Essences and their value

[Bast.7253]

I know this has been said a dozen times, but I'm still not liking the way the essence system works. It's fun when you have a full stack, but the buff doesn't last nearly long enough for the effort required.

Is there any real value to making players run over and collect the orbs? Can stacks just not accumulate like auto loot? You kill a dozen mobs to get a full buff, all while they slowly fade off if you don't specifically grind one color, run over the orbs during their limited spawn window, and then you have a .. what... 30 minute buff?

It's fun and makes a difference to have the handy lazer beam but it's really fun feeling the need to run out of the way every other mob because I need a certain color orb to build my stacks.

I would think either reducing the required stacks, lengthening the buff to 12/24 hours, or auto-accumulating the essences as you kill mobs would greatly increase the feeling of this system.

It's just incredibly awkward. You're spending a ton of mastery points on a mastery that you can't even use unless you specifically go after mobs of the right color, kill them, run over the orbs while surviving the countless other mobs, and then you have a special action that you can only use during select windows.

It just feels kind of unnatural, even as someone who is used to chasing mirrors on Mirage. I think it works fine on engineer healing kit drops or Dragonhunter aegis trap drops in pvp and even in pve because you get an immediate benefit from them, but for this system in an open world pve setting it just feels really awkward to me.

They also can be incredibly difficult to see and I find myself just running around aimlessly hoping that I'm picking some up.

[Linken.6345]

Well you would lose the ability to pick up orbs from monsters allied killed aswell so it would be a nerf to classes with less area of effect skills.

I do agree that it should last longer maybe an hour like the ascended food, not 12-24 like you propose.

[Bast.7253]

@Linken.6345 said:Well you would lose the ability to pick up orbs from monsters allied killed aswell so it would be a nerf to classes with less area of effect skills.

I do agree that it should last longer maybe an hour like the ascended food, not 12-24 like you propose.

That's true. But maybe leave the orb system but make the orbs worth more stacks so you can accumulate the 30 faster?

And why would you only want it to last an hour? They're only beneficial in these maps, so what does it matter if it's an hour or a day? I don't understand why one would WANT to run around collecting essences if they didn't have to, especially amidst 3-4 veteran or elite mobs attacking you, or catapults, arrow carts, and random poison fields being dropped all over the place.

[Khisanth.2948]

@Linken.6345 said:Well you would lose the ability to pick up orbs from monsters allied killed aswell so it would be a nerf to classes with less area of effect skills.

I do agree that it should last longer maybe an hour like the ascended food, not 12-24 like you propose.

Increase the stack requirements to 40 or 50. Only 40 or 50 instead of doubling because vets and higher can give than 1 stack.Give a stack on kill. Give a stack on pickup.

Speaking of awkward pickups ... Rev healing from staff auto :(

[Shadowmoon.7986]

Picking up essences remind me how picking up items in kingdom hearts works. Wish there was a "teasure magnet" mastery that allowed essences to be picked up at a greater distance.

[Frostfang.5109]

Playing ranger is a pain. When u really want to use that Range. U have to run straight into a mob to get those before they fade away. If u survive, u can go back to a distance and repeat.

[Linken.6345]

@Frostfang.5109 said:Playing ranger is a pain. When u really want to use that Range. U have to run straight into a mob to get those before they fade away. If u survive, u can go back to a distance and repeat.

Go power and axe axe and your golden.

[Frostfang.5109]

@Linken.6345 said:

@Frostfang.5109 said:Playing ranger is a pain. When u really want to use that Range. U have to run straight into a mob to get those before they fade away. If u survive, u can go back to a distance and repeat.

Go power and axe axe and your golden.

I prefer to see my character while playing.

[Linken.6345]

@Frostfang.5109 said:

@Linken.6345 said:

@Frostfang.5109 said:Playing ranger is a pain. When u really want to use that Range. U have to run straight into a mob to get those before they fade away. If u survive, u can go back to a distance and repeat.

Go power and axe axe and your golden.

I prefer to see my character while playing.

Then get flashier skins so you can see it amidst all the enemies.

[Frostfang.5109]

@Linken.6345 said:

@Frostfang.5109 said:

@Linken.6345 said:

@Frostfang.5109 said:Playing ranger is a pain. When u really want to use that Range. U have to run straight into a mob to get those before they fade away. If u survive, u can go back to a distance and repeat.

Go power and axe axe and your golden.

I prefer to see my character while playing.

Then get flashier skins so you can see it amidst all the enemies.

I hate to look like a disco ball.

[Teratus.2859]

I agree with the autoloot option most of all.

Picking up all those orb drops just for a Special action key skill is annoying and tedious outside of strike missions, in all honesty I don't even bother doing so half the time since the "effort vs reward" factor of it doesn't feel worth it.

So far these are the only masteries in the game that I have had no motivation to max out, even for the points.I can't be bothered to constantly be picking up orbs to maintain something that is ultimately unnecessary.

[LucianDK.8615]

Imho the orbs are meant for extra bang in metas where a LOT will be dropping. And its so satisfying to blam down mobs with the huge amount of damage the beams is able to put out. Plus that r4 on the masteries removes the need to target the correct mob. But if you do, it adds aoe damage ontop.