Rework Signet of Humility

[Varis.5467]

Anet, it's one thing to nerf moa, but could you have atleast given us something actually useful when you effectively deleted it from 2 game modes? 

 

Also, mesmer is missing an elite spec.

Finally, when are you going to fix the bug for virt to properly show as a ranger spec????

[ascii.1369]

On 6/21/2024 at 7:27 PM, frazazel.7501 said:

Not a mesmer player, but is this really how most mesmer players feel?

I don't think all mesmer players feel this way, but a significant number does and here is why: mesmer isn't good at what is supposed to be mesmer fantasy.

On 6/21/2024 at 7:27 PM, frazazel.7501 said:

Aren't mesmers absolutely rocking right now? Virt and chrono are the 2 most popular especs in PvE instanced play right now, and isn't chrono absolutely carrying the boonball meta in WvW?

I think the issue is that mesmer players don't usually see themselfs as playing a support, nor is healing part of the mesmer fantasy. That's just not why you start playing mesmer. And if you remove support chrono from the picture mesmer does only a single thing in a single game mode well: 1200 range dps in instanced PvE. And even that is done with the one spec many mesmer players view as not a real mesmer, since it doesn't have clones.

On 6/21/2024 at 7:27 PM, frazazel.7501 said:

Who does portals better? Who does confusion spam better? Who does 1200 range AoE damage better? Who has better on-demand invuln on every build, because it's on their profession mechanic?

People tend to do what you just did, look at certain mesmer mechanics in isolation and ignore that it says little about how well the spec performs the related activity.

Lets go down the list:

1. Who does portals better?

Thief does protals better! Yes, if you look at the portal skills in isolation mesmer portal is the better skill. But what people mean is that portal plays are usually made relying on stealth and mobility and thief beats mesmer handily in both. The only area were mesmer does portal better is for certain 10 man speedrun gimmicks that are cute but ultimatly not super useful or relevant to most players. In most areas of the game if you need a sneaky portal guy you take thief.

2. Who does confusion spam better?

Again, if you look at just confusion in isolation, mesmer is indeed best at applying that. But compared to other condi specs mesmer isn't doing too hot with confusion. It has been nerfed so much in all game modes that there are no viable confusion builds left.

3. Who does 1200 range AoE damage better?

To what extent it's actually AoE is debatable, but otherwise yes, mesmer does 1200 range dps best. But as I alread adressed, it's done by the one spec many mesmer players don't consider a mesmer, nor is doing 1200 range dps part of the mesmer fantasy. It's nice to have, but if you're playing mesmer because you like it thematically it's irrelevant.

4. Who has better on-demand invuln on every build, because it's on their profession mechanic?

Mesmer is the spec with the lowest sustain in the game. There is a reason the joke in PvP is that any damage a mesmer takes is permanent. It's making fun of the fact that mesmer can't resustain the way other specs can. So again, while distortion sounds great if you look at it in isolation, in context mesmers survivability is nothing special.

 

To sum up, it's not that mesmer isn't good, it's that mesmer isn't good at the things people play mesmer for. The things that are part of the mesmer fantasy other classes are better at. And the things mesmer is good at aren't even tangentially part of the mesmer fantasy. So when people say that other classes do mesmer better than mesmer, they're not talking about balance, they're talking about the stuff mesmer should be good at in terms of fantasy but isn't.

Edit: case in point

16 hours ago, Varis.5467 said:

Also, mesmer is missing an elite spec.

Finally, when are you going to fix the bug for virt to properly show as a ranger spec????

Edited August 15 by ascii.1369

[Twilight Tempest.7584]

This was simply a lazy nerf right up there with one-dodge Mirage. But nerfed is an understatement. They gutted the skill by 66% duration with no compensation, making it utterly useless thanks to its glacial cool down and cast times. They might as well remove it completely, as slotting it is like going without an elite skill at all.

They could have been more moderate and reduced the duration to 4 seconds and compensated with a proportionate reduction in cool down to 60 seconds. Then it would at least be viable while being less punishing when it lands.

Clearly they just wanted the skill effectively gone from WvW while preserving it in PvE. And maybe because some like to use it for break bars there, but mostly because of laziness, we won't get it reworked. Once again, WvW usability is an afterthought. No actually, it's not a thought at all.

[Rocker.2906]

Boon corruption at 1200 range is a little too much, no?  

About the Signet I think it has very cool flavor, but should include a damage limitation. It could last the full 6s if the target was not damaged, or break the spell if it took too much damage, something like 50% of its target current HP and it transforms back.
I mean let's face it the signet is beyond broken in sPVP. Every class could be bursted during moa without any chance to counterplay. It would make dueling a mesmer a simple matter of looking at his bar and seeing if it has the signet or if its on CD. Even worse cause Mesmers could approach stealthed. It's long overdue.

Edited August 21 by Rocker.2906

[Jojo.6590]

On 6/16/2024 at 7:18 PM, JuezCosmico.6723 said:

Since now the signet of humility will be sent to the abyss of oblivion with this next new patch that does nothing more than eliminate the signet disguising it as a "balance", limiting the mesmer's tool belt, for no real reason since that signet is It is only used for its active ability whith a very high coldown, its passive is horrible, at least the developers should remake it and offer us a good alternative, so I propose this reinvention of the signet.

Signet of Lyssa 
Active effect: Removes all boons from the target and for each boon removed it gains a condition it does not have, (only one stack).
                          Lyssa's Contempt: You are sealed and cannot receive boons (10sec duration).
                          This skill damage the Defiance bar (600)

Passive effect: Each skill/ab/trait that generates clones/blades generates an additional one.

Range: 1200
Unblockable

And now that I'm suggesting, they should improve Jaunt on Mirage, the ability should break targeting every time you use it.

The concept is good, always love seeing more push into the boon rip theme. Passive I'd swap to gain 1 might each time you generate a clone.

[Twilight Tempest.7584]

The rework idea is a good start.  Maybe a bit too strong, but other suggestions like passively gaining might each time a clone is generated are good.

Sadly, this rework is likely a pipedream for at least two reasons:

1. Anet tends to be reluctant to alter core PvE functionality
2. They are currently on an anti-boon-counter crusade, having diminished boon removal and boon corrupt skills in the last few balance updates.  The suggested active effect for Signet of Lyssa would run completely counter to their apparent agenda.