Curse

chikorita23 · Feb 04, 2006, 07:48 AM // 07:48

Recently when I use my Water Elementalist. I realize the spell Swirling Aura got tune down.

The spell allow caster block or evade magical projectile and arrow attack with 75% success rate. At Water magic 16, it has 21 sec duration and horrible recharge time (60 sec)

Now... GW secretly adjust the spell from 75% evade rate to only 50%! I was suspecting a bug, because GW never formally announced the changed for this specific spell. Hence I reported... and I get the reply of they adjusting this spell for in-game fairness? And they suggest me to post up a topic here discuss with other online player, hence here I am.

I'd totally disagree with GW, as I know a lot of people are complaining about Water magics are overly underpowered. While I wouldn't fully agree with them. Because I find water have acceptible dmg output + function.

However, this Swirling aura spell.... even with 75% blocking rate, it has horrible recharge time, and I don't even think the spell have actual 75% evade rate.... not to mention a lot of people don't have Max Water Attribute points, so the duration is quite short. (Max duration = 21 sec)

Now GW even lower the blocking rate to 50%? With the 60sec recharge time and short-duration protection.... I'm a bit confused as how GW see this spell over-powered before. (As it really wasn't.... and I even suspect the spell never give u 75% evade rate before... as I still got arrow attack very often when I cast that spell)

I'd love to hear any GW in-game Water Elementalist giving me some opinions (please be polite even if u think it's fair, thanks)

Mandy Memory · Feb 04, 2006, 07:59 AM // 07:59

Its not that all water magic skills are bad. Its that most of them are bad.

There are many that are very good (even overpowered) I think you may have found one. Everyone else is nerfed for balance...and I would have thought that water was safe...but then again...I hate elementalists

PieXags · Feb 04, 2006, 08:11 AM // 08:11

They went and gave it a nerf? Seriously? Goddamn it wasn't that amazing in the first place. It was decent yeah, but only worth it in certain situations even. We've got skills that block attacks in general with a 75% rate that are harder to get rid of than an enchantment, why in the world would they nerf it? I think you're right, there was no need to tone it down with such a huge recharge time on it. Go figure. I don't play an elementalist all that much but I still never had problems with it.

More than anything I'm irked that they left it out of the update notes. Every time I notice something that's been changed and isn't listed in the notes I complain about it, and they always say "We don't change anything we don't list." And still they leave things out of the update notes. They shouldn't do that. Rawr.

While I don't think they should've changed swirling aura, I don't so much mind it---if only they would've put it in the update notes!

Poison Ivy · Feb 04, 2006, 08:51 AM // 08:51

While water is already underpowered enough, yet they still try to nurf down some water spells.

I think their might be a amazing build lurking in there, might be a discorvery like the Invinci build :O.

Mercury Angel · Feb 04, 2006, 08:52 AM // 08:52

The question is whether the description was inaccurate, and it was really only 50% all along, or they actually changed it.
More importantly, since they changed it, they could have at least made it less confusing referencing, 'magical projectiles'.
Having tested it myself multiple times [including now, vs ice imps spamming ice spear], it does NOT aid against projectile spells in any way, which leaves wand/staff attacks. They could easily change it to a catch-all, "projectile attacks", which would entail arrows and wands/staves, but not spell-based projectiles.

Feminist Terrorist · Feb 04, 2006, 08:55 AM // 08:55

I thought there would be no adjusting until after the GWWC is completely over. I think that's what Gaile said in the latest talk. If this is true, my trust in Anet is seriously damaged.

Guardian of the Light · Feb 04, 2006, 06:51 PM // 18:51

My guildie found a very powerful hydromancer build....I will never underestimate water again...

Mysterial · Feb 04, 2006, 06:55 PM // 18:55

Considering that AFAIK no other skill balance changes have been made, I'm more inclined to believe that the skill was always 50% and the description was simply wrong. It'd be very far from the first time that has happened.

Tarot Ribos · Feb 04, 2006, 07:01 PM // 19:01

I'm with Mercury Angel on this matter of confusion. Skill descriptions have a notorious history of being inaccurate (For Great Justice, anyone? They fixed that one not too long ago...), so it could just be that it was 50% all along. I never actually thought it was 75% evasion when I used it... I always seemed to get pecked at while those evading rangers never seemed to get hit.

