User talk:Problem./Problem. Skill Change List 1

The skill balances are getting closer to what many people would like to see although, I feel they still don't promote build diversity. I feel, while competition definately plays a factor, build diversity also helps create a bulk of the enjoyment in PvP. Back in the early Factions days, there was a ton of build diversity. You never really saw the same build 10 matches in a row, probably once every 6-7 matches. I think, if you could find a way to reinvigorate and encourage a mixed metagame, its possible to see a tremendous revival in PvP. I have no ideas on how to do so unfortunately. Here are some changes I'd like to see.

Warrior

• Axe Rake: Axe Attack. If this attack hits a moving foe, you strike for +5...17...20 damage, and your target is Crippled for 5...13...15 seconds.
  • Changed: Reworked skill to be more like Bull's Strike, except with a crippling condition.
  • Reason: A crippled inducing skill with a pre-requisite of Deep Wound is unfavorable.

• Decapitate: Elite Axe Attack. You lose all adrenaline and all Energy. If this attack hits, you deal +5...41...50 damage. You also inflict a Deep Wound for 5...17...20 seconds. This attack always results in a critical hit.
  • Changed: Deep Wound is inflicted before the damage.
  • Reason: This would change the mechanic to be similar Reapers Sweep, the deep wound would get triggered by the damage, while still maintaining a strong effect. Such a heavy investment should be rewarded as such.

• Keen Chop: Axe Attack. If this attack hits, you strike for +1...12...15 damage. If you strike a fleeing foe, this attack does an additional 5...16...19 damage. This attack always results in a critical hit.
  • Changed: Reworked skill. Increased adrenaline cost to 7.
  • Reason: Current skill, as explained by Ensign, will be a detriment to any warrior bar cause of the low adrenaline.

• Lacerating Chop: Axe Attack. If Lacerating Chop hits, you deal +5...17...20 damage. If it strikes a knocked down foe, or a fleeing foe, your target suffers from Bleeding for 5...17...20 seconds.
  • Changed: Added the option of striking fleeing foe.
  • Reason: Current condition warrants its non-use.

• Auspicious Blow: Hammer Attack. If Auspicious Blow hits, you strike for +5...17...20 damage. If it hits a foe suffering from Weakness you gain 3...7...8 Energy.
  • Changed: Now requires 7 adrenaline.
  • Reason: Put's it in line with Devastating Hammer. Maybe used as possible substitute to Fierce/Mighty Blow, although unlikely.

• Forceful Blow: Elite Hammer Attack. If Forceful Blow hits, you strike for +10...34...40 damage and your target is Weakened for 5...17...20 seconds. If it is blocked, target foe is knocked down.
  • Changed: Changed condition if blocked to knockdown (No damage, just the knockdown).
  • Reason: It's a "Forceful Blow." It sounds like it should have enough power to knockdown someone who blocks the attack. Besides, you would still have to run a reliable knockdown elsewhere on the bar, as well as an Energy-based IAS for Crushing Blow.

• Magehunter's Smash: Elite Hammer Attack. If Magehunter Smash hits, your target is knocked down. If target foe is under the effects of an Enchantment, this attack deals +1...16...20 damage.
  • Changed: Requires 8 adrenaline, added conditional damage. Its basically an elite Hammer Bash now.
  • Reason: In its current form, the condition warrants its denial of use. Needed some more incentive to promote use.

• Quivering Blade: Elite Sword Attack. If Quivering Blade hits, you strike for +10...34...40 damage. If it is blocked, target moves 50% slower for 2...8...10 seconds.
  • Changed: Inflicts deep wound if blocked.
  • Reason: The conditional miss effect is unfavorable and this skill is currently outshined by Dragon Slash and Crippling Slash. The secondary effect also goes along with the idea of Quivering. This skill as well as Sword Warriors need more incentives to be ran.

• Gash: Sword Attack. If this attack hits a Bleeding foe, you strike for 5...17...20 more damage and that foe suffers a Deep Wound, lowering that foe's maximum Health by 20% for 5...17...20 seconds.
  • Changed: Reduced adrenaline to 6.
  • Reason: Sword is really weak compared to the other melee weapons, and it's pre-requisite for deep wound just makes Swords Restore Condition fodder.

