Curse

baz777 · Jan 20, 2007, 12:29 PM // 12:29

Skill: Searing Flames + Glowing Gaze Combination
Impressions:
This on initial inspection seems the sensible way to go with this.
Still sustainable in PVE.
Killed in PVP (which was the main objective)

Skill: Lightning Hammer
Impressions:
A fine buff, If this becomes a permanent change then I will be one happy Ele

Salia Mare · Jan 20, 2007, 01:59 PM // 13:59

general: Weakness

Nice increase, while make people think twice before setting stats for requirement, ( good for PvE and PvP ); now a more usefull condition.

Assassin

For most, nice increase, Sins were dangerous and even more more now. But Blades of Steel is a bit overpowered.

Dervish

Skill Name: All avatar forms
impression: people will think twice before casting in interrupt range, no big deal in PvE point of view, better for PvP.

Skill Name: Avatar of Dwayna
impression: Stil not enough for it to be use sadly.

Skill Name: Pious Haste
impression: Good.

Elementalist

Skill Name: [I]Ice spells [:I]
impression: Decreae time are nice, but Icy Shackles ain't the same spell anymore, odd change, but can now have some use.

Skill Name: Fire Spells
impression: Increase may help some to be use, but Savannah Heat is an elite right? why make it useless!
Concidering Searing Flame is elite, it seems Anet prefered nerf Glowing Gaze to stop SF team in PvP, nice catch for PvP, no big trouble in PvE, Energy Management are and shouldremain in Energy Storage ( I d't speak of standard attunments nor secondary).

Mesmer

Skill Name: Energy Surge / Spiritual Pain
impression: Not that bad finally. I like Mes and was a bit disapoint, but Mes aren't AoE damage dealer and it'll help some to look a little on others skills. Nice.

Skill Name: Arcane Larceny / Arcane Thievery / Simple Thievery
impression: Stil remain hardly uselfull, and one is elite.
Maybe buff a little Signet of Illusions go go with.

Skill Name: Mantra of Recovery
impression: Great!! maybe too much.May be my new favorite Mes Elite if remain like that.

Skill Name: Power X
impression: Decrease recharge are really cool, but didn't see all the buff so necessary.

Skill Name: X Visage
impression: Become a more useable skill (PvE and PvP) despite it depleased some farm type i liked, odd but interesting change, in the same way of W stance.

All in all i'm pleased with such Mesmer skills modifications..

Monk

Skill Name: Balthazar's Pendulum
impression: Hardly enough to take it out of the trashbin.

Skill Name: Divert Hexes
impression: ôO is that a joke? One of the only able to counter Mass hex team in PvP no pretty usless (considering PvE it IS useless even without that increase).It was conditional and not that overpowered IMO; I'd rather take Expel Hexes and let monk use another elite.

Skill Name: Hard Rez
impression: Nice, especially in such a kill fest Tombs environment (PvE part: better but no need).

Skill Name: Shield of Absorption
impression: I can imagine the nerf due to overuse in PvP / GvG (or even farm) 1 seconde is maybe too much. 3/4sec? (For farm: no trouble

).

Add: Ok, i can see why: next skill; but do we really NEED to use an elite for that purpose -anti spike-?

Skill Name: Shield of Deflection
impression: Good 'new' anti spike or any fast hard protection job.

Skill Name: Shield of Regeneration
impression: Can be look at as an elite now.

Skill Name: Shielding Hands
impression: Stil weak conpare to Shield of Absorption but can now be play.

Skill Name: Vengeance
impression: Remain useless.

Skill Name: Word of Healing
impression: Nice, is it to balance with Zealous Benediction ?

Skill Name: Shield of Regeneration /Healing Burst
impression: Can help have a look at them.. sometimes.

Except for Divert Hexes, i do find most change pretty interesting.
BTW did Divert take such a nerf hit to let Mass Hex owned us all around? (see below)

Necromancer

Just to say (even it'll be obvious considering my point of view) I do HATE Jagged Bones Mass Hexes /Mass Spirits Teams, for the solo purpose that you tend to fight such team over and over again and it's damn boring. (Just look at last months holding teams and see how many were JB >.< ).

So i won't speak too much because my point of view may be sorta distorted.

Skill Name: Hexes
impression: Buffed?? whereas on of the only counter is nerf ôO.

Skill Name: Rend Enchantments
impression: Solo/Duo UW anyone? solo purpose is farm nerf (just troublesome in fact).

Skill Name: Spoil Victor
impression: The slite decrease don't change the over used aspect at all. (Can stil keep it on almost 3 targets at same time >.<).

Skill Name: Wither / Malaise
impression: Interesting change, at least you don't totaly owned anymore energy regain of P and W...; anyway nice change.

Skill Name: Discord
impression: So come a new 'think about me' Hex.

Won't speak more, i hate that Hex buff with anti hex nerf.

Paragon

Skill Name: Restoraion Chant
impression: Wow they took a hard hit, now only remain the P Spears / Spike.

Skill Name: Spear Attack
impression: Buffed... most deserve it, but why nerf most if not all other Paragon aspect???

paragons did took a nerf hit they deserve already, but this one is too much. Or should they keep the solo purpose of attackers? with some chant for a little help from times to times?
Concerning PvP i can stil see the use of Paragon, but in PvE hardly.

/Offtopic
Will next chapter bring up a class like a Banshee, i mean the counterpart of chant, 'cry' which would affect oponent?
/End

Ranger

Skill Name: Antidote Signet / Incendiary Arrows
impression: 20 months needed to bring them out the trashbin...at last. ( Don't argue with very specific RA or PvE builds plz)

Skill Name: Rampage as One
impression: So was the RaO thumper abusing Irresistible Blow, the skill deserve a nerf, but this one is maybe too hard (looks like a 20 energy skill now). PvE part: become useless.

