Feedback:User/Skyy High/Signet of Energy

Credit goes to Vorsaken for initially coming up with this idea.

= The Problem = So, the energy system has to be the most-discussed aspect of GW2 at the moment. By my reckoning, the primary complaints that people have with the potion system are:
 * 1) It turns all combat into a spam-fest because you have infinite energy.
 * 2) It is less skill-intensive than energy management in GW1.
 * 3) It is a static, inflexible system that lacks any depth; hitting the potion button on recharge will always result in the greatest overall energy return (provided you're not already close to full).
 * 4) It links energy management (and hence, combat) to a gold sink.
 * 5) It requires the user to remember to buy potions before heading out on a long trip.
 * 6) It takes up inventory space.

Point #1 is, in my opinion, bunk; as we have clearly seen in the demo, spamming skills and dodges can indeed deplete one's energy pool in a single encounter, and as long as potions are on a 30-second recharge in combat there is no possible way to gain "infinite" energy from them, just as there's no way to gain infinite energy from any energy management skill in GW1.

Point #2 is (again in my opinion) misguided; yes, energy management in GW1 PvP was an intricate dance that was difficult to get right, but in PvE it basically amounted to bringing the right amount of energy management skills and/or putting the appropriate number of points in your primary attribute.

Point #3 has more substance to it: potions may be simpler than skills - and that may indeed be a good thing, since combat itself is getting much more complicated in other ways in GW2 - but there's no reason for it to be as simple as we saw in the gamescon demo. This is where we start to see what needs to be changed; the "best" way to drink replenish your energy should not be to hit the potion button on recharge. That basically just makes it regen that you need to pay for.

Points #4-6 can basically be summed up as "don't make it a consumable item". Since we already have a potion button on the UI, the simple solution is to separate the function of this button from whatever consumables you have available in your backpack; in short, turn the potion button into an 11th skill. Now we just need to make a skill that fixes point #3 above.

= The Suggestion =

Signet of Energy
 * Passive: You constantly regenerate energy at a faster rate.
 * Active: You instantly gain 50%(?) of your maximum energy.
 * No cost |  1-2 second cast  |  30(?) second recharge

Numbers obviously subject to change. The energy gained by activating the signet (plus any remaining regen, if any, that you have after the signet is deactivated) should always be less than what you would have gained through normal regen + signet regen over the course of the recharge time of the signet. Some balancing options available include:


 * Making the Signet easily interruptible.
 * Giving the Signet an activation cost itself, so if you run your energy pool all the way down to zero you have to wait for regen before you can get your emergency boost.
 * Adding traits, equipment, or skills that play with the boost energy, regen gained, and recharge time (for example: giving the signet a larger inherent regen in exchange for a doubled recharge time. If you can manage your energy well, this would be great, but if you ever need to tap into your emergency pool you're in deep trouble.)
 * Consider recharging the Signet instantly if you're out of combat for 10-20 seconds, so players don't feel like they need to wait 30-60 seconds in between difficult fights to completely regen their energy. A mild wait time should be sufficient to get the point across that these are difficult battles (one of the goals in making energy a long-term resource).

It's simple, easy to understand, functions just like everyone would expect an energy system to (ie, as a cost, not as a method of punishment or sliding scale of skill efficacy), and it retains just enough complexity that skilled users will be able to get more for their energy than the average player. It's basically just a reward for moderating energy use to keep pace with regeneration, with a little out for those times when that's not possible, which lets the system be a bit tougher on energy than we saw at the gamescon demo.

Some people have asked how this system accounts for long-term energy usage, how it will be balanced for both short skirmishes and long (~10 minute) boss fights. My answer is that the total regen you have when the skill is active should be balanced so that it's sufficient, or almost sufficient, for a player to use their weapon skills and self heal. A perusal of the skill compendium we have available shows that these are the skills that we will be using most often, based on their short(er) recharge times compared to utility and elite skills. Using frequent dodges, elites, and more expensive utility skills will gradually make you cut into your energy pool. Think of everything below 80% energy as a "reserve" that limits your long-term usage of these more expensive abilities. It's up to the player to pace themselves in longer boss fights such that they don't run dry; if they start to run dry, it's time to either fall back, limit total skill use and dodges, use only their weapon skills as efficiently as possible (ie, they might want to cut down on autoattacking, sacrificing continuous DPS for the ability to use more useful utility skills every few seconds), or (if none of those are preferable or possible) pop their emergency supply for enough energy to either finish off whatever they're doing, or to dodge/heal/flee to safety.