FalsePromises.6398

I think one of the issues with harbinger isn't the damage modifiers but rather the coefficients in harbinger shroud. The kit is okay for power (at least when you're using greatsword), the problem boils down to harbinger shroud's power not being competitive against other parts of its own kit, namely greatsword. Without a "second healthbar" as people like to call shroud health, you REALLY need to go all-in on making harbinger shroud the pinnacle of damage. Meanwhile, I go to the testing area and can deal higher DPS with greatsword autos and gravedigger after each chain than I can with harbinger shroud autos (both with 25 blight, soul barbs, no signet of spite), and maybe that's where the problem is. Just for PvE, buffing the power coefficients of harbinger shroud would be a start to making power harbinger feel good and unique instead of just a damage-inflated, lukewarm playstyle. Side note: buffing power coefficients would also do more for validating power quick harbinger whereas buffing traits that clash with quickness options doesn't help it.

Worst come to worst you can double the burning duration on Zealot's Flame to compensate, simple as. It'd be better than the existing iteration that desyncs over time and strangles out other offhanders. Even if you don't get a compensatory buff on Zealot's Flame, the ability to use another offhander like focus or maybe sword (not even considering pistols yet) on your second set probably winds up a total dps increase anyway, since you can perfectly get two activations of Zealot's Flame (four Zealot's Fire casts) per 10 second weapon swap loop, so it's basically an entire second offhand weapon set vs one stack of Zealot's Flame.

I missed this the first read, and I actually really like this change. That skill was poorly aged and it's great to see it usable as a reliable support effect that won't get you killed in the wrong situation.

I'm 90% sure they intend to make the THROWN fire (Zealot's Fire) into two ammo every time you activate the self flame (Zealot's Flame), not make the self flame (Zealot's Flame) into two ammo. I think they just mistyped in the post, because I see them say Zealot's Flame. It WOULD be a 50% dps loss to change Zealot's Flame (the self flame) to two ammo since you still have the same cooldown, but if you get two ammo of Zealot's Fire (the thrown fire) per cast of Zealot's Flame (the self flame), it's effectively the same with torch, and actually a 4% damage increase since Zealot's Fire with the trait and alacrity is 9.6 second cooldown compared to 10 second cooldown on the trait. It's way more sensible that they'd change the thrown fire into two ammo rather than the self flame.

Sure, it shaves off a small damage increase if you're NEVER using torch as a burnguard, but if you wanted to forgo an optimal condi damage weapon on a condi build, you've picked your battle already, to say the least. Anyway, it's a great quality of life rework that cleans up an otherwise disruptive passive effect in dps rotations for the majority of burnguards who DO use torch, and greatly benefits those who want to use other weapon sets alongside torch. It cleans up using other weapons alongside torch, and that's what matters.

A great addition to the list of highly practical traits that fix key issues for certain flawed support builds... but can't be used because they conflict with quickness/alacrity traits. If you're going to take advice from players about mechanical issues regarding support builds, what's the point if you bar the solutions from those builds by making it conflict with quickness/alacrity?

The intent is to fix the lost damage from getting zealot's flame from the passive while not wielding torch actively but still having it in your weapon sets. For instance, previously if you swapped off of sword/torch to pistol/pistol and critically hit, you'd have a chance to get zealot's flame when you weren't able to throw it for more damage. With this change, you'd have that passive packaged properly into an active torch skill, making it easier to rotate and optimize multiple weapon sets as a burn guardian. It's meant to allow you to use another offhander alongside torch without disrupting your zealot's flame procs, not to make your torch weaker.

Necromancer swords are a bit painful. Damage was way too low, animations are buggy, health costs are awkward and large, and cast times are way too long. The damage was on par with necromancer axe, the laughing stock of the class's arsenal that has an entirely different niche for burst and isn't meant for sustained damage. Literally, I tested axe/sword camping vs sword/sword camping and hit the same DPS, which is rather sad because necro doesn't need a second mainhand axe. All this and both were beaten by greatsword autoattack DPS alone. One reason was just bad power scaling and coefficients, but that's been a common theme. The sword skills themselves had long cast times and disruptive aftercasts: this was most prevalent on skill 2 and 4, but also on autoattacks. The autoattacks could not progress until the previous projectile either dissipated or hit, meaning you lost up to 35% total DPS (yes, I tested it) between melee range and max range. Going further, the sword skills' casts were too long and the effects too delayed for a practical ranged set. Sword 2 initial cast was fine, but the second cast was way too long for an effect that honestly could be ingrained into the initial skill, plus it seemed to cause an aftercast that may have been intended to force you to wait till the projectile finished moving till you casted the flip, but just resulted in disruptive, wasted time. Same was for the 4 skill, except the 4 skill had a long initial cast too. The five skill's flip effect was so useless that it felt like it could be thrown into the base skill as well, if it's literally just a fear. Lastly... not sure what was thematically supposed to be going on with sword 3. Sword 3 doesn't really fit anything: just a tad too short range for a solid mobility skill, doesn't do enough damage for a dive skill, and above all is a melee gap closer on a ranged set. I just don't think it fits, and all the goobers that pester devs for mobility on necromancer frankly just don't get that they're supposed to be pulling and debilitating enemies instead of chasing them. Swords left a LOT to be desired, but they weren't wholly bad: there was a nice concept of cast and forget damage as well as a good kite weapon. However, if this was the aim of the weapons, they should have their cast times adjusted and their flip skills merged into the initial attacks after a delay, and then have the damage scaled up. If burst becomes a problem, convert it into ticking damage like the fifth skill.

