Underwhelming banners rework

After latest balance patch (5th March 2019), after banners got their thrilling (/s) rework, I decided to make this thread and discuss decisions the System Team made.

Banner skills have long been very passive in nature. Today we're releasing some changes to give them a bit more active gameplay while also reducing their granted attributes to give greater role flexibility in group settings. However, we do think that the warrior gives up a lot in order to use them, so we're increasing the bonus stat gains when warriors equip traits that modify banners. As a larger change, we're also removing the bundle skills from banners and changing the pick-up action to now recharge the banner skill. Previously, the banner skills could be a trap for players, providing weaker skills in a bundle that anyone could interact with. We considered enhancing the banner skills, but we don't want banners to be alternate weapons that take away from a player's normal weapons.

Let's break down their reasoning into individual points:

Banner skills have long been very passive in nature. Today we're releasing some changes to give them a bit more active gameplay while also reducing their granted attributes to give greater role flexibility in group settings.

• A bit more active gameplay such as having to run to banners, pressing F and then resummoning them more often now, while also nerfing banner bonuses for whole group and warrior? Does the System Team expect warriors to enjoy banner play more now, when banners feel less rewarding to use? Skill rework should have fun and reward aspects as one of the highest priorities, with proper balance aspect being highest.

• So, "greater role flexibility in group settings" is done by nerfing the only reason why people want warriors in raids/fractals? What ideology is behind this? Making banner warrior optional for content when warrior does not have any other competetive non-banner builds? Banners are still wanted (thankfully, but not really), but what happens when they are not anymore? What other useful build except condi dps berserker (which is almost identical to condi bannerserker) can warrior bring? What about power-favored scenarios? Where is going to be non-banner warrior's place in this "greater role flexibility in group settings"?

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  However, we do think that the warrior gives up a lot in order to use them, so we're increasing the bonus stat gains when warriors equip traits that modify banners.

• Warrior should give up a lot more for using banners and banners should have bigger impact in/out of combat. Traits, traitlines and their synergies should have bigger impact on identity of a warrior build.

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  As a larger change, we're also removing the bundle skills from banners and changing the pick-up action to now recharge the banner skill. Previously, the banner skills could be a trap for players, providing weaker skills in a bundle that anyone could interact with. We considered enhancing the banner skills, but we don't want banners to be alternate weapons that take away from a player's normal weapons.

• Because of this, banners (except Battle Standard) cannot be rewarding and enjoyable to use. They don't need 5 skills each, but they need better interaction and possibly to have bigger impact in/out of combat, not necessarily because of their current special buffs.

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  To sum things up: If banners nerf aims to give greater role flexibility in group settings, then why non-banner builds are still underperforming compared to banner builds? There is no advantage or gain for using non-banner warrior builds in raids/fractals. Utility banner skills are still as useful in PvP/WvW as before rework.

Now, if the Systems Team actually communicated with players again, many questions could be answered and many sad souls soothed.I believe most people would welcome a word or two about their goal, where they are heading with all those changes.It is like with new hairstyles, everyone wants them, but it has been ages since we got some. >:(

They could have just made Banners into a "kit"

ANET has the power to do interesting things for Warrior but they don't want to. And it would still be balanced so long as it isn't invuln spam and somewhere around effective hp.