Ranger Redone: Another Ranger Rework (Part 2: Skills)

[InsaneQR.7412]

Greetings Fellow Rangers and Lurkers

 

So about a month ago i posted my first part of my just-for-fun ranger rework idea. It more or less a hypothetical discussion and some ideas thrown together to improve on the current ranger design. This is part 2 of my rework that builds on the previous part that established the reworked mechanics.

 

Part 1: https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/topic/97376-ranger-redone-another-ranger-rework-part-1-mechanics/?tab=comments#comment-1395534

 

In this part I will focus on skills and skill reworks. Traits will follow in the next part, then i will focus on the elite spec and lastly i will focus on pet skills to bring them up to par to the current game environment.

The goal of my skill rework is to improve on core ranger, give soulbeasts more role diversity and lastly give druids more diverse support options. I will also change commands drastically because i wanted the commands to be baked into the class mechanic instead of the utility skills. Similarly i want to improve on signets and shuffle some other skills into signets to give them more role diversity.

For weapons i will focus on improving weapon skills and improving their roles in general. I want to remove attack of opportunity and replace it with opening strike. I also wanted to give OS more trait interactions across the specilizations and not just MM.

 

Core Ranger Skills:

 

Weapons:

So before i go into the weapon skills directly i wanted to add that it is necessary to improve ranger base damage a tid bit because even if rangers do have pets, they are an unreliable method of dealing damage, especially against moving targets. I wont go into modifiers or other details to much but will mainly talk about design and mechanical implications.

Next up i want to mention a new type of skill that will be implemented into the weapons called "Hunting Skills". Those skills technically already exist and are all skills that inetract with the pet. Most ranger weapons already have them and i will build on the previously established mechanics with them. Hunting skills will work the following way: After you used the skill your pet will gain an opening strike with an added unique effect if it hits your marked target. The opneing strike is not consumed if it hits a non marked target but it retains the buff for a certain duration until its consumed. Opening strike is slightly reworked and adds now an additional small attack after your first hit to your target (similar to the one wolf pack procs). The damage is small but can be augmented via traits. This has the purpose for you to reward you for deciding on what target the pet will use its augmenetd attacks on to hunt priority targets.

 

Longbow: 

I think for LB there are few changes needed to make it from a staple pewpew weapon to a more versatile ranged weapon with more potential against crowds or single targets. 

Further, i fell like its GM trait is overloaded while it only benefits 2 skills in a major fashion. With the following changes i want to improve the LBs escape potential and make piercing baseline for the AA and rapid fire. Lastly, i want to give LB#5 more mobility similar to the guardian LB5 treatment.

 

AA: Pierces Baseline

Rapid Fire: pierces Baseline

Hunter's Shot: Ammo skill, 2 charges. Hunting Skill: Fire an arrow that grants you stealth when it hits an enemy. Your pet gains an opening strike against your hunted target. Its next opening strike will interupt its target. (0.25s daze).

PBS: As is.

Barrage: Similar treatment to DH LB5. 1s channel for full AoE duration. Movement during channel is possible. (Can still be canceled by weapon stow or dodge.)

 

New LB Trait: [Name pending]: LB CD is reduced. Whenever you gain stealth you and your pet gain opening strike. Opening strikes are unblockable. (Note: The OS is unblockable but the initial attack to trigger the OS is not, so if your arrows got reflected or destroyed, the OS is wasted. If the main attack is directly blocked the OS goes through even through blocks).

 

Greatsword:

GS is generally a solid weapon and not many changes are needed tbh. But because i will remove AoO i will change maul slightly. 

 

Maul: Hunting Skill:  Attack your foe with the force of a bear. Your pet gains an opening strike against your hunted target. Its next opening strike will grant you and itself might. (for example 5 stacks, 12s, or similar values).

Rest: As is.

 

Shortbow:

Shortbow mainly needs a better range and better ranged gameplay. For this I give shortbow better applicability to close gaps from range to melee by adding additional CC. Further I will give quickshot an ammo functionality for more mobility and will enhance the shortbows guerilla like design. Lastly i will also give SB baseline piercing because only the AA gets affected overall by the SB trait. Lastly i want to remove the flanking bonusses and make them baseline.

