I'm new to Wizardry, so I am fascinated by almost every video I watch --- the class is so different from the melee I'm accustomed to.
In one of Tryhard's video, he makes extensive use of Stutter Step and Off-Screen Kiting. The only way that I can see this working is that he actually almost never targets a mob per se, but rather simply aggroes them and then runs away and casts non-targeted orbs and casts back in their general direction. Is that correct? From my melee experience, this is completely alien to me. I've tried doing it, and the funny part is that I often run half-way back thru the instance before I realize there's no one alive chasing me.
Is this a standard technique if I opt to be a ranged DPS wizard? I had hoped to be a ranged damage dealer but to actually remain on the same screen as my mobs (lol).
One of the reasons he is forced to keep them off screen is that he does not use teleport so if get trapped by a Vortex, waller, jailer, teleport pack is is basically gonna die as he has no means of escape.
Having teleport will allow you to keep them on screen. As for what rune you use I am not really sure. Some suggest fracture while others swear by wormhole and you may want to use the illusionist passive.
Stutter stepping is, in my opinion, the result of poor planning of class skills on Blizzard's part. If wizards had a reliable kiting skill that didn't have to take more than 8 seconds to cool down, then most likely, there wouldn't be the need to stutter step almost all the time (I have very early carpal tunnel so stutter stepping a decent amount aggravates it).
I played a witch doctor before and never really used the stutter step with my splinters build. Now that I am using the wiz and also saw TryHard's video I gave it a shot and would have to say the stutter step has given me a great deal of success even with the monsters on screen. In reference to keeping them off screen, I have teleport in my build and I mainly keep them off screen if they have teleport, vortex, waller or jailer since from experience they dont use it if they are off screen. But otherwise two-step away with them on screen. You get better at it over time and the biggest difference is noticed with monsters that throw missles at you. Stuttering to the side has them missing you 8 out of 10 times. FYI I use Shock Pulse + Piercing Orb and Blizzard for my main skills and I am currently finishing Act 2 Inferno with little deaths.
Yeah, I had no idea what this 'stutter step' thing was until I saw someone in a public game doing it. I looked so retarded, and I thought "wtf is this guy doing? is it lag?'. I just looks...unnatural
Stutter stepping is, in my opinion, the result of poor planning of class skills on Blizzard's part. If wizards had a reliable kiting skill that didn't have to take more than 8 seconds to cool down, then most likely, there wouldn't be the need to stutter step almost all the time (I have very early carpal tunnel so stutter stepping a decent amount aggravates it).
Stutter stepping is actually to reset your attack animation so you attack more often in a shorter time. More time attacking = more damage done = shorter fight.
Stutter stepping is, in my opinion, the result of poor planning of class skills on Blizzard's part. If wizards had a reliable kiting skill that didn't have to take more than 8 seconds to cool down, then most likely, there wouldn't be the need to stutter step almost all the time (I have very early carpal tunnel so stutter stepping a decent amount aggravates it).
Stutter stepping is actually to reset your attack animation so you attack more often in a shorter time. More time attacking = more damage done = shorter fight.
Except this is wrong as you do not shoot any faster no matter how hard you stutter step.
Yes pretty much OP. Don't keep them totally off your screen. Keep them near the edge of the screen and you'll be fine. I find that when stutter stepping using arcane orb works well. When it hits the mob they stop moving for a second from the impact of the orb. So when you stop to fire it off they stop for roughly the same time flinching. Even though the mob will eventually catch up to you. Movement speed boots (max is 12%) are important here.
Also I'd suggest using a couple defensive spells on your bar to make sure you don't die when they do come in close. Using diamond Skin, mirror image, tele, and the illusionist passive is my favorite set of defensive skills. Also what rune you have on tele depends on if you're using mirror images or not. Imo teleport should be on your bar in any build, and mirror images are very helpful to take a few hits and distract the mob. I use wormhole in my arcane orb, illusionist build. And fracture in my blizzard kite build because I don't use images in this one.
I'm rarely not stutter stepping vs champs/elites. I use Attunement on MM to regen AP for ORB real quick. So typically stutter step 4 - 5 times to regen my ap pool using MM, then stand and blast 4 -5 orbs at whatever is chasing, at this point if they are close, wormhole, if not, back to stutter stepping. Rinse repeat. With high crit dmg the champs are usually down in 3 - 4 repeats of this technique.
I find the only things that nail me in act III are the phase beasts because they tele in front of you, sometimes not even on screen, you just kinda blindly kite into them. I tend to skip phase beasts now, not worth the effort, everything else in act III is a pushover using stutter stepping and off screen antics.
I should also say that is solo'ing, with a good monk or barb, i find no need to SS, you just dodge and spam, so SS is dependant on playstyle, group solo etc.
In one of Tryhard's video, he makes extensive use of Stutter Step and Off-Screen Kiting. The only way that I can see this working is that he actually almost never targets a mob per se, but rather simply aggroes them and then runs away and casts non-targeted orbs and casts back in their general direction. Is that correct? From my melee experience, this is completely alien to me. I've tried doing it, and the funny part is that I often run half-way back thru the instance before I realize there's no one alive chasing me.
Is this a standard technique if I opt to be a ranged DPS wizard? I had hoped to be a ranged damage dealer but to actually remain on the same screen as my mobs (lol).
Having teleport will allow you to keep them on screen. As for what rune you use I am not really sure. Some suggest fracture while others swear by wormhole and you may want to use the illusionist passive.
Yeah, i bet you did panama red.
Stutter stepping is actually to reset your attack animation so you attack more often in a shorter time. More time attacking = more damage done = shorter fight.
Except this is wrong as you do not shoot any faster no matter how hard you stutter step.
Also I'd suggest using a couple defensive spells on your bar to make sure you don't die when they do come in close. Using diamond Skin, mirror image, tele, and the illusionist passive is my favorite set of defensive skills. Also what rune you have on tele depends on if you're using mirror images or not. Imo teleport should be on your bar in any build, and mirror images are very helpful to take a few hits and distract the mob. I use wormhole in my arcane orb, illusionist build. And fracture in my blizzard kite build because I don't use images in this one.
I find the only things that nail me in act III are the phase beasts because they tele in front of you, sometimes not even on screen, you just kinda blindly kite into them. I tend to skip phase beasts now, not worth the effort, everything else in act III is a pushover using stutter stepping and off screen antics.
I should also say that is solo'ing, with a good monk or barb, i find no need to SS, you just dodge and spam, so SS is dependant on playstyle, group solo etc.