ArenaNet:Skill feedback/Elementalist/Smoldering Embers

Smoldering Embers

User:AudreyChandler's Issue -- 21:47, 18 April 2009 (UTC)

Discussion

Issue

Smoldering Embers seems to be designed as a single-target spell with the damage of Fireball but the Burning of Immolate, in exchange for a delayed effect on the burn and a conditional way to avoid it. That puts some pressure on people to move around. That's how I interpret the design intent. From reading discussions, though, this seems like a skill that sits in the dustbin a lot. And I have to admit that my first reaction upon looking at it was, "Eww."

But I've tried it out (I am not a top-end player, so take my impressions with that in mind) and I've actually come to like the ability quite a bit. It's interesting, and packs a nice little punch compared to Flare and Immolate. However, as fun as it is, I don't see from a rational perspective why I wouldn't just take Fireball and be done with -- they can be used to equal effect on single targets, and the Burning doesn't help much because Burning is a condition that's all over the place in the current game.

Basically, this is a solid skill that needs a little tweaking to be worth taking over other similar abilities: Immolate recharges faster and can be used for consta-burn (rather than 33% burn uptime, if you're lucky), and Fireball has a very nice kaboom factor when used on tight crowds. And even Immolate is pushing its luck at 10 energy, from what I gather listening to more experienced players.

Suggestion

I'm not a skill designer/balancer, and my attempts to try to be one have shown me how truly overwhelming it is. So I don't think I have a good solution, I can just see the skill underperforming a little. But here are some ideas that spring to mind, to facilitate the thinking process (note that I'm suggesting choosing one of these):

• Increase Burning duration somewhat, so it can be used for consta-burn if the victim doesn't move their bum around a lot. High Burn duration would also give more incentive to respond to the hex, rather than heal through the current 42 burn damage (per 9 seconds) or just ignore it.
• Cause the Burn to take effect in a small AE radius (Near or Adjacent), making it like Fireball + Searing Flames in a non-elite way (ie replacing the AE direct damage of FB with the AE burning of SF). It would then make SmoEmbers an OK pressure tool, wouldn't it?
• Still 3s of Burning, but applied immediately. The Burning renews itself every 3s if the victim is not moving. That would be kind of cute. (ahhh! ahhh! I'm on fire! stop, drop, and roll!) But it might be too strong compared to Immolate so maybe 1s of Burning immediately, renewed every 1s? Eh, idk.
• Reduce the recharge somewhat (I don't think it really needs this, though).
• Reduce the cast time to 1 second, like other Fire Magic single-target damage spells (Flare, Immolate).

I don't think this skill deserves the derision it gets, but I also don't think it's quite good enough to be competitive with similar skills. It just needs a little incentive to be brought along. The 119 up-front damage is awesome, if you pretend Fireball doesn't exist. Fireball is cool because it has a good secondary effect (adjacent damage), but SmoEmber's secondary effect is much weaker for the same cost, cast, and recharge. I would focus on that as the primary issue with the skill, from my perspective.