Fast Casting instead of Alacrity for Chronomancer

[SkinnyT.5382]

Over the last few months I've posted here in the forums about my disappointment with Chrono, mostly due to it's nerfs over the years.
It's uniqueness came from it's ability to gain and give Alacrity, but once other professions got a hold it , Chrono got nerfed to hell and back. So I though the other day " Why not just get rid of their self Alacrity?"

Back in GW1 Mesmer's main trait was Fast Casting, which allowed them to cast spells quicker than other professions, so I thought why not bring that back? Right now Chronomancer's self given Alacrity comes from the minor trait Flow of Time, so why don't we replace that with  "Fast Casting" and instead of giving you a boon, it gives you a stacking effect that cannot be striped.
In this case, instead of getting 1 second of alacrity per clone you shatter, you would get say X seconds of Fast Casting effect per clone, stacking up to 3 times. Each stack giving you say 10% recharge reduction for X amount of time, for a maximum of  30%  reduction if maintained at max level.
By doing this you would take a mechanic and lock into the Spec making it easier to control and balance, as it would no longer be dictated by a boon which is now available to multiple professions.

Further more, by doing this it would open up 1 major trait. Improved Alacrity would no longer be needed, as the effect would automatically be boosted by the boon. Something else could be made to replace it and perhaps improve the Spec over all. Oh and the Major trait Lost Time would just give 3 stacks of the effect as oppose to 3 seconds of alacrity when afflicting slow.

[Shiyo.3578]

They basically have "Double Cast" for phantasms. That's cooler than fast cast.

[SkinnyT.5382]

Quote

They basically have "Double Cast" for phantasms. That's cooler than fast cast.

Why not have both?

Edited December 5, 2021 by SkinnyT.5382

[mungozen.2379]

6 hours ago, SkinnyT.5382 said:

Over the last few months I've posted here in the forums about my disappointment with Chrono, mostly due to it's nerfs over the years.
It's uniqueness came from it's ability to gain and give Alacrity, but once other professions got a hold it , Chrono got nerfed to hell and back. So I though the other day " Why not just get rid of their self Alacrity?"

Back in GW1 Mesmer's main trait was Fast Casting, which allowed them to cast spells quicker than other professions, so I thought why not bring that back? Right now Chronomancer's self given Alacrity comes from the minor trait Flow of Time, so why don't we replace that with  "Fast Casting" and instead of giving you a boon, it gives you a stacking effect that cannot be striped.
In this case, instead of getting 1 second of alacrity per clone you shatter, you would get say X seconds of Fast Casting effect per clone, stacking up to 3 times. Each stack giving you say 10% recharge reduction for X amount of time, for a maximum of  30%  reduction if maintained at max level.
By doing this you would take a mechanic and lock into the Spec making it easier to control and balance, as it would no longer be dictated by a boon which is now available to multiple professions.

Further more, by doing this it would open up 1 major trait. Improved Alacrity would no longer be needed, as the effect would automatically be boosted by the boon. Something else could be made to replace it and perhaps improve the Spec over all. Oh and the Major trait Lost Time would just give 3 stacks of the effect as oppose to 3 seconds of alacrity when afflicting slow.

So you want to replace Alacrity with….Alacrity?  If this ‘Fast Casting’ is up 100% of the time, why even have it as a mechanic?  Why not just reduce the CD of all Chrono skills by X% ?  

If it isn’t intended to be up 100% of the time then why is this better than regular alacrity?  
 

Would Fast Casting stack with Alacrity shared from your party or squad?  That would be a bit broken  

And, Improved Alacrity is a pretty interesting trait to select. It empowers different builds and play styles.  This trait would be one of the things that defines Chrono as the ‘Time Mage’ since it gets better Alacrity than anyone else.

 

[Lethion.8745]

I like this idea because Chrono doesn't have real Elite Spec mechanic. Chrono-shatters functions more or less the same as Core shatters and doesn't change how you play apart from Continuum Split. I believe that's a major design flow and goes against whole idea of elite specs. Fast casting might make it at least slightly more unique. 

