Possessed is not a true buff, because it also contains a negative effect, the debuff of life loss.
The negative effect of Possessed is way more impactful than the positive effect.
Possessed is granted from items, enemy gem spawns (Gem of Dreams), gear, and is unwanted in many game modes.
Possessed causes a noticeable and annoying delay in gameplay due to the long animation and delay to your ability to start your turn.
Possessed causes negative outcomes in game modes (PvP and Event) that require full, or >90%, health at the end of each battle. These game modes are commonly played with 10s of fights each week, making the rule of large numbers increasing the probability of Possessed causing a negative impact on your score.
Possessed contains a persistent debuff that is not removable with dispel effects or column matches or any other method.
Contextually, Possessed does not fit with the green gem variant âGem of Dreamsâ. Green is typically a growth and healing focused color for buffs.
Possessed was removed from Reshâs buff list, and for the same reasons it does not belong in the Gem of Dreams âbuffâ list
Potential methods to fix Possessed?
Remove it from the Gem of Dreams buff table. (fixes the most annoying implementation)
Remove the life loss debuff. If it had no negative effect, it would make many pieces of gear viable for use. The mana gain buff is not game-breaking or really even that powerful.
Change it to a mild haste/terror effect instead (+10% mana gained / +10% damage received).
Create a separate debuff for the life loss that is removable with column match or dispel effects.
Allow the player to turn off any âbuffâ by clicking on the icon
Remove it from any random in-game effects and isolate it to gear that would require it to be selected for.
I like the idea of having pyric buffs in the game, but they should be very targeted and intentional.
I agree with your post. Life loss isnât the issue. Its having possessed attached to your loadout when you donât actually want it. Currently it feels more like a debuff than a buff. But I do like the idea of intentionally using it on a clever loadout.
As a mechanic, possessed definitely has potential. If I am running a possessed loadout, you get penalized for using my possessed gems, since your loadout might not be equipped to handle it. So it becomes a buff for me ideally, but a double edged sword for my opponent.
Sometimes it doesnât even give you the mana i agree it should be removed from dream gems thats the only reason i dont use amulet of the first slows me down too much, posessed can have some really fun builds utilizing the hp loss to your advantage.
I am also in favour of ârestrictingâ Possessed in a way that is really advantageous to the player than the present condition where itâs a very big nuisance, especially in the Events.
I still use the Amulet in all events as, if Iâm honest, I enjoy the challenge Possessed brings with it. I like the balance of applying all those buffs & debuffs vs forcing myself to gain a turn-one regen to counteract the possible status effect of losing health. It makes every battle slightly more rewarding without sounding masochistic.
Iâve never liked the animations however. I find the lag every time Possessed hits jarring. I wouldnât be sad to see that disappear at all. (an option to disable or minimise several of the animations would be welcome tbh).
As a side note, I still find it odd that Possessed is offered as a âbuffâ in some Adventures/Expos as itâs completely detrimental to speed farming. Does anyone actually purchase it?
Nobody purchases the possessed adventure buffs in adventures lol. There is no benefit to it unless u r running a specific possessed build.
I personally like possessed because it triggers fallen shoulders the same way burn does. This is why I use it in level 200 3 day events when I prefer more armor and resistance.
I feel it would be detrimental to the game to eliminate certain buffs or debuffs. Amulet is very strong and there are a plethora of ways to counter the life loss from possessed. I am surprised that possessed is causing this much pain for people. Especially when running a green build with serp ring, possessed will have zero negative effects.
If we take the time to make the builds effectively we wonât have to try and change how the game is designed to play.
I also side with Swivel on this. This game is meant to have some challenges. This keeps the game interesting.
It is pretty clear that I am not advocating for the removal of Possessed from the game.
Burn is a negative effect. Fallen shoulders are a unique and powerful way to counter incoming damage. Sure, Possessed can be beneficial to the âlife lossâ effects on Fallen Shoulders and one of the Season 2.5 shields. If you want to use possessed for that reason, then you should be forced to build for it intentionally.
Madness is the closest thing we have to Possessed, in that it has a negative aspect to it, but it is correctly not included in the buff list of Resh or Gem of Dreams.
It can be worked around and built for, yes, but what other âbuffâ requires special planning to âcounterâ itâs effects?
True, it really is not that big of a problem for those that are prepared for it, but why are we preparing to âcounterâ a âbuffâ?
My main problem is that it is in the buff list that is shared for current and potentially future ârandom buffâ items and effects. This was the reason it was removed from Reshâs buff list. Possessed has a persistent, unremovable, negative effect, which is the reason I am advocating for it being removed from the global buff list as one of my potential âsolutionsâ.