 

AA: Piercing Baseline. 3s Bleed baseline. Range 1200. No flanking bonus.

Posion Volley: Narrow down the shotgun spread by halve so it is more viable at a longer range. I wanted to keep the quick cast and the close combat feeling, so it can be comboed off with my crippling shot change. Base poison duration 7s. No flanking bonus. Range 1200 (not that it really matters but it keeps it consistent with all other skills).

Quickshot: Now an ammo skill with 2 charges. 1200 range.

Crippling Shot renamed to Hook Shot with the following effect: hunting Skill:  Shoot out a teathering hook onto your target dealing damage and keeping it crippled for the duration. Can be followed by biting snare. The teather will have a 10s duration and will pulse 2s of cripple and a small packet of damage each second. Additionally it will reveal your target while it is teather similar to all other teathers in game.

Biting Snare: Hunting Skill: Pull your teathered target towards you (Pull 1200 range) and immobilizing it. Your pet gains an opening strike against your hunted target. Its next opening strike will apply heavy bleeding.

Concussive Shot. Stun baseline. 1200 Range

 

New SB trait: SB skills have a reduced CD. Your condition damage and condition duration is increased fro a short duration when you interrupt a foe or evade an attack. 

 

Sword:

Sword needs an update for its AA to cleave on all attacks, also I want to move the skilll that affects the pet from the AA to monarchs leap. Otherwise i think sword is overall in a decent spot.

 

AA: Cleave on 3 targets on the whole AA. Chain 3: Precision Swipe; Will now apply 1 stack of might to the ranger for each foe struck (5s).

Monarchs Leap: Hunting Skill: Leap to your target and cripple them. Your pet gains an opening strike against your hunted target. Its next opening strike will give you and itself vigor. Can be followed up with Serpent's Strike. 

Serpent Strike: Hunting Skill: Do an evasive roll around your target, striking and poisoning them. Your pet gains an opening strike against your hunted target. Its next opening strike will apply poison.

Hornet sting: As is. 

 

Trait: Striders defense: Now also includes reduced cooldown for daggers together with its previous effetcs.

 

Axe: 

For axe i mainly wish a more fluent animation for the AA, a bit more narrowed down cone for split blade and more snyergies within the wepaons design. For this i will swap winters bite and path of scars and make path of scars the hunting skill. Additionally i wanted to add winters bite a proper combo field and switch the bleed from WB to PoS. Also, give whirling defense ginally some movement. I (optionally) also wanted to spice up the GM trait. Its a solid traits but really boring tbh so i gave a possible new trait taht interacts with the OS mechanic.

 

AA: Update animation to a more "Flurry"-Like animation seen in the berserkers burnig flurry or the guardians zealots defense (just not as fast but as fluent). Now a dual chain skill. The first skill throws a bouncing axe applying bleeding while the second skill throws a bouncing axe granting might. Net duration for conditions and boons shoudl be the same as before.

Split Blade: Narrow down the cone by half so that it can be use at a bit higher range for its full potential.

Path of Scars (New skill #3): Hunting Skill: Throw your axe so that it returns to you, striking foes each way inflicting bleeding on its way back. New CD 10s. Ammo skill 2 charges. Pulls 900 range. Applies bleed on its way back to the ranger (3 stacks for 12s). (Could also scale dynamically be pull range but i thought its simpler this way). Your pet gains an opening strike against your hunted target. Its next opening strike will weaken its target.

Winters Bite: Ground Target: Throw an axe to chill the targeted area. 240 radius chill field. Duration 4s, pulses 2s of chill for each pulse every second. Deals damage on impact to 5 targets.

Whirling Defense: No longer applies vulnerability. No longer gains resolution. You can now move during its duration.

 

(Optional) New Trait: With Blade, Tooth and Fang: Axe cooldown is reduced. Whenever you or your pet inflict an opening strike you gain stacks of savagery. One stack of savagery increases your precison and ferocity by X amount. Whenever you activate a beastskill, you and your pet gain an opening strike.

 

Dagger Off-Hand:

Although i recognize that dagger is way better now than in other times in gw2, i still think that Stalker strike is a bit lackluster so i wanted to give it ammo similar to crippling talon. Further i wanted to switch the skills positions because all other offhands have their range attack placed on skill 4 and not on skill 5. This is not absolutely necessary but it unifies skillk layout a bit.

