Guild Wars 2

I got bored, and decided I’d try my hand at reworking the Elementalist traits (My Favourite class), I’m a wannabe game designer and a proficient c++ programmer who some day wants to be part of the teams that bring some of the most awesome games out these days.

So I want some feedback on how well I did, as well as the flaws in my design.

So here we go:

Fire Magic

Focus on fields, burning, might gain, and remove the traits that encourage sitting in fire.

Adept Minor

Fiery Wrath

Whenever a Foe attacks you while attuned to fire, you build up a fire charge (capped at 5), when you switch attunements a large fire AoE is released burning enemies in a 600 radius, damage is based on number of stacks.

Adept Major

I’m only going to list traits I feel should be changed

I – Shimmering Heat

When you are downed, your mist form ability is not on cooldown, however you move 50% slower in mist form(can trigger every 30 seconds)

Changed to make this a more useful trait, giving elementalists a much needer way of breaking from finishers, the trade off being it cant be used as easily to move into a favourable position.

IV – Spell Slinger

Cantrips, Conjure and Glyph Abilities grant 3 stacks of might when cast
Sigils grant 40 power each when not on cooldown
Arcane abilities grant 2 seconds of fury when cast

I hate traits that force you to carry one particular set of utilities, allows for more diverse builds while keeping the theme of increased damage.

V – Burning Power

Every time you gain might, you do 1s of burning for every stack of might gained on next attack.

Removed RNG trait and replaced with a meaningful way of applying burning, by gaining might, something that fire does well at achieving. (Need to clarify how this trait works, if you gain 3 stacks of might than you do 3s of burning, if you than gain another 2 stacks, you do another 2s of burning, not 5).

VI – Internal Fire

For each second you remain in fire, you gain a buff that increases damage by 2%, stacking at 10%, these buffs are maintained as long as your in fire attunement, these buffs fade after being out of fire for 10 seconds.

Removed the flat damage increase (boring), and added a damage increase that takes time to build, while also allowing you to keep the buff for 10 seconds after switching attunement.

Master Minor

This is fine, however show damage amount in tooltip.

Master Major

IX – Fires Embrace

When Activating a Signet/Glyph/Cantrip, you gain a fire shield for 3/5/5 seconds.
When Activating an Arcane Ability, target burns for 2s.
When Activating a Conjure, target area burns for 3s.

Modified to not encourage use of a single utility type.

X – One with Fire

Fiery Wrath is now a blast modifier and can stack up to 10 times.

Changed due to first talent changing, has the chance to grant might stacks in fire fields and will do more damage potentially.

Grandmaster Minor

Burning Rage

deal 1% more damage for each stack of might on you.

Grandmaster Major

No Problems here.

Air Magic

Encourage speed, crit and blinds. Remove any traits that encourage sitting permanently in air.

Adept Minor

Zephyrs speed

Swiftness now increase move speed by 40%

removed the passive 10% that encouraged sitting in air, and also this did not stack with air signet/swiftness.

Adept Major

III – Quick Incantations

Activating Sigils/Arcane/Glyphs/Cantrips/Conjures gives 5/5/10/10/10 seconds of swiftness

changed to discourage the use of one particular set of utilities

IV – One with Air

you move 5% faster every second, stacking at 25%, speed buff is lost after 10 seconds of staying out of air)

V – Soothing Winds

your healing skills are increased by half your current movespeed modifier.
so if moving at 33% extra speed, you heal for an extra 16% (rounded down)

Changed from a boring 5% of this stat to an interesting mechanic where if I cast a heal while moving fast, I get a better benefit from it.

VI – Bolt to the Heart

Deal increased damage based on half your current movespeed modifier.

An offensive version of Soothing winds

Master Major

VII – Arcane Lightning

When using a Sigil/Glyph/Conjure/Cantrip/Arcane ability gain 3/6/6/6/3% more crit dmg for 10 seconds

changed to discourage the use of one particular set of utilities.

VIII – Boonfull Winds

When using a Sigil/Glyph/Conjure/Arcane ability gain a boon associated with your current attunment for 5/10/10/10/5

IX – Air Training

For each second you are in air you gain 2% crit chance stacking at 10%, this buff is removed after staying out of air for 10 seconds.

Changed so not being in air is not punished, also changed to crit chance as that is what air is about.

Grandmaster Minor

Every time you gain swiftness, you gain for fury for half the duration of the swiftness gained.

Changed to not be a boring RNG trait.

XII – Fleet of foot

Your endurance recharges at 100% of its current rate as long as you are moving.

Changed from a very situational ability into an ability that encourages movement

Earth Magic

All about toughness, protection buff and bleeds/condition damage.