For all other modification, i'm pretty pleased with.
But i'm stil waiting for Charm Animal to vanish with Confort Animal used for both purpose.
And for a CHOICE of pet, meaning able to chose between multi charmed animals. Why Beast Master are the only one who have to stick to one weapon skin (animal here) *Don't speak of the bow/hammer/sword/... he may hold plz*

Ritualist

Can't say much, seems to impove the choice between several type of Rit instead of stick to the 2-3 'wanderfull' gimmick builds (PvE and PvP).Even the now predictable spike skills seems nice. (but need more testing).

Warrior

Skill Name: Stance
impression: Nice. All are now more easily useable (like the visages), stile remain the big difference between some of interest and those of none.

Skill Name: Power Attack
impression: Why not, no trouble, strengh line have now a good energy attack which isn't Bull Strike.

Skill Name: Counterattack
impression: The only reason i can see for such an increase is to avoid spamming PowerAttack/ Counterattack/PA/CA; even if it's really conditional, not a bad nerf.

Skill Name: X Sweep
impression: The fact that all 'evade' are now 'block' will help those to be more effective than before, increase ain't bad then.

Skill Name: "You're All Alone!"
impression: Nice, avoid the 100% under condition statement.

Ouchie · Jan 20, 2007, 02:02 PM // 14:02

RAMPAGE AS ONE

Beast mastery is under used as it is in PvE and with this skill Rangers had a choice to make their pets more effective. Now our fury friends are back to being just a sheild and minion food again. A smaller change is required to keep this a useful elite. The pets will thank you

WEAKNESS

This will greatly affect areas which cause weakness in PvE. Some of these areas are already "under played" (ie: Urgoz). The solutions would be to change the effects in the area or leave the condition as it was.

TehTpyoKing · Jan 20, 2007, 02:07 PM // 14:07

Dervish:

Skill: Avatar of Grenth
Impression: Undernerfed but be wary not to overnerf it next time around! We still need a viable counter to SB/Obsflesh/VoS type skills.

Skill: Avatar of Dwayna/Lyssa
Impression: I like it, nothing -too- powerful and now maybe people will actually use them as much as grenth and melandru, and balthazar already has his niche.

Elementalist

Skill: Blinding Surge
Impression: Good nerf, still works as well but isnt a total spamfest for the caster in question. Melee frontlines we're basically murdered by this skill.

Skill: Firestorm
Impression: not bad, in conjunction with the buff to mark of rodgort this might actually be somewhat viable now.

Skill: Flame Djinn's Haste
Impression: A healthy alternative to its water magic counterpart now. GJ.

Skill: Glowing Gaze
Impression: Incredibly necessary and appropriate nerf.

Skill: Icy Shackles
Impression: I like it, when a target was under no enchantments it was a complete waste of a skill slot before.

Skill: Mind Freeze
Impression: Ice imps we're annoying to begin with, I see this having bigger implications in PVE than in PVP.

Skill: Searing Flames
Impression: Fairly minor nerf, but I suppose with the adjustment to Glowing Gaze the SF metatrain will at least slow down. We havent seen the end of the fire ele though. (which we shouldnt, every class/spec should be viable in PVP)

Mesmer

Skill: Energy Surge
Impression: Unnecessary nerf, this skill was used often enough in GVG to be considered viable, and not often enough to be considered meta. I think it should have stayed where it was.

Skill: Hex Eater Vortex
Impression: May assist against the hex pressure onslaught this is bound to happen this season. Good Buff.

Skill: Mantra of Recovery
Impression: Major buff, but not unwarranted, it was never used before.

Skill: Mirror of Disenchantment
Impression: Your aegis chain or taints just got OWNED! (good change)

Skill: Power Block/flux/leak/leech
Impression: Big lovin on the interrupts eh? Our poor monks will never recover.

Skill: Price of Pride
Impression: Was a good skill, now its a great skill. I'd imagine we're gonna see this as much as we see diversion.

Skill: Spiritual Pain
Impression: GOOD NERF, the entire point of this skill is to be used against spirit-oriented teams, but it was used as a regular DD spell.

Skill: Arcane Larceny/Thievery/Simple Thievery
Impression: I'm gonna have fun with these, their recharges before didnt make much sense, I like this buff.

Monk

Skill: Balthazars Pendulum
Impression: Useless before, still useless.

Skill: Divert Hexes
Impression: Completely Unwarranted Nerf. What I'm deriving from this nerf and the subsequent buffs to mesmers and necros is that you want hex pressure to dominate the metagame. Hex removal skills even before this balance were insufficient, this kills one of the only quasi-reliable ones.

Skill: Resurrection Skills
Impression: I like the change, some of those cast times we're completely ridiculous.

Skill: Shield of Absorption
Impression: Unnecessary nerf, going to have more implications in PVE than PVP.

Skill: Word of Healing
Impression: Might squeeze its way back into the metagame now, we'll see.

Necromancer

Skill: Chillblains
Impression, good skill to buff, wrong way to buff it, decrease that energy cost and increase the Area of effect.

Skill: Depravity
Impression: *META ALERT* Good before, freakin ridiculous now.

Skill: Discord
Impression: Slightly more conditional incredibly powerful Bloodspike variant. While this is an incredibly powerful skill now, I think it will require skill to use properly and I think this is a good change. Now just nerf the mindless non-elite bloodspike.

Skill: Malaise/Wither
Impression: Wow, a buff and a nerf rolled into one. I like them this way.

Skill: Malign Intervention
Impression: MM just got a little easier to use in PVP, good buff.

Skill: Rising Bile
Impression: Good idea for a change, now actually do it in game :P

Skill: Spoil Victor
Impression: Definitely needed nerfing, maybe could use an adjustment to energy cost or recharge still.

Skill: Suffering
Impression: AE Cover hex ftw. Necro cast times were ridiculous before. Good call.

Skill: Toxic Chill
Impression: At least now it deserves its elite status.

Skill: Ulcerous Lungs
Impression: I liked it before, this change confuses me.