 

Crippling Talon: Moved to Dagger#4 position.

Stalker Strike: Moved to Dagger#5 position. As is but now is an ammo skill with 2 charges. 

 

Dagger Trait: The daggers now benefit from reduced cooldown from striders defense and torch gains its own unique trait.

 

Torch: 

Torch desperately needs some utility. Its the go to condi damage weapon in PvE fro rangers but it lacks in utility for all other game modes, even open world it feels kinda meh. So i wanted to give it more utility with blinds, ammo charges and a ground target on bonfire.

 

Throw Torch: Now blinds all hit targets for a short duration and is an ammo skill now with 2 charges.

Bonfire: Now a ground targeted skill with 900 throw range. 

 

Linking the Fire: Torch skills have reduced CD. Gain stacking increased condition Damage whenever you finish a combo in a fire field. Burning bolts you create with projectile or whirl finishers apply an increased duration of burn.

 

Warhorn: 

Generally no changes except an icrease for the daze radius of Call of the Wild because it was quite impractical. I also added an optional idea for hunters call which could be really cool although the current skill is fine as is.

Call of the Wild: Daze radius is now 480 up froom 240.

Optionally for Hunter's Call ( please give me an opinion on this): Make Hunetr's Call a ground targetd skill that calls down birds that attack enemies in the area. Damage stay overall the same but it creates an area denial field which could be a cool new option, although the current single target burst is still very nice.

 

WH Trait: Merge WH trait with clarion bond.

 

Underwater Weapons: 

Hunting skill updates for the UW weapons but no big changes otherwise. 

 

HG: Feeding frenzy: Hunting Skill: Drive piranhas into a feeding frenzy around your foe.  Your pet gains an opening strike against your hunted target. Its next opening strike will give you and itself quickness.

Spear: Swirling Strike: Hunting Skill: Attack while reflecting projectiles. Your pet gains an opening strike against your hunted target. Its next opening strike will float its target.

 

Utility Skill: 

For utility skills i will make big shake ups. Commands will be gone, Signets will be improved, stances will be baseline, glyphs will be the utility skill type for soulbeasts, spirits will no longer be baseline but instead the utility skill for druids. Traps will be improved upon and survival skills will experience some slight tweaking.

 

Signets: 

Healing Slot: Signet of Companionship (Replaces WhaO):

Passive: When you gain a boon, it is shared with your pet (Basically current Fortyfying Bond) .

Active: Heal yourself and your pet. You each gain copies of the other's boons.

 

Signet of Renewal:

Passive: As is.

Active: Remove conditions from you and your pet. If your pet would be defeated revive it. Breaks stun for you and your pet.

 

Signet of Durability (Rename of Signet of Stone just because):

Passive: Also reduces incoming condition duration in addition to its previous effect.

Active: Also added resistance in addition to its previous effect.

The stone form passive will be removed in the trait section and replaced by a more offensive option instead.

 

Signet of the Hunt:

Passive: Gain Superspeed when you use a hunting skill.

Active: You and your pet gain quickenss and your attacks become unblockable. Same amount of unblockables as previously.

 

Signet of the Wilds:

Passive: Beast Skills have a reduced Cooldown.

Active: Refresh the CD of all beastskills and petswap.

 

Additional Utility Skill: Signet of Savagery:

Pasisve: You and your pet gain increased ferocity. (180 ferocity)

Active: You and your pet gain massively increased ferocity and movement speed for a short duration. (540 ferocity and superspeed for 5s)

 

Traits:

Renewing Seals: When you get disabled activate lesser signet of renewal. When you break stun you regain all passive effects of your equiped signets. The stunbreak itself has an ICD the signet refresh does not.

Hunter's Gaze: When you mark a target activate lesser signet of the hunt. (Note: Marking has a range of 1500 units for trait interaction purposes). This trait has an ICD and an icon inicates when you gain its benefits again.

 

Traps:

Healing Slot:

Healing Spring: As is. but will now also trigger if you are in the trap area beneath 50% health. So you dont have to necessarily leave it first to activate.

