Rin.1046

Just to update about this part, after they fixed the ally targeting bug I had no issues using dual skills and siphon while in action cam mode. Don't know if anyone else found this, but it seemed to be fixed for me. Great post btw, agree with pretty much all of it.

I wouldn't be surprised if there are areas will strong underwater currents, that the turtle is immune to due to its sinking capability.

Having played more of the Specter I have a bit more feedback to provide. In the damage department Specter feels ok. But only just ok. It's damage output is pretty low compared to other specs, but that I can live with as it offers support as well. However, it is in the support department that the Specter needs some improvements. Without improving the support I feel the damage output needs to be buffed. Either buff the damage or buff the support. Siphon (Ally Targeted) The ally targeted version of Siphon is really lacklustre. It gives a small amount of barrier, and that is it. It doesn't give you the boons from traits like Thrill of the Crime or Bountiful Theft, which is bad enough, but the biggest issue I have with it is that it doesn't give you Shadow Force. Now I get that this may be due to thematical reasons (why would you siphon things off of your ally?), but it makes the ally targeted version of Siphon too weak. You feel punished for using it on an ally, when you can get so much more bang for your buck when targeting an enemy. So much so that I feel it is hardly worth having an ally targeted version at all. I really feel there needs to be more reasons to target an ally with Siphon, even if it is just that we gain Shadow Force. The lack of Shadow Force when targeting an ally really hinders the support you can provide with Consume Shadows, as the only way to build force is through shadowstep or targeting an enemy. And if you're targeting an enemy you might as well just Siphon as well. We need a better way to gain force when targeting an ally, and to me it makes sense that it should be through Siphon. Shadow Shroud Support That fact there is hardly any support on the Shroud skills is mind boggling to me. And Anet wonders why we picked Consume Shadows rather than use shroud skills? I have said it before, and I will say it again. The best way to encourage players to use shroud skills is to add some AoE support to them. Punishing players for not using them is incredibly bad game design IMO. The fact is, GW2 is heavy of the group gameplay, and group support is a strong reason to have someone in your group. I am ok with having strong single target support, and I am even ok with the single target support being the stronger option, but if Specter is to be taken seriously in end game, it needs to have more group support. And what better way to add that than to give it to the shroud skills? Single Target Support So, while I have said above that I am ok with single target support, it does have its issues in GW2. The biggest of which is target switching and UI watching (something that goes against Anet's original ethos for GW2), neither of which is required with ground targeted and PBAoE support skills. The auto tether functionality is a start, but when auto tether only kicks in when shroud is active, and shroud lacks support options, it is not a very good start. Adding AoE support to shroud will not only make supporting allies in groups easier for the Specter, and not only give a more fulfilling reason to use shroud skills, but it will allow us to support others while we are focused on damaging enemies or supporting our tether without having to do too much target switching and UI watching. All in all, I think the Specter has great potential. But the Shadow Shroud and Shadow Force generation (when targeting allies) needs a serious buff IMO.

Spent a little bit of time with it, solo and duo, and have the following feedback: Turning, speed and acceleration on land is ok once you get going, but the initial acceleration and turning speed needs to increase I think. It felt way too slow to turn after stopping and felt too slow to get moving again. I am ok with the awkward sliding turn when you pick up speed, as it really made it feel like you was controlling a heavy creature. But the initial speed is too sluggish. I am ok with the speed dropping underwater, but it feels way too slow currently. I think it should be increased slightly. The slam was often tricky to hit with, if you was not angled right. I think this attack should be a point blank AoE ability that hits all around you out to a certain radius, rather than a cone AoE (which doesn't make much sense to me for a slam attack). It would be good to have a second attack or ability for the pilot, as the slam gets boring very quickly. Maybe a bite attack or something that adds 1 ammo to the cannon? Jump jets need a bit more initial boost. While it conveyed the turtle was heavy, it also made it feel like the jets were too weak, which made it difficult to get over a lot of terrain that the jets really should have been able to help you get over. An increase in the initial jump would help here I think. Overall the turtle felt fun, and will be fun to run around with a friend blasting and slamming enemies as we thunder around the place. However, I think it needs some tweaks to make it feel better, and to get going from standing a bit quicker. I cannot see it replacing other mounts when solo, unless more reasons to use it are added, but then I guess that is not the point of it.