• Bull's Charge: Elite Stance. For 5...10...12 seconds, you move 33% faster and if you strike a moving foe in melee, that foe is knocked down. While in this stance, your attacks are unblockable. Bull's Charge ends if you use a skill.
  • Changed: Increased run speed. Allow it to reach 10 second duration at 10 Strength. Added unblockable clause.
  • Reason: The current energy run buffs outclass this. This is an elite. Charging Strike is 33%. Comparable to Charging Strike just with a different utility.

• Shove: Elite Skill. All of your other non-attack skills are disabled for 7...6...5 seconds. Target touched foe is knocked down and takes 15...63...75 damage. Next attack skill results in a critical hit.
  • Changed: Reduced recharge to 15 seconds. Removed loss of all adrenaline. Added next attack skill critting. Reduced disabling time of non-attack skills.
  • Reason: The investment into Shove is too great. Losing IAS, filling bar with energy skills, etc. The critical hit part goes along with being semi-defenseless while on the floor.

• Healing Signet: Signet. You gain 40...130...152 Health. You have -40 armor while using this skill.
  • Changed: 1 Second Cast Time. 5 Second Recharge.
  • Reason: Needed updating.

• Flurry: Stance. For 5 seconds, your attack rate is increased by 33%, but you deal 25% less damage.
  • Changed: Recharge now 4 seconds.
  • Reason: Random change. Lines up recharge with Frenzy.

• Frenzied Defense: Stance. For 6 seconds, you have a 75% chance to block incoming attacks, but take double damage.
  • Changed: Duration lowered to 6 seconds.
  • Reason: A little too powerful in 4v4 settings.

Ranger

• Call of Haste: Shout. For 30 seconds, your animal companions have a 25% faster attack speed and move 25% faster
  • Changed: Change skill behavior to actually effect all animal companions.
  • Reason: In order for beastmasters to be truly effective, one must spec high in to Beast Mastery.

• Call of Protection: Shout. For 120 seconds, your animal companions have a 5...17...20 base damage reduction.
  • Changed: Change skill behavior to actually effect all animal companions.
  • Reason: In order for beastmasters to be truly effective, one must spec high in to Beast Mastery.

• Otyugh's Cry: Shout. For 10...22...25 seconds, your animal companion gains +24 armor and cannot be blocked.
  • Changed: Change skill behavior to actually effect all animal companions.

• Viper's Nest: Trap. Create a Viper's Nest. When it is triggered, all nearby foes are struck for 5...29...35 piercing damage and become Poisoned for 5...17...20 seconds. Viper's Nest expires after 90 seconds. This Trap is easily interrupted.
  • Changed: Switch to Wilderness Survival.
  • Reason: Seems out of place in Beast Mastery.

• Punishing Shot: Elite Bow Attack. If Punishing Shot hits, you strike for +10...18...20 damage and your target is interrupted. If the action interrupted was a skill, that skill is disabled for an additional 1...4...5 seconds for each attack skill you have equipped.
  • Changed: Added disabling effect.
  • Reason: An elite Savage Shot isn't worth the slot.

• Poison Arrow: Elite Bow Attack. If Poison Arrow hits, your target becomes Poisoned for 6...18...21 seconds. If target is already suffering from a condition, you deal +3...15...18 damage.
  • Changed: Added bonus damage if target is suffering from a condition. Increased poison duration.
  • Reason: Burning Arrow completely outclasses Poison Arrow.

• Barbed Arrows: Preparation. For 24 seconds, your arrows cause Bleeding for 4...14...16 seconds.
  • Changed: Removed easily interruptable. Increased preparation duration. Increased bleeding duration by a second.
  • Reason: Bleeding doesn't even come close to the pressure poison outputs.

• Troll Unguent: Skill. For 10 seconds, you gain +5...9...10 Health regeneration.
  • Changed: 2 Second Cast. Raised Health Regen at low attrbutes.
  • Reason: Needed updating. This is now comparable to Shadow Refuge but still has a 2 second cast because it is irremovable.

• Magebane Shot: Elite Bow Attack. If Magebane Shot hits, it interrupts target foe's action but deals only 1...13...16 damage. If the interrupted action was a Spell, this attack instantly recharges. If the interrupted action was a skill, that skill is disabled for an additional 3...4...5 seconds.
  • Changed: Basically made an Elite Distracting Shot. Switch to Expertise.
  • Reason: Outclassed by the current meta elites.

