October 4 Balance Update Preview

[Double Tap.3940]

Hi, everyone,

 

Today we're taking a look at some upcoming balance changes in the October 4 update. The August 23 balance update was primarily focused on PvE, and we felt it was important to do a similar update for competitive modes. After this update, we'll be returning to the usual update format that includes changes targeted at all game modes.

The goal of previewing these changes is to hear your feedback on these changes before they're released. We'll be following the conversation and making adjustments to our plans as needed.

Thanks,

Cal "cmc" Cohen
Skills and Balance Team Lead

October 4 Balance Update Preview

Revisiting Elite Specialization Tradeoffs

Many elite specializations have some mechanical weaknesses compared to the core profession, commonly referred to as the "tradeoff" for the specialization's new mechanics. In some cases, these tradeoffs feel natural, like when a reaper loses access to Death Shroud and gains access to Reaper's Shroud, but in other cases, these tradeoffs feel unnatural and can contribute to making a specialization feel less fluid to play. For this update, we've started to look at these unnatural tradeoffs and evaluate whether they're still necessary for the balance of the game. In many cases, we've simply removed the tradeoff, with the expectation that these specializations can still be balanced in other ways.

300-Second Cooldown Traits

Back in February 2020, we increased the cooldown of many powerful passive defensive traits (such as Defy Pain) to 300 seconds because we didn't want these effects to have an impact in competitive modes, and for this update, we've revisited these traits with the goal of making them into healthier mechanics. In some cases, we've made the defensive effect trigger off something more active (like using an elite skill), and in other cases we've reworked the traits entirely.

General

The previous update to torment was a good change mechanically, as standing still to avoid increased damage isn't a realistic counterplay, but it left builds reliant on torment for damage in a tough spot. We're increasing the base values and reducing the bonus against stationary enemies to make torment damage a bit more consistent.

• Torment: In PvP and WvW, damage has been adjusted as follows:
  • While moving: Increased base damage from 15.9 to 19.8. Increased condition damage scaling from 0.045 to 0.054.
  • While stationary: Reduced base damage from 31.8 to 26. Reduced condition damage scaling from 0.09 to 0.07.

 

Elementalist

The last set of catalyst enhancements in PvP pushed it a bit over the top. With other top performers like specter, bladesworn, and herald coming down in this update, we wanted to include a few smaller adjustments to catalyst, and we've shaved down a few of its more potent defensive tools.

"Eye of the Storm!" also gets a slight cooldown shave in WvW as part of a tuning pass on existing group stun breaks.

• Earth's Embrace: This trait has been reworked. It now grants barrier when attuning to earth.
• Final Shielding: This trait no longer grants Arcane Shield when dropping below 50% health. Instead, it grants Arcane Shield after using an elite skill.

Tempest

• Gale Song: This trait has been reworked. It now grants protection to nearby allies after using a healing skill.
• "Eye of the Storm!": Reduced cooldown from 35 seconds to 30 seconds in WvW only.

Catalyst

• Fortified Earth: Reduced base barrier from 3,000 to 2,520 in PvP only. Increased cooldown from 25 seconds to 30 seconds in PvP only.
• Rocky Loop: Reduced damage reduction from 10% to 7% in PvP only.
• Staunch Auras: Reduced stability duration from 3 seconds to 2 seconds in PvP only.

 

Engineer

On the PvP side of things, we're revisiting an old powerhouse: grenade holosmith. While we don't want it back at the level where it dominated the meta, it's currently underperforming and there's room to bring it back up a bit.

For WvW we've primarily focused on scrapper. As we look to improve support diversity in WvW, it's clear that scrapper is an outlier. Builds like vindicator, tempest, warrior, or druid (after this update's changes) have the potential to be potent support options, but they aren't quite at the same level. We see scrapper as overperforming relative to where a support build should be, and so we've brought down its power in a few areas rather than raising other support builds to that overperforming level. We'll be keeping an eye on the support meta following this update and will make additional changes in future balance updates with the goal of creating many viable options.

