Change Beast abilities to Pet F2 skills.

[psizone.8437]

After playing Soulbeast and the other new and old Elite specs I've found that it's been fairly boring and in some cases it's considerably weaker in most aspects.

I suggest that we swap the current Beast abilities and give us access to each individual pets actual F2 skills whilst in Beastmode.The pets F2 skills are more useful, more powerful and more interesting than what we have access to at the moment and I feel like having them in Beastmode would put us closer to being on par with other Elite specs in terms of usefulness.

Examples:Wyverns: We'd have access to Lightning Assault/Consuming Flame. This change would allow us to choose between power or condition damage and buff each playstyle by a decent amount.Smokescale: It would give us Smoke Cloud. Cooldowns can be adjusted but it’s a considerably more interesting ability.The list can go on, but for times sake: We’d have access to more condition damage, more interesting power damaging abilities, more condition removal and more, well, everything.

Plus, it makes more sense. Currently some pets give abilities that don’t match their Archetypes. Fire Wyvern gives a condition damage buff but gives us access to a power move and a knockback. And the Beast abilities themselves are very lackluster.

It'd give a more unique feel to Soulbeast and make it so that choosing pets gives more unique skills instead of a copy/paste for each pet type. The new Cheetah has a shadowstep F2 skill which is damn cool, but when merged you get the exact same skills as every other cat (with the Beast ability changing, but even then it's a copy/paste of the Archetype skill)

I know it might be a lot of work, with lot's of numbers to mess with and cooldowns to adjust, but I feel like it’s the right way to go.

Edit: As for the ones that really dislike the idea of losing the current Beast Abilities, they could be given to pets that have poor current F2 skills - Spiritual Reprieve being given to Fern Hound for example.

[Quarktastic.1027]

While I would like to use my smokescale's smoke cloud for myself, I wouldn't want to give up worldly impact. All of the beast abilities are useful in their own ways, even if they are somewhat limited in quantity.

Also, how would a skill like consuming flame work, animation wise? We can't take off and fly like wyverns.

[Wondrouswall.7169]

@Quarktastic.1027 said:Also, how would a skill like consuming flame work, animation wise? We can't take off and fly like wyverns.

Would most likely be spinning in place and creating a fire field instead of flying. Think Fire Overload animation on Tempest, but evading the whole time with a 2s channel instead of 4.

[Loopgru.1026]

I was hoping they'd go that direction specifically for lightning rush, consuming flame (could just be a dragon breath), and prowl (stealth from jaguar). As it is, the F3 by archetype seems like a budget / timing corner cut.

[psizone.8437]

@Quarktastic.1027 said:While I would like to use my smokescale's smoke cloud for myself, I wouldn't want to give up worldly impact. All of the beast abilities are useful in their own ways, even if they are somewhat limited in quantity.

Spiritual Reprieve is likely the only Beast ability I like, but you can find a replacement (somewhat) for it along with the other Beast abilities from the various pets f2 skill.

Likely replacements (Use these pets if you like the current Beast abilities):

• Worldly Impact would be replaced with Lightning Rush (Electric Wyvern)
• Primal Cry would be replaced with any condition pets F2 (The Drakes, Spiders and Lynx spring to mind)
• Prelude Lash would be replaced with Fang Grapple (Iboga pet)
• Spiritual Reprieve is harder to replace as pets don't grant Resistance but Shake it off (Brown Bear) and Regenerate (Fern Hound) would likely fill this role well. Smoke Cloud would somewhat work as it makes the Smokescale immune to conditions.
• Unflinching Fortitude would kind of be replaced by Smoke Cloud (smokescale) as it's a 5s evade. Would need a longer cooldown for balance, but it lasts around the same time as Warriors Defy pain and is also limited by the fact that you need to remain in it for it's effect to apply.

Besides having skills similar to what the current Beast abilities do, we have so many other pets that could add more unique skills to our repertoire.

[LughLongArm.5460]

Because we have access to pet's F2 while using the pet, I will always prefer the way it is now(they need to fix soulbeast F1&F2 for all pets ofc). But the dream is combining the soulbeast F3 with some pet's F2 flavor, for example, smokescale+ worldly impact adding is the smoke field(which will result in stealth on activation). Would be cool but I think there are much more urgent things Soulbeast should get.

