What Skills are "Overused"?

Who decides or What factors are used to decide a skill is "Underused"? I think a better measure is to decide what skills are "Overused" & work backwards or are these skills judged to be perfect? Certainly Wards are "Overused". Are they perfect? Theres quite a list of Perfect skills by this measure.
Too many for me to list but the constituency surely has an opinion.

IMHO overused == popular without good reason.

Mending

Firestorm

Healing Breeze.

...are overused by non-Monks and non-Eles imo.

This is probably for the Average gw player:

Monk: Mending, Orison of Healing

Warrior: Frenzy, Healing Signet

Elementalist: Meteor Shower, Flare

Mesmer: Empathy, Conjure Phantasm

Necromancer: Animate Bone Minions, Animate Flesh Golem

Ranger: Charm Pet, Power Shot

Dervish: AoB, Pious Assault

Paragon: Spear of Lightning, Mending Refrain

Ritualist - Pain, Bloodsong

Assassin - Unsuspecting Strike, Shadow prison

This is what i see on the average PUG...

Charm Animal? That's the staple of some legitimate Beast based builds =P. Meteor Shower is a great skill in the correct setting (though nubs tossing it around in AB show up a lot) and in some setting an Empathy is a good non-elite alternative to Spiteful (for example) for an anti-melee hex. Orison is a great non-elite skill with a good investment in DF... it's basically a non-elite GoL that gives spammable, cheap heals.

I agree, however, with some of your listed skills. Flare is a good skill for Shing Jea island and isn't too bad in PvE but generally is weak and easily mitigated in PvP of any level. Animate Bone Minions is similar. Shadow Prison is absolutely true. I love it when SPs snag me on my Sin or Ele and the only thing the stupid hex is good for is for helping them kite after I drop them. Also, you neglected Mystic Regeneration. Boooo Mystic Regeneration, but hurrah for noobs who think it's a one-skill invulnerability potion.

I can only really answer for a ranger. but i never leave home without broad head arrow. and since eotn pain inverter is a also a mainstay in my builds. I wouldn't class them as overused though, i would argue that they are simply better skills than some of the others.

vaal

Yeah, that's like UB. You could say it's overused, but all that would mean is "people are using it more than I'd like them to", which is entirely subjective and thus not subject to any kind of definition. It certainly isn't used more than makes sense, because UB really *is* that powerful.

if used correctly frenzy is an awesome skill. Still overused by pugs

Ursan blessing, obsidian flesh, searing flames, orison of healing.

*cough* Ursan *cough*
SF, AoB (why, just WHY?!?!), Healing Breeze(again, WHY!?!?!)

Ursan of course. Anything you use everywhere, by every class, to do everything certainly qualifies as overused.

ursan is way too overused
i hate it

I've reinstated Healing Breeze on my hero monk skillbar. 270 health (15 seconds of +9 regen) for 10 e isn't to be sneezed at, it's a nice complement to WoH.

Also while everyone and their grandma runs Searing Flames and Ursan Blessing, they're pehaps overused, but they're powerful enough to warrant it.

Meteor Shower and Flesh Golem, on the other hand... they're not exactly bad skills, but that slot can usually be put to better use.

Warrior : Healing Sig, Frenzy,
Ele: Flare, Met Shower, SF
Mesmer: Diversion, PD
Ranger: Apply Poison, Troll, Whirling
Monk: Guardian, Healing Breeze
Necro: The usual SS/Minion/SV Builds
Sin: Horns of the Ox, Twisting Fangs, Shadow Prison
Rit: Shadowsong
Paragon: Defensive Anthem, Ballad of Restoration
Dervish: Mystic Regen

Oh and of course, that bloody Ursan skill.

Rebirth
res Sig

all other rezes

Way overused - especially if people die a lot

Searing Flames
Spiteful Spirit
Flesh Golem
Energy Surge
Barrage
Burning Arrow
Word of Healing
Crippling Slash
Dragon Slash
Eviscerate
Wanderlust
Mystic Regeneration
Moebius Strike
Shadow Prison

Overused doesnt neccesarily mean bad anyway.

It's not 'overused' if it's worth using. Ergo, Ursan isn't a good candidate as it's a prime option for people who otherwise fail at the game.

Splinter Weapon

Something is not overused, by definition, if it has to be used. Anything you dont have to use, is then a candidate for overuse. Whether or not its worth using is largely irrelevant.

Ok:

Res Signet.