I will give a step-by-step critque of catalyst, with what I think are some simple solutions to help bring it in-line with what we've come to expect from Elite Specs. First I will start with the mechanics and traits of catalyst. I will even over time list how the new reworked traits and skills would work with existing traitlines, utilities, and weapon skills.
Jade Sphere: Generating energy for this mechanic while using hammer skills or I would imagine any weapon skills(I only tested with hammer skills) does increase how fast you aqcuire this resource. With the #3 of the hammer ability generating more giving quick access to this mechanic(Only if the projectiles strike an enemy per hit). I do like this mechanic as it allows for "easier" access to the Jade Sphere. There are some negative effects that a very apparent with this mechanic that should be considered though. While using the hammer skills without using skill #3 through out all elements the time it usually took to generate enough resources to "FULLY" activate this mechanic with 30/30 energy was 20-24 seconds. However, the payout is only 15ish seconds of any of the corresponding fields making it negligible at best and heres why. With each field except fire giving roughly only 1 (rounding off that 1/2 a second for the sake of explanation) second of its boon without using boon duration modifying traits/stats. This means any boon besides might just gets a 1-2 application for 1 second before having to switch into another element. This doesn't bring into play that the spheres' field is immobile, making its boon application none existent if not within range. Taking into consideration Guild Wars' 2 faster paced combat mechanics it places the elementalist into a position that causes this elite spec to often go into downstate trying to stay within the field to achieve its maximum effect. Though the radius of the field from edge to the opposite edge is about the length of a dodge, it locks the player into a 240 radius circle to get rewards that aren't worthwhile. Even if you're at 30/30 energy and need to swap to a specific element to maximize your gameplay with the neccessary boons or interplay with augments and their preferred elements, you're locked out of casting your sphere for more than 1 second.
Here are a few recommendation to help improve the Jade Sphere:
* Allow the sphere to move with players when first activated. Repressing F5 while active allows for it to be retargetted to a targetable location within 900 range of the player. Player can then run to the field and "Pick it up" so to speak that or Repressing the F5 while active and away returns the field. This can only be retargetted once during a Jade Sphere cycle. Side Note (SN #1)
* Allow the Jade Sphere to be up longer, that or edit adept trait Spectacular Sphere to allow combos within the field by the player to extend the Jade Spheres duration upto a limit like an extra 10 seconds 2 seconds per finisher. This can also go both ways allowing the combos to extend boons for targets around the Catalyst per finisher upto a certain amount(Possibly 2 seconds). Or allow the adept to slow the degradation of energy the sphere uses. Spectacular Sphere should keep the boon application however instead of upon activation it should be on upon exiting the element. This way it further encourages swapping and managing your attunements to make smart plays and elongates boons on other party members.
Traits: Here are a few recommendation to help improve/ Rework the Catalyst Traits. Minors
*Depth of Element: As the beginning trait its fine, I think to help facilitate the bruiser playstyle with hammer a flat bonus of Vitality should be added to it. This way it will help the minimal survivability of the elite spec.
*Elemental Empowerment: This trait is fine as long as some hammer skills are reworked.
*Elemental Epitome: This trait is fine as long as some hammer skills are reworked. Adept
Hardened Auras: Increasing the duration to a flat 10s would increase survivability, IF some hammer skills are reworked. If thats the case dropping the flat Vitality bonus is fine.
Vicious Empowerment: This trait is fine as long as some hammer skills are reworked.
Energized Elements: This trait is "okay" I feel like a more thematic trait could be put here. Master
Empowering Auras: This trait is fine as long as some hammer skills are reworked. IF reworked adding a 1/2 ICD could be viable.
Evasive Empowerment: Good Trait that works well with the bruiser catalyst theme.
Spectacular Sphere: Needs Rework, See Above in Jade Sphere Improvements. Grand Master
Staunch Auras: Good Trait, with hammer reworks becomes more in-line to actually be a Grand Master build defining trait.
Empowering Empowerment: Good Trait, with hammer reworks becomes more in-line to actually be a Grand Master build defining trait. Needs Rename but thats just a pet peeve lol something like Empowering Ascendant or something sounds better in my opinion or Ascendants Aspiration (My elementalists name is Ascendant lol).
Sphere Specialist: This is a good trait as is, it can be used to make a build defining playstyle.
Weapon Skills: #3 skill for Hammer on all elements needs help. Changing elements and casting it should not ONLY reset the timer but add time by 2 seconds. This would make it more viable in a rotation. As it is it feels as if you cant cast any other skills to maintain this effect while doing damage. Its damage output is not high enough to be a filler rotation. If kept the same maybe using these skills could somehow decrease current cooldown on the current element by a set amount of time. Fire and Lightning element could have their ranged increased to 900. Keep Water and Earth at current range playing into the bruiser in and out playstyle. I like that each weapon line has a finisher as getting auras is an integral part of the elite spec, but I think Fire and Lightning should be ranged blasts while Water keeps its leap and Earth gains an added leap to the beginning of skill #2. Relying on other classes to provide auras is unneccessary, but working with other classes should increase and reward specifically speccing to maximize that playstyle with others. Maybe Sphere Specialist changes the flip skill of skill #3 playing into the supportive playstyle.
