[Dev Update] Skill Balances for Early April
MrTickle
Signet of Nurfing: Increase the energy cost of all your skills and they have half the efficiency for 30 seconds.
Elrodien
The soul reaping nerf reeks of compromise to me. They should have had 0 energy returned for spirits instead. Gaining energy from things that are already dead shouldn't happen. As for MMs, I'm sure they could find a way around it and MMs make the pve game way too easy anyway.
Keithark
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Originally Posted by gasmaskman
Wow, I just noticed. 90 seconds of frickin' panic when you have Avatar of Balthazar. 90 seconds out of 150 (152) will be filled with a 33% speed boost and +40 armor. Are you insane?
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Evilsod
You seem to be forgetting how stupid PvE monsters are... they cast regardless, the duration matters little most of the time. Probably just to match the duration of Diversion to make all the shutdown skills similar, just aslong as they don't start screwing with Backfire.
Rockby Quickfoot
I came in this topic expecting to finally see the boosts to the PvE Mesmer. Thanks for letting me down.
CassiusDrehyg
Fix mesmers. Now.
DRGN
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Originally Posted by De Maximoff
Once again the Mesmer has three skills unjustly changed. Mistrust, Guilt, and Shame have their durations cut almost in half. A Mesmer with 14 attribute points in Domination Magic gets a duration of ten seconds for each of these skills. The change once again is because of PVP. I am a PVE player so again three of the skills I use are being dictated by PVP. What is really sad about this is 'Watch Yourself’ was changed and Glyph of Lesser Energy is being changed to be based on attributes which is fine. However for the Mesmer exactly the opposite occurs. Duration will now have nothing to do with how many attribute points you have in Domination Magic. Only the damage and energy stolen will be affected which is in my opinion ridiculous.
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Also, Keithark, the big difference with RaO and Avatar of Balth is that Balth doesn't give an IAS. The Dervish has to use an easily-removed enchant(Heart of Fury) or a stance for it. Also, you point out that "90 of the 150 seconds will be filled with panic". That means Avatar of Balth will be up 60% of the time. RaO can be up 100% of the time. Avatar of Balth also has a 2 second activaton time in which it can interrupted, and has a 30 second recharge. You can't prevent RaO from being activated outside of Sig of Humility(which also applies to Avatar). The only weakness(well, the 25e isn't one because of Expertise + Zealous Hammer) is that your pet can die and end it. But if your pet dies, RaO has a 10s recharge, so you can just res the pet and re-activate it.
I guess I left out the +40 armor from Avatar, but if your melee pressure characters are under that much pressure, hasn't something gone wrong already? Don't get me wrong, I like the Avatar buff, but to say that buffing an underpowered Avatar somehow screws a powerful skill is a bit out there.
EDIT: I meant to say you can't re-activate RaO if the pet is dead; I think the current RaO you have on stays up if your pet dies. My mistake.
De Maximoff
'Watch Yourself' was changed in a previous update, that is why I said WAS changed.
Keithark
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Originally Posted by Viet Spirit
just a bit off-topic but I see many dervish experienced players here so I want to ask a question.
Why is it sometimes my Avatars recharge faster than 120s? I occasionally see the avatar elite already available when my dervish is still under that avatar's form. |
stillborn nightengale
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Originally Posted by SotiCoto
What a remarkable display of ignorance through rhetoric.
Banishment of spirits isn't permanent by any stretch of the imagination. All it means is that they have gone back to wherever they came from. They can be summoned again just as easily, and that is implying you're even summoning the same one again... rather than another just like it. It certainly doesn't mean they have been put to rest, and I find even the notion that you would suggest such a thing humourous. I will make no more of that though. |
Taurucis
RIP Necromancer (ironic, isn't it) and Mesmer
My brother and I have been watching, and Mesmer has had its majority of skill being nerfed the past 3, 4 times. Necromancer has had their usefulness about halved... Now the only plausible thing to run is MM.
Time to whip out my PvP ranger, and start showing those poor nerfed Mes that they should play something else.