Paragon

Skill: Aria/Ballad/Chorus of Restoration
Impression: People are taking this nerf way too hard, just stop running the same old build, paragons have other skills worth using if you look around. Good Nerf. These skills still work.

Skill: Stand your ground
Impression: You guys really dont like this skill do you. I didnt think it was that bad before the FIRST nerf.

Skill: Hexbreaker Aria
Impression: I didnt think it was very good in the 1st place, now I see no use for it at all.

Skill: Spear attacks
Impression: Good changes, Spear was vastly insuperior to Scythe and Warrior Weapons, maybe this love will bring them into the light.

Ranger

Skill: Glass Arrows
Impression: Good buff, useless skill before.

Skill: Incendiary Arrows
Impression: Wow, I expect to see this one rejoin the meta. We'll see.

Skill: Rampage as one
Impression: Ouch, Rangers might have to start using their own weapons again. Good Call.

Skill: Various Trapper Buffs
Impression: As if they werent annoying enough already?

Ritualist & Assassin

Skill: Everything you did to them
Impression: Now maybe people are going to actually use the factions classes. Good Call, but be prepared to rebalance some of those rit skills. Especially Destructive was Glaive

Warrior

Skill: Critical Chop
Impression: Overnerfed it, keep the recharge change, revert the damage.

Skill: Power Attack
Impression: Power indeed! this is gonna be painful.

Skill: Steady Stance
Impression: Do something to it

Skill: Fear Me
Impression: Give it a recharge.

sharkdude5590 · Jan 20, 2007, 02:26 PM // 14:26

Skill: Critical Eye
Impression: love the increased critical rate nice job

Skill: Fire Storm
Impression: good buff to ease it out due to AoE retreats

Skill: Flame
Impression: interesting buff but good either way

Skill: all the Monk resurrection skills
Impression: nice to see faster casting excellent buff

Skill: Bloodsong
Impression: interesting buff to give channeling a Pain counterpart. nice

Skill: Flesh of My Flesh
Impression: excellent buff to equal the life loss after casting it

Skill: Spirit Rift
Impression: beautiful buff nice job

leobalter · Jan 20, 2007, 02:28 PM // 14:28

Stand Your Ground
Costs too much, 5 is fine to this work on PvP, 15 energy cost will do this work only on PvE, but I agree with "party members" change.

Searing Flames & Glowing Gaze = nice combination now, SF still have to be the Pyromancers salvation!

Barbs & Suffering
Very nice work...

Paragon Skills:
Still needing some buffs on command, leadership and spear mastery skills, not to look him as only a good suport, but a nice agreessive one.

Assassin skills:
You made justice.

Ritualist:
Justice here too, but as sugestions: Anguish and Pain can be changed to Channeling too.

Zealous Benediction:
15 energy cost plz.

it's all!

Darq · Jan 20, 2007, 02:42 PM // 14:42

Haven't played much since the update, but...

Skill Name: Reaper's Mark.
Impressions: Slightly hard on the Nerf, it's a powerful skill on its own, but how many skills can you take with it, in its own line? Two... But with the slow introduction of Soul Reaping Skills, this wont be a problem for long. What I really wanted to say is that it didn't go down to 5..15, it went down to 5..13..16.

Xyngynkynyn · Jan 20, 2007, 02:50 PM // 14:50

Skill Name: Preservation
Impression: This skill will never be useful as long as the spirit only heals "in the area". Increase its healing range to at least within earshot of the spirit though I think it should be within spell range of the spirit.

Arcana Valeo · Jan 20, 2007, 03:09 PM // 15:09

rampage as one is now pretty much a dead elite for non-rangers,with a 12 beastmastery i could keep rampage up while only using 1, 5 energy cost skill per cycle,now that's pretty much gone,not happy with the change.

in general it seems that decreased recharge is the theme for balance, more and more guild wars is becomming "finger spam".. stratagey is being taken from the fight and more into the build,not much a pvp'r. even less so with these changes

Tyggen · Jan 20, 2007, 03:15 PM // 15:15

Skill Name: Peace and Harmony and Lightbringer Signet
Impression: Still useless, not worth elite slot.

Savio · Jan 20, 2007, 03:37 PM // 15:37

Note to all would-be posters:

If you cannot stick to the formatting as asked for (skill name and impressions) then your post will be deleted. There are other threads for discussion.

luinks · Jan 20, 2007, 03:43 PM // 15:43

Skill Name: Shield of absorption
Impressions: make it last longer if you plan to keep 1 sec casting. can't catch spikes anymore, and usefulness on pve is crippled.

Skill Name: Ancestors Visage/S Visage
Impressions

verly nerfed is this affecting pvp/gvg? make recharge time longer and/or reduce duration of the skill would be better IMO(but not chop it on half)

Firestone · Jan 20, 2007, 03:51 PM // 15:51

Ritualist

Skill Name: [wiki]Preservation[/wiki], Restoration branch Elite skill
Impression: Radius is “in the area of a Spirit” and not “within earshot of a spirit.” Making the spirit heal the lowest health point / taking the most damage person in the group party every 4 seconds would perform much better as an elite, compared to randomly heal in the party

Skill Name: [wiki]Displacement[/wiki], Communing branch Non-Elite skill
Impression: The spirit need to be have health dmg per hit reduced. Currently, it dies almost instantly after casting, especially when there are a lot of monsters. Need some tweaking to let it function. Currently Ageis perform better than this spell, especially with 15e, 1sec cast time, and 30sec recharge.

Skill Name: [wiki]Bloodsong[/wiki], Communing -> Channeling branch Non-Elite skill
Impression: Bloodsong design doesn't fit the theme of channeling. Changing Anguished Was Lingwah from communing -> channeling branch would fit the theme more.

Skill Name:[wiki]Death Pact Signet[/wiki], Non-attribute branch Non-Elite skill
Impression: Might want to make it to be ress. at Full health, current energy, else if the caster comes with 100+ life, it would be a sure KO situation, for both the ress and the caster.