Fire Element
#1: Allow it to pierce
#2: Good as is
#4: Good as is, maybe considering increasing hit box radius of the three sear spots
#5: Seeing as its melee I get the idea of having it be to facilitate going into melee range to use it. However, I think if it smashed the ground and sent out a ranged cone quick moving wave of lava damage it would work better. Add Knockback, keep it a blast finisher Lightning Element
#1: Allow it to pierce, or make it lightning and let it bounce for abit more aoe damage decreasing in damage per target hit max 3 targets.
#2: Either increase cast speed since its very easy to dodge, or allow it to have a semi target tracking capability. Increase damage as even with 25 might and a target with 25 vuln critical hitting every hit with over 250% critical damage only yields around 18-25k dependant of traits taken. As this is one of the primary damage skills for hammer, its damage needs to be higher. Three targets is fine
#4: Good Skill
#5: Like Kroof stated, having this skill be a lightning strike that casts immediatly but detonates about a 1/4 to 1/2 second faster would work. Keep blast finisher
Water Element
#1: Good as is
#2: Instead of chill since its on the auto attack chain allow the final hit of this to pull instead keeping the target in melee range and playing into the Vicious Empowerment. If thats changed then the ICD can be increased to 1 or even 2 seconds instead of 1/4.
#4: Good as is
#5: Its good as is, it would like to see it be a whirling finisher to add some healing to party members and make room for supportive roles. Earth Element
#1: Though I like this skill it feels like it should be the 3rd hit of an attack chain seeing as its melee. I would rather like to see an attack chain with this skill being the last hit and attach a cripple with bleed or torment. Having it be a slower attack chain would be fine while still adding pressure on attackers. With smart gameplay it could be a great attack chain with quickness.
#2: Its very thematic, I'd like to see it start with a leap finisher into the spin allowing you to stay on targets.
#4: If skill 2 is reworked this skill can be reworked as well into something else entirely as gaining an aura with this element on hammer would be met. Change to something thematic for a Catalyst. Or even allow barrier to be gained if you block an attack in earth Jade Sphere element.
#5 Fits well good counter play. If skill #2 is changed into a leap finisher then the blast can come off this skill. Leaving it could end up being too much projectile mitigation in melee range.
Augments: Although I like the thought behind these skills I feel they can be implemented abit better. Here are a few of my ideas. Jade Sphere(JS)
Healing Skill: This heal skill is lackluster but doable with modification. Outside of the water sphere is fine, within the water sphere the healing pulses should come at once for a bigger heal and the pulses should only apply for condition clear on AoE for supportive gameplay. This way you're rewarded for smart gameplay.
Fortified Earth: Good skill
Relentless Fire: Outside of fire is good, within fire sphere proccing an unblockable attack against a aegis or any blocking mechanic could extend the damage increase from the skill.
Shattering Ice(Rename Catalytic Converter): While I do like this skill, its short duration, the long cooldown, and its small damage make it hard to take with other viable options.. Increase its base damage and also its scalability with might. Maybe allow the hits from this skill to help with cooldowns within the current element(if hit while in JS) would make it more viable instead of chill in water sphere as the auto attack chain has more than enough chill application.
Invigorating Air: Good skill, maybe add vigor if used in sphere.
Elemental Celerity: This skill idea could be used through out the element hammer skills as mentioned before. This skill doesnt have an impactful elite feeling. It feels like a skill that has missed the mark in many aspects. I'm not even sure how to fix or redeem the skill to make it better. Making a new skill altogether would probably be best.
Side Notes: #1 Side note: I tested using the #4 of the hammer skill Triple Sear (TS) which is listed at a range of 600, while Storm Glyph (SG) is listed at a range of 900. The difference in range ingame for Triple Sear and Storm Glyph isnt much. TS from the middle of the casting circle to its edge meets exactly 600, SG from the middle is just alittle past 600 on a target and the edge is only slightly beyond the target as its radius is only 240.
#2 Side note: During beta testing events though players are given a few boxes of gear with predetermined runes and sigils. I think players would really like the ability to truly test and achieve the build they are looking for. I believe during beta class testing giving the players a character bound box of generic legendary gear would allow them to test multiple build while having access to all sigils, runes, and stats to change on the fly. It would probably also have the added effect of encouraging players to get legendary gear. This way players who truly want to test the elite spec and get exact builds can achieve them without spending gold to replace runes or sigils on beta characters.
#3 Side note: With a pretty tight rotation I was able to generate fairly consistently x4 stacks Hardening Aura/ Empowering Aura/ x7 Stacks Elemental Empowerment. https://gyazo.com/33504e067c9d67848f05a3b1ff5302dd :Arcane Blast and Wave which are finishers and do proc Auras and Traits.They do not multi proc the traits if casting more than one finisher in the Jade Sphere circle by the player which is good. Here is a screenshot showing maxing all the Aura traits and Elemental Empowerment is doable albeit very hard. https://gyazo.com/ba334701824119432c050debe4afcd97 . This is about the best I could do after messing around trying to get the best rotation I could. https://gyazo.com/c4e2fba207a674138ccc8f4f61ee227e Here is a picture for comparision with all the buffs and what stats are like. Gear is full berserkers https://gyazo.com/c193b5077f50952fbb6420368ad3a12e
