Guild Wars 2

CLASS ABILITY: CONTINUUM SHIFT

The Chronomancer’s F1 special ability is Continuum Shift. Chronomancers have an hourglass above their skills that holds 100 grains of sand. This amount can be increased by traits. When Chronomancers use their F1 ability, sand is added to the hourglass. When the hourglass fills, the Chronomancer overloads and suffers a skillbar blackout for 2.5 seconds and cannot use additional Continuum Shifts until all sand drains from the hourglass. If the Chronomancer overloads again within a 30 second time span, they become frozen in time for 3 seconds. These self inflicted CCs cannot be stunbroken and occur after the Continuum Shift that pushed the Chronomancer into Overload ends (or immediately if it is a channeled Shift). Sand drains from the hourglass at a preset rate that can be modified by traits.

When the Chronomancer uses specific weapon and slot skills, some of these skills have a “Time Trigger.” The Chronomancer will flash with a golden glow for a short time period during one of these triggers.

Using the F1 Continuum Shift during a Time Trigger will stop or reverse time, adding unique effects to skills. Continuum Shifts differ based on the skill. Some are channeled and add sand to the hourglass for as long as the button is held. Some add a preset amount of sand for instant effects. Every Time Trigger has a different window of opportunity at which a Shift can be done. Time Triggers with more potent effects tend to have shorter windows.

An example of a Continuum Shift is as follows:

A Chronomancer wielding a 1 handed sword has #2 ability called “Millenium Slash.” Normally when used, the Chronomancer will gain temporal shielding and slash three times in front of him, releasing temporal waves and causing vulnerability to enemies in a 300m short distance cleave. At the end of the third stride, a Time Trigger will go active. If a Continuum Shift is used during the Trigger, the Chronomancer will reverse time and go backwards through the animations of Millenium Slash, striking the area 3 more times and causing slowness.

Another example of a Continuum Shift is as follows:

A Chronomancer strikes an enemy with hammer 5, “Pendulum Swing.” This attack sends the enemy sailing through the air. As the enemy flies through the air, a Time Trigger becomes active. If the Chronomancer uses Continuum Shift during this Trigger, he stops time around the enemy, causing them to freeze in mid-air like a matrix movie scene. This inflicts the enemy with the Stasis condition. During this stasis freeze, the Chronomancer can still attack the enemy.

WEAPONS:

Chronomancers can use the following weapons:

1h Sword
Focus
Shield
Scepter
Mace
Hammer
Longbow

EXAMPLES OF WEAPON SKILLS:

1-H Sword:

1.) Temporal Slash (deals damage) > Temporal Slice (deals damage) > Suspending Slash (Stacks 1 Slow)

2.) Millenium Slash:
The Chronomancer self roots, gains temporal shielding and slashes in front of himself 3 times, causing temporal waves to expand outward in a 300m cleave. Deals damage and vulnerability for each hit. A time trigger activates at the end of the third strike.
Continuum Shift Effect: Reverses time, causing the Chronomancer to go through the animations of Millenium Slash in reverse, striking the area 3 more times. Stacks 2 Slows per strike. The Chronomancers gains additional Temporal Shielding during these strikes. Costs 33 Sand.

3.) Epoch Leap:
Leaps 900 meters to the enemy, leaving a trail of shimmering sand. Deals damage and grants swiftness. A Time Trigger goes active on a successful hit. Leap finisher.
Continuum Shift: When the shift is activated, the Chronomancer’s sword skills change to only allow skill 1 and 2. Skill 2 changes to a short distance pass-through slash. The Chronomancer gains swiftness and haste. Each time the Chronomancer slashes an enemy during this shift, a blue slash mark is left on them. When the shift ends, all the blue marks explode into damage all at once. Fills the hourglass with sand at a moderate rate while active.

Focus:

1.) Temporal Surge:
Channels a beam at the target, dealing damage and causing slow. Ticks 3 times and removes one condition from the Chronomancer on the first tick and one on the last. A time trigger is available if all three ticks hit.
Continuum Shift: Inflicts 1 vulnerability of each stack of slow on the target. Costs 25 Sand.

2.) Black Hole:
Creates a swirling Black Hole that swallows incoming projectiles. A Time Trigger becomes active after the first second that the hole is up and is usable until the skill ends.
Continuum Shift: (3 second window): The Black Hole collapses into a black orb and flies at one enemy, dealing damage and locking them into stasis when it strikes. Costs 33 Sand.

Shield:

1.) Displacing Throw:
Throw your shield at the enemy, dealing damage. Gain protection on hit. On hit, a Time Trigger activates and stays active for 5 seconds.
Continuum Shift: When the Shift is activated, the enemy is forced teleported back to the place where the shield first hit them. Costs 25 Sand.

2.) Stabilizing Field:
Expands a field that grants stability to allies and damages + slows enemies. A Time Trigger is available when the field is down.
Continuum Shift: AoE knockdown on up to 5 enemies within the field.

Scepter:

1.) Star Stream:
Fires a stream of white hot stars up to 900 meters in a boomerang pattern. The stars can hit both on their way to the enemy and on the way back to the scepter. Deals slow every 3rd hit. While able to hit enemies at 900m, this weapon is most effective at 600m, where the stars can hit enemies both on the way forward and the way back. At 900m they only hit once at the apex of their elliptical path.

