Expanded Weapon Proficiencies Beta Feedback: Warrior

[Rubi Bayer.8493]

Expanded weapon proficiencies are coming in 2024 during the second major update for Secrets of the Obscure, bringing a new weapon and skills for each profession. The expanded weapon proficiency beta event is live now and will run until 10:00 p.m. Pacific Time (UTC-8) on December 3.

You can leave your feedback for the warrior in this thread.

[DanAlcedo.3281]

Happy bonking to my fellow Warriors. 

I won't be able to bonk with you until Friday. 

I envy you! Please test alot and give good feedback. Or I bonk you! ❤️

 

[ZEUStiger.3590]

Staff 5 channeling gets immediately interrupted by autoattack if it's enabled.

[Grand Marshal.4098]

GIVE A STAFF SKILL A BLAST FINISHER, THE WEAPON NEEDS IT!

[moku.9278]

The design of Staff 3 seems very inconvenient:

In group PvE, you'll have to re-target to an ally every few seconds - can't imagine that being much fun.

In PvP you can be more tactical, but since this skill uses the clunky Rush animation, you'll often end up missing your target if they're moving.

[nobleboivin.4102]

Auto attack 1 animations feel like they could be smoother.  I get hard hitting but it feels like too much like hitting with a hammer.  All the animations seem like they just hard stop without a flow

[Jzaku.9765]

On 11/29/2023 at 1:48 AM, ZEUStiger.3590 said:

Staff 5 channeling gets immediately interrupted by autoattack if it's enabled.

Can confirm, hilarious bug. 

Actually playing with the weapon, this is my general feedback:

Feel bad moments about using Staff

• The sound effect on Auto3 [Inspiring Whirl], [Defiant Roar], and Burst(s) is incredibly annoying, especially at the rate you are using these skills
• Auto3 [Inspiring Whirl] feels very sluggish and you can accidentally cast cancel it all the way to finishing the spin animation but before the hit actually registers. If it's intended to be such a mediocre skill (being kinda useless since it ramps perma regen so fast) then speed it up. If it's meant to be a slow, impactful skill, then make it give some trickle barrier or something, just like Rev Scepter.
• Ally targeting is really clunky, especially since you essentially need to spam [Line Breaker] regularly to maintain perma Protection. Being able to Rush to an ally is great, but please give the QOL for the enemy-targeted version to also apply all the support effects in PVE. 
• [Defiant Roar] has a really sad animation despite being a pretty strong skill. Maybe copy Warhorn's [Call to Arms] animation onto it.

Feel GOOD moments about using Staff

• [Valiant Leap] and [Line Breaker] feel great to use. Please copy how [Line Breaker] works for GS's [Rush], especially how it's affected by Quickness to send you flying. That's probably a bug but it's incredibly fun.
• Warrior's first on-demand pull in in 11 years in [Snap Pull] is incredible. Thanks. 

PVE Support Warrior feedback

• Please give Staff some Vigor to reduce reliance on Warhorn, or up the Vigor Duration on [Call to Arms] so less time can be spent on the ineffectual Warhorn set.
• I think [Valiant Leap] should be a Blast Finisher, being a VERY similar skill to Engi Mace 2 [Energizing Slam]
• On a related note, Warrior used to be the class [Powerful Synergy] was on. I think it's a great missed opportunity to not have a Water Field somewhere on Staff.
• Taking Discipline (as intended, seeing as the new Heal % trait is in there) makes you incredibly Adrenaline starved on Staff. It's probably better to take Arms for Adrenaline, but then you are stuck for a long time on a bad MH when providing boons missing from Staff with Warhorn.
• [Soldier's Focus] (the signature support feature of the Tactics Traitline) sucks for the exact same reason you removed the ICD from [Heat the Soul]. It's a 10s ICD on using a Burst skill, everyone hates this.
• On a similar note, it's 2023, and Soldier's Focus is giving 3 Might on a 10s-ish ICD. Come on. You gave Staff Mirage near instant perma 25 Might like, 2 years ago.

Edited November 30, 2023 by Jzaku.9765

[Mendir.6073]

Wouldn't it make more sense to remove the regen on auto 3 and give it raw heal? (Talking about WvW/PvP). Since there are a lot of corrupts etc. I could imagine, that the regen is not that great in these 2 gamemodes. But a raw heal could have more impact, thinking of the way how the dodge works on heal vindicator. Also it would be nice, if Valiant Leap would have a combo finisher blast. 

[Smoosh.2718]

Skills in need of addressing:

Skill 3 [Line Breaker]
[Line Breaker] this skill is using  the same tracking system as [Rush] so it suffers from the following issues:
. Running on the spot

. Running 180 away from the target

. Running slowly to the target

. Running beyond the target.

. Running to the target then away from the target

. Running to the target but not going off

 

Please can we address this system and perhapse change it to a leap that has more success than the [Rush] method.

