58 replies to this topic

[Delolith]

Epic_Bear_Guy, on 18 August 2012 - 06:34 PM, said:

I personally love the curtain and was going to use it for all sorts of things with the new pull feature. For example void into blurred frenzy, void into oil pots in WvWvW, to kite by pulling my foes away with the void and using warden to reflect projectiles, to escape confrontations. Using the void to pull foes and then locking them down with the moa and stuns for focus fire or aoe nukes on a group of enemy players. Using the void to effectively shatter. I like the warden as well. I just feel as if the swiftness is low for a skill on a 25 second cooldown.  So you see, I've already thought of many ways to utilize the focus. Im not just using it for the swiftness.

We shouldn't have to heavily trait and specc for mobility just to be somewhat on par with other professions heh.

Glad to see another one that considers it a worthy weapon than just a speed buff

[auxili]

J1083, on 18 August 2012 - 04:23 PM, said:

Phantasmal Healing comes close to, but I'm not seeing a third major to really enhance party support, particularly at grandmaster level. I'd especially like to be able to party heal sans mantras.

Totally agreed. I don't like the way some builds are forced to fill their utility bar with mantras in order to either have a damage build or a support build. It's so limiting, and mantras are almost objectively the most boring skills in the entire game. Press button, enemy is affected by something with zero secondary effect or graphical effect. Wow, fun. When I log in, the thing I look forward to most is casting Mantra of Pain. Yup, that's the kind of combat I want to be engaged in.

I want to support my friends? Boy, I just can't wait to spam my three mantras over and over. That's the reason I got GW2, to engage in that sort of gameplay.

[Little Hex]

I wish that Chaos Storm would deal AoE dmg instead of AoE boon/conditions.

[Six]

auxili, on 18 August 2012 - 08:16 PM, said:

Totally agreed. I don't like the way some builds are forced to fill their utility bar with mantras in order to either have a damage build or a support build. It's so limiting, and mantras are almost objectively the most boring skills in the entire game. Press button, enemy is affected by something with zero secondary effect or graphical effect. Wow, fun. When I log in, the thing I look forward to most is casting Mantra of Pain. Yup, that's the kind of combat I want to be engaged in.

I want to support my friends? Boy, I just can't wait to spam my three mantras over and over. That's the reason I got GW2, to engage in that sort of gameplay.

yeah, same. the inspiration trait line is basically for support through passive regen from phantasms and active heals from mantras, but phantasms die relatively easy, and mantras are incredibly boring and uninspiring at the moment.

Edited by Six, 18 August 2012 - 11:03 PM.

[Lisletbh]

Personally i think the scepter needs some changing and i think the staff does too.

[Six]

Lisletbh, on 18 August 2012 - 10:52 PM, said:

Personally i think the scepter needs some changing and i think the staff does too.

what would you like changed about them?

Edited by Six, 18 August 2012 - 11:02 PM.

[entropy3]

While I dont have anything unique to add, I do like some current suggestions:
- add confusion to scepter 1 chain end AND/OR add confusion to clone death. However, I am worried that adding both would push scepter over op because it would probably be possible to stack 20+ confusion regularly while clones are out. On the other hand, it would give Mesmer the "punishment" feel it should have.

- of the proposed Mind Stab fixes, Im leaning towards larger radius with faster cast. Player target is limiting in certain ways, and with faster cast and larger radius t would make it about as easy to land as player targeted while giving the user the flexibility to choose where to place it and involve more skill in gameplay.

- I would like a *small* damage amount on chaos storm. Doesn't need to be much at all, 200-300 damage per tick max. Don't think it will happen, jus a personal opinion, but reason being is because it's big and intimidating and when an enemy goes in it they don't take any direct damage? Doesn't ring right to me.

- of course, shatters turning into magic Mesmer missiles. Not undodgeable, but really fast. I have high respect for my class but at the moment it's core mechanic feels very silly and sluggish.

- pistol mainhand would be kickass and could function as a control mainhand (which the Mesmer is lacking) but there are more important changes.

- clones should take an average of 3 hits, phantasms 4-5 hits.

That's all that really irks me about the Mesmer currently.

[PlayerKX]

Before commenting with ideas, I want to say that I don't like how you made some sentences small font. It's difficult to read it. Mind using () or something else instead? Maybe bullet points?

