In regards to the recent shortbow fiesta.

[Nanoir.2315]

I don't know how you guys managed to mess up a weapon so badly and even consider letting it out for beta in that state but just a reminder that things like chat gpt exist if you are unorganised and short on time.

I kid you not this all took about 5 minutes of asking chat gpt to rework the current shortbow and is miles better the unimaginative abomination that people were paid to put out.

 

1. **Explosive Burst (Auto-Attack):**
   - *Damage:* 500
   - *Range:* 900
   - *Cooldown:* 1.5 seconds
   - *Flavor Text:* "Unleash a barrage of explosive projectiles, turning the battlefield into a chaotic display of fiery mayhem."

2. **Concussive Blast (Skill 2):**
   - *Damage:* 800
   - *Conditions:* Inflicts Bleeding (5s) and Cripple (5s)
   - *Disruption:* Interrupts enemy skills
   - *Range:* 900
   - *Radius:* 300
   - *Number of Targets:* 5
   - *Blast Finisher*
   - *Cooldown:* 6 seconds
   - *Flavor Text:* "Release a powerful blast that not only damages enemies but inflicts bleeding wounds and cripples their movements, leaving them vulnerable."

3. **Arcane Vortex (Skill 3):**
   - *Pull Radius:* 400
   - *Barrier:* 300
   - *Duration:* 5 seconds
   - *Range:* 900
   - *Radius:* 300
   - *Number of Targets:* 5 (foes pulled towards the vortex)
   - *Number of Allied Targets:* 5
   - *Cooldown:* 12 seconds
   - *Flavor Text:* "Summon a mystical vortex that draws foes in, while providing a protective arcane barrier to shield allies within its grasp."

4. **Elixir Infusion (Skill 4):**
   - *Healing:* 1200
   - *Condition Removal:* Removes 2 conditions
   - *Range:* 900
   - *Radius:* 300
   - *Number of Allied Targets:* 5
   - *Cooldown:* 12 seconds
   - *Flavor Text:* "Launch a healing elixir-filled arrow, bringing restoration to allies and cleansing them of afflictions."

5. **Mechanical Barrage (Elite Skill):**
   - *Damage per Hit:* 300
   - *Boons:* Might (5s), Fury (8s), Swiftness (10s)
   - *Duration:* 8 seconds
   - *Range:* 900
   - *Radius:* 300
   - *Number of Targets per Missile:* 3
   - *Cooldown:* 25 seconds
   - *Flavor Text:* "Unleash a mechanical barrage from above, raining down destruction on enemies while empowering allies with boons."

Edited December 5, 2023 by Nanoir.2315
Clarification

[Zzik.5873]

Better than what we got... Anything is better than what we got... When the supposed new toys is just a reskin of mortar kit with other class VFX and a clunky mechanic slap onto it, you know they dont give a crap...

[Nanoir.2315]

What I won't understand is how it ever got thru the quality phase. Who in their right mind would approve letting this slip by?

[Nanoir.2315]

Then again they decided to release an unfinished expansion and on top of that start selling hero points now so I guess they are doing everything they can atm to fill pockets.

[draxynnic.3719]

Just so I'm understanding your point correctly - did you get ChatGPT to come up with that?

[Zzik.5873]

9 hours ago, draxynnic.3719 said:

Just so I'm understanding your point correctly - did you get ChatGPT to come up with that?

Dont insult the poor bot. Im pretty sure chatgpt could up with a 100x better idea than a poorly done clunkier and slower mortar kit 2.0...

Edited December 5, 2023 by Zzik.5873

[Nanoir.2315]

12 hours ago, draxynnic.3719 said:

Just so I'm understanding your point correctly - did you get ChatGPT to come up with that?

Aye, was chatting to a friend and said chatgpt could prolly do better job so we tried it and that's what it came up with.

[Nanoir.2315]

3 hours ago, Zzik.5873 said:

Dont insult the poor bot. Im pretty sure chatgpt could up with a 100x better idea than a poorly done clunkier and slower mortar kit 2.0...

Righttt, thank you for this informative piece of information.

[Ovalkvadratcylinder.9365]

100% better 
i mean the bar isnt very high to begin with but still gj

[Sobx.1758]

21 hours ago, Zzik.5873 said:

Better than what we got... Anything is better than what we got... When the supposed new toys is just a reskin of mortar kit with other class VFX and a clunky mechanic slap onto it, you know they dont give a crap...

Interesting comment considering what OP proposes is closer to mortar than the current version of the weapon. 🤔

[Nanoir.2315]

1 hour ago, Sobx.1758 said:

closer to mortar than the current version

Wish the motor would be this good. 

Don't do much pve but for wvw it's a good weapon if people are sitting still long enough to spam 1.

The speed of skill 1 is way too slow.

Skill 2 gives a poison field which is a nice meme on downed enemies or if you just want to reduce healing for a lil.

3 and 4 are soft ccs that don't really have an impact at all.

5 is nice to blast on a healing build.

The way shortbow is currently designed hits closer to mortar. You now have a stun and a feeble attempt to provide barrier.

[Noah Salazar.5430]

i think insted of having barrier and healing skill, thay schold make one type but stronger, and maybe pulsing

[Nanoir.2315]

Slightly off topic but man, tbt when scourge was released and barrier was scourges thing. 

Fast forward to now and every class has barrier application while scourge still gets plastered with barrier nerfs almost every other patch

[draxynnic.3719]

8 hours ago, Nanoir.2315 said:

Aye, was chatting to a friend and said chatgpt could prolly do better job so we tried it and that's what it came up with.