2.) Quasar:
Fires an accretion disk that hovers in the area just in front of the Chronomancer. A Time Trigger is available when disks are created. Up to 3 disks can be used at once, using a 4th replaces the first one cast. The disks slow and deal damage to enemies touching them.
Continuum Shift: Causes the discs to expand into rotating Quasars that slowly creep towards the targeted enemy. The Quasars grow in size as they move. Adds sand to the hourglass for each Quasar in play during the channel. Having all 3 Quasars active adds sand the fastest. Deals slow and damage to enemies.

3.) Flash Forward:
Creates a wall at the target location. Any allies that step through it instantly teleport 600 meters forward. Any enemies attempting to walk through the wall are teleported 600 meters backwards and are slowed.

Mace:

1.) Break > Destroy > Deconstruct:
Strikes 3 times with the mace. The third hit shatters the mace into a cone of metal shrapnel and reforms it, causing 3 stacks of bleeding.

2.) Dialed Strike:
Your go into a counter stance. If the enemy strikes you, you evade and slide around the enemy in a clockwise motion to attack them from behind, dealing damage and slowing them. A Time Trigger is available when you strike. An animation of clockhands appears under the target and moves with you as you evade around them.
Continuum Shift: Place the enemy in stasis. Cost 33 Sand.

3.) Slagged Strike:
Your reverse time to when your mace was tempered steel and strike the enemy to cause burning and gain fury. A Time trigger is available on impact.
Continuum Shift: Your mace leaps to the enemy in while in liquid slag state and bounces between targets, causing damage and burning. Add sands to the hourglass while active.

Hammer:

1.) Warping Smash > Warping Crush > Warping Nexus:
Pounds the enemy twice. The third strike smashes the ground to create a small nexus in the ground that deals aoe damage.

2.) Gravity Well:
Leaps at the enemy, smashing down and causing a gravity AoE that deals damage to enemies. A Time trigger activates on impact.
Continuum Shift: The Chronomancer self roots and creates a swirling gravity vortex at the pounded location that cripples, deals damage, and slows. Adds sand to the hourglass as the ability is channeled.

3.) Time Spiral:
Performs a stationary spin with the hammer and deals damage to enemies while reflecting projectiles, a time trigger is available while spinning.
Continuum Shift: Teleport yourself to a target area 400m away while spinning. Costs 20 sand per teleport.

4.) Temporal Shielding:
The Chronomancer gains temporal shielding for 3 seconds.

5.) Pendulum Swing:
Sends one enemy sailing with a powerful smash. A Time Trigger is available when the attack successfully hits and the enemy is airborne.
Continuum Shift: Freezes the knocked back enemy in a mid-air matrix-style slow motion stasis for 2 seconds. Costs 33 Sand.

Longbow:

1.) Celestial Arrow:
Fires an arrow of light up to 1200 meters. Every third hit slows. Fast firing rate.

2.) Solar Ray:
Fires a fast moving bolt of light that burns enemies when it hits. On hit, a Time Trigger becomes available.
Continuum Shift: For as long as the Chronomancer holds down the button, the bow changes its skillbar to only have skill 1 available. Pressing 1 fires arrows that suspend themselves in mid air while the shift is active. When the shift ends, the bow reverts to normal and all suspended arrows immediately beam to their targets, causing burning and granting might to the Chronomancer for each hit. Adds sand to the hourglass while the shift is active at a moderate pace.

3.) Purifying Anomaly:
Fires a bolt that creates an anomaly at the target location that deals damage and grants swiftness to allies. Combo field: Light. Pressing the button again collapses the anomaly and pulls 1 condition from up to 5 nearby allies into the void. Costs 33 Sand to collapse.

4.) Temporal Curve:
Fires an arrow that bounces between foes, cripples, and bleeds. Bounces 1 time and a Time Trigger becomes active on hit.
Continuum Shift: Causes the arrow to bounce between targets for as long as the shift is active. Adds sand to the hourglass at a moderate rate while active.

5.) Fixed Point:
Places a temporal sphere that creates a fixed point in time. Pressing the button again teleports you to the sphere you created using a ray of light that damages enemies. Costs 25 sand to teleport.

EXAMPLES OF SLOT SKILLS:

Slot Skill Types:

Anomalies: Anomalies are ground based AoEs that look like pulsing Nexuses. All anomalies can be collapsed by pressing the button used to activate it a second time while the anomaly is active. Collapsing anomalies adds sand to the hourglass and results in various effects.

Time Shift: Time Shifts are usually defensive or utility abilities that stop, slow, or bend time for unique effects.

Cosmic Magic: Cosmic magic harnesses the power of celestial bodies to unleash powerful effects.

Beacons: Beacons are long rod-shaped towers that are planted into the ground like Warrior banners. Beacons usually provide randomized utility effects that buff allies or debilitate enemies.

Slot Skill Examples:

Rewind (Heal Skill):
Time Shift. Rewinds time and the Chronomancer gains evasion and heals while he backwards animates through their last 2 seconds of actions. Think Prince of Persia: the Sands of Time. Drains sand from the hourglass while active.

Preserving Anomaly (Heal Skill):
Anomaly. Gain health and create an anomaly at your location that periodically heals allies inside it. Combo field: Light. Pressing the button collapses the anomaly, draining sand from the hourglass for each ally in range of the collapse.

Time-Stopped Evasion:
Time Shift. You perform a slow motion dodge and evade. Enemies attacking you become slowed. A Time Trigger activates when you are attacked in this state.
Continuum Shift: Time-Stopped Evasion ends and your enemy becomes locked in stasis for 2 seconds. Costs 25 Sand.

Cosmic Rift:
Cosmic Magic: Create a wall-shaped tear into space at the target location, all allied projectiles that travel through the wall are changed into large asteroids, ice comets, comets, and electrified pulsars (based on the element of the attacks before they enter the wall). Allied projectiles that pass through deal 15% more damage and travel 300m farther than their normal range.

