The Current Boon Ball Meta and Balancing Suggestions

[DeceiverX.8361]

23 hours ago, Joonmo.7523 said:

I've read all of your discussions about BOON Ball.

You seem to think the problem is due to Celestial gear, but I don't think so.

Since a few years ago, ArenaNet has been nerfing the BOON removal skills.

The biggest problem with BOON Ball is that there is no counter.
The only thing that can beat BOON Ball now is a stronger BOON Ball.

Boon Ball was strong before, but not as much as it is now.
Because the BOON skills did their job properly.

Currently, BOON removal skills are too limited in number and ineffective compared to BOON skills.

Spellbreaker's elite skill "Winds of Disenchantment" was a counter to BOON.
But now, after 10 nerfs in 7 years, it is ineffective compared to the slots consumed and the cooldown.

(10s duration, 0.5s pulse, 10 targets, 100% boon duration reduction -> 4s duration, 1s pulse, 5 targets, 33% boon duration reduction)

Spellbreaker's "Break Enchantments" changed from 4 to 1 boon removal.

Masmer's null field was halved.

In addition, many boon removal skills and traits were nerfed.

The reason why boon balls are so strong now is because boon removal skills have been nerfed over the past 7 years, so there is no counter.

 

It's not even this; ANet has systematically removed build options which do not depend on boons to function.

It doesn't matter how much boon denial you have in the game if every single ability that meaningfully changes a build utilizes the boon system, and that an overabundance of CC and mobility makes any such rhetorical boon-less builds not function.

So many traits only function when having a specific boon up.

So many traits no longer provide stat bonuses and instead give boons.

So many weapon skills and kits are balanced and designed under the assumption specific boons are available.

So much CC has been added because there's an assumption about there being no shortage of Stability.

There is no such thing as a viable or even remotely functional build that operates without a significant number of boons.  Boons have become *THAT* embedded in the game's core mechanics; the builds best-suited to recovering after constant boon denial are the ones which simply apply more boons, because they will still faced less functional downtime than non-boon builds do.

It's entirely on boon access and duration. Stuff needs nerfing and reverting, and there's no way around it.

[Kozumi.5816]

17 minutes ago, DeceiverX.8361 said:

It's entirely on boon access and duration. Stuff needs nerfing and reverting, and there's no way around it.

All boons should be 1 second base duration in WvW, or be removed entirely.,

[kash.9213]

21 hours ago, coro.3176 said:

I don't feel like the damage is there. Fought a boon blob today - they probably had 25. I landed a fat Prime Light Beam while they were on a capture circle and they just sat in it and I had mostly yellow numbers. Sitting in an elite skill damage aoe, yawning while it doesn't even tickle your group is kind of disrespecting the game mechanics IMO.

At that point, I was like, "welp, nothing I do is going to change the outcome of this unless one of our large groups gets on to come fight them", so I logged off.

Most boon balls normally start to snowball losing even just a couple of their key composition. The ones who don't end up scrambling and dissipating pretty fast after that police those up really well. So, if we're just upping the damage and not opening up those windows again, doesn't that increase in damage change things down scale where there's not overlapping boons and utility? 

[One more for the road.8950]

On 7/27/2024 at 5:00 AM, Mike.3196 said:

Being good in current meta isnt  difficult

It's a skill floor/skill ceiling problem.
It was there, now it's not. Give build to monkey. Monkey press skills on cool down.

Well, perhaps we do some slow moving away from that, but still. Making player timing and command skill actually count a bit again instead of everyone and their grandma standing in red circles pressing all the skills would be nice.

Edited July 29 by One more for the road.8950