Guild Wars 2

After looking at the high praises that Chronomancer generally received in the Mesmer forums and the divided opinion in the guardian forums on the Dragonhunter (on a personal note, shunning the name is quite silly), maybe we should take a look at what is to come for the Elementalist.

In my opinion I am hoping that the Tempest will innovate the elementalist class with the introduction of multidirectional attacks and high mobility.

This could be achieved with a actual multidirectional attacks (i.e., the attack hits from the front but also from the sides and/or the back), which seems to go in line with ANET’s wish to have directional combat more focused and would really bring the “Tempest” feel to the table. As well as reposition utilities (charges and teleports) – right now, except for our single teleport cantrip (and arguably our FGS running shoes), Ele’s utilities have no mobility in them.

I’m keeping my hopes low, would like an elite that is worth casting outside of very specific situations.

Maybe we will get Mantra skills.

In a single word: disappointment.

A melee-range weapon (as datamined) will simply compete with d/x eles over the same play-style. If you are hoping for high mobility, high dps, NOBODY will ever compete with a thief.

A ranged single-target weapon competes with scepter (and signals they have given up on the weapon, which needs serious help), while ranged aoe weapon competes with staff.

All that this really leaves is a condition-focused weapon, which…gross.

My lack of excitement is compounded by the fact that they are not addressing core shortcomings of the base class, thus building on something that lacks a foundation.

It is Karl…so expecting bad things.

I believe in Karl.

I expect a super strong synergy between tempest air and fire so that Sw/F is the new DF.
Well I don’t expect that, but I hope for it, I pray for it, I beg for it!!

BlackBeard.2873:

In a single word: disappointment.

A melee-range weapon (as datamined) will simply compete with d/x eles over the same play-style. If you are hoping for high mobility, high dps, NOBODY will ever compete with a thief.

A ranged single-target weapon competes with scepter (and signals they have given up on the weapon, which needs serious help), while ranged aoe weapon competes with staff.

All that this really leaves is a condition-focused weapon, which…gross.

My lack of excitement is compounded by the fact that they are not addressing core shortcomings of the base class, thus building on something that lacks a foundation.

Yeah elementalist already has a lot of fields it can compete in but why would a condition focused weapon be gross? It seems like D/D ©ele will be weaker when these changes hit & it’s somewhat of a bruisery style which would fit a condi build perfectly.
Other than some gimmicky stoneskin builds we have yet to be able to do something like this.

rotten.9753:

I believe in Karl.

edit: I hate not being able to post an image…

Man I can’t wait to play as close range mobility again, just to be nerfed because of “valid reasons”!

Hmmm maybe a storm whenever you switch attunements.

BlackBeard.2873:

In a single word: disappointment.

Same here. After what we got with the Guardian elite spec, I have no hope/hype for the ele spec. As my main is an ele, I wound up not really having much hope when we got the name (Tempest), but it got even worse with what we got with the Guard.

A melee support who use offensive shouts to cc and dmg mobs / players on the other team. It may have an F5 super atument ability where it locks you in an element for a time but you get an atument related buff when locked in. Mostly a class who is in the front line whom is able to take dmg and not just avoid it like say a d/d ele.

Any way from the way i see it it classes who are getting 2h weapons are getting less power for there other effect classes who are getting just a 1h main hand will get a mix and classes who are getting an off hand are getting the strongest other effects. This is about what anet said and i am shocked that ppl seem to be ignoring this. So ele “tempest” going to get a mix there wepon will not as much as the DrgH but will get more added effects class only at the same time tempest will get more weapons effects then a Cron but less class only effects.

a teapot….. what look it up

I was hoping for dervish getting mixed into ele, maybe we’ll get a scythe when we finally go to Elona.

I expect specializations to fill a gap in the current profession. Give us something the profession is currently lacking.

Although not something (completely) we’re currently lacking, I think Tempest could be something that either gives us Wards, which are large defensive AoEs, or something that combines the power of the other attunements.

I’ve heard that specializations will be taking a mechanic from other professions and giving them to the profession that’s getting the specialization.

For example, Mesmers got something similar to wells which fall under the Necromancer. Guardian got something similar to traps from the Ranger.

So what profession would wards fall under? I think they could be similar to the Warrior’s banners except not be moveable.

I think another strong possibility could be something similar to alchemy which could relate to elixirs from the Engineer or venoms from the Thief.

Now I know Tempest is just a fancy word for storm. But it doesn’t have to be in terms of weather. It could mean chaos, too.

I’ve also been told that the name Tempest isn’t necessarily confirmed yet. I’m not sure if that’s true. But if it is, then there’s still a chance for some other fun things.

I expect weapons with 600 range, and with a lot of CC

Guardians get traps, i hope we dont get pets.

MyPuppy.8970:

Guardians get traps, i hope we dont get pets.

I doubt that will happen; we already have elementals, after all.

Tom.8029:

I expect specializations to fill a gap in the current profession. Give us something the profession is currently lacking.

Although not something (completely) we’re currently lacking, I think Tempest could be something that either gives us Wards, which are large defensive AoEs, or something that combines the power of the other attunements.

I’ve heard that specializations will be taking a mechanic from other professions and giving them to the profession that’s getting the specialization.

For example, Mesmers got something similar to wells which fall under the Necromancer. Guardian got something similar to traps from the Ranger.

So what profession would wards fall under? I think they could be similar to the Warrior’s banners except not be moveable.

I think another strong possibility could be something similar to alchemy which could relate to elixirs from the Engineer or venoms from the Thief.

Now I know Tempest is just a fancy word for storm. But it doesn’t have to be in terms of weather. It could mean chaos, too.

I’ve also been told that the name Tempest isn’t necessarily confirmed yet. I’m not sure if that’s true. But if it is, then there’s still a chance for some other fun things.

