Please Note: I do not claim to be an Elementalist expert nor a design expert, so please refrain from unneeded personal comments. These are only suggestions in order to inspire new design ideas and thoughts on the Tempest and specifically the Overload mechanic. I understand a fix like this will not be in HoT on release and it may take some time for the Tempest to fit in better with the game and be in a generally positive state.
The tooltips are only meant to be examples, I’m not set on numbers nor names. Also I understand the tooltips aren’t uniform in line with GW2 format, as I continued making them I noticed more and more specifics that I was missing out on, but I still wanted to include them for a nicer post format.
Issue: Tempest Overloads don’t feel that strong and aren’t satisfying to use.
Proposal: Give overloads “Autoattacks” and special overload finishers. Also increase punishments with Elemental Exhaustion.
Current system: Currently during all overloads, your character is allowed to move and jump, but the player can’t interact with the fight while the overload channel is pulsing boons,conditions, and damage.
Links to the current Overloads
Fire
Water
Air
Earth
General Rework:
Essentially treat overload like a transformation skill, rather than just a channel skill. Add or move power from current overload into active skills. The 3 skills, two “autoattacks” to use during the overload and an optional way to end the overload, called an Overload Finisher. Also add a new uncleanseable status called Elemental Exhaustion.
Elemental Exhaustion applies slower endurance regen for 2 seconds, makes All abilities except auto attacks 2 seconds longer(or a 2 second cd if theyre off cooldown on application), and overload has a further increased cooldown. (supposed to symbolize catching your breath after an Overload finisher) The overload finishers are “alternate endings” to how overloads usually end, and use excess energy over what the Elementalist stored to unleash for the overload. This leaves them exhausted for 2 seconds until they catch their breath. Overload finishers depreciate in effect so they aren’t always a better version of the regular ending.
Fire Skills:
- Fire Skill 1 – Fiery Passage
- Fire Skill 2 – Malignant Burns
- Fire Skill 3 – Erupting Tornado
Water Skills:
- Water Skill 1 – Debilitating Waters
- Water Skill 2 – Calming Splashes
- Water Skill 3 – Chilling Wave
Air skills:
- Air 1 – Mighty Shocks
- Air 2 – Piercing Shocks
- Air 3 – Lightning Cloud
Earth skills:
- Earth 1 – Cascading Stones
- Earth 2 – Reinforcement Surge
- Earth 3 – Spire Crash
Trait changes
Master – Harmonius conduit – Reduce overload recharge. Could add in an effect for overload finishers, like ignoring Elemental Exhaustion.
Adept – Unstable conduit – Finishing an overload grants an aura. Should add an effect in case the player uses the overload finisher, like getting a boon that matches the element or also get the aura even though it ended early.
Shoutout to that_shaman for the fancy schmancy tooltip builder! Link#
Thoughts? Ideas? Criticisms?
TL;DR Redistribute/Add Power and Fun to the Tempest by reworking the Overloads into a transformation, rather than a channel players have to wait through.