[ArmageddonAsh.6430]

@psizone.8437 said:

• Spiritual Reprieve is harder to replace as pets don't grant Resistance but Shake it off (Brown Bear) and Regenerate (Fern Hound) would likely fill this role well. Smoke Cloud would somewhat work as it makes the Smokescale immune to conditions.

So you would want to replace a heal that can heal for what like 5-6k with minimal healing power + 3seconds resistance for 2 condis removed and a heal + regen that is worth like half the heal of Spiritual reprieve? seems like a bad swap imo...

[psizone.8437]

@ArmageddonAsh.6430 said:

So you would want to replace a heal that can heal for what like 5-6k with minimal healing power + 3seconds resistance for 2 condis removed and a heal + regen that is worth like half the heal of Spiritual reprieve? seems like a bad swap imo...

Looking at one nerf is a bit shortsighted when dealing with the idea as a whole. The swap would give us access to many more varied and useful abilities.

That said, I wouldn't mind them buffing some of the weaker looking pet F2 abilities, perhaps giving Fern Hound a useful heal and/or some Resistance.

[Zenith.7301]

@ArmageddonAsh.6430 said:

@psizone.8437 said:

• Spiritual Reprieve is harder to replace as pets don't grant Resistance but Shake it off (Brown Bear) and Regenerate (Fern Hound) would likely fill this role well. Smoke Cloud would somewhat work as it makes the Smokescale immune to conditions.

So you would want to replace a heal that can heal for what like 5-6k with minimal healing power + 3seconds resistance for 2 condis removed and a heal + regen that is worth like half the heal of Spiritual reprieve? seems like a bad swap imo...

That 5-6k heal is all you get from it anyways, on a humongous 40 sec cd. Might as well go druid and get the same healing on a much more frequent basis with stealth and super speed on top.

[cafard.8953]

Errr, no thanks. I already have these F2 available before merging or after leaving it, I'd rather have a different skill in addition to that, like we have now.

[psizone.8437]

@cafard.8953 said:Errr, no thanks. I already have these F2 available before merging or after leaving it, I'd rather have a different skill in addition to that, like we have now.

The skills would scale differently when used by the player and you'd have much more control over the skill, which would give them a different feel than when your pet uses them. Plus, your pet would still be able to use those skills when you unmerge.

Right now merging removes the uniqueness from the pets and gives us generic abilities to compensate and quite frankly, they're boring and mostly useless. What's so great about having 5 new skills to use when you could have ~50 different skills based on your actual pet?

It feels rather wasted to be able to merge with your pet and not gain it's actual abilities.

[Durzlla.6295]

@psizone.8437 said:

@ArmageddonAsh.6430 said:

So you would want to replace a heal that can heal for what like 5-6k with minimal healing power + 3seconds resistance for 2 condis removed and a heal + regen that is worth like half the heal of Spiritual reprieve? seems like a bad swap imo...

Looking at one nerf is a bit shortsighted when dealing with the idea as a whole. The swap would give us access to many more varied and useful abilities.

That said, I wouldn't mind them buffing some of the weaker looking pet F2 abilities, perhaps giving Fern Hound a useful heal and/or some Resistance.

Way more than one nerf, you've clearly never pulled a group of enemies in for an unblockable Sic'Em Tail Spin + Maul with the reef Drake before.

If I wanted to use my F2 skill I would simply use the F2 skill that I already have when I'm not in beast mode.

The ONLY redeemable thing from what you'd be suggesting is If Anet implemented an animation of the ranger flapping its arms and spewing fire into the ground as it flies around the world for 5s like the fire Wyvern, but even that wouldn't be worth giving up the very nice new skills, that are completely unique to Soulbeast.

[ArmageddonAsh.6430]

@Zenith.7301 said:

@ArmageddonAsh.6430 said:That 5-6k heal is all you get from it anyways, on a humongous 40 sec cd. Might as well go druid and get the same healing on a much more frequent basis with stealth and super speed on top.

5-6k? I have gotten heals for much higher than that with it, plus its AoE, Plus it offers Resistance. I do agree that the cool down and/or cast time could be reduced but other than that, i think its good the way it is. If i wanted to be Druid, i would make one. I havent made one because i dont want to be Druid.