 

Utility Traps: Make all traps 5 target. (vipers nest is 3 targets only for some odd reason).

 

Additional Utility Trap: Smoke Trap: Trap. Set a trap that pulses blind on foes when triggered. Can still inflict damage while you are stealthed.

5 targets pulsing damage (power based but a bit less powerful than frost trap), smoke field, 180 trap radius, 240 damage radius, 5 targets, pulses blind on every pulse, does not reveal when pulsing damage.

 

Elite Slot: Entangling Trap: Basically "Entangle" as a trap. Trap radius 300. Damage/Trigger radius 600. This skill replaces Entangle as a skill and Entangle is no longer a survival skill.

 

Trait: Expert Trapper: Traps have reduced CD. Conditions you apply with traps last longer. Traps are now ground targeted and can be thrown from range (600 throw range, maybe 900 but this may be too much).

 

Survival:

Heal: Troll Unguent: As is.

Muddy Terrain: Now works like stomp, so you move into the targeted area and apply the effect. Now a blast finisher. I did this change to distinct it from throwable traps and give ranger some taregted mobility. Jump distance is 450 units.

Lightning reflexes: no longer deals damage but interrupts instead. the skill gains a reduced CD if you broke stun with it. This change was made to remove the stupid LR and lightning aura interaction. You could breakstun and stun yourself again due to the auras effect being triggered by the LR damage. I also added the utility to reduce its CD when you succesfully stunbreak to make it an exclusively good skill to evade CC.

Quickening Zephyr: No change.

Sharpening Stones: Reduce number of stacks down to 5 stacks per activation and instead give the skill 2 ammo charges. This will give more room for cleansing while retaining its overall potency.

New utility Skill: Camouflage: Remove Reveal and gain stealth. 30s CD, 3s of stealth. CD may be adjusted in competitive modes. As you may noticed i wanted to give ranger more stealth abilities and although this skill is simple it is also really good for running away or ambushes. So i kept it simple yet effective.

 

Commands:

Removed as a utility skill.

the following skill are now placed into traits:

Sic'Em:

Attack Training: When you mark a target you and your your pet will deal more damage against it for a short duration. Similar to Sic'Em in duration and modifiers (s0 40% for pet, 25% for ranger). (No reveal)

Predators Training: While your pet is hunting its movement speed is increased. Marking a target will reveal it. (The other portion of Sic'Em)

Search and Rescue: Rescue Training: When you mark an ally to be revived by your pet, your pet will teleport to the ally instantly. When you revive an ally your pet will help reviving if it isnt reviving already. Your pets revive speed is increased.

Protect Me & Guard: Protective Training: When your pet is guarding you, incoming strike damage is reduced. When you fall beneath 50% health your pet will gain barrier and protection and will take damage in your stead for a short duration.

 

WhaO is repurposed as other utility skills. While the SotP is fuinctionally split into the new stances below.

As compensation for the removal of skills the other utility skills gained one additional skill to their roster.

 

Stances:

Stances will be a new base ranger utility skill and will replace spirits. While spirits will replace druid glyphs and glyphs will replace soulbeast stances. Stances will always affect both you and your pet. being a soulbeast will give you a higehr benefit, so soulbeast synergy is still provided. their function is to buff the ranger and his pet with boons and providing some niche addition for each build possibility.

 

Heal:

Bear Stance: Heal yourself and your pet. Periodacally remove conditions from you and your pet, healing for each condition removed.

 

Utility:

Wolf Stance: You and your pet gain swiftness, fury. Grant might to one another when striking a foe.

Spider Stance: You and your pet will corrupt boons and transfer conditions while in this stance. Can only trigger ones per intervall.

Eagle Stance: You and your pet gain superspeed, vigor and resistance. When evading an attack you and your pet gain quickness while in this stance.

Boar Stance: You and your pet gain protection, resolution and stability. Stun break. When breaking stun the applied boon duration is increased.

Devourer Stance: You and your pets attacks will steal life for a short duration. Conditions you apply in this stance last longer.

 

Elite:

Nature Stance: You and your petgain regeneration, increased utgoing healing and boon duration while in this stance. Additionally, while in this stance you will automatically heal and revive downed allies near you and your pet.

