Overload

lightblade

lightblade

Forge Runner

Join Date: May 2005

The Etereal Guard

Me/Mo

How many of you use this skill? I think it need a boost in damage, something like... 40 unconditional and 80 conditional damage or reduce recharge to 1 second.

Considering this skill doesn't interrupt, current 70 damage is too weak.

Avarre

Avarre

Bubblegum Patrol

Join Date: Dec 2005

Singapore Armed Forces

I would pretty much agree, as any of the interrupt skills utterly dwarfs Overload in terms of power..

Mikizz

Mikizz

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Jul 2006

Finland

Half Man Half Amazing [ZING]

Me/

I don't use it but if you're bored you might want to tease slow casting enemies using it with Echo and Power Spike. Awhile ago I tried it on the Mursaat Elementalists in Thunderhead Keep and they usually died before casting their first spell, which ALWAYS seemes to be Chain Lightning. I cast Echo when the Mursaat Eles started to approach, then Overload when they started to cast Chain Lightning, continued with Echoed Overload and finally interrupted the spell using Power Spike. That's 255 dmg while casting a spell and since henchmen attack the same target it was usually enough to kill them...

Overload can be useful if you know that the enemy uses slow casting spells but it's easier to just interrupt them.

TeeGee

TeeGee

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Mar 2006

Poland

Uber Pro Gamers [leet]

Me/E

Quote:
I don't use it but if you're bored you might want to tease slow casting enemies using it with Echo and Power Spike. Awhile ago I tried it on the Mursaat Elementalists in Thunderhead Keep and they usually died before casting their first spell, which ALWAYS seemes to be Chain Lightning. I cast Echo when the Mursaat Eles started to approach, then Overload when they started to cast Chain Lightning, continued with Echoed Overload and finally interrupted the spell using Power Spike. That's 255 dmg while casting a spell and since henchmen attack the same target it was usually enough to kill them...

Overload can be useful if you know that the enemy uses slow casting spells but it's easier to just interrupt them. Yeah maybe, but still this skill is underpowered funny thing that works only on few mobs in pve.

I sadly think that it will be never changed. It's one of those trashy/funny skills that all profs has to fill their skill logs. Even with damage buff it wouldn't be too much practical.

Terra Xin

Terra Xin

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Mar 2006

New Zealand

Me/R

The conditional damage is higher than the skill itself right?

Maybe they should just switch the values around, and increase the smaller number slightly.

Themis

Themis

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Oct 2005

LcB

Mo/Me

I used it once with MoR against Air of enchantment smite spammers. Works fine.

I think this skill is as usefull as WW : a niche skill.

Hella Good

Hella Good

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Oct 2005

None, free and clear

I think WW is way more useful than Overload. I don't see why I would choose to have Overload versus Power Spike- doing minor damage and not interrupting, versus doing major damage and interrupting... Sure the recharges are different but still... If it's not gonna interrupt then it should do more damage.

Themis

Themis

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Oct 2005

LcB

Mo/Me

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hella Good
I think WW is way more useful than Overload. I don't see why I would choose to have Overload versus Power Spike- doing minor damage and not interrupting, versus doing major damage and interrupting... Sure the recharges are different but still... If it's not gonna interrupt then it should do more damage. i agree with your point of view. Although i consider that WW is a "special" spell, it remains more useful than Overload : WW's psychological pressure is a very good quality indeed (also against PvE bosses).

Still, Overload can counter (quasi-)infinite spell spammer combos. But that's all about it, unfortunately.

lightblade

lightblade

Forge Runner

Join Date: May 2005

The Etereal Guard

Me/Mo

Quote:
Originally Posted by Themis
...
Still, Overload can counter (quasi-)infinite spell spammer combos.
... Exactly what spell spam are you talking about? It doesn't stop boon prot because it case fast. And it certainly doesn't stop flare because of it's slow recharge.

Turbo Wombat

Turbo Wombat

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Nov 2005

Centeral Texas

Heros of Titans Realm

Me/

I actually think Overload is a decent spell, if used correctly. First off, you need to stop comparing it to interrupts, since it's not one. It's meant to be used as a punishment, like many other Domination skills. In PvE, and sometimes PvP, I combine it with Backfire to really stack on the damage against casters. At 16 Dom, Backfire does 147 damage, plus another 74 if you land Overload, which adds up to a nice total of 221 damage that can occour all within 1/4 of a second if timed well. Even though the spell gets through, the caster usually ends up taking more damage than they were prepared for which can be just as intimidating as a pressure build against wise players or incredibly deadly against un-attentive players. While I know many people consider Mesmers to be primarily interrupters, degeners, e-deniers, etc. a straight-up punishment build with one or two interrupts for important skills can be supprisingly effective.