My brother and I have been watching, and Mesmer has had its majority of skill being nerfed the past 3, 4 times. Necromancer has had their usefulness about halved... Now the only plausible thing to run is MM.
Time to whip out my PvP ranger, and start showing those poor nerfed Mes that they should play something else.
Rhedd
Aaah, pet controls and nerfing.
As I pessimistically predicted, the INSTANT pet controls were implemented, the pet nerfing began. As a Beastmaster that was perfectly happy without controls, I fear for the future.
It's so not fun being right all the time.
As I pessimistically predicted, the INSTANT pet controls were implemented, the pet nerfing began. As a Beastmaster that was perfectly happy without controls, I fear for the future.
It's so not fun being right all the time.
mqstout
Yet more paragon nerfs. He's already worthless in PvE. I really regret making one, especially as my primary for Elona.
The Soul Reaping change is going to devastate my necro (Rt/N boon of creation/explosive growth/animate minions spamming) build. I wonder if it will still be viable.
The Soul Reaping change is going to devastate my necro (Rt/N boon of creation/explosive growth/animate minions spamming) build. I wonder if it will still be viable.
SotiCoto
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Originally Posted by stillborn nightengale
Okay. Even if banishment means that they aren't permanently disposed of, spirits are controlled and imprisoned by the Rit, blocking it from the jurisdiction of the Necromancer's ablility to reap it. When the spirit is 'destroyed' it is banished, so you say, and leaves it open to be reaped by the Necro.
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The very act by the Ritualist of releasing the spirit means it will be gone... back to wherever it came from. Its bonding is what manifests it in the world in the first place.
Heck... I could be arguing about game mechanics right now, but instead I end up arguing semantics.... -_-;
The point I'm trying to get at is that Necros shouldn't get any energy from spirits. End of story.
Keithark
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Originally Posted by The Ernada
Wow. It's stuff like this being said that makes it hard to find any respect for SOME of you PVE players.
It's FAR FAR FAR easier to adjust your builds in PVE because you KNOW what monsters and their skillbars are going to be. Not to mention their predictable A.I. It's not the case in PVP. |
moriz
with the exceptions to the "only works on party members" change, just about all the paragon changes are positive. i have no idea what you guys are getting worked up about.
same with the change to necros. most of the changes are positive, with a few cosmetic nerfs to make some spells less retardedly powerful. the change to soul reaping isn't really a big deal i believe. it is still a very effective passive energy management. take a look at the closest thing to a hex necro: an illusion hex mesmer. they do not have passive energy management, yet they still perform just as well.
everyone should just take a step back and think of the changes in a new perspective. will the changes to the mesmer domination hexes REALLY affect the way they are currently used? no. will the changes to the necro hexes and soul reaping REALLY absolutely demolish them off the face of the earth? no. will the "only affect party members" change to paragon shouts REALLY affect anything at all? no. all in all, this update doesn't really destroy anything, and makes for a few interesting new ideas.
same with the change to necros. most of the changes are positive, with a few cosmetic nerfs to make some spells less retardedly powerful. the change to soul reaping isn't really a big deal i believe. it is still a very effective passive energy management. take a look at the closest thing to a hex necro: an illusion hex mesmer. they do not have passive energy management, yet they still perform just as well.
everyone should just take a step back and think of the changes in a new perspective. will the changes to the mesmer domination hexes REALLY affect the way they are currently used? no. will the changes to the necro hexes and soul reaping REALLY absolutely demolish them off the face of the earth? no. will the "only affect party members" change to paragon shouts REALLY affect anything at all? no. all in all, this update doesn't really destroy anything, and makes for a few interesting new ideas.
Taurucis
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Originally Posted by BlackSephir
Funny, as i see it, this won't affect my pvp necro much, why, she's in her full spring!
Oh, maybe you were talking about pve necros, mm's? Oh, allright then... I don't care |
And by the way, not every PvE necro runs a MM. I prefer running Battery myself. Before SR got ruined, I sometimes had trouble keeping my own energy above 5. After SR gets ruined, who knows? I might need a Battery to keep my Battery supplied with energy.
And if you don't care, then why did you reply to my post?
