November 29 Balance Update Preview

[Paninjin.5731]

Seems to be pretty solid changes overall, however I do not see any reason to be nerfing Deadeye's range. With how squishy the spec is as is, good positioning at max range was one of its few saving graces for PvE Rifle. 

[Rdot.6901]

Would've liked to have seen power harbinger receive a bit of a buff as it's pretty weak compared to the condition build. Adjustments to the Wicked Corruption trait's might help it see more play in PvE i.e. Damage Increase from 0.5 to 1% and/or Critical Damage Increase from 10% to 20%. This would make you think more about when to consume blight for elixirs or shroud 3 and 4.

[Hector.9035]

I understand Anet wants to nerf the mechanist ability of being in two places at once thanks to the mech. Okey, thats fine, but please, PLEASE don't make that change: 50% less dmg from mech if its at more than 360 range from the engi it's a really uneffective way to achieve that, given how stupid that robot is.

A better way to do it is let the dmg as it is and make it so that the mech can NEVER be more than 360 untis afar from the engi. That way it will allways follow the engi and they wont be giving boons or doing dmg at 2 places at once.

You want to force the player to be near the IA, while you should force the IA to be close to the player.

[Hector.9035]

23 hours ago, Sadek.5398 said:

I've been playing only Deadeye for the last month and it's been a blast in PvE, WvW & PvP. IMHO the Kneel mechanic is very niche. I barely use it as I find the key to success as a Sniper Thief is positioning & moving. My recommendation would be to remove the Kneel mechanic altogether and replace it with one of the following new skills:

1. Bullet Shower: An AOE where the thief shoots upwards in the sky and the bullets land in a designated area causing bleed. (CC, PvE focus)
2. Shoot & Stealth: Just like the dagger 5, the thief shoots a target & goes into stealth (3-5 secs) causing bleed. (PvP focus)

I would also recommend modifying the Deadeye 3 skill to hit 3 to 5 targets with reduced damage, giving more might depending on the amount of targets hit. The might would be given to you & your allies. This would add a much needed multi target attack skill to the Deadeye's arsenal and would be good for the entire party.

 

Regarding the 1500 range, I haven't played a ranger class. But if any class / weapon has a default 1500 range, then the Deadeye should definitely have that too. Otherwise I'd recommend adding 1500 range when in stealth for the Deadeye class.

 

This please, this is SO right

[The Boz.2038]

22 hours ago, lemora.1304 said:

there are now 3 layers of nerfs while getting almost nothing in return as compensation

Why would you expect compensation when firebrand is clearly in need of nerfs?

[CaptainCat.2693]

"

Mechanist

• Mechanical Genius: Combat attribute bonuses to the mech are now reduced by 50% if the engineer is more than a range of 360 away from the mech for a certain amount of time."

 

 

please fix first your broken mechanist AI before you implement it, sometimes i press the call mech button and instead of coming to me he just stays in place, and if i move an inch and try to call it he just goes past me to the other side of the map, its outrageous.

 

also i dont understand the major mirage nerfs, its one of the hardest classes to play and good play should be rewarded properly, this major nerf is just giving middle finger to mirage enjoyers and just keeps pushing people away from playing it, and picking up a mech instead.

 

also nerfing deadeye range is absurd to me, the whole point of deadeye is being able to stay properly ranged nerfing the range on deadeye from 1500 to 1200 is just a terrible decision in my opinion.

 

overall tilting "balance" patch as per usual

[ArjukKagrim.6049]

After reading the patch notes several times I changed my initial very sceptical opinion:

I have to admit that I expected this patch to be much bigger. After the balance manifesto I thought Anet would adress the huge discrepancies of the power/potency of utility skills between professions and fix many of the reported bugs. Seeing the patch not adressing those issues (except for a small selection like bloody roar).  This was a huge letdown, however I came to understand that this patches main focus obviously was in adressing power dps classes. From this point of view the patch is really good. If the balance patch cycle resumes to be about 2 months it is in my optinion okay if they focus on specific builds and if Anet keeps up that workflow I am content that the game balance slowly but steadily increases. In this light I have to say "Thank you Anet!" for the current patch preview hope you continue and maybe even speed up your good work.

