Engineer Rifle - June 28 Update

[Knuddel.7928]

TLDR: They have switched the Engineer Rifle 2 with 3, I now mess up my rotation and have no motivation to relearn it, I think up some reasons to hide my personal issues.

This post does not address the general balancing controversy of the June 28 Update - instead I want to draw some attention to the now changed rifle skill sequence.

Net Shot (Rifle 2) and Blunderbuss (Rifle 3) switched sequence in the June 28 Update.

Quote

- Net Shot: Moved from second to third in the Rifle sequence. Immobilize duration increased from 2 seconds to 4 seconds in PvE only.
- Blunderbuss: Moved from third to second in the Rifle sequence. Now additionally applies might to up to 5 allied targets within a range of 360. Might applied is 5 stacks for 8 seconds in PvE and 3 stacks for 5 seconds in PvP and WvW. Cooldown reduced from 9 seconds to 6 seconds in PvE and from 12 seconds to 8 seconds in PvP and WvW. Increased minimum power coefficient from 0.5 to 0.87 in PvP and WvW.

You will probably now say "Yea who cares, I don't play Engineer with Rifle", and you're absolutely right but let me point some things out first.
 

• - Rifle 2 and 3 got switched up (for no apparent reason)
• - Rifle got some buffs, but none of the skills changed fundamentally (Net Shot is still CC, Blunderbuss is still some damage, now with might)
• - None of the skills got any flavor changes (Net Shot is still a "Net Shot", Blunderbuss is still a shotgun)
• - The old rifle sequence has existed since nearly 10 Years  (see 2012-11-08 )

 

Here is why I absolutely don't like this change

- It does not make any sense

- It does not try to balance anything nor does it addresses any issue whatsoever

- In does look like personal preferences implemented in game

- It existed the old way for 10 years, and got randomly changed, everybody (Like me and 2 guys) is used to the old sequenze

- I now mess up my rotation

TBH I don't really care about messing up my rotation since nobody plays Holosmith with Rifle anyways, but I'm quite a bit worried about random changes which do not have any attempt of reasoning behind them. In fact I strongly believe that this change is a prime example of bad game design following my previous bullet points.

Thanks for reading, here's an image of an flaming hot good boy.

 

[Rhingeim.3974]

It makes sense:

 

Skill 2 has lower CD than skill 3, so:

 

1) You can inflict bleed to proc might (?) from trait more consistently. 

 

2) You can wrap you head around some sort of condi-rifle build, inflicting bleeding with CD reduction from alacrity. 

[Knuddel.7928]

Well, that concludes it, I'm an Idiot and i still think changing skill sequences is dumb.

Thanks for answering tho.

Edited July 1, 2022 by Knuddel.7928

[Linken.6345]

1 hour ago, Knuddel.7928 said:

Well, that concludes it, I'm an Idiot and i still think changing skill sequences is dumb.

Thanks for answering tho.

Well you could just remap your keys so your rotation is unchanged.

[Silent.6137]

3 minutes ago, Linken.6345 said:

Well you could just remap your keys so your rotation is unchanged.

Was going to suggest that but then it'll totally mess up all other professional weapon skills unless you only ever use just the one.

[Freya.9075]

No need for rifle. Use mukluks bomb mechanist low effort build. And watch your little rat pop off using bombs every second and enjoy being in top 10 in arch dps.  Was a lot of fun if it’s still viable 👀 

[Alcatraznc.3869]

There are several reason which makes sense if you think about it :

 

-skill 2 reload faster than skill 3

 

-blunderbuss got now grants might and is available more often -->DPS increase

 

-skill 3 now trigger mech punch (which is a CC) regarding of the weapon used. On Mace skill 3 is a CC, pistol 3 inflict blind which count as a soft CC, it would make sense that netshot is being moved to skill 3 so it keeps that CC thing.

 

Now I do agree it is hard not to mess my rotation when I've been using that for like 4-5 years but after a while I should be able to remember.

[Wolfb.7025]

10 hours ago, Knuddel.7928 said:

- It does not make any sense

- In does look like personal preferences implemented in game

It does make sense in a way, it was weird for a new player to learn an immovilization skill first which barely does more damage than hipshot/rifle burst.

But it's kind of irrelevant because you unlock the Skill 3 by reaching level 4, so that makes me agree with you in that it looks like a personal preference from the dev to switch skills.

[Noah Salazar.5430]

Quote

You will probably now say "Yea who cares, I don't play Engineer with Rifle", and you're absolutely right but let me point some things out first.

I do

 

1+2 are dmg

3+4 are utylity

5 is dash now

It's better that way if your wvw/pvp

[Dawdler.8521]

It was completely predictable since they did the same with warrior rifle, the excuse is cooldowns.

Its just another typical example of Anets Purity Of Purpose style patching.

[Ovalkvadratcylinder.9365]

i get ur point op. Ive been messing up rifle rotation a ton too but since its the main weapon i use on my wvw builds my brains gonna get it sooner or later

[Vayreon.5846]

There is a reason, skill 3 triggers the mech punch on all weapons now, and they wanted it on Net shot rather than Blunderbuss.

[Kodama.6453]

3 hours ago, Alcatraznc.3869 said:

There are several reason which makes sense if you think about it :

 

-skill 2 reload faster than skill 3

 

-blunderbuss got now grants might and is available more often -->DPS increase

 

-skill 3 now trigger mech punch (which is a CC) regarding of the weapon used. On Mace skill 3 is a CC, pistol 3 inflict blind which count as a soft CC, it would make sense that netshot is being moved to skill 3 so it keeps that CC thing.

 

Now I do agree it is hard not to mess my rotation when I've been using that for like 4-5 years but after a while I should be able to remember.

Small correction: rocket punch is technically no longer a CC.

It just deals damage and has a bonus effect to deal 100 defiance bar damage as if it would be a stun, but if you are fighting targets without a break bar, then you will not stun them.

[draxynnic.3719]

3 hours ago, Kodama.6453 said:

Small correction: rocket punch is technically no longer a CC.

It just deals damage and has a bonus effect to deal 100 defiance bar damage as if it would be a stun, but if you are fighting targets without a break bar, then you will not stun them.

An interesting observation here that ties into the rearranging of rifle skills, however, is that all of weapons available to mechanist now have breakbar damage attached to the third skill. Mace has the prototype rocket fist, pistol has the blind associated with Static Shot, and rifle has immobilise.

So they're all something you might press in order to contribute to a breakbar, and in every case, rocket punch will make that breakbar damage 100 higher.

[Alcatraznc.3869]

14 hours ago, Kodama.6453 said:

Small correction: rocket punch is technically no longer a CC.

It just deals damage and has a bonus effect to deal 100 defiance bar damage as if it would be a stun, but if you are fighting targets without a break bar, then you will not stun them.

 

True I should be saying defiance bar damage