Guild Wars 2

So, as an Elementalist you get an Elemental Storm skill. Both the Fire and Earth versions work similarly, in that they pulse 11 times for 10 seconds, and both hit a certain amount of targets.

Only the Earth gives the information that it pulses though, I had to ask around and test for myself how the Fire skill actually worked..

And now, I just unlocked an Earth ability called Rock Barrier which apparently increases my Armour..But of course, it doesn’t say by how much, it’s just vague.

Also, when I’ve activated the Rock Barrier ability, I gain a Boon which tells me that enemies around me will take damage, and I have 5 Rock charges..Enemies do not take damage around me, ArenaNet, and unless other skills make use of these Rock charges, why do you tell me I have them? They’re all shot away as soon as I activate them, so it’s not like I need to know I have 5, since I can tell clearly whether I have 5 or 0.

I really enjoy this game, I only started playing around 3 weeks ago, but when it comes to the skills’ descriptions, they’re very, very unpolished.

I’ve also noticed inconsistencies with my Thief. Some skills say “Bleed (5s) 40 Damage”, and others would present it as “Bleed 40 Damage over 5 seconds”.

It’s ok bro, once you reach the end game everything is resolved

Zelyhn.8069:

It’s ok bro, once you reach the end game everything is resolved

Whatchu chattin’?

Glyph of storms is like that because Sandstorm is a swirling thing on the ground so they have to note how often it does damage. Firestorm rains fire from the sky…the animation is obvious that you will know how often it does damage.

Rock Barrier…really use it for the buff. Each stone gives +50 toughness at 80 (for a total of 250)…for PvE this bit of bonus doesn’t really matter since Scepter usually kills mobs in a few hits if Dragon’s Tooth and Phoenix land properly

Fade.1743:

Glyph of storms is like that because Sandstorm is a swirling thing on the ground so they have to note how often it does damage. Firestorm rains fire from the sky…the animation is obvious that you will know how often it does damage.

I need to disagree with that. Firestorm’s animation shows a lot more than just 11 fireballs coming from the sky. Sure, the larger one’s might be 11 in number, might be, but it’s not illogical to believe the smaller ones could cause damage too.

Also, the Flame Axe’s Burning Retreat ability creates a Fire Field, though no information is given about that in the skill’s description.

Well…that means it might do more than just 11. The firestorm just does pure AE damage in that area. Sandstorm does blinds and bleeds.

Honestly, the only reason you use that glyph is for Sandstorm for blind during the duration

dont complain about tooltip information pls, or they will nerf the skill to fit the info instead of changing the info…

lLobo.7960:

dont complain about tooltip information pls, or they will nerf the skill to fit the info instead of changing the info…

Ever heard of lingering elements?

lLobo.7960:

dont complain about tooltip information pls, or they will nerf the skill to fit the info instead of changing the info…

Pretty sure it would take a lot less work to edit some text than to change in-game mechanics.

The only tooltip that matters is earth storm anyway. All the other stuck. And even with earth storm the glyph is pretty unviable.

LelouchViBritannia.3607:

The only tooltip that matters is earth storm anyway. All the other stuck. And even with earth storm the glyph is pretty unviable.

I’ve played 2 classes so far, and in both I’ve found inconsistencies with the “tooltip” information. This isn’t about me wanting to understand everything about the viable skills, it’s about the game looking proper, and less like an unpolished demo after however many years it’s been out.

Not to mention, like I said about Burning Retreat, some information just completely missing.

Then make a thread in the bug forum and/or report the bug ingame.

From my testing…
Each hit of each storm (regardless of attunement) has a coefficient of approximately 1.15.

Firestorm – 11 hits over 10 seconds, each hit strikes 5 targets within aoe circle.
Ice storm – 18 ice meteors in aoe circle, each meteor strikes 5 targets and chills.
Lightning storm – 36 lightning bolts in aoe circle, each bolt strikes 5 targets.
Sandstorm – 11 hits over 10 seconds, each hit strikes 5 targets within aoe circle and some hits bleed/blind.

I think my largest problem with the tooltips, though, is that they only list the cast+channel time of skills rounded to the nearest 1/4 second, while some of the skills have monstrous aftercasts.

DEKeyzToChaos.7381:

From my testing…
Each hit of each storm (regardless of attunement) has a coefficient of approximately 1.15.

Firestorm – 11 hits over 10 seconds, each hit strikes 5 targets within aoe circle.
Ice storm – 18 ice meteors in aoe circle, each meteor strikes 5 targets and chills.
Lightning storm – 36 lightning bolts in aoe circle, each bolt strikes 5 targets.
Sandstorm – 11 hits over 10 seconds, each hit strikes 5 targets within aoe circle and some hits bleed/blind.

I think my largest problem with the tooltips, though, is that they only list the cast+channel time of skills rounded to the nearest 1/4 second, while some of the skills have monstrous aftercasts.

I used your info, and my testing matched too. I think it’s strange how they’ve got so much right about the game, yet it’s little things like this they slip up on. I guess it could be largely down to rebalancing of skills and stuff, and they just haven’t updated the skill’s descriptions as much as they should.

Keys, the coefficient you are mentioning is not bound to weapon strength, is it?
Could you give me the formula you use for non-weapon skills?

Zelyhn.8069:

Keys, the coefficient you are mentioning is not bound to weapon strength, is it?
Could you give me the formula you use for non-weapon skills?

Your weapon strength adds directly to your power

Also, welcome to guild wars wolf

Those have been that way since launch, but some tooltips were fixed at some point. I would love to be able to control the rock barrier/get some play out of it, 5 or 0 is a bit odd.

emikochan.8504:

Your weapon strength adds directly to your power

I’m afraid you are mistaken.

Zel, originally I just compared the damage to that done by a fireball, but I think I’m going to go back and just assume 1000 weapon strength for those attacks to make it in line with scepter and dagger attack coefficients. It’ll make it easier to judge a rotation based on its coefficient, and arcane wave and arcane blast nicely work out to a coefficient of 1.

I re-checked coefficients with this new method and got
Firestorm – .385 per hit
Lighting storm – .375 per hit
Ice storm – .37 per hit
Sandstorm – .395 per hit
Lightning Flash – 1.14

Another interesting factoid is that the on-attunement-swap damage dealt by traits is dependent upon your weapon strength. If you don’t have any weapon equipped then I think you get a default weapon strength of around 900-1000 at level 80 for that attack, as well.

Very nice Keys, thanks.
I am happily surprised: I had never checked the formula for traits and I was expecting my assumptions (strength scaling to equipped weapon) to be wrong. If you are saying that it does scale then I do not have to completely remake my dps calculator. That is for when I come back of course If you are right then I think the coefficient of electric discharge is not what wiki says it is.
I completely agree with using a virtual 1000 weapon strength for all utility skills.

I thought the coefficients on the attunement swap trait attacks were pretty close, but I can check later to confirm.

The coefficients listed in the wiki for air and earth attunement swap attacks were consistent with what I saw. Got distracted and didn’t double check fire.