• Quick Shot: Elite Bow Attack. Shoot an arrow that moves twice as fast. Everytime Quick Shot successfully hits, damage is increased by 5 (Maximum: 25).
  • Changed: Added accumulating damage effect.
  • Reason: Trying to add a reason to play an otherwise, unworthy elite.

Monk

• Update condition removal descriptions to include Cracked Armor.

• Blessed Light: Elite Spell. Heal target ally for 10...114...140 Health and remove one Condition and one Hex. For the next 1...2...3 seconds, target ally is immune to hexes and conditions. If a condition or hex is prevented in this way, you lose 5 energy.
  • Changed: 5 Energy. Added secondary effect.
  • Reason: Current skill is still too weak compared to other options.

• Boon Signet: Elite Signet. Heal target ally for 12...48...57 Health. For each Enchantment on that ally, you heal target ally for an additional 5...29...35 health and gain 2 Energy (maximum 1...5...6 Energy).
  • Changed: Increased primary heal effect. Added conditional heal.
  • Reason: Trying to promote diversity in the meta.

• Divine Intervention: Enchantment Spell. For 5 seconds, anytime target ally receives damage, the damage is negated and distrubted as healing amongst target ally's party members.
  • Changed: Reworked skill. 5 Energy. 1/4 Cast Time. 25 Second Recharge.
  • Reason: The original skill is better in theory than in practice.

• Release Enchantments: Spell. Lose all Enchantments. Each party member is healed for 9...33...39 Health for each Monk Enchantment lost.
  • Changed: Increased healing bonus.
  • Reason: Too weak in its current form.

• Withdraw Hexes: Elite Spell. Transfer all hexes and remaining durations from your allies to you. After 10 seconds, you lose 1...2 hexes and all hexes and remaining durations are tranferred back to your original allies. Hexes cannot be removed from this ally while this skill is active.
  • Changed: Completely reworked skill. Change Energy to 10. Activation 1 Second. Recharge 18 Seconds.
  • Reason: Can't create a hex killer, but rather hex relief.

• Glimmer of Light: Elite Spell. Heal target ally for 15...123...150 Health.
  • Changed: Increased healing.
  • Reason: Create more of a reason to run the skill, though I dont think raising the healing output is the way to go. Increases the efficiency of the skill.

• Divert Hexes: Elite Spell. Remove up to 1...3...3 Hexes from target ally. For each Hex removed in this way, that ally loses one Condition and gains 15...63...75 Health. You gain 5 energy if only one hex is removed.
  • Changed: Added energy gain if only one hex is removed.
  • Reason: Is really only viable against hex overload. Made it viable for only removing one hex.

• Life Sheath: Elite Enchantment Spell. For 20 seconds, the next 20...130...160 damage target ally would take is negated. Any other enchantments cast on this ally, will not be activated until Life Sheath ends.
  • Changed: Reduced cast time to 3/4 second. Reduced recharge to 5 seconds. Increased damage prevented. Added function of not activating other enchantments cast on ally until Life Sheath ends.
  • Reason: Give players good options to promote build diversity. Doesn't synergize well with current prots. Current cast time doesn't even make it a decent damage prevention skill. If prots activate after Life Sheath ends, their effects can be realized.

• Mend Ailment: Spell. Remove one Condition (Poison, Disease, Blindness, Dazed, Bleeding, Crippled, Burning, Weakness, Cracked Armor, or Deep Wound) from target ally. For each remaining Condition, that ally is healed for 5...57...70 Health.
  • Changed: Reduce recharge to 3 seconds.
  • Reason: Dismiss is 3 seconds and has a similar effect. Mend Condition is 2 seconds and its only negative is that it can't be self-targeting.

• Mend Condition: Spell. Remove one Condition (Poison, Disease, Blindness, Dazed, Bleeding, Crippled, Burning, Weakness, Cracked Armor, or Deep Wound) from target other ally. If a Condition is removed, that ally is healed for 5...57...70 Health.
  • Changed: Updated skill description to include Cracked Armor.

• Pensive Guardian: Enchantment Spell. For 3 seconds, everytime target ally would take damage, that damage is negated and you lose 5...4...3 Energy.
  • Changed: 5 Energy. 1 Second Cast. 15 Second Recharge. Reworked skill.
  • Reason: Current skill is not viable when you have Guardian.