Evilsod
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Originally Posted by Rhedd
Aaah, pet controls and nerfing.
As I pessimistically predicted, the INSTANT pet controls were implemented, the pet nerfing began. As a Beastmaster that was perfectly happy without controls, I fear for the future. It's so not fun being right all the time. |
And what pet nerfs? They nerfed the Thumper, not the Beastmaster because that dazed was so stupidly strong.
Stop making mountains out of piles of dust.
ChaoticCoyote
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Originally Posted by Rhedd
Aaah, pet controls and nerfing.
As I pessimistically predicted, the INSTANT pet controls were implemented, the pet nerfing began. As a Beastmaster that was perfectly happy without controls, I fear for the future. It's so not fun being right all the time. |
Seriously, *two* little-used skills get a *minor* nerf, and you're crying in your beer? The two interrupting pet attacks were SLIGHTLY nerfed since they might now be effective. Without pet controls, using a pet interrupt was a crap-shoot at best.
What about the *buffs?* Heck, I'm going to love Fluffy the Dune Lizard with his 104 armor (natural 80 + Otyugh's) and 16 damage reduction (Call of Protection).
And if you look at past threads, most beatsmasters *wanted* pet controls. And yes, I run at all times with my pet, for 1600 hours of gameplay.
stillborn nightengale
Makin' it so that Necros gained nothing from spirits or minions would make Soul Reaping almost useless in most PvP situations. PvE not so much.
Stealthc
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Originally Posted by mqstout
Yet more paragon nerfs. He's already worthless in PvE. I really regret making one, especially as my primary for Elona.
The Soul Reaping change is going to devastate my necro (Rt/N boon of creation/explosive growth/animate minions spamming) build. I wonder if it will still be viable. |
Father of Mir
Mmm .. time to get my assassin signet spiker out the closet for some Cirque du AB! 
SotiCoto
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Originally Posted by moriz
same with the change to necros. most of the changes are positive, with a few cosmetic nerfs to make some spells less retardedly powerful. the change to soul reaping isn't really a big deal i believe. it is still a very effective passive energy management. take a look at the closest thing to a hex necro: an illusion hex mesmer. they do not have passive energy management, yet they still perform just as well.
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And Illusion Hex?
I'd compare more closely to a Domination Hexer... I don't even think of Illusion Magic as being for hexing purposes anyway... [I use it for double-bluff spells like Illusion of Haste and Illusion of Weakness and Illusionary Weaponry]. *Shrugs*
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| everyone should just take a step back and think of the changes in a new perspective. will the changes to the mesmer domination hexes REALLY affect the way they are currently used? no. will the changes to the necro hexes and soul reaping REALLY absolutely demolish them off the face of the earth? no. will the "only affect party members" change to paragon shouts REALLY affect anything at all? no. all in all, this update doesn't really destroy anything, and makes for a few interesting new ideas. |
And if nobody complained... nothing good would ever get done... Consider that?
mqstout
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Originally Posted by Stealthc
Somehow I think if you're a Rt/N the soul reaping change won't affect you in any way...
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Indeed, it won't.
Alleji
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Originally Posted by mqstout
The Soul Reaping change is going to devastate my necro (Rt/N boon of creation/explosive growth/animate minions spamming) build. I wonder if it will still be viable.
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This is gotta be the funniest thing I've ever read.
Arch
The problem with Necro in PvP isnt that Soul Reaping is too powerful, its that Icy Veins spike is slightly powerful, nerfing the whole soul reaping category isnt going to help anyone who does Heroes Ascent/GvG, the main catalyst for the energy in these necro based teams is their spirit spammer, if your too stupid to target them, you need better tactics to deal with these types of teams.
clawofcrimson
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Originally Posted by mqstout
Yet more paragon nerfs. He's already worthless in PvE. I really regret making one, especially as my primary for Elona.
The Soul Reaping change is going to devastate my necro (Rt/N boon of creation/explosive growth/animate minions spamming) build. I wonder if it will still be viable. |
the problems with pve is that if you make a character build him up and buy stuff for him.... you cannot simply delete him and create a new one as in pvp.