Guardian pistols seem to have drastically lower power scaling than other guardian weapons, even other condition damage weapons like axe and torch. The biggest thing I was hoping guardian pistols would do is provide a more practical alternate power offhand weapon for open world use, since focus is rather passive and unengaging. It didn't even need to be a good power offhander, just one that was usable... but guardian pistol offhand is laughably low damage for power. The condition damage on pistols, especially the burst, is great, but the poor power scaling and low duration symbol leaves no room for anything other than condition damage willbender. Also, it would be nice if the 2 skill had a bit wider of a hitbox, so it would be a more bread and butter cleave option instead of a thin linear one.

I think thief axes could be improved in two ways. 1. Reduce the cast time of 2 down to half second cast. It's way too clunky without quickness, especially for a skill that you need to cast multiple times to build up your 3 skill's damage. The 3 skill could also stand to have an initiative cost reduction or refund with certain axe hit count, since it's useless without any axe stacks and functions off of other resources too. Axe 3 isn't a standalone skill, so don't make it cost as much initiative as one, yeah? 2. The axe ammo is a cool idea but a problematic iteration. Making them linger in the actual world just opens the weapon up to a horrific slew of positioning, range, and mobility problems. Most prominently, going in close to get all three hits of your axe 2 to land makes them all linger super far away, creating problems for your 3 skill's responsiveness and ability to hit. I think a better way of going about this axe ammo mechanic is to take a page from the mesmer book: make the axes float around YOU instead, akin to virtuoso, and when you cast your 3 skill, summon them around your target to strike inwards after a slight delay, akin to mirage axe ambush skill. This would go MILES in making the weapon more practical and consistent. I like the thief axe in concept, it's very interesting. If there was any other thing I'd change, I'd probably give the axes a wider hitbox, to give the weapon a slight cleave identity like other axe iterations in the game (e.g. ranger axes, firebrand axe, mirage axe).

my bad I thought this was a general beta weapon section, google searched for it and it led me here

I think thief axes could be improved in two ways. 1. Reduce the cast time of 2 down to half second cast. It's way too clunky without quickness, especially for a skill that you need to cast multiple times to build up your 3 skill's damage. The 3 skill could also stand to have an initiative cost reduction or refund with certain axe hit count, since it's useless without any axe stacks and functions off of other resources too. Axe 3 isn't a standalone skill, so don't make it cost as much initiative as one, yeah? 2. The axe ammo is a cool idea but a problematic iteration. Making them linger in the actual world just opens the weapon up to a horrific slew of positioning, range, and mobility problems. Most prominently, going in close to get all three hits of your axe 2 to land makes them all linger super far away, creating problems for your 3 skill's responsiveness and ability to hit. I think a better way of going about this axe ammo mechanic is to take a page from the mesmer book: make the axes float around YOU instead, akin to virtuoso, and when you cast your 3 skill, summon them around your target to strike inwards after a slight delay, akin to mirage axe ambush skill. This would go MILES in making the weapon more practical and consistent. I like the thief axe in concept, it's very interesting. If there was any other thing I'd change, I'd probably give the axes a wider hitbox, to give the weapon a slight cleave identity like other axe iterations in the game (e.g. ranger axes, firebrand axe, mirage axe).

When you have four elemental bullets your autoattack flips to an elemental bullet salvo skill. Dunno how strong it is in the greater scheme of things though, especially since it's way more practical to be generating and expending one bullet per attunement instead of generating an extra bullet.