• Shield Guardian: Enchantment Spell. For 8 seconds, target ally has a 75% chance to block incoming attacks. Everytime target ally blocks an attack, that ally's chance to block reduces by 10...9...8%.
  • Changed: Reworked skill. Change to 5 Energy. Change to 1 Second Cast. Change to 10 Recharge. I sort of mixed this guardian with shield of absorption and reverse engineered the shield of absorption part into a block mechanic.
  • Reason: With the current stats on this skill, it makes it really inefficient and highly unviable to see play.

• Judge's Intervention: Enchantment Spell. For 5 seconds, anytime target ally receives damage, the damage is negated and distrubted as damage amongst target ally's attackers' party members.
  • Changed: Reworked skill. 5 Energy. 1/4 Cast Time. 25 Second Recharge.
  • Reason: To match my proposed version of Divine Intervention.

• Purge Conditions: Spell. Remove all Conditions (Poison, Disease, Blindness, Dazed, Bleeding, Crippled, Burning, Weakness, Cracked Armor, and Deep Wound) from target ally.
  • Changed: Updated skill description to include Cracked Armor.

Necro

• Allow Minion Targeting via Hotkeys/Menu Option.
  • Reason: Current set up allows heroes to be way more efficient as Minion Masters.

• Life Transfer: Elite Hex Spell. For 6...11...12 seconds, target foe suffers -3...7...8 Health degeneration, which you gain as Health regeneration.
  • Changed: Reduction of recharge time to 20 seconds.
  • Reason: Promote use.

• Defile Enchantments: Spell. Target foe and all nearby foes take 10...58...70 shadow damage and 4...17...20 shadow damage for each Enchantment on them.
  • Changed: Increased unconditonal damage.
  • Reason: Promote Use.

• Desecrate Enchantments: Spell. Target foe and all nearby foes take 10...58...70 shadow damage and 4...17...20 shadow damage for each Enchantment on them.
  • Changed: Increased unconditonal damage.
  • Reason: Promote Use.

• Well of Silence: Well Spell. Exploit target corpse to create a Well of Silence for 10...26...30 seconds. Foes within the well cannot use Shouts or Chants, cannot be effected by Shouts and Chants, are stripped of all Shouts or Chants effects, and suffer -1...3...4 Health degeneration.
  • Changed: Added "Well of the Profane effect" except it applies to shouts and chants.
  • Reason: The skill had too narrow a focus to have any effect at all in practice.

• Jagged Bones: Elite Enchantment Spell. For 30 seconds, whenever target undead servant dies, it is replaced by a level 0...12...15 jagged horror that causes Bleeding with each of its attacks.
  • Changed: Reduction of recharge to 12 seconds.
  • Reason: Promote use. This is very iffy however as the use of minions in PvP can be a problem once they are up.

• Wail of Doom: Elite Spell. Sacrifice 10% Health, and target foe is interrupted. If target foe was attacking, all of that foe's attack skills are disabled for 5...17...20 seconds.
  • Changed: Reduction to 10 Energy. Increase recharge to 20 seconds.
  • Reason: Promote use. Not sure if this is the right change because it might be abused, but this skill currently doesn't synergize well with any current meta bars. But that might be also because of the lack of options.

Mesmer

• Blackout: Skill. For 2...6...6 seconds, all of touched target foe's skills are disabled, and all of your skills are disabled for 5 seconds.
  • Changed: Increased recharge to 15 seconds. Mesmers can achieve a 6 second blackout at the most common specs, while allowing rangers to achieve a 5 second blackout at their common spec.
  • Reason: Provides a very versatile skill that can function many ways by the utilization of a skillful user. Promotes skillful play and rewards skillful use of the skill at appropriate levels by either gaining a second of casting time or equalizing it.

• Hex Eater Vortex: Elite Spell. Remove a Hex from target ally. If a Hex is removed in this way, foes near that ally take 15...51...60 damage for each remaining hex on that ally and lose one Enchantment.
  • Changed: Recharge 12 seconds. Reworked skill slightly so as not to completely punish casual hexing such as water snares, dom hexes.
  • Reason: The damage as well as secondary utility is way too powerful, even in a metagame not-completely focused on hexes.

