Curse

Zinger314 · Jun 03, 2007, 05:20 AM // 05:20

The mid-June super-update, which Gaile has been hearlding for way too long (since April, IIRC), that will be a huge hook for all players, and possibly as big an impact as the Hard Mode update itself.

I see it as ArenaNet's last attempt to salvage PvE before GWEN. PvE is unappealing due to lack of motivation to play Hard Mode, by either unfair enemies or crappy loot. The update better give PvErs a reason to PvE...it's very pointless, ATM.

And the update was said to be "within two weeks" of May 27th, i.e. it will be next week. Of course, with ArenaNet ETAs, you never know. I expect to see a relevant Weekend Event as well (probably double Sunspear points again).

Anyways, here's a recent Gaile Blog summary from GWO which details some of the additions this update will provide. From that log, and my own observations of random Gaile postings, here's what's going to be in the super-update.

Mesmer Fixes: Gaile posted a long Dev Update about how the Developers will fix the Mesmer in PvE by fixing the scope, i.e. the role, of the Mesmer. How they will fix the Mesmer in PvE, and not break them in PvP, I do not know. I bet that ArenaNet's fix for the Mesmer would be to make the Sunspear Skill alloted to Mesmers so super-duper powerful that every PvE party will be forced to have a Mesmer. Gaile also said that the fixes will bevery subtle and on a trial basis...which implies, in ArenaNet terminology, that they are super-broken.
Soul Reaping: Gaile said that there will be updates (plural) to the Soul Reaping mechanic; atleast "two changes," apparently. How can there be two changes? You fix it, or you don't. If ArenaNet's solution is to simply remove SR Energy gain from Spirits, which players have been saying, I'll simply laugh.
Sunspear PvE Only Skills: Oh, yeah, the supposed big PvE fixer-upper. These skills were supposedly to have been released during Hard Mode...so if ArenaNet needed 2 months to balance these skills, they are either ungodly overpowered, or just plain useless. I think it'll be the former; would anyone use them if they were useless? Of course, that'll lead to the more "cookie-cutter" mentality that you must use the skill, as is with Lightbringer's Gaze...ho hum. We'll see.
Skill Balance: Since the May Championship is over, ArenaNet will do a skill balance. Rangers won't receive a Bow Attack Skill revamp, just a few general changes. Of course, you know that these Skill Balance changes will cause the PvE community to whine that their obscure farming builds has been nerfed. Just a general trend.

That's all I can seem to gather. ArenaNet occasionally surprises with extra features within updates. But it's clear that this is the last significant update before other online gaming opertunities will be...considered.

wetsparks · Jun 03, 2007, 05:42 AM // 05:42

Just as long as they fix, I mean give, the hero/henchman AI so that they scatter from AoE like the monsters I will be happy. I dont expect the PVE only skills to be to impressive. They will be either copies of existing skills like Searing Flames or something before it got hit by the nerf bat and be so uber powerful that you have to have it to get into a group or so incredibly useless that if you have them on your skill bar you will be kicked out of your group.

Soul reaping they will probably implement the fix that they wanted to implement earlier but knew that the community would wine so they hit it with the current band aid so that they will look good for when it actually does come out we will be happy with it.

And I hope the dont do to much to change the mesmer. Just change some skills so that they do more direct damage like [skill]energy burn[/skill] instead of conditional stuff like [skill]backfire[/skill] or [skill]empathy[/skill].

As to the skill balance, its not only the PVE people that will complain. All the groups that abuse the gimmick builds in PVP will complain the loudest because they will actually have to use an honest build now.

Neo Nugget · Jun 03, 2007, 05:44 AM // 05:44

Minis
- The so-called "Asian Miniatures" are not exclusive to Asia any longer.
- We have a lot of idea about ways to share them, starting with the Brand the Bosses contest.

I think i might enter that lol.

Bryant Again · Jun 03, 2007, 05:47 AM // 05:47

I'm really not feeling to good about these Mesmer "fixes"...

Voltaire · Jun 03, 2007, 05:51 AM // 05:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zinger314

[*]Sunspear PvE Only Skills: Oh, yeah, the supposed big PvE fixer-upper. These skills were supposedly to have been released during Hard Mode...so if ArenaNet needed 2 months to balance these skills, they are either ungodly overpowered, or just plain useless. I think it'll be the former; would anyone use them if they were useless? Of course, that'll lead to the more "cookie-cutter" mentality that you must use the skill, as is with Lightbringer's Gaze...ho hum. We'll see.

Well I'm tempted to think that because they decided to delay such (major?) feature, it has a better chance of being properly balanced than if the skills were just hastily shoved out the door. Seems more logical. Then again, who's logical these days?

Spazzer · Jun 03, 2007, 05:56 AM // 05:56

Here's to hoping for inscribable weapons for all chapters, and the "rebalancing" of unconditional weapons.

fenix · Jun 03, 2007, 06:04 AM // 06:04

I can see what it'll be. 3-4 skill changes per class, damage upped on Mesmer skills no one ever uses, PvE-only skills put in. That'll be it, and everyone will get angry and ragequit.

Former Ruling · Jun 03, 2007, 06:27 AM // 06:27

The sunspear skills will either be Lightbringer Signets or Lightbringer Gaze worthy, I agree with you. (That is, Useless, or a Staple on your bar).

I doubt the skill balances will be anything that isn't predictable.