Paradox:
Time Shift. The next Continuum Shift removes 33 sand from the hourglass when used.

Terraforming Beacon:
Beacon. Creates a beacon at the target location that creates and cycles through random combo fields when it pulses. The Chronomancer may teleport the beacon to a new location by pressing the button again and selecting a new area. Teleporting the Beacon costs 10 Sand.

Temporal Anomaly:
Anomaly. Creates a pulsing anomaly at the target location that stacks slow and deals damage per tick. Combo field: Time. Collapsing the Anomaly causes it to explode, granting 3 seconds of haste to enemies and converting all stacks of slow into confusion. Costs 33 sand to collapse.

Ruinous Beacon:
Same as Terraforming Beacon but inflicts random conditions on foes for the effect.

Flux Beacon:
Same as Terraforming Beacon but grants random boons to allies for the effect.

Time Lord (Elite):
Time Shift. All sand is drained from the hourglass. When active (12s), Continuum Shifts do not add sand to the hourglass. And no, you don’t become a ginger

Supernova (Elite):
Create an explosion at the target area that launches enemies into the air then implodes into a black hole, stopping time and freezing the launched enemies in Stasis for 3 seconds. Combo field: Time.

SKILL TREES:

Fate
+Power
+Boon Duration
Example of a Fate Trait:
Strength of the Ages: Deal more damage for each stack of slow on the enemy (0.5% per stack).
Eraser: Deal 20% more damage to enemies in stasis.
Inter-Dimensional Blade: Sword skills recharge 20% faster, sword slashes now unleash a temporal wave with each swing and have increased range.
Splicing Paradox: Gain 2 seconds of quickness when you use a Paradox.
Overdrive (Grandmaster): Gain extreme might when you overload.

Astrology
+Precision
+Condition Damage
Example of an Astrology Trait:
Roche Limit: Enemies slowed gain 1 stack of bleeding every 3 seconds they remain slowed.
Solar Flare: Using a continuum Shift burns all nearby enemies.
Coldness of Space: Enemies are chilled when they come out of Stasis (20s Internal CD).
Star Child: Critical hits have a 33% chance to spawn a white star that damages the enemy (just like the scepter star stream attack).
Solar Radiation (Grandmaster): Enemies take damage each time they gain or lose slow, stasis, or stun.

Paradigm
+Toughness
+Critical Damage
Example of a Paradigm Trait:
Timeless Protection: Gain Temporal Shielding when you overload. Overload duration reduced by .5 seconds.
Endless Evasion: Dodging now has a Time Trigger that initiates a time stopped evasion when shifted (90 second CD).
Mobius Shield: Using a heal skill causes projectiles to teleport behind the enemy and hit them instead (2 seconds).
Shifting Sands: Timeshifts recharge 20% faster and now drain a small amout of hourglass sand when used.
Fringe (Grandmaster): Gain toughness for each grain of sand in the hourglass.
Tabula Rasa (Grandmaster): Continuum Shifts remove a condition when used (5s internal CD).

Flux Mastery
+Healing Power
+Vitality
Example of a Flux Mastery Trait:
Hastening Flux: Gain swiftness whenever you enter a Continuum Shift.
Reconstructing Anomalies: Anomalies grant regeneration to allies.
Temporal Flux: Grant random boons to yourself and allies when you enter a Continuum Shift.
Timeless Archer. Bow attacks deal 10% more damage and add sand to the hourglass at a slower pace when their Continuum Shifts are used.
Anomalous Research: Anomalies add less sand to collapse and recharge 20% faster.
Telsa Coil: Beacons shock enemies periodically with arcing bolts of temporal lightning.
Beacons of the Observer: Improves the radius of beacon effects and reduces the Sand cost to move them by 50%.
Creation Theory (Grandmaster): Collapsing anomalies grants AoE healing to nearby allies.

Temporal Mastery
+Condition Duration
+Max Hourglass Sand
Example of a Temporal Mastery Trait:
Ephemeral Sands: Sand drains from the hourglass faster
Enhanced Dials: Sand drains from the hourglass 33% faster after an Overload.
Accelerated Paradox: When you lock an enemy in stasis, you trigger a paradox (90s CD).
Temporal Meltdown: Deal AoE damage when you overload.
Limbo: Stasis attacks become stuns (30s internal CD).
Infinite Wisdom (Grandmaster): Activating a Continuum Shift for a skill reduces the cooldown of that skill.

DOWNED SKILLS:

Unstable Bolt:
Deals damage and slows the target.

Singularity:
Creates a tear in the target area that pulls enemies towards it and deals damage.

Time Traveler:
Calls a version of yourself from the past to help revive you. It would be in the form of a Charr cub for Charr, young boy for human, etc. If your past self is killed, you instantly die.

Bandage:
Bandage your wounds.

First off, this is one of the most best well thought out concepts for a unique class, that I’ve ever read here.
But perfect I wouldn’t call it, but this is only due to some points of me disagreeing with your concept as I see something different in a Chronomancer. They aren’t Soldiers.

They are Scholars – as this being said, they count as Magicians that wear light clothes and surely not heavy armors only because you want to see Anet making the class setting even with 3 classes per class type.

I personally would like to see the concepts of a Chronomancer rather beign merged together with the gameplay concept of the Ritualists of GW1 in a new spiritual/vision/ astral magic combined way of a kind of "Visinionary"* type of class which I think would be way more unique for GW2 and would also bring at the same time back the nostalgy of a kind of ritu similar class in regard of class design that uses the powers of spirits and stral magic to manipulate time and space to their advantage or to other’s advantages if they are supporting others..

