Suggestion – Idea for an Entirely New Mechanic for Scrapper.

Alright so there are already multiple threads discussing the Function Gyro and whether or not it’s an interesting mechanic, we’re not here to discuss about that, and I suggest you express your opinions about that there, but instead we're going to talk about what could Scrapper get to make it more unique; since we recently had quite a few elite specialization reworks, one for Scrapper has to be considered at some point, as the espec is slowly disappearing from every game mode.

I’ll still give my quick thoughts on the Function Gyro to make my point clear:

The Function Gyro is nothing more than a range resurrection, which is something most professions already have with Signet of Mercy (Guardian), or Illusion of Life (Mesmer), and those are only few examples amongst many, and even the core Engineer has Toss Elixir R for that purpose. Moreover the Function Gyro can be used to increase your resurrection speed on an ally, but here again most professions have traits doing exactly that, Protective Reviver (Guardian), or Ritual of Life (Necromancer), here again those are few examples amongst many.However those skills like Signet of Mercy are going to instantly resurrect players, even though they have a casting time, while the Function Gyro takes time to resurrect one single player, even though it doesn't have a casting time, but it can be cleaved or interrupted. Therefore even if the Function Gyro has basically free uses, it pales in comparison to what other professions can do in that domain.Obviously the most interesting aspect of the Function Gyro is its secondary use, which is to finish players, but unlike resurrection, stomping isn't useful outside of sPvP/WvW, and even there cleaving downed players is sometime the better option. Which makes the Function Gyro the only elite specialization mechanic that was designed with sorely sPvP/WvW in mind, and even though some elite specializations have had their design focused around those game modes, for instance Spellbreaker, their unique mechanic managed to find a place in PvE because they weren't as limited as the Function Gyro.This is the core issue I have, and I think many have, with the Function Gyro, it isn't a real elite specialization mechanic, it’s just a free range resurrection/finisher that hasn't any use outside of sPvP/WvW, and because of that it doesn't feel engaging at all. Furthermore the Function Gyro doesn't change the way your approach your core profession unlike what some of the best elite specializations have done, like Weaver, Scourge, and few others.

Now that’s out of the way, what can we do to either make Function Gyro an interesting mechanic, or can we create a new mechanic from scratch. I’ll focus on the latter point, as I don’t think there are any ways to redeem the Function Gyro, of course if you have any ideas I’m all ears. At the very least this thread might be used as food for thoughts for future elite specialization mechanics for the Engineer.

So to begin with we’ve to keep in mind the resource constraint, we cannot create a fancy mechanic demanding new crazy technology, neither creating tens of new skills, and we also need to keep it close to the theme of the Scrapper, while slightly changing how core Engineer is played. The Scrapper being an Engineer who scavenges the wreckage of the Pact fleet to create weapons allowing the remnants of the Pact to survive in the jungle, it should feel like the MacGyver of Tyria, creating terrifying weaponry on the fly and always adapting to its environment.Scrapper has access to a lot of fields and the Engineer in general has a lot of combo finishers, so I think this unique mechanic should interact with combo finishers, here’s the idea:

The Tool Belt has a reduced size once you become a Scrapper, you only get F1 to F3, but you can choose you skills in your Tool Belt, similarly to how you choose your healing/utility/elite skills, therefore you can equip your healing skill Tool Belt skill in F1, the elite one in F2, and one of the utility one in F3, so on and so forth. It gives you a small drawback from picking Scrapper, which is something more espec should do in my opinion, but potentially you'll get more with the new properties of F4 and F5.F5 is an empty slot until you make a combo finisher, depending on which combo finisher you do, blast, whirl, projectile, or leap, you’ll have a different skill appearing in F5 (see below).F4 is called "New Blueprint", and it'll remove the skill you currently have in F5, so you can do another combo finisher to create a new skill to use with F5. Nevertheless the skills removed by F4 are still in cooldown, an hidden cooldown similar to the one kit skills have, therefore you cannot do a leap finisher, use the associated F5 skill (which is Reversed Polarity), F4 to remove the skill, another leap finisher, to get a fresh Reversed Polarity, because it'll be in cooldown, you’ll need instead to do another type of combo finisher, let’s say whirl, and you’ll have access to a new skill (which is Countermeasure Flares). If you alternate between your combo finishers often you'll have access to 4 brand new skills + the 3 from your normal Tool Belt. It's also worth noting that F4 and F5 are Tool Belt skills and therefore interacts with traits in the Tool trait line.

