Hello! I originally posted this on Reddit but someone made the suggestion to post it here as well (like duh, why didn't i think of that)
I go by E.V but who I am or what I have done doesn't matter, I am simply a person who plays this game and wants others to enjoy it more.
In general
Catalyst got nerfed, the stated reason why is due to high performance (particularly while providing quickness). So I am posting this in an attempt to begin a discussion to (hopefully) provide some actual constructive criticism and possible ideas for increasing the effectiveness of Catalyst as both a DPS and a quickness provider (separately) to Anet and about the whole situation (and to some extent Snowcrows crew even though they should not have to change anything they do but here we are).
Be quick, and I don't mean quickness in-game. Anet needs to acknowledge the outcry. Say that you see that there are players that are not happy about what has happened and are working towards rectifying that.
Lay it out, communicate. Anet should communicate in very easily understood and low chance of misinterpretation way what the goal of any changes to Elementalist are and will be.
Implement and further communication. Once changes are made, ask for feedback regarding the changes, using multiple channels. Reddit, the forums, twitter, discord, content creators, the works. There is a large expansive community that, even if it does have dark moments, is one of the best online gaming communities. Take advantage of that.
With all that said.
To the point
Suggested Catalyst changes from me, with a few goals. First creating synergies within it's own traits and the use of hammer and adding a reward structure for proper energy management rather than having it be a gate to use a specialization mechanic. Second, creating a building rotation with a nice ramp up through the management of orbs and energy to burst for the DPS side of things while allowing a boon support with emphasis on providing full offensive boons to a 5-man party if equipped as such for it with the option to also specialize in healing if equipped for it through low shared base healing with higher coefficients to shine without going crazy into DPS. Lastly, much needed QOL changes to make the specialization engaging to play yet manageable in a real life combat scenario for slightly above average to very skilled players to pull off with good results. In short, have a decent DPS option that can go SMACK and a decent boon provider that will be wanted in parties.
All this with the purpose of fixing the now very unrewarding feeling of orbs, reducing the frustration of managing the jade sphere, increasing party effectiveness and flexibility of possible roles, and lowering the skill floor while maintaining a decent skill ceiling (albeit not as high as weaver) for maximum theoretical damage output.
Jade sphere should function like Scrapper gyros, have it attached to the catalyst. However, activating a sphere while another is active overwrites the previous sphere. Jade sphere CD changed to 8-10 seconds
Empowered Empowerment, scale it back up. Increased scaling when the Catalyst has quickness. Increased damage scaling from using energy (more on that last bit later)
Rework Sphere Specialist. Change the current one to "All boons applied by the jade sphere receive increased effectiveness from concentration. Applying boons gives energy to the catalyst while a Jade Sphere is deployed"
Increase the damage from the orbs of Hammer 3 skills, also introduce an ICD to said orbs hitting the same target.
Activating Jade sphere extends the duration of Hammer 3's orbs.
"Detonating" the Hammer 3 should do damage to the target and apply boons around the catalyst dependent on the active jade sphere. If there is no jade sphere, increase the damage at the cost of some energy.
Energy should no longer be required to activate the Jade Sphere, it will now scale the amount of damage the Jade Sphere pulses dependent on the energy value when deployed. Boons duration will be unaffected.
Using augments increases energy.
Soothing Fire change "If this is cast in range of your Water Sphere, the recharge time is reduced" to If this is cast while Water Sphere is active, pulse healing and cleanse conditions of allies around you"
Relentless Fire increase the coefficients and change "If this is cast within range of your Fire Sphere, the duration is increased." To "If cast while Fire Sphere is active unleash a wave of fire around the caster for DMG and burning"
Shattering Ice increase the coefficient and change "If this is cast within range of your Water Sphere, the duration is increased" to "If cast while Water Sphere is active, the damage of strikes is increased"
Invigorating Air change "If this is cast within range of your Air Sphere, the recharge time is reduced." to "If cast while Air Sphere is active, dazes foes around you for X"
Fortified Earth change "If this is cast within range of your Earth Sphere, the recharge time is reduced" to "If cast while Earth Sphere is active applies stability to yourself and allies around you"
Elemental Celerity change "Reduce the recharge of weapon skills of your current attunement. If this is activated in range of your sphere, gain a boon based on its element." to "Reduce the recharge of weapon skills. If activated while a sphere is deployed grants a boon to yourself and allies around you based on its element."
Add area healing with low base but high coefficients to Water Attuned hammer skills. Add healing to Icy Coil orb.
Ground Pound change the immobilize to a stun/daze (probably only in PvE).
Molten End change "If this strikes a burning enemy, gain offensive boons" to "Gain offensive boons. If this strikes a burning enemy, grant offensive boons to nearby allies"
Empowering Auras change "Gain increased outgoing damage when you gain an aura" to Gain increased outgoing damage when you gain an aura or deploy a Jade Sphere."
All hammer 5 weapon skills have the blast finisher effect added.
All this again, to give catalyst 3 possible roles of offensive boon support with some DPS, healing with boon support, or a straight DPS with competitive output to other professions doing the same role in max level group PvE content.
The basic idea here is for the DPS role to rotate through attunements to build energy while maintaining orbs with sphere until the sphere runs out, the orbs are unleashed and the cycle repeats. Build energy, get orbs up, release sphere, Grand Finale.
On the flipside, the boon support side would focus on keeping the sphere of choice for boon (most likely air for quickness a majority of the time) with the ability to switch to a water sphere for a quick burst of healing or a earth sphere for protection while still maintaining quickness if rotated back the air sphere within a reasonable time frame.
So there, ideas to start a conversation on what could possible make Catalyst good, effective, and most importantly fun to play.
Please leave comments with your own ideas (and even ideas about the ones I proposed!). Try to stay civil and constructive, there are plenty of meme and doomposting threads elsewhere. We know catalyst was nerfed, we know it is bad now. Let's come up with ways to bring it back up in a balanced way.