I have to disagree with sword/pistol being a better option for pvp than GS. I personally like the GS a lot more than the mh sword.

Anyway I would like to see a change in our signets as well. I noticed a few traits offering signet buffs, but whoever uses them? I noticed guardians have a decent build centered around their signets. I believe it's a defensive trait line? Maybe do something similar for us?

entropy3, on 18 August 2012 - 11:25 PM, said:

- pistol mainhand would be kickass and could function as a control mainhand (which the Mesmer is lacking) but there are more important changes.

- clones should take an average of 3 hits, phantasms 4-5 hits.

+2 for his ideas as well! Another mh weapon would be fantastic! Not happening anytime soon though sadly. I remember Jon saying something about how it's to late into development to add another weapon. It would take to much time and effort to incorporate.

[entropy3]

PlayerKX, on 19 August 2012 - 02:03 AM, said:

+2 for his ideas as well! Another mh weapon would be fantastic! Not happening anytime soon though sadly. I remember Jon saying something about how it's to late into development to add another weapon. It would take to much time and effort to incorporate.

Yeah like I said not on the top of the list but it could only help. It would make the profession able to spec into other options than sword or scepter for the 4 offhands we have. Seems like an imbalance there. And I suppose that there is a lot of work done to incorporate new weapons to a profession, but they have some of the player animations already done. Simple pistol shooting is in game. On the other hand, it is unfair to give one prof a new weapon and not the others. Guess well have to wait and see.

[Six]

PlayerKX, on 19 August 2012 - 02:00 AM, said:

Before commenting with ideas, I want to say that I don't like how you made some sentences small font. It's difficult to read it. Mind using () or something else instead? Maybe bullet points?

fixed.

PlayerKX, on 19 August 2012 - 02:00 AM, said:

I have to disagree with sword/pistol being a better option for pvp than GS. I personally like the GS a lot more than the mh sword.

despite my own personal preference for the GS, the sword/pistol skills are currently better suited for pvp as a primary weapon set than the current GS regardless of which one is more enjoyable to play. s/p's damage output, burst potential, utility, and survivability seem designed well for it's gameplay style while the greatsword is still in the process of finding it's purpose: aoe or single target sustained ranged damage. at the moment, GS doesn't have better burst potential, it's survivability isn't as good as S/P, it's a mixup of both aoe & single target effects but not focused on either, and as a ranged weapon, it's mobility feels clunky at times especially with the changes to mind stab.

Edited by Six, 19 August 2012 - 02:47 AM.

[Howl]

Lisletbh, on 18 August 2012 - 10:52 PM, said:

Personally i think the scepter needs some changing and i think the staff does too.

Staff ? It's one of the best weapons we have and their skills are perfectly synergetic with each other, I don't think so.
Agree on the scepter ofc.

[PlayerKX]

Six, on 19 August 2012 - 02:35 AM, said:

fixed.



personal preference =/= better option

despite my own personal preference for the GS, the sword/pistol skills are currently better suited for pvp as a primary weapon set than the current GS regardless of which one is more enjoyable to play. s/p's damage output, burst potential, utility, and survivability seem better designed for it's gameplay style while the greatsword is still in the process of finding it's purpose: aoe or single target sustained ranged damage. at the moment, GS doesn't have better burst potential, it's survivability isn't as good as S/P, it's a mixup of both aoe & single target effects but not focused on either, and it's mobility is kinda poopy especially with the changes to mind stab.

Oh no. A full blurred frenzy is very difficult to land on a good player. They will dodge the second your stun/immo is up. I have to disagree. I personally felt that the GS was better in sPvP than the mh sword. But that was with my play style. A staff/GS did a lot better than with a mh sword. I would use a scepter over a mh sword to be honest... I love range.

Edit: And thanks for the change!

Edited by PlayerKX, 19 August 2012 - 02:43 AM.

[Nuu]

to be honest....i don't even care anymore...because i'm burnt out about caring. i just want to play. Just as long as targets can be broken by illusions and shatters don't take frickin forever to shatter on someone running away, i'll be happy.

P.S. Ummm oh, if AI for illusions/phantasms ACTUALLY works.

