Mogsterfortytwo.6712

Yeah, I got my runes of fireworks for the +25% speed, not the 'set bonus' boons in combat. Now I'm left with a +10% boon duration out of no where, while certain other sets are allowed to keep the movement bonus? No I have to swap them all for an identical set apart from that last set bonus that the runes of surging arbitrarily kept instead? The relic choice box is a nice olive branch, but could have done with something similar for the actual runes as well!

From the top (use skyscale) you can get anywhere on the map with the griffon in one go. They also recently upgraded it to allow you to return to your previous map among other modern conveniences https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Helmsman

I've done Aurora this year and the maps had plenty of players working towards it - all suffer together! 😅

Killing mobs is not a great way to get XP, outside of events.

The delay is probably because you are still being targeted by something, so technically still 'in battle'. Wouldn't it? You would be able to get through most open world content with even equipping weapons!

So that'll be the new trading post out, then.

Also move gliders to the equipment tab so you don't have to swap when you swap fashion. And while we're at it, Outfits should be Novelties, or at least get a hotkey.

None of my skiff skill hotkeys function (or ever have) and I never knew why. Giving each mount/mastery/siege weapon it's own keybinds sounds like a great idea as what makes sense for weapon skills is utterly illogical for anything else - certainly for mine!

And it gives (yet another source of) fury instead of the basic quickness in air in pve, so it's wrong for all game modes!

I think off-hand would have been more interesting (plus far fewer skills). If anet are that keen to disregard the top two weapons asked for, I would have prefered oh sword. To answer the original question of 'how will it work?' - it won't.

I read that to mean Air would still grant quickness (now double stacks), but now it gives double fury instead? Is that a bug related to the fact they never updated the tooltip when switching the two before?

Or just flip to an ammo skill once summoned for their current special skill. One charge; while there are no charges it flips back to the summon skill if you want a different elemental.

Bump still an issue (can't plant fire orchid seeds)

I saw the topic and had to come see if this was a new bug for weaver but no, it's the one PoF shipped with... 😥

You had me up to this point! Hammer 5 does so much it would be too much of a trade-off to loose orbs every time you press it.

I'll hold judgement for now, but the changes seem far more iterative that the other classes got. The elite is still poor quality and boring as sin. Why reduce cd of weapons skills we're about to switch out of?

I had this problem with the prime gaming heroic code - you can't redeem it in game. Your friend needs to redeem it on their account page on the website instead (guildwars2.com and click 'account' in the top right corner of the page and hit the big red 'redeem code' button.

No, they let ranger lb4 exist. Give me a huge knockback and let me join content with untamed and see how they like it!

No, Untamed works better. Going the Bladesworn method would : A) Be Frost Bow 2.0 as a class mechanic. Imagine the feedback! B) Would not give the spec a new weapon. Why would they effectively give two weapons to ele when it's more skills they have to design (which they seem to dread)?

For an Arcane Attunement at this point I'd crib from Untamed's mechanic; Arcane Attunement on F5 linked to weapon swap - use whatever but as soon as you hit F5 you're in longbow mode. Longbow skills function like Glyphs; instead of attunement-based skills or an 'unleashed' skill they change secondary effects based on attunement and keep the same basic behaviour, but really focus on what those attunements are for i.e. damage/healing/control/defence. You aren't in the traditional attunement (more like directly switching the off-hand attunement in Weaver) so the impetus to cycle asap is reduced, at least if the weapon skills are good enough. It is a forced 'your other weapon must be longbow' situation, but again if it's good enough it'll work. Just having the swap may be 'good enough' for devs though... Utilities I agree traps or mantras could be good, I think tricks could also be an interesting way to go. To be really out there give them beast skills to apply to summoned creatures (which would have to stick around)!

I ran into the same issues, luckily running with friends on discord so the fix was to ask who I just hit! Still managed to finish it - maybe keep this in as a challenge mote!?

Affecting beta and non-beta, so far I've had problems in Gendarren Fields, Sylvari home instance, LA an Caledon. The Caledon one one exiting the game went for a full 'verify game cache' run. DX11 disabled; the Labyrinth does not like it! It seemed fine when I played this morning but unplayable this evening with the beta!

Associating poison with earth element comes from D&D, established decades ago. As much as I would love easy access to stealth, it probably wouldn't be very healthy for the game. Can you imagine all the complaints from those sceptre-wielding thieves about stepping on their 'thing'?

