Curse

shardfenix · Jul 26, 2006, 06:51 PM // 18:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wasteland Squidget

Okay, I wanted to leave this thread open because I think there's been some good discussion here, but its basically turned into everyone arguing with Shardfenix over a lot of unrelated things. It started as a thread on spirits, but now I'm not sure if we're discussing thumpers, or AoE smiters, or what. They're all unrelated builds and there's no point to having a general thread to try to discuss every one of them.

If someone wants to start a new thread on thumpers OR AoE smite OR spirits or even how these things work in combination, feel free.

I think even if we e-drama'd ourselves out on a thread, we have no control over when skill balances are (every season, for the most part), or what will be changed. The best we could hope for is that arenanet does more thorough testing on the skill changes (and skill creation for new chapters.)

For once, I'm gonna try to start a thread that doesn't
1: Get locked.
2: Contain e-drama.
3: Involve me (or anyone) flaming arenanet

POSITIVE thoughts and suggestions about the metagame HA/GVG/TA are welcome here.

JR · Jul 26, 2006, 07:09 PM // 19:09

- Air of Enchantment [Elite] (Protection Prayers)
For 8 seconds, Enchantments cast on target other ally cost 2...5 less Energy, with a minimum of one energy. This is an elite skill.
Energy:5 Cast:1 Recharge:7

A nerf subtle enough to make AoE smite still viable, but shrink the excess of energy these characters have to limit their utility.

Rikimaru · Jul 26, 2006, 07:21 PM // 19:21

I Think now that the recent update has made pet deaths have a far more dramatic effect, and made them a more common target, it's a lot more reasonable now to give Charm Animal a pet rez. The skill already has a 10 second cast, how bad could a free pet rez with a 10 second cast be?

Ensign · Jul 26, 2006, 10:35 PM // 22:35

That Air of Enchantment change is a buff.

Peace,
-CxE

Divineshadows · Jul 26, 2006, 11:06 PM // 23:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ensign

That Air of Enchantment change is a buff.

Peace,
-CxE

Quote:

Originally Posted by JR-

- Air of Enchantment [Elite] (Protection Prayers)
For 8 seconds, Enchantments cast on target other ally cost 2...5 less Energy. This is an elite skill.
Energy:5 Cast:1 Recharge:7

Depends on where the breakpoints are. 4 less energy at 12 prot. 5 less energy at 14 prot. 3 less energy at 9 prot. This seems reasonable for a fixed 8 second duration. It means that a smiter will have to spec 12 into prot if they want 5 energy enchantments to cost 1 energy, which would mean lower divine favor and/or smite.

JR · Jul 26, 2006, 11:35 PM // 23:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ensign

That Air of Enchantment change is a buff.

Peace,
-CxE

Gargh, my bad, I forgot to add the new *minimum of one energy* clause when I copied it from GW Freaks.

shardfenix · Jul 27, 2006, 03:56 AM // 03:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by JR-

- Air of Enchantment [Elite] (Protection Prayers)
For 8 seconds, Enchantments cast on target other ally cost 2...5 less Energy, with a minimum of one energy. This is an elite skill.
Energy:5 Cast:1 Recharge:7

A nerf subtle enough to make AoE smite still viable, but shrink the excess of energy these characters have to limit their utility.

1 cast time is iffy. AoE seems like it was designed to mass prot a target quickly. It would certainly lower other attributed with your 2...5 energy less clause, which i think is a clever solution.
My idea was to just make the recharge 12, so it would still be awesome for quick protting a target, but suck in smite (if 2 smite monks have enough coordination to chain it, they deserve that aura of pwnage)

Ensign · Jul 27, 2006, 05:54 AM // 05:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by JR-

Gargh, my bad, I forgot to add the new *minimum of one energy* clause when I copied it from GW Freaks.

So you drop the recharge by a second, lower the important break from 9 to 8, but make Balthazar's Aura cost 1 more energy to cast?

I don't follow. If all you want to do is up the cast time, up the cast time and stop messing around with the rest of the effect.

The change would make the skill basically useless for anything but smiting. Not that it's used for much else now anyway.