 

Skills

• Grenade Barrage: Increased power coefficient per grenade from 0.3 to 0.3333 in PvP only.
• Shrapnel Grenade: Reduced cooldown from 6 seconds to 5 seconds in PvP only.
• Freeze Grenade: Increased power coefficient per grenade from 0.2 to 0.5 in PvP only.
• Magnetic Shield: Reduced cooldown from 30 seconds to 25 seconds in PvP only. Reduced cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE and WvW.
• Static Shield: Reduced cooldown from 40 seconds to 30 seconds in PvP only. Reduced cooldown from 30 seconds to 24 seconds in PvE and WvW.
• Utility Goggles: Increased resistance duration from 3 seconds to 5 seconds. This skill now removes one damaging condition in addition to its other effects.
• Throw Mine: Reduced number of boons removed from 2 to 1 in WvW only.
• Mine Field: This skill no longer removes boons. Instead, it cripples enemies that it strikes.
• Fumigate: Increased cooldown from 12 second to 20 seconds in WvW only.
• Cleansing Field: Increased cooldown from 15 seconds to 20 seconds in WvW only.

Traits

• Over Shield: This trait no longer reduces the cooldown of shield skills.
• Medical Dispersion Field: Reduced healing conversion percentage from 10% to 7% in WvW.
• Mechanized Deployment: This trait now removes a condition after using a toolbelt skill, in addition to its other effects.
• Reactive Lenses: This trait no longer triggers Lesser Utility Goggles when disabled or blinded. Instead, it triggers after using a healing skill.
• Lesser Utility Goggles: Increased resistance duration from 2 seconds to 3 seconds. This skill now removes one damaging condition in addition to its other effects.
• Takedown Round: This trait has been reworked. It now grants increased outgoing strike damage while endurance is not full.
• Kinetic Battery: Increased quickness duration from 2 seconds to 3 seconds in PvP and WvW.

Scrapper

Skills

• Defense Field: This skill is now ground targeted. The spell area of effect created by this skill is now stationary. Increased cooldown from 25 seconds to 35 seconds in WvW only.
• Scrapper wells are now stationary ground-targeted skills with a range of 900.

Traits

• Impact Savant: This trait no longer reduces vitality.
• Gyroscopic Acceleration: Superspeed is now applied on the first pulse of wells instead of the final pulse.
• Kinetic Accelerators: This trait no longer grants quickness in PvP and WvW. Instead, it grants might and fury.

 

Holosmith

Skills

• Coolant Blast: Increased base healing from 4,740 to 5,250 in PvP and WvW.
• Cauterize: Reduced burning duration from 3 seconds to 1 second in PvP and WvW. Reduced the number of conditions removed from 3+3 to 2+2 in PvP and WvW. This skill now activates instantly.
• Photon Wall: Reduced cooldown from 45 seconds to 35 seconds in PvP only.
• Prime Light Beam: Increased power coefficient from 0.01 to 1.0 in PvP and WvW.

Traits

• Enhanced Capacity Storage Unit: Increased might duration from 6 seconds to 9 seconds in PvP only.

 

Guardian

Dragonhunter

Hunter's Determination gets the "on elite skill use" trigger that a lot of similar traits received in this update, but we've also focused the effect on its defensive elements. After using an elite skill, the trait will immediately grant aegis and stability and create aegis fragments rather than creating a damaging trap that needs to be triggered.

Test of Faith will also receive a slight reduction, as it is one of the more overperforming aspects of dragonhunter damage builds in WvW.

Skills

• Test of Faith: Reduced passthrough power coefficient from 2.22 to 1.87 in WvW only.

Traits

• Hunter's Determination: This trait no longer grants aegis and casts Shards of Faith when disabled. Instead, it grants aegis and stability and creates aegis fragments after using an elite skill.

 

Firebrand

Mantra of Liberation is a skill that has long overperformed, but it's not something that we want to bring down in isolation, as the need for group stability and stun breaks in WvW cannot be understated. With the improvement to some existing stability options and the addition of other new ones in this update, we're taking the opportunity to bring down the mantra and rein in some of firebrand's dominance in WvW. Firebrand's strength goes beyond the power of an individual skill, and we're investigating some additional adjustments for a future balance update.

Skills

• Mantra of Liberation: Reduced ammunition count from 3 to 2 in WvW only. Increased ammunition recharge time from 25 seconds to 30 seconds.

 

Mesmer

The primary change for mesmers in this update is the addition of distortion to both chronomancer and virtuoso. We've also tuned up Mantra of Concentration to be a more viable stability source in WvW with additional stacks, longer duration, and a larger radius.

