August 2 Balance Update Preview

[Rubi Bayer.8493]

Hello everyone, I have an update from Game Director Josh Davis:

 

Hi all,

In our “Profession Balance: Next Steps” post on June 30, we stated that we’d be making some additional adjustments to mesmer weapons, traits, and warrior banners in the August 2 update. Below you will find a preview of those changes.

FYI: we’ve also added an additional balance update to our release schedule on August 23, focused on buffing a larger set of specializations. We’ll have more information on what that build includes in the coming weeks. Thank you for your continued patience and support as we address your feedback from the June 28 professions update.

Mesmer

Similar to recent tuning on Ranger weapons, the following are a small set of changes focused on improving damage capability of chronomancer builds in PvE. Improvements to greatsword and sword, as well as a significant damage increase added to the chronomancer's 'Improved Alacrity' trait will increase the performance of both damage and boon support chronomancer builds.

Greatsword

• Spatial Surge: (PvE only) Increased minimum damage multiplier from 0.69 to 0.8. Increased maximum damage multiplier from 1.005 to 1.1.
• Mind Stab: (PvE only) Increased damage multiplier from 1.0 to 1.8.
• Phantasmal Berserker: (PvE only) Increased damage multiplier of initial strike from 0.4 to 1.2.

Sword:

• Mind Slash: (PvE only) Increased damage multiplier from 0.75 to 0.8.
• Mind Gash: (PvE only) Increased damage multiplier from 0.75 to 0.8.

Chronomancer Traits:

• Improved Alacrity: In addition to its previous effects, this trait now also increases your critical-strike damage by 10% when you have alacrity. This is a multiplier to total damage dealt, not additive with critical strike damage from Ferocity.

Warrior

We badly missed the mark with banner changes in the June update. We've gone back to the drawing board to be bolder with changes, add more powerful utility, and make banners easier to use. Each banner will now do its most powerful effects immediately on use and have a much shorter base cooldown of 30 seconds.

To address situations where it felt like the Warrior needed to continually adjust the positions of their banners, pulsing boons are now granted in an increased duration per pulse, but over a shorter amount of time. It will no longer be necessary to stand around the banner for its full duration to upkeep banner boons - duration will stack up more quickly. The reduced cooldowns allow warriors the use of their powerful on-drop effects frequently. The radius and duration of banners has been reduced to better reflect this more focused role. The previous ability for banners to grant quickness to allies has been moved to the Doubled Standards trait.

General banner skill changes:

• Recharge reduced from 60s to 30s (except Battle Standard)
• Animation changed; cast time reduced by 0.2s (except Battle Standard)
• Light combo field radius reduced from 600 to 360. Combo field duration reduced to from 5s to 3s.
• Pulsing boon radius reduced to 360.
• Once dropped, banners last for 15 seconds, and can no longer be picked up.
• Banners no longer grant quickness on drop by default (except for Banner of Tactics in PvE only).
• Doubled Standards: This trait now grants quickness on banner drop, in addition to its other effects. Clarified in description that boon duration increase only applies to the pulsing boons, and not any other boons granted on the initial banner drop.

All banner skills (except for Battle Standard) have been reworked. They now grant different effects when dropped, depending on the banner:[CC1] [JD2] 

• Banner of Defense: Grants barrier and aegis to allies.
• Banner of Tactics: Applies stability and super speed (and quickness in PvE only) to allies.
• Banner of Discipline: Damages and applies bleeding and cripple. This skill no longer creates a light combo field, but acts as a blast finisher instead.
• Banner of Strength: Damages and dazes enemies. This skill no longer creates a light combo field, but acts as a blast finisher instead.
• Battle Standard: Damage multiplier has been increased from 1.5 to 4.0 in PvE only. This skill no longer creates a light combo field, but acts as a blast finisher instead.

Pulsing boons have changed to the following:

• Banner of Defense: Regen (4s)
• Banner of Tactics: Resistance (2s)
• Banner of Discipline: Fury (4s)
• Banner of Strength: Might (10s, two stacks)
• Battle Standard: Fury (6s), Swiftness (12s), Might (12s, two stacks)

[Bookah pls.9352]

Cool, prays for reaper buffs too.

Be real sweet to finally bench higher than a boon support as a pure selfish dps for once.

