Design Philosophy of Scourge and Torment

[Eddy.7051]

The details listed below illustrate how the Scourge is designed to apply torment, kite and snare enemies to increase enemy movement (improving torment damage), and fear enemies to widen the gap and increase movement (improving torment damage). The recent balance patched reworked torment so that it deals improved damage to enemies that are not moving, and I like this change across all professions for various reasons. But the reworked torment design philosophy should be accompanied with a reworked Scourge design philosophy because Scourge's design philosophy was dependent on Torment's mechanic.

 

Scourge Torment Interactions

• Torment:
  • Profession Skills: F1-5
  • Weapon Skills: Torch 4-5
  • Slot Skills: Punishment skills
  • Trait: Demonic Lore trait (enhanced torment damage and burn on torment)
• Previous Synergy (now Anti-Synergy)
  • Fear: F4
  • Cripple: Punishment Skills
• Previous Anti-Synergy (Now Synergy)
  • Knockdown: Torch 5

 

Necromancer Torment Interactions

• Torment:
  • Profession Skill: F5
  • Weapon Skill: Scepter 3
  • Slot Skills: Signet of Spite, Plaguelands, and Blood is Power with Master of Corruption trait (self inflicted torment that can be transferred to foes)
  • Trait: Master of Corruption and Insidious Disruption (torment on fear and disables)
• Previous Synergy (now Anti-Synergy)
  • Fear: F3, Staff 5, Spectral Ring, Lich Form, Dread trait (reduce the recharge of F3), Terror trait (fear deals condition damage), and Fear of Death trait (longer fear duration)
  • Cripple: Scepter 2, Axe 3, Signet of Spite, Summon Bone Fiend, Lich Form, Plaguelands, and Summon Flesh Golem
  • Chill: F2, Staff 3, Focus 5, Summon Shadow Fiend, Well of Darkness, Spectral Grasp, Plaguelands, Chilling Darkness trait (chill on blind), and Bitter Chill trait (vulnerability on chill)
• Previous Anti-Synergy (Now Synergy)
  • Immobilize: F5, Dagger 3, and Summon Bone Fiend
  • Knockdown: Summon Flesh Golem

 

I propose reworking Fear so that it causes enemies to /cower rather than run away. To distinguish Fear from Knockdown and Stun, Fear should continue to be a condition that can be cleansed or avoided with Resistance. Cripple and Chill do not need to be modified because they positively interact with Sand Shades by keeping enemies inside of Sand Shades.

 

Fear is integral to the Necromancer, while Torment is integral to the Scourge. I'm not generally opposed to anti-synergy because it can create depth and strategy. But integral mechanics should not behave antagonistically, unless it is the overall theme of the build to have antagonistic and potent abilities rather than synergistic and ramping abilities. Overall, Necromancer abilities are synergistic and ramp up (vulnerability stacking on direct damage builds and condition diversity stacking on condition damage builds).

[Ashen.2907]

I always thought of the Scourge as primarily a WvW large zerg fight class. Not saying that there is no movement when the two massive groups come together but the vast amounts of CC and frontline combatants meant that the swarms of red circles cast by scourges over the centers of contact between the two forces seems likely to continue to be effective even with the Torment change. 

 

I never really considered the scourge to me much of a kiter due to its relative lack of mobility compared to many other class/specializations. The change certainly seems likely to boost scourge DPS against large bosses who are often relatively unlikely to move much.

 

All that said, I do agree that any spec heavily reliant on a mechanic that has its core functionality so drastically changed should be looked at for possible balance/gameplay issues. I hope that the devs did so and came to the conclusion that the spec still works and serves its intended purpose(s) despite the change.

[noobhero.3820]

Why not just give Torment full damage at all times in PvE? If the whole point of Torment was to benefit from kiting in PvP and the reversal is to make it more viable on in PvE (where enemies can be held in place by simply not triggering them to do so), why reverse the entire point of the status? Just make it full damage regardless in PvE so that it keeps its PvP utility without changing the core of the game even more by removing fear's forced movement away from the caster.

 

AFAIK Torment has always been giving extra damage on movement, and the skills it's bound to are all about and been developed around punishing movement (combined with cripple condition, necromancer with many fear skills, etc.). And considering every class can move freely as they attack, Torment was the only skill that could actually punish movement itself, making it even more of a no-brainer to continuously stay in movement regardless of the situation.

 

 

[Eddy.7051]

2 hours ago, Ashen.2907 said:

I never really considered the scourge to me much of a kiter due to its relative lack of mobility compared to many other class/specializations.

 

Yes, Necromancer is definitely one the professions with the least mobility. But Scourge has (A) Sand Swell to portal between locations and (B) Trail of Anguish to gain swiftness and punish foes who chase them down. In competitive modes and raids, these skills function to support the mobility of your team. In open world PvE, these skills enhanced the Scourge's ability to kite.