We're planning a larger investigation into the balance between boon applications and boon removal in WvW for a future update, but for now we wanted to address a few outliers on mesmer, namely Phantasmal Disenchanter and Null Field.

Skills

• Mantra of Concentration: Increased stability from 3 stacks for 3 seconds to 5 stacks for 5 seconds in WvW only. Increased ammunition recharge from 30 seconds to 35 seconds in WvW only. Increased range from 240 to 600.
• Phantasmal Disenchanter: Reduced number of boons removed from 5 to 2 in WvW only.
• Null Field: Increased cooldown from 25 seconds to 35 seconds in WvW only.

 

Chronomancer

Skills

• Continuum Shift: This skill has been moved to slot 5 of the profession mechanic bar. Distortion is now accessible in slot 4.

 

Virtuoso

Skills

• Bladeturn Requiem: This skill has been moved to slot 5 of the profession mechanic bar. Distortion is now accessible in slot 4.

 

Necromancer

Scourge

Scourge's punishment skills are a powerful source of cover conditions, breaking the usual expectation of a one-to-one boon conversion by always applying torment and cripple. We don't consider this one-to-two conversion to be a healthy mechanic and have made an adjustment to all punishment skills in this update. We're considering changing these skills to use the standard boon conversion table, but we wanted to try to maintain some of scourge's unique flavor, so we've started by increasing the number of torment stacks while removing the cripple application.

Trail of Anguish is another big outlier on scourge, as its lack of a target cap allowed it to have a much greater impact than desired in large-scale fights. We've updated the skill so it can only affect a maximum of ten enemies to bring it more in line with similar effects.

Skills

• Punishment skills no longer inflict crippled when removing a boon. Increased number of torment stacks applied when removing a boon from 1 to 3.
• Trail of Anguish: This skill can now affect a maximum of 10 enemies.

 

Ranger

Traits

• Shared Anguish: This trait no longer transfers incoming crowd control to pets. Instead, it grants stability to the ranger and their pet when swapping pets.
• Stoneform: This trait no longer grants Lesser Signet of Stone when dropping below 50% health. Instead, it grants Lesser Signet of Stone after using an elite skill.

Druid

Druid is a specialization that was intended to enable a more supportive playstyle for rangers, but it has always lacked the set of tools needed to compete with other support builds in competitive modes. In this update, we've added some reliable group protection to Verdant Etching, group stability to Glyph of the Stars, and more consistent astral force generation for all druid builds to Natural Mender. We've also made some usability improvements to a few of the clunkier druid skills.

Skills

• Astral Wisp: This skill can now target allies. After attaching to a target, this skill will now pulse healing to allies around that target instead of creating a circling projectile that heals allies.
• Glyph of Alignment (Base): Increased immobilize duration from 1.5 seconds to 2 seconds.
• Glyph of Alignment (Celestial Avatar): Increased number of conditions removed from 2 to 3. Increased base healing from 2,585 to 3,076.
• Glyph of Equality (Celestial Avatar): Increased range from 360 to 600.
• Glyph of the Stars: This skill is no longer channeled and instead creates the spell area of effect after an initial casting time.
  • Base: Reduced the number of pulses from 7 to 6. This skill now grants stability instead of preventing condition applications to allies in the area.
  • Celestial Avatar: Reduced the number of revive pulses from 18 to 6. Increased the revive percentage per pulse from 4% to 12%. This skill now grants stability instead of protection, in addition to regeneration and vigor.
• Glyph of the Tides: Reduced cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
• Glyph of Equality: Reduced cooldown from 30 seconds to 24 seconds in PvE only.
• Glyph of Rejuvenation: Reduced cooldown from 24 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
• Glyph of the Stars: Reduced cooldown from 60 seconds to 48 seconds.
• Seed of Life: Increased range from 180 to 240. Reduced blossoming time from 1.32 seconds to 0.66 seconds. This skill now activates instantly. Reduced the number of conditions removed from 3 to 2 in PvP and WvW.

Traits

• Celestial Being: This trait no longer reduces pet attributes.
• Natural Mender: This trait no longer uses a stacking effect. Instead, it grants a flat amount of increased outgoing healing. This trait also now grants astral force every few seconds while not in Celestial Avatar.
• Druidic Clarity: This trait now also removes conditions from nearby allies. Reduced number of conditions removed from 13 to 3.
• Cultivated Synergy: Increased healing attribute scaling from 0.2 to 0.75.
• Verdant Etching: This trait now grants protection to nearby allies after using a glyph skill instead of its previous effects.
• Lingering Light: This trait no longer grants astral force while not in Celestial Avatar form.

