Facing a surge of private messages from players seeking advice, Xia Sheng, overwhelmed, posted an explanation thread on the forum.
[Here is the practical test of Suffering Soul you all wanted, come check it out quickly.]
Poster: If You Hit Me You’re a Dog
Recently, there have been too many private chats, I couldn’t reply to all, so I had to block them. Here I’ll introduce Suffering Soul to everyone.
Also, I’ll reply to the guilds that invited us to join once I’m less busy.
Now, let’s get to the main topic.
Everyone has seen the ability introduction of Suffering Soul, I will mainly discuss the actual performance of Suffering Soul here.
The damage effect of this soul has two layers, namely pain feedback and spiritual shock.
The key here is pain feedback, which, as explained by Old Deng, is a type of emotional damage feedback. You can also understand it as true damage; high defense is useless against it. Even if a stone-statue ghost activates its Petrification Form, the released Touch of Pain can directly reach the soul. Only one’s own willpower can resist it. Failure to do so can lead to emotional collapse and consciousness extinction, resulting in death.
This is a secret technique developed by Old Deng specifically to counter Black Tide.
He stated that intelligence-type Evil Spirits are key to controlling Black Tide Demonic Spirits. His Touch of Pain, even when used against ordinary Black Tide Demonic Spirits, instantly transmits pain to the connected intelligence-type Evil Spirits, causing true damage irrespective of distance.
Effectively beheading the enemy leader.
Next, let’s talk about the practical performance of the soul.
My current Star Vein Combination is Bone Fire (Ink Flame) + Eagle-Headed Demon (Resentful Chant) + Energy Absorption + Suffering (special).
The first test target was a level 7 Giant Crab at Colorful Mist Coast.
Without activating Suffering Soul, when I throw an Ink Flame Fireball, the Giant Crab either quickly retaliates or decisively flees after feeling the pain.
But after activating Suffering Soul, once my Ink Flame Fireball hits the Giant Crab, it also carries the effect of Pain Tentacles, causing the crab to flip over and struggle continuously, completely losing the ability to escape or retaliate.
This shows that the output of a magic system can include the effects of Suffering Soul.
After this, my sworn son also conducted tests.
He chose a melee system, with the Star Vein Combination being Shattering Blade + Power Barbarian Axe + Soul Separation Spear + Suffering, and the main weapon chosen was in a sword form.
Multiple practical tests found that:
With only Shattering Blade and Power Barbarian Axe activated, the damage did not carry the effect of the Touch of Pain of Suffering Soul.
However, as long as the primary weapon could cause the spiritual shock damage with Soul Separation Spear, every slash included true pain damage.
This set of Star Vein Combination is fierce, truly a four-layer special effect attack.
Including physical damage, spiritual shock damage, Shattering Mark (Defense Break), and pain feedback (emotional), four layers of damage. Paired with the output effect of Suffering Soul, it is stronger than my magic system faction, but the downside is its fragility; it cannot strike from ultra-long ranges like the magic system can.
Below is a recorded video, without detailed commentary, please watch in combination with the above introduction.
(Attachment: Recorded video.)
Dark Night Will Come:
After watching the video, I just want to say, decisively choose Magic Stream Star Vein, no hesitation.
The melee Star Vein combination in the video can cause multiple damages,确实 and indeed the output is high, but the problem is this combination is too fragile, requiring extremely high combat skills, and having limited effects against Insect Tide and Black Tide.
But it’s different for the magic system, perfectly fit for Suffering Soul, you can build a "Sorcerer of Pain" faction around Suffering Soul.
As proven in the video, Suffering Soul needs to be triggered by consuming spiritual power.
In the video, both Soul Separation Spear and Bone Fire are .
Here are three suggestions for you:
1. Don’t go for single-target output, opt for group magic. Suffering Soul is a spirit-transmission attack; theoretically, group magic can cause a group pain effect, equivalent to a group control skill, and the area damage of group magic is very suitable for Suffering Soul.
2. Star Vein combinations should not focus on output but control; the higher the output, the lower the benefits from pain.
Let me explain my thought here.
The effect of Suffering Soul is pain feedback causing true damage, which is not affected by the amount of magic output damage, only by the level of Suffering Soul.
Since it’s true damage stream, playing output seems contradictory.
For instance, if you hurl an ultra-high output Ink Flame Fireball at a Giant Crab, it can’t withstand and dies instantly; even if the effect of the Touch of Pain is triggered, it’s useless.
So, consider control as the main combination of Star Veins, the higher the output, the lower the benefit of Suffering Soul; you might as well directly play magic output.
3. The tests found that each use of Suffering Soul consumes very low spiritual power, mainly consumed in releasing Spirit Tentacles.
In theory, when your spiritual power is strong enough, you can release multiple Spirit Tentacles at the same time, also able to cause group damage; if you can really do this, you can abandon all magic Souls, including the current core of the system "Energy Absorption", try developing with a single Soul, not through magic output to accrue pain damage, but directly through the output of Touch of Pain. Pair other Souls with Defensive Soul, playing a style where others can’t kill you, but you deal true damage to them.
Most crucially, choosing Meat Shield Flow can endure the highest level of pain, accelerating the level upgrade of Suffering Soul.
This Star Vein combination can let you roam the battlefield, becoming an unsolvable Meat Shield Flow Sorcerer of Pain.
Above suggestions are for reference only, you can combine them according to your own ideas, but never choose Artifact Spirit Stream or Fierce Poison Stream for melee routes.