 

Skill 5 [Bullet Catcher]

Occasionally stops or its animation stops if in close combat, This issue happened multiple times during short testing.

 

 

Cant say too much about the other skills 1, 2 and 4 seem to work quite well. But its very refreshing to have a burst that is AOE and ranged!

[Shade.7240]

The staff seems pretty decent, just needs a little more dmg. But please change/remove the horrible spinning animation first attack and maybe give it to the last attack.

[Panda.1967]

I'm dissapointed in the animation direction and your decision to make Staff Warrior into a Banner weapon instead of a Spear... but the skills feel pretty solid from my testing... I just wish it had some thrusts instead of just spins and swipes...

[Grand Marshal.4098]

Correction: Valiant Leap and Path to Victory should both be Blast Finishers 

[Calen.8945]

The third auto attack is way too flashy for something that's going to use spammed every few seconds.

Skill 3 needs a cancel of some kind so you don't run off a cliff and die if you miss your target.

Skill 5 recast should auto cast after the channeling is done. It feels award to cast the healing afterwards.

I do wish the damage was a bit higher.

[Pulsefire Jayce.4753]

I'd rather see the auto give AoE Barrier, instead of the regen.  There's already so much regen spam in WvW from other classes that overriding it via autos seems bad.  Maybe not a lot, like 250 base, with a decent coefficient (something like 1.25 * HP) and then staff might be worth using.  I'm up for anything though.

I just think the whole concept needs to lean more into the support aspect, if that's really what you want to go for.  I could see a complete rework with all the skills on staff being blasts and ground targeted skills in order to provide specific boons, barrier, and / or cc.

Edited November 28, 2023 by Pulsefire Jayce.4753

[luigrein.8514]

I think the regen is on there mostly for pve reasons. I can def see it being superfluous in WvW but in PvE there's generally only 1 person you want providing regen to their group. 2 in 10 person content but given the 5 person target cap same concept.

[Albione.3894]

No combo field interactions on a support weapon feels odd, a blast finisher at least on Valiant Leap would be useful, especially since you've recently added support relics like Karakosa.

[Grand Marshal.4098]

Line Breaker 18 sec CD is too long for such a weirdly behaving skill. Decrease to 15 overall or reduce the recharge significantly, if the offensive part strikes (something like 10 sec). 

[hugo.4705]

OK so here's my feedback for that new weapon: (Through I do think that it lacks utility/elite skills to be like other specs)

Character animations:  The five skills do make the character move and not stay static, for a staff it is okay, but i do feel it is not the level of a daredavil;

Skills animations: Skill 1 lacks effects, Skill 2 is just a Engie rifle 5 with a staff (also copy pasted tsundering leap, warrior utility skill), Skill 3 is just a reskinned warrior greatsword charhe forward, Skill 4 look like nothing, Skill 5 (Spark spell) i don't know what purpose it has / Skill 5 (Rotating staff) Looks cool but why just only a front rotate? i don't know really... Warrior... Staff... it could be at least kitten? The profession have an explosive gunsaber!!! And for the staff... it does just that? It is possible to do better: https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkxxhn51lwQ0VkVGgE2rLbwx3yJ7ZZFRSZQ?si=l86zd_XaD4H7F0ds, https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxfzWj20NiBf41JqSLQhPZjOENQsX7I_Wj?si=dNXGUNMvMe2Uz9xW , https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxO0YNXt_mp0iY3vh7QjML1jVQ2J0C8pV4?si=trVQY0s8T0-h4qYT , (most impressive). Really... you take the rotating staff from skill 5, you make it on side like a wheel and it becomes like an impressive burst skill. Or a blast finisher. The Berserk skill of staff "Path to victory" is very bad and looking like skill 5, would like it changed to a combo or a blast too.

Mechanics: I really try to see what the gimmick of that spec weapon. Don't tell me it is skill 3 with ally/enemy effect? If so.... well it is quite weird... and to me a skill slot wasted that could have been used by a more impressive looking skill. Skill 5 is highly confused, while fighting i never triggered the rotating staff and only the blue spark poof... I didn't understood the purpose I read barrage and somehow blocking but it does nothing and I get rekt by a vulgar oakheart in 2 seconds... The cooldown kills it too, skill 5 cooldown is way too long, skill 2 too..

Damages and effects: Fury, might, vulnerabilities, regen, cripple, weakness, resolution. You may think with this cocktail that it is nice, but the outuput damage is quite bad. In my honest opinion, it lacks stability, because I trained myself on a veteran oakheart and it feels stupid, you rush toward it and try to fight but it can just knockback you away, at least skill 2 with staff stomp could give stability and blocking next attack effect. Again to me skill 5 is very very bad and confusing, instead of two skills, i would prefer one that is an impressive burst skill dealing massive damage, or combo like skill 1, maybe a three phase combo, block any attack then do impressive combo skill then end by spell poof giving boons something like that.