 

Soulbeast

The big update for soulbeast is the removal of its tradeoff; soulbeasts will once again be able to swap pets while in combat. We've also increased the range of the stance sharing from Leader of the Pack to make it a more reliable stability option when sharing Dolyak Stance.

Traits

• Elevated Bond: This trait no longer prevents pet swapping while in combat. Traits that trigger when swapping pets no longer trigger when entering Beastmode.
• Eternal Bond: This trait has been reworked. It now grants healing when using a merged skill. You can swap pets while merged.
• Leader of the Pack: Increased range from 240 to 600.

 

Revenant

Condition revenant is in a similar position to grenade holosmith in PvP: a once-powerful build in the meta that fell out of favor after a few rounds of nerfs and is currently underperforming. The build's resistance sources were reduced significantly back when the boon still granted full condition immunity, but now that it only negates nondamaging conditions, we're bringing the durations back up.

Skills

• Demonic Defiance: Increased resistance duration from 1 second to 2 seconds in PvP only.
• Fiendish Tenacity: Increased resistance duration from 1 second to 2 seconds in PvP only. Increased base healing from 132 to 165 in PvP and WvW.
• Spirit Boon: Increased resistance duration when invoking Mallyx from 1 second to 2 seconds in PvP only.
• Echoing Eruption: Increased ammunition from 1 to 2 in PvP and WvW.
• Pain Absorption: Reduced energy cost from 35 to 30 in PvP only.
• Call to Anguish: Reduced energy cost from 35 to 30 in PvP only.

 

Herald

The recent update to Draconic Echo pushed power herald builds a bit over the top by granting easy access to a lot of quickness. The change was primarily targeted at PvE modes to make herald a viable source of group quickness, but it's clear that this isn't a healthy mechanic for competitive modes. Lingering facet passives is already a powerful effect, and we've changed the boon to might in competitive modes to bring the trait down to a more reasonable power level.

Traits

• Draconic Echo: This trait now grants might instead of quickness in PvP and WvW.

 

Vindicator

The single dodge that vindicator has access to has been a long-standing point of negative feedback, and for this update we've adjusted the timing and endurance cost of the vindicator jump so it's more in line with regular dodges.

We've also made some small usability improvements to the vindicator's group stun break Awakening, increasing the range and removing the casting time.

• Vindicator no longer consumes all endurance to dodge. Reduced endurance cost of dodging from 100 to 50. Reduced dodge evade window from 1.6 seconds to 0.8 seconds.

Traits

• Awakening: This skill now activates instantly. Reduced energy cost from 35 to 30 in WvW only. Increased range from 360 to 600.

 

Thief

In addition to reworking the passive traits in the Acrobatics trait line, Meld with Shadows gets a slight shave off its superspeed duration, targeting the strong performance of deadeye builds in PvP.

Traits

• Hard to Catch: This trait has been reworked. It now grants endurance when shadowstepping.
• Instant Reflexes: This trait no longer grants evasion when dropping below 50% health. Instead, it grants evasion after using an elite skill.
• Meld with Shadows: Reduced superspeed duration from 2 seconds to 1.5 seconds in PvP only.

 

Specter

Specter is currently one of the most powerful specializations in PvP. The build has a lot of strengths, but the thing that stands out is the sheer amount of shroud health available, especially in combination with additional sources of vitality. We're reducing the shroud health by a significant amount, with the goal of making specters a bit easier to kill.

We do see specter's reduced initiative pool as one of the tradeoffs we want to revisit eventually, but given its current power level we didn't want to do so in this update. We'll be keeping an eye on the strength of specter going forward and will be looking for an opportunity to restore the lost initiative once it's less dominant.

• Reduced Shadow Shroud health scaling from 1.5 to 0.69.

Skills

Well of Bounty is another skill we wanted to make into a more reliable source of group stability, and to do so we've adjusted how it applies boons. Instead of picking from boons that the target doesn't already have, the skill will consistently apply the same boons on specific pulses, starting with stability on pulse 1.