[Menaka]

auxili, on 18 August 2012 - 11:44 AM, said:

But in a mobility build as a mesmer, the 20% CD skill on manipulations only shaves 6 seconds off of blink, but not portal. There's no 'positive' to it. It makes no sense why portal is a glamour in the first place, it should trade places with a manipulation skill such as IoL or mimic. Both could be defined as manipulations or glamours. Currently it seems the only defining trait of glamours versus manipulations is glamours usually are the ones with a slightly flashier effect.
It's an arbitrary descriptor that has drawbacks gameplay-wise.

Manipulations are all single target/self targeted, with the exception of Illusion of Life.

Maybe they can change Illusion of Life to be an Elite skill, get rid of Mass Invisibility (Veil already covers the Invisibility thing) and introduce a new mobility related Manipulation skill...

[auxili]

I kind of like mass invis as an elite. It just needs some other effect along with it. It's our short CD elite so it's very useful and fits some people's gameplay styles (mine - I don't like having super long CD abilities at all ).

I don't think they need to add one more mobility utility, they simply need to change teleport into the manipulation category, so mesmers who spec for mobility can actually benefit from both mobility spells, rather than just the 1.

[SCLOBERNOCKER47]

Red J, on 18 August 2012 - 02:30 PM, said:

- Make Mantra of Pain do more damage. Or rename it to Mantra of Tickle.

LOL

[Awake]

No one want's to see Phantasmal mage become useful at all?


NO ONE?!?!!

[Phys]

Awake, on 19 August 2012 - 05:54 AM, said:

No one want's to see Phantasmal mage become useful at all?


NO ONE?!?!!

honestly i think pmage got screwed because torch skills remove conditions trait . There is no other possible explanation for such an underperforming phantasm to have a 30 second cool down.

[Flailers]

Phys, on 19 August 2012 - 06:00 AM, said:

honestly i think pmage got screwed because torch skills remove conditions trait . There is no other possible explanation for such an underperforming phantasm to have a 30 second cool down.

Or they just haven't reviewed it yet because they have been busy changing Staff, GS and Focus.

[Jairyn]

Awake, on 19 August 2012 - 05:54 AM, said:

No one want's to see Phantasmal mage become useful at all?

NO ONE?!?!!

LOL, pMage is so disappointing that torch hardly even registers for me, any more... "We have a torch?!"

I would definitely like to see this one improved. Why does it spawn in melee range, too? While I gave up pretty early, I never had it survive more than a couple seconds. I don't feel like either torch skill really justifies its cooldown. Untraited, at least.

Nuu, on 19 August 2012 - 03:58 AM, said:

to be honest....i don't even care anymore...because i'm burnt out about caring. i just want to play. Just as long as targets can be broken by illusions and shatters don't take frickin forever to shatter on someone running away, i'll be happy.

If John Peters appeared right now and said "ok, I'll make any two changes to the mesmer you want, but that's it," these would be my picks. Though I will again stress my opinion that shatter's issue is not just speed but pathing. Swiftness would be an improvement but still wouldn't fix it, we need ranged, LOS delivery, like Illusionary Persona or shatterbolts.

Edited by J1083, 19 August 2012 - 10:14 AM.

[Lisletbh]

Six, on 18 August 2012 - 10:59 PM, said:

what would you like changed about them?

Howl, on 19 August 2012 - 02:41 AM, said:

Staff ? It's one of the best weapons we have and their skills are perfectly synergetic with each other, I don't think so.
Agree on the scepter ofc.

Flat out i don't like the passive clone summon from the spam ability on the scepter because it can overwrite my phantasms. On the scepter we have 2 ways of generating clones and i think that's a bit excessive (spam attack + Illusionary counter)

Illusionary counter itself is the exact same ability as illusionary riposte, that means we have 2 identical abilities in our skill pool - to me that's bad design.

They are my main problems with the scepter.

The staff to me is alright, but i'd like to see them change chaos armour. Since we can combo it with abilities already available to the staff, i don't see the point in it. A lot of the time when i played with the staff 4/5 abilities would be on cool down because i used them quickly in succession. The spells worked well together which is good but it could feel quite button bashy and less skill full - especially when a lot of the time your DD would come from your spam ability alone.

[bonn]

I'd like to see something done about the Scepter for PvE. I don't see any reason why I'd want to take it over the sword. #2 is worthless if you're trying to keep in range, especially in big events. Confusion works well in PvP but is still garbage in PvE. #1 summons useless clones that overwrite phantasms, which are the only thing that does any respectable damage.