So before complaining about ANet, how about we first determine for certain that the skill itself was changed?

PieXags · Feb 04, 2006, 10:27 PM // 22:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tarot Ribos

I'm with Mercury Angel on this matter of confusion. Skill descriptions have a notorious history of being inaccurate (For Great Justice, anyone? They fixed that one not too long ago...), so it could just be that it was 50% all along. I never actually thought it was 75% evasion when I used it... I always seemed to get pecked at while those evading rangers never seemed to get hit.

So before complaining about ANet, how about we first determine for certain that the skill itself was changed?

If Mercury Angel's right and it only blocks "projectiles" then I'd say the skill was underpowered to begin with, hell rangers and warriors and other classes already have skills that block 75% of all attacks, but this only blocks "arrows"? What the hell? Perhaps by magical projectiles it doesn't include wand/staff attacks, but does block against things like flare, ice spear, etc?

Mysterial · Feb 04, 2006, 10:45 PM // 22:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by PieXags

If Mercury Angel's right and it only blocks "projectiles" then I'd say the skill was underpowered to begin with, hell rangers and warriors and other classes already have skills that block 75% of all attacks, but this only blocks "arrows"? What the hell? Perhaps by magical projectiles it doesn't include wand/staff attacks, but does block against things like flare, ice spear, etc?

No, "magical projectiles" refers to wanding, i.e. it blocks any 'attacks' that are projectiles. It does not block projectile spells.

PieXags · Feb 04, 2006, 11:10 PM // 23:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mysterial

No, "magical projectiles" refers to wanding, i.e. it blocks any 'attacks' that are projectiles. It does not block projectile spells.

Well than that's just absolute bollocks and it should've been left as it was, in my humble opinion. We've got skills that block attacks as a whole, skills that block 75% of all attacks projectile and melee that are stances (harder to remove typically than enchantments), but we can't have a simple enchantment, that blocks 75% of some of the weakest attacks in the game? Pfft. I want to know what this massively awesome build was, because from my end I see no reason to have nerfed it, really.

Go figure.

Robster Lobster · Feb 04, 2006, 11:23 PM // 23:23

It's got a 2 second cast time as well doesn't it, compared to instant stances on other characters...

This is annoying if it's been reduced, especially after Obsidian Flesh got it's cast time knocked down to 1 second, yet Mist Form still stays at a 2 second cast time. And Obsidian Flesh is for most occasions significantly better...

chikorita23 · Feb 05, 2006, 10:27 AM // 10:27

First of all, I'd like to thanks for all the replies I've got here.

Secondly, I must agree with Mercury Angel on her reply. As I did suspected Swirling Aura never actually gave us 75% evade chance toward arrows and magical projectiles. About the term magical projectiles, my understanding = wands/staff attacks? I've never tried to use it agasint spell like Ice Spears or Stone-daggers etc.

Then I agree with Piexags!!! This spell was underpowered at the very first place. It has long recharge time, and yes 2 sec casting time, short duration and ONLY prevent arrows and magical projectiles *which "probably means wand/staff attacks* While other classes has ""hard-to-remove"" stance that has 75% evade chance on any in-coming attacks. Like I said, I'm confused on how GW view this spell over-powered.

The only reason that I could guess.... probably becoz of the newest Tomb Farm. Water Elementalist can use Swirling Aura to prevent Wand/Staff attack hence (no finger of choas effect) But still no idea why GW intended to weaken this spell.

I'd totally agree with Poison Ivy, as I'm sure a lot of people expect a boost on Water Magics yet GW went on and nerf this spell. Which probably even discourage Elementalist using Water spells.

And at last... I must agree with Piexags again, as why GW has to "Adjust this spell without a formal spell-adjust-list*?? THIS MAKE ME VERY UNCOMFORTABLE! Sorry for the Cap-letter, but as a faithful GW Water Elementalist player, I like GW formally announce spell-adjust IF they must change anything! WhY DO IT SECRETLY?? If Mercury Angel was right, then GW should announce something like "Oh Spell Swirling Aura was fixed to the "ACTUAL" evade 50% rate"!!!

Fem-Ter even post up the common of how Gaile Grey said there won't be spell-adjust until later? I didn't even knew that, if I knew I'd wrote my concern to GW along with my previous email.

