March 29 Game Update Preview

[Thomas.4208]

Thank you Anet for this update. I was so hyped to play again Elementalist in raid, strikes and fractals. I was looking forward for the Catalyst, but sadly the original version was complicated (compared to other classes) and performed well only on golem / bosses that dont do things like M. Overseer W4. For me an ez. dps rotation with some ability to play quickness is perfect! 

[wolfyrik.2017]

Many of us said at beta that the orbs needed a longer lifespan. I'm glad it's finally being done but at the same time, I still think the orbs are a mistake. The spec would be better off with them removed and their effects placed elsewhere. I still feel the hammer and spec would be better served by having the 4 skills moved to the 3 slot and blocks moved into the 4slots with unique effects for each element, such as water giving a heal for a percentage of damage blocked and fire putting burning stacks on attackers, like the ascalon ghost blocks.

[tekmo.3076]

Thank-you Anet for taking the time to fine-tune the Catalyst specialization. 

This will make playing Catalyst with the hammer weapon in PvE simpler, more fun for the player and more viable for teams/parties who require DPS options.

In my opinion, more improvements should be made to the Catalyst specialization to further simplify usage for players and benefit for allies.

For example,. apart from the hammer-specific issues, the Jade Sphere AoE combo field's radius should be increased, or set to follow the player around. 

As it stands, the combo field radius is too small to benefit larger groups and too static for fights where enemies move around. Changing the combo field radius will allow for more flexibility, fluidity and usefulness in a wider range of scenarios.

A potential improvement that may balance better might be to increase the combo field's radius but to have boon uptime/effectiveness dissipate or decrease the further away from the center of the field an ally is.

[Jables.4659]

16 hours ago, Whilyam.9356 said:

I don't normally post to the forums, but I just have to give my feedback. The exposed change is an absolutely horrible change that will make the combat feel boring. You all JUST made a tutorial for new players to break bars and now you're making the effect largely meaningless? You were doing so well. What's the point in being skilled/prepared enough to bring CC and break the boss' bar if the reward is "10% damage". That's a minor trait choice, not a debuff. Do better.

I do agree that this isn't the best way to repair the exposed problem, but it doesn't make break bars meaningless.  They're used as party-wipe mechanics (Ark, Sorrows, etc.)  and allow players to make use of Impact and other effects that increase damage against cc'd enemies. 

[BlackenX.7386]

I hope the Ranger untamed pets will be additionally and automictically able to use their own skills when Unleash Pet.

 

Currently all the pet skills are the same (F1, F2, F3) when the Ranger use Unleash Pet, and it looks like very Tamed, not untamed.

[Alik.9651]

Let me guess, Revenant will got nerfed becoz some "bugs" suddenly pop-up after 6 years 😀

[Avatara.1042]

3 hours ago, BatsLoveCaves.5768 said:

Please add 1 stack of bleed to Stonestrike. It makes no sense that this skill is strike damage only when basically all other earth magic skills in the entire game are condi based.

Agreed.  Condition damage for Catalyst is also rubbish 😞

[Aries.7286]

20 hours ago, Rubi Bayer.8493 said:

We addressed this by making trait and damage output changes quickly to prevent it from distorting the cooperative play meta-game. However, it left the catalyst's damage builds not meeting our goals for the profession; it's difficult to play well and is only dealing competitive damage on large targets or targets where you can stand inside their hitbox. That's not great! We want every profession and specialization to feel awesome, regardless of the size of your enemy.

Hey does that mean that we can now also expect Staff to be reworked on elementalist? Since it is no longer competetive even on large hitboxes post various number of nerfs while it remains difficult to play and not rewarding at the moment. 
Asking in case this is a genuine change for once adressing playerbase complaints, unless it is just another marketing move to buff EoD specs only. 

[GuriGashi.5617]

I understand that more is coming Tuesday, but I am still extremely confused why only Catalyst changes have been shown in the preview

[Forgotten Legend.9281]

it seems to me like Spectacular Sphere trait (gives boons to allies based on attunement) should have had the cooldown change on the jade sphere, instead of a blanket nerf to the cooldown on the skill...

[pyrdyCZ.4123]

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES

[Dragon Dude.7832]

13 hours ago, Linken.6345 said:

I propabely should have sniped to were my response was aimed to namely these lines in the guys post.

Sorry my bad, I nerded out, and vented a little.

[Infusion.7149]

1 hour ago, Forgotten Legend.9281 said:

it seems to me like Spectacular Sphere trait (gives boons to allies based on attunement) should have had the cooldown change on the jade sphere, instead of a blanket nerf to the cooldown on the skill...

Except that doesn't make sense since quickness is baseline on Jade sphere (air) which is why you would use boon duration at all.

[CharmingRogue.8731]

23 hours ago, Seraphis Zurvan.6839 said:

While this addresses many problems, it doesn't address the major one for Catalyst: how it applies boons due to the Jade Sphere nerf.