• Well of Bounty: Increased cooldown from 20 seconds to 30 seconds in WvW, and from 20 seconds to 35 seconds in PvP. This skill now applies the following boons:
  • Pulse 1: Stability
  • Pulse 2: Might
  • Pulse 3: Fury
  • Pulse 4: Vigor
  • Pulse 5: Resistance

 

Warrior

Berserker is a specialization that was heavily impacted in competitive modes by the introduction of its tradeoffs, and it was one of the primary targets for improvements in this update. In addition to removing these tradeoffs, we've added adrenaline back to many of berserker's rage skills to make berserk access more reliable. The Defense trait line has also received some significant updates, tuning up some weak traits and improving some of berserker's key synergies with Adrenal Heath and Cleansing Ire.

We've also included a handful of improvements for power and support spellbreaker builds in PvP, both of which have been underperforming.

Skills

• Call of Valor: Increased base barrier from 2,064 to 2,580 in PvP only.
• Charge: Increased quickness duration from 2 seconds to 3 seconds in PvP only.
• Earthshaker: Increased power coefficient from 0.01 to 0.682 in PvP and WvW.
• Skull Crack: Increased power coefficient from 0.01 to 0.75 in PvP and WvW.
• Whirling Axe: Reduced power coefficient per strike from 0.373 to 0.298 in WvW only.
• "To the Limit!": Increased endurance gained from 50 to 65 in PvP only.
• "Shake It Off!": Reduced ammunition count from 2 to 1 in PvP and WvW. Reduced recharge from 75 seconds to 30 seconds in PvP and WvW. This skill now breaks allies out of stuns in addition to its other effects.
• Signet of Rage: Reduced casting time from 1 second to 0.25 seconds. Increased might duration from 4 seconds to 5 seconds in PvP and WvW.
• Hammer Shock: Reduced cooldown from 10 seconds to 8 seconds.
• Counterblow: Reduced cooldown from 10 seconds to 8 seconds in PvP and WvW.
• Pommel Bash: Reduced cooldown from 12 seconds to 10 seconds.

Traits

• Berserker's Power:  This trait now grants one stack of Berserker's Power, plus one additional stack per bar of adrenaline spent. Increased maximum stacks from 3 to 4. Bonus damage per stack reduced from 7% to 5.25%.
• Aggressive Onslaught: This trait has been moved to the Grandmaster tier slot formerly filled by Merciless Hammer. Gain quickness when you disable a foe. While you have quickness, your movement speed is increased.
• Thick Skin: This trait has been reworked. It now grants protection to the warrior when using a healing skill.
• Adrenal Health: This trait now grants one stack of Adrenal Health, plus one additional stack per bar of adrenaline spent. Increased maximum stacks from 3 to 4. Healing per stack reduced from 133 to 100 in PvE, and from 100 to 87 in PvP and WvW.
• Shield Master: This trait no longer reduces the cooldown of shield skills. Blocking an attack or reflecting a missile now grants adrenaline instead of might.
• Cull the Weak: This trait no longer applies weakness when striking an enemy below 50% health. Instead, it applies weakness when striking an enemy with a burst skill.
• Defy Pain: This trait no longer grants Lesser Endure Pain when dropping below 50% health. Instead, it grants Lesser Endure Pain after using an elite skill.
• Armored Attack: This trait has been removed and replaced with Resilient Roll.
• Resilient Roll: Gain resistance at the end of your dodge roll.
• Sundering Mace: This trait has been removed and replaced with Merciless Hammer.
• Merciless Hammer: This trait now also increases damage from mace skills when striking a disabled foe. Reduced adrenaline gain from 10 to 7. This trait no longer reduces the cooldown of hammer skills.
• Last Stand: This trait no longer grants Lesser Balanced Stance when disabled. This trait now applies barrier in addition to vigor when using a stance skill.
• Cleansing Ire: This trait now removes one condition, plus an additional condition per bar of adrenaline spent. Burst skills still must hit an enemy to remove conditions.
• Rousing Resilience: This trait has been removed and replaced with Stalwart Strength.
• Stalwart Strength: Disabling an enemy grants stability. While you have stability, your strike damage is increased.

 

Berserker

• Berserk: This skill has been moved to slot 2 of the profession mechanic bar. Core burst skills are now accessible in slot 1 of the profession mechanic bar for the berserker specialization.
• Berserk mode now activates instantly.
• Entering berserk mode no longer initiates an attack, and now counts as a rage skill instead of a level 3 burst skill.