At last, Guardian of Light, can you tell me your guildie wonderful Water build? Mine is Maelstrom, Water Trident, Ice spike, Deep Freeze, Frozen Burst, Water Attuntment. Mixture with Monk's Smiting Power such as (BAL-AURA)

! I snare enemies with water hex then cast Bal-Aura on warrior ally for good combo dmg! (Same combo with maelstrom) Use Water Trident on any target who try to flee away. (With water magic 16, Smite 8, Energy 11)
Please share ur guildie's wonderful build ok Guardian of Light

!

Gaile Gray · Feb 06, 2006, 03:59 AM // 03:59

I do not believe that we have changed or "nerfed" any spells. I was told we would not touch skill balancing until after GWWC, unless we found a bug. As you are all aware, there are skills that require some seroius rebalancing, and we've left them untouched for three months. Why would we step in and adjust this one? I makes no sense at all. And if it makes no sense, then doesn't it stand to reason that it didn't happen?

I can ask the team about it, but I do believe that (1) we haven't changed the skill and (2) we haven't changed the description, either. Maybe you misremembered the description? Or maybe we did make a change to correct the skill description and forgot to post it? We're human, it's possible we did forget to record the text update. The thing is, we have posted so many minor changes in wording, it seems highly unlikely we wouldn't post this one. And certainly it wouldn't be an intentional omission.

As I said, I'll check. But unless I learn a change was made and I have more info to share, I will leave it with the assumptions I've made above and may not post back on this particular thread.

Almighty Zi · Feb 06, 2006, 04:48 AM // 04:48

Ah, the old jedi mind trick.... this skill has not been nerfed (waves hand in a jedi like gesture) - perhaps you misremembered the skill - yes thats it... (waves hand again).

Perhaps its a good thing that its not a stance but an enchantment? You can use it in combination with a stance. If you're sick of those pesky interupt rangers then use mantra of resolve and stick this puppy on top. The swirling aura will block a considerable amount of arrows, thus reducing damage and minimising the energy lost through mantra of resolve (especially with low inspiration).

Vermilion Okeanos · Feb 06, 2006, 06:39 AM // 06:39

Hmm... If this skill did get nerf, that would be a shocker to me.

I did use this before for chest run in FoW (water ele runner! woot!!), those shadow ranger still will kick my butt regardless. I dropped this skill after the first 3 runs.

It being a enchantment is worst than it being a stance. If it was a stance, I would have kept it in my line. Stance = no cast time + only one kill in chapter 1 can remove stance (one of the reason that distortion is so over used in GvG).

chikorita23 · Feb 06, 2006, 10:00 AM // 10:00

[QUOTE=Gaile Gray]I do not believe that we have changed or "nerfed" any spells. I was told we would not touch skill balancing until after GWWC, unless we found a bug. As you are all aware, there are skills that require some seroius rebalancing, and we've left them untouched for three months. Why would we step in and adjust this one? I makes no sense at all. And if it makes no sense, then doesn't it stand to reason that it didn't happen?

Hello Dear Gaile Gray,

Thanks for replying me here. However, the spell WAS truely describe as 75% before. There are other sites which state the same 75% evade rate as well, because they probably didn't aware of how GW adjust this spell without a formal in-game update announcement.

I have special passion on playing as Water Elementalist since the game released in Canada. (Last year May) And it's been like half year or longer ever since I acquire this Water spell. How can I make a mistake on the evade %?
I even check back ALL the spell adjust list and I didn't see any noticed.

Furthermore, GW support team REPLY my emails by saying the """RECENT spell Swirling Aura was changed as intended!""""" <<< this phrase is clear enough to everyone isn't it? It's been adjusted.... and they claim it's adjust for in-game fairness. I can post up the exact email, if anyone need a prove.

Feminist Terrorist · Feb 06, 2006, 10:09 AM // 10:09

Link from Guildwiki with spell description: http://www.guildwiki.org/wiki/Swirling_Aura
For 8...18 seconds, Swirling Aura has a 75% chance to "block" arrows and magical projectiles.

Interesting.

Ensign · Feb 06, 2006, 10:23 AM // 10:23

The skill is such a horrendous pile of yak dung that I wouldn't be surprised at all if the skill never worked properly but no one ever noticed. I doubt there was anything intentional involved.

Peace,
-CxE