live it's hits and stun lock it by breaking all of it's parts back to back. I can even turn to the side so my over end actually hits the face and roar lock it to death.

I mean, if you think you're too squishy for that, you can just stick a bunch of healing abilities on your mag, keep it fed and it will pretty much be like having automate.

I get what you're saying about defensive skills being handy, but there's no getting around the fact that offense is better, and no matter what you say to point out how useful defensive skills are, they are still not as useful as being fully offensive.

Am i saying that its wrong to play that way? no. Am i saying offense is funner? of course not, i have a bulk tree myself. Everyone plays the way they want and whats fun to them may not be fun to me, but you just can't get around the fact that when it comes to efficiency bulky builds cant hold a candle to a build that's fully offensively invested. It just doesn't work that way no matter how much we want it to, and believe me i do.