August 23 Balance Update Preview For Elementalist

[Jonas.2079]

Water/Earth/Tempest with scepter/warhorn seems like it could be juicy. It kind of hurts to give up Arcane for earth, but it gives us another source of stability so we can keep the uptime high. Here's a build I quickly threw together http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PGgEsEWGBjh1wsYk4ZL52eB-zRRYVRDXuaQGlR1JQ6FgvLzBCA-e .

 

Didnt put much thought into gear, but the idea is there as a heal+alac+stability support. The CD on water trident is so low now, I'm hoping this will allow this build to heal well enough while still using powerful auras over soothing mist.  Attuning to earth with rock solid, Sand squall and Eye of the storm should with 100% BD give 17 seconds of stability if spaced well, letting us provide stability with pretty high uptime. We also provide a lot of prot, so much that the elemental shielding trait might not be neccessary. Fire attunement should provide large amounts of might. As an added bonus we are constantly sharing auras which is also nice.  We also have the glyph of renewal for rez power. 

 

Seems like it could be pretty good? 
 

[pallas.8150]

I love that they are addressing some damage/ number issues, but I'd REALLY like to see traits addressed and some skills (like Arcane/ Signets/ Cantrips).

For example, with Guardian's Signet changes, they get to keep their Signet Passives and it ALSO still adds the 20% bonus. Ele gets none. Cantrips' timers make them borderline useless compared to other Profession skills. Arcane is just... meh.

In terms of weapons - damage is a yay. Engi/Mechanist has access to a ton of boons, however, that Ele simply doesn't. They are still existing in 2012.

[Joswi.2635]

Lot's of good changes in this patch. Is there more they could do and that I would want to see different? Sure but I'm happy to get these buffs. Still want a better way for tempest to provide alacrity other than just completing overloads and still want a better way to gain energy on catalyst or to remove energy all together on it. Overall I'm happy with these changes, definitely steps in the right direction.

[solemn.9670]

PvE buffs

Thanks for the Vapor Blade aftercast reduction.

What an immense change - one whole skill. That's the most we could hope for I suppose.

[Zhaid Zhem.6508]

2 hours ago, pallas.8150 said:

I love that they are addressing some damage/ number issues, but I'd REALLY like to see traits addressed and some skills (like Arcane/ Signets/ Cantrips).

For example, with Guardian's Signet changes, they get to keep their Signet Passives and it ALSO still adds the 20% bonus. Ele gets none. Cantrips' timers make them borderline useless compared to other Profession skills. Arcane is just... meh.

In terms of weapons - damage is a yay. Engi/Mechanist has access to a ton of boons, however, that Ele simply doesn't. They are still existing in 2012.

 

Next year, don't worry.

[crosknight.3041]

8 hours ago, pallas.8150 said:

I love that they are addressing some damage/ number issues, but I'd REALLY like to see traits addressed and some skills (like Arcane/ Signets/ Cantrips).

Would love to see cantrips get a big look over, especially for team play. for example give cleansing fire that mobile firefield that warrior torch, or team application of armor of earth (probably reduce stability count cause 10 stab teamwide is to much).

[Infusion.7149]

Patch missed the mark with weaver I think. If it were up to me then water on sword would be doing power damage on par with earth attunement (sans the condi) which is also a defensive attunement. Weaver realistically is a DPS especially while using sword so the weapon ought to reflect that.
 

It will be interesting to see what happens with respect to the aegis addition, but "Aftershock" is incredibly overloaded as a skill.

The staff changes seem to be poorly thought out since addition of burning to fireball for example means it shouldn't get that large a power boost compared to chain lightning (which does far less cleave damage).

As far as scepter, rock barrier still is going to possibly cause aggro issues in raiding content if someone uses it in a toughness tank situation.


 

[Noodle Ant.1605]

1 hour ago, Infusion.7149 said:

The staff changes seem to be poorly thought out since addition of burning to fireball for example means it shouldn't get that large a power boost compared to chain lightning (which does far less cleave damage).

fireball is getting buffed by 40% (the 1s burning is pretty meh but it procs pyromancers training dmg bonus i guess)

thats a pretty sizeable increase makes staff a little more useable, probably more so for a LI staff build (probably core) that camps fire and is truly fully ranged unlike the current LI condi scepter temp

i need to run some more numbers to see if the buffs actually mean anything outside a LI/"noobtrap" context - i.e. staff weaver, which despite the changes "[improving] air attunement skills direct strike damage" attunes to earth instead (because pyroclastic blast >>> plasma blast) and may benefit from shockwave and stoning changes

however, the breakbar potential on staff remains extremely poor because of 2 of its cc skills, static field and unsteady ground, require enemies to walk through them and have 0 effect on an immobile target. these skills could probably use some cc effect upon intial placement or some interaction with breakbar

[Bakeneko.5826]

Staff is still too weak to be useful in PvE as dps weapon.

