[Alacrity Druid GRACE OF THE LAND is anti-synergy.]

1 hour ago, Trevor Boyer.6524 said:

Eh, I dunno man.

It was a situation where they tried to change something that didn't need to be fixed.

Alacrity rolling off spirits worked fine, felt fine.

Arenanet somehow time & time again fails to understand the idea behind: "If it isn't broken, don't fix it.".

Even so, if this is what its going to be like going forward, then I'd like them to do that suggestion because it seems to work already with Scrapper and their quickness to some degree. Baking in the alacrity with what you're already doing (healing) in a similar vein makes sense. It allows your weapon and traits to trigger it (or at least help maintain it) when you dont need CA, taking pressure off of needing to go into it for upkeep

[Alacrity Druid GRACE OF THE LAND is anti-synergy.]

I think they should just tie the Alacrity to skill healing or healing effects you apply (like water field blasting)
That way, things like
-pets healing allies when traited
-your staff skills (2, 3)
-Blasting Water Fields in general
-Warhorn's heal (traited)
And Celestial Avatar and Glyph Seeds of Life all trigger it

[Scrappers rejoice]

Thank you CMC and co.

Glad you all listened. Hopefully the reworks down the line are really cool.

["Stationary Gyros take more skill!"]

The only area where the change may take some "skill" is WvW, since you have to weigh when and where to set down and when to hold your fields for maximum value instead of constantly having them around while moving.

I still think its unfair to force these changes on everyone else outside of WvW though, because this wasn't an issue or a necessary change beyond that place (no real difference in expressing skill) since its mostly just another annoyance at worst, but I'd sooner just hang up the hammer and change specs than expect them to back away from this after scrapper's ruled WvW for so long.

[Yet another gyro change scrapper post]

Well, if they're dead set on this, at least Herald's an alternative.

You give (more) boons through your facets and your Quickness "effectively" moves with you as they activate on top of you.

If you wanna protest the change on the PvE side, just roll one and retire your Scrappers for one of the other Engi specs I guess.

[Balance patch preview for Engineers]

I can understand that they want to weaken Scrapper in WvW to make room for other supports but there must be a more elegant way of doing this

Maybe increase the ICD of Purity of Purpose for WvW or reduce the number of pulses or durations for their respective gyro fields, but making them stationary is just a really awful change. Please reconsider this, Anet.

[Owp nerfs details + core weapon updates.]

9 minutes ago, soul.9651 said:

Stop crying already, power slb is already at 37k+ after these changes which is pretty darn good. 

A selfish spec with 0 utility that  benches well (while flanking) is a good thing?

 

Sheeeeeeit, wrap it up, fellas. Soulbeast is saved

[Owp nerfs details + core weapon updates.]

45 minutes ago, Canidae Canis.2861 said:

But it just does it too well.

Oh no, its good in places where its good...imagine wanting that for Ranger of all specs and a niche build at that 

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You can't bring up the utility or core weapon skills of Ranger without inflating Soulbeast's burst damage even more. Any changes you would make to increase core damage is just multiplied by the Sic'em + OWP combo, resulting in Soulbeast still being on top.

Yes, you absolutely can if it became a problem by tweaking Soulbeast specific modifiers gently without killing the utility of sharing the damage out to your party. 

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In short, they can't make the other Ranger specs more viable unless they bring down the unique abilities that allow Soulbeast burst.

Maybe the other Ranger Specializations should bring their own things to the table that are also desirable in certain instances, like Soulbeast's spike for short-windowed fights? Raw damage alone isn't gonna put you in a meta comp, or Weaver and Soulbeast would have been a top pick for EoD strikes and the like over just being serviceable, especially as more and more encounters move away from favoring burst to being much longer.

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The burst combo will still exist, just tamped down a bit to allow better maintenance dps when not bursting.

Yeah, except all you do is damage and little else for your group. Thats why I called it green weaver earlier. Lets not even pretend stance share is ever gonna be a thing past this either.

[Owp nerfs details + core weapon updates.]

1 hour ago, Canidae Canis.2861 said:

This is the beginning of a fix that has been needed on Ranger for a looooong time. Soulbeast set the bar artificially high with the Sic 'em + OWP + lb2/axe5 combos that allowed for insane burst in small windows, but low-moderate DPS outside of that window. It created the place we've been in since POF - no other ranger spec, Untamed included, can compete with Soulbeast for damage

Being good in some instances but average/not optimal in others is "artificially setting the bar" for something?