Overall, I find that ritualist's spirits takes too long to cast (3 - 5 sec), cost a lot (15 - 25e), long recharge (45 - 60 sec), and die too fast (about 1 - 3 sec for skills like Displacement, Shelter, Union etc). What makes it worse is that they are Binding Rituals, meaning they cannot move. For a ritualist, this is his achilles' heel.

Suggestions on how to make them better would include having a 1 - 2 sec cast time, costing 5 - 10e each, and a 30 sec recharge time. That way, even if the spirits die cast, it doesn't matter as much since they will be able to cast it again at a faster / cheaper deal. This will make the ritualist more mobile too. Before the ritualist came out, I thought the spirits would be able to move, like the Bonus from the mission Bloodstone Fen in Prophecies Campaign. It would be nice if ANET changed the graphics a little to include the chains to connect to a cannon ball style, and allow the spirit to move around.

Mesmer

Skill Name: [wiki]Energy Surge[/wiki], Domination branch Elite skill
Impression: This skill keep getting the nerf bat. IMO, this skill function just nice, and should be left alone.

Skill Name: [wiki]Signet of Illusions[/wiki], Non-attribute branch Elite skill
Impression: With spells such as Arcane Larceny, Arcane Thievery, Simple Thievery having 0 recharge time, it would make sense for Signet of Illusion to be more useful, especially for a signet.

Example:
Signet of Illusions 2 sec casting , 30 sec recharge [Either Inspiration / Illusion branch]
Your next 1...5 spells uses your Illusion attribute instead of its normal attribute.

That way, mesmer build could be more fun, stealing peoples' skill and still not considered too overpowered.

Skill Name: [wiki]Spiritual Pain[/wiki], Domination branch Non-Elite skill
Impression: Too much of a nerf to be of usage. Would prefer the original Spiritual Pain, but having less dmg.

Example:
Spiritual Pain 10e, 2 sec casting, 30 sec recharge
Target foe takes 20...80 damage, and all nearby foes take 10...70 damage. This skill recharges instantly if it hits a Spirit.

This way, Spiritual Pain could act as an Non-Elite form of Energy Surge, having the same cast time, and energy needed as Energy Surge, but having a higher recharge time, smaller size radius of function, and less dmg dealt. Kind of like Echo, and Arcane Echo.

Skill Name: [wiki]Power Flux[/wiki], Domination branch Elite skill
Impression: Currently, this elite skill is outperformed by Malaise, which is an non-elite skill from Necromancer Curse branch. Would suggesting making it the same style as wither, and malaise. Since, hexes are easy to remove... this skill will still be useless unless it is buffed up like the skills as mentioned from Necromancer Curse attribute.

Example:
Power Flux 10e, 1/4 sec casting, 10 sec recharge
If target foe is casting a spell, that spell is interrupted and for 4...9 seconds, that foe has -2 Energy degeneration. When Power Flux ends, that target takes 15...75 damage.

Skill Name: [wiki]Power Block[/wiki], Domination branch Elite skill
Impression: Could consider lowering the energy to 10e. If the user fails to catch the spell used by the enemy, it would mean 15e gone, and an useless elite. Not to mention the wait of 20 sec.

Skill Name:[wiki]Hex Eater Vortex[/wiki], Domination branch Elite skill
Impression: Not worth it as an elite. Let's do a comparison.

Example:
1. Hex Eater Vortex 10e, 1 sec casting, 10 sec recharge
Remove a Hex from target ally. If a Hex is removed in this way, foes near that ally take 30...102 damage and lose one Enchantment.

2. [wiki]Shatter Hex[/wiki] 15e, 1 sec casting, 10 sec recharge
Remove a Hex from target ally. If a Hex is removed, foes near that ally take 30...102 damage.

3. [wiki]Smite Hex[/wiki] 5e, 1 sec casting, 15 sec recharge
Remove a Hex from target ally. If a Hex is removed, foes in the area suffer 10...70 damage.

1. and 2. are essentially the same, with the exception that the elite "remove" 1 enchantment. Smite Hex does damage to area size.
Difference between them is that Hex Eater Vortex is an elite skill, while the other 2 are not.

Would suggest upgrading the elite spell to do damage and remove 1 enchant to foes in the area.

Skill Name: [wiki]Mirror of Disenchantment[/wiki], Domination branch Non-Elite skill
Impression: 25e is still too high to bring to usage. 15e is more appropriate. Skills like Ageis takes 15e to cast. It would make more sense that the caster takes 15e to remove the skill too.

Paragon

Skill Name: All Restoration songs, Motivation branch, ranging from Non-elite to Elite skill
Impression: Its the only good skills from Motivation side. If the nerf goes through, paragon will be the next ritualist, and will be needing a boost patch next especially if no one plays anymore.

Skill Name: [wiki]Hexbreaker Aria[/wiki], Motivation branch Non-Elite skill
Impression: As it is, the 8 adrenaline is too high for me to even to consider bringing into use. If the cast time is to be made to be 2 sec, at least change the condition from *using a spell* to *using a skill*. That way, at least it would be useful, and still justify the 2 sec cast time.

Skill Name: [wiki]Stand Your Ground![/wiki], Command branch Non-Elite skill
Impression: 15e is too high, while 10e is too low. In order to find a balance, probably the defence could be raised to +30, while changing the energy to 15e, so that it would still be useful.

Skill Name: [wiki]The Power Is Yours![/wiki], Motivation branch, Elite skill
Impression: For a skill that causes 10 energy degeneration, at least the least if for it to give 10 energy instead of 7, else its just a weaker version of Aria of Zeal, since non-caster rarely need a lot of energy.

Monk

Skill Name: [wiki]Divert Hexes[/wiki], Protection branch Elite skill
Impression: 2 sec is too long. 1 sec cast time is more appropriate. The recharge could be increased instead to 10.