So, it is not a bad elite spec weapon, but i am very disappointed by skill effects and weapons, again, I am sorry, but warriors have an explosive saber a la Metal Gear...  impressive daggers effects with spellbreaker... and you give that staff with bland animations, seriously?! Nah nah nah, skill 3 isn't impressive, it is just a greatsword rush forward with some flames. Speaking of which, the skill 3 pathing is bugged and sometimes the effects doesn't trigger and i don't reach target so again, it makes me dislike even more skill 3. But skill 3 feel forced if you just made it to sell your ally/enemy gimmick...

A way better gimmick for that spec would be timed combos, all 5 skills have 3 sub-attacks, and player have to press skill button at specific time to trigger 2nd sub attack then 3rd sub attack, this could be indicating by the skill icon pulsing intensely like telling you to press it asap before the chain combo stop and let your skill return to default state. [To make it simple if i take as example the video clips i joined before: Skill 1 (Sub attack1): Block incoming attack with staff -> Skill 1 (Sub attack 2 if pressed rapidly): Counter attack with staff forward like a piercing -> (Skill 1 (Sub attack 3 if pressed correctly and in time): Multiple slashes with staff forward to bleed, stun or knockback...  this is an example. But it would be basically you know like those defuse mine mechanics from drizzlecoast or repgrogramming kainerg fountains where you have 3 coloured symbols to press...]

Edited November 28, 2023 by hugo.4705

[SpaceMarine.1836]

I find it a bit ridiculous that new weapons are being worked on for over half a year yet they don't even have skill icons in time for beta. Even small indie game studio could get a UI texture artists to pump out few dozen icons in a week or so. The only way I could possibly explain this is that there's pretty much no one left on the art team still assigned to GW2. 

[latlat.4516]

Tested it with our guild (WvW-oriented).

I don't know for PvE, but this weapon just is not supportive enough on bladesworn or berserker, and makes spellbreaker feel a worse version of greatsword scourge (heal or power).

I don't know the tooltip is incorrect or if there's a bug, but it indicates "3 unblockable" in WvW and only provide one per target (is 3 in PvE). I do admit that only one single unblockable in WvW, combined with the fact that the effect only procs on ally-targeting, makes the weapon really meh/won't use-tier. I still wouldn't use it in blobs -only in small scale- anyway, but I do admit I don't see much use for the weapon as currently. I could even stand a much higher cooldown, in exchange for more stacks.

The effects of the second skill are... how should I say... underwhelming ? At least make it a leap finisher, or something, because except moving, we don't get much from using it.

[KryTiKaL.3125]

2 hours ago, Smoosh.2718 said:

Skills in need of addressing:

Skill 3 [Line Breaker]
[Line Breaker] this skill is using  the same tracking system as [Rush] so it suffers from the following issues:
. Running on the spot

. Running 180 away from the target

. Running slowly to the target

. Running beyond the target.

. Running to the target then away from the target

. Running to the target but not going off

 

Please can we address this system and perhapse change it to a leap that has more success than the [Rush] method.

 

Skill 5 [Bullet Catcher]

Occasionally stops or its animation stops if in close combat, This issue happened multiple times during short testing.

 

 

Cant say too much about the other skills 1, 2 and 4 seem to work quite well. But its very refreshing to have a burst that is AOE and ranged!

The disgustingly annoying part about them literally reusing the Rush "functions" is that they have literally and directly said that they wanted to avoid having those issues with other similar "dash" skills like they have added on Vindicator and Willbender so they designed them to not do that...yet for some reason they just didn't apply that logic here.

Great ANet moment. Awesome. Lets hope its just placeholder for the time being (which it shouldn't be in the first place because they have entire other skills to use as reference for placeholder animations that do not have these issues)...they have until whenever in early 2024.

[Snowskau.4369]

• The allied targeting mechanic on Line Breaker(3) is going to be extremely annoying to manage. I'd strongly prefer if the support version of this skill was the only (regular target) one. Allied targeting is cool but not in the way this skill works (or with how GW2 combat has been set up in general). As mentioned by Smoosh it's movement is also wonky in line with ancient 2012 skills. It's visual effects are also MUCH too prominent, as if FX issues weren't extremely dire already. It should be a lot more subtle for a 12s cooldown skill
• As mentioned by Smoosh, Bullet Catcher(5) is subject to being interrupted early by combat, but I also had it happen while freecasting by moving(WASD) at around the same time.
• All of the skills could do with reduced visual effects, really. There is absolutely no reason to shroud the entire encounter in FX just from a freaking autoattack.
• I see "level 1" but no "level 2" on Spellbreaker Path to Victory(burst). Is there supposed to be one?

