Hey look, I fixed Catalyst for you Anet

[Downstate.4697]

Look, everyone is in disagreement about what exactly is wrong with signet catalyst and its hard to pin point since it has a lot of symptoms to the problem. I have a bit of experience with root cause analysis so I am hoping Anet looks at this and can learn a thing or two. The best method I have found for discovering solutions to complicated problems is by utilizing an Ishikawa diagram. This diagram breaks things out into categories and then breaks those categories down even further until you get to a point where you can't really explain why the problem exists in the first place. That is where root cause is found.

Step 1 is you need to identify a problem. The problem in this case is Signet Catalyst is over-performing.

Step 2 is where you need to use data collection and personal experience to identify common trends and pain points. For the purpose of this example I will use my own observations as well as common points I have seen on the forums since I don't have the data to make a true informed decision.

Step 3 you start using that data to create a diagram. I broke the issue into three categories: Mechanics, Weapons, Traits

Mechanics

• Jade Sphere
• Attunement Swap

Weapons

• Scepter
• Dagger

Traits

• Earth
• Fire
• Catalyst

 

From here, you break the sub-categories down even further.

Jade Sphere

• Too much access to might
• Up-time of sphere is too high/can't be prevented or outplayed

Attunement Swap

• No pain points observed

Scepter

• Burn damage is too high

Dagger

• No pain points observed

Earth

• Too much damage reduction
• Written in Stone providing auras

Fire

• Might access is too high in conjunction with scepter auto attacks

Catalyst

• Stab uptime is too high
• Spectacular sphere gives even more might

 

I am not going to keep breaking it down because you get the point, but the conclusions I found was that might uptime on catalyst is too high (the true root cause is might offers too much of an advantage, but I am not going down that rabbit hole).

Another obvious observation is that the burn duration on the fire auto attack is too long.  The primary burning should be 1s base duration and the cast time should be increased to 1s. This makes signet cata a valid build, but not stupid to play against.

I also found that the damage reduction in earth wasn't really the problem; it was the sustain offered from written in stone and the overabundance of auras on catalyst specifically, which also causes stability uptime to be too high. The thing that is tricky, is the buffs to written in stone make signets good on other non-cata builds without making them too strong. My suggestion to nerf it without killing off signets is to reduce all the durations of auras to 2s. Part of the sustain comes from the uptime of frost aura as well as the cooldown on transmute frost. Reducing them to 2s makes it harder for eles to take advantage of it. They should also increase the cooldowns back to their old values. This should significantly reduce the spam from them. You could maybe also reduce stab duration to 1.5s for good measure.

My last observation was that jade sphere was too easily accessable and can't be played around. Energized elements trivializes the energy mechanic and the sphere having no cast time enables catalysts to use it even when they are cc'd. This is the biggest issue as to why catalyst has been a consistent problem. It enables incredible sustain and access to might just from existing. If it was me I would consider nerfing energized elements and adding a 1/4s cast time to the sphere.

 

 

I can't tell anet how to nerf it. What I can say is they need to take a look at the data as well as their own balance philosophies and make an informed decision. I just hope that they don't decide to kill signets or catalyst off completely as they are valid and should exist.

Edited July 14, 2023 by Downstate.4697

[Mell.4873]

From my understanding most of the problems are comming from scepter/focus especially having auto locking skills. 

Regardless if you can dodge them the it's very easy to overwhelm someone and just drop tones of AoE on them.

The next problem is projectiles denial, most Elementalist can either reflect projectiles especially with signet changes or deny them with Swirling Winds from Focus. 

Edited July 14, 2023 by Mell.4873

[Downstate.4697]

2 minutes ago, Mell.4873 said:

From my understanding most of the problems are comming from scepter/focus especially having auto locking skills. 

Regardless if you can dodge them the it's very easy to overwhelm someone and just drop tones of AoE on them.

The next problem is projectiles denial, most Elementalist can either reflect projectiles especially with signet changes or deny them with Swirling Winds from Focus. 

While somewhat true for fresh air catalyst, scepter and focus is not really a problem outside of catalyst. That’s why anet should focus on nerfing catalyst specifically above anything else.

[Mell.4873]

3 hours ago, Downstate.4697 said:

While somewhat true for fresh air catalyst, scepter and focus is not really a problem outside of catalyst. That’s why anet should focus on nerfing catalyst specifically above anything else.

True, I do see similar toxic playstyles with the other Elites Elementalist has but the AoE point holds true the most for Catalyst.

[aerouant.7408]

Catas aura synergy needs to be completely reworked. Probably removed and replaced with something else. In conjunction with sphere buffs, and elemental empowerment, it is just overly bloated. No elite specs vomits boons like cata for literally any action. The most problematical trait imo is still staunch auras. In a first adjustment they should remove stab from that trait and replace it with something else. 

[Bladestrom.6425]

4 hours ago, asket.5674 said:

Catas aura synergy needs to be completely reworked. Probably removed and replaced with something else. In conjunction with sphere buffs, and elemental empowerment, it is just overly bloated. No elite specs vomits boons like cata for literally any action. The most problematical trait imo is still staunch auras. In a first adjustment they should remove stab from that trait and replace it with something else. 

agreed.

Cata thematically should be centred on combos not auras, and certainly not both?!!!.

Edited July 15, 2023 by vesica tempestas.1563

[Stalima.5490]

I think I have seen catalyst before