Yes. i realize that many of the elite specs this expansion are focused on condi traits and weapons wise, however if you think about it, while this may not be desireable to everyone, it does make sense. Why i say this requires you to take a look at the elite specs from last expansion and then compare them to the elite specs from this one.
For instance: reaper was designed as a power spec, with a power oriented weapon (greatsword dealing power damage without certain traits) and only one condi oriented trait in the entire elite spec, and all of its utilities being power based without certain traits (though deathly chill was massively overpowered and reaper does work well with condi builds)it was designed with power in mind and with a vast majority of its traits being power build related. Reaper runes should also be noted as giving power and toughness, further supporting that it was intended to be power whatever the end result was.
This expansion, scourge is released, clearly a condi spec, its weapon, torch, deals condi damage, as do its utilities and death shroud skills, and traits as well. Yet why wouldn’t you expect this after reaper was released being primarily a power focused spec . Should they release 2 power elite specs in a row simply because most people played reaper with condi? Makes more sense to design a power one and then the next expansion do the opposite, make a condi one. which they have done.
Take a look at chrono next: Though many view this as a support spec, its clearly designed with power damage in mind, despite how well it works for condi. Absolutely none of its traits, utilities, or weapon skills inflict a meaningful amount of condi damage in any way, instead they are all based around power dps, including the runes and weapon skills. This spec comes with 0 traits that are directed towards condi builds despite how well it plays with condi shatter, its a drastic contract traits wise to mirage’s condi traits.
Mirage, coming this expansion, is clearly condi based, many of its traits giving condis and its weapon being condi based. Yet why shouldnt it be? anet released an elite spec that was designed for power builds left expansion, however people played it, so it makes sense for the elite spec this expansion to be a condi one. This decision was likely made a long time ago, without taking the current meta into account as it didnt exist yet.
Take a look at berserker next, however well it plays with power builds (and im fully aware how much damage and utility it offers to them) many of its traits, and the weapon that came with the elite spec as well as berserker runes are condi/hybrid based, leaning towards condi. Many berserker traits focused on burning, as did torch, with few traits being directed 100% at power builds.
This expansion spellbreaker is being released, which is clearly designed with power in mind, anyone else seeing a trend here? Last expansion power spec, this expansion condi spec, last expansion condi spec, this expansion power spec. This is going on abilities being granted by elite specs being condi or power focused, regardless of how well they work in practice with either type of build.
Last expansion guardian got dragonhunter, another power based elite spec, with no traits being directed at condi builds and the vast majority of its weapons and skills being power based, dealing heavy power damage and little condi. This expansion firebrand is clearly aimed to be played with a condi build, axe being condi focused, and many of firebrands traits and skills being condi focused and inflicting conditions.
Once again, power spec last expansion, condi spec this one. Is this a 100% trend, i dont know, im only doing on the classes that i play a lot. that many of them ended up working very well for builds other than what their traits are directed towards is also besides the point, i should point out that these elite specs in this expansion dont 100% block out play with builds based on a damage type outside of their main direction either, even if mirage traits are mostly condi focused it could be played with a power build.
Point being, yes, theres a lot of condi elite specs this expansion, yes, this is poorly timed, wvw meta currently is condi based and it has a lot of haters. But should you really not expected this? It doesnt make much sense to release a power elite spec 2 expansions in a row, one would have to be superior to the other at its intended field, making the other worthless. And from the classes i looked at, the ones that came with a power designed spec for hot are coming with a condi oriented one for pof.
To condi elite complainers
Is this a 100% trend, i dont know
No. Just look at ele (possibly also at ranger and revenant, whose previous especs weren’t power based at all). And especially look at the thief.
(not sure about engi, don’t really know much about holosmith)
Remember, remember, 15th of November
actually, an argument could be made for ranger and revenant very easily, if not thief. herald offered 0 condi oriented traits, and only one skill which inflicted damaging condis, and heralds shield is comparable to chronomancer shield, a power oriented weapon more than condi even if it is defensive. herald even offers bonuses to power damage, 2% damage per boon, and nothing at all condi related. Renegade on the other hand is definatly condi oriented. condi weapons and condi traits.
