August 2 Balance Update Preview

[Lan Deathrider.5910]

1 minute ago, ThunderX.6591 said:

Was reading all the various posts and i cannot believe that only one person noticed the "extra nerfs" the banner have taken...... really, 3 pages and only 1 person noticed at least 1 of the various nerf banner received confronting them with the actual one used atm?

All the post are about the needed change to the banner (noone noticed the multinerf they get in reality) and random rant about Mecha and FB (yeah, they are the most talked class of the game, the image of GW2).

I am seriously a bit shocked from the non-existent reaction about it

No, it was noticed, the other changes take precedence over it though.

[Kunavi.2407]

2 minutes ago, ThunderX.6591 said:

I am seriously a bit shocked

If you're a warrior main, nothing like that should be shocking to you... 😉

[Valdel.7325]

2 hours ago, EvilSardine.9635 said:

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

If it takes another nerf it will be just as useless as Holosmith, Dps Scrapper and Core in WvW. 

[Valdel.7325]

2 hours ago, Bookah pls.9352 said:

Do you genuinely believe that power creeping everyone else to the stupid op levels of firebrand and mechanist is healthy for this game?

 

I certainly don't.

I wish people would specify PvE or not, as nothing powerful about Mechanist in WvW with the nerfs it's taken.

[Riba.3271]

Adding one random aegis application to warrior seems like a mistake making the class identity all over the place.

 

As a WvW player, looking forward to warriors finally having short cooldown decent stability, AoE even.

Banner of strength shouldn't daze enemies since AoE dazes in WvW tend to cancel CC from other WvW players. Maybe make it 1 second knockdown instead.

[Kain Francois.4328]

2 hours ago, stormemperor.3745 said:

These fixes are just to say that they are working on it.

Why the heck are people downvoting you/reacting with confused emote? All you're doing is just giving the technical reason.

 

 

[ThunderX.6591]

Talking about the banner and the nerf we get with the change. (math is simple)

•             Recharge reduced from 60s to 30s (except Battle Standard)
• Nice change, faster recharge = faster moving banner to go with the party (battle standard is powerfull, i think will be ok if stay at 120 sec).
•             Animation changed; cast time reduced by 0.2s (except Battle Standard)
• Nice this one too, faster is better here.
•             Light combo field radius reduced from 600 to 360. Combo field duration reduced to from 5s to 3s.
• Range nerfed is a bad thing, is like you are negating the 2 previous change with this.
•             Pulsing boon radius reduced to 360.
• As sayd, reducing the radius is a nerf and don't help at all the previous nice change to banners considering people tend to move around and 600 is barely enough to cover basic movements during a fight.
•             Once dropped, banners last for 15 seconds, and can no longer be picked up.
• What is this incredible mega nerf to the banner? Now in game they last 60 secs and recharge in 60 secs (Battle Standard is 120 secs recharge), and can be even moved around AND have a radius of 600, BUT with this 02/08 patch, they last for 15 secs only and with less radius? (even battle standard have only 15 secs duration from the actual 60 secs?) so we have 15 secs without boons now? (Battle Standard have like 105 secs with no boons now instead of only 60) Is this a bad joke, a bad nightmare or am i missing something really big and good from these preview of the patch?
•               Banners no longer grant quickness on drop by default (except for Banner of Tactics in PvE only).
• Nothing to say here.
•  

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

Pass on the explanation of the new banner rework.

 

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)

Ok, nice to have new duration and new boons, BUT how much time between the boons pulse?

Actually we have a boon pulse every 3 seconds, but no info about that with the new banners rework, so, stay the same or is changed? (i tremble to the though that the interval get changed too)

Edited July 27, 2022 by ThunderX.6591

[Jees.5478]

I know Arenanet sayed what they will change in august, but I am still disappointed that there are no Vindicator changes. So vindi is dead till october and who knows, maybe even after the october patch. The Warrior changes are not so great on paper, lets see how they will performe.

 

Okay maybe we have some luck on 23.08.22. 

Edited July 27, 2022 by Jees.5478

[Lycan.8327]

2 hours 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?

 

Dude, chill. Seriously.

 

We're getting something. Progress is being made and we're moving in the right direction. Yes, I'd LOVE to see some love for Ele, but what you're asking for is major reworks for 5 out of 9 elite specs as an update to previous changes, in a world where is clear that getting the balance wrong is unforgivable. 

 

1. Wait many months for an update of that scale

2. wait less time but get some changes (as above)

3. Wait less time, get all a huge balance update and have it suck again. 

 

PICK ONE.

[Rym.1469]

Tactics banner looks fat if it gives more than 1 stab stack for 2s.

[Lan Deathrider.5910]

26 minutes ago, Riba.3271 said:

Adding one random aegis application to warrior seems like a mistake making the class identity all over the place.

 

As a WvW player, looking forward to warriors finally having short cooldown decent stability, AoE even.

Banner of strength shouldn't daze enemies since AoE dazes in WvW tend to cancel CC from other WvW players. Maybe make it 1 second knockdown instead.

Nah. Think broader. There are trait interactions that work with daze but not knockdown. That and if it's a daze it can still do damage.

[Preachir.8643]

3 hours ago, EvilSardine.9635 said:

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

Not to mention spvp rifle mech / rifle scrapper take 0 skill while yielding maximum benefit. 

[Artyport.2084]

Can WE PLEASE MAKE SWORD skills blade skills for virtuoso.. 

I would really like to do condi damage with my sword.

[stormemperor.3745]

August 23 Balance Preview

TLDR

Elementalist

We felt that this class is too confusing to play, now you can only attune to 1 element in combat

Necromancer

Damage reduced by %, because we nerf necromancer every update

Mesmer

Your clones no longer attack instead they resummon themselves constantly and provide fps lose to team.