Skill Name: [wiki]Shield of Regeneration[/wiki], Protection branch Elite skill
Impression: Change the energy cost to 10. That way, it would function the same as healing breeze, but with a 40 extra defence to complement its elite status. Energy cost is still to high to be useful

Skill Name:[wiki]Shield of Deflection[/wiki], Protection branch Elite skill
Impression: Not sure what to comment on this skill. Basically it only allow a 75% block on a single target, which guardian can do fairly well too.
Would suggest remaking the skill to behave something like Ageis.

Example:
Shield of Deflection 15e, 1 sec casting , 30 recharge
For 5...10 seconds, party members has a 75% chance to block attacks and gains 15...27 armor.

Could be the elite form of Ageis.

Skill Name:[wiki]Resurrection Chant[/wiki], Healing branch Non-Elite skill
Impression: 15 sec recharge is too long. 10 sec recharge is more acceptable.
After all, the skill already is functioning at a 1/2 spell range radius already.

hr1100 · Jan 20, 2007, 03:51 PM // 15:51

Healing burst: An elite heal area must be someting more than just a touch skill, it must be a normal ranged skill. No, not "half range", a full range skill.

Because in healing business no one will wait for you to run up to somebody and heal touch him. Heal Area is actually more powerfull than this, because it heals for much more, it recharges faster, and the mana cost is the same (if you get to heal other people with it).

Only advantage over heal area is the cost for healing only yourself... and the 3/4 cast time, which won't make anyone to take it, considering the <<<alternatives>>>, which are a lot out there.

proposal: make it a full range spell, restore the AoE effect to it's previous, make it with 5 seconds rechage. then it will find it's place in PvP...

-------------------------------------

Zelous Benediction (ZB): Needs to be equalized with it's competitor - Word Of Healing (WoH). ZB can be combined with any heal prayer (<gift>, infuse, whatever), get whatever you need from protection and voila - an extremly scalable monk, that can withstand tremendous ammount of pressure, energy unfriendly attacks and kick in with some serious heals when needed.

free heals for the ammount of WoH, that can be used as a self heal also. < that sentence all alone says: WoH is completly useless compared to ZB. No matter how much you boost WoH, the 160* free heal spell that works on anyone will be forever better... scalability and multifunctionality. 160* on 13 prot prayers, which is equal ot WoH on 13 heal.

look at it this way: you have only one skill slot (not 8 but 1), and you need to heal yourself and others. what will you take WoH or ZB?

proposal: well, that is kind of hard to figure out...

maybe turn WoH into heal anyone spell? no, that would destroy heal touch completly, while ZB will still be the dominationg one, because it shares different attribute, and the powerful female Gift of Health spell just askes to mate with the macho man that is ZB.

maybe make zelous benediction to heal other ally only? well, that basicly makes it like woh, but better because of the 10 energy gain if you heal friends with less than 50% health, the inconditional heal power also.

maybe make it to return 5 mana instead of 10. well, that also makes it equal to WoH, but better, because you have a lot of unconditional healing, and self healing...

slow recharge? its a <really> lame way to do it. increasing the recharge of a monk spell is like sending a team down to hell directly... really disgusting

long cast time? again lame solution. makes it completly and absolutely unrelyable, any mentally crippled and weakend ranger could be the bane of you, if you rely on a 1 sec cast main self heals..... not to mention mesmers, which could interrupt on demand 3/4 spells, if they have nice low ping, of course.

maybe decreased healing? like make it equal in healing power to Blessed Light? well, sounds good, i guess... but still not sure. that is the best solution up to now, but someting is missing, can't think of what currently.

but i would go for deleting this skill, along with Searing Flames, Blinding Surge, all shadow step skills, Spiritual Pain, Westrels Demise, half of factions and NF... really

-------------

Enix · Jan 20, 2007, 04:07 PM // 16:07

Elementalist Changes:
*Fire skills - General - Nice buff, decrease some recharge times on Firestorm and similar skills (they could be FREE, but with 30 sec recharge, many will not use them)
Searing Flames/Glowing Gase - Would have liked to see moderately increased recharge on BOTH skills rather than a "big" recharge on just one.

*Water Skills - General - I would prefer reduced hex duration and MORE Spamability (Need huge decrease in recharge times to be PvE viable - water is pretty crappy in high levels)

*Air Skills - Still need MORE Damage (spamability in cheap skills, AoE, or bump up Dmg) - If Air it going to remain non-AoE, Air needs to be single target pwnage like fire is multi target pwnage (please excuse my 1337)
Lighting Hammer - Still needs MORE damage, 25e is a lot to pay for a Lighting Orb that cant be dodged - Maybe make it AoE?!?!?!

(Air is pretty lacking in AoE)
Lightning Orb - Needs increased cast time or less arc time - Eles are MASTERS of the Elements, not noobs of the elements.

*Earth Skills - Moving in the right direction, Decrease some recharge times on 25e skills plz - put the "use" back in "useful"

*Energy Storage - I would like to see one non-elite, spammagle ES skill to make elites more USEFUL, such as:
Glyph of Energy - Link to ES, make "next 2...7 skills cost 15 less energy", or change recharge to 5 or 10 sec.

Monk -
Resurrection skills - Yes, TY, infinately more useful.

Para-
Shouts - seem to be Over-Nurfed in general - Don't need these changes with the change in HA dynamics - Paras need a Buff in Something ("Man of All Trades, Master of None" in PvE, which is pretty useless).

Sin, Rit, War, Mes - Like the changes (Especially War Stances)

Ranger - Like all changes except:
Rampage as One - You killed the only useful AB skill for rangers besides being a toucher. Yes it was powerful, but that is what elites are. The energy cost was sufficient to make it prohibitory with energy denial ("Fear Me" spammers).

Mr_Cynical · Jan 20, 2007, 04:34 PM // 16:34

To be honest, I think this is probably the best skill update Anet have done

Skill Name: Searing Flames
Impressions: Great change. It needed to be less overpowered without (as previous Elem nerfs have done) killing the skill completely, and you've done that

*The one thing I don't like is the Paragon skill nerfs. The Paragon was badly in need of a BUFF, not a nerf.