They rely on wells, which is fine except for two things.

1. They are still fairly small, on par with Chronomancer. However Chronomancer has other ways to generate boons, which makes it less awful. If the wells radius could be larger I think it would feel better. Because 15 seconds after one well is a fairly large chunk of time of being unable to do literally nothing.

2. No energy on start? Like Druid, it would be nice to begin encounters with full energy so boon application can be provided immediately.

 

Overall good changes IMO, but the two above gripes I think would really cement it.

 

Also.....other quickness applicators were in no danger. The amount of utility Firebrand and Harbinger provides.....Catalyst simply can't outdo it.

 

This.

Maybe have the jade sphere move with the Elementalist. Or have a button to recall the jade sphere to the player. Or just increase the radius to like 1200 so people can actually move around a bit. Or have it pulse from the elementalist and the jade sphere like scourge shades.

If the Jade Sphere stays the same, ele will never compete with other classes for the quickness spot, because the jade sphere is way too limiting while other classes can put out perma quickness without having these limitations.

Edited March 26, 2022 by CharmingRogue.8731

[GoldenPants.1870]

23 hours ago, Aetheldrake.6395 said:

maybe it won't be a dead profession anymore!

It was never a dead profession in PvE. 

 

Ele mains..

[Lithril Ashwalker.6230]

Why reveal catalyst then. Nothing else? You tease

[Lithril Ashwalker.6230]

22 hours ago, DEDA.6394 said:

"We want every profession and specialization to feel awesome, regardless of the size of your enemy."

Can't wait to see the update on Revenant 😀

 

Guarantee specter/thief gets more nerfs or untouched. Ill bet you. A mystic coin on this

[iriyabran.6218]

I don't see anything here that isn't setting up Catalyst for another nerf in 2 weeks.

 

How to fix Catalyst before the 15th March nerf - adjust quickness so that you need more boon duration gear to maintain it which will automatically lowers the DPS on the quickcatalyst build. Nerf the overall dmg by 2-3k at most which is enough to buy time till June to carefully rework hammer 3 because it is THE SOLE REASON for the big variation in DPS due to hitbox size.

 

What you actually did - nerfed every skill and trait damage into oblivion but boosted boon duration.

Now you are boosting the damage up again but keeping the boosted boon duration from the previous patch as well as adding more passive buffs on hammer 3.

This now looks like a huge mess.

 

I personally dislike the increased sphere cooldown, in a lot of fights there's major movement and dashing around the arena.

So if you drop your AoE and 2 second after that the boss moves you have to wait whole 10 seconds more (with alacrity) to recast it.

 

Edited March 26, 2022 by iriyabran.6218

[Loke.1429]

On 3/25/2022 at 6:28 PM, Rubi Bayer.8493 said:

it's difficult to play well and is only dealing competitive damage on large targets or targets where you can stand inside their hitbox

Dont forget the target cant move

On 3/25/2022 at 6:28 PM, Rubi Bayer.8493 said:

We've prepared a list of changes to specific skills and effects to help reach these goals for PvE play. None of the following changes apply to PvP or WvW.

why.

 

anyways happy to see catalyst getting some deserved updates

Edited March 26, 2022 by Loke.1429

[Linken.6345]

14 hours ago, Monchichi.9301 said:

Does it not? Mirage gets an ambush skill for every mainhand weapon. 

No sadly only hammer get unleashed skills.

[Infusion.7149]

If you're going to compare to mirage, untamed has an ambush skill on every weapon. The ambushes aren't the issue although the hammer one could use more damage given the activation time, sustained DPS and less CC than a banner berserker with maces or renegade with Darkrazor is.

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Unleashed_Ambush

[Guizao.4167]

All those changes to Catalyst but none of them fix its lack of originality in mechanics. Sigh.

[LadyKitty.6120]

10 hours ago, wolfyrik.2017 said:

Many of us said at beta that the orbs needed a longer lifespan. I'm glad it's finally being done but at the same time, I still think the orbs are a mistake. The spec would be better off with them removed and their effects placed elsewhere.

Kitty personally likes Spheres as is. Yes, it might be convenient if they followed you but hammer 3 projectiles kinda do that already. Closest equivalent of Spheres might be guardian's symbols which pulse boons, too, but Sphere's can at least be positioned freely. Chronos are also familiar with similar booning. That free positioning also allows booning the squad when you're not in the stack due to some mech or kiting. If other classes can manage similar stuffs, why eles wouldn't? 

[Ragnarox.9601]

Super, can we get d/d survivability buff or healing buff for tempest/core ele? 

[Linken.6345]

2 hours ago, Infusion.7149 said:

If you're going to compare to mirage, untamed has an ambush skill on every weapon. The ambushes aren't the issue although the hammer one could use more damage given the activation time, sustained DPS and less CC than a banner berserker with maces or renegade with Darkrazor is.

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Unleashed_Ambush

Did not know that thx