Skills

• Blood Reckoning: Reduced berserk mode extension from 5 seconds to 1 second in PvP and WvW. Increased adrenaline gain from 10 to 30 in PvP and WvW.
• Outrage: Reduced bonus berserk mode extension from 5 seconds to 2 seconds in PvP and WvW. This skill now grants adrenaline: 10 base adrenaline, plus an additional 10 when breaking stun in PvP and WvW. 5 base adrenaline, plus an additional 5 when breaking stun in PvE.
• Shattering Blow: Reduced bonus berserk mode extension from 3 seconds to 1 second in PvP and WvW. This skill now grants adrenaline (10 in PvP and WvW and 5 in PvE).
• Sundering Leap: Reduced berserk mode extension from 5 seconds to 1 second in PvP and WvW. Increased power coefficient from 1.5 to 2.33 in PvP and WvW. This skill now grants adrenaline: 10 base adrenaline, plus an additional 10 on hit in PvP and WvW. 5 base adrenaline, plus an additional 5 on hit in PvE.
• Wild Blow: Reduced berserk mode extension from 4 seconds to 1 second in PvP and WvW. This skill now grants adrenaline (10 in PvP and WvW, 5 in PvE). This skill now removes blind, weakness, and slow upon activation, and it knocks enemies down instead of knocking them back.
• Head Butt: Reduced berserk mode extension from 2 seconds to 1 second in PvP and WvW. This skill no longer removes stability from the user, and it no longer deals increased damage when removing stability. Increased power coefficient from 3.0 to 4.5 in PvE only.
• Rupturing Smash: Increased attack area from 180 degrees in front of the player to 360 degrees around the player. Increased daze duration from 1 second to 2 seconds in PvP and WvW.
• Flaming Flurry: Increased projectile speed.
• Blaze Breaker: This skill now creates a blast finisher at the initial casting location. Increased ammunition count from 1 to 2 in PvP and WvW.
• Flames of War: Increased the number of conditions removed from 2 to 3 in PvP and WvW.

Traits

• Fatal Frenzy: This trait no longer reduces toughness.
• Dead or Alive: This trait has been reworked. It now grants 2 seconds of Blood Reckoning when entering berserk mode.
• Bloody Roar: This trait now grants resistance when entering berserk mode in addition to its other effects. Reduced damage bonus from 15% to 10% in PvP and WvW.

 

Spellbreaker

Skills

• Featherfoot Grace: Reduced cooldown from 35 seconds to 30 seconds in PvP only.
• Full Counter: Increased daze duration from 1 second to 1.5 seconds in PvP only.
• Breaching Strike: Increased power coefficient from 1.2 to 1.32 in PvP only.
• Aura Slicer: Increased power coefficient from 1.32 to 1.45 in PvP only.
• Disrupting Stab: Increased daze duration when interrupting an enemy from 1 second to 1.5 seconds in PvP only.

Traits

• Attacker's Insight: Increased power, precision, and ferocity granted per stack from 35 to 45 in PvP only.
• Revenge Counter: Increased resistance duration from 2 seconds to 4 seconds in PvP only.
• Magebane Tether: Increased might duration from 6 seconds to 9 seconds in PvP only.

 

Bladesworn

Skills

• Tactical Reload: This skill now only recharges bladesworn skills instead of all warrior ammunition skills.

Traits

• Dragon Trigger: Fixed a bug that caused this skill to have a shorter cooldown than expected.
• Dragonscale Defense: Fixed a bug that caused this trait to have a shorter cooldown than expected in PvP and WvW. This trait now grants protection instead of stability in PvP and WvW. Reduced internal cooldown from 60 seconds to 15 seconds in PvP and WvW.

[GuriGashi.5617]

Willbender and Firebrand are literal memes in PvP and didn‘t get improved at all. Firebrand is useless - Willbender has no sustain and the physical skills aren’t used in a single game mode. Why would anyone still play Guardian in PvP after October 4th

Edited September 16, 2022 by GuriGashi.5617

[shadowpass.4236]

1. Celestial Avatar cooldown to 10 seconds please.  20 seconds is too inconsistent as a support in PvP.  Alternatively, you could make CA cooldown start while in Celestial Avatar instead of beginning after you leave the form.