Jade Sphere is definitely a Regigigas, with no Weezing support.

This is going to be long (I know, I already wrote it!), but I can't help mucking about where I see the problems, with the added challenge of using as few new animations/mechanics as possible! Beta Feedback Jade Sphere Good concept in theory, but the energy requirement, cool-down plus losing all energy on recall feels like you really don’t want us to have access to it. This is a common theme across the spec, particularly traits. If we can get it up before the fight is over (not always possible in open-world!) access to new toys like Resolution (I main Ele and honestly didn’t know this was a thing before the livestream) and Quickness is nice, but the requirement to stay in attunement doesn’t play well with hammer 3 skills. The small size doesn’t really help matters, either. For a spec based around the concept of combos (with a mechanic that is essentially a combo field), it really has poor access to combo fields (and finishers) when using the hammer. This is especially noticeable compared with Scourge’s similar mechanic and immediate access to its big circle of doom. As a side-note, learn the difference between turtle and tortoise. Three shiny new models and one reused mount of a similar creature? Hammer With a few niggles, I like the hammer skills. As many have said, the #3 needs a much greater duration. As it stands, the style of play it currently favours reduces the value of the buffs each gives as we try to get them all lined up and blasted off. Also, we need a frank discussion on the term “circular projectiles”. That’s a bad name. As many have also said, the hammer features a disturbing lack of combo finishers for a spec so focused on them. For individual skills, the one engage (Crashing Font, W4) is also the only heal (why are we jumping in if we need a heal?) and a combo leap finisher (not useful as either a. we don’t have energy built up to have our one field out, or b. our one field is so small the chances of the stars aligning and a target being in the field and this attack actually hitting in the field are pretty remote). So many of the skills would be perfect for whirl combo finishers without additional justification needed. The mixed range is nice and is something that Elementalist has struggled with for the duration of the game, but the longer range on fire and air could do with being a little longer, say 800 - 900. Saying that it feels like the attunements give flavour to the hammer skills, rather than being completely different each time, but only in the majority of cases. Fire feels like an outlier with 4 & 5 not really fitting the pattern; Triple Sear feels like there should have been a movement skill, while Molten End is a melee blast finisher, but on a ranged attunement? I could accept #4 if #5 was a ranged finisher. Only one skill out of twenty (the afore-mentioned Molten End) gives any boons. Even then it’s 2 might and a smidgen of fury, boons Elementalist can already have easy access to, but will be an irrelevance in any group content. Melee range skills could use a bit of a damage boost. Making the traditionally defence-based attunements melee focused is a cool idea, but they feel weak for the slower speed of the hammer and provide little sustain once you are there. Give the Water auto Regen somewhere, Earth some bleed and possibly Protection on #2, or on the auto chain that somehow isn’t there? Heal Arcane Brilliance is just better in melee and is also a blast finisher. This just doesn’t compete with core skills. Utilities The concept of Augments sounds interesting on paper, but these utilities feel like they are all supposed to be part of the rotation, rather than as-and-when you need them get-out-of-jail-fee. Combined with their sphere requirement ensures they are never going to be best in slot. Honestly, I feel like they are a single Glyph skill split into four with extra steps. Utility skills need to provide utility; these are essentially just extra weapon skills. Elite Reducing cool-downs to active weapon skills while giving a few seconds of a boon we have many ways to access already on a 90 second CD is really poor. Compare to the Bladesworn equivalent; restores a charge to all profession skills with ammo mechanic on a 30 second cd. Traits Overall, the trait-line for Catalyst appears to be pretty well thought out and avoids the mistake of relying too much on any single core traits to function – there are good reasons to pick any of the core lines to support Catalyst (Persisting Flames issues with Jade Sphere not-withstanding) and this is a good thing. I won’t cover all of them, because most will function I think as intended when the Jade Sphere access/duration issues are sorted. Hardened Auras/Empowering Auras/Staunch Auras Decent on paper, but with three major issues; 1 Tempest already does the ‘aura thing’; this is not new or interesting! 2 Auras are not easy to get or fun to maintain. 