Peace,
-CxE

Wasteland Squidget · Jul 27, 2006, 07:11 AM // 07:11

I honestly don't have a big issue with AoE as it is now, though my vision is probably a bit colored by the fact that we've been playing smite recently. It's a strong character and you can make a build based around it, but a good AoE smiter takes skill to play and has a number of reasonable counters.

1s cast time probably wouldn't be a big change in how the AoE smiter plays though. As Ensign said, the biggest change would be making AoE completely unviable on an active prot. Not too big an effect overall though, since active prots only really exist in Tombs and boon monks aren't common enough in Tombs to make AoE worthwhile.

twicky_kid · Jul 27, 2006, 07:19 AM // 07:19

Nerf did nothing but buff this skill.

Breakpoint is now lowered to 8 for a -4 energy cost. Since you cannot reduce beyond 1 energy its pointless to have -5.

Add channeling to the bar and the nerf is completely negated. This also gives a cover enchantment for zealots.

JR · Jul 27, 2006, 07:43 AM // 07:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ensign

So you drop the recharge by a second, lower the important break from 9 to 8, but make Balthazar's Aura cost 1 more energy to cast?

I don't follow. If all you want to do is up the cast time, up the cast time and stop messing around with the rest of the effect.

The change would make the skill basically useless for anything but smiting. Not that it's used for much else now anyway.

Peace,
-CxE

The main change I wanted to make was not allowing it to be re-cast on it's self, getting you a refreshed duration for 1 energy. It would now cost you 5 energy every 8 seconds.

Wasteland Squidget · Jul 27, 2006, 07:43 AM // 07:43

The fact that smiters now need Channeling to keep their energy going strong is actually a pretty big nerf. The smiter's bar is very tight, and a lot of the utility they offer to the party comes from that extra skill slot. Aegis, Smite Hex, Draw Conditions, Hex Breaker - all extremely useful skills for a smiter which were in constant competition for slots.

JR · Jul 27, 2006, 10:52 AM // 10:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wasteland Squidget

The fact that smiters now need Channeling to keep their energy going strong is actually a pretty big nerf.

I really don't think they do. I have played a Smiter twice since the 'nerf', both times with Aegis and Draw on my bar. My energy never got to the point that it was a problem, apart from a couple of times immediately after casting Aegis.

stueyman2099 · Jul 27, 2006, 05:58 PM // 17:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by JR-

I really don't think they do. I have played a Smiter twice since the 'nerf', both times with Aegis and Draw on my bar. My energy never got to the point that it was a problem, apart from a couple of times immediately after casting Aegis.

Don't think that it's a big nerf, or don't think that they need channeling?

JR · Jul 27, 2006, 06:48 PM // 18:48

Both?

Ensign · Jul 27, 2006, 06:53 PM // 18:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by JR-

The main change I wanted to make was not allowing it to be re-cast on it's self, getting you a refreshed duration for 1 energy. It would now cost you 5 energy every 8 seconds.

Enchanting part FTW?

Peace,
-CxE

JR · Jul 27, 2006, 07:25 PM // 19:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ensign

Enchanting part FTW?

Peace,
-CxE

Ok so the numbers were off, but you see what I am getting at, no? Removing the ability to recast it on it's self, meaning you could no longer keep it up for a minimal cost.

shardfenix · Jul 29, 2006, 01:28 AM // 01:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wasteland Squidget

The fact that smiters now need Channeling to keep their energy going strong is actually a pretty big nerf. The smiter's bar is very tight, and a lot of the utility they offer to the party comes from that extra skill slot. Aegis, Smite Hex, Draw Conditions, Hex Breaker - all extremely useful skills for a smiter which were in constant competition for slots.

My smiter doesnt need channeling, and I run both judges and balths aura. Channeling only works wonders on an AoE boon prot, where every foe next to you pays for your next spell.

JR · Jul 29, 2006, 03:16 AM // 03:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by shardfenix

My smiter doesnt need channeling, and I run both judges and balths aura. Channeling only works wonders on an AoE boon prot, where every foe next to you pays for your next spell.

AoE Boon Prots... what?

Zui · Jul 29, 2006, 06:25 AM // 06:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by JR-

AoE Boon Prots... what?

My question exactly...