 

 

[Avatara.1042]

While most of the Ele sceptre changes are good (water still needs to do vulnerability to trigger the trait it has), you did nothing to make the Catalyst less hand-breaking, and even made auras harder to stack.  Additionally, you did nothing for Ele staff WvW (despite only needing to copy paste the pve changes).

Also, why did you COMPLETELY IGNORE the useless Sceptre auto-attack https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Stone_Shards

It might just be the worst skill in the game, and you left it untouched?

 

Edited November 16, 2022 by Avatara.1042

[Kal Durak.2830]

On 11/13/2022 at 12:32 AM, Neferpitouh.4356 said:

This will be my first and last reply on this forums.

 

Your changes on Firebrand and Mechanist are completely unnecassary and huge nerfs overall.

 

If the patch hits as it is, I'll be uninstalling this game for good. 

 

You have a very tiny amount of PvE content where class balance would actually matter (W1-7, Fractal and Strike CMs). 

 

These don't even 10hours to complete per week.

 

I'd suggest focus on making more relevant content, then ruin people's fun in the context of class balance.

 

As it stands now, these nerfs also ruin openworld experience. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to tag ads efficiently with these tome changes.

 

You already nerfed them once, which was quite impactful, aegis removal on healing mantra was annoying as hell. Now you do this? Even though mechs never hit top dps anymore, you won't stop until it is completely unusable? 

 

Good luck!

 

Thank you to someone who sees clearly. 

[Avatara.1042]

5 minutes ago, DtenCfour.3567 said:

Thank you to someone who sees clearly. 

What do you people not get about nerfing overpowered specs?

[TrollingDemigod.3041]

Just now, Avatara.1042 said:

What do you people not get about nerfing overpowered specs?

Don't even bother lmao, these people are so used to powercreep that they take it for granted.

[The Boz.2038]

"This may be disgustingly OP, but I'm having fun, lol!"

[AliamRationem.5172]

1 hour ago, Avatara.1042 said:

While most of the Ele sceptre changes are good (water still needs to do vulnerability to trigger the trait it has), you did nothing to make the Catalyst less hand-breaking, and even made auras harder to stack.  Additionally, you did nothing for Ele staff WvW (despite only needing to copy paste the pve changes).

Also, why did you COMPLETELY IGNORE the useless Sceptre auto-attack https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Stone_Shards

It might just be the worst skill in the game, and you left it untouched?

 

Don't forget about weaver.  The devs sure did.

[Antina.5973]

14 hours ago, Gaiawolf.8261 said:

And let's face it, especs are basically your character's class identity now, since they change the lore and theme so dramatically, and usually the playstyle. Changing from a firebrand to a dragonhunter, or a tamer to a druid, is basically a different class. My plant spent years in Elona learning the lore of the firebrands. Picking up a bow or doing a Ryu-style hurricane kick are the furthest things from her mind.

This a thousand times. I noticed I do have completely different mindset depending on my current e-spec. They do feel like standalone classes, and that was a great bit about them.

I just really hope Anet sees that they are deleting parts of firebrands identity with mantras and possibly rework to tomes, if the voicelines and animations are gone too.

Please ANet let us retain e-spec identity! Please don't make everything the same for the sake of simplicity!

[Mirotvorac.9640]

Firebrand RIP as cDPS and as Heal Support. Force to play as qDPS is not balance, that is massacre and end of Firebrand's.

[Antina.5973]

15 minutes ago, Mirotvorac.9640 said:

Firebrand RIP as cDPS and as Heal Support. Force to play as qDPS is not balance, that is massacre and end of Firebrand's.