3 A melee spec needs defences immediately, not 30 seconds after getting downed to a big ol’ burst/spike of damage. Vicious Empowerment Only activates on Hammer Air 5, Earth 5 and Downstate-Attunement 3, all of which are on huge cool-downs. Elemental Empowerment Non-wipeable boons are a great solution to the squishiness problem, but I don’t think the implementation quite works. As it stands, this (combined with the aura stuff) is three extra numbers to manage on an already complex class. Summary Overall, a lot of ideas that just don’t quite mesh together, or feel they are stepping on the toes of Tempest, Weaver or both. It feels like the developers accept the need to make Elementalists less squishy in combat (in a different way to previous specs), but then made the entire rotation built around maintaining that (and arguably failing in that task) rather than building a class that could take advantage of additional tankiness in a fun way. As it stands, the primary enemy in any fight is maintaining Elemental Empowerment; if actual foes die too that’s a bonus. It needs a lot of work and some redesign, but nothing that can’t be accomplished in the time remaining (possibly even the fourth beta). Also, the Jade Sphere is technology. Can we talk about how Cantha has built the only portable device ever designed to drain the battery, instead of conserve it, when switched off? At no point does it ‘feel’ like technology; just a glowing magic ball of magic that occasionally shows up over a brief field. If I’m meant to be channelling my magic through it to focus it, why doesn’t it feel like that’s what I’m doing? Not even the fluff meshes with the spec! What I Would Do This is entirely how I would continue the development of Catalyst, were it down to me. I doubt everyone would agree and that’s OK too. The basic idea is to double down on a particular aspect (I chose Energy) and expand on that as it is obviously not used by core or previous e-specs so can give some unique cohesion to the current jack-of-all-mechanics, master of none spec without introducing new techs that don’t currently exist in the game. Jade Sphere/Energy Energy is in a really strange place and I would double down on it! Jade Sphere can be placed at any time, regardless of energy level. Energy automatically begins at 50% and drains slower, but can be maintained in combat in the same way it is built up now. At 0 energy the Sphere stops pulsing boons, but does not immediately deactivate unless the Elementalist is out of combat, instead remaining as a static field. Make it bigger, akin to Scourge’s single well at 100% energy, getting smaller the less energy it has down to its current size at 0%. Recall Jade Sphere instead relocates the Sphere to your location for a small energy cost (on a short CD). Switching attunement costs a small amount of energy. At zero energy, the sphere has a short timer before it disappears, followed by another short timer before it may must be re-deployed. Incentivise keeping energy up. Add some light visual indicator the energy is being channelled; an etheric chain or something when we are generating energy that links back to the sphere (helpful if you get turned around, too). Something visually like Guardian Symbols and line targeted indicators had a baby. Hammer In addition to the above; get some sustain boons on there, #2 skills ideally in Earth & Water. A bit more damage particularly in melee to counter how slow it is. More combo finishers. #3 Skills: remain until you switch attunement, after which they begin the 5 second timer. Jade Sphere boons (looking at you, Quickness) requires you to stay in an attunement for a period; Hammer 3 punishes that as is. This should solve the existing duration problem and its poor interaction with the Jade Sphere without removing that style of play. The pay-off of grand finale is not worth it compared to the basic skills, or what it takes to get there. What if grand finale instead transferred active #3 effects to your jade sphere and started their timer (allowing you to continue to maintain them by attunement switching and hitting #3 a couple of times). While active (and maintained) on the jade sphere, each element adds its sphere effect to the pulse, while removing its regular benefit from the Elementalist. Hammer finds an instant niche for its ability to maintain multiple sphere boons in piano mode and even a couple in casual mode. Change the name of “Circular Projectiles”. Change them visually to orbit the Ele at different ranges and call it a Constellation. Get with your theme already! Fire Fire 4 is interesting, but a movement skill would be nicer to have; possibly something akin to blending it with burning retreat that instead of a line drops three mini blast finishers along its path? Call it “Chain Eruption”. And FYI “Sear a path to burn your enemies” is not an accurate description of this skill as it stands. Fire 5 needs to be a ranged version; insert a culturally appropriate ‘meteor hammer’ joke/attunement inappropriate Thor joke. Water Water 2 should be the heal if you’re serious about ‘steady melee presence’. Water 4 is a strange place to have a heal. I’d have it place a geyser for some long duration area regen instead. Water 5 should be a whirl finisher. Air Air 2 feels chunky, but also strange given the whirling hammer does nothing to enemies it hits. Whirl finisher at Ele or target location, or both. Air 5 is the new fire grab; fine when it hits but tiny AoEs with a cast time don’t feel great/reliable