2. Lower the stealth duration on Celestial Shadow to 1s if either of the above changes are made.

3. Add damage back to Gazelle F2 please.  The pet is fun but not good as long as Head Toss doesn't deal damage.

4. Heal glyph should be 20s cooldown in PvP to match CA cooldown.  Otherwise, the heal combo for druid support becomes even clunkier because you have to wait 4 seconds after you enter CA to heal someone with it.

5. Increase the range/radii of ALL druid glyphs to 600 for the support side!  300 radius is too short to be reliable.  You have to be standing directly on top of your teammate in order to affect them.  Tempests, Core Support Guard, and Support Spellbreaker all have 600 range on their support skills.  Druid shouldn't be an exception.  The range increase to Glyph of Equality is good but please include the other glyphs as well!

Really good changes overall though!  CMC did a great job with this.  This is probably the best patch PvP and WvW has gotten in years.  I'm glad we're finally getting mechanical reworks!

Edited October 2, 2022 by shadowpass.4236

[Asur.9178]

"Competitive focused balance patch", yet they didn't even touch Trickery for Thief, nor did they make the 3 initiative from Preparedness baseline.

How many years is that now? Oh, right...over 10 years. Perhaps it's time to consider getting someone who actually plays Thief to be part of the balance team.

Edited September 16, 2022 by Asur.9178

[JPUlisses.8756]

Weaver should bring something unique to the party.

Edited September 17, 2022 by JPUlisses.8756

[Sploogesque.2801]

Make sure you add the changes to power mech/revenant for PvE from the live stream 🙂

[Melian.5368]

Thank you guys, everybody liked this.

[Zyn.9348]

And mirage? or Firebrand? why keep those specs in downstate for almost 3 years in a row lmao

Edited September 16, 2022 by Zyn.9348

[Awn.1327]

Good changes. Thanks. Please more of that.

[Vinny.7260]

On 9/14/2022 at 12:22 PM, Double Tap said:

Bladeturn Requiem: This skill has been moved to slot 5 of the profession mechanic bar. Distortion is now accessible in slot 4.

Reconsider the recharge on Bladeturn Requiem and Aegis from Bladeturn Refrain if you're adding Distortion as well.

 

Rest of these changes are a great start though. Definitely want to keep an eye on that coefficient with Eternal Bond being so high.

 

Definitely excited to play around with these new traits!

[TexZero.7910]

Not sold on scrapper wells being ground target.

I think this is a point of where you guys could have followed your mantra of breaking conventions when it makes sense.

 

The cleanse well, stealth, and heal should be mobile while the damage wells should be ground target.

Edited September 16, 2022 by TexZero.7910

[Bovan.9481]

Just to be clear, is the Vindicator dodge change in all gamemodes or is it in PvP/WvW only?
And in the stream it was mentioned that swapping legends triggers on weapon swap sigils again, is that for PvE as well?

So far everything looks interesting in all gamemodes. I'm looking forward to seeing how everything plays out!

[Stadsport.8714]

Very excited about the changes to Warrior. I think the Berserk mode extension reductions in PvP are a *little* harsh but I'm mostly in PvE anyway, so I'm not a good authority on it. Happy to see Warrior mains finally getting some love!

Edited September 16, 2022 by Stadsport.8714

[BlackBakery.6153]

WHERE EOD RUNES CAL??

Cele is still jacked for WvW and gives far too many overall stat points.

Warrior:

Hitting warrior stunbreaks effectively from x2+1 with shake it off >> Down to 1 AND removing the Stability on Dragon Trigger in WvW specifically, without adding it back anywhere else, is gonna HURT imo. 

😞

+ Also I understand that you probably don't want to give Berserker too many stunbreaks / too much stability, BUT also: while [Daring Dragon] is one of the "funnest" traits in the game, it's also one of the worst compared to it's alternatives rn. And removing Stability form [Dragonscale Defense] is going to make DD basically useless.

Also [Fast Hands] or a reduced version still isn't baseline for baffling reasons  even tho Bladesworn effectively removes 2 sigil slots, & while Rev's are getting their runeswap trigger back.

Engineer:

[Impact Savant] Being at 15% damage > Barrier conversion for WvW is still cracked imo.