Adept Minor

gain 20 toughness for each second you are in Earth, capped at 100, you lose this buff after staying out of Earth for 10 seconds.

Adept Major

II – Grounded

All abilities gain 200 ranged whilst not moving

V – Stony Resolve

move 10% slower, you take take 10% less damage and gain 1s protection each time you are hit.

Changed from a nuanced ability, to a trade off between speed and defence

changed from a nuanced protection gain

VI – Stone Splinters

Every time you lose a boon you release splinters that inflict bleeding to everyone within 600 range.

Removed the boring 5% damage increase when at melee and gave an ability that works well with boon builds.

Master Major

VII – Strength Of Stone

gain 20 condition damage for each second you are in Earth, capped at 100, you lose this buff after staying out of Earth for 10 seconds.

Changed so not being in earth is not punished.

XI- Rock Solid

Grant (3s) of stability when attuning into and out of earth

Minor buff, and double use.

XII – Written in Stone

Your signets retain there passive effects
Cantrips/Glyphs grant 10s of protection.
Conjures cause 2s of knockdown at there summon location
Arcane spells inflict 3s of cripple on your target.

Changed to encourage a diverse use of utilities.

Water Magic

All about healing and vulnerability.

Adept Minor

Regenerate Health will attuned to water, and for 10 seconds after attuning out of water.

Changed to remove the discouragement to stay in water.

Adept Major

II – Shards of Ice

Arcane/Signet/Glyph/Conjure/Cantrip skills inflict 2/2/5/5/5 stacks of vulnerability for 10 seconds

Changed to include all utilities

III – Soothing Disruption

Arcane/Signet/Glyph/Conjure/Cantrip skills grant 5/5/15/15/15 seconds of regen

Changed to include all utilities

IV – Piercing Shards

Your abilties inflict chill/burning/bleeding/blind against vulnerable foes when in (ice/fire/earth/lightning)

Changed to be used on multiple attunements

VI – Vital Striking

Deal 10% increased damage while regenerating health

Changed to be less circumstantial

Master Major

VII – Icy Mist

Your mist form no longer allows movement but lasts twice as long

Changed to have a tradeoff and be more interesting.

IX – Chilling Serenity

While you have the regen buff you apply chill to those within 300 yards of you.

Removed cantrip cooldown that encouraged use of mass cantrips.

X – Rejuvinating Weakness

gain +20 healing power for each condition you suffer from

Changed from using specific utilities to a more interesting trait.

Grandmaster major

X – Aura Master

Each time you walk into a new combo field, you gain its aura.

Changed to a more interesting trait.

Arcana

Focuses on the switching of attunements and enhances this aspect

Adept minor

Everytime you switch attunements, your utilities are reduced by by 5% of there total cooldowns.

Changed into a very interesting minor trait, (may be too powerful)

I – Arcane Mastery

Gain fury for 2s when switching attunements

VI – Renewing Stamina

Whenever you gain a boon, you gain 2 seconds of vigor

VII – Vigorous Caster

Everytime you cast a spell you gain 5% endurance.

VIII – Blasting Powder

All Conjures become blast modifiers.
All Cantrips/Sigils/Glyphs create an aoe based on attunement
All inactive Signets increase Aoe Radius by 50 each.

IX – Hasted Casts

Upon switching attunements your next spell has a halved cast time.

X – Arcane Energy

Each utility spell on cooldown grants 2% more damage.

Grandmaster minor

When switching attunements your next 5 casts apply a condition based on the respective attunement

PHEW that was alot, tell me what you think

Those are really nice ideas; removing RNGs and build restrictions in favor of more predictable yet balanced buffs.

Yeah this is in no way a “Hey Arenanet, DO THIS” post, but rather my shot at what i’d like to see from traits if I designed them

Holy micro-managing batman! As if we don’t have enough to pay attention to, now you want us to make sure we switch back to the element we want the buffs in every 10 seconds. This would drive me and I’m sure any other elitest out there mad.

Its to encourage what I believe the elementalist is about, switching to different attunments :P. However if you notice, alot of the traits I propose work in every single attunement, and none encourage sitting in one attunement for longer than 5 seconds (the time it takes for one buff to fully charge).

Wulfrim, don’t you already need to switch to an element every 10 seconds to make sure you have the buff?

Yeah but the buffs aren’t as game breaking as the one he wants. 100 condition damage and 100 toughness is way more important than a few seconds of protection. In pve I generally don’t care if the buffs are up and I had pve in mind when i was reading it

Some pretty interesting ideas here! If only ArenaNet would actually acknowledge the fact that they read these forums and that they’re open to looking into our class…

Marz, i’m sure they read these forums adamantly