Guild Wars 2

The devs have always seem to have wanted Elemental Attunement to be a grandmaster trait. Previous changes suggest that no matter how hard we try, it is unlikely we’ll be able to get to completely abandon the change. Here is a compromise:

Currently, Lingering Elements is more of a joke than an actual trait. It is generally useless. Lingering Elements should be made into a non-AOE, shorter boon duration Elemental Attunement. Elemental Attunement can then make Lingering Elements be AOE and have longer duration on the boons. (I’m sure a more suitable name for Lingering Elements can be found)

1. This gives an actually useful Arcane Master Minor trait.
2. It allows them to move Elemental Attunement to the grandmaster slot but allows us to still get a weaker version of Elemental Attunement with Evasive Arcana.
3. It would also fit well into the Arcane line as it promotes Attunement switching. (Obviously as it was an Arcane trait to begin with)
4. If the Elemental Attunement Elite is too weak, it could also increase general boon duration.

What do you think?

(I know other people have thought of this before but I’d like some feedback just on this idea)

The issue I can see with your suggestion is that it shifts the focus to needing Elemental Attunement to instead just need Lingering Elements; Arcana will still be perceived as a must have spec for the wrong reason.

I had a slightly different turn on the alternative solution but also made use Lingering Elements. Thematically, the Elementalist attunes to the various Elements to gain abilities that focuses around the elements’ strengths. Arcana is tricky because it seems like its theme is defined, but some of its traits kinda just fell in there as a catch-all.

Anyways, I digress…here’s how the trait(s) could be reworked.

Shuffle out the boons from Elemental Attunement and put them into their respective specializations line with a pulsing effect. That way something like Stone Flesh would read “Gain Toughness when attuning to Earth. Gain Protection every x seconds”. It would be similar with the other specializations as well. Elemental Attunement can still fall under Arcana but would instead copy the pulsing effect to party members. That way when you attune to Fire the whole party “attunes” to fire.

The balance there is that someone who wants to be tanky would invest in Earth, or someone who want more damage would take fire (though make it more than a single stack. Three, maybe?). Water could still retain Regen or be replaced with Vigor as Soothing Mist would then have redundant regen-esque abilities, and maybe take our swiftness on air for something like superspeed or quickness (in small bursts). The Lingering Elements would be of use as the 5 seconds of retaining your previous attunement could potentially proc the pulsing effect. Thus you could have a situation where Protection and Regen are landing their proc at the same time.

My annoyance with the current setup is that someone can, for example, heavily invest in Fire/Air for a Striker role focus and can take those 4 points in arcana to get huge defensive buffs. With this suggestion Elementalists would be rewarded for choosing particular specs rather than have one line that’s a catch-all. I fully realize that this may instead draw players to rely on Earth for their survivability, but thematically and mechanically that makes more sense to me as Earth does have the title of the Superior Defense attunement.