Guild Wars 2

In most of the group oriented PvE (and Wvw) conditions are mostly ineffective, in large part due to the limits on the stacking of conditions of one type per target.

Rather then raising these limits on the target, I propose to move them, or the bookkeeping for them, from target to source, from the victim to the player (or npc) inflicting the condition. At the same time the cap per condition on the source can be lowered to keep resource usage in check, say 5-10 bleeds on 3-5 targets per source.

This might increase the effectiveness of conditions in PvE against world and dungeon bosses, and in WvW zerg fights, while at the same time keeping the effectiveness of conditions in 1v1 situations in check.

Putting in special mechanics like that would result in them splitting the server code between SPVP and the rest. Not going to happen.

More likely is that they put a special mechanic on the big mobs that do something with the conditions when they hit some kind of trigger, as that can easily be introduced in PVE without any server code changes.

digiowl.9620:

Putting in special mechanics like that would result in them splitting the server code between SPVP and the rest. Not going to happen.

Why would this require a separation between PvP and PvE/WvW? Both can work just fine with the proposed mechanics.

More likely is that they put a special mechanic on the big mobs that do something with the conditions when they hit some kind of trigger, as that can easily be introduced in PVE without any server code changes.

Special mechanics for singular bosses don’t work very well currently. People are unlikely to throw their builds around for a single event. If conditions are a bad choice in all of PvE except in one event, they’ll avoid that event rather then change gear and build for it.

The problem is that every single condition has to be updated every quarter second in order to determine damage (because if you get might, for example, the bleed stacks that you’ve already put on someone will tick for more damage). This means a tremendous amount of data must be transferred and processed every single second.

If your proposal ends up costing the same amount of data transfer/processing, then it’s not viable.

A better solution is fire-and-forget conditions: Once applied, the damage-per-tick is unaffected by changes in the condition damage of the applier. This saves a LOT of data transfer and processing power. As a free bonus, it makes more sense flavorwise as well: once I’ve applied my bleed, why would me getting might change the damage of that bleed?

I am not quite sure about the source for this, but i think the current cap is a engine thing put in there for SPVP reasons and spilling over into the other game modes. Hell, i sometimes suspect that the only mode that counts from game mechanics and balancing team point of view is SPVP, and the rest of us can take a long walk on a short pier for all their care.

As for my suggestion, it would be on any mob that currently get Unshakable by default.

Lord Kuru.3685:

The problem is that every single condition has to be updated every quarter second in order to determine damage (because if you get might, for example, the bleed stacks that you’ve already put on someone will tick for more damage). This means a tremendous amount of data must be transferred and processed every single second.

If your proposal ends up costing the same amount of data transfer/processing, then it’s not viable.

A better solution is fire-and-forget conditions: Once applied, the damage-per-tick is unaffected by changes in the condition damage of the applier. This saves a LOT of data transfer and processing power. As a free bonus, it makes more sense flavorwise as well: once I’ve applied my bleed, why would me getting might change the damage of that bleed?

I’d like fire-and-forget, could possibly also be treated as group (per application).

Imo, if the amount of processing would be the same in this way then with the current system it would be preferable, since it removes the cap.

digiowl.9620:

I am not quite sure about the source for this, but i think the current cap is a engine thing put in there for SPVP reasons and spilling over into the other game modes.

I thought it was for resource reasons. You can still cap conditions when doing the bookkeeping per source, to prevent it from becoming overwhelming, but it would no longer hurt (large) groups of condition players.

I don’t quite understand why conditions would have to be capped, balance wise, and direct damage not. If you can gank a player with physical damage 5:1, then why not with condition damage?

frans.8092:

I don’t quite understand why conditions would have to be capped, balance wise, and direct damage not. If you can gank a player with physical damage 5:1, then why not with condition damage?

It’s a mechanical limitation as to why there’s a cap on condis not because of balance.

Another easy suggestion is to buff the dmg of all condis but reduce the amount you apply by the same percentage. This wouldn’t change the cap but it should mean a few more condi players in your group won’t result in as much of a dps loss for you.