Curse

Soul Shaker · Mar 06, 2006, 04:07 AM // 04:07

crippling shot just got rooted up the arse with an 8 foot long pole, my mend ailment is now bloody hard to use (so many conditions in the desert it's not funny), hooray for Mark of Protection, but it still sucks monkey nuts with the recharge, and i'll be swapping it out soon...

Jetdoc · Mar 06, 2006, 07:11 PM // 19:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by twicky_kid

Forget bull charge. Bull strike is where its at. +20 dmg 5e 5 recharge. I'll take my gale with some dmg

I agree, but the difference is that gale could be used on stationary targets to knockem down and keep 'em down, while the two Bulls skills still have to be used on a moving target.

This may be the "stay and fight like a man" skill I've been waiting for.

moriz · Mar 06, 2006, 07:22 PM // 19:22

use shock for knockdown. its got a shorter range, but a warrior's supposed to be a touch-range character anyways.

Savio · Mar 06, 2006, 09:32 PM // 21:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Age

You could always use the bane signet with hardly any points in it.This is unless you want to invest points in smiting.

Bane Signet? You mean that one Smiting signet with a 25 second recharge? I'll pass. I'd rather play with Protector's Strike and Bull's Strike which already gain a benefit from the attributes I've already invested in, so I'm doing even more damage on top of getting my knockdown.

labsenpai · Mar 06, 2006, 10:18 PM // 22:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soul Shaker

my mend ailment is now bloody hard to use (so many conditions in the desert it's not funny..

I'm glad I did the Abaddon bonus to cap Restore Conditions. Now the warriors can frolic among the scarabs like usual...

Age · Mar 06, 2006, 10:20 PM // 22:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Savio

Bane Signet? You mean that one Smiting signet with a 25 second recharge? I'll pass. I'd rather play with Protector's Strike and Bull's Strike which already gain a benefit from the attributes I've already invested in, so I'm doing even more damage on top of getting my knockdown.

Yes that one I have tried this against the master of axes but not with real ppl in the RA yet it just saves you from useing the elite or shield.

Guardian of the Light · Mar 06, 2006, 11:13 PM // 23:13

There is no single skill to replace the nerfed ones. Anet buffed a lot of skills and nerfed a few so we can get creative and use what skills what.

THATS WHAT THIS UPDATE WAS FOR!!

Andy_M · Mar 06, 2006, 11:50 PM // 23:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guardian of the Light

There is no single skill to replace the nerfed ones. Anet buffed a lot of skills and nerfed a few so we can get creative and use what skills what.

THATS WHAT THIS UPDATE WAS FOR!!

While I am happy that beastmastery is now worth my time, the question has to be why all the changes ? Just for PvP ?

Guardian of the Light · Mar 07, 2006, 12:20 AM // 00:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy_M

While I am happy that beastmastery is now worth my time, the question has to be why all the changes ? Just for PvP ?

Well PvE too. Have you seen all the Beastmaster threads. PvEers and PvPers both contruibuted to that.

Grimm · Mar 07, 2006, 03:30 AM // 03:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy_M

While I am happy that beastmastery is now worth my time, the question has to be why all the changes ? Just for PvP ?

Yes, mainly because all the nerfed skills were overused in PvP. That is what the game is balanced around, after all.

dargon · Mar 07, 2006, 06:46 PM // 18:46

Nope, not just PvP, skills are balanced around usage in general. If you see 1500 people all using the exact same set of skills with only a couple minor differences (ie cleave instead of eviserate), then either the other skills aren't up to snuff or the skills in the build are a little too powerful. This is, for the most part, how ANet decides what to nerf/buff, hence the changes to skull crack, crippling shot, interrupts, etc.

Phoenix Ex · Mar 07, 2006, 07:10 PM // 19:10

1 thing I wonder is how come all the buffs are so superficial like 1 sec less recharge and 10 more damage or 0.25 faster cast that barely makes that much of a difference, while all the nerfs are double sac, no stacking this enchantment, extra energy by 5, etc etc....there are exceptions of course by what I see is that most of the buffs are rather redundant...is the faster cast time for firestorm and chaos storm gonna make a difference?

From what I see, it is almost impossible to completely balance the skills.
Ex. Long ago E-Drain dominated, then that got nerfed, and OOB stands out, now OoB got nerfed, and Mantra of Recall stands out...now I don't think MoR will be nerfed since its already so sub par.

The problem is that now after all these nerfs we are left with all these supposedly "elite" energy managements to choose from, which I don't find that elite at all.

I can so predict that people will eventually realize all the elite energy skills are so sub par it would be better just NOT to use them at all and just go back to Word of Healing and putting as many e-denial as possible to take advantage of the lack of a good energy management.

crimsonfilms · Mar 07, 2006, 08:11 PM // 20:11

Quote:

1 thing I wonder is how come all the buffs are so superficial like 1 sec less recharge and 10 more damage or 0.25 faster cast that barely makes that much of a difference, while all the nerfs are double sac, no stacking this enchantment, extra energy by 5, etc etc.

ANet collect vast amount of data in regards to skill and skill usage. Its like watching baseball game and the announcer telling you the hitter is slightly better hitting left handed pitchers vs right-handed.
ANet has that kind of data. The slight adjustments are made in order to make minor tweaks. If ANet wanted to increase say Hex damage by 10 percent they may increase recharge time of a hex removal spell by x amount (Holy Veil for example).

ANet can also force users to reconsider other skills that is underused. For example, the nerf on Mend Ailment has people using Mend Condition a lot more, which in turn affects the total monk build because Mend Condition cannot be used on the caster.

Quote:

The problem is that now after all these nerfs we are left with all these supposedly "elite" energy managements to choose from, which I don't find that elite at all.

Thus you understand the requirement for the balance. You basically admitted that pre-nerf OoB was the best out of the 2 other Elite skills.
Which is better than the 3 now? That is up to you and the the way your oppenents play (aka the 'metagame').

BTW - they are very much still elite skills. No one in their right mind would compare Energy Tap in the same category as Energy Drain.

ANet has a difficult job because their skills are very condition depended. So it is hard how to predict how a skill or skillset will behave once it gets on the hands of little teen aga boys.