[Zhaid Zhem.6508]

1 hour ago, Bakeneko.5826 said:

Staff is still too weak to be useful in PvE as dps weapon.

 

DPS are part of the problem obviously compared to old lava font, meteor shower... but I think it's more about convenience; cast-time/after cast and utilities.
Last time some one did benchmark *it wasn't that bad, it's just you can't play it against most of encounters and you're still incredibly selfish and dependant.

 

Lower cast-times. Magnetic aura could have get the same treatment than dagger's auras (in pve). Healing rain is stuck in 2012. The revive percentage could be basic on water geyser. Frozen ground stuck in 2012, should deal damage.
We could get some fury/mights for the group as second effect, as all others classes seem to get now, like on Gust or Windborne speed, on the fireball AA ...

Edited August 14, 2022 by Zhaid Zhem.6508

[Bakeneko.5826]

2 hours ago, Zhaid Zhem.6508 said:

 

DPS are part of the problem obviously compared to old lava font, meteor shower... but I think it's more about convenience; cast-time/after cast and utilities.
Last time some one did benchmark *it wasn't that bad, it's just you can't play it against most of encounters and you're still incredibly selfish and dependant.

 

Lower cast-times. Magnetic aura could have get the same treatment than dagger's auras (in pve). Healing rain is stuck in 2012. The revive percentage could be basic on water geyser. Frozen ground stuck in 2012, should deal damage.
We could get some fury/mights for the group as second effect, as all others classes seem to get now, like on Gust or Windborne speed, on the fireball AA ...

It isn't bad as a whole for staff enjoyers, but it's nothing to write home about. Staff is stuck in this weird place where it's not fully single target damage, but not quite AoE either. Staff still needs just a tiny bit or "umpf".

[zitounae.4803]

On 8/13/2022 at 12:53 PM, Zhaid Zhem.6508 said:

 

Weavers(core) would need more than just DPS ; better barrier or barrier spam, some  tools for allies, more choice in utility skills to adap, etc, but if selfishness DPS it the way yeah Weaver really need buff. Only I don't see direct buff to weaver : no buff on sword, no buff on traits ...

 

Only power buff on core weapons used mainly by tempest, tempest who also get a dmg buff in trait + more diversity.  It looks like only tempest exists now, and they struggle to give it identity and viability after the weird alacrity move on grandmaster trait and the mechanist move.

Yeah ppl not playing weaver much in PvE isn't related to DMG imho, Even if it's not too DPS or easy dps, it's mostly enough for most content and you don't need to be God pianist to make it ok , tho yeah there's just so many choices more efficient/easy .. could use les squsihiness and overall utility.

[AliamRationem.5172]

6 hours ago, zitounae.4803 said:

Yeah ppl not playing weaver much in PvE isn't related to DMG imho, Even if it's not too DPS or easy dps, it's mostly enough for most content and you don't need to be God pianist to make it ok , tho yeah there's just so many choices more efficient/easy .. could use les squsihiness and overall utility.

Damage is the only thing weaver can do.  When it does it better than most, it's a popular pick.  When it doesn't (like now) hardly anybody plays it.  There should be a payoff for playing a class with the limitations weaver has and right now there isn't.  Hopefully the power buffs will help, but they really should have buffed both condi and power sword.  There's no reason these builds shouldn't be near the top.

[Downstate.4697]

You guys are coped out. Adjusting the numbers is anets way of saying we are too lazy to change anything significant. Doing the easy thing instead of the right thing is going to lead balance to no where. 

 

[Bakeneko.5826]

2 hours ago, FrownyClown.8402 said:

You guys are coped out. Adjusting the numbers is anets way of saying we are too lazy to change anything significant. Doing the easy thing instead of the right thing is going to lead balance to no where. 

 

That's how staff was nerfed... By adjusting numbers....

[Erick Alastor.3917]

Since they don't want to tie alac to auras, could we at least get that buff PULSING on overloads in the next patch too?
I'm getting tired of having to interrupt an overload losing almost half of my upkeep because of it.

HFB applies most of its quick without animations.
HAM farts alac in so many ways that losing an applications means nothing.
MES wells got recently (and finally) changed exactly for a quite similar problem to the one we're now facing with oveloads.

So... could we consider a rework?

Edited August 16, 2022 by Erick Alastor.3917

[Bakeneko.5826]

13 hours ago, Erick Alastor.3917 said:

I'm getting tired of having to interrupt an overload losing almost half of my upkeep because of it.

