Just some comments on the new meta and the pace of combat in pvp.
While the new meta is not completely horrible, the direction of the game has lead to too many combat situations where assassination type burst (near %100-0 dmg) is sudden with no tell, no warning indicators, and sometimes hits from stealth.
I think that in a tournament setting (such as the fighting game EVO tournaments, which were just broadcasted), what makes good fights is key decision making and counterplay. This is something that guildwars is lacking. This also pushes Gw2 further away from E-Sports status.
I do think that assassination burst is important to keep, but should be less prevelent in order to make the execution important. Currently certain classes have assassination burst on such a low CD that they just keep repeating burst cycles until the enemy is on CD with no penalty -which leads to no skill play.
Failing a burst should lead to decisive punishment. Aside from the very few trump card bursts, other bursts that deal similar damage should be easily telegraphed and promote teamplay such as stuns from other party members to setup.
This leads to better decision making on when to use a stunbreaker -and more importantly granting players the time to make that decision. An example of this can be seen in fighting games where when a super is executed, the screen freeze for a moment to allow the opponent to have that “last window” to decide their key play.
Another topic is downstate and stomping, which is arguably the most imbalanced aspect of Gw2 all together. One redeeming factor of assassination burst is that when you go down, its not the end. However, some classes are incredibly OP in downstate.
Examples of this are eles and thieves, which have a downstate that 100% guarantees that you will not be able to get them on that first stomp. Mist form is incredibly overpowered and grants the ele a 100% free pass from a stomp (something else no other class has).
TL;DR:
-Game must look at assassination type burst and tweak some CDs on bursts that have no animations or can be executed from stealth.
-Downstate/stomping need to be rebalanced and looked at.
QUICK FIXES:
-Backstab now costs initiative but returns its cost if it hits. This is to promote less spamming and more skillful play.
-Mantra of Distraction now only stuns if the enemy is using a skill.
-Ele mist form duration reduced. Thief downstate stealth duration reduced.
-Engineer downstate changed. Interrupt skill becomes overcharged shot, which allows the engineer to launch 1 stomper and propel their body to a new location at the same time. Instead of knockback the self detonation skill now deals damage, blinds, and creates a smoke field to promote allies to blast finish before rezzing.