Thief

Spoiler

                                                                                 

 

Ranger

Unleash the kraken

Engineer

We felt that class mechanics are too hard, now your mech casts its own skill automatically.

Warrior

Banners are removed indefinetly.

Revenant

Battle scar coefficient reduced.

Guardian

We felt that Firebrand giving all boons except the alacrity was a big issue regarding the balance. Thus Firebrand can now provide all boons. So that players won't be confused what to do in raids. 

Edited July 27, 2022 by stormemperor.3745

[Artyport.2084]

Just now, stormemperor.3745 said:

August 23 Balance Preview

TLDR

Elementalist

We felt that this class is too confusing to play, now you can only attune to 1 element at a time

Necromancer

Damage reduced by %, because we nerf necromancer every update

Mesmer

Your clones no longer attack instead they resummon themselves constantly and provide fps lose to team.

Thief

  Reveal hidden contents

                                                                                 

 

Ranger

Unleash the kraken

Engineer

We felt that class mechanics are too hard, now your mech casts its own skill automatically.

Warrior

Banners are removed indefinetly.

Revenant

Battle scar coefficient reduced.

Guardian

We felt that Firebrand giving all boons except the alacrity was a big issue regarding the balance. Thus Firebrand can now provide all boons. So that players won't be confused what to do in raids. 

if they gave ele a single or dual element specialization I would BE SO FREAKING HAPPY!

[Stogan.9567]

holding out for mech nerf, core engi buff. I think I've got time to max a runescape account.

[Skie.8904]

The warrior changes are very interesting. Might finally have a heavy armor class feel with those boons.

[Lily.1935]

Cool cool. Warrior and mesmer focus. Since this is the case I have a request.

Warrior Hammer. Could we get some changes for that? Also Mesmer Scepter needs some help too.

Aside from that I'll always advocate for Necromancer weapons and for engineer turrets to be tuned up.

Also, lets ask for Elementalist staff to be tuned up high enough so we can have a simple ele rotation that lets us stick in one element or swap only between two. Ele is unpopular literally only because they don't have a good simple build that does decent damage.

Edited July 27, 2022 by Lily.1935

[Lincolnbeard.1735]

Wow. I'm speechless. 

GS2 is bugged, no change

GS2 operating worse at range on a ranged weapon - no change

BF is only good for the evade frame - no change. 

Staff and scepter are utter trash on Virt since both are designed taking clones into account - no change. 

All phantasms are garbage except GS and Pistol - no change. 

Don't even know why did you waste time making a patch. 

[Jaden.1420]

Warrior:

I've seen better banner rework ideas from the community, but this'll do, too. Banner of Tactics even looks promising for WvW, maybe even Banner of Strength on an offensive Warrior build, depending on the damage of the Banner drop.

In PvE, however, the most important parameter is the quickness duration, which, for some reason, isn't given here. Warrior specializations usually need at least one slot for themselfes, Berserker to prolong Berserk mode, Bladesworn for Flow, so if 3 Banners should be necessary to upkeep quickness, support warrior is immediately dead. If two are needed, then the class is still less flexible than qFB or qHarb, which basically have a free utility slot. I assume, you'll always bring Banner of Tactics because of additional quickness, so your only choice will be Aegis or damage. And don't get me wrong. Aegis is great, but since the Banner is part of your rotation, the timeframe will be limited, again, depending on the boon duration which isn't stated.

 

Mesmer:

I see, to a degree, what you did there. Sw/Sh+GS is the highest damage build on qChrono, and these weapons were buffed. With a quick calculation I'd assume that this build is on a par with qScrapper or qHerald after the patch. However, most of the buffs are on GS, so if you want to use Focus for pulls, the damage will drop again since the sword buffs are so minor and shield is obligatory nowadays.

Furthermore, I have to assume that you've given up on dps Chrono builds, since you decided to place the damage buff in the same line as the crit chance trait and didn't compensate it in any other way on a specialization that really struggles with crit chance. Note that Power Virtuoso also profits from this patch, so it'll still be ahead by far while also being much easier to play.

Finally, the extend of the patch is a bit disappointing. I understand that you didn't have the time/recources for large reworks, but especially Chrono could need some additional love. A lot of player wish for symmetric boon generation (StM for Alac). Nobody likes the new wells. Time Warp went from one of the most powerful ulties at game release to arguably the worst one. Heal builds still suffer from abysmal boon generation.

 

I appreciate that the next balance patch is end of August, but with the current rate of change this process will still take a painfully long time.

Edited July 27, 2022 by Jaden.1420
spelling

[Brandon Uzumaki.1524]

Idea, idea, this will make Warrior top meta in the game, if you trait for Doubled Standards, and drop all banners at the same time, they combine to form a "Mega Bannertron", a powerfull companion for the Warrior, it moves and atacks enemies, while pulsing all these boons to the Warrior and it's allies. Of course, the Mega Bannertron is very powerfull, so for balancing reasons, it only stays active for 20 seconds before crumbling.

Edited July 27, 2022 by Brandon Uzumaki.1524

[Subli.8217]

I'm praying for reaper buffs as well as power necro in general. Scourge? Harbinger? Core necro? Staff? God can you hear me?

[Valisha.8650]

Still hoping for "disable allies targeting" option for Specter

[Mikael Ekvall.6039]

Wait what... no changes to wells? And no boosting at all to chrono identity mechanics? 

Bummer. 

Edited July 27, 2022 by Mikael Ekvall.6039

[Iustitian.9176]

4 hours ago, Rubi Bayer.8493 said:

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.

Many times called here, but I repeat it in my own words: 

This seems very senseless to improve the power damage of Chronomancers (2 damage improvement traits at same level). The buff could/should be at the minor master trait "flow of time" (similar to mirage traits).