The Beta Catalyst may be a disappointment, but can be vastly improved if we switched things around

[Shadowflare.2759]

So, like many others,

I am disappointed with what the current catalyst has to offer. I won't go into details there because many people have already gone very in depth with the issues in the feedback thread. This is my proposal for fixing the spec while reusing a lot of the things that have already been made for Catalyst (and therefore I hope is more doable than people who want a full rework).

 

Changes to Jade Sphere (F5):

 

Get rid of the energy system and replace the jade sphere with the hammer 3 orb skills.

 

Replacing the current f5 jade sphere with the hammer 3 skills make a lot of sense because

1) the current mechanic with the hammer 3 orbs already feel much more like a multi-attunement class mechanic rather than something that should be specific to a single weapon and

2) The orbs are literally spherical, so why not have each cast of the F5 skill conjure up a jade sphere of the corresponding element?

 

One more thing I would add here is that the orbs shouldn't only hit things in its path, because it's honestly just really awkward to play with and you'll have a nightmare trying to balance this when it starts over-performing against large hitboxes and under-performing against small hitboxes. Just have the orb pulse damage around the catalyst, it will be consistent and predictable.

 

Grand finale can also be reworked, but for simplicity sake let's keep it the same.

 

Another huge reason why we want to move the Hammer 3 skills to F5 is because this frees up 1 skill slot in each attunment for a total of 4 new skills. I cannot understate how important this is, because that is 4 skills that we can then use to fill in the clunkiness that is Catalyst hammer. While I recognize that existing skills on hammer may also need changes to make them feel better to use, I'm going to mainly focus on the skills that should replace the current hammer 3 skills.

 

Changes to the Hammer:

Keep the hammer a hybrid melee/ranged weapon, but increase most of the ranged component as well as movement abilities to be 900 range. This will be important later when I go over the utility skills changes. Notably, movement skills will now be associated with the #4 skill, and we will now add more ways to create combos without relying on the jade spheres.

 

For the empty slot in fire: Move the current #4 skill to #3, and in the #4 slot, add a leap skill (with a leap finisher). This is to bridge the awkward gap where #1-3 skills are ranged and yet the Catalyst has no way to get into melee range for the #5 skill. Cherry on top would be if "Molten end" the old #4 skill (new #3), now leave behind a short fire field.

 

For the empty slot in air 3: Add a long range attack sort of like the revenant hammer 2, except it leaves behind a lightning field in a line for a short duration. This solidifies air as the full ranged attunement alongside the #4 and #5 skill.

 

For the empty slot in water 3:  Add a close range attack that knocks back enemies nearby and conjures up a water field under the Catalyst (some sort of spin might fit the aesthetic)..  This gives even more combo opportunities.

 

For the empty slot in earth 3: Add a shorter range pull skill that pulls in enemies to the front in a cone. This also bridges the gap between the ranged and melee skills, but does so in a way that thematically emphasizes the magnetism of earth.

 

Changes to Utility Skills:

So now onto the utilities. Let's face it, as things stand, the augments are pretty boring. Their base effects are mostly pretty bland and the interaction with the existing jade sphere feels really lackluster...and now with the old jade sphere combo field gone, we need somewhere to reuse the beautiful animations made for those fields.

 

Well...remember in the trailer where they said Catalysts "use jade tech spheres to create wells of immense power"? That's right, augments can be changed into wells, and catalysts can become well-ementalists! This also resolves a common complaint that you can't move the jade sphere combo fields because wells as a skill type are never supposed to move in the first place, and the combo field generated by the wells will not change even as your attunements change, which is another complaint I saw often.

 

Here's what I propose for the new wells (with rough numbers that can be adjusted):

 

All of the following wells have 900 range, which should combo better with the hammer.

 

Well of healing Jade (healing skill): Gives an initial self heal of ~3.5k Hp, and for each jade spheres currently active, the well pulses an extra second, where each pulse gives an AOE heal of ~1.5k HP and removes one condition. Also creates Light field.

 

This shouldn't compete directly with the tempest "Wash the pain away" or "Ether renewal" because the front loaded heal is a self heal, and the additional effect is based off of the active jade spheres similar to the mesmer "ether feast" is based on the number of active clones.

 

Well of Relentless Fire:  Pulses 5 seconds, each pulse deals medium damage to enemies within the well, and provides +10% damage increase to up to 5 allies standing in the well. If the fire jade sphere is active, the catalyst's own attacks are unblockable. Also creates fire field.

This is essentially the fire augment converted to a well, with slightly reduced effects but granted to allies, as well as adding the small damage ticks that used to be on the old jade sphere combo field.

 

Well of Fortified Earth: (Stun break) Pulses once every 2 seconds for 6 seconds, each pulse applies Aegis and Protection to allies standing in the aoe. If the Earth jade sphere is active, apply 1500 barrier to the catalyst. Also creates poison field.

-combined the old earth f5 pulsing protection with a slightly modified earth augment to provide blocks in a different way and be able to apply to allies. The additional effect is nice bonus.

 

Well of Invigorating Air: Pulses for 3 seconds, each pulse deals medium damage to enemies and applies 1.5 seconds of quickness to allies in the aoe. If the air jade sphere is active, apply 100% endurance regeneration to the catalyst for 5 seconds. Also creates static field.

Combines the quickness from the old air f5 with the old air augment endurance regeneration.

 

Well of Soothing Ice: Pulses for 5 seconds. Each pulse deals low damage and applies Resolution and regeneration to allies in the aoe. If the water jade sphere is active, the catalyst's successful attacks applies chill to enemies for 5 seconds. Also creates water or ice field.

Combines the resolution from the old water f5 with the chilling effect from the old water Augment.

 

Well of Elemental Chaos: Unleash our elemental fury, supported by our jade spheres. Initial hit deals medium damage and stuns enemies in the aoe for 1.5 second. Pulses for 3 seconds, each pulse deals medium damage, and applies burning, chilled, bleed (2 stacks), and vulnerability (2 stacks). For each of the  catalyst's active jade spheres, the corresponding condition stack applied is doubled (with chilled the duration is increased). Also creates ethereal field

This should give Catalyst an elite skill to be respected even when used without jade spheres, but in order to get the best results and turning it into something to be feared, the catalyst has to have as as many of their jade spheres active as possible. Ethereal field is not as thematic of elementalists, but I was thinking in the direction of getting a chaos aura when you combo with it.

 

I do also have some thoughts about traits, namely that we can have traits for the hammer and the wells, but it's getting pretty late and I've already written a lot, so I'll leave that for another time. I believe the changes above can make Catalysts much more effective and more fun to play as well, but there probably is a lot of other stuff that can be done address the shortcomings of the elementalists being a relatively fragile class.

 

TLDR:

 

Move the hammer 3 skills to F5 and replace the current jade sphere combo fields, add new hammer skills in the empty slots to bridge the gap between melee and ranged, and combine the concept of the combo field jade spheres with the augments to create wells that are augmented by the new jade spheres.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 27, 2021 by Shadowflare.2759

[Josspai.4356]

I like everything you said.

Also, I assume that Spectacular Sphere would now be converted into a trait that improves these wells, so when traited, the fire one would grant might, the ice one vigor, the air one fury and the earth one resistance. And then I guess the healing one could give regeneration and the elite one... I don't know, alacrity maybe? Seems fitting since right now, the elite augment reduces the cooldown of our weapon skills.

Edited September 27, 2021 by Josspai.4356