The concept sounds cool on paper, but I think this concept would become quickly boring to play, because for my taste its way too much focused only on time manipulation.
Yes, naturally chronomancers are naturally all about time magic, thats so sure liek the amen in a church, but time magic alone isn’t good enough.
Every playable class in GW2 has more to offer, than to be specialized only into 1 single thing only.

Thiefs for example are all about stealth, they can change their specs into deadly poisons or change their gameplay to high mobility with shadow steps and alot of stealing. They aren’t only focused onto one thing.

I think spicing that concept up with other abilities that go into a different theme and still are somehow bonded with time manipulation and an overall time & space theme, would be good and the only possible concept class I can think about that would fullfil this speciafic requirements, would be the as Visionary redesigned Ritualist.

Basically were ritualists already the games visionaries, as Cantha had from begin on a very high bondign to astrology (closer to the stars, the celestial creatures that are bonded to the chinese zodiac signs as also celestial weapons and zodiac weapons)
Sadly the class design totally missed the oppurtunity to become more unique by giving risualists also astral magic skills, visions, tarot cards and the like what you would expect from a kind of fortune teller (gw1s enemy ritualists were fortune tellers- lvl 15!!!) Their whole armor design always screamed like being made for some kind of oriental shamanic fortune tellers

I’d like to see, if you could be able to turn your concept here into more of the flavor of letting it look like being made for a Visionary Class.

I tried myself for that a long time ago, but I lost the time for that thread to update it sadly and in the end the concept got also not enough attention to keep itself basically up by enough people keeping on posting there.

I think a kind of Visionary Class would be exactly that kind of unique class, that GW2 needs adding two of the most unused skill themes on MMO games.

time Magic and Astral Magic is barely nowhere seen in the current last like 7-10 years in MMORPG’s.
The last MMORPG I can remember, that hat some kind of class that was based on astral magic like skilsl is Ragnarok Online’s was one of the games basically “fun classes”, the Taekwon Boy/Girl that combined some kind of martial arts with astral magic like abilities using powers of the sun, moon and stars.

Astral Magic can be great part of Time Magic as we know we use stellar constellations for time calculations, so both are kind of linked together under the theme of fortune tellign especially what is precticting ones future by using the powers of the spirits and/or astral magic or seeing into the past by the help of the spirits/ astral magic with crystal orbs.

This is the kind of character art, that I always have in mind, thinking on a visionary class for GW2 that controls the time with the help of time spirits (aspects) and astral magic together with lime kind of funny luck based skill mechanics based around using Tarot Cards, which are also some kind of time magic linked mechanic that predicts ones “fate”

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110915163755/soulcalibur/images/6/6f/ME0001449620_2.jpg

Magical Orbs as a kind of new 2H weapon i think would be also surely interesting.
Giving that class also powers over “gravity” to descrive, how their orbs are floating around magically …

Had a lot of fun reading through this, usually have no time for class suggestions but despite being OP as fug it’s well thought out, original and really sounds like fun!

Although well thought out I can see one flaw in it that would only exacerbate some existing issues. The one glaring flaw is a chronomaster paired with a stealth thief would be near unbeatable. Instead of being able to time your dodges to avoid a backstab you are slowed or frozen in place for an instant death. They synergies with other classes can be easily balanced but a thief/chrono pair would be a nightmare.

The main problem is balancing out Stasis, or otherwise nerf it by adjusting the Slow mechanic. Statis in any group play will be insanely powerful, and it’s essentially a status effect that takes both a stun breaker and condi-removal to clear. Access to Time Trigger abilities seem to be too easy/accessible, might need to bring down the ease of access by adding a ICD or a activation cost. Other than the issues above, Chronomancer was very fun to play and interesting to think about.

Thanks all for the interest in this class, I made some adjustments and balanced stasis to allow players to use a dodge to break out of it.

Additionally, I changed some skills and added more flavor to the class as suggested by shifting more skills to be from the Cosmic realm instead of the Time realm.

There were some balance changes and the functionality of certain weapons was changed. The description of Continuum Shift and Time Triggers is also improved to help players better understand the class.

Also added Sand costs to Continuum Shifts and certain abilities.

Now for some Chronomancer Quotes!

When Entering Continuum Shift

Human: “Time’s up!”
Sylvari: “I wield the wisdom of the ages!”
Asura: “E=MC^2!” and also “To Infinity and beyond!”
Charr: (Snarl) “Tick, tock, your dead!”
Norn: “My legend is eternal!”

I like this whole “time-bending” idea. Too bad anet hardly uses the suggestions here. I know they “review” them, but when has one actually made it into the game?

Lol , Just for fun have the Chronomaster, who can warp time, require dilithium as a food source. So another quote could be:

“Captain, we are out of dilithium!”

This was actually a concept class for Gw2 prior to launch, see here:

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/User:Amantis/Chronomancer

The concept art here is how I imagined the Chronomancer to look as well.

I want Ritualist more than Chronomancer. Chronomancer sounds complicated, and ritualists have been in GW1 and i know them well ^^ also Ritualists were so kitten beautiful…

Wow gonna have to come back and read the rest of this later. Don’t like the name though, what about chronokeeper?

Really cool work here. Looking forward to reading the rest!

Surprisingly well thought out, the class mechanic seems very solid although skills such as “parallel universe” likely need to be redesigned such that it isn’t made to be a mandatory skill in things such as WvW.