 

I just see it as part of that style of play's identity - how it delivers damage and all that being tied to short interval bursts that can supplement allies but with windows where the damage goes down between them (unless you play condi).

That is something unique to the way this version plays it. That is a reason to consider it for those fights where that sort of play shines. There is (again)a condi build and Untamed if you want more "persistent" DPS where there aren't those short windows, so why should power bursting be thrown out?

If they want Untamed to be good enough, all it has to do is bring a consistent amount of solid damage +  the utility of CC for the encounters or fights where that matters, or something that is also valuable to the party while dealing damage. That could have easily been its niche, but nerfing Soulbeast just because others can't compete for something its specifically good at (damage spikes) really just rubs me the wrong way

But hey, if you just want the spec to be green weaver that has to somehow consistently flank in instances to upkeep its damage, there's good news:
 

 

[June 30 Hotfix Balance Patch: Ranger Updates Notes]

I dont understand what they have against Power Soulbeast being spike/damage-window oriented

Condi Slb exists if you want to use it as a sustained damage dealer and so does Undeveloped if they actually work on it a bit more. Why cant soulbeast have a build that requires some modicum of skill to maximize?

[What to expect from EOD aetherblade plot?]

I'm guessing that if they have a presence here, they'll likely be our means of getting smuggled into Cantha. Its probably not a region we can just take a Pact airship into like we did with Elona. Maybe we parlay with them to solve some issues they might have in exchange for getting a way in

[3/23 PvP Balance]

I've been gone awhile, but I always saw jokes about the game mode devolving to hitting people with sticksNow its not only getting there in terms of damage but the "remedy" to supports being stronger (from the lack of said damage) is to kill off support too?How did things end up going down such a strange route?

[Bring blish back pls.]

Still waiting for Glint and Vlast to show up again post Aurene-Ascension, especially now with the world facing the prospect of two Elder Dragons clashing and Aurene and the Commander wondering what should or could be done

[why do YOU stow your weapons after a fight?]

I like my charr on all fours vs being on their hindlegs all the time.

[Soulbeast downside prediction.]

I'd probably drop the spec for competitive PvP if they go with the one pet deal as well.As I said before, for PvE/WvW, you'll just use one BiS pet and that will be the end of it. No considerations for unmerging+pet-swapping to access secondary skills for other situations that may come up like helping on breakbars or giving a quick heal to yourself/allies, or getting that "Oh ****" panic button for Unflinching Fortitude. It would just make it less interesting, and kinda braindead.

It would be the same for PvP, too. If there's one thing I like about roaming DDs for PvP is that they have not just damage but an aspect of versatility to how they handle themselves. Its why I enjoy something like SD+Gadgets Holo for decent damage, CC, and mobility in one package vs just being big damage that flops over the moment you're looked at. But hey, I guess crushing that stuff's fine as long as it makes everyone else feel better about the game's balancing. Like Druid becoming *** it would be one less thing to whinge about. :) (not that it would totally stop people from getting "one shotted" btw)

[Soulbeast downside prediction.]

Having only one pet would probably kill any idea of having more than one archetype to utilize and choose from at a given time.Assuming you still merge/unmerge with just one pet, you'd likely just use only Smokescale for any offensive build and only Siamoth for any node-sitter setup and that would be the end of it. Maybe Gazelle if you're feeling a bit frisky on a given day or Bristleback if you're a Condi Meme.It would be just as lazy as having -20% stat reduction on Druid pets.....which is probably just in line with the current balance team's MO. I'd rather they just buff Core to make it better/unique than nerf Soulbeast's mechanically.

(Speaking of Archetypes, I'd hope they consider lowering Prelude Lash to 20s and making Primal Cry do a bit more than just bleed+vulnerability , regardless of what they choose.)

[ezpz soulbeast squeezie]

Was he pure glass?Did he have the Crowd/Sword buff?Might stacks and/or Sic 'Em?

[[Poll] Weapon for the next Ranger Elite Specialization]

THUMPETY THUMP GOES THE 「B U N N Y T H U M P E R」

[Anet can you please change these things on Ranger for quality of life purposes. (PoF Pets/Spirits)]

I'd like the Jacaranda to be pure ranged to be honest.I agree with the rest, though.

[[Poll] Weapon for the next Revenant Elite Specialization]

GS+ Jora/Aesgir Legendary Norn stance.Stance utilities or Transformation Kits.