I was quite hyped for Spectre, but after seeing these recent changes, and trying it in beta 4, it feels lacking and not as impactful in the support department. I think single target support is fine, but they shouldn't be stripping the AoE support. IMO, if they want players to use shroud, they should put AoE healing/barrier in shroud. That would give players the best reason to use it, not forcing us to stay in it to get the most out of consume shadows. That just feels like such a bad way to encourage its use. And as for Endless Night, a skill that required a bit of effort to line up allies to get the most out of it (unlike the very easy to use AoE circles other specs have), it feels odd to me that they removed this option, and just for quickness?! Just remove the quickness if that was your issue Anet, not the number of targets! I really hope Anet can swallow their pride here and make the right changes. They have a vision for the Spectre, but if that vision doesn't align with what the majority of players want, or if it is not fun to play, they need to be able to admit to themselves that they got it wrong, and make the necessary changes to improve it. It may be their game to make, but it's our game to play.

I am a little concerned there was no mention of the issue of Spectre skill 3 not working in action cam. As a player who pretty much exclusively plays in this mode, Scepter will be a right pain in the back end to use if this is not fixed, and will definitely put me off playing sceptre. I am also a little sad that the Specter's utility skills were not mentioned. No mention that none of them are usable underwater!, or that the cast times are too slow and clunky. Not sure I agree with the Consuming Shadows change. I can understand the need to reduce the power of Consuming Shadows, so it doesn't overshadow the Shroud skills, but I feel the changes are too heavy handed. Now, instead of it granting 100% shadow force as healing/barrier, it will only grant 50% and only after being in shroud for 5 seconds. So not only do we have to wait for our burst heal, losing force while we do so and potentially losing more from taking damage, but the cost of losing what force remains is less impactful. Either make us wait or reduce the numbers. Doing both seems excessive. Regarding Endless Night, you reduced the number of targets to 1, which is a fun killing change, but you also reduced the duration of slow and quickness as well?! Again, another change that seems unnecessarily heavy handed to me. At least there are some good bug fixes and Dawn's Repose is now a leap instead of a dash. That is a good change, even though it too seems to have been hit with the nerf bat. But at least I can kind of see the reason for the nerfs, as it will now be easier to hit with it. Not sure I agree with reducing both the radius and the fear duration though. One or the other would be tolerable, but not both. Overall, I am a little disappointed with these changes to Specter, compared to some of the great changes to the other elite specs. I hope to see some better changes after beta 4.

The two main things I would like changed on the Vindicator are as follows: Urn of Saint Victor: Either remove the self damage or remove the inability to self heal. The self damage, with no way to self heal, will stop a lot of players using this skill. The risk is not worth the low payoff. If the unpreventable self damage is not going to be removed, then the healing to allies needs to be increased by a seriously significant amount to make it worth using. Compared to the Spear of Archemorus, which does decent damage at 2000! range and has no self punishment, the urn is a LOT weaker and will be insta-swapped 99 times out of 100. Utility Skills: Remove the forced skill swap on the utilities. It reduces the control you have over them. Revenant already has less control over their utility skills compared to the other professions, and this mechanic only serves to reduce control even further, or at the very least makes that control unnecessarily more difficult. I think a better way to handle this would be to remove the swap on skill use, and put the swap functionality only in the F2 ability. That way we have full control over when we switch roles.

Isn't the ini gain from stealth every 3 seconds not every 1? Which would mean in 12 seconds you would get additional 4 ini back. Edit: nevermind, just realised you're including the natural regen.

That's not quite how action cam works. You can still use skills when not aiming at enemies, it's just that you will miss if you're not, but it still lets you fire the shot. This bug prevents the skill being used altogether, whether you're aiming directly at them or not.

I hope they fix this before the beta ends. As someone who has almost exclusively used action cam mode since it was added, I am finding it very difficult to find a good flow with the spec, and therefore not really getting a good enough feel for it when fighting enemies.