Phe Belladona

Phe Belladona

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jul 2006

StP

Me/

why not just go for an nasty damage build with all our conditional faves?

WW, Overload, Powerspike = massive hurt and interupt

a quite funny thing happened once in aspenwood

i used Phantom Pain they used remove hex i used the above combo then Shatter Delusions they dropped dead. they seemed to think this was too much for a mesmer to accomplish and rage quitted (or had an unfortunate D/C)

play around with loadsa fun situational stuff, Overload tho imo MUST get a faster recharge. hell even make it 10+60 just less recharge more situational!!

Themis

Themis

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Oct 2005

LcB

Mo/Me

Quote:
Originally Posted by lightblade
Exactly what spell spam are you talking about? It doesn't stop boon prot because it case fast. And it certainly doesn't stop flare because of it's slow recharge. No, not against boon prots. As i said earlier, i used it sometimes against smiters using Air of enchantment+Zealot's fire. And yes, you need Mantra of Recovery.

Anir

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Sep 2005

[HoC]

I've always seen this as a compliment to interrupts. For something like Firestorm (or anything with a long enough cast time), you could Overload then Powerspike. This is probably the reason why it doesnt do "40 unconditional and 80 conditional damage."

TeeGee

TeeGee

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Mar 2006

Poland

Uber Pro Gamers [leet]

Me/E

Still this spell is just to inpractical to use it for real. In PvP it's useless. And even in pve there are not so many monsters with such slow spells. It better to backfire or interrupt them and move to another target anyway.

Martian

Martian

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Dec 2005

The Arse-end of no-where

Grey Mortals

Me/E

I played around with it for a while and found that more often than not i would just use it when my enemy wasn't casting, cos everything else was recharging and their health was low O.o It never worked and i stopped using it.
But this thread got me thinking about it again and now i wonder if it could be combined with arcane conundrum to slow down all the spells, to fit in one overload and one interrrupt, just like mentioned above but more often for heavy damage.

Hella Good

Hella Good

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Oct 2005

None, free and clear

A skill that depends on another skill to be useful... hmm, not my thing. Plus I personally never use cast speed slowing stuff. I can inter 1s skills w/o any help and I often manage to inter 3/4 ones. I dont see much point in adding a skill to slow down the cast to where I might be able to catch a 1/2s skills. Not like you can ever inter 1/4 skills even if slowed down to 1/2s... So... it seems kind of a waste. Plus with all these Ranger packing up BHA now, Conundrum/Migraine seem less valuable. This my 2c.

Evilsod

Evilsod

Banned

Join Date: Mar 2006

England

Lievs Death Squad [LDS]

I've always seen this as an assist to Diversion/Backfire. For what it can do it does alot of damage... specially in PvE. If your gonna Backfire a Monk but don't bring a skillbar of interrupts you can always just Overload something like Orison of Healing before Power Spiking Heal Area/Touch.

Icepic

Icepic

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: May 2006

Cal

Order of Vladd

Me/

If they improved the damage I would probably use it more often. Though it might not be the best use of my skill bar, I do get a child like joy from stinging them with overload just before they trigger backfire.

hazmat

Academy Page

Join Date: Oct 2005

WtF

It's the aftercast that pisses me off. I can't overload and interrupt some skills because of it.

Hella Good

Hella Good

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Oct 2005

None, free and clear

Quote:
Originally Posted by Evilsod
I've always seen this as an assist to Diversion/Backfire. For what it can do it does alot of damage... specially in PvE. If your gonna Backfire a Monk but don't bring a skillbar of interrupts you can always just Overload something like Orison of Healing before Power Spiking Heal Area/Touch.
Sounds reasonable. BF/Diversion don't really work well with interrupts, but Overload fits perfectly in a BF/Diversion build.

Quote:
Originally Posted by hazmat
It's the aftercast that pisses me off. I can't overload and interrupt some skills because of it. Yes, aftercast makes the usefulness of OL/inter questionable.