Also the variety in the use of the main mechanic has a large opening for high skill cap combos. I will say though that as much as I want this class to exist, it does not fit the “heavy” category, which makes it unlikely due to the imbalance of the professions.

Seems like it is somewhere between guardian/mesmer, but taking the best of both worlds for gameplay. (IMO)

The Class Ability is gold.
It has both strengths and weaknesses built into its use. Like a reverse Echo, where you can be punished if use it predictably. And it makes for some really imaginative skill design.
Good job, lordhelmos.

DarkChaos.4326:

Surprisingly well thought out, the class mechanic seems very solid although skills such as “parallel universe” likely need to be redesigned such that it isn’t made to be a mandatory skill in things such as WvW.

Also the variety in the use of the main mechanic has a large opening for high skill cap combos. I will say though that as much as I want this class to exist, it does not fit the “heavy” category, which makes it unlikely due to the imbalance of the professions.

Seems like it is somewhere between guardian/mesmer, but taking the best of both worlds for gameplay. (IMO)

I was thinking that Parallel Universe was a bit OP myself, I have some ideas for changing it.

*Changed, I think the new Astral Rift idea is much better.

I would pay money for this O_O

This is freaking creative. I disagree with others as far as the class wearing light armor, I think it’d feel more steam-punky and mechanical with heavy armor. Perhaps medium armor would do.

In order to better synergize with stasis, I added a new Paradox ability and some supporting traits that allow a Chronomancer to better chain Continuum Shift abilities.

Most stasis attacks come from Continuum Shifts. Burning a Paradox allows the Chronomancer to gain sand and reset the internal cooldown of Continuum Shift, allowing them to better capitalize on an enemy in stasis by following up with something like a shifted Millenium Slash (which is something that the 3 seconds ICD of Continuum Shift would normally prevent).

Paradox has a high CD, so whiffing a stasis setup would be very detrimental for a Chronomancer. Additional traits also allow the Chronomancer to automatically proc a Paradox when putting a foe in stasis, allowing for more burst opportunities against foes they have done a good job in setting up.

I believe this would be balanced because foes can dodge to break stasis.

So wait… a class that is basically a lore-backed Reality Warper and you want to make him actually killable?

I think not. Doesn’t make any sense that you can basically timetravel and yet somehow a dude with an old school longbow can just shoot you in the face, killing you dead.

Also:

• Combo Field that gives Area Quickness would be way OP.
• A utility skill that creates a permanent Combo Field that is movable? Yeah, OP.

And considering that your suggested class mechanic is basically time reversal, wouldn’t that have to include some kind of mechanic that prevents non-Chronos from hitting you at all? After all, they can’t control time and it would just look kittenhoe for someone to be moving in reverse for no apparent reason. And having a mechanic that selectively denies the ability of specific professions to hit you would be total bullkitten.

I updated the downed skill Time Traveler, its hilarious now.

This concept just simply has to be a spell caster. Just the class name tells of this.

The NecroMANCER is a spell casting scholar class.
The elementalist are also known for the elemental specific names as Pyromancers, Hydromancers, Geomancers and Aeromancers.

They all are scholar classes.
Don’t make out of a 100% clear scholar class a heavy class, only because of the silyl reason, that the game currently has not 3 soldiers classes to make with them the situation even.
There is absolutely NO MUST, that this game needs to have for all class types the same amount of playable classes.

GW1 also had uneven amounts of class types. there we had 2 soldiers, 3 Adventurers and whopping 5 Scholars in the end and the game startet just with 1 soldier, 1 adventurer and 4 scholars!!

So why are so many people here now so extremely focused on, that GW2 needs to have this time for all types the same amount of classes?? I don’t understand this, cause theres simple no must for that.
That old GW1 concept art for chronomancers is totally unfitting, it makes the class look way too futuristic, like as if it came out from a time travel back from the future, what kind of disturbs the whole games lore, what is also a reason, why I dislike all thsoe steam creatures, for me they don’t fit into the game’s lorethat is completely set up for a different timeline in regard of the games world and creature design.
Anet basically used their chonomancer concept art now for the latest living story by reworking that concept art into their watch knight npc’s their steam punk design is extremly similar to the chonomancer concept art
Here, this picture of old concept art shows, how a chronomancer should look like.

http://wiki.guildwars.com/images/thumb/b/ba/%22Summoner%22_concept_art.jpg/800px-%22Summoner%22_concept_art.jpg

The Middle/Right Picture, showing a Male and a Female.

You also don’t have to forget, that class types share all their armor designs in GW2..

A chronmancer in the current heavy gw2 armors would just look terrible.

Wow! This is the most in-depth, nearly completely fleshed out post I’ve seen yet. Love the class mechanic concept. I read posts from Anet during GW1 time about a possible chronomancer that never got implemented. Heh I imagine if you read that you said “I WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN IF IT KILLS ME!” Great work man, I love some of the weapon setups. I would definitely play this a bit. Keep this kinda work up people

Also, it’s kinda sad how much negativity forward-thinking posts like this tend to get. The whole point is to think outside the box and create something that doesn’t exist within the current bounds of the game. And just about any skill or mechanic could be balanced number-wise with damage, cooldown time, etc. I’m sure people screamed that thieves, mesmers, and guards would be op either in beta or before creation, but hey they’re pretty evenly rock/paper/scissored now. I’m sure the same would happen for this one…

P.S. lord: the quotes you made up are hilarious and very fitting. Tick tick, you’re dead was my fav
How about a few more options for any race:
Asura – “Great Scott!”, “Too slow!”
Human – “Play time is over…”, “You’ve already lost”
Charr – “Feeding Time!”, “Relive the Foefire!”
Sylvari – “Just in Time!”, “The seasons guide me.”
Norn – “You’re too late…”, “A legend in the making.”

i love the entire idea, but i feel that it doesn’t suit as a heavy class, no. the way i see it the current path a 3rd heavy class should be is to fill in what the heavy’s do not have. if you look at the classes already made you can see they go in certain patterns
Supportive/unusual concepts:
-Guardian ,a knight that also wields magic.
-Mesmer, bends minds, not elements.
-Engineers, mechanics and medics.

