Mortar buff expectations

Mortar Shot: Increased the power coefficient from 0.8 to 1.0 (+25%) in PvP and WvWTooltip shows about 900, does about 4k crits, slightly less damage than grenade 1.Am I right?

Damage is calculated based solely on that coefficient plus some more or less static factors (enemy armor, your weapon damage and your power that would be equal in both kits for example).According to the wiki, Grenade one has a coefficient of 0.33, since it launches three grenades, at full effectiveness you get a coefficient of 0.99 for grenade toss.Mortar kit is a single strike who's coefficient was 0.8 (so lower than grenade 1), and is now increasing to 1 (so slightly higher than grenade 1).

So assuming all 3 grenades always hit Mortar kit would now do pretty much the same damage as grenade 1, or 1% higher damage, depending on how the rounding works.

It could do as much damage as it wants, until the projectile speed and everything gets fixed, its still going to be pretty much useless :/

@ArmageddonAsh.6430 said:It could do as much damage as it wants, until the projectile speed and everything gets fixed, its still going to be pretty much useless :/

Projectile speed doesn't feel that much different from grenades. At max range it's slower than Grenades because the max range is longer, but that's about it.

@ReaverKane.7598 said:

@ArmageddonAsh.6430 said:It could do as much damage as it wants, until the projectile speed and everything gets fixed, its still going to be pretty much useless :/

Its too easy too avoid, too long to get to targets that are further away and really dont like how its an AoE placement. Would have been better if it was a player target skill that damages enemies around the target. In terms of WvW, its viable for blobbing and zergging, mostly defending from walls and thats it. Doesnt get used solo, doesnt get used roaming or anything else.

I find it odd that Hip Shot has lower coefficient than Mortar Shot, but does more damage ingame. Is the wiki wrong?

Did some maths.Power: 2677Weapon strength: 922

Wiki tooltip: Weapon strength 1000 Skill coefficient / 2597Ingame tooltip: (skill-fact damage) (Power / 1000) (2597 / target's Armor)

MortarDamage: 284 (0.8)?Wiki tooltip: 922 1000 0.8 / 2597 = 284Ingame tooltip: (284) (2677 / 1000) (2597 / 2597) = 760

After buffDamage: 355 (1.0)?Wiki tooltip: 922 1000 1.0 / 2597 = 355Ingame tooltip: (355) (2677 / 1000) (2597 / 2597) = 950

GrenadeDamage: 117 (0.33)?Wiki tooltip: 922 1000 0.33 / 2597 = 117Ingame tooltip: (117) (2677 / 1000) (2597 / 2597) = 313

3 grenadesDamage: 351 (0.99)?Wiki tooltip: 922 1000 0.99 / 2597 = 351Ingame tooltip: (351) (2677 / 1000) (2597 / 2597) = 940

So yes, mortar 1 should hit slightly harder than grenade 1 after patch.

The problem with Mortar Kit previously was that it was too strong at melee range since it was (at some point in the past) better than Rifle AA and so people spammed it at their feet. People started to use Mortar Kit as though it was a main hand weapon (maybe rifle needs buff?).

Here is my advice so that we don't end up with a buff and then another 50% nerf:Take a note from Long Bow on Ranger or Blunderbuss on Engineer Rifle, from 0 - 499 range have x coefficient, 500 - 999 range have X + M coefficient, beyond 1000 range have X + M + N coefficient.

I won't pretend to know what figures should go for X, M or N.

Mortar Kit also needs a projectile velocity increase when it starts falling to the ground. Otherwise all this maths is undoubtedly a waste of time for anything other than PvE.

This way Mortar Kit can maintain it's utility at melee and actually contribute at long range (as was intended). That is my two cents.

Also can we discuss Orbital Strike? It's currently part of a GM that I am reasonably confident in saying that No one uses. Also since the change to the GM trait in Tools and we can no longer double cast, double Orbital Strike (on people who may or may not be passed out at the keyboard) does this mean that Orbital Strike can have it's coefficients increased as well? (less this skill and GM fall farther into disuse)

"Slightly" with its punishing projectile speed it better hit as hard as this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0MytMHwzAM

now here's my suggestions:Orbital strike bring its coefficient to 2.4auto projectile slap it with 1.3 or 1.0 and increase radius to 240the field projectiles pulse every 0.5s , blind is useless in 1s pulsesexcept for the healing one , not sure what to do with that one , maybe raise base pulse heal to 450 , reason i exclude from 0.5 pulse is because it would be op combined with EG and maybe heal turret or heal gyro when stacked, also when teamed with another engi.

for those who think 2.4 is too high thats the coefficient of backstabso i consider it reasonable on a skill with a 3 second activation time with is telegraphed via a pillar of lightning before the beam crashes down vs the no warning from backtstab , also has a cooldown, so yeah more than reasonable, it is meant to be a priority attack not to be overshadowed by auto attacks.

@"LilBiM.3581" said:The problem with Mortar Kit previously was that it was too strong at melee range since it was (at some point in the past) better than Rifle AA and so people spammed it at their feet.

One day. It was literally the day after launch day. They nerfed it after a single dayhttps://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Mortar_Shot

And I will have the highest contempt of the balance team if the buff is PvP only.

@Nilix.2170 said:

@"LilBiM.3581" said:The problem with Mortar Kit previously was that it was too strong at melee range since it was (at some point in the past) better than Rifle AA and so people spammed it at their feet.

I believe that my recommendation should, with enough testing and or effort, be more appropriate than a flat buff. We all know that if it turns out to 'do too much damage' then the resulting nerf will likely be of a magnitude far greater than the buff on offer here.

That said, they sure got on top of that really fast.

I would say, redesign the weapon altogether.

Mortar shot: Player target skill. Deal damage to target and upto 5 targets near that target.

Poison Gas Shell: AoE target skill. Deal damage and apply 5 stacks of poison for 6seconds. Leaves a Poison field on the ground for 5seconds.

Endothermic Shell: AoE target skill. Deal damage and apply Slow and Chill for 3seconds. Leaves a ice field on the ground for 5seconds.

Flash Shell AoE target skill. Deal damage and apply Blind and (something?) for 3seconds. Leaves a dark field on the ground for 5seconds.

Elixir Shell: AoE target skill. Heal allies 2,000(just a number) and leave a water field for 5seconds

This would be a start, would make landing it more useful, as just the field isnt enough for the 2-5 as the fields arent that great. The change to the auto attack would make it more useful in small fights, 1 Vs 1 and such. I would even speed up the auto attack projectile speed as that is one of the biggest issues with it. The cool downs, damage done and such would need to be adjusted, though seeing as how they have reasonable cool downs as it is, dont think much would need to be done, even with the changes.