Jax7786 · Jan 20, 2007, 04:38 PM // 16:38

A couple of points:

Skill name: All Hexes
Impression: You guys gave hexes a pretty big buff when they were already ridiculous. Most of these buffs were too strong.

Skill name: Divert Hexes
Impression: Okay, so you buffed hexes, and then nerfed basically the only removal build? Do you hate monks, or did someone on the development team play a Spoil Victor build and get mad at a Div Hexer?? The Div Hex build was hard enough to run as it is, and now there is no way to counter the rampant hexes.

Skill name: Feigned Neutrality
Impression: This skill needs a big time nerf. Assassins have one of the largest spike in the game, which is fine, but they should not have this skill to let them get away with their spike scot free. The most ridiculous part is the plus 80 armor ....not just 80 armor, but PLUS 80 armor, that it gives, effectively making it so that you cannot damage them at all, and they can just spike, run away with Feigned Neutrality, and come back again without anyone able to do anything.

Skill name: Sandstorm
Impression: I'm surprised you nerfed Searing Flames and didn't touch this one. Is there a reason? Or you just want everyone to run earth elementalists now?

Skill name All Paragon skills
Impression: Why include paragons in the game if they can't do anything? They were already very difficult to make useful, and now after this nerf they basically are worthless.

Skill name: All Warrior skills
Impression: I really need a better reason to want to play a warrior in PvP. Yeah, they have good armor, but with skills like Rampage as One available, why would I want to play a warrior instead? Even with the nerf to RaO, I feel like I would still play a thumper instead of a warrior. Warriors needed a boost to their builds and didn't get anything very helpful.

Nukey · Jan 20, 2007, 05:14 PM // 17:14

Skill Name: Searing Flames
Impression: Though the two second change doesn't sound like a big difference it is when you test it in game. I think it made SF more of a skill that can be used every so often along with other fire skills as opposed to the only fire skill people use. Good change.

Skill: Savannah Heat
Impression: 25 seconds is too long. When you take in to account the buffs on the other aoe-over-time skills, this just isn't that useful at such a high recharge. It seems more reasonable to just use 1 or 2 other aoe-over-time skills and keep your elite slot for something else. Not great.

Skill: Stand Your Ground
Impression: The energy cost is way too high now. You guys have pretty much nerfed Paragons in to disuse. I'm rather surprised that Paragons have been nerfed so much since the release of Nightfall with no buffs to some of its incredibly useless skills. Paragons definately need some kind of re-work because they're useless at this point. They can't DO anything better than (or even as good as) anyone else. Bad.

Skill: Hexbreaker Aria
Impression: This skill wasn't that great before at such a high energy cost. Unless you went specifically to spam this skill, you wouldn't get if off very often. If you did go specifically to spam this, there are other, better classes that could be used for mass hex removal. The additional casting time just makes it even worse. What's the point? Bad.

Skill: Word of Healing
Impression: Nice little buff

Good Change.

Skill: Lightning Hammer
Impression: The 2s recharge does seem a bit excessive. I would think that 5s would be more reasonable. On the fence.

Overall: I'm pleased with most of the Elementalist changes. Monk changes seem to be ok. Ritualist Changes look good, despite some of those 25 energy spirit costs.

I think most of the nerfs were good and added balance but the Paragon changes are not acceptable. They have no practical use. The best defensive skills you can use seem to be Watch Yourself! and Shields Up! and they aren't even Paragon skills. Though reducing those heals by 10hp doesn't seem to be a big difference, the problem is that they were reduced AT ALL. Paragons were in need of something to make them worth having on a team. If I hadn't put so much time in to it, I would probably delete my Paragon to make room for a Dervish or Mesmer.

I have no time to check this over for grammar and spelling so forgive me

Adam of Tyria · Jan 20, 2007, 05:25 PM // 17:25

Well I dont have much to say about a lot of skills but I have an opinion on some.

Skill Name: Searing Flames
Making the casting time less wasnt good. What you need to nerf is either the damage it does or at least the burning time, because it can do alot of damage. With the combination of Glowing Gaze you can use it over ad over as seen in PvP.

Skill name: Spoil Victor
All that really needed was a damage nerf.

Skill name: Sharpen Daggers:
It was a pretty bad skill in the first place, so no need for a nerf. The main use of it was to use it as an enchantment for skills that require an enchantment to strike such as Golden Pheonix Strike. The skill was used great in AB with a critcial barrage capture group.

And you need to BUFF paragons not nerf them. They were pretty bad in the begginging and a lot of the skills need to be buffed. Such as making the shout last longer such as "Incoming!" which ususally lasts up to only a small 4 seconds. EDIT: Skills such as "Stand Your Ground!" should still affect all allies in earshot. Paragons are like commanders and shouts should affect everyone that can hear it, not just party members. (Also it would help them be picked more in AB.)

Arcador · Jan 20, 2007, 06:18 PM // 18:18

Intro to the players
Instead of reporting the new changes, I will see the the untouched skills. Some of the ones I see are fine and can be adjusted a little more and others are simply too weak for play. But you know that best.

So If some ideas help Anet, I will be glad. A good conversation can really reveal some missed points.

GVG, HA, AB and TA - I will only look deep into Ele, Nec and Ran, and roughly War. I will not touch the others since I've never played them on good level. So this is only opinion - you are free to flame me, just say why is the reason. I've missed some points for sure and will be happy if people enlighten me. Those are all borders for suggestions not dogmas, thus an idea of mine might be flawed and stupid.

(Don't mind my saying of - it is cool, it means something like - a good idea, but still nees something)

Some of the changes are written only for 1 skill but I mean it for it's twin too (dublicate skills).

*excuse my typos, I am 1 handed for 5 more days..

Elementalist:

Skill name: Energy boon
Impressions: A little boost can put it into play. Now the gain is too little to mind the unconditional use.