Mesmer:

Also rip Mirage Doges too. Would love to see them get like 60 endurance instead even if not back to 100 so the class doesn't feel like butt to play now that Chrono has 2 invulns + cd reduction + shield bocks + dodges and Virt will have Distortion (which presumably will scale with blade #) + [Beladeturn Requiem] + [Blade Renewal] and base.

 

Love everything tho. ❤️ ty

Edited September 16, 2022 by BlackBakery.6153
formatting

[Chaos.9270]

7 minutes ago, GuriGashi.5617 said:

Willbender and Firebrand are literal memes in PvP and didn‘t get improved at all. Why would anyone still play Guardian in PvP after October 4th

Because Guardian is already OP and don't need to get more improved.

[CarlPaul.1479]

Please buff vindicator , i'm thankful for the dodge changes  but the class have no viable damage or support  builds that  can be used outside PvP . In PvE vindicator lost alacrity from centaur stance as buff with no real compensation , so it no longer has access to a unique buff  and does not deal enough damage to compensate being only heal/dmg instead of support/dmg, damage wise vindicator is still only above supports in terms of damage :c please fix the viability in PvE the dodge changes is a step in a good direction  but it's still not enough.

[Sean.5803]

Sad to see mesmer focus pull and Illusion of Life untouched. 

[Za Shaloc.3908]

Loved the stream, love (most of) the changes. CMC and Roy work really great together. Please keep this going for future patches. 

[Badass.7492]

(WvW specific questions)

1. One question regarding the Longbow 5 on Dragonhunter: 

Why does one of the strongest CCs in the gamemode still also hit for 5 digits (10k and more)? 

Is there a plan to move it more in line with the other hard CCs?

 

2. Is there a plan to revisit the minion nerf inWvW? Since DH stacking becomes a rising problem im medium to large scale WvW eliminating any comp trying to push aggressive on enemy zergs and thereby elimination Build and Comp diversity? The fact that the minions soaked so much damage enabled more pushing comps and improved overall build diversity.

 

Edit: Loved the stream and the format of presenting the information with that wholesome duo looking forward for future events like that you guys did great 🙂

Edited September 16, 2022 by Badass.7492

[GuriGashi.5617]

4 minutes ago, Chaos.9270 said:

Because Guardian is already OP and don't need to get more improved.

Core Support is a 2nd class support behind Tempest

Willbender/Dragonhunter is a 2nd class roamer behind Herald

Firebrand is the weakest PvP spec in the game

 

What are you even talking about? 

Edited September 16, 2022 by GuriGashi.5617

[Valisha.8650]

Quote

Reduced Shadow Shroud health scaling from 1.5 to 0.69.

I truly hope tis for pvp only -_-

[mugenx.3780]

Didn't even care to touch Mirage? It's terrible in wvw. Give it's two dodges back like you did with Vindicator. Nobody likes to play with one single dodge, it's the worst idea ever.

Edited September 16, 2022 by mugenx.3780

[Bomboed.5697]

Terrible patch from Engineer point of view. A lot of changes nobody asked for and not a single one change people asked for.
Scrapper is ruined. Turrets are still useless. Most gadgets are still useless. Not a single change for pistols.

[Za Shaloc.3908]

Just now, mugenx.3780 said:

Didn't even care to touch Mirage? It's terrible in wvw. Give it's two dodges back like you did with Vindicator. 

They mentioned they are looking into this near the beginning of the stream. So if I had to take a guess, you'll probably see something next balance patch at the end of November. I don't think it's guaranteed to be 2 dodges, but they at least acknowledged that it's an issue.

[Rosey.1608]

On 9/14/2022 at 12:22 PM, Double Tap said:

Scrapper wells are now stationary ground-targeted skills with a range of 900.

Is this in PvE as well?  I ask because it certainly does not specify in WvW and PvP only.  If so, why are we just completely destroying support scrapper in general?  I get it I guess for WvW, but making the defensive shield stationary and ground targeted as well while barely touching firebrand is just kind of ridiculous.  Why remove quickness from engineers and heralds if firebrands get to keep it.  Why does firebrand always almost never get touched.  Guardian in general sees barely any changes even though it dominates WvW comps arguably more than engis, since tempests can condi cleanse and provide their own boons as well.

 

Outside of the scrapper changes I think it's a decent update.  Just please don't make the gyros ground targeted wells in PvE too.  People already barely use quickness scrapper.