with all the movement in the game. Maybe blast at target location with a slightly higher stun duration on primary target in PvE. Let’s just throw the hammer at the target to stun them, like Thor White Mantle Knights already do (but faster). Chuck it down and call a lightning bolt to stun all nearby. Recall skill with a small knockback to unfortunates between the Ele and their hammer. Earth Earth 1 needs a chain that includes bleeding or protection. Honestly just copy the Water 1 chain. Earth 2 just feels slow and weak. Earth skills as a whole only having one defensive option for the defence attunement is poor and needs more utility to be worth spending any time in. I would roll the fortified earth augment into this while possibly lowering the barrier gained. Heal, Utilities & Elite Back to Energy. Cantha has a lot of GW1 players interested and GW1 Ele was all about energy storage (its profession mechanic). Basing the Utilities on this (and its range of skills) would be a welcome nostalgic nod for many and would fit the name ‘Augment’ better too while being more coherent with the rest of the class. If Energy is a part of the elite mechanic, do something with that! I’d make Utilities all generate energy; essentially the same mechanic as Harbinger’s Elixir skills. Augments are skills with ammo, have a short duration effect and generate energy based on how successful they were. Heal: Aura of Restoration; ammo (3), heal an amount based on the energy generated while active. Breaks Stun. Utilities: Glowing Gaze; ammo (2), attacks are unblockable for 5 seconds and deal increased damage to burning targets. Generate energy for each burning target hit. Glowing Ice; ammo (2), Cure Conditions over time. Generate energy for each condition removed. Shock Arrow; ammo (2), Projectile bounces between targets; stunning Vulnerable targets. Generate additional energy for each target stunned. Glowstone; ammo (2), Block attacks for 3 seconds. Generate additional energy for each attack blocked. Elite: Over the Limit; ammo (2), Applies Quickness and Alacrity and increases the cap on Energy by 50%, but drains energy faster. Effect ends when energy is fully depleted. The ‘catalyst’ part of “Catalyst” that catalyses; i.e. speeds up the reaction. How are actually new GW1 Ele elites better/more interesting than GW2 Ele elites? Traits Changes here are to reflect and tie-in to the energy mechanic. Top-line traits play into a slower, sticking with an attunement playstyle and building energy high, middle stays with a faster attunement-hopping concert pianist performance that thrives on managing energy more closely, while the bottom maintains it’s focus on supportive play with the jade sphere; energy is good, but is more concerned with just maintaining it. Hardened Auras/Empowering Auras Stacks do not degrade, but are based on total Energy. This allows some built in survivability on entering combat that is currently lacking, but the value will fluctuate during fights. Players can focus on energy upkeep as a single MORE VISIBLE THAN AT PRESENT resource rather than making every fight into the same ‘keep this thing going’. Probably change the name to reflect the removal of auras, something like ‘Jade Guardian/Jade Empowerment. Vicious Empowerment Basically, it doesn’t come up enough to be worth a trait slot. Jade Elements; Gain might and fury when you strike a foe within your Jade Sphere. Move to the bottom line. Energised Elements Changed to fit with the energy mechanic and the more active aura/combo playstyle. Energised Feedback; Gain Elemental Empowerment (1) when you switch attunements. Jade sphere vents more energy on switching attunement. Move to middle line. Elemental Empowerment Gains the “When this triggers, the durations of all stacks are refreshed” line. Reduce base duration. Staunch Auras Gain stability when you have over 75% energy. Spectacular Sphere Also occurs when relocating energised sphere. Sphere Specialist Boons applied by jade sphere have increased duration, based on 50% of total energy at time of pulse. Augments cast within your sphere have an additional effect; Aura of Restoration: Vigour (5 seconds) Glowing Gaze: Quickness (1 ½ seconds) Glowing Ice: Resistance (2 seconds) Shock Arrow: Fury (3 seconds) Glowstone: Aegis (4 seconds) ~note skill effect negates the first 3 seconds effectively. Over the Limit: Stability (3 seconds) The Trade Off There allegedly must be one and at present, it doesn’t exist. My thought would to increase Attunement cool-down by a percentage of total energy; the more energy you have, the longer Attunements take to refresh. As the Catalyst is channelling their magic through the sphere, the more energy they are channelling, the longer it takes to convert it to a new type of energy. At its maximum point, I think the increase should be directly countered by the Arcane trait line (which synergises quite well with the active style presented here. At its minimum, you are back to standard attunement cool-downs but have also lost most of the spec advantages until you recover it. Admittedly this does mean dynamic attunement CD, but boons/conditions can already affect this. Alternatively set CD by current charge level, akin to warrior adrenaline bar.