Skill name: Ether renewal
Impressions: Could use a reduced recharge to 25 or increased duration with a sec.

Skill name: Glimmering Mark
Impressions: buffed last season but still needs boost. Reducing cast time to 1 sec can make it good spike prevention one...but maybe a bit too powerful.

Skill name: Armor of frost
Impressions: Need a buff to stay side by side with frigid armor. Recharge reduced to 40 or even 35will be fine. Now is just hindered version of frigid armor.

Skill name: Meal storm
Impressions: Players use it almost never altho it is tactical skill. Reducing the cost to 15 en may give it a little chance.

Skill name: Mirror of ice
Impressions: Good, but too much conditional. Changing to "next time when targeted by enemy spell (not only damage spell)..." may make it ninja skill. Also then the damage should be reduced a little (30%).

Skill name: Rust
Impressions: Good, but still too much cond. Increasing the cost to 10 and range to 'nearby' can help.

Skill name: Swirling aura
Impressions: Well...a little boost of duration with 3-4 sec... otherwise the gap is too big and only vs arrows.

Same can be added for magnetic aura.

Skill name: Iron Mist
Impressions: Reduce cast time to 1 sec. There are no lightning dmg area spells anyway. It can boost it into some nice runner slowdown combos.

Necromancer:

Skill name: Blood is power
Impressions: good, but still rarely used. Reducing the sacrifice to 20% can encourage more non war chars to take it. In this case recharge of 5-7 must be put.

Skill name: Demonic flesh
Impressions: Good but only at precast. Making it sacrifice only 10% can make it more used.

Skill name: Life transfer
Impressions: Pretty powerful spell. Big gap. Reducing the duration with 2 or 3 and recharge with 10 might seem interesting.

Skill name: Poison Hearth
Impressions:Well, can be useful in melee but the condition that it must end the moment you must be adjacent is a bit tricky. I suggest mana cost drop to 5 and recharge to 15. Otherwise only dervish or monk can make controlled use of it.

Skill name: Soul Bind
Impressions: Too much conditional, especially for elite. Remove the attacking condition part or make it 5 mana, 1 cast; or make the hex - condition (the last one can make it too strong, it will require some cost,cast tune down)

Skill name: Well of weariness
Impressions: Long but weak. Increase degen to -2 but reduce duration to 25.

Skill name: Well of darkness
Impressions: Too much conditions. Corpse, foes in it, hexed foes... Ward is better. Remove the hexed condition and reduce duration to 20 or 25.

Skill name: Aura of the Lich
Impressions: Good one - the ultimate trigger for 'less hp than foe'. But the 2 sec cast time can really turn off players. I suggest making the cast time to 1 sec.

Skill name: Dark aura
Impressions: Good for certain builds. A cost reduction to 5 can encourage even more sacrifice necros. Also a little hp reduction (from 20 to 17 or sth similar)

Skill name: Taste of Pain
Impressions: A bit too weak compared to his nightfall brother Signet of surrow which got lesser recharge, 0 cost, and gives back energy. Reduce recharge to 5 or increase the hp gain with a lot more.

Skill name: Verata's Gaze
Impressions: Too much attention. Increase recharge to 10 but make it that you automatically steal the creature. Also again if no master, you become the master.

Skill name: Rigor Mortis
Impressions: It's strength was that it worked no matter block or evade. Now that all skills have been buffed in this manner, RM stays the same. I suggest reduced casting time to 1.

Ranger:

Skill name: Archer's Signet
Impressions: Not commonly used, due the fact that if you invest in expertise you will have reduced cost anyway. But why not both? Reducing the cast time to 2 can do a good.

Skill name: Dodge
Impressions: Cool skill but now natural strife is a step ahead. Ends if you attack and work only vs arrows. I suggest reducing the recharge to 20.

Skill name: Lightning reflexes
Impressions: Since it is turned into a block stance, reducing the recharge to 30 can make more people put it on the belt.

Skill name: Point blank shot
Impressions: It is cool, but I don't see how it will fit with so many marks alternatives. My idea is to make it more unique - like arrow flies twice as fast on this shot.

Skill name: Whirling Defense
Impressions: In the manner of all block/evade stance change I suggest lowering the duration to 18 and lowerig the recharge to 45.

Beast Mastery line - biggest drawback here is that pets got some lag and are often too far from the target. I don't know the exact time of the 'pet interrupts'(they work as shouts, but if the pet is not near, it will do the attack when it arrives which is critical failure for interrupts), but if they are not 1/2 strike time I suggest making them so.

Skill name: Scavenger Strike
Impressions: Both damages are too low compared to some non conditional pet attacks. Reduce cost to 5. Compare it to Feral Lunge. Altho you can do 2 Scavengers while 1 Lunge, the pet AI really compensates that.

Skill name: Melandru's Assault
Impressions: Well, the cond dmg is a bit low for the req. I sugest increasing to 35, or removing it at all and making this pet attack destroy one enchantment.

Skill name: Call of haste
Impressions: Increase to 33% attack speed. Pet attacks are a lot slow by default. That skill can bring some for combos that need only phys hit triggering.

Skill name: Symbiotic bond
Impressions: Most of the time this will come as drawback not a boost. Make the skill work in both ways. Beating you and splitting the dmg with the pet.

Skill name: Predator's pounce
Impressions: Well it is from the minor boosts but making it heal a bit the ranger (max 20-30) can make it good for both sides.

Skill name: Determination Shot
Impressions: Well, it is a lot tricky to use and the advantage is not that big. I suggest making it recharge stances too.

Skill name: Burning arrow
Impressions: I think the damage is too good, so I suggest reducing it with 5.

Skill name: Splinter shot
Impressions: Too much conditional, even with the new change to 'evade'. Add target to the damage too (along with the adjacent targets).

Skill name: Screaming shot
Impressions: Reduce bleed time to 10. It supersides power shot. Or increase cost to 15.