The classics:
-Warrior, the most common and effective fighter.
-Ranger, the nature-loving marksman.
-Elementalist, conjurer of the elements.

The evil:
-(None)
-Thief, masters of deception and stealth.
-Necromancers, the master of death.

clearly there’s the lack of an evil and possibly mobile heavy class, which in my opinion if you wanted to fill a spot, would be the way to go.

@ Renegade – Dark knight. Opposite of guardian. Also been done to death.

To everyone suggesting this class SHOULDN’T be a heavy, you’re obviously entitled to your opinion that maybe you personally would enjoy it more as a light class. However, here he’s layed out options for ranged/casting play styles as well with the longbow and scepter/focus combo. And those bow skills sound cool as hell. Just like the others, you can actually pretty effectively play any class as either ranged or close-quarters depending on your gear/weps/traits/utility setups, which is what makes the game so fun in the first place: diversity. With this guy, you could probably even do both in the same fight with weapon swapping. And light classes like a mesmer actually are pretty burst-dependent as well, so this new class sounds like it could have a nice balance of the hefty heavy mentality, but the finesse of a caster too. I’m all for it

To add a bit more about why I chose to conceptualize the Chronomancer:

Tyria is an interesting fantasy world that is going through its first major industrial revolution. The rise of technology between the time of Guildwars 1 and Guildwars 2 was accelerated by the uprising of the Asura and their sophisticated magitech from deep underground. This is technological revolution is compounded the rise of the Charr Imperial Legion and their development of modern war engines.

Magic is a naturally occuring phenomenon in Tyria that takes many shapes and forms, resulting in the major schools that allow Necromancers, Elementalists, and Mesmers to exist.

Some inhabitants in Tyria are not adept with magic or opt to built expertise in fields that use only limited magic or no magic at all. These include the Thief and the Warrior. Thieves only use quick shadow cantrips and magical deceptions to compound their natural skill with sleigh of hand and acrobatic skills. Warriors only use signet rings that have pre-inscribed powers that compound their physical strength.

Rangers and Guardians are the closest to classes that soft of walk the “middle line” between magic and physical expertise. Guardians use magic to compound their martial code and convert sheer willpower into magical force. Rangers opt to live among nature, making use of magic that exists naturally in their surroundings in its raw form to compound their pathfinding and tracking skills.

Now here is where things get interesting. In Guildwars 2, we saw the rise of the Engineer. This class is completely dedicated to the use of modern technology and has no magical expertise at all. The engineer also showcases how far we have come since Guildwars 1 due to the existence of bombs, grenades, rocket launchers, flamethrowers, and other industrial weapons.

The inhabitants in Tyria live in a world where both magic and modern technology exist side by side, but the classes have yet to really take the best of both worlds and truly apply them. We can see that technology and magic are beginning to meld with pact technology (such as Pact Flagship that encompasses the technology of all 5 races).

Airships are starting to become commonplace in Tyria, with the Aetherblades. Airship technology is also starting to incorporate more of a mix of magic and technology by using lightning teleporters to deploy troops and asura magitech control panels to manage the machine components of the ships.

The people of Tyria are also backed against a corner as they face the apocalyptic dragons, who corrupt every living thing they touch and consume magic. There is a greater need to pool every resource together in order to fight them. There is a greater need to meld science and magic. There is also a greater need to take more risks in advancement to develop new weapons to fight them.

Where am I going with all this? Several hundred years ago, I would have said Tyria is not ready for the Chronomancer, but with the advancement of the world I believe it is the next step. The Chronomancer is a new type of soldier that uses industrial technology in order to take even greater risks in the advancement of magic.

Chronomancers are risk takers, heroes that arm themselves with suits of metal and their wits so that they can plunge themselves into a new field of magic with dangerous rules, paradoxes, and unchartered territory.

There really is no class in the game that aims to meld the magic and industrial technology that already exists in the world of Tyria, which is what will make the Chronomancer unique.

This is why I think the Chronomancer will not only work, but will thrive in the world and lore of Guildwars 2.

The above post would take up too much space on the page to quote, so insert quote here I guess.

I agree that this should be a heavy class. Your reasons are pretty solid to me. In addition to that (this has already been addressed, but here it is again), there are already three spellcasters and I think mixing magic with the feel of a heavily armored figure would feel super correct. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

By the way I love that idea of summoning your past self. Actually adds a bit of risk and skill while downed instead of skill-spamming.

Edit:
Here’s a concept idea. What if there could be consequences for doing things wrong with this class? Such as, you can accidentally cause damage or place conditions on yourself if you go beyond the sand limit? Of course this is off the top of my head and this could be implemented in different ways, but it’d make the class feel more advanced. New players would be prompted with a warning that the class is for moderately advanced players before choosing it.

My main issue is that Mesmers already have various time and space warping abilities – Arenanet is generally good about separating the various schools of magic to be unique to a certain class. Chronomancer is just too similar to Mesmer to be the kind of unique class Arenanet likes to aim for.

lordhelmos.7623:

Now for some Chronomancer Quotes!