An argument could be made for ranger as well, the only trait which druid offered which was directly benefitial towards condi builds that i remember off the top of my head is the ancient seeds, as the roots offer bleed stacks, but thats a mixed trait in a lot of ways, none of the other druid traits that i recall (dont play ranger much so i may be wrong) offered a nything to condi builds, and if they were more support than power based, they still were definatly not condi oriented. staff was a definatly a power weapon as well and celestial avatar didnt offer much in the way of condi skills. druid utilities i dont know very well, but im asuming that most of them do not inflict many damaging conditions. Meanwhile, soulbeast’s weapon is a condi weapon, and the spec could be directed towards condi builds, i never actually made one myself to test it though.
Tempest can make the same argument as well, none of its traits seemed directed towards a condi build specifically, either being neutral, power based, or support based. Its weapon offered primarily power based attacks and from what i know of overloads (which is not much, i dont play ele at all, its one of the few classes i dont know very much anything about,) all the overloads but fire seemed directed towards power builds, or offering support. Even with fire overload an arguement could be made that its power based.
Weaver on the otherhand seems to have a lot of condi oriented weapon skills and some condi oriented traits, i dont know for certain though as i never played weaver this beta weekend, just read some stuff others have said.
Daredevil and scrapper both make a strong counterpoint however. Daredevil offered a power oriented weapon and only one condi oriented trait, which is the conditions on dodge, which was one of three dodging options, so definatly being a more power oriented spec, and deadeye is certaintly condi as well.
The same thing can be said for scrapper, scrapper was definatly a power oriented spec, with a power burst weapon and no condi trait interactions, yet from what ive heard holosmith is a power burst spec, so thief and scrapper fall outside of my argument.
regardless, for most of the main classes which people are kittening about being condi this expansion, their previous specs were directed towards power builds.
it should be noted, that when im saying for traits being directed at power or condi, im counting traits being directed at condi only if they directly effect conditions, either inflicting conditions or directly benefiting them in some way, either increasing their duration or giving extra ways to apply them.
Actually Reaper turned into a condi build when their original intention was a power build.
Definitely not a trend and there’s still alot of work to do to make these specs what they intended them to be without being reliant on condi damage which the engineer and the necro classes have been stuck in all this time because people are afraid of raw power being given to these classes for some reason.
They are not balanced properly yet!
Is this a 100% trend, i dont know
No. Just look at ele (possibly also at ranger and revenant, whose previous especs weren’t power based at all). And especially look at the thief.
(not sure about engi, don’t really know much about holosmith)
Ranger… druid very much is power based, the staff damage wise is pure power… the traits are all support and CC… and with the exception of 1 skill none of the utilities are condi… to contrast this, the Soulbeast gets a condi weapon, condi focused traits, and condi focused utilities. Similarly, druid was heavily support focused and soulbeast is heavily dps focused.
Elementalist… everything to do 2ith elementalists is a split focus… both tempest and weaver are equal parts condi and power, just as much as both are equally dps and support focused.
Revenant… the herald is almost exclusively power… the shield is a power weapon, its traits are power focused, and all but 1 utility is 100% power… the Renegade is by no surprise completely condi based.
Thief… daredevil is power focused by design, with exception of 1 trait and 1 utility there is nothing but power… and of course the deadeye is heavy on condi…
Engineer… the scrapper was almost excluselvly power, only getting a little bit of comdi from one utility… the holosmith on the otherhand appears to be a hybrid power/condi…
You’d have more of a point if condi wasn’t meta for literally every single damage spec except for maybe guardians. Design philosophy doesn’t matter at all. Only how it’s used in practice.
I truly dont understand how people can make posts like this when the condi explosion in this game broke PvP and WvW.
Why would it matter what the intentions are?
If i make a cream pie but it taste like ice cream would anyone call it a cream pie? No they would call it a pie that tastes like ice cream.
Ill end it with this, in PvP every class utility skills are used for condi removal or stun breakers, it forces classes into a certain set up that makes other builds not as good by a large margin.
In WvW whole zergs are dropping because Anet intended for certain classes to be better but guess what they worked better with condi traits.
So to people who posts about condi, stop it and ask for better balance.