NeHoMaR
I am hoping WHEN this game will be finally BALANCED for the last time! It's possible now because the no more new professions thing.
Please, ArenaNet, think very deeply about the skills you are adding in GW:EN, at least try to don't unbalance game; instead think in skills that will help to balance this game forever!
Imagine a day when developers stop to balance skills, not for non supporting game anymore but because is 100% balanced; I will be happy that day. And YES, it's possible now!
Please, ArenaNet, think very deeply about the skills you are adding in GW:EN, at least try to don't unbalance game; instead think in skills that will help to balance this game forever!
Imagine a day when developers stop to balance skills, not for non supporting game anymore but because is 100% balanced; I will be happy that day. And YES, it's possible now!
antialias02
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Originally Posted by NeHoMaR
I am hoping WHEN this game will be finally BALANCED for the last time! It's possible now because the no more new professions thing.
Please, ArenaNet, think very deeply about the skills you are adding in GW:EN, at least try to don't unbalance game; instead think in skills that will help to balance this game forever! Imagine a day when developers stop to balance skills, not for non supporting game anymore but because is 100% balanced; I will be happy that day. And YES, it's possible now! |
Furthermore, the devs have also admitted to using skill changes as a way of freshening up the meta - buffing underused skills and maybe tweaking overused ones.
There will never be 100% balance in Guild Wars, but the level of attention brought to it is far and beyond better than any other competitive (or even cooperative) game on the market.
I'm on the side that suggests Necros were way too overpowered in PvE, and so the soul reaping nerf was just as much for them as it was for the PvP necros. Whine if you want. If you play a Necro, try rolling a Mesmer for a little perspective on PvE life.
romeus petrus
The nerf to SR is very dissappointing, reducing the energy cost of some minions will not make it up, most experienced necros don't even play MM. If anet is worried about SR being overpowered in PvP, they should limit the SR changes to PvP. For most of us necros who are mainly PvEers, these changes are simply unfair and makes alot of builds absolete, and closes down a lot of areas to necros.
I hope this is just temporary and anet would restore SR to the way it was. After all SR is the primary attribute for necros.
I hope this is just temporary and anet would restore SR to the way it was. After all SR is the primary attribute for necros.
yesitsrob
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Originally Posted by Arch
The problem with Necro in PvP isnt that Soul Reaping is too powerful, its that Icy Veins spike is slightly powerful, nerfing the whole soul reaping category isnt going to help anyone who does Heroes Ascent/GvG, the main catalyst for the energy in these necro based teams is their spirit spammer, if your too stupid to target them, you need better tactics to deal with these types of teams.
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And along with weapon spells, aegis, evasion, shutting the spirit spammers down (especially 5 of them) is significantly easier said than done.
Theus
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Originally Posted by antialias02
Furthermore, the devs have also admitted to using skill changes as a way of freshening up the meta - buffing underused skills and maybe tweaking overused ones.
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When was the last time Anet buffed an under used Mesmer skill thats actually useful?
How did they fix the metagame for mesmers this update?By nerfing actually useful skills and giving us what?Keystone Signet and Signet of Clumsiness.Wow.What a broken combo.
It just seems that with every update Mesmers constantly get the shit end of the stick.
De Maximoff
Theus said it perfectly. I could not agree with you more. It's nice to see that there are others that see the Mesmer constantly getting the shaft.
SotiCoto
I'm forced to agree....
When I first started I wasn't sure whether I wanted to begin with an Assassin or Mesmer. Since getting used to the game with my Assassin, I still haven't made a Mesmer and I have representatives of almost every other class.
Mesmers have just gone downhill... all the way down... at least as primary. Ironically though I make a lot of my characters Mesmer-secondary for particular skills on a regular basis. The elemental Mantras on the Inspiration line get a lot of use.... as do the various interrupts for my heroes.
Next thing we know it'll be those getting the pummelling treatment.
When I first started I wasn't sure whether I wanted to begin with an Assassin or Mesmer. Since getting used to the game with my Assassin, I still haven't made a Mesmer and I have representatives of almost every other class.