When Entering Continuum Shift

Human: “Time’s up!”
Sylvari: “I wield the wisdom of the ages!”
Asura: “E=MC^2!” and also “To Infinity and beyond!”
Charr: (Snarl) “Tick, tock, your dead!”
Norn: “My legend is eternal!”

Sylvari: “It’s about thyme!”

I’m sorry, I had to.

Otter.6348:

My main issue is that Mesmers already have various time and space warping abilities – Arenanet is generally good about separating the various schools of magic to be unique to a certain class. Chronomancer is just too similar to Mesmer to be the kind of unique class Arenanet likes to aim for.

I think your statement is a bit inaccurate. Could you give any examples? The only thing I can think of is the time warp field thing which doubles skill recharge rate, which is just an elite skill so I wouldn’t call that a main mechanic of the class. Any other time and space warping abilities are not the main focus of the profession whereas chronomancers focus on those types of skills and controlling the enemy. Also, if things were to go the way OP says, it’d be a heavy profession, which further adds to its unique qualities and feel.

I also have another suggestion. Currently it’s speculated that sand would regenerate at a preset rate. Since thieves’ initiative recharges the same way, it should recharge differently. It can’t be through dealing damage or going on the offensive, that’s how necros and warriors get their life force. So, instead, perhaps you gain sand when you take damage, or experience moments where you would normally take damage (for example, you gain sand for evading attacks). There could also be weapon and slot skills which help regenerate sand (you might have already given some, I don’t think i’ve looked through all of the skills you’ve mentioned). Blocking attacks also rewards sand.

This could tie in with my previous suggestion about harming yourself by using your skills incorrectly. At this point, players might feel like they are sort of helping out their enemy by attacking chronomancers, since their enemy gains sand from being attacked. However, if the chronomancer fails an attack using continuum shift (such as the enemy evades, blocks, interrupts you, etc.), either stasis or slow is placed on himself. This would hopefully balance out the discouragement of attacking a chronomancer.

Am I making sense? Are my suggestions even good?

This is a lot to take in so I will only reply to the basics. First I have to chiming in with the others on a well thought out suggestion. I also believe this should be a scholar class, not soldier. This is clearly magic manipulation and has little to nothing to do with “frontline confrontation specialists” like the two present soldier professions. Considering that time and space are intertwined, I could incorporate more aspects of teleportation, reflection, deflection and suggest that positioning be a huge part of the classes effectiveness. I would also use less directly time-related terms in my naming convention but that is a matter of personal taste.

I like the idea of Continuum Shift but I would do it slightly differently. For example, the F1 skill would be Time Loop and would work slightly differently. Working off of your Millennium Slash example, I would have players hit F1 at the trigger and have the animation repeat itself. For balance, Time Loop would always gain the cooldown of the skill it was used on. If Millennium Slash has a 12 second cooldown, the time-looped version would make the Time Loop skill go on a 12 second cooldown that’s independent of Millennium Slash. In this sense, it could be used to repeat a very powerful skill at the risk of putting it on a very long cooldown.

My ideas for utilities

“Event Horizon” creates a dome similar to Feedback. Enemy projectiles fired through it will always fly in a random direction, causing them to miss their target. Allied projectiles fired through it will be sped up and do more damage.

“Worm Hole” teleports the Chronomancer from their previous location to the targeted location as well as leaving vertical portals that others can pass through.

“After Image” creates a clone of the player, similar to a Mesmer clone, however, this clone mimics every action the player does one second after they do it.

“Flashback” reverses the last action the target made. If they healed, it removes the healed HP. If they attacked, it removes any damage and effects caused by that attack.

“Fast Forward” grants swiftness and a few seconds of quickness.

“Universal Constant” is an elite that makes any affected by it only take 1 damage from any attack for the next few seconds.

And, no matter what, there HAS to be a trait called “Bullet Time” that increases the speed of all the Chronomancer’s projectiles!

Crossplay.2067:

This is a lot to take in so I will only reply to the basics. First I have to chiming in with the others on a well thought out suggestion. I also believe this should be a scholar class, not soldier. This is clearly magic manipulation and has little to nothing to do with “frontline confrontation specialists” like the two present soldier professions. Considering that time and space are intertwined, I could incorporate more aspects of teleportation, reflection, deflection and suggest that positioning be a huge part of the classes effectiveness. I would also use less directly time-related terms in my naming convention but that is a matter of personal taste.

I like the idea of Continuum Shift but I would do it slightly differently. For example, the F1 skill would be Time Loop and would work slightly differently. Working off of your Millennium Slash example, I would have players hit F1 at the trigger and have the animation repeat itself. For balance, Time Loop would always gain the cooldown of the skill it was used on. If Millennium Slash has a 12 second cooldown, the time-looped version would make the Time Loop skill go on a 12 second cooldown that’s independent of Millennium Slash. In this sense, it could be used to repeat a very powerful skill at the risk of putting it on a very long cooldown.

My ideas for utilities

“Event Horizon” creates a dome similar to Feedback. Enemy projectiles fired through it will always fly in a random direction, causing them to miss their target. Allied projectiles fired through it will be sped up and do more damage.

“Worm Hole” teleports the Chronomancer from their previous location to the targeted location as well as leaving vertical portals that others can pass through.

“After Image” creates a clone of the player, similar to a Mesmer clone, however, this clone mimics every action the player does one second after they do it.

“Flashback” reverses the last action the target made. If they healed, it removes the healed HP. If they attacked, it removes any damage and effects caused by that attack.

“Fast Forward” grants swiftness and a few seconds of quickness.

