Game Mechanics Whirlwind Strike Hitbox

Whirlwind Strike is arguably the most overcentralizing, and strongest, node in Warrior's 2.0 ability tree. And while it's fun to use, it's caused a lot of balance and design issues for the class, that 2.0.2 has attempted to try and solve, but I personally disagree in the method that it's being handled in.

Why is it so good/overcentralizing, and why is it a bad thing? It massively increases the size of Uppercut, and allows you to sustain incredibly fast 360° movement around enemies, making you difficult to hit to every single enemy in game. When most people think of Battle Monk as an archetype, they think of this ability. What makes its current state so bad is the fact that it's nearly required for every Warrior archetype to invest in, due to how poor base Uppercut and even Half-Moon Swipe's hitboxes are. Many have suggested that the innate synergy between Whirlwind Strike and Fallen/Paladin be removed entirely, and while I don't think that this synergy should be lost, it's quite clear that the ability needs fine tuning and for the previous 2 versions of Uppercut to also become stronger.

Patch 2.0.2 nerfs Whirlwind Strike to have a significantly smaller downwards vertical hitbox, which helps mitigate one of the issues that the ability takes you incredibly high, but I don't think that it really solves the ability's dilemma. Originally, it was changed to 1.5 blocks beneath the player, but has recently been buffed to 2.5 which can allow the player to land 2 consecutive Uppercuts in a row. However, I don't think this ends up solving the core issue of the ability and just ends up making it really janky to use. Both Firework and Comet were changed so as to where they no longer instantly activate on mobs with knockback CCI, and so spamming consecutive Uppercuts is now just no longer as viable. So fundamentally, the nerf doesn't change too much from what is currently on live, and doesn't change the fact that it still makes the player nigh untouchable.



This is the current horizontal hitbox of Whirlwind Strike on live, which hasn't changed at all for the upcoming patch. While it's nice that Warrior gets good AOE (even comparable to Shaman's which it arguably shouldn't get), you can see as to why it becomes so necessary for the majority of tree combinations when you look at the former options:



Here is Half-Moon Swipe's hitbox, which barely even compares to Warrior's old Uppercut hitbox before 2.0, and is even less consistent due to it being a cone that cannot hit enemies directly parallel to you. Arguably, player mobility has become too strong in 2.0, but finding a way to make it become more reasonable/balanced and fun to use for players is quite difficult. That's why I propose a new change to Whirlwind Strike (and Half-Moon Swipe)'s hitbox that I think will solve many of its issues:



I know, it's weird, but hear me out: patch 2.0.2's nerf as I've already said doesn't fundamentally change the easy to land horizontal mobility issue that the ability still has, and just ends up making landing vertical damage really off-putting. My idea is that Whirlwind Strike gains a much smaller circular hitbox around the player, yet will also retain Half-Moon Swipe's forwards wall/cone. This way,

- the smaller circular hitbox around the player means that you have to fly closer and more precise around enemies, which can possibly leave you vulnerable to projectile and other spell attacks helping solve the issue that it makes you too untouchable
- wider player-centric abilities such as Thunderclap and Cyclone are still useful
- the vertical hitbox nor the height the ability grants you needs to be altered so travel speed/lootrunning is unaffected and doesn't make landing Uppercuts inconsistent
- you don't have to lose forwards AOE against large groups of enemies if you choose to stay on the ground and doesn't make taking Half-Moon Swipe obsolete.

The proposed hitbox isn't perfect (I made it in about a minute), and can be altered further if need be, but I think it still gets the general idea of the suggestion. I've also not personally tested it, as it is a suggestion after all, but I would like to see similar ideas proposed/implemented that helps combat the insane mobility that Whirlwind Strike provides, as I don't believe the upcoming change effectively solves the issue.

 

Another option would be to make whirlwind do less damage below the player. So you will have to fly closer to inflict full damage or rework all of warrior tree bc its messed up.

 

Or make so that Whirlwind hibox expands as you attack (+1block max) since the first hit isn't a problem
The second is since it boosts you out of range

 

I dont get this. Ya say that whirlwind shoud get wider if you spam it?

 

like a concentration boost
+1 block hitbox on second hit (max hitbox reachable) and this boost expires after some seconds
rn wwind is weird af

 

Well this would just make it more like it was and not solve the problem. The problem was that whirlwind provided big damage with little risk of death. Hitbox change was suppost to make it harder to hit mobs while flying up high. But it made it inconsistent. My suggestion (first reply on this post) would do it better.

 

Would personally make Whirlwind strike lower Warrior's base defense, but honestly, I feel like most options are worth trying before we resort to simply making the ability less consistent and less fun.

 

Again, I don't feel like these simple stat slap changes really solve the fundamental issue with the ability. Just lowering damage (or in this case defense, which is a new one that I've seen) won't make its mobility not completely gamebreaking. Defense specifically wouldn't matter too much, as using ETW and fairly glassy builds has actually become commonplace due to the sheer survivability that Whirlwind Strike provides. I will continue to think that the best way to tackle the issue is altering the hitbox/mobility entirely.

 

I'm honestly not too picky on how to fix it, beyond the fact that I want it to stay fun.
Thats my main issue with nerfing, especially the mobility, is that it just makes it less fun.

 

Well, the suggestion in my own post doesn’t change the mobility aspect of it at all if you’re referring to that. Just makes it so you have to get closer to mobs.

 

No, I enjoy you're suggestion, I think it's a much better fix then the current solution.