Curse

Goonter · Feb 16, 2006, 01:15 AM // 01:15

Going over in my head about some of the issues concerning the metagame, it accorded to me that there is a still present issue of interrupting, specifically ranger interrupting.
I perceive that because interrupts are also good for quick and steady damage instead of interrupting, they are used for damage with the additive benefit of interrupting.
The shots have been buffed, and then slightly nerfed.
No concerns have risen over the idea of continuing to balance them, but instead something else is being focused on.
The casting times of spells 2 seconds or over seem to be in adequate for primarily one reason. It begs to be shut down by a number of interrupts that, in all probability, a ranger will have on his skill bar.
So now, to compensate for the interrupting fest thats very common now, the focuses is somewhat shift from a rebalance in interrupting to a rebalance in cast times of powerful skills.
I personally don’t feel this is the way to go.
Id prefer long casting spells to be safe while interrupting is more of a challenge.
So I’ve made a list of a few skills that I think would help mend the issue.

Distracting Shot
If Distracting Shot hits, it interrupts target foe’s action but deals only 1-16 damage. If the interrupted action was not a spell, that skill is disabled for an additional 20 seconds.
5 ½ 10

Reason: Spells cost energy and have to recharge once interrupted. No reason for an added penalty.

Concussion Shot
If Concussion Shot hits while target foe is casting a spell, the spell is interrupted and your target is Dazed for 5-12 seconds. This attack deals only 1-16 damage.
15 ½ 15

Reason: Daze is a threat but not so much in 8vs8. This will encourage use of the dazed effect while balancing out the other interrupt nerfs.

Punishing Shot
If Punishing Shot hits, you strike for +10-20 damage and your target is interrupted. This skill does not factor in enchantment buffs.
10 ½ 8

Reason: It’s a solid interrupt and it adds damage, on top of preparation damage. Why stack it with more enchantments for a Dual Shot combo that adds huge spike potential while interrupting?

Savage Shot
If Savage Shot hits your target while casting a spell that spell is interrupted and takes 13 -28 damage. This skill does not factor in enchantment buffs.
10 ½ 5

Reason: Same reason as Punishing Shot. Side note: This skill under this description only interupts spells. All other skills are safe from Savage Shot.

Incendiary Arrows (elite)
For 10 seconds, targets struck by you arrows are interrupted and set on fire for 1-4 seconds.
5 2 24

Reason: Id suggest all burning conditions be increased a second or two with high enough points in the proper attributes. But mostly, 10 seconds duration is better than 8 seconds for a preparation of 26 seconds down time.

Quick Shot (elite)
Shoot an arrow that moves twice as fast.
5 ¾ 1

Reason: Not to sure about this one, but it’s to encourage use of Quick Shot as a spike or DPS skill.

Called Shot
Shoot and arrow that moves 3 times faster and can not be blocked or evaded.
5 1 3

Reason: Same as above except also, this shot has good synergy with Incendiary Arrows and Choking Gas as this skill would give you better timing with your interrupts while not having to be an elite skill.

Glyph of Concentration
You can not be knocked down or interrupted while casting your next Spell.
5 1/4 2

Reason: To encourage use. No reason being interrupted with a knock down or having your glyph interrupted when you brought it for the sole purpose to get your drawn out spells to cast.

Arcane Conundrum
For 6 -16 seconds, spells cast by target foe take twice as long to cast. Effects spells that cast in 2 seconds or less.
10 2 20

Reason: 2 seconds is the optimal time to interrupt a spell. 3 second spells are pretty easy to stop if they are becoming a hassle. Having your 3 second spell turn into 6 seconds is a bit much.

Migraine
For 6-21 seconds, target foe suffers Health degeneration of 1 -3 and takes 100% longer to cast spells. Effects spells that cast in 2 seconds or less.
10 2 15

Reason: Same as Arcane Conundrum

Dazed (condition)
Your spells take twice as long to cast and you are easily interrupted. Effects spells that are cast in 2 seconds or less.

Reason: Same as Arcane Conundrum

Heres a cool concept skill that could fit in.

Clarity (inspirations)
This skill is replaced by your selection of either Mantra of Concentration, Mantra of Earth, Mantra of Flame, Mantra of Frost, or Mantra of Lighting once cast.
15 2 -

Once on your cast clarity an option of five other skills will appear.
Mantra of Concentration
Mantra of Earth
Mantra of Flame
Mantra of Frost
Mantra of Lighting

You select one of those five skills and it will replace clarity on your skill bar for the rest of your match or instance.

Reason: The five skills listed are largely undervalued as a player has little control over what their opposition will play. Mantra of Concentration will at least serve as a back up skill if the other 4 are not more important once you hit the field.

I know that knockdowns are also a big issue for long cast spells.
I really dont see hammer knockdowns as much of a concern as gale is but I havent put much thought into altering gale so it can less of a spam lockdown and more of a well timed lockdown.

And there it is.
I buffed a few and nerfed a few but all in all, I did so with the intention of shifting the focus of high DPS and spiking interrupting into just interrupting.
At the same time, long cast skills can feel a little more peace in knowing that as they are being shut down by interrupts at least they are not taking large amounts of damage at the same time from the same source.

And as players are force to choose between shutting down or dealing damage, interrupts will be less prevalent, but still very effective when in use.

Lampshade · Feb 16, 2006, 07:00 AM // 07:00

Mantra of Resolve. I agree ranger interupts are a nusiance, wonder why most guilds run lots of warriors.

Goonter · Feb 16, 2006, 02:46 PM // 14:46

Probably because warriors dont need to run mantra of resolve to chain cast their 2 second skills.