[Leonidrex.5649]

39 minutes ago, Lethion.8745 said:

I like this idea because Chrono doesn't have real Elite Spec mechanic. Chrono-shatters functions more or less the same as Core shatters and doesn't change how you play apart from Continuum Split. I believe that's a major design flow and goes against whole idea of elite specs. Fast casting might make it at least slightly more unique. 

I think F1 being delayed, chronophantasma and Csplit make chrono plenty unique, if anything chronomancer wells need some work as they are just plain bad.

[Lethion.8745]

4 hours ago, Leonidrex.5649 said:

I think F1 being delayed, chronophantasma and Csplit make chrono plenty unique, if anything chronomancer wells need some work as they are just plain bad.

Neither chronophantasma or F1 changes how you use those skills. You just use them the same way and they end up dealing more damage. Compare it with Mirage cloak which completely changes how you use your dodges. 

[OriOri.8724]

I don't see how this is any different from alacrity in functionality? All you are asking for is to change alacrity from a boon to a unique chrono effect, which only affects chrono, and mostly nerfing its effectiveness?

[Lincolnbeard.1735]

Fast casting is quickness. 

[Norbe.7630]

Yes, i like this. Make the clunky shield weapon skills instacast.

[Mell.4873]

On 12/6/2021 at 2:44 PM, Lethion.8745 said:

I like this idea because Chrono doesn't have real Elite Spec mechanic. Chrono-shatters functions more or less the same as Core shatters and doesn't change how you play apart from Continuum Split. I believe that's a major design flow and goes against whole idea of elite specs. Fast casting might make it at least slightly more unique. 

All the shatters are different for chrono unlike mirage which doesn't have any changes to shatter.

[Lethion.8745]

39 minutes ago, Mell.4873 said:

All the shatters are different for chrono unlike mirage which doesn't have any changes to shatter.

Mirage has Mirage clock which completely changes how you use your dodge.

Chrono shatters doesn't change how you use your shatters at all.

[Mell.4873]

21 minutes ago, Lethion.8745 said:

Mirage has Mirage clock which completely changes how you use your dodge.

Chrono shatters doesn't change how you use your shatters at all.

Not really I mean getting the ammo minor trait on the f1 shatter is pretty good improvement for chrono. 

[Lethion.8745]

19 minutes ago, Mell.4873 said:

Not really I mean getting the ammo minor trait on the f1 shatter is pretty good improvement for chrono. 

That trait is avaliable to all specs

[frareanselm.1925]

On 12/6/2021 at 1:47 AM, Mungo Zen.9364 said:

So you want to replace Alacrity with….Alacrity?  If this ‘Fast Casting’ is up 100% of the time, why even have it as a mechanic?  Why not just reduce the CD of all Chrono skills by X% ?  

If it isn’t intended to be up 100% of the time then why is this better than regular alacrity?  
 

Would Fast Casting stack with Alacrity shared from your party or squad?  That would be a bit broken  

And, Improved Alacrity is a pretty interesting trait to select. It empowers different builds and play styles.  This trait would be one of the things that defines Chrono as the ‘Time Mage’ since it gets better Alacrity than anyone else.

 

The rate at which skills recharge (alacrity) is not the same as casting your skills faster.

Edited December 7, 2021 by frareanselm.1925

[mungozen.2379]

3 hours ago, frareanselm.1925 said:

The rate at which skills recharge (alacrity) is not the same as casting your skills faster.

https://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Fast_Casting
 

Having read the article, it reads like a combination of quickness and alacrity.   The OP only referred to Alacrity and Recharge reduction, not to the quickness. 
 

So, how is Fast Casting better than current Alacrity and Quickness?  And would Alacrity and Quickness stack with Fast Casting???

Yeah it doesn’t really change my questions….

[zealex.9410]

Wasnt fast casting quickness?

[Salt Mode.3780]

Chrono HAD a unique spec mechanic which is exactly what is being debated on. Remember when HoT was teased and how they described Chrono having alacrity unique to only Chronomancers? 