Git gud?

[Erick Alastor.3917]

1 hour ago, Bakeneko.5826 said:

Git gud?

Kitten guys, I'm sorry, I was the one holding down HAT, I wasn't just good enough.
But thanks to Bakeneko kind feedback I finally know what it needs to be done, I promise I'll git gud, this way your parties will stop being filled by orange and blue only. Gimme a few weeks, a month at max, and the rise of eles will be unstoppable!

Edited August 16, 2022 by Erick Alastor.3917

[AliamRationem.5172]

16 hours ago, Erick Alastor.3917 said:

Since they don't want to tie alac to auras, could we at least get that buff PULSING on overloads in the next patch too?
I'm getting tired of having to interrupt an overload losing almost half of my upkeep because of it.

HFB applies most of its quick without animations.
HAM farts alac in so many ways that losing an applications means nothing.
MES wells got recently (and finally) changed exactly for a quite similar problem to the one we're now facing with oveloads.

So... could we consider a rework?

It wouldn't be GW2 balance if we didn't continually make the same mistakes!

[Bakeneko.5826]

2 hours ago, Erick Alastor.3917 said:

Kitten guys, I'm sorry, I was the one holding down HAT, I wasn't just good enough.
But thanks to Bakeneko kind feedback I finally know what it needs to be done, I promise I'll git gud, this way your parties will stop being filled by orange and blue only. Gimme a few weeks, a month at max, and the rise of eles will be unstoppable!

You interrupt your skill in rotation. You literally need to get good at class. It isn't hard to understand.

[TheGrimoire.4039]

1 hour ago, Bakeneko.5826 said:

You interrupt your skill in rotation. You literally need to get good at class. It isn't hard to understand.

So nothing in this entire game can interrupt a skill cast time. Noted.

[Skelly.2867]

Hooray for finally giving the staff update I've been asking for for years! see signature

Just... I've a lot of gripes about it.

Spoiler

If all you were going to do is nothing but up damage numbers, why didn't you do this in the first June patch? Like seriously Anet. Or even the last update. And I personally don't understand why the core weapon buffs weren't in the June patch to begin with. To me it seems dumb. There's probably some programming/coding behind the scenes or priorities or something I don't know so can't accurately comment on because I don't know what actually is going on with the dev team, but if you want my frank 2cents? Its frustrating. And its really, really hard to empathize.

That aside... damage numbers I don't think are staff's only problem. Casting time is another, isn't it? Are they just going to wait and see if the damage numbers fix it before they look at skills and other parts of Ele's toolkit or is this going to be a one time thing and never heard from again?

[Sifu.9745]

Finally my full celestial geared Tempest will be able to use a Staff in open world and WvW as a real hybrid weapon, not just pure healing or squishy power weapon, but condi as well. 1 sec burn seems low, but i am sure we can extend it to 2 sec with enough Expertise, traits and sigils. Nice work on staff, Anet. If you could only add some Bleeding on Earth AA ... 🙂

[William.3871]

12 hours ago, Skelly.2867 said:

Hooray for finally giving the staff update I've been asking for for years! see signature

Just... I've a lot of gripes about it.

  Reveal hidden contents

If all you were going to do is nothing but up damage numbers, why didn't you do this in the first June patch? Like seriously Anet. Or even the last update. And I personally don't understand why the core weapon buffs weren't in the June patch to begin with. To me it seems dumb. There's probably some programming/coding behind the scenes or priorities or something I don't know so can't accurately comment on because I don't know what actually is going on with the dev team, but if you want my frank 2cents? Its frustrating. And its really, really hard to empathize.

That aside... damage numbers I don't think are staff's only problem. Casting time is another, isn't it? Are they just going to wait and see if the damage numbers fix it before they look at skills and other parts of Ele's toolkit or is this going to be a one time thing and never heard from again?

Reducing animation cast of Meteor Shower would be a mistake. What Meteor Shower needs is to be buffed accordingly to its self root and long cast restrictions regarding damage, and maybe brief stun like it had in GW1.

 

its suppose to be the most powerful base skill in all guild wars. Make it so.

[Bakeneko.5826]

4 hours ago, William.3871 said:

Reducing animation cast of Meteor Shower would be a mistake. What Meteor Shower needs is to be buffed accordingly to its self root and long cast restrictions regarding damage, and maybe brief stun like it had in GW1.

 

its suppose to be the most powerful base skill in all guild wars. Make it so.

Change that reduces damage on same target after multiple hits should be removed. (This change: Damage will now decline by 10% for each subsequent hit, capping at a minimum value equal to 10% of the initial impact's damage.)