Remove clone generation from #1, third chain fires a bolt but also grants retaliation to nearby allies. Clones get access to full chain.
#2 block is also a channel that summons a clone every second (2 clones max). 1 extra clone if an attack was blocked, causing the channel to end prematurely. Chain skill inflict weakness instead of blind.
#3 confusion last 8 seconds in PvE and 5 seconds in PvP

[Howl]

Lisletbh, on 19 August 2012 - 10:20 AM, said:

The staff to me is alright, but i'd like to see them change chaos armour. Since we can combo it with abilities already available to the staff, i don't see the point in it. A lot of the time when i played with the staff 4/5 abilities would be on cool down because i used them quickly in succession. The spells worked well together which is good but it could feel quite button bashy and less skill full - especially when a lot of the time your DD would come from your spam ability alone.

Yeah but if yo combo chaos storm+finisher to get chaos armor you don't get the protection anyway.

[Carighan]

Little Hex, on 18 August 2012 - 08:43 PM, said:

I wish that Chaos Storm would deal AoE dmg instead of AoE boon/conditions.

That'd make the whole spell (and by proxy the staff) nearly pointless :S

auxili, on 18 August 2012 - 09:09 AM, said:

Because almost no matter what you spec, you are forced to depend entirely upon your illusions - whether it be for their damage, on-death effects, on-shatter effects. Choose one, that's your choice. Don't want to choose either and would like to, instead, focus on your other Mesmer attacks? Tough luck.

"Oh, I can improve my illusion damage? Cool. I'll try that build someday. For now, however, I'd like to improve my own damage. Oh, I can't? I HAVE to buff my illusions if I want to buff my damage? There's no other damage-based freaking buffs I can design a build around?"

To be honest though, this is consistent with nearly every other class. Thieves can't "spec out" of Initiative, either. Elementalists cannot "spec out" of the stance bar.

Edited by Carighan, 19 August 2012 - 07:32 PM.

[auxili]

Carighan, on 19 August 2012 - 07:29 PM, said:

That'd make the whole spell (and by proxy the staff) nearly pointless :S




To be honest though, this is consistent with nearly every other class. Thieves can't "spec out" of Initiative, either. Elementalists cannot "spec out" of the stance bar.

It's not a case of speccing OUT of, it's a case of improving other aspects of their class other than their main mechanic.

[ScottBroChill]

I want to have some more illusion bomber aspects, with on-death effects for illusions that can cause different conditions such as fear(but I dont really want to take away from necro's uniqueness), bleed(shatters remind me of glass and I feel like there should be a trait to cause bleed), and stuff like that.

[PlayerKX]

What is all this talk about removing clone generation from #1 scepter? I think it's mandatory. It allows you to use your shatter mechanic, which you should be using in every spec, and deal a lot damage. Even in my phantasm builds, I regurarly shatter illusions. Scepter is one of my favorite weapons. I do wish scepter #2 to be a offensive ability instead of a defensive one. Mesmer do not lack defensive skills. #2 and #4 sword skill have defensive capabilities, as well as the torch invisibility. Scepter should be a pure dps weapon like GS is to staff imo.

If they were to remove the clone generation from scepter #1 skill, they should redesign the #2 to generate a clone like #3 sword. The clone affect would clearly be different.

Edited by PlayerKX, 20 August 2012 - 12:42 AM.

[Zendharma]

Quote

If they were to remove the clone generation from scepter #1 skill, they should redesign the #2 to generate a clone like #3 sword. The clone affect would clearly be different.

If they do that, then I want the suggestion I read from someone in this forum (sorry, I don't remember who it was) to be applied - make the clones generated from scepter weapon skill #2 stack Confusion (and only those clones generated with that specific weapon skill).

[CasualPvP]

For launch I'd want PvE focused improvements, especially low level stuff. The rest can come later.

Scepter improvements (or different starting weapon).

Default on death trait for all clones based on type.

Improved interface for Phantasm vs Clone (pink circles not cutting it).

Improved repeatable AoE.
- GS
- Scepter?
- This might be better now with single clone Mind Wrack being more effective, but without access to Deceptive Evasion until later we still will have trouble here. Perhaps an "autoattack" toggle for Mind Wrack such that if you turn it on then whenever your target dies (and your clones are about to go poof), it will auto Wrack if its available. Reduce cooldown on Wrack and I'd be very happy.