I’ll agree in that Barbarians do not seem to be as offensive as they used to be....before aristo recode, and more important possibly before combat recode, Rager I could use against multiple moat monsters and kill them all in one zerk....Now having more stats, and a lot of aristo skills, if I’ll kill one, and that seems to take most of the zerk.
For those who are going to ask:
1. I’m using the same weapons, god weapons, since the damn things don’t break.
2. The change to god weapons had happened long before the recodes (yes there was a change), and it wasn’t significantly compareable to recodes.
3. Myself and other high level barbs, have discussed these observations before aristo recode but after combat recode, and again after aristo recode.
Fighters I see posting on thier board all the time about too little offense...I’ve seen some fighters out kill my barb since all these changes have gone in. Total xp for a boot was about the same. Now a barb was coded with the idea that they would die more often but have the offense to make up for it....well a fighter starts with a store bought helm that is 4 times the ac of a barbs, and if they are able to make the same or more xp in a boot, with much lower risk of death then a barb, I have to ask how the idea of increased offense is showing up.
Do barbs hit a lot, without a doubt yes. Take a look at most of those hits though....inc or extreme hits are very far and few between.
It’s been said before, but Berzerk handicaps a barb as much as it helps. You get increased offense, but the inability to move to flee...And u better realize that u move sometimes in combat before u zerk next door to the kraken...Last time I tried certain healing items don’t work for a barbarian during zerk either.
Reduction in the severity of the jerky NERF has helped with survivability of the barb during combat. However I’m already ambidextrous, and while the defensive aristo skills have helped, there is not much of an increase to my offense.
I realize that a lot of interest is being placed on clerics (and what a headache devotion has been for players and wizards). And given current activity levels of wizards (hell players too) I’m not certain when or if this can be given any consideration. I’m also not certain really where an adjustment could be made that might help with this. But I felt that the issue (which I have mentioned to some) might as well be placed out on the table to be examined when time permits.