Upcoming Engineer Changes Opinions/Suggestions

[BenaSPACE.6028]

A lot less changes from Ele, so It'll be way easier to give my prompted and wanted opinion. (You asked for it, Anet!)
The notes are here for reference.

Patch Notes:

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• Healing Turret: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 25 seconds in PvP and WvW.

This one is less about the actual patch notes and more about just turrets in general. Phandrel managed to find the one way turrets are fun to play, but ultimately, I feel like turrets are due for a rework, as they way they play is just too flat. All the Engis here have probably expressed ad nauseam about their discontent with how turrets run at present, including myself.

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• Personal Battering Ram: Reduced the launch distance from 450 to 0 in PvP only. Reduced the ammunition recharge from 30 seconds to 20 seconds in PvP only.

I feel like a lot of engineer skills (and possibly that of other classes) are getting their abilities to shove players removed. I don't feel as though that's a good way to go, personally, as it's just one less dimension that PvP can have to reward skill expression.

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• Detection Pulse: This skill now also inflicts vulnerability on enemies.

I like this idea. Feels thematic. Make sure the stacks given are big enough for its cooldown, and it's golden! (Prolly 5 stacks, I think.)

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• Pry Bar: Increased the power coefficient from 2.0 to 2.5 in PvE only.
• Throw Wrench: Increased the cooldown from 17 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only. Increased the power coefficient per hit from 1.0 to 1.5 in PvE only.
• Magnet: This skill now properly plays its visual effect during the full channel. This skill cannot be retargeted. This skill now applies bonus defiance damage to targets with defiance bars.

The attention being given to tool kit is neat. I feel like some of the abilities in here could be juiced a bit better than just giving them number adjustments, like how Magnet did. I'd personally love to also see more of it giving condi options.

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• Freeze Grenade: Increased the power coefficient per hit from 0.5 to 0.75 in PvE only.
• Poison Grenade: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only. Increased the power coefficient per hit from 0.5 to 0.75 in PvE only.

Grenades are cool, and they're fun to use, but they're basically mandatory at this point, especially for power. I'd say some number adjustments are due for things like bomb kit or flamethrower in PvE, or non-kit skills like Battering Ram or the aforementioned turrets.

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• Elixir X: This skill now also has a chance to transform the user into a lich.

A hilariously fun addition, thank you. I cannot express enough that I appreciate this. I'd even go as far as to drop the cooldown on Elixir X so that it's much more usable. Even 85 seconds is too long-- Maybe something like 45 seconds for PvE. I do feel like it's still good for PvP/WvW, and an underappreciated asset, at that, because it's generally stun hell for enemies. You may also consider offering a stat bonus for each of the transformations, too. This is a tool for a gambler, after all, and people who play competitively or want to clear challenging content hate risk. 

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• Emergency Elixir: This trait has been reworked and renamed Boiling Point. Gain fury when you gain might at or above the threshold.

I feel like making this a selfish trait is a bit of a waste. Scrapper, especially, struggles with providing fury, and could use the extra avenue from something like this. I do feel like a lot of classes are bringing their own fury, but some really count on it coming from their healers nowadays. Give it some thought.

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• Launch Wall: Reduced the 100% heat damage bonus from 50% to 35% in PvE only.
• Laser Disk: Reduced the 100% heat damage bonus from 50% to 35% in PvE only.
• Particle Accelerator: Reduced the 100% heat damage bonus from 50% to 35% in PvE only.
• Blade Burst: Reduced the 100% heat damage bonus from 50% to 35%.

I feel like Holosmith is in a good place at the moment, and might not need these nerfs. Holosmith's not the highest benchmark on Snowcrows, and I don't recall seeing nerfs in the waiting for Willbender, who takes the two of the four slots above Holo. Likewise, it has a high fail rate (the likelihood of mismanaging your build/rotation and losing damage significantly as a result). I'm not a masterful Willbender, or even that familiar with the class, but I feel like it couldn't possibly have a higher fail rate than Holo at this time.

Other notes:

The engineer changes feel a bit like a mixed bag. A lot of the buffs are almost strictly with open world, and won't see much in terms of instanced content in PvE. PvP/WvW hasn't seen too much change, and I think that's fine, barring what I went out of my way to describe above.

[AlPower.2476]

2 hours ago, BenaSPACE.6028 said:

 

Other notes:

The engineer changes feel a bit like a mixed bag. A lot of the buffs are almost strictly with open world, and won't see much in terms of instanced content in PvE. PvP/WvW hasn't seen too much change, and I think that's fine, barring what I went out of my way to describe above.

I think the same, like they're again touching things randomly, and as always engineer is getting huge nerfs in this kind of ""balance"".

I thik CmC is like "I gonna randomly change engineer things so they can't say that we have forgotten that". wHEREAS elementalist having reworks of weapons, traits, etc. Engineer changes are only chatpgt like balances, such as  cd reductions, etc.

- Useless PvE skill have less cd secs, now it can be useless but with a little faster disponibility

- Nerf this toolkit skill becase: why not? magnet the 1 1/4 secs  skill isn't enough dodgable: now can't be retargeted and easier to dodge becase: why not?

- Omg Lock on too strong, even though that perma stealthed deadye is killing everyone in WvW and running away from the fights in order to recoverying  wiith any kind of problems. while he can spam stealth even on dodge; but no engi, too stronk for the poor perma stealth spammer 😞

- Give nades a little more dps so they cannot say anything bad about getting unfair and unnecesary holo nerfs. My willbender and my tutorial skill level virtuoso have to be the only classes in the high benchmarks.

