Part 1) Attributes
I think this is a triangle case of balancing. So if anything gets changed on A, then there needs to be done something about B and C too.
Currently the Attribute System is in a terrible state, as the game works right now, all that matters to have is only Power, Precision and Critical Damage.
Why? Because these attributes have a way too powerful synergy, whereas all other attributes have absololutely no synergies at all, when compared against Power/Prec/CritDamage%.
I think also it was a horrible decision to make up for a split between damage and condition damage. There should be different damage types, yes, but imo the game would run alot better with a system that makes only differencies between “physical damage”, “elemental damage” and “mental damage”, but all 3 damage types should get more powerful just by power.
Theres no need for an attribute like condition damage.
This game could have alot of far more useful and interesting attributes, if Anet would give also all of the attributes instead of only 1 effect giving each attribute 1 Major effect and 1 minor effect.
The Attributes need a redesign, so that the game finally stops with Power>everything.
Other Attribute specializations, like more defensive builds also need to receive similar synergies, like Power goes very well totgether with Precision.
GW2 needs to get away from % Attribute Boosters.
% Attributes are always impossible to balance and will always lead to overpowered attribute synergies.
No single class in the game should be able to basically 1-2hit kill players due to these insane attribute synergies with that you can quickly massively raise your maximum damage outout into insane heights. There should absolutely not exist the option to reach something like Critical Damage % of like over +100% …
This is ridiculous and its the reason why we have such extreme unbalanced damage builds in this game, because currently the terrible attribute system just allows for us to reach such damage heights without that there are any senseful caps to prevent any kind of unbalanced power creep.
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This are in my opinion all the Attributes that GW2 should have (needs)
Power
Major Effect: Increases the Physical/Elemental Damage of your attacks
Minor Effect: Increases the maximum Endurance for characters
Precision
Major Effect: Increases the Chance to deal Critical Hits
Minor Effect: Increases Condition Durations
Vitality
Major Effect: Increases Maximum Health
Minor Effect: Increases Endurance Regeneration Speed
Toughness
Major Effect: Increases Defense against Physical/Elemental Damage
Minor Effect: Decreases Condition Durations on you
Wisdom
Major Effect: Increases Mental Damage of your attacks.
Minor Effect: Increases Effectiveness from Self Heals/General Heal Effects
Intelligence
Major Effect: Increases Defense against Mental Damage
Minor Effect: Reduces Chance to receive Critical Hits on you
Agility
Major Effect: Decreases Skill Recharge Times/Increases Initiative Regeneration
Minor Effect: Reduces Endurance Consumption on Dodges
Courage
Major Effect: Increases Duration of Boons
Minor Effect: Increases the Chance for Immunity against CC’s
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So 8 senseful Attributes, that are useful, instead of 11 Attributes, where most of them feel just beign useless/underpowered, having no real influence in battles due to havign no synergies, like Power has with precision and the current critical damage attribute.
There should be no critical damage attribute!! Critical Damage should be FIX for all the classes the same. if you deal a critical hit, then the damage should be increased fix by just 50% maximum. This would finally tone down some massive damage bursts this game has and nerf certain overpowered skill builds to a poitn down, that you can#t say then anymore just only Power> everything.
Battles would become finally more of fun, not being able anymore to kill other players just in 1-2 hits (making battles in overall again more challenging) when power wouldn’t synergize so extremely good anymore with critical damage%, once it would get reduced fix to 50% and wouldn’t be any gear relevant attribute anymore.
Traits shouldn’t give any Attribute Points anymore, All Trait Points should be 50% preset in regard of which class you play.
The other 50% of attribute points a character gains over the cource of getting to level 80, would be freely to put anywhere where you like, with the option to reset your choices outside of battles, just like we were able to put points into Attributes in GW1 and could change that anytime outside of battles.