I feel that the changes to ele could be a lot better. I just wanted to give my own input on ways to make the changes better suit the ele. It seems that many other classes got entirely new traits, but ele just gets the same old kitten, just moved around. I do like some of the changes, don’t get me wrong, but many feel lackluster.
If you make comments please keep them civil and on topic.
Arcana line:
Let’s just say no one will ever take Arcane Energy over perma vigor. I suggest merging that into Elemental Surge. This way if you want to spec into arcane skills it’s just 1 GM trait that you’d take over Evasive Arcana. I could see it making arcane skills, at least to me, much more worth taking.
The GM minor trait is…worthless. It’s not a crit line, so why have a crit proc that’s only 10%(Really?) in this line? Take it out comepletly and place Elemental Attunement in it’s place. Why? This trait line is all about boons, and this would still make eles take this line to get those boons. I don’t think it should be baseline for the class, but baseline for the traitline.
As for the new GM trait maybe make something do to with auras? Like a secondary effect on them perhaps? You’d be taking this in an aura build over Evasive Arcana, but I think it could work quite well given the other aura traits, and the fact it’ll be ALL auras, not just weapon skill ones from Powerful Aura.
Earth line:
I still feel like earth GM traits are kinda lackluster. Staying above 90% hp on the class with the lowest hp pool isn’t that possible when there’s so much burst flying around. I suggest giving it a secondary effect and/or making it to 80-85% hp.
For Written in Stone I suggest pulling that down a tier and making Rock Solid a GM trait. Why? ‘cause it’s a very strong trait. Maybe make it last 3s base as a result.
Stone Heart I don’t think ever will see play as it is now. I suggest to make it affect allies within 600(?) range while attuned to earth. I think that would be very cool in a support type build while still being defensive as is earth magic.
Air line:
The adept minor isn’t that good. I’d say make this just the flat 25% speed in place of Windborne Dagger, that way any weapon type could have that boost. This also means glassy builds will have more mobility for better survival.
Inscription I doubt will ever be taken still. Reason? Glyphs just aren’t that good. I suggest just making this baseline for glyphs and adjusting the CDs as well (baseline). From this, you could make a new glyph trait that makes them a lot stronger than they are now. I have no idea what though.
Bolt to the Heart I feel should be at 50% hp for the threashhold for being a GM trait. The other GM traits I think are good.
Fire line:
Conjurer I don’t think should be solely fire auras. I suggest making it to give an aura based on the weapon type. (e.g. Frost Bow give frost aura, Earth Shield gives magnectic aura, etc.) This would open up some interesting play as an auramancer and give them access to even more than they may normally.
One with fire I think should be dropped completely. Make a new on to replace it. I’ll come back to an affect it has later. Not much to say here right now.
Water line:
For Soothing Ice I suggest the following: Frost Aura duration be 2s, and in doing so keep the ICD low like 15s or so. This will still give you reliable regen AND would give a nice constant aura share for an auramancer. An auramancer would bring a lot more control to the entire fight and make it feel very supporty.
Piercing Shards I think should just be a flat rate of damage increase no matter the attunement you’re in. Why? Water spells don’t do that much damage. I’d say maybe 10% increase? This would be much more worth taking than as it is now. Keep the vuln duration increase affect.
Bountiful Power will become very much worth taking if the changes to the Arcana line I suggest happen. These are some great choices for GM traits.
Powerful Aura I feel should have the 33% longer auras added to it (The affect from One With Fire). I feel this would make an auramancer very viable as long as it isn’t constrained to only weapon skills.
That’s about all I have right now. There’s time and room for changes to happen, and I really hope some of these ones do. Many classes got major buffs to already strong traits, and I feel ele lost more than it gained. These suggest ideas is to give back some of those things that was lost, while still keeping true to the ele and the current builds out there.
Cheers~