It's not that dire, some of the big-brain folks already came up with preliminary rotation, cFB is not dead, not even close. Imho HFB will be comfier to play since you can access F2 skills at any time. In a world where HAMster exists we could argue that everything else is already dead.

[Horrid Crow.7630]

So playing a ranged condi Mechanist (dual pistol, grenade-kit and flamethrower) I'll get punished automatically? I came back to this game this month, tried a lot of different Mechanist setups, settled on this and am having a blast, but this honestly makes me feel like quitting already. Seriously horrible change.

Edited November 16, 2022 by Horrid Crow.7630

[Val.7826]

I'm terrified of Deadeye changes. A range reduction? Really? In exchange for the possibility to walk like a snail while kneeling? I don't really get the point of this in PvE. Meanwhile rangers grin with their longbows that I am convinced that can actually hit further then 1500 distance with their basics (I tested once, and it seems that at the same distance from target, I with Deadeye in Kneel could not hit a target 'couse that was "out of range" while my friend with a Longbow perfectly could; I cannot launch any accusation, but that was really sus).

 

At this point why even using Kneel? Just stand up, less damage, same range, and way better mobility.

 

Besides, reading about a sniper rifle with an avarage ranged weapon range, and the possibility to walk while kneeling is hurting my brain.

Edited November 16, 2022 by Val.7826

[loa.6340]

Hello guys,

 

Thank you very much for ruining my quality of life in this game by nerfing my favorite class, The Mechanist. Also thank you for tricking me into buying EoD expansion, showing off The Mechanist class, how good, how easy it is just so you could nerf it a few months later, after it got already nerfed. Until this time, I only had good words about this game in my circle of grown ups, this will change and you will, probably lose on players. 

 

I don't care about the other classes, and I won't be forced to play something else, some class that almost made me quit this game, until I've found The Mechanist. heck, I never had so many hours on a single game, in a single class, that's how good it was!

 

I am really pissed on this changes, it hurts that I have to quit something that I enjoyed so much! I don't like complex builds, pvp and other shits. I like the story, PvE! Nothing else! 

 

Firetruck you,

loa

 

[Ashen.2907]

42 minutes ago, loa.6340 said:

Hello guys,

 

Thank you very much for ruining my quality of life in this game by nerfing my favorite class, The Mechanist. Also thank you for tricking me into buying EoD expansion, showing off The Mechanist class, how good, how easy it is just so you could nerf it a few months later, after it got already nerfed. Until this time, I only had good words about this game in my circle of grown ups, this will change and you will, probably lose on players. 

 

I don't care about the other classes, and I won't be forced to play something else, some class that almost made me quit this game, until I've found The Mechanist. heck, I never had so many hours on a single game, in a single class, that's how good it was!

 

I am really pissed on this changes, it hurts that I have to quit something that I enjoyed so much! I don't like complex builds, pvp and other shits. I like the story, PvE! Nothing else! 

 

Firetruck you,

loa

 

The mechanist will still be a simple yet viable class/build.

[Batalix.2873]

20 hours ago, Gaiawolf.8261 said:

Ack. Please no. The idea of a pure anything in GW2 is an affront to the game's core combat design. Plenty of games do the holy trinity. I chose GW2 over all of them at beta because there was no pure anything and builds were largely self sufficient. They could all fulfill more than one role at a time, except maybe some thief builds? I agree no build should be able to do everything, but neither should they be forced to do only one thing at any given moment like a one-trick pony.

And let's face it, especs are basically your character's class identity now, since they change the lore and theme so dramatically, and usually the playstyle. Changing from a firebrand to a dragonhunter, or a tamer to a druid, is basically a different class. My plant spent years in Elona learning the lore of the firebrands. Picking up a bow or doing a Ryu-style hurricane kick are the furthest things from her mind.