Edited July 27, 2022 by Bookah pls.9352

[Antina.5973]

Prays for DH buffs 🥺.

Yay, for not-a-Firday post!

Edited July 29, 2022 by Antina.5973

[soulknight.9620]

Thats it? 2 out of 9 professions get something fixed? Ok, warriors needed that. But what about ele? Still "meta defining"? What about mechanist/FB nerfs to get them in line with other specs?

[EvilSardine.9635]

When will mechanist be nerfed? It's pretty dumb in WvW currently.

[stormemperor.3745]

12 minutes ago, Bookah pls.9352 said:

Cool, prays for reaper buffs too.

Pray to Grenth

 

3 minutes ago, soulknight.9620 said:

Thats it? 2 out of 9 professions get something fixed? Ok, warriors needed that. But what about ele? Still "meta defining"? What about mechanist/FB nerfs to get them in line with other specs?

These fixes are just to say that they are working on it. Aka postpone balance updates indefinetly until people forget about warrior fiasco

[Nika.8573]

Could someone confirm weither the change to "improved alacrity" also counts for your phantasms or only the player? 🙂

[Bookah pls.9352]

I originally had that in my post too but either i just missed it or they edited it in but aug 23rd. for other specs

[Sarius.9285]

I mean it's something for the warriors....but you guys need to get MUCH bolder on the warrior buffs....just look at how Engi rifle has pretty much an entire aa chain in a single attack

[TheBossVeigar.1306]

Seeing Mesmer and Warrior get some changes is very needed, and appreciated, however I will say it is a bit disappointing we're only getting changes to these 2 classes, while the others are left waiting until August's end. Elementalist's core weapons are in need of a buff - scepter, staff, dagger, etc. They all feel pretty eh, and while some see some use (Dagger Weaver is still decent) I can't even think of the last time I seen a staff Ele.

 

I can't speak much on behalf of these classes as I'm less experienced with them, but I've seen a lot of disappointment from Reaper and Dragonhunter players. I hope they get some changes come August 23rd, as they seem to be in pretty dire need of it. I am also hoping Firebrand and Mechanist get some nerfs, to feel more in line with other classes. Every raid/strike group I join there's at least 2 mechs and 2 Firebrands. Sometimes more. Good starts, hoping the 23rd's patch will have more to it!

[Skyroar.2974]

As you are touching Mesmer's sword, can I ask you Anet devs:

1. Why Sword #3 being a completely different skill as Virtuoso is an undocumented change?

2. If there are any plans to make that version of the skill game-wide.

3. Why aren't sword skills tooltiped as "blades" for the sake of virtuoso's trait synergy, while greatsword's skills are?

I always felt Virtuoso's sword changes were released in an incomplete/rushed state, but I'm surprised how Anet has never acknowledged it and have completely ignored it so far.

Edited July 27, 2022 by Skyroar.2974

[SoloMona.7345]

I like! Look forward to playing worrier in game! I Made leggy armor for this occasion xD Def feeling the hurt last time.

 

Edit: After examining the changes I do feel that it loses value in WvW by them not being moveable. Although the blast finishers are cool. Also in general it's a little contradictory to give superspeed on a banner drop that can't move for 15 seconds, WvW would love, but the super speed would be the only thing worth while. It's basically encouraging players to put it somewhere everyone is trying not to be. I would love a mechanic like sam spears where you can maybe update the position once or twice by pulling the banners to you like a spear with a turn over skill.

Also I know I'm not including alacrity in the equation but by doubling the duration and halfling the up time we haven't really fixed much, we still kind of need 100% boon duration to keep good uptime with is just unreasonable to expect from a class that doesn't make itself into a good healer. And even healer roles usually don't go much higher than 80%

Anyways I'll reserve criticism until it's release, I love that Banner of Strength is now on equal playing grounds with "For Great Justice" That as least seems to be a perfect fix, but I don't think banner worrier is out of the storm just yet.

Edited July 27, 2022 by SoloMona.7345
Better Examination of Content

[Obtena.7952]

Not sure how people are disappointed these were the only two patched classes ... Anet has been telling us this for WEEKS.

The real disappointment is: no information about quickness duration on Double Standard. I'm going to predict: banner-applied quickness is still gutted and worthless because it won't give 100% uptime. 