Be it ANET making promises they can't keep just like Torment how it was suppose to be Necro exclusive.

[zealex.9410]

On 12/14/2021 at 6:52 AM, Salt Mode.3780 said:

Chrono HAD a unique spec mechanic which is exactly what is being debated on. Remember when HoT was teased and how they described Chrono having alacrity unique to only Chronomancers? 

Be it ANET making promises they can't keep just like Torment how it was suppose to be Necro exclusive.

It was a good thing they oppened up alacrity and quickness to other specs, boon monopoly is jsut bad.

[Mik.3401]

If anything that should be added to the core instead of slapping another band aid on a dying espec. FC is a Mesmer thing anyway.

[Senqu.8054]

As it was already mentioned fast casting is quickness. It’s the same as „backfire“ and several other skills are now summed up under confusion. The biggest difference to fast casting is that it doesn't affect CDs but additionally improves attack speed. But in the end chrono received fast casting with alacrity and quickness.

 

Now you could argue that boon and condition monopoly is a bad thing but to an extend it makes classes unique and desirable to play. In a Meta where a 100% boon uptime is the most important measure, you will always pick the class that can apply the wanted boon longer and easier with less drawbacks.
 

We all have seen what happens when ANet tries to balance roles to have drawbacks. Suddenly this role only fits in niche PvE environments like a specific raid Boss but is unusable outside of that one occasion. It has also happened to conditions and several ways to apply direct damage just to bring classes in line to each other. Suddenly this whole intention literally backfired (mesmer joke hehe) and made everything so stale, similar and unwanted.

 

I don’t want to say deny the access entirely, but restrict it on other classes more then on the class that is themed with this unique effect. Complex build diversity is somehow mostly gone which is concerning considering the age of the game.

[mungozen.2379]

1 hour ago, Senqu.8054 said:

As it was already mentioned fast casting is quickness.

GW1 In game description, as per the linked article above  

.Fast Casting decreases the activation time of your Spells and Signets. (No effect for non-Mesmer skills with an activation time less p, each rank of Fast Casting decreases the recharge time for your Mesmer Spells by 3%.

so it does reduce CD in PvE, aka Alacrity and Quickness. 

Edited December 19, 2021 by Mungo Zen.9364
Font colors are abysmal.

[Senqu.8054]

6 hours ago, Mungo Zen.9364 said:

GW1 In game description, as per the linked article above  

.Fast Casting decreases the activation time of your Spells and Signets. (No effect for non-Mesmer skills with an activation time less p, each rank of Fast Casting decreases the recharge time for your Mesmer Spells by 3%.

so it does reduce CD in PvE, aka Alacrity and Quickness. 

which is what I said. Don’t be so selective in reading.

[mungozen.2379]

10 minutes ago, Senqu.8054 said:

which is what I said. Don’t be so selective in reading.

 

7 hours ago, Senqu.8054 said:

The biggest difference to fast casting is that it doesn't affect CDs

I misinterpreted the rest of the thought over this part of the sentence.  

[anbujackson.9564]

On 12/6/2021 at 3:25 AM, Leonidrex.5649 said:

I think F1 being delayed, chronophantasma and Csplit make chrono plenty unique, if anything chronomancer wells need some work as they are just plain bad.

Pretty much this. Chrono is still going strong. Its just two factors that make it worse in comparison.

1. The boon application from wells is wayyyyy outdated. Every spec just spams pretty much instant quickness/alac applications. The wells have a big delay and you cant control other players to stay in them. 
2. Seize the moment put chrono in a strong spot to do high damage while investing next to nothing in boon duration like firebrand. That trait was just a bad rework and very unhealthy though. Now that every quickness source from chrono got pretty much nuked (besides WoA and shield 5 I guess), it has to invest more to do the same that other classes can do with less effort. You know, actually playing a rotation, while dealing less damage at the end. IMO those hybrid builds shouldnt exist in the first place.