Mesmers have just gone downhill... all the way down... at least as primary. Ironically though I make a lot of my characters Mesmer-secondary for particular skills on a regular basis. The elemental Mantras on the Inspiration line get a lot of use.... as do the various interrupts for my heroes.
Next thing we know it'll be those getting the pummelling treatment.
Arkantos
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| How did they fix the metagame for mesmers this update?By nerfing actually useful skills and giving us what?Keystone Signet and Signet of Clumsiness.Wow.What a broken combo. |
Siddious
Fear the mighty power of SIGNET OF CLUMINESS! Watch out SF eles, you're going to get owned. 
Also Mesmers always get the crap end of the stick. Deal with it.
Also Mesmers always get the crap end of the stick. Deal with it.
IMMORTAlMITCH
I don't get why you people complain about mesmers 'being nerfed' so much.
You're not telling me that you're actually using diversion in PvE and 2(!!) extra seconds recharge isn't gonna make it worthless...
Diversion is one of the best skills in the game, as spammable as before makes it really strong even in the hands of a bad player.
People would just spam it on recharge without thinking about it/timing it.
About the soul reaping nerf.. don't form your opinion about it until you've 'seen it in action'
PvE is so easy that you could pretty much use a bar of 8 completely random skills and still succeed.
You're not telling me that you're actually using diversion in PvE and 2(!!) extra seconds recharge isn't gonna make it worthless...
Diversion is one of the best skills in the game, as spammable as before makes it really strong even in the hands of a bad player.
People would just spam it on recharge without thinking about it/timing it.
About the soul reaping nerf.. don't form your opinion about it until you've 'seen it in action'
PvE is so easy that you could pretty much use a bar of 8 completely random skills and still succeed.
Mylon
So, for the most part, monks got a nerf (Zealous Benediction was the obvious choice, yes, but it was _required_ to handle the damage inflation), mesmers got a nerf (they have a hard enough time shutting people down as it is, and it's not like they even do damage while at work - Might as well be an interrupt ranger and shut down non-spell skills without having to rely on expensive 10 energy spells too ), and then some skills get damage buffs.
So monks, despite the slight nerf to their best skill, are still probably the required class, mesmers are still gimped, and combat is still over in a flash.
So monks, despite the slight nerf to their best skill, are still probably the required class, mesmers are still gimped, and combat is still over in a flash.
dargon
Given that the SR change isn't actually in play yet, can we kindly hold off bitching about it till we actually know how it's going to work?
As a side note it doesn't say you only get energy every 5 seconds, it says now only provides Energy at a MAXIMUM rate of once every 5 seconds (emphasis mine). Personally, I take that to mean all other times you get energy like a spirit died, half the normal amount, NOT ZERO.
As a side note it doesn't say you only get energy every 5 seconds, it says now only provides Energy at a MAXIMUM rate of once every 5 seconds (emphasis mine). Personally, I take that to mean all other times you get energy like a spirit died, half the normal amount, NOT ZERO.
Nadia Roark
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Originally Posted by The Ernada
Ergh. Untouched means that they didnt even do anything to it.
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Let me break it down for you. Old RaO wasn't terrifically more powerful than new RaO. The reason it was imba was because it could be chained; and in the course of doing so the user had a permanent speed boost and attack increase. Add to this that it's a SKILL (not a stance!) that can't be removed and you have one ridiculously overpowered melee elite.
Now lets look at New RaO. With EW down it has the exact same functionality; and even without EW you can keep it up with high Beast and sparing use of Crushing Blow. I'll consider it "touched" when its functionality is actually altered. The only reason people are considering it "nerfed" is because most of them seem to think that you have to run 12 hammer (you don't) and they drop points out of Beast to accomplish this. High Beast also allows your pet to deal more damage in combat, which clearly exacerbates the situation.
Same thing with SP. For the record, I think SP/BoA is utter shit (it's not imba and never was--it only kills against crap monks) and didn't really need a nerf to begin with, but they did more or less the same thing to it as they did to RaO. Clearly, an attempt was made to alter the functionality of the skill, but no meaningful change was actually acheived.
Hence, untouched.