Edited July 27, 2022 by Obtena.7952

[Inglorious.7146]

I expected nothing for the Chrono changes and I'm still disapointed, good job I guess

 

[Skyroar.2974]

Regarding Chrono, I feel its slow application could be streamlined a bit: it's somewhat convoluted to keep enemies permanently under slow to maximize its damage traits, especially but not exclusively while playing solo. Feels like a missed opportunity here.

[Blood Red Arachnid.2493]

Looks like they're doubling down on boon homogenization.  

[Chaos.9270]

13 minutes ago, soulknight.9620 said:

Thats it? 2 out of 9 professions get something fixed? Ok, warriors needed that. But what about ele? Still "meta defining"? What about mechanist/FB nerfs to get them in line with other specs?

Why nerfing 2 classes, instead of bringing 7 to their level, so all are equal good balanced instead of equal bad balanced? Like do you actually want all 9 classes to be like Elementalist? xD 

[LucianTheAngelic.7054]

7 minutes ago, Skyroar.2974 said:

As you are touching Mesmer's sword, can I ask you Anet devs:

1. Why Sword #3 being a completely different skill as Virtuoso is an undocumented change?

2. If there are any plans to make that version of the skill game-wide.

Sword #3 is different on Virtuoso since it lacks the clone mechanic. There are no plans to make it game-wide, this is a Virtuoso-only change; they've talked about it ages ago before EoD even came out

[Neilug.7935]

Thank you for acknowledging your mistakes on Warrior and others takes, sincerely.

Despite this is not perfect, and/or too soon to tell, at least for Warrior I can feel a game design behind it, and it feels better on paper.

 

Quote

FYI: we’ve also added an additional balance update to our release schedule on August 23, focused on buffing a larger set of specializations.

 

This is very much appreciated, and it's a tight schedule, I hope we will get a few rework or improvement on unused specs/weapons/utilities other than just numbers 😄. Fingers crossed !

 

I hope also you learnt from your mistakes ArenaNET and finally dedicated a team to balance.

 

Balance is hard, but it is one of the main reasons that makes a player come back and play the game (casual example is league of legends with their 2weeks balance patches - which is extremely short).

[LucianTheAngelic.7054]

Vindicator buffs for the later August patch please. Currently the spec does nothing well and doesn't have nearly enough damage to justify its one dodge

[Skyroar.2974]

7 minutes ago, LucianTheAngelic.7054 said:

Sword #3 is different on Virtuoso since it lacks the clone mechanic. There are no plans to make it game-wide, this is a Virtuoso-only change; they've talked about it ages ago before EoD even came out

I understand why the change was made, but I find it weird how obscure it is, how arbitrary it feels like to your casual player who may not understand the reasoning, and I totally missed when they've talked about it. Have a source/link?

EDIT: Besides, for most PvE content, core sword #3 is somewhat of a bland, filler skill, while most damage is put into the evade skill; if Anet were to put virtuoso's more interesting #3 in the core weapon, they would not only make the weapon more interesting (it would have 3 useful skills instead of 2 and a half), but also have room to spread its damage application more evenly, instead of having this uber overpowered #2 to make up for a very crappy #3.

I see no good argument why a trash skill that desperately needs a overhaul in PvE has to coexist with, instead of being completely replaced by, its better, more functional version currently gated behind a single spec.

Edited July 27, 2022 by Skyroar.2974

[LucianTheAngelic.7054]

Just now, Skyroar.2974 said:

I understand why the change was made, but I find it weird how obscure it is, how arbitrary it feels like to your casual player who may not understand the reasoning, and I totally missed when they've talked about it. Have a source/link?

one of their livestreams from pre-EoD, probably during the profession reveal stuff. I'm not going to dig for it since ain't nobody got time for that, but it's out there if you want to find it

[Urelementar.6120]

can banners be wells too :) kind or reminds me of gw1 elementalist defensive wells

[ErikViking.2754]

Nice, more Power Virtuoso Buffs, that was really needed, without those buffs maybe people would get the idea they should try harvest temple CM without atleast 4 Virtuosos. This way you may even play 5 or 6 virtuosos. Truly a weak class that needed those changes xD 

[Belisaria.8136]

Thanks gang, excited to try out the new banners. Glad to see the team take the feedback to heart and go for a big change on them.