 

Edited May 27 by AlPower.2476

[shion.2084]

The problem with this patch is its impact on PvP.

They just deleted the meta holo build with the 50% damage decrease and cleanse decrease and quickness hit (because of the increase to surprise shot and the other toolbelt skill). 

The idiots decide to compensate for this by buffing grenades.   Now they just finished nerfing it, because it is the most complained about thing on engi.  Even Engi's hate having to carry that one skill on every viable build like a bloody crutch.  They took a build that finally was good without it, and made it also need grenades.  I mean really think about that.... 

Oh but don't worry, none of those compensating buffs actually apply to PvP.  So there is zero compensation there.

They buffed alchemy, but the closest to meta scrapper build uses gyros for quickness and can't slot elixirs. And what good is alchemy without investment in elixir skills.   They give fury, but scrapper gets that through the only taken GM trait.   

It's like none of them play engi.    I can't even explain how much worse a position we're in for PvP now.   

[draxynnic.3719]

Yeah, I found it hilarious myself that the kit they felt needed buffing was grenades. The kit that's basically been an auto-include for just about every engineer damage build for as long as engineer damage builds have existed.

[UntimelyM.7860]

• Magnet: This skill now properly plays its visual effect during the full channel. This skill cannot be retargeted. This skill now applies bonus defiance damage to targets with defiance bars.

Not allowing retargeting on magnet is a huge nerf to an already niche skill that was difficult to use well. 

Some examples of using the skill with retargeting, which will no longer be possible:

1. In fights against a stealthing thief, you can start channeling magnet before they reappear and tab target them as soon as they do. 
2. You can start channeling magnet whilst running away from someone (without target selected), then turn and face/target them to get a pull. <- This is particularly useful in 1v1s against a melee heavy opponent, it applies unexpected counter pressure (e.g. following up with prybar) and can help give you some breathing room. 

Not allowing retargeting on magnet will significantly dumb down an interesting mechanic, reducing it's usability, which I believe is the opposite of what this patch is trying to achieve.

- Prozap [DI]

 

 

[bambi.6214]

43 minutes ago, UntimelyM.7860 said:

• Magnet: This skill now properly plays its visual effect during the full channel. This skill cannot be retargeted. This skill now applies bonus defiance damage to targets with defiance bars.

Not allowing retargeting on magnet is a huge nerf to an already niche skill that was difficult to use well. 

Some examples of using the skill with retargeting, which will no longer be possible:

1. In fights against a stealthing thief, you can start channeling magnet before they reappear and tab target them as soon as they do. 
2. You can start channeling magnet whilst running away from someone (without target selected), then turn and face/target them to get a pull. <- This is particularly useful in 1v1s against a melee heavy opponent, it applies unexpected counter pressure (e.g. following up with prybar) and can help give you some breathing room. 

Not allowing retargeting on magnet will significantly dumb down an interesting mechanic, reducing it's usability, which I believe is the opposite of what this patch is trying to achieve.

- Prozap [DI]

 

 

I agree. The way Magnet works now rewards experienced players and nicely compensates the long cast time.

But then again, ANet doesnt play engineer. Some dev who plays the game with an ele or guardian got pulled in a competitive mode and that's that.

[Tofu.1865]

Did they forget about Bomb Kit?? Grenade kit is the one being used the most but its the one getting the buff? o.o

 

Bomb kit is hella weak and clunky to be used.

Edited May 28 by Tofu.1865

[Ghos.1326]

Some of these changes are going to buff my builds in pvp. I'm looking forward to it.

[Ghos.1326]

On 5/27/2024 at 11:26 AM, shion.2084 said:

The problem with this patch is its impact on PvP.

They just deleted the meta holo build with the 50% damage decrease and cleanse decrease and quickness hit (because of the increase to surprise shot and the other toolbelt skill). 

The idiots decide to compensate for this by buffing grenades.   Now they just finished nerfing it, because it is the most complained about thing on engi.  Even Engi's hate having to carry that one skill on every viable build like a bloody crutch.  They took a build that finally was good without it, and made it also need grenades.  I mean really think about that.... 

Oh but don't worry, none of those compensating buffs actually apply to PvP.  So there is zero compensation there.

They buffed alchemy, but the closest to meta scrapper build uses gyros for quickness and can't slot elixirs. And what good is alchemy without investment in elixir skills.   They give fury, but scrapper gets that through the only taken GM trait.   

It's like none of them play engi.    I can't even explain how much worse a position we're in for PvP now.   

4 changes in particular will be good for Scrappers who want to deviate a bit from the usual:

- elix u to 25 seconds will be nice and good synergy with the next listed buff.

- compounding chemicals now clearing condis on elixir use will synergize very well with builds centered on elixirs, like elix u and b (even c). couple this with the tosses and it can be a steady stream of condition clear (manipulation if you run purity of purpose). also, HGH along with the next listed buff will work great for my build in particular.

- emergency elixir changing to boiling point will have major synergy with might stacking on engi and scrapper. traits that come to mind are pinpoint dist in firearms (traitline focused on criticals and condi (fury for might threshold, fury giving more crit chance)), mass momentum giving might while having stab, no scope (fury when critting in range, fury giving more ferocity), HGH (might stacking to reach threshold from using elixirs). that's just to name a few.

- heal turret cd reduction by 5s may not seem like much but this is big with inventions; the adept minor clearing more condis when healing, healing skill granting protection in the master minor, corrosive plating, it's gonna be a huge buff for my builds especially.