 

Trait: [Insert Name]: Stances have reduced recharge and last longer. 

 

End Notes:

So i decied to move the E-specs to another section later down the line because this is already getting really long.

So i appreciate some feedback on my ideas, my choices on changing certain skills completely and for the optional ideas.

If you think something particularly great or aweful, tell me, always eager to have some constructive criticism.

 

Hope you had a good read, cheers.

 

 

Edited August 2, 2021 by InsaneQR.7412

[Abyssisis.3971]

It’s a lot to read, but I do like the ideas you presented, would def make for some interesting changes.

[InsaneQR.7412]

13 hours ago, Abyssisis.3971 said:

It’s a lot to read, but I do like the ideas you presented, would def make for some interesting changes.

Thx for the feedback.

 

Any specific opinion on my optional ideas?

[Dinas Dragonbane.2978]

So this seems like a huge buff to builds that run marksmanship due to all of the opening strikes possible from all weapons, but what about builds that do not? 

[Za Shaloc.3908]

I always love reading stuff like this, and I admire the amount of time and effort put into this. Here are some thoughts...

 

- I really love your torch changes. Funnily enough I have thought of this exact change for torch 4 and I think it would go a long way towards making it better, aside from better tracking. Your idea for making bonfire ranged also really increases it's a appeal. Would love to have the weapon be more competitive.

- Your ideas for Signets of Renewal, Hunt, and Wilds are all wonderful. Perhaps my fav of all of your ideas.

- I think you take certain things overboard. For example, just remove the damage from Lightning Reflexes; it absolutely doesn't need a daze. Ranger should also not get a reveal removal; it is a bad mechanic and Deadeye never should have gotten it either. Ranger having access to an additional smoke field is more permissible, but IMO reveal removal is crossing a line. 

- I am curious to see your suggested changes for spirits for Druid. I personally really like glyphs for Druid despite some of them being weaker, so I would be really bummed to see them go. IMO the issue with glyphs is not them being glyphs, but the double-gating behind CA and the general weak effect of some of them. If CA behave more like Holoforge, glyphs would feel much more fluent and intuitive. But hey, I guess saying all that makes me realize that they would indeed work on Soulbeast considering you have more control of beastmode than CA.

- I don't agree with your Signet trait auto proc effects. ANet already has been moving away from autostunbreak traits so why introduce another? And unblockable passive triggering immediately after having your attacks blocked is another example of unskillful gameplay that we should stay away from.

- Really cool suggestion for Muddy Terrain! I still don't know if I would be able to find room for it in most builds, but it is certainly more interesting with your suggestion.

 

Would go more in-depth but I gotta get back to work.

[InsaneQR.7412]

@Za Shaloc.3908

1. Thanks for teh in depth reply

2. Yeah I think LR is under utilized on many modes so i thought i give it a bit more utility because most stun breaks on ranger are just straight up better most ofmthemtime. But changing it to a very short duration interupt could also be quite nice tbh (so like 0.25s). But i get your point that it may be a bit overboard.

3. Yeah i was sure that the reveal removal seemed to strong. I wanted to add something useful and thematic to it that would mesh well with ranger. The stealth duration is short and the reveal removal is on a 30s CD. Deadeye has 2 reveal removals due to ammo thats what makes it particularly strong.

4. Yeah i think i will give the signet traits a second look. I really like the idea of giving signet passives through a secondary trigger  and i wanted to give MM some unblockable synergy through signet of the hunt.

5. Slight spoiler for druid: i want to make spirits like spirit weapons. So ground targeted skills that execute an AoE effect. The AoE effects will be similar to our known glyph effects.

6. Yeah MT most often just got use through the Child of the Earth trait. I think this way it will be more interesting for bruiser like builds.

7. Happy to see more feedback btw, this is a WIP project so improving it through suggestions is always nice

 

Cheers

[Arrys.7145]

Hate everything that changes how I play ;).....  Would drastically change how the class plays not always for the better IMHO.  Really admire the depth of thinking however.