Skill name: Dryder's defenses
Impressions: Since 'evade' is 'block' now, Reducing the recharge of this can make it see play. Reduction to 45 or even 30.

Skill name: Called shot
Impressions: It is weak compared to Crossfire, althou the last is marks skill. Making it a 1 sec shot can encourage its use as spreader.

Skill name: Quick Shot
Impressions: Same as first. But here I suggest 1/2 sec shot. Rech stays 1 sec.

Skill name: Penetrating shots/chops etc
Impressions: Basically they got advantage only vs 90+ armor. So I suggest of reworking them to: "Hit target if it was on 60 AL (with reduced dmg bonus of course). This way it will be really an armor penetrating hit - it will harm good wars, while not affecting that much squishies.

Warrior:

Skill name: Defy Pain/Endure
Impressions: It is good skill but...something is missing. If add some healing (~40/30) when it expires, can be somewhat alternative of heal sig. The skill is good, it just does not fit in the meta right now.

Skill name: Primal Rage
Impressions: The effect is good, just the whole disabling concept make it obsolute. You just forfeit the next 10 secs of battle. For sure during that time something will happen and you won't react - you cannot rush or interupt, neither heal or defend. So I suggest making it disable all attack skills for 10 sec and to end if you use other skill.

Skill name: Magehunter's strike
Impressions: Very similar to prot. strike...instead elite. Reducing the recharge to 2 can make it descent "quickshot" for wars.

Skill name: Warriors cunning
Impressions: Too big gap. I suggest the /2 rule. Duration drops to 5, recharge drops to 30. It may become too dangerous...difficult choice.

Skill name: Disrupting chop
Impressions: Well, making it 1 sec attack can make it more of interrupt. Default axe attack is 1.33 I think.

Skill name: Cleave
Impressions: Difficult to make temptating and not get imba. One idea is reworked to - dmg +20 and weakness. Too similar to whirling axe.

Skill name: Hundred blades
Impressions: Cool but there are cooler skills. Reducing the recharge to 6 or even 5 can make it some sort of good phys dmg distributor.

Skill name: No one shall pass
Impressions: Boost it into Area range. Too narrow for 45 recharge.

Skill name: Riposte's both - possible rework
Impressions: Altho good dmg, it stays strictly pve. So my basic idea of rework is this - greatly reduce the damage of the skill, but make it : "If target foe is attacking, his attack is interrupted and he suffers some dmg (and bleed with the other one)". This way it will be used as support skill.

Skill name: Crude swing
Impressions: Why not remove the easily interrupted part and add 3 recharge. Last time someone objected but never stated why. Yes hammer got more base damage than axe but also swings slower.

Skill name: Coward
Impressions: Well altho I've seen it in top gvg, many people state it is too costy. If so I suggest cost reduced to 5 strikes.

Other classes:

Skill name: Withdraw Hexes.
Impressions: Rework to - remove all hexes from target ally and nearby allies. Recharge 30 sec. It will make it more unique, something like anti Deep Freeze or Suffering (etc).

Skill name: Divine intervention
Impressions: Good but too long recharge to be taken. Maybe reducing it to 20?

Skill name: Divine Healing
Impressions: Too slow for primary monk. Reducing cast time to 1 can make it anti AoE heal.

Skill name: Divine spirt
Impressions: There is only 1 thing bad about it. If the recharge drops a little...

Skill name: PnH
Impressions: The guild is good :P. The skill however is strange. It won't fit in the game easily. So I suggest rework to "You gain 1 en regen for every divine favor spell you have recharging...+" Of course this way the duration must drop to 20~30.

Skill name: Watchful spirit
Impressions: Too costy for often precast. I suggest droping the cost to 5, but making it 2 cast time spell. This way the monk can preprot, similar to holy veily.

Skill name: Mending
Impressions: NERF IT ! IMBA! WAMOS ARE INVINCIBLE! Possible rework - if you are over 80% hp spell heals at 1 max. If between 30% and 80% spell heals normally, but below 30% - it heals twice.

Skill name: Live Vicariously
Impressions: Reduce casting to 1. It will be more easy to reapply after being killed...or rended.

Skill name: Amity
Impressions: Increase range to nearby and probably increase the cost to 10. It will be more usefull this way.

Skill name: Life barrier
Impressions: Reduce the cost to 10. Too costy taking in mind it is -other ally- spell and elite.

Skill name: Mark of prot
Impressions: Well this works vs monsters and player who fight monsters. It can easily become overpowered so I suggest removing the 5 sec of disable and making it 5 cost.

Skill name: Prot bond
Impressions: Too costy - 3 mana per hit. I suggest reducing it to 2 and cost to 5. This way combining with essence bond for example can really make a good defence for 1 ally.

Skill name: Retribution
Impressions: Make it 30 sec spell not maintainable. People even skip it pve.

Skill name: Symbol of Wrath
Impressions: With all the boost ele spells took last updates this is raelly weak. Dmg boost, reduced cast time to 1, and follow caster can be cool.

Skill name: Ray of judgement
Impressions: Too weak for elite...even doubtfull if it was not. Reduce cost to 10 and remove the disable effect. It can become a really rough version of old Spiritual pain...altho missing the whole Domination line lol...

Skill name: Holy Wrath
Impressions: The spell condition is 'holly sh..'! I suggest a boost of the max dmg value and reduced cost to 5 and reduced cast time to 1. You lose 10 energy every strike!!! This makes it only warrior avaiable or really desperate attempt for...something.\

Skill name: Aura of Faith
Impressions: Good since it gives increased heal from all sourcess. Reducing the cost to 5 can encourage some snergy use of with along with self heals (splits and ganks).

Skill name: Keystone signet
Impressions: Decreasing the recharge time to 20 (even 15 but I fear some of the effects will be too drastic) can boost some poor guys trying to figure builds with it.

Skill name: En Finale
Impressions: The nerf was too hard. Making it 5 en spell can be a little boost.