• Power Flux: Elite Spell. If target foe is casting a Spell or a Chant, that Skill is interrupted and that foe and foes nearby lose 3...7...8 Energy.
  • Changed: Reworked skill. Change to 15 second recharge.
  • Reason: Promotes use of other elites, resulting in increased diversity.

• Psychic Instability: Hex Spell. For 6 seconds, the next time target foe casts a Spell, the Spell fails and that foe is knocked down.
  • Changed: Reworked skill. Change to 10 Energy. Change to 2 Second Cast. Change to 20 Recharge.
  • Reason: Skill needed a complete rework to have any appeal at all. Created another shutdown option, however in its current form, it may be too powerful. May require editing.

• Simple Thievery: Elite Spell. For 10...30...35 seconds, one random skill is disabled for target foe, and Simple Thievery is replaced by that Skill.
  • Changed: Changed from non-spell to skill.
  • Reason: Pretty stupid to have an elite that is completely inferior to its non-elite counterparts. Though, I dont think to promote use, this is the way to go. I'll have to do more pondering for this one.

• Visions of Regret: Elite Hex Spell. For 5...17...20 seconds, target foe takes 30...102...120 damage whenever that foe uses an adrenal Skill or casts a spell on an enemy.
  • Changed: Added an effect to casters.
  • Reason: The skill was way too narrow to warrant any use at all, even in a full hex build.

• Illusion of Haste: Enchantment Spell. For 5...17...20 seconds you are no longer Crippled, and you move 33% faster. When Illusion of Haste ends, you become Crippled for 15 seconds.
  • Changed: Increased duration.
  • Reason: In its current form, the skill is outclassed by other run buffs even at lower specs.

• Mantra of Recovery: Elite Stance. For 8...20...23 seconds, Spells you cast recharge 33% faster.
  • Changed: Increased duration.
  • Reason: Wasn't Elite status anymore with the nerf to the 50% down to 33%.

• Auspicious Incantation: Enchantment Spell. For 20 seconds, the next spell you cast is disabled for an additional 10...6...5 seconds, and you gain 110...182...200% of that spell's Energy cost.
  • Changed: Increased recharge to 30 seconds.
  • Reason: This skill is very powerful in those builds that require its sole use to power certain skills.

• Power Leech: Elite Spell. If target foe is casting a Spell or a Chant, that Skill is interrupted, and target foe and foes adjacent to target foe are hexed with Power Leech for 1...6...8 seconds. Whenever foes hexed with Power Leech casts a Spell, you steal up to 1...6...8 Energy from those foes.
  • Changed: Reworked skill. Change recharge to 15 seconds.
  • Reason: This skll is in inspiration. For an elite to be used from Inspiration, the rewards have to be big.

Elementalist

• Gale: Spell. Knock down target foe for 3 seconds. This Spell causes Exhaustion. (50% failure chance with Air Magic 4 or less.)
  • Changed: Cast time 1 Second. Increased recharge to 10 seconds. Increased knockdown duration.
  • Reason: Much the same as Blackout.

• Lightning Surge: Elite Hex Spell. After 3 seconds, target foe is knocked down and struck for 14...83...100 lightning damage. This spell has 25% Armor Penetration.
  • Changed: Added 25% armor pentration.
  • Reason: No reason to waste your elite on something such as this when Lightning Orb/Bolt provides better benefits. Lacked damage for an elite especially when compared to Shatterstone.

• Mark of Rodgort: Hex Spell. Target foe and all nearby foes are Hexed with Mark of Rodgort. For 10...30...35 seconds, whenever each foe is struck for fire damage, that foe is set on fire for 1...3...4 seconds.
  • Changed: Reduced recharge to 10 seconds.
  • Reason: 5 second recharge is excessively low and I feel 15 second recharge is excessively high. Hopefully 10 seconds is a nice medium, if not possibly 12 seconds.

• Mind Burn: Elite Spell. Target foe takes 15...51...60 fire damage. If you have more Energy than target foe, that foe and foes nearby take an additional 15...51...60 fire damage and are set on fire for 1...6...7 seconds. This spell causes Exhaustion.
  • Changed: Added an AOE aspect to the skill.
  • Reason: This skill is outclassed by the other Mind X skills. This change also goes along with what much of the fire line is meant to do, nuke.

