[Feb. 14 Balance Patch] PvE Power Weaver: Remove Superior Elements ICD

[Virtuality.8351]

*This post has been updated with an alternative proposal. See below.*

 

PvE Power Weaver relies on the trait Superior Elements to achieve Crit Cap. With the upcoming balance patch on Feb. 14, the trait will:

• Allow you to inflict Weakness upon performing Dual Attacks, on a 4-second internal cooldown (ICD).
• Provide 15% additional critical chance when attacking foes with Weakness.

 

Ideally, you would like your target to be affected by Weakness permanently, which is more often achieved in Raid or Strike Mission scenarios, with 9 other players spamming whatever skills they bring all together. It is, however, much less often the case in Fractals of the Mist or Dungeons, with only 4 other players around, bringing a significant smaller skill pool and thus less potential source of Weakness.

 

If the Superior Element ICD is removed, Weaver players will be a lot more self-reliant when it comes to maintaining Weakness on their target, and thus a lot more consistent DPS output, with certain rotations that utilize more Dual Attacks, for example this one, in which they cast 2 Dual Attack skills (Earth/Fire then Air/Earth, also Water/Fire then Air/Water) back to back, well within the 4-second ICD limitation.

 

Update:

After considering Mauti.3520's feedback on the builds that goes with rotations with lower accessibility to Dual Attacks, here is an alternative proposal:

Superior Elements
Dual Attack skills grant yourself Quickness. Attacks under the effect of Quickness have increased critical chance.

• Quickness (3s): Skills and actions are faster. 
• Critical Chance Increase: 15%

Since Quickness is consistently provided by allies in instanced contents, this will easily bridge the gap between builds/rotations of variable access to Dual Attacks.

On top of that, it will make Weaver's combat more fluent in open world and less hindered by all the forced movements such as Flame Uprising (Sword #2 under Fire Attuenement). It will also encourage players to try out more complex rotations for just how powerful the Quickness boon is.

 

Let me know how do you like this idea!

 

Edited February 5, 2023 by Virtuality.8351
Lower Quickness duration after feedback.

[Mauti.3520]

I somewhat agree but also want do add that this actually wouldnt help all that much.
As you said and already considered in your thoughts, I would like to point it out nonetheless: Only mixed Attunement "3" attacks count as Dual Attack. Not only for Superior Elements and it's weakness application, but also the barrier output of Elemental Refreshment, which keeps the value of these traits, especially the latter, extremely low.

Even with ICD removed a standard BttH Power Weaver's ONLY application of Weakness in it's entire rotation would remain Pyro Vortex.
Fresh Air Rotation(s) would obviously profit a bit more but while I love Fresh Air it's also extremely inaccessible for a lot of the player base.

Much rather than to straight up remove the ICD on Superior Elements, I personally would like them to consider adding the bonuses of Superior Elements and Elemental Refreshment to fully attuned 3 attacks, as that's what the more standard, much more accessible Weaver builds (Easy Condi Scepter, BttH Power Sword) in PvE use more than Dual Attacks. 

But then...the changes to Weave Self seem to push Power Weaver away from Btth and more into fast paced Fresh Air Rotations, whichobviously would make use of more Dual Attacks.

I am a bit torn.
People already dodge this spec as even the most basic rotations of Weaver (and Elementalist in general) are seen as hard, stressful and completely not worth it (Not my opinion, but it seems to be the opinion of the overwhelming majority of the player base). So we might adress the issue of relying on weakness from another angle with less emphasis on doing a faster and more complex rotation.  Just my guess.

What do you think?

Edited February 4, 2023 by Mauti.3520

[Virtuality.8351]

*oops sorry for double posting!*

Edited February 4, 2023 by Virtuality.8351

[Virtuality.8351]

7 hours ago, Mauti.3520 said:

People already dodge this spec as even the most basic rotations of Weaver (and Elementalist in general) are seen as hard, stressful and completely not worth it (Not my opinion, but it seems to be the opinion of the overwhelming majority of the player base). So we might adress the issue of relying on weakness from another angle with less emphasis on doing a faster and more complex rotation.  Just my guess.

I have an idea. Here is an alternative proposal:

Superior Elements
Dual Attack skills grant yourself Quickness. Attacks under the effect of Quickness have increased critical chance.

• Quickness (5s): Skills and actions are faster.
• Critical Chance Increase: 15%

Since Quickness is consistently provided by allies in instanced contents, this will easily bridge the gap between builds/rotations of variable access to Dual Attacks.

On top of that, it will make Weaver's combat more fluent in open world and less hindered by all the forced movements such as Flame Uprising (Sword #2 under Fire Attuenement). It will also encourage players to try out more complex rotations for just how powerful the Quickness boon is.

I'll also update this part to my main post.

Edited February 4, 2023 by Virtuality.8351

[Mauti.3520]

Interesting idea. In fact a little bit of self quickness would be neat, 5 seconds base sounds a bit high, but that's a numbers issue.

[soulknight.9620]

19 hours ago, Virtuality.8351 said:

Superior Elements
Dual Attack skills grant yourself Quickness. Attacks under the effect of Quickness have increased critical chance.

• Quickness (5s): Skills and actions are faster.
• Critical Chance Increase: 15%

No, there is a major flaw in this proposal. 

Why would any group take a quick support if more potent option would be to stack weaver dps with perma self quickness. That would ruin group comps for other classes and specs. This is the reason quick on untraited jade sphere was nerfed and martial cadence was nerfed for warriors. 

Although i agree that a bit of self quick wouldnt hurt weaver, but not in this manner. 

Edited February 5, 2023 by soulknight.9620

[Virtuality.8351]

37 minutes ago, soulknight.9620 said:

No, there is a major flaw in this proposal. 

Why would any group take a quick support if more potent option would be to stack weaver dps with perma self quickness. That would ruin group comps for other classes and specs. This is the reason quick on untraited jade sphere was nerfed and martial cadence was nerfed for warriors. 

Although i agree that a bit of self quick wouldnt hurn weaver, but not in this manner. 

Just to clarify, I have no intention to make permanent self-quicness possible for Weaver. As Mauti has also pointed out, 5 sec could be too high, and I am fine with whatever number people deem balanced.

Updated the proposal with 3 sec duration.

Edited February 5, 2023 by Virtuality.8351