I've been more interested in the DPS options presented by new weapons, trying out necromancer swords, guardian pistols, elementalist pistol, etc. Guardian pistols seem to have drastically lower power scaling than other guardian weapons, even other condition damage weapons like axe and torch. The biggest thing I was hoping guardian pistols would do is provide a more practical alternate power offhand weapon for open world use, since focus is rather passive and unengaging. It didn't even need to be a good power offhander, just one that was usable... but guardian pistol offhand is laughably low damage for power. The condition damage on pistols, especially the burst, is great, but the poor power scaling and low duration symbol leaves no room for anything other than condition damage willbender. Elementalist pistol was nice, it has some interesting skill synergies and had a fun bullet mechanic, but the biggest problem was that it was almost purely condition damage again. I used pistol mainhand with both focus offhand and warhorn offhand and even though I felt like I dealt a lot of damage, I also felt like something was missing. Then I tried dagger offhand and realized it was missing power damage: my dagger skills felt way better at actually killing enemies because even on viper stats they could deal a chunk of damage with their initial hits. Elementalist pistol skills spent too long ramping with not enough punch. Necromancer swords though... as a pure power set, bad through and through. Damage was way too low, animations are buggy, health costs are awkward and large, and cast times are way too long. The damage was on par with necromancer axe, the laughing stock of the class's arsenal. Literally, I tested axe/sword camping vs sword/sword camping and hit the same DPS, which is rather sad because necro doesn't need a second mainhand axe. All this and both were beaten by greatsword autoattack DPS alone. One reason was just bad power scaling and coefficients, but that's been a common theme. The sword skills themselves had long cast times and disruptive aftercasts: this was most prevalent on skill 2 and 4, but also on autoattacks. The autoattacks could not progress until the previous projectile either dissipated or hit, meaning you lost up to 35% total DPS (yes, I tested it) between melee range and max range. Going further, the sword skills' casts were too long and the effects too delayed for a practical ranged set. Sword 2 initial cast was fine, but the second cast was way too long for an effect that honestly could be ingrained into the initial skill, plus it seemed to cause an aftercast that may have been intended to force you to wait till the projectile finished moving till you casted the flip, but just resulted in disruptive, wasted time. Same was for the 4 skill, except the 4 skill had a long initial cast too. The five skill's flip effect was so useless that it felt like it could be thrown into the base skill as well, if it's literally just a fear. Lastly... not sure what was thematically supposed to be going on with sword 3. Sword 3 doesn't really fit anything: just a tad too short range for a solid mobility skill, doesn't do enough damage for a dive skill, and above all is a melee gap closer on a ranged set. I just don't think it fits, and all the goobers that pester devs for mobility on necromancer frankly just don't get that they're supposed to be pulling and debilitating enemies instead of chasing them. Swords left a LOT to be desired, but they weren't wholly bad: there was a nice concept of cast and forget damage as well as a good kite weapon. However, if this was the aim of the weapons, they should have their cast times adjusted and their flip skills merged into the initial attacks after a delay, and then have the damage scaled up. If burst becomes a problem, convert it into ticking damage like the fifth skill. tl;dr elementalist pistols need more power damage, guardian pistols need more power damage, necromancer swords need to drop the health gimmicks, increase power damage, merge flip skills into the initial skills as delayed effects, and do something else with that 3 skill

I like what's going on with scrapper, but some of it just sits with me wrong. 1. As much as I love the idea of adding a new passive barrier source for nearby allies onto scrapper, to help pad up healscrapper, I don't think making it compete with Gyroscopic Acceleration will make anyone want or use it. It's a shame because it's a really good idea too, it just won't go far if it's conflicting with Gyroscopic Acceleration. That's practically a must-have for any scrapper build. 2. Please stop bloating Function Gyro. It's lowkey a mess of a skill already. You want to use it off cooldown for traited purposes (superspeed, boons, etc.), but you also want to save it for revives, but using it for revives gives you a punishing cooldown, which then affects your ability to use your traited benefits... it's a skill that would be fine if it stood alone, but making more and more hinge on it is questionable. Honestly, turning it into a single revive target but have 3 skill ammo might be better than making it a single cast that scales up cooldown the more targets it revives. Gives you better ability to control how you use it. 3. While these buffs are nice for healscrapper, there's still the major issues of no easy access fury and no aegis. Fury only comes from either dropping a whole traitline to get it or dropping Soothing Detonation, a strong passive heal, for Experimental Turrets and then dropping a whole utility slot for Rifle Turret solely for fury upkeep. Fury is a long-standing pain point for healscrapper, and no access to aegis also weighs against it. If you want to healscrapper to get a glow-up in PvE, add fury somewhere that doesn't require a tradeoff, akin to what most supports already have. Honestly you could just replace the protection on Expert Examination with fury instead, since Invention line's Reconstruction Enclosure is practically the same thing if you're using Medkit, or toss it on Blast Gyro like Scourge's Desiccate. Also I ain't been keeping up on dps scrapper, but I'd be careful with that Applied Force buff.