• Searing Flames: Elite Spell. Target foe and all nearby foes are struck with Searing Flames. Foes already on fire when this Skill is cast are struck for 20...80...95 fire damage. Foes not already on fire begin Burning for 1...6...7 seconds.
  • Changed: Lowered damage. Scaled damage by 5.
  • Reason: The damage decrease is to make several copies of it less powerful, increasing the burning is to make 1 copy of it more powerful.

• {{skill icon|Slippery Ground}: Spell. If target foe is Blind, that foe is knocked down. (50% failure chance with Water Magic 4 or less.)
  • Changed: Updated skill description to match function.

• Vapor Blade: Spell. Target foe is struck for 15...111...135 cold damage. If target foe is under the effects of an enchantment, Vapor Blade deals half damage and you gain 5 Energy.
  • Changed: Added an energy return when it hits an enchanted foe.
  • Reason: The skill isn't worth a slot as is right now because, most likely, you will be hitting an enchanted target with it. Not exactly the change I would want, I'll keep thinking.

Assassin

• Entangling Asp: Entangling Asp must follow a lead attack. Target foe is knocked down. If target foe is knocked down already, that foe becomes Poisoned for 5...17 seconds.
  • Changed: Reworked skill to prevent follow up damage as well as continuous knockdown.
  • Reason: Those sins need to be nerfed. I dont feel that thats what they were intended to do.

Ritualist

• Ancestors' Rage: Enchantment Spell. For 1 second, nothing happens. When this Enchantment ends, all foes adjacent to target ally are struck for 20...92...113 lightning damage.
  • Changed: Reduced damage.
  • Reason: Damage is overwhelming at the moment.

• Splinter Weapon
  • Changed:
  • Reason:

• Mending Grip: Spell. Target ally is healed for 15...63...75 Health. If that ally is under the effects of a weapon Spell, that ally loses one Condition.
  • Changed: Decrease Cast Time to 3/4 seconds. Decrease Recharge to 4 seconds.
  • Reason: Puts it in line with Dimiss Condition, but this skill still needs a weapon spell to active both the heal and the condition removal.

• Resilient Weapon: Weapon Spell. For 5...11...13 seconds, target ally has a Resilient Weapon. Target ally gains +1...5...6 Health regeneration, and for each Hex or Condtion, target ally gains +10 armor.
  • Changed: 10 Energy. 1 Second Cast. 4 Second Recharge. Changed functionality.
  • Reason: Didn't want to make obselete Healing Breeze, or Shield of Regeneration. Since Resilient Was Xiko scales Health Regeneration per Hex/Condition, I made this scale armor instead.

• Soothing Memories: Spell. Target ally is healed for 10...82...100 Health. If you are holding an item, you gain 3 Energy.
  • Changed: Reduced recharge to 4 Seconds.
  • Reason: Puts the recharge in line with spell with similar effects.

• Weapon of Warding: Weapon Spell. For 3...8...9 seconds, target ally has a Weapon of Warding that grants target ally +2...4...4 Health regeneration and a 50% chance to block.
  • Changed: Increased duration slightly.
  • Reason: SOR Eles are too prevalent and almost a necessity because of the lack of options. Bring back WoW, and you have another option. Bring back this skirmish template.

Paragon

• Energizing Finale: Echo. For 10...30...35 seconds, whenever a Shout or Chant ends on target non-Spirit ally, that ally gains 1 Energy.
  • Changed: Reduced Energy cost to 5.
  • Reason: In its current form, its way beyond not worth running.

My reasoning behind all of this is because right now, there needs to be a great overhaul of the game. Unfortunately for the devs, it will most likely require greater time investment as skills need to be monitored closely to not create any imbalances. The reason this approach would be better than the current one of fixing skills as they go along, is because there were/are so many skills that were broken that you might as well just do as much as possible one time, then immediately tweak the existing skills as see fit. The current balance is just leaving the game undiversified and bland. As previously stated, I feel the best way to reinvigorate PvP, is to create a diversity in the metagame. Also, in no way am I advocating that these are he be-all/end-all changes that need to happen. I'm in no way a skill balancer.

Disclaimer: Most of my numbers are arbitrary to a certain point and probably require and expert skill balancer to be truly balanced. Edit: Updated numbers to match attibution distribution scaling. --Problem. 01:18, 15 October 2007 (UTC)