 

Don't agree that LB is just a pew pew weapon.  It's a damage layering impact stacking weapon as well as pew pew utility.  You can play it in two variations full power Soulbeast boom builds or split power condition stacking core or soulbeast better as you can add on demand poison stacking with a bleeding stack on 2, while using a SB beast ability to add extra cover conditions.    LB is a pretty great weapon as is.  Has the two largest ways to deliver damage reliably I've found on returning.  Boombeast is fun but prefer a splitbuild that drops power and condition damage and takes advantage of longbows/warhorn firing dynamics to rapidly stack multiple conditions with good power damage and then might stack traditionally (Upping condition ticks) or with dragonhunter and trap placement while dodging. 

 

Rangers can play power/condition and drop some good damage and have good survivability and utility.  Your changes appear to pigeonhole into power or condition which is how most players analyze and play the game currently as thats where they find their meta.  Ranger thanks to soulbeast as well as trapper and dragonhunter additions plus the charachteristics of LB (2) Warhorn (4) and even a bit axe (5) in particular really has viable dual damage builds that can put out some high layered damage in perceptually short periods of time.  

 

Rangers are in some ways a boyscout class.  It's all about the prep and set up.  We can prepare damage/defense then drop it all at once in a perceptual instant to our targets (Traps spirits) with some powerful damage add buffs to maximize damage at moment of engagement and then good abilities to avoid and recharge and dodge and evade.   Here is a basic soulbeast layered damage build.   Play it perma merged in pvp with Iboga.  It lays down some quick pain and you can stack might front end or back. opening with LB 5 to sharpening stone/vulture/onewolfpack LB 2 is a boat load of hurt in a very quick perceptual timeframe to a target and it's on engagement so sets initiative for a fight.   Also max boosts team early vs waiting for a kill moment when attrition has occurred.  Dragonhunter is easy might stacking trapper runes are survival boost.

 

It really keys off the nature of LB 2 or WH 4 to single button apply significant condition stacks to augment the power damage.

 

Of course I'm not bored with current soulbeast/ranger options as I just returned and am just testing them out.

[InsaneQR.7412]

3 hours ago, Dinas Dragonbane.2978 said:

So this seems like a huge buff to builds that run marksmanship due to all of the opening strikes possible from all weapons, but what about builds that do not? 

OS will be distributed throughout all specilizations in my trait update. MM will not be the only specialization profiting off of it.

[InsaneQR.7412]

@Arrys.7145

I mean i appreciate that you gave all a read and want to give me advice but as far as i can see i did not make a single change that would change a weapons role as it is in the game (maybe axe but even that still retains most of its functionality). If you think otherwise please elaborate a bit further.

Also, I am aware that there are more possibilities for a weapons use (especially with ranger were you have skirmishing and sharpening stone etc) but its not the primary use of the weapon throughout ALL game modes and i wanted to improve on the primary function not on builds on their own.

I personally am a fan of hybrid builds and support for those builds will be provided mainly by traits in a later part. I try to keep the weapon design clean otherwise.

[Arrys.7145]

Not really being negative.  it's an interesting thought experiment.  The kind which may spark a few ideas for developers and therfore worthy of respect and concept sharing.  Unclear exactly how it would change just wanted to add a different perspective into your thinking as you move forward.  Rangers LB is largely why every time I play this game I come back to ranger.  It's a fun playstyle for me.  And fun is my first and foremost...  Also effective or it wouldn't be fun.

 

Stacked damage builds only worked well for base condition before vulture stance (And isolated periods of spirit horde dominance).  The double condition speed application of current game is very nice.  It's just not a way most people try and play despite the jewelery often being 50/50 on damage stat and might having the same impact. Ranger tree's were clearly designed to enable it when you start looking through them but the utilities to really harness it were limited.  The synergies needed are there now.  

 

however (apparent negatives of your thoughtsperiment to a layered play style):

 

Axe 3 change (Both the freeze and damage of it are beneficial - adds a cripple and different condition effect)  Replacing with a same condition effect is a weakening of weapon from layered/condition perspective.  No problem capping bleeds need other conditions as covers and triger's of other abilities.

 

Sharpening stones 5 charges not 10  - (Huge change to damage buff stacking)

Vulture Stance Deleted? for loser glyphs (Huge change for damage buff stacking)  

 

Uncertainties

Adding an Ammo system to manage to do power damage with ranged you don't explain it or where?.