-Loki- · Jun 03, 2007, 07:21 AM // 07:21

1. Sunspear skills are going to be interesting, but nothing worthy of being classed 'PvE only'. Most like they will be like the rebirth signet. A fun change to an existing skill.

2. Mesmers won't get their PvE buff, the developers will have come to the decision that there's nothing wrong with Mesmers in PvE.

3. Skill balance will break the game more than fix it.

4. Soul Reaping change will be announced as a huge, sweeping change to Soul Reaping that no one ever expected... and will be no energy from spirits.

mazey vorstagg · Jun 03, 2007, 07:31 AM // 07:31

Well said Kakumei.

About LB gaze. It may be powerful but I didn't use it at all when I played through NF with my other three chars. Only my mesmer used it as an uber-ed up power spike.

As for the mesmer changes I think they will be good, it's not like every skill a-net has made recently has been bad. The dervish and ritualist (and the new NF skills) and all good, balance and work very wel.. I'm happy with them. I think the mesmer skills need to keep up the conditional stuff and not go direct damage. Afterall, direct damage is an eles job not a mesmers. We must hope they don't end up like the smiting monk, a bad elementalist, which no one plays.

Furthermore, I have a feeling the higher ranked SS skills will be powerful indeed. I hope though that they has maybe two all prof skills.
E.g Call to Arms ( a shout) and
Battle Tactics ( a stance skill)
then there should be prof specifici skills perhaps from lvl 9 or 10 which are really quite powerful. Obviously not elite standard though. For example
Ele- Storms of Istan
Warrior- Kormir's Strike
Dervish- Cloak of the Sun
Paragon- Sunspear
Necro- Ghosts of the departed
Ranger- Jungle trap
Monk- Battle cure
Mesmer- Focused Frenzy
Rit- Truthful was Kormir
Sin- Blades of Sol

you know, that kind of thing.

majoho · Jun 03, 2007, 07:37 AM // 07:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by fenix

and everyone will get angry and ragequit.

Doesn't that happen whenever ANY change is made

Hehe...

Well I hope the mesmer 'issue' will be dealt with, it seems as if they've given up on making the changes they talked about.

*lemming* · Jun 03, 2007, 08:06 AM // 08:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by wetsparks

Just change some skills so that they do more direct damage like [skill]energy burn[/skill]

Still remember what happened last time we had a big unconditional direct damage? Wa says hi.

Miral · Jun 03, 2007, 08:09 AM // 08:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by fenix

Fixed. Again.

i actually see a lot more complaints coming from pvp than pve. which is kinda sad since pvp is just skills and equipment and everything else is what you make of it, whereas pve has actual content to complain about...

RbX · Jun 03, 2007, 08:20 AM // 08:20

I am still waiting for the "hero/hench scatter" button to at least minimize aoe damage in HM.. anyone doing Kaineng City in HM?

Kook~NBK~ · Jun 03, 2007, 08:21 AM // 08:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miral

i actually see a lot more complaints coming from pvp than pve. which is kinda sad since pvp is just skills and equipment and everything else is what you make of it, whereas pve has actual content to complain about...

The funny thing is, there isn't anything to complain about. Yet.

I'm very interested in seeing what changes they make to the Mesmer class. I hope they don't screw up the domination line.

P.S. There is nothing wrong with Empathy and Backfire, unless you're using them on the wrong foes!

Cacheelma · Jun 03, 2007, 08:42 AM // 08:42

I'd say Zinger is very optimistic when she says the mesmer fixes will make EVERY single team wants mesmer OR that the PvE-only skills will be overpowered.

Being a fanboi of Anet, my predictions would be:

1. Increase the duration of Chaos Storm to 15sec, decrease energy cost to 10e. That's mesmer fix for you.

2. Class-specific, PvE-only skills are all gonna be something similar to the Celestial skills in Factions, but a lot less powerful AND has recharge time.

3. Soul Reaping, you say? The 2 changes would be: Decrease the range of Soul Reaping Effect AND decrease the time interval to 4sec (yeah).

4. Skill balances is gonna be as usual (READ: some small tweaks to follow a week later because, well, some ridiculous changes you notice are...bugs).

prism2525 · Jun 03, 2007, 09:02 AM // 09:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zinger314

Of course, you know that these Skill Balance changes will cause the PvE community to whine that their obscure farming builds has been nerfed. Just a general trend.

I'd better hurry and go farming before Anet (or was it anerf?) bats into oblivion Mystic Regereration...

Longasc · Jun 03, 2007, 09:13 AM // 09:13

Neurasthenia or Hysteria, that is the question.
Jumping to conclusions, pessimist approach and something that puzzles me:

You need a reason to play GW???

I am sceptical of PvE only skills and their balancings in general, too. But your problem is that you are super-bored with GW yet still cannot stop to bother with it.

I will now return to my dark cave and cry a river - I already fear the bad things that will happen in GW2.

Just... relax...

olly123 · Jun 03, 2007, 09:16 AM // 09:16

ohhh this sounds good come on 15th june :P, i think SR will b decreased to 3 secs and id like to see jagged changed to

cast 1 recharge 10 5e

with the same effect as curently but u cant cassed jagged on a jagged minion, so no endless supply of minions form 4 bodies but still a nice move imo

Skuld · Jun 03, 2007, 09:18 AM // 09:18

Mesmers are fine, its PvE that is the problem. Dumb monsters with huge amounts of HP and no brains means its usually best just to nuke everything to death. PD/Hex Eater Vortex and Shatter Hex are handy in the end-game areas where SF does 24 damage ;D