“Universal Constant” is an elite that makes any affected by it only take 1 damage from any attack for the next few seconds.

And, no matter what, there HAS to be a trait called “Bullet Time” that increases the speed of all the Chronomancer’s projectiles!

These are some great ideas! I originally thought of Continuum Shift in a similar way as how you outlined Time Loop. However, the fear I had was having the effect seeming too similar to Mesmer Phantasms. With that in mind, I changed the Shift mechanic to be more of a “combo option” mechanism that allows the properties of attacks to be changed in mid-animation.

I wanted the Chronomancer to play at a fast pace, which branching attack choices that allow for unique and interesting setup and control options in actual play.

The Flashback idea is really awesome, same with universal constant. I love those ideas.

Note

I found the sword skills to be too similar to the Mesmer, I changed them up to make them stand out more and to play more uniquely.

MangoMan.3218:

I also have another suggestion. Currently it’s speculated that sand would regenerate at a preset rate. Since thieves’ initiative recharges the same way, it should recharge differently. It can’t be through dealing damage or going on the offensive, that’s how necros and warriors get their life force. So, instead, perhaps you gain sand when you take damage, or experience moments where you would normally take damage (for example, you gain sand for evading attacks). There could also be weapon and slot skills which help regenerate sand (you might have already given some, I don’t think i’ve looked through all of the skills you’ve mentioned). Blocking attacks also rewards sand.

This could tie in with my previous suggestion about harming yourself by using your skills incorrectly. At this point, players might feel like they are sort of helping out their enemy by attacking chronomancers, since their enemy gains sand from being attacked. However, if the chronomancer fails an attack using continuum shift (such as the enemy evades, blocks, interrupts you, etc.), either stasis or slow is placed on himself. This would hopefully balance out the discouragement of attacking a chronomancer.

Am I making sense? Are my suggestions even good?

This is a great suggestion that I really took to heart. I want to make the class as unique as I can and completely changed the mechanic to add a higher risk/reward.

Now the hourglass works backwards. It starts at zero and everytime you continuum shift, you add sand to the glass. The sand drains at a preset rate, but you can burn shift after shift until you max out the glass.

If you fill the glass, you self daze yourself for 2.5 seconds the first time. The second time within a 30 second period, you freeze yourself in time for 3 full seconds.

Let me know what you think about this new system. I think it adds more flavor and depth to the class.

This sounds pretty good but i’m sure ArenaNet would take inspiration from your ideas if they ever going to release a new proffesion. I was really looking forward to the Chronomancer in GW1 when they announced it.

SeNoZinD.9874:

I like this whole “time-bending” idea. Too bad anet hardly uses the suggestions here. I know they “review” them, but when has one actually made it into the game?

Wallet, Activity Rotation, Dungeon Reward Change, Champion Loot Change, World Boss Loot Change, Southsun Cove, Achievement Panel Rework, Achievement Rewards, Trait Rework, WvW Abilities, Less Gem Store RNG…

Would you like me to continue?

Updated some mace and scepter skills to better distinguish them from other abilities already in the game. Overhauled the hammer to make it much more interesting and less reflective of the guardian hammer.

I support this!

ooh i like this very much.

Wow….This Idea takes all other Chronomancer Ideas, sneaks up behind them, beats it over the head with a pipe, then continues to stomp a mudhole for atleast five more minutes, then before it walks away, this Chronomancer Idea turns around, and spits in the faces of all the others just to make sure its clear who is better. It was necessary to be that graphic because that’s how I feel.

…I’m going to go walk away now hanging my head in shame while I forever delete the chronomancer I was working on off my computer…

Esplen.3940:

SeNoZinD.9874:

I like this whole “time-bending” idea. Too bad anet hardly uses the suggestions here. I know they “review” them, but when has one actually made it into the game?

Wallet, Activity Rotation, Dungeon Reward Change, Champion Loot Change, World Boss Loot Change, Southsun Cove, Achievement Panel Rework, Achievement Rewards, Trait Rework, WvW Abilities, Less Gem Store RNG…

Would you like me to continue?

Oh, Please do! But I think you pretty well covered all the major ones!

I think this would work though some players may not be able to see past that this particular class would be more suitable as a scholar. I do see a way around that.

Make Chronomancers those that ENGINEER these cool abilities and the player plays as a chronoknight. Which could be basically a guinea pig contracted into taking the chronomancers work and applying it to the battlefield. But we call them knights so they don’t know how bad they have it.

Like what we try to do with janitors calling them “Sanitation Engineers” long after they voice that they know exactly what’s going on.

Time can also rot, decay and made wounds become infected.

Onshidesigns.1069:

Time can also rot, decay and made wounds become infected.

This is a good suggestion as well, although I would be a bit worried about breaching into the realm of the necro.

Onshidesigns.1069:

Time can also rot, decay and made wounds become infected.

I like it. I think an effect of the Time combo field could be that condition damage ticks twice as often, which would mean poison, bleed, or burning could overcharge, “rotting or infecting” enemies faster.

I’m glad you’ve noticed my suggestion helmos after all, time is a touchy and potentially dangerous thing to work with. I don’t think I ever explained this but that is why I thought it’d make sense for you to potentially harm yourself.

I’m really enjoying this thread. Lots of good ideas being thrown around.

Thanks all for the suggestions, I balanced the time field to allow it to add a reflecting aura instead of quickness for leap and blast finishers.

Also added a Temporal Shielding mechanic that gives the Chonomancer a way to mitigate damage in a unique way while still being vulnerably to conditions.

Rebalanced sword, hammer, and scepter to better synergize with the new mechanics added.