Yeah, I looked over it again after posting, and noticed some distinct tells (primarily in the form of mistakes that a human wouldn't make - the autoattack has a cooldown, the flavour text doesn't always match the effects, there are some thematic issues, etc.

Broadly speaking, though, I think ChatGPT here has tried to make a weapon that is more-or-less in line with other weapons in behaviour. ArenaNet, on the other hand, decided to make something completely out there. The problem is that what they made... really wasn't something the majority of engineer players needed or wanted.

[Nanoir.2315]

2 hours ago, draxynnic.3719 said:

ArenaNet, on the other hand, decided to make something completely out there

Aye, I understand this and am really happy with the fact that they are trying to shake things up but really can't fathom how on earth this weapon got a thumbs up.

Surely they go through some quality testing not only for bugs but also getting feedback from staff. Yet somehow this lacklustre weapon was given a green light and went through.

[draxynnic.3719]

3 hours ago, Nanoir.2315 said:

Aye, I understand this and am really happy with the fact that they are trying to shake things up but really can't fathom how on earth this weapon got a thumbs up.

Surely they go through some quality testing not only for bugs but also getting feedback from staff. Yet somehow this lacklustre weapon was given a green light and went through.

Yeah. Different is good in general, but on engineer, the weapon is generally supposed to be the relatively all-purpose standby weapon behind more specialised kits. Shortbow, on the other hand, feels like it SHOULD be a kit. And it's particularly grating since engineer has been using rifle as their only ranged power weapon and pistol as their only ranged condi weapon since release - both are pretty good from a design perspective (apart from the weirdness of rifle being given the explosive autoattack that pistol was denied), but I for one was looking forward to mixing it up with something else.

[Artemis.8034]

Shortbow only works if we can weapon swap, otherwise its in the dumpster

[Nanoir.2315]

8 hours ago, Artemis.8034 said:

Shortbow only works if we can weapon swap, otherwise its in the dumpster

If engi gets weapon swap watch people screaming at it being unfair. 

The whole aspect of anet don't allow weapon swap due to kits is kinda eh.

Power builds use grenades, condi builds use grenades and bomb kit, healing build would use medkit and elixer gun.

All in all these builds have max kits of two.

Ele sits there with 4 attunements and conjure weapons.

Edited December 7, 2023 by Nanoir.2315

[draxynnic.3719]

Engineer gets actual versatility with kits. Elementalist conjures as they currently are are basically a meme, and their twenty weapon skills in practice usually means they have to press more buttons to get the same results while having less actual flexibility than most other professions.

Engineer has a solid chunk of the 'press more buttons to get the same results' issue, depending on the precise build, but at least they can combine a melee weaponset with a ranged kit (or vice versa) to be able to operate effectively at multiple ranges.

[pbalint.1607]

Engineer *loses a utility slot* for skills of questionable usefulness...

Also, there's no thing for engies like the goodies eles get for attunement swapping like boons or healing...

Edited December 7, 2023 by pbalint.1607

[Sobx.1758]

11 hours ago, pbalint.1607 said:

Engineer *loses a utility slot* for skills of questionable usefulness...

Also, there's no thing for engies like the goodies eles get for attunement swapping like boons or healing...

Wrong and it was already answered. Both ele and engie have their class mechanics designed to substitute weapon swap. You disliking it doesn't change that fact. If you think it's not worth it or just want to play classes with weaponswap for whatever reason, pick one of the remaining 7. Suddenly granting those classes weapon swaps while keeping their benefits made to work without normal weapon swaps makes no sense.

Edited December 7, 2023 by Sobx.1758

[draxynnic.3719]

19 hours ago, pbalint.1607 said:

Engineer *loses a utility slot* for skills of questionable usefulness...

Also, there's no thing for engies like the goodies eles get for attunement swapping like boons or healing...

Kit skills being of "questionable usefulness" is primarily a balance issue rather than a fundamental design issue. Improving what's already there and maybe introducing some new ones would be the way to go.

Engineers don't get attunement swap benefits, but they can get kit swap benefits, and have their own advantages. I'm pretty sure engineer is still one of the stronger and more versatile professions in PvE, although I think guardian and mesmer both had big boosts recently in that regard.

[Shadowpeixera.2918]

That's Mortar.

ChatGPT came up with Mortar. While i agree Shortbow is a very weak weapon ( honestly, just make the thing like Necro Staff, so basically Marks, and remove the whole garbage "field interaction" cute gimmick and there, fixed, an aoe weapon ), this isn't really *better* as it's just Mortar.

[Sobx.1758]

On 12/5/2023 at 8:46 PM, Nanoir.2315 said:

The way shortbow is currently designed hits closer to mortar.

No, it does not. It's about how mortar, current short bow and shortbow skill you listed here work mechanically. And mechanically what you listed here is clearly just mortar. Current shortbow is not.

Edited December 9, 2023 by Sobx.1758

[Dirame.8521]

From what I've gathered, Shortbow is a set-up weapon and most people aren't used to it.

What one can do is. Throw Shortbow #5 down, Toolkit Magnet pull into it, detonate SB#5, fire other SB skills into the field and if playing Holo, you spank them with Holoforge skills, if playing Mech, you unload on them with your Mech skills and chain stun them to death with additional turret skills, or if playing Scrapper, they are either already dead from your Gyros or they will be in a moment.

I feel it may be a L2P issue for all of us.