Guild Wars 2

Back when class CDIs were a thing rangers were first and eles were supposed to be second, but after the ranger CDI that initiative stopped so we never got ours. And while rangers weren’t magically fixed with the recent feature spec patch, they did get more viable utilities and specs (even if overall they are still a bit underpowered besides the bunker condi spec which just doesn’t die). I’ve even seen trap rangers in pvp.

In the ~3 years since the game was released, every single class had various viable (meta) specs available for pvp over the time, often 2 or even 3 with different playstyles at the same time. Every class but eles, which since the start of the game were forced into arcane+water+cantrips + specific defensive amulets to survive, with DD mostly and maybe staff if you felt adventurous. Eles dominated the meta after launch, were nerfed into oblivion and then came back finally when the celestial amulet was buffed and a (very) few nerfs undone.

So this is what I’d like to know from Arenanet:

Is this really how to intend the class to be? To only have basically 1 playstyle? Why don’t we really have support for viable condition specs besides celestial burn? Fresh Air never REALLY took off too simply because you are so kittening squishy with marauder amulet and scepter being as bad as it is.

Why don’t we get some access to new stuff either in the Tempest Elite Spec? Other classes like mesmers got a whole new boon just for them. We get… not even a new “old” boon or condition? Not even another daze besides Comet and #3 from Earth Shield conjure?

So I guess the question is, are the devs happy with how the class is and has been, or do they intend for it to have more diverse playstyles?

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I came to this question seeing the Tempest changes for the next BWE, and the whole underwhelmed and disappointed feeling I have in my future elementalist after maining it since launch. But Chronomancer is so amazing and new and fun.