Here are the skills associated to the combo finishers:

• Blast finisher associated skill – Neural Aggression – Taunt nearby enemies.Damage: 450 (1.1)Taunt (2s)Radius: 240Activation Time: ¼sRecharge Time: 25s

• Leap finisher associated skill – Reversed Polarity – Slow a foe and grant to yourself superspeed.Superspeed (3s)Slow (3s)Range: 900Activation Time: 0sRecharge Time: 30s

• Whirl finisher associated skill – Countermeasure Flares – For a limited period of time, you daze around you a random enemy every second.Damage: 125 (0.8)Daze: 1sPulse: 1sRange: 130Duration: 3sUnblockableActivation Time: ¾sRecharge Time: 40s

• Projectile finisher associated skill – Heat-Seeking Rockets – Send two rockets to the two nearest foes.Damage: 598 (2.25)Number of Targets: 2Range: 1500Explosion (Radius: 240, Number of Targets: 5)Activation Time: ½sRecharge Time: 16s

• New Blueprint doesn't have an Activation Time, but has a Recharge Time of 10s.

Obviously some traits will have to be changed, here are the following:

Function Gyro becomes Blueprint

The description and name changed to better reflect the new abilities.

Decisive Renown

When you successfully create a new F5, you grant barrier and great speed to nearby allies.

Otherwise I don't think there is a lot of work to be done on the Scrapper, obviously having a better pathing on the Gryos would be more than appreciated, and tuning up the Hammer and some of the traits to increase the damage and/or survivability would also be great, after all the Scrapper isn't only struggling because the Function Gyro doesn't bring a lot to the table.

PS: It's a long post, thanks for making it through here.

Very interesting idea. I like the concept a lot, but I do feel like you lose too much for what you would gain. Some of the current tool belt skills are really good and staple on a lot of builds, and I'm not crazy about losing two of them to acquire some skills that may not fit the build you're going for.

Take this idea and make it in addition to the having the current 5 tool belt skills, and I think you have something. I'd like to see at least one of those skills provide some barrier to teammates.

@Frostmane.9734 said:Very interesting idea. I like the concept a lot, but I do feel like you lose too much for what you would gain. Some of the current tool belt skills are really good and staple on a lot of builds, and I'm not crazy about losing two of them to acquire some skills that may not fit the build you're going for.

Take this idea and make it in addition to the having the current 5 tool belt skills, and I think you have something. I'd like to see at least one of those skills provide some barrier to teammates.

Why can't function gyro do something useful outside of stomping or rezzing, like channeled barrier or similar aed and instantly heal when downed in x seconds?

I do have concerns with losing tool belt skills, if you can make your ideas work within the confines of currently function gyro, I would be all for it. I think a good start would be having function gyro come alive when anyone is targeted (possibly dictated by trait line), and keep the stomp rez when that person is downed.

I think losing toolbelt skills is too much of a loss, especially when there are stun breaks on them.

hmm maybe function gyros effects could change based on what heal or elite skill you have? they could provide cc/buffs or some such thing either when it starts or finishes, or both.

im not sure how to give function gyro another role, I think it should have one, but not at the cost of its current utility.

What if the function gyro’s functionality was altered by the grandmaster traits?

For example:

1. Function gyro damages enemies (blast finisher) and applies might, fury, and quickness to 5 allies when deployed.
2. Function gyro heals allies (blast finisher) and applies stability, protection, and regeneration to 5 allies when deployed.
3. Function gyro rez/stomps players when deployed (old mechanic).

The “deploy gyro” skill would be set to the f5 skill (sorry, the elite tool belt skill goes away).

A function gyro is “built” after a few attacks in combat. Function gyros are destroyed upon leaving combat.

Function gyros for traits 1 and 2 can stack to a max of 3 (ammo system). For trait 3, only one function gyro is available for use, and it behaves like the current system.

I am really enjoying playing scrapper right now in pvp and wvw. I haven’t tried in pve yet, I do so much better with scrapper than holo in pvp. I think more people should try scrapper as it is right now, it is probably more of an experience issue (lack of holo pvp playing) but I do way more damage with scrapper than holo and my survivability is much higher.

Here is a great video explaining scrapper in pvp as it is currently.