Preliminary Skill Update Notes: March 17

[:1]Hi everyone,

We've got a skill update coming and we just posted the preliminary notes about the next skill balance up on the official wiki:

http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Feedb...views/20110317

Thanks.|||I like the change to barbed signet. Signet of Suffering is an interesting change. Nice to see the attunement recharges decreased; goodbye invoke lightning.|||Still no BBway or Mindwrack fix. Bleeeeh.|||mmm, so they change a perfectly working curse skill in to a blood skill and completely destroy the goodness of it, so sad to see necro's being hated by Anet.|||Eh, Invoke Lighting is an Elite for +5 damage and a second less cast time compared to Chain Lightning...Almost a waste of an Elite Slot really.

Barded Signet is now an AoE bleeding and SoSuffering is a nerfed version of current Barbed Signet. Why not just nerf Barbed Signet and make SoS usable in another way? It was a pretty bad Elite now, it's even worse after.

Liking the buffs to Attunements and Shatter skills though.|||Massive love for the new Shatter Hex.

And I kind of like the change to Signet of Suffering.|||I understand the nerfs to the dervish skills, and approve of the amount that they were nerfed by (ie, they didn't more than half durations or anything). Heart of Fury at 1...3...5 would have made me cry.

Good to see ele attunements and the mesmer shatter skills to get a buff.

As for the necro skills, all I really want to ask about is signet of suffering. What the stink? That's the kind of design I didn't like about necros when I started playing, how some skills, no matter how well you use them, will hurt you as much (or almost as much) as they hurt your enemy, and used badly will hurt you more.

I just don't see how bleeding on one foe is worth poison on yourself, no matter the duration or cost, not for an elite at least. Is there something missing from the skill description... like damage? Otherwise, I have to agree with sorudo and Sir Jack, SoSuffering is a nerfed version of a non-elite skill which isn't great to begin with.

I understand why Consume Soul was changed as well, now you have to actually put points in it to use well, and it remains a powerful counter to spirit spammers, possibly even more of one... while not giving you max life steals, so you might want to put more than just that for self-heals.|||Quote:








I just don't see how bleeding on one foe is worth poison on yourself, no matter the duration or cost, not for an elite at least. Is there something missing from the skill description... like damage? Otherwise, I have to agree with sorudo and Sir Jack, SoSuffering is a nerfed version of a non-elite skill which isn't great to begin with.




I guess you guys never played this crap?

You were able to constantly suck people's health and spread conditions while having unlimited energy. It was as dumb as dervishes currently are.|||Firstly thanks for the heads up. ^^ Now let's talk about it.

Barbed signet + Oppressive Gaze would be a good combo for condition spreading. However the skill recharge of both Barbed Signet and Oppressive Gaze need to come down from 10 seconds. Should be more like 5 seconds. Condition spreading is already very weak in PvE.

Signet of Suffering, what is the point of this when we already have Barbed Signet?

Invoke lightning nerfed.

Suggestions for Signet of Suffering:

1) If foe is already suffering from 3 or more conditions, he takes 50-150 damage. If he has less than 3 conditions he is healed for 100-300 instead.

2) All of target foe's existing conditions are renewed and duration extended by an additional 100-300%. If foe has no condition he is healed for 100.

3) For 5 seconds you only gain 25% of any healing (regeneration is not effected). Every time you uses a skill during those 10 seconds you deal an additional 5-40 dark damage to target foe and all nearby foes. (pve only)

4) For 5 seconds you cannot be healed. Every time you steal life during those 10 seconds you steals 10-100% more. (pve only)

5) For 5 seconds you take triple damage from anything. Every time you attack you deal an additional 5-40 dark damage damage to your foes.

As you can see, Signet of Suffering should be a HARD to use and HIGH RISK skill, but gives GREAT reward. That is the whole idea of sacrifice.

Lastly, please look at Ravenous Gaze before anything else. This is flat out the worst elite in the game. Sure its "free" but warrior auto attack one hit and out damage this.|||Quote:








I guess you guys never played this crap?

You were able to constantly suck people's health and spread conditions while having unlimited energy. It was as dumb as dervishes currently are.




Used it a lot when it got changed. Its ok but not that great. Condition spreading is weak in PvE. That -4 degen doesn't do much . In PvP yes it is useful for wearing the enemy team down. In PvE there are more direct and faster ways to kill mobs.