I don’t see why Firestrike’s last (and perhaps most important) evolution doesn’t apply to melee attacks.
I had mentally conjured a melee AoE demo; when I finally was able to invest into this particular skill and noticed it didn’t apply to melee attacks, I was heartily disappointed.
Please consider making this change.
Thanks.
It would be awesome with a shield, but saboteurs will use it too and spoil everything by annoying Crate again
Not all melee or ranged skills/modifiers apply the aoe to each other.
Zolhan’s Technique doesn’t apply to ranged attacks I believe and the new Necrotic Edge or whatever it’s called is only for melee for aoe.
Brimstone damage still applies in melee, albeit only to the main target. And the main target is all matters 
My build is centered around AoE damage. Since I love playing melee fighters, discovering no fragments were being generated per melee swing caused disappointment.
I don’t see how it would imbalance the skill, since its current incarnation supports ranged play which is far more safe than melee fighting (I’m playing a HC toon).
I think it’s okay the way it is. No need for making Fire Strike too overpowered and risking invoking the nerfing gods (and these are the real gods as we already know 
)
You do still have AOE though, just not the fragments. Explosive Strike and all that. It doesn’t break your build, it just isn’t quite as AOE heavy as you thought.
TBH, Fragments make sense from a ranged weapon, say a shattering round, or a breaking arrow…But where would they come from on your sword? XD
After a while you notice you’re trying to beat down Rashalga with a hilt 
I don’t see how applying the last element’s effect to melee would overpower the skill, since range play is already more safe for HC play.
Finding a logical reason to determine where the fragments come from seems like a silly defense, because the game is predicated upon non-reality. So, because magic exists, the could be the answer; the demolitionist uses fire magic to conjure fragments. Easy.
Investing heavily into a profession only to realize the last effect doesn’t augment my intended playstyle is quite disappointing, especially since you cannot respec out of profession investments.
I really don’t mean to be rude but you didn’t have to invest heavily into Demo mastery to realize that, as this exact sentence in this exact color is in the skill description of Brimstone: Ranged attacks will also splinter into molten fragments.
And ranged chars end up in melee range against pretty much everything that even remotely dangerous while doing less dps than melee chars so it’s only natural balance wise to have their own perks.
^ 1) “HC play”. There’s your problem. Just “play”. Not HC/SC. Maybe then you’ll understand.
The language is vague; it could easily be meant to be read as, “Ranged attacks (along with melee) will also…” since all the other modifiers affect melee, too.
If there truly is a concern about applying the element to melee attacks due to a DPS increase, then simply reduce its effectiveness by a %.
Nssheepster, I have over 200 hours playing non-HC, and I’m not sure why you think “playing” will cause me to “understand.”
Originally “Fire Strike” was an attack replacer for ranged play pretty much exclusively. Over time, the devs added the “Searing Strike and Searing Might” transmuters to increase it’s effectiveness in melee range at a cost of 3 attribute points. In the recent update they’ve allowed “Explosive Strike” to have AoE in melee range as well.
Here’s the problem, having Brimstone have AoE in melee range makes melee and to an extent 2-handed range be the better option for Fire Strike. We have enough melee skills in the game. We have very limited options for ranged play and the options we do have pale in comparison to melee.
If you are in melee range you will have enough AoE from procs alone at endgame and that makes up for Brimstone not having AoE.
The language is not vague. It can only be read that way if you have reading comprehension problems. Stop trying to push the blame. The fault is yours alone.
Anathema, your reply is rude and unnecessary. It’s functionally an ad hominem and does not contribute to the discussion. I’m not blaming anyone, actually. I’ve been part of the GD community since early EA, have ~300 hours in both HC & SC modes, and have participated within the modding community. Please avoid being toxic.
Duck,
Thanks for giving me some history regarding the skill; I wasn’t aware of its developmental journey (this is also the first time I’ve played a toon with the demo class!). However, I don’t see how those reasons are sufficient because if procs are enough to satisfy AoE damage needs, then no primary skills should have AoE modifiers.
Secondly, I also do not agree with the notion that applying the last upgrade to melee attacks will make that playstyle objectively better, because playing at range is fundamentally trading damage for survivability; in fact, to me, this should reinforce my notion because my toon is weaker as a result of the lack of this feature despite playing melee range.
Thoughts?
It doesn’t reinforce your notion because on paper your toon isn’t weaker. All pistols in the game start off with lower base dps stats than melee weapons of the same level range. The trade-off at the start of the game is that you have range therefore you have lower damage output. Fire Strike was supposed to change that. You are more susceptible to being hit in melee, this is true, but you should be taking out the mobs faster because your damage is also greater.
Now in melee range you also get bonus damage output if you spend three points and take the transmuters. Finally late game being ranged doesn’t help you at all. There are way too many CC effects to be able to stay in range the entire time (Stun, Freeze, Entrapment, Impaired Aim), etc. No matter how good you are playing ranged means you will have to deal with enemies at melee range. Having Brimstone gives you some bonus fire power and shotgun effects to blast your way out again.
If Brimstone gets added to melee I personally wouldn’t try a dual-ranged build again because I already know melee would be superior.
Sorry, by “weaker” I didn’t mean “dealt less damage” – I meant that I was more susceptible to death.
Now, I can’t comment on your end-game experiences yet as a ranged player. I suppose I will be able to when my toons enters Ultimate.
Thanks for the conversation!