Dmitri3 · Feb 16, 2006, 02:52 PM // 14:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goonter

Probably because warriors dont need to run mantra of resolve to chain cast their 2 second skills.

Warrior's attacks are easily buffed/deffuded, you can't compare an ele to warrior.
Bring Mantra of Resolve for now and you're set. When the ritualist comes out - they have holding ashes that prevents you from being interrupted, I realise many spikers will use this since you don't use 20/20 staff anyway.
Knockdown is also reserved to *special* ability, you can't have that many anti-knockdown skills.

Goonter · Feb 16, 2006, 03:08 PM // 15:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dmitri3

Warrior's attacks are easily buffed/deffuded, you can't compare an ele to warrior.

And yet we do.
http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/s...d.php?t=113319
As the suggestions came up to buff casting times, I thought another machanic in the game should be tweaked.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dmitri3

Bring Mantra of Resolve for now and you're set.

For now and forever, or just for now?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dmitri3

When the ritualist comes out - they have holding ashes that prevents you from being interrupted, I realise many spikers will use this since you don't use 20/20 staff anyway.

They better be holding something, those spirits take a long time to cast. Necros and elementalist may as well find the necessity to hold ashes too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dmitri3

Knockdown is also reserved to *special* ability, you can't have that many anti-knockdown skills.

Thats news to me.

I expected resistance because, In my experance any suggestion, good or bad, is met with it. And thats cool cuz all my ideas arent good.
Aaaand my "skill tweaks" will proably lay here on this forum cuz I dont work for Anet.

But I just wanted to put the idea.... into the ether.
Long casting spells dont need to go away, if anything skilless interrupting needs to be looked at.

Rayne Nightfyre · Feb 16, 2006, 03:15 PM // 15:15

It's fine the way it is, certain spells have a long cast time for a reason. If you want to make sure you get that spell off, use Mantra of Resolve or Mantra of Concentration. Also, if you're a primary Mesmer, Fast Casting will help that a ton. So I feel existing spells should stay as the same cast time, it adds difficulty and challenge to the game.

Orbberius · Feb 16, 2006, 03:23 PM // 15:23

I hope to god they tweak ranger interrupts in some way as soon as GWWC is over.

Flame · Feb 16, 2006, 09:12 PM // 21:12

Why? Because your team does not have a Necromancer with Faintheartedness, or a Mesmer with Signet of Midnight, a Ranger with Throw Dirt? Your casters don't use Mantra of Resolve?

I have been playing an Interrupt Ranger from the start. I hate the very thought of Spike Rangers, spamming interrupts without thought, but that is no reason for players, such as myself, who use their skills wisely. Concussion Shot does not need to be changed, as it has a high energy cost and cannot be spammed. Distracting Shot is excellent, with good timing, for interrupting Orison Of Healing or Healing Touch, Flare, et cetera (Keeping in mind that I only use Distracting, Concussion, and Savage shots for interrupt).

Changing skills/conditions to only effect spells with a cast time under two seconds is foolish, because while it is easy for a number of players to interrupt a single caster inflicted with one of the slowdown skills, a single Ranger will run out of interrupts, and Dazing or Arcane Conundrumming someone other than your primary target may be extremely beneficial for slowing down damage or healing, not necessarily to interrupt them.

In short, the problem is not the interrupting, it is that people refuse to change their builds to deal with it.

Ninjutsu Honor Code · Feb 17, 2006, 11:07 AM // 11:07

Maybe casters need a "this spell cannot be interupted" spell just like warriors have unblockable this would only be fair.

Goonter · Feb 17, 2006, 04:32 PM // 16:32

As I know so far, knockdowns are more of a threat than anything.
The only problem with interrupts is that, skills designed for dealing damage are over looked when you make a spike ranger, in favor of skills that deal damage and interrupt.
This creates a higher frequency of interrupts than there need be, because, imo, there should be a difference.

There are 3 rangers that are considered popular as of now. Trap, condition and spike.
The spike ranger is also the interrupting ranger. ...maybe its just me that thinks there should be a clearly distintion between one or the other.

Anyhow, rayne I agree with you that long casting spells are find the way they are. I think if a lot of skills were buffed into 2 seconds or below to "balance" out thier potentual of being distrupted it would just encourage more interrupt spam festing as a way to counter it.

And though I mostly address ranger interrupts (its only part of the problem), right now its mostly gale. I just picked to focus on a under discussed part of the issue.
When your spells cost lots and you get knocked down with consistancy one starts to think, "these expensive spells are to vunerable, they should either cost lest or cast faster"

And that has come up in these forums seemingly unchallenged.

I just favor to think that distrupting shouldnt be so dominating.

Timofmars · Feb 17, 2006, 07:35 PM // 19:35

If you want an instant cast, you have glyph of sacrifice. For faster cast, gotta take mesmer primary.

For ranger disruptions, there's a number of preventions. Get behind obstacles. Mantra of resolve. Glyph of concentration (only 5 energy, quick 2 second recharge). Monk's aegis or guardian can reduce chances of a hit. And many others can do even better, like Distortion, Shields up, Shield of deflection, many many stances. There's also blinds, blurred vision, ineptitude, clumsiness...

For knockdowns, there's really only a few against the knockdown spells like gale. There's dolyak signet, balanced stance, and spell breaker. But the knockdowns take enough a toll on the caster that they can only be used in moderation. Gale cause exhaustion and it's a 1 second cast. That means it can only interrupt longer cast (at least 2 seconds, if you're on top of your game). But there are other skills can stop this, such as guilt, migrane/arcane (making it a 2 second cast), backfire, diversion, interrupts and knockdowns of your own, energy draining...

Goonter · Feb 17, 2006, 08:24 PM // 20:24

oh snap. I didnt realize there were counters. nm then.