 

As I've observed in prior posts, the myth of self-sufficiency is destroying class identity. Open world does not require it, group content is stifled by it, and so many DPS and support classes are being homogenized in really dissatisfying ways. Be it already having lost unique utilities functions to tacked on traits: Chrono, Herald, Ranger, Warrior. Or devs continually trying to gut core job fantasies like Scrapper and Deadeye.

 

I have to point out again that a lot of this defensiveness of "job identity" is defending *your* job identity, even if it comes at the expense of everyone else's. (And as I have also observed, the FB "identity" is unfocused, overly broad, and could easily be parsed back into a support build while retaining its core concept and appeal).

 

Both Herald and Druid can spec into DPS with weapon/specs, but what they are best at and what their "meta" builds are is as healers, thanks to traits and weapons that encourage those roles.

 

The same could be (and probably should have been) true for Firebrand and Scourge. Specs that could self-sustain in open world with core traits/weapons, but were most efficient at pure support in group settings.

 

Part of the beauty of weapon swapping is that players can have their "job fantasy" available at all times, even if they have to swap to core weapons for open world survivability. So I don't really see any of my proposed changes as diluting the character identity. If anything, both Herald and Druid are very hearty open world builds *because* they offer extra defensive options.

 

But also, is it so hard for your salad to grow as a character and dabble in other martial styles? Multiclass a little? Certainly seems a healthier approach to the game than expecting that all 27 specs should be campable and all do roughly the same thing.

Edited November 16, 2022 by Batalix.2873

[Batalix.2873]

1 hour ago, loa.6340 said:

Hello guys,

 

Thank you very much for ruining my quality of life in this game by nerfing my favorite class, The Mechanist. Also thank you for tricking me into buying EoD expansion, showing off The Mechanist class, how good, how easy it is just so you could nerf it a few months later, after it got already nerfed. Until this time, I only had good words about this game in my circle of grown ups, this will change and you will, probably lose on players. 

 

I don't care about the other classes, and I won't be forced to play something else, some class that almost made me quit this game, until I've found The Mechanist. heck, I never had so many hours on a single game, in a single class, that's how good it was!

 

I am really pissed on this changes, it hurts that I have to quit something that I enjoyed so much! I don't like complex builds, pvp and other shits. I like the story, PvE! Nothing else! 

 

Firetruck you,

loa

 

 

Omg you sound like the laziest, least fun person ever.

 

If you want a game that basically plays itself, and can't even be bothered to come closer to an enemy than 1200 range without a significant tradeoff, then yeah you should quit.

[Stadsport.8714]

5 minutes ago, Batalix.2873 said:

 

Omg you sound like the laziest, least fun person ever.

 

If you want a game that basically plays itself, and can't even be bothered to come closer to an enemy than 1200 range without a significant tradeoff, then yeah you should quit.

Lol, literally the only thing that changed is they are encouraged to be closer to their Mech now. 

Edited November 16, 2022 by Stadsport.8714

[Batalix.2873]

10 minutes ago, Stadsport.8714 said:

Lol, literally the only thing that changed is they are encouraged to be closer to their Mech now. 

 

Which I still don't think is enough to fix Mech's "two bodies" problem.

 

But it does surprisingly try to solve a few issues at once, namely discouraging rifle builds and mayyybe encouraging more mace use. Y'know, that weapon that Mech was supposedly designed to use.

 

At any rate...boohoo waaaaa.

Edited November 16, 2022 by Batalix.2873

[Adibas.6982]

On 11/11/2022 at 9:51 PM, Double Tap said:

Chaos Vortex: Clones using this skill will now grant the same boons in an area of effect around the mesmer instead of around the clones themselves. Reduced alacrity duration from 2.5 seconds to 1 second. Reduced might stacks from 8 to 2.

Can you guys make it so boons are cast at the start of skill channeling? So mirage who do choose to do alac don't find themselves in a situation where they spent time casting Chaos Vortex but by the time its complete they have no clones alive?

It will be a bit of a boost but alac mesmer is not a very popular option already.

Edited November 16, 2022 by Adibas.6982