Changes to LB which would have to result in damage nerfs.

Barrage change likely leads to damage or effect limitations.  Same barage plus mobile application would be sweet but yeah right. 

 

General Philosophy Wise -

I like the marksmanship tree.  You change it not fully sure how but as it exists. Marksmanship is already a well designed tree that simply isn't easily fit in current meta  (Minority perspective perhaps).  I've always liked it so I've been playing to find ways to use it.  It's designed around 3 damage philosophy potentials and opens up strong utility.  It's final line has three playstyles supported - LB Power range (attrition multi target),  Ranged/Melee (Big Hit opening strike/reset), Mixed Ranged or Melee layered damage(Predator's Onslaught/cripple triggered).  When you forego 200 power off your jewelry a plus 15% damage boost you trigger every opening attack and from barrage, or axe 3  (Chilled), dagger 4 effects etc...  Signets have useful effects that aid guaranteed ranged damage delivery and survival and run speed.  Opening strike as your spike damage is enabled via resetting.  AOE damage builds enabled, blended damage builds enabled...plus utility.  good tree.  If you invest in it it does define your playstyle or you shouldn't be in the tree.  

 

In fact my read of posts is people want a few tweaks to it to justify it back in even more builds.

 

LB is already powerful weapon not a pew pew weapon.  At least it can be with abilities synced.  Not really places I think rangers have holes that need filling.   

 

Enjoyed your thought experiment alot.  just adding to the thought mix.

 

[Abyssisis.3971]

11 hours ago, InsaneQR.7412 said:

Thx for the feedback.

 

Any specific opinion on my optional ideas?

Yes, imo, axe is a hybrid weapon so it’s trait should benefit both power and condition damage rather than ferocity.

 

I personally believe axe should have a 3 attack chain with something like the following..

AA1 - applies bleed

AA2 - grants might

AA3 - applies 2 bleeds and grants 2 might.

 

 

[InsaneQR.7412]

1 hour ago, Abyssisis.3971 said:

Yes, imo, axe is a hybrid weapon so it’s trait should benefit both power and condition damage rather than ferocity.

 

I personally believe axe should have a 3 attack chain with something like the following..

AA1 - applies bleed

AA2 - grants might

AA3 - applies 2 bleeds and grants 2 might.

 

 

I didnt wanted to meddle with the AA but overall i think a 2 chain attack could already work tbh. One axe applies bleed the other might.

Yeah i thought about the hybrid style of axe, thus i gave the optional trait a precision buff not only a ferocity buff.

But i am thinking of designing the trait from scratch instead.

[InsaneQR.7412]

@Arrys.7145

Thanks for the more elaborate reply. Nonegativity either, i was more confu.ed by the prior response, that was all.

 

To your points:

 

The comment on axe 3 cover cohdition is justified, but i think with my othee changes you have more than enough other cover conditions through offhand weaponry tbh. I wanted to give synergy within the weapons skills without any external synergy. So i made axe 3 the pull so you can combo it with splitblade.

Sharpening stone will have 10 charges, just split into 2 ammo to trigger the survival trait more often, giving it more possible utility with cleanses and fury application.

Vulture stance mechanic will be retained in the soulbeast glyphs, the glyph will apply different condis dependent on your archetype.

The added ammo charges to certain skills is for later trait interactions and to improve on some skills. Torch 4 and LB3 for example feel very lackluster and gving them one additional charge is a simple way of improving them without changing the weapons role. It has nothing to do with a wanted increase in ranged power damage.

Changes to LB do not necessarily imply a damage nerf, HS does poor damage, barrage can easilylbe avoided and piercing has only impact for zerg play and meta events which is something many ppl would love to see because it would not pidgeon hold LB cleave into MM and thus increase build diversity. Even if the numbers would get slightly toned down, the increase in survivability, mobility and utility would definetly justify it to still be worthwhile to play. 

 

I want to change MM to give it more of a hunting feel. With stealth synergy, interupt synergy and a better focus to fight against a single target. MM will also interact with OS and hunting skills and signets will mainly be placed in nature magic.

 

For further comments and interests to the traits you have to wait for my trait rework though. Atm pretty much all of it is on draft.

