Guild Wars 2

So let me state I main an Ele, just thought I’d get that out of the way first, have since BWE1, so no I’m not a “flavour of the month” ele. Now I got that gut-wrenching spasm we’re so used to when reading about future patches. However what most of us staff users aren’t taking into account is the sheer amount of damage that melee AOE pushes out, you’ve all seen “spin to win” things like Dagger Storm, 100Blades etc. You know those Warriors and Guardians who obliterate a horde of mobs before your first meteor has fallen from the sky.

Those skills, in my mind, are the ones they are referring to as having low opportunity cost vs massive payoffs and are likely the skills that will be looked into. Yes chances are good that staff users will be adjusted too but not as dramatically as AOE melee will be hit.

We’ve all stated that we think it is a bad idea so they know that by now, but let’s hear them out, perhaps it will be good for the meta in the long run, we don’t know what else they’re planning on implementing in the future, this could be the first step in a longer term plan.

Jabberwock.9014:

The quote “we don’t want you to use AoE skills on single target mobs” is utterly ridiculous. Eles don’t have a choice! If you didn’t want that you shouldn’t have designed a class with 95% aoe!

This is my biggest problem with a blanket aoe nerf. There is a bit of a concern that they do not seem to realize elementalists don’t really have a single target option. The only thing they can do that avoids aoe damage is scepter/focus in air affinity. It is the only weapon combo/affinity that is strictly single target dps. Staff has I think 2 non aoe damage abilities and dagger dagger has maybe a couple non aoe damage abilities. Even most of our auto attacks are aoe damage.

Baring an almost complete redo of elementalists to add more single target DPS options I dont see how what they are talking about would be anything other than a blanket nerf on an already not very high DPS class. Yes I use aoes on single targets because I DON’T HAVE ANY CHOICE. When you make a class based around AOEs don’t be shocked when that class uses AOEs.

Taril.8619:

Devildoc.6721:

Ele can’t swap weapons.

Attunement swapping counts as a weapon swap when accounting for Sigils that proc on weapon swap.

On Topic:

I don’t get the idea of nerfing AoE because “It’s almost comparable to single target damage”

If you want people to stop using AoE’s on single targets then you’d have to give people the option of using single target abilities… This would mean in most cases lowering or removing the cooldown on them since people often use AoE’s on single targets because their 1 single target ability is on cooldown and the AoE’s do more damage than just spamming #1

The ironic thing is for elemental unless you are using scepter spamming 1 is not even an option if you want to avoid AOE. Many of our auto attacks are aoe. In staff mode only earth effects a single target, in dagger I think only earth is single target auto attack.

If you design a class where 80+ percent of their damage powers are AOE don’t be shocked that they use AOE on single targets if they don’t they are just sitting there and not even swapping elements as the class appears to be designed to do.

jportell.2197:

Also D/D eles sorry but your guy’s damage is way bigger than a thieves… It is true. And it is more sustainable.

You should perform stand-up.

@devs: Ever thought about buffing single target damage?

Mitch.4781:

A dreadfull idea..simply dreadfull. I lvoe the way how they say we want you to play the game your way but you are playing it a way we don’t like lol hypocrites. So many classes need BUFFS not nerfs..How the heck is nerfing aoe’s going to do anything than damage already gimped classes like necros for example and staff eles?

Plus not everyone plays W v W..I only do PVE yet I will be punished cos of aoe damage in w v w..nice job. Just remember ESO is coming up soon.. I would really think about what you do to alienate your players or else you are in great danger of being the next swtor…

What you mean is,people will stop playing the game and move on to another just because of them balancing skills an you wont feel Leet anymore ? Well,bye bye ! i cant believe you guys,honestly,you can be such crybaby’s and already start complaining when you read they are gonna take on aoe’s,the forum is FILLED with crying and complaining eventhough we do not see the effects since the patch hasnt even been implemented,why do you people complain beforehand instead of afterwards ? And what is so bad about Balancing skills ? Wvwvw is all about who can put on the most aoe’s fast enough,this should change because aoe’s in these situations are way to strong,everybody disagreeing does not have a clue what hes talking about,or is a heavy aoe spammer.Speaking for myself im glad they start to balance stuff out.

before people QQ too much here about AoE nerfs…

First think of it, that nerfing skill can be done in so many different ways.
It doesn’t have to be always just only to be a decrease in attack power.

AoEs can be changed in many different ways:

- Changing Activation Time
- Changing Recharge Time
- Changing Maximum Range
- Changing Maximum AoE Range
- Changing Initiative Cost (in case of thiefs)
- Changing Maximum Damage
- Changing Maximum Targets being hit
- Changing completely the Way a Skill works
- Changing the Casting System of the AoE, from Circle AoE to maybe Line of Sight AoE
- Changing the Activation Options from AoE, by removing the ability to use it for example while moving, or castign it behind you out of sight…

and so on…

That Class balancing is necessary, is absolutely normal and AoE’s are a great part of class balancing, especially here in GW2, where so many AoE Skills are in this game.

morrolan.9608:

Name 1 aoe spec that is overall more powerful than a single target spec. I’m talking in terms of overall damage. There isn’t one, staff ele is demonstrably inferior to D/D.

I’ve got a staff ele, the aoe is primarily an area denial tool than a damage tool, because its too easy to avoid the damage, that is why it isn’t that strong.

If you talk about using staff ele in SPvP then this is correct but not always. It is far easier to use D/D in any PvP.

In WvW, staff ele is extremely useful when conquering forts, especially when stay behind friendly units and do all those AoE – it is so useful to cripple enemies in front friendly melee units, apply frozen ground, put static field so rangers can shoot trough and apply so much vulnerability. When in front of closed gate, necro is more useful here with his AoE but still, blasting staff makes good support chasing away enemies from the walls.

Also, in WvW, ele can be unbelievable good as healer with staff. More important, most D/D builds (or all maybe?) ave 30 points in water and at least 20 in arcana, which makes easy for D/D ele to transform himself to staff healer. Best to have alternative cleric gear to swap when out of combat.

If you talk about PvE you are totally wrong. Mobs can’t escape to ele with staff unless you stay in one attunement which is wrong.

AoE more powerful than single target – Meteor Shower is more powerful per hit and in total – problem too long cooldown, Dragon’s Tooth is more powerful – need to keep target in place for more than second while falling, Erruption makes total direct + condition damage than singe target damage – problem must keep target in place until explode. For these, must use berserker or rampager gear.

Now regarding this nerfing AoE, it is utterly stupid and really don’t realize where this idea comes from? To what end? Necro has 4 abilities on staff and utility skills too. Now, think about it – if you make profession such as necro having possibility to have basic attack and elite as non AoE and now to nerf that, seems like not normal. Ele has very interesting basic attack with staff while in Air.

In any case, if they nerf it, I will leave GW2 for sure. Of all these toons my favorite is ele and with staff! I play D/D sometimes but in dung I staff. After ele, my next favorite is necro with staff + scepter/focus. I recently started mesmer but it is far from those two favorites.