With the staff heals and support being this strong, I'm a little worried about how stacked it is into one single weapon. Since Warrior healing is still supbar overall compared to my other healers in testing (they can survive the SFTA Extremely Threatening damage aura without breaking a sweat or compensating), I would buff the healing traits throughout Tactics some more. I still very much enjoy the idea of warrior shouting at people to heal them.  I'd also think about adding regen to Warhorn. I think it's necessary to bring up other Warrior changes to complete what Staff is supposed to bring to Warrior (what is the point of adding a healing weapon if the healing builds are fundamentally not good enough?).

Bladesworn is perfectly poised to have a support build largely just by altering the top sustain traitline:

• River's Flow should act on allies also and not just self. "Healing power is increased. Healing allies or yourself increases flow rate."
• Unshakeable Mountain should give barrier to allies as well. Furthermore, I would change what activates this trait, seeing as staff has no ammunition, and I don't think I've ever taken this trait because of how it works (or what it gives). Alternatively, replace it with a healing trait (instead of the following proposal), to give Heal Alacrity BS some more alternative sources of healing.
• Immortal Dragon should give regen to allies. Could reduce personal healing to 5 or 6% to compensate.

Since I also have always hated having to waste a utility slot on Flow Stabilizer just to make BS work I would request changing it and flow gain, in a way that would benefit all BS builds:

• Flow Stabilizer is replaced with "Amber Cladding". Like Detonate Cartridges, this skill tosses (something) to create an amber mist that grants Regeneration, Protection and potentially Resolution/Resistance/Stability/Aegis. Essentially just give this skill an actual purpose, that now benefits players. Could also give it barrier instead of additional boons, if only because I really enjoy overheal mechanics.
• The base gain of Flow is increased by 200-300% (near the equivalent of using  Flow Stabilizer)

Additionally, the Gunsaber and/or Dragon Trigger 4 skill could share Aegis with allies, potentially through Unshakeable Mountain, if no other allied Aegis application is added. With more Might, Prot and Aegis sharing, BS should become a solid support pick.
I also loathe having to use Overcharged Cartridges but that's beyond the scope of this beta.

As for Berskerer... Well, I would have preferred Spellbreaker being the support build, but that's too late now.
As a healer, without axes, upkeeping quickness permanently could be too tight, especially with 3 shouts. Once again this may be a problem that we are forced to slot something in utilities that you have to press off cooldown just to make the build work, when you should want to slot something with an actual purpose instead, like more support skills. Making upkeep of berserk/quickness easier with the balance patch is a band-aid solution for how quickness application works but I can't say I have enough experience with qBers to give any useful input on this build. Seeing as Berserker has absolutely 0 support design I can't quite imagine qHeal Warrior being a thing. BS is at least potentially in a decent spot to become a healer or even raid tank. And, again, Spellbreaker could have filled those roles superbly as [boon]Healer... Path to Victory/Rampart Splitter is nice healing but if quickness application is going to be an issue, the build is dead in the water.

Edited November 28, 2023 by Snowskau.4369

[itspomf.9523]

Had this been a revision to Revenant's staff, I'd honestly say we had a nice front-line healer with amazing tank potential (which yes, Warrior could be in a mix of Power/Toughness/Healing/Contentration type gear, such as Wanderer/Cleric).

Damage is overall good and the skills feel versatile and reasonable (the charge move, however, is too reminiscent of Greatsword), and even on the default Marauder's gear and a Might-generation / Shouts loadout, the weapon alone can keep me alive.

Unfortunately, it doesn't feel like I'm playing a Warrior anymore, which is probably the biggest let-down of this weapon.  It's an absolute identity crises with some really, really great [self-]support potential.

[Calen.8945]

Ok, so I was miss lead on how skill 3 works. I thought it applied the buffs if to allies around the target you hit, but now i see you have to target the allies themselves. As someone who uses action combat mode, this is a pain to use. You can very easily get blocked by enemies trying to hit an ally, and if you are not staring directly at your ally, using the camera, you will miss.

IMO, it would be better if Skill 3 had reduced healing but healed and gave buffs around the enemy target hit.

[Smoosh.2718]

1 minute ago, Calen.8945 said:

Ok, so I was miss lead on how skill 3 works. I thought it applied the buffs if to allies around the target you hit, but now i see you have to target the allies themselves. As someone who uses action combat mode, this is a pain to use. You can very easily get blocked by enemies trying to hit an ally, and if you are not staring directly at your ally, using the camera, you will miss.

IMO, it would be better if Skill 3 had reduced healing but healed and gave buffs around the enemy target hit.

having split skills for allies targeted and hostiles targeted makes it very clunky. especially in action camera mode. Ive gone through too many mice to go back to the oldschool mouse mode.
I do agree with a function like you say, to go off around the target for a lesser.. however I would rather it become another skill shot, Basically anything but using the [Rush] system.