[Lazze.9870]

@Zenith.7301 said:

@ArmageddonAsh.6430 said:

@psizone.8437 said:

• Spiritual Reprieve is harder to replace as pets don't grant Resistance but Shake it off (Brown Bear) and Regenerate (Fern Hound) would likely fill this role well. Smoke Cloud would somewhat work as it makes the Smokescale immune to conditions.

So you would want to replace a heal that can heal for what like 5-6k with minimal healing power + 3seconds resistance for 2 condis removed and a heal + regen that is worth like half the heal of Spiritual reprieve? seems like a bad swap imo...

That 5-6k heal is all you get from it anyways, on a humongous 40 sec cd. Might as well go druid and get the same healing on a much more frequent basis with stealth and super speed on top.

And lose damage while at it.No, you can't "just aswell" go druid if you're running a soulbeast build. Ruins the point. That skill is huge for a spec otherwise limited on sustain. Even with the humongous CD.

[cafard.8953]

@ArmageddonAsh.6430 said:

@Zenith.7301 said:

@ArmageddonAsh.6430 said:That 5-6k heal is all you get from it anyways, on a humongous 40 sec cd. Might as well go druid and get the same healing on a much more frequent basis with stealth and super speed on top.

5-6k? I have gotten heals for much higher than that with it, plus its AoE, Plus it offers Resistance. I do agree that the cool down and/or cast time could be reduced but other than that, i think its good the way it is. If i wanted to be Druid, i would make one. I havent made one because i dont want to be Druid.

And it's on the move, and it doesn't require ground targetting, and that aoe resistance can be extended via Moa Stance. It's a fantastic skill imho.

[ArmageddonAsh.6430]

@cafard.8953 said:And it's on the move, and it doesn't require ground targetting, and that aoe resistance can be extended via Moa Stance. It's a fantastic skill imho.

Same, i think its solid, i would suggest reducing the cast time as its too easy for say Thief and such to instant interrupt it but other than that, its a great heal. The cool down could be 30-35seconds long but if they reduced the cast time i would be more fine with the cool down.

[psizone.8437]

@Durzlla.6295 said:

Way more than one nerf, you've clearly never pulled a group of enemies in for an unblockable Sic'Em Tail Spin + Maul with the reef Drake before.

If I wanted to use my F2 skill I would simply use the F2 skill that I already have when I'm not in beast mode.

You'd lose one combo but gain others this way. Cheetah shadowstep could have many applications and Wyverns Lightning Assault followed by an unblockable Sic'Em and a Wing Buffet could be a lot of fun. Like I said earlier, there's a fair difference between your pet using an ability and you yourself using it.

@ArmageddonAsh.6430 said:

@cafard.8953 said:And it's on the move, and it doesn't require ground targetting, and that aoe resistance can be extended via Moa Stance. It's a fantastic skill imho.

Same, i think its solid, i would suggest reducing the cast time as its too easy for say Thief and such to instant interrupt it but other than that, its a great heal. The cool down could be 30-35seconds long but if they reduced the cast time i would be more fine with the cool down.

It is a solid skill, but its function could be implemented onto certain pets. Changing some of the lackluster pet abilities for more useful ones would be a welcome change even if this idea goes nowhere, Fern Hound being one of the best choices for a skill swap as its ability isn't as good as it could be.

[cafard.8953]

@psizone.8437 said:It is a solid skill, but its function could be implemented onto certain pets. Changing some of the lackluster pet abilities for more useful ones would be a welcome change even if this idea goes nowhere, Fern Hound being one of the best choices for a skill swap as its ability isn't as good as it could be.

I find the current system rather elegant in not tying up these skills to a single pet. Having the option to take Spiritual Reprieve with either some knockdown/cripple (Fern Hound), immobilise (Spiders), swiftness (Birds) or a blast finisher (Drake) makes for some enjoyable flexibility imho. Much better than the pet design itself where if you want that specific F2, you're stuck with the one pet that has it, no archetype choice.

I'm with you on the fact that some pet F2s could take some inspiration from the Beast skills though. There are some underwhelming ones in there alright, including the Fern Hound.