 

PS: LB is THE pewpew weapon. It is not less powerful because of it. On the contrary, because of the pewpew skill aka rapid fire it is as powerful as it is.

Edited July 27, 2021 by InsaneQR.7412

[Abyssisis.3971]

49 minutes ago, InsaneQR.7412 said:

I didnt wanted to meddle with the AA but overall i think a 2 chain attack could already work tbh. One axe applies bleed the other might.

Yeah i thought about the hybrid style of axe, thus i gave the optional trait a precision buff not only a ferocity buff.

But i am thinking of designing the trait from scratch instead.

Yea, 2 chained auto would be fine by me.

 

Could always give the axe trait a stacking damage and condi damage mod, like “on crit hit gain increase +2% damage and condition damage for 10 seconds, stacks to 10%” or something along those lines specifically axe skills only tho.

[InsaneQR.7412]

1 hour ago, Abyssisis.3971 said:

Yea, 2 chained auto would be fine by me.

 

Could always give the axe trait a stacking damage and condi damage mod, like “on crit hit gain increase +2% damage and condition damage for 10 seconds, stacks to 10%” or something along those lines specifically axe skills only tho.

Hmm yeah nice idea. Could be when you crit while wielding an axe. The duration of the buff could be extended when you hit with an OS.

This way you could juggle it with smart play. 

 

(This time correct thread)

[Arrys.7145]

9 hours ago, Abyssisis.3971 said:

Yea, 2 chained auto would be fine by me.

 

Could always give the axe trait a stacking damage and condi damage mod, like “on crit hit gain increase +2% damage and condition damage for 10 seconds, stacks to 10%” or something along those lines specifically axe skills only tho.

I suspect in Dev Math (AKA balance the game math)  a Might proc (Which can theoretically be stolen and debuffed)  has a lesser value than a percentage bonus that can't.  So go for the proc to not give up more elsewhere.  

 

How does a trap end up impacting 3 not 5 - some dev went to the mat for some extra damage or duration or CD timeframe and sacrificed targets that can be impacted?

[Arrys.7145]

On 7/25/2021 at 6:44 AM, InsaneQR.7412 said:

Stances:

Stances will be a new base ranger utility skill and will replace spirits. While spirits will replace druid glyphs and glyphs will replace soulbeast stances. Stances will always affect both you and your pet. being a soulbeast will give you a higehr benefit, so soulbeast synergy is still provided. their function is to buff the ranger and his pet with boons and providing some niche addition for each build possibility.

 

Heal:

Bear Stance: Heal yourself and your pet. Periodacally remove conditions from you and your pet, healing for each condition removed.

 

Utility:

Tiger Stance: You and your pet gain swiftness, fury. Grant might to one another when striking a foe.

Devourer Stance: You and your pet will corrupt boons and transfer conditions while in this stance. Can only trigger ones per intervall.

Eagle Stance: You and your pet gain superspeed, vigor and resistance. When evading an attack you and your pet gain quickness while in this stance.

Boar Stance: You and your pet break gain protection, resolution and stability. Stun break. When breaking stun the applied boon duration is increased.

 

Elite:

Nature Stance: You and your pet agin regeneration, increased utgoing healing and boon duration while in this stance. Additionally, while in this stance you will automatically heal and revive downed allies near you and your pet.

 

Trait: [Insert Name]: Stances have reduced recharge and last longer. 

 

 

 

A thought on stances or potentially other places active passives show up (And something that always bugged me about signets spirits etc)  The active passive bene's all feel the same as they act on the players frame of reference.  You incorporate a bit of what I will call a reactionary passive within these -  Boon corruption when an opponent has boons for example.  So you opponents action triggers the passive effect.    Might be interesting to build opponent action triggered effects into one of the systems. ie,

 

Sidewinder Stance - When struck from stealth counterattack with X and apply reveal....

Bear Stance - When 3 or more conditions are applied you shake them off spreading them to enemies with 600 and gain fury....ICD z  etc...

Devourer Stance -  When struck by any attack that does more than 5% of your health in damage throw spikes in a retaliatory attack....

 

Thresholds made up without any balance consideration to demonstrate conceptual model only.  That way we have the passives we control and the passives that fit a situation we wanted to manage better as options.