Is Cataclyst a joke compare to other new specs?

[Tungsten Monarch.6058]

Overall,  it appears the Catalyst is the worst of the new professions. I do sincerely hope they change the class significantly. Meanwhile there is always the tempest.

[Shiyo.3578]

On 10/27/2021 at 9:20 AM, Neva Eilhart.5347 said:

Not only it's a joke, but it also tries hard to do things already done by Elementalist be it Core, Tempest or Weaver.

This is the e-spec which lacks a strong vision the most. I can forgive them for hitting and missing with Willbender because it has a vision behind it. But not so much with Catalyst.

So many things could be done and toyed around attunements and Elementalist : getting rid of attunements entirely and giving them pure arcana power, forcing Eles to commit to only one element but buffing it strongly... just look for example at how D&D has been handling the subclasses for casters in 5e.

Throwing a static field on the ground which needs to be powered by some other obscure mana ressource being at the very bottom of the list of what would be fun (I thought the point of GW2 was to get rid of old Mmo tropes such as having CDs+ressource management).

Yeah, Catalyst seems like a base ele with a super underwhelming spirit you summon that's barely useful. 

[AppleSauce.4578]

I dare you to name one new elite spec that seems better than any of that class's current elite specs.

[Infusion.7149]

2 hours ago, AppleSauce.4578 said:

I dare you to name one new elite spec that seems better than any of that class's current elite specs.

?

• Spectre is 45-51K DPS while doing support. It's far better than any current thief spec against bosses and also in a support role. I've also seen it been used in competitive modes in teamfights.
• Bladesworn is 54K DPS with massive burst so while it's rather terrible in competitive modes it's going to be able to fill a pDPS slot in PVE.
• Willbender has higher mobility than any current guardian spec. Currently mobility isn't valued that highly outside of PVP so I expect the coefficients will be changed there to make it more attractive.
• Harbinger is a high risk necromancer with high damage in PVE (45K+) and a quickness boon support option which it does not have right now. In WVW the projectile nature of it and reduced sustain means it is vulnerable and the same likely holds true in PVP.
• Virtuoso is more or less for people who don't play mesmer currently. The DPS is fine for instanced PVE and the removal of clones means you can swap targets when killing trash mobs ; in competitive modes having all bladesongs as projectile means it is hard countered.
• Casual players liked mechanist but it probably won't be a strong contender in competitive modes. When I tested it , it did alright on Mursaat Overseer but my Mech died multiple times on Vale Guardian so even in PVE it is iffy. Quickness / heal scrapper and power holo are better picks oftentimes.
• Vindicator is currently undertuned for instanced PVE but the cleaving 5 targets means numbers tweaks can put it to relevance. The dodge is bugged out right now (you can be hit in dodge) so that needs to be fixed or it will never see play in competitive modes. Urn is also meme tier.
• Untamed is not good in PVE but some people have been able to make it somewhat work in PVP. In WVW the pet remains a liability, CC versus stability is a problem, and lack of "attack my target" is a problem.

There's no way the original iteration of catalyst would be used in ANY game mode over tempest or weaver. It had all of the same problems (hitbox, complexity , needing 4 attunements to do the same thing as other classes camping on weapon set), but amplified. Even the quickness support direction (the only thing you would be able to provide over tempest) was quite underwhelming given you are stationary and also do far less damage than cQB or the condi harbinger.

[Shiyo.3578]

On 11/13/2021 at 4:49 PM, AppleSauce.4578 said:

I dare you to name one new elite spec that seems better than any of that class's current elite specs.

Specter! Gives thief a unique role it couldn't do otherwise.

[AppleSauce.4578]

On 11/16/2021 at 4:29 PM, Shiyo.3578 said:

Specter! Gives thief a unique role it couldn't do otherwise.

 

You got me there. Specter is the only elite spec of this entire bunch I have a positive outlook about.

[Skyroar.2974]

Catalyst has probably the most uninspired class mechanic of all new elite specs, and the iteration we have seen is non-functional and a failure.

BUT it has great potential. It may be bloated with many different mechanics that kind of don't work together at the moment, but I'd rather have that than the bland and simplistic first-beta specs. Something like Willbender has just a bunch of "leap + damage" skills bundled together. It has nothing else going for it besides mobility, damage, mobility, damage and mobility, damage. At least Catalyst does have plenty of interesting ideas for Anet to iterate on and polish. The orbs, the dual-range, the offensive water+earth attunements, quickness sharing, access to poison fields, the focus on selfish auras for a bruiser playstyle - all that has potential to be great if Anet can find the right solutions to improve them.

A reminder that Catalyst was one of the most hyped specs at the moment it was announced, before the beta came out and the hype deflated. That means the potential to be great is there, even if the execution was lacking.

Edited November 19, 2021 by Skyroar.2974

[Tseison.4659]

Don’t play ele and never tried out the catalyst, just fought against them. However, I am wondering why they made it focus so heavily on boons and auras when Tempest pretty much does that already? I also think this was a missed opportunity for Anet to give you guys more of an elite spec that dived into more Arcane magic or four new sub elements that branch off of the main ones. I will say I do like that Wind Storm hammer skill you guys got👍

[Milosz.5938]

I think the right and long-awaited time has come to change the Elemntalist description while creating the character. Because it "prefers distance" is a LIE. Should be "prefers melee". Seeing such description Catalyst is a SCAM.

[TrollingDemigod.3041]

29 minutes ago, Milosz.5938 said:

I think the right and long-awaited time has come to change the Elemntalist description while creating the character. Because it "prefers distance" is a LIE. Should be "prefers melee". Seeing such description Catalyst is a SCAM.

Nah, the correct description of ele should be: "It prefers downstate".

[Jski.6180]

1 minute ago, TrollingDemigod.3041 said:

Nah, the correct description of ele should be: "It prefers downstate".

They removed thoughts effects too so it was also a LIE!

[Shiyo.3578]

On 11/20/2021 at 8:29 AM, Tseison.4659 said:

Don’t play ele and never tried out the catalyst, just fought against them. However, I am wondering why they made it focus so heavily on boons and auras when Tempest pretty much does that already? I also think this was a missed opportunity for Anet to give you guys more of an elite spec that dived into more Arcane magic or four new sub elements that branch off of the main ones. I will say I do like that Wind Storm hammer skill you guys got👍

Tempest is a failure of a buffer, it lacks quickness/alac. Tempest also isn't apparently allowed to dps even though it sucks as a buffer/support so idk.

[Newholiday.8103]

2 minutes ago, Shiyo.3578 said:

Tempest is a failure of a buffer, it lacks quickness/alac. Tempest also isn't apparently allowed to dps even though it sucks as a buffer/support so idk.

 

And with removal of menders amulet in spvp, it can't play support, buffer, or dps. It's basically a crappy, low health ccer.