From the ready up on traits I think they confirmed that Tempest would be the name… at least that is what I remember.

And for tempest I expect something on mobility, it would be weird for it to be condi based…. and again I don’t expect much in the way of stationary buff / protection such as wards – that will likely come in another expansion/specialization.

And like the general mood here, I also don’t expect that ele will receive anything great like the chronomancer, but more like a disappointment as guardian specialization seemed to be – or worse after the traits reveal. But we can dream no? And it would be fun to have a high mobility spec.

As optimistic as I want to be, I feel like we’re going to be disappointed. Anet’s track record with Ele “balance,” IMO, smacks of them not knowing what to do with the class in terms of combat role and class mechanics. It doesn’t help that the Ele is sensitive to even minute balance changes, seeing as how a single change can make them either “OP” or never used (Celestial amulet.)

Like that one scene from Malcom in the Middle, I think my reaction will be: I expected nothing, and I’m still let down.

Of course, I’d be extremely happy to be wrong.

Yeah, I have a huge fear that Tempest will either be a worthless spec or will make dagger redundant… they need to do something that does not make one cannibalize the other, but from the trait preview it hardly seems like they know what needs to be done to make the class fun, thus I have a very very bad feeling about the spec, but hope they prove me wrong.

On proving me wrong, just saw the ready up on the Guardian specialization and they actually did something interesting there… not all is great, but it certainly made me interested in playing a guardian with the longbow, it feels very powerful.

Let’s dream for now and see what would be the general line of what the player base wants, and then we just brace ourselves for the disappointment when ele’s turn comes up.

I’ll be happy if i can run a pretty good air DPS build. kind of boring being fire staff.

rotten.9753:

I believe in Karl.

The guy who thinks zephyr’s speed is a good trait? I believe your faith may be misplaced.

MyPuppy.8970:

Guardians get traps, i hope we dont get pets.

Hey, I don’t mind getting Familiars somewhere down the line.

I just thought of something.

What is Tempest is Ele/Necro and gets Elemental Minions?

Or how about Tempest = Ele/Warrior and gets Physicals

I honestly have no idea what to expect. To me the name Tempest implies storm, chaotic, speed, etc. “Such and such was caught up in a tempest of…” The problem with a name however is it can be used to justify anything. Haven’t read an implausible idea yet.

That said I’m personally hoping for some thief like mechanics with Deceptions or something similar mobility focused.

Tom.8029:

MyPuppy.8970:

Guardians get traps, i hope we dont get pets.

I doubt that will happen; we already have elementals, after all.

I don’t mind summoning oozes.

I really don’t know. Tempest sounds like a mix of air and water, which would be dps/heal-themed? Sword might be rather offensive (can’t really think of anything else). Condi on sword would be a bad idea in my opinion.

Utilities? So many possible choices. Wells and traps are not possible, so that means no utilities that necro or ranger have atm, so possibly:
- Guardian: consecrations or shouts: both seem interesting
- Warrior: physical skills, shouts, stances: stances / physicals
- Thief: trick, deception: tricks would be interesting, but cantrips are kinda like them
- Mesmer: mantra, manipulation, glamour: mantra a good pick
- Engineer: gadgets, kits, turrets: gadgets but don’t see a link

I think my top 3 is: physical skills, stances, consecrations

Tempest irl are really just wind originally but I doubt they’d restrict the elemental theme to just one or two. I’m kind of hoping for shadowsteps, I know we already have lightning flash but Tempest really puts me in mind of a Dervish and a Derv with shadowsteps is so much fun. Dervish makes a lot of sense to fold into Ele too, maybe we could even get a scythe when we go to Elona…but I’m probably just dreaming… :P

I think the best way to look at it is to see what “subclass” we will be getting.

Mesmer got necro
Guard got Ranger
Necro is almost certainly getting warrior

That leaves: mesmer, guard, thief, or engineer

I don’t think we’ll get engineer, the most likely imo would be guard or mesmers.

If we get mesmer we will probably get mantras, which would point to a bursty kind of build. If we get guard then probably meditations which implies sustain and mobility.

Personally i’m hoping for a fast paced mobility build to replace my d/f build. I just find staff so boring, but it seems like the only viable build so far.

Mem no Fushia.7604:

Tom.8029:

MyPuppy.8970:

Guardians get traps, i hope we dont get pets.

I doubt that will happen; we already have elementals, after all.

I don’t mind summoning oozes.

Oh boy not even in my worst nightmares do I want to see us having more summoning skills… these are just bad.

Sirendor.1394:

I really don’t know. Tempest sounds like a mix of air and water, which would be dps/heal-themed? Sword might be rather offensive (can’t really think of anything else). Condi on sword would be a bad idea in my opinion.

Utilities? So many possible choices. Wells and traps are not possible, so that means no utilities that necro or ranger have atm, so possibly:
- Guardian: consecrations or shouts: both seem interesting
- Warrior: physical skills, shouts, stances: stances / physicals
- Thief: trick, deception: tricks would be interesting, but cantrips are kinda like them
- Mesmer: mantra, manipulation, glamour: mantra a good pick
- Engineer: gadgets, kits, turrets: gadgets but don’t see a link

I think my top 3 is: physical skills, stances, consecrations

Maybe it could be a mix of physical skills with elemental themes. I could see something similar to mantra’s though, it would remind me of D&D spell storing abilities, which allow you to store an effect on your weapon and unleash with the next strike or when you so choose. It would be interesting as well.

Also on topic, considering they said that each specialization would change how the class mechanic works, I just really can’t see what they can do with the elementalist.

Giving a new element is a big no no, because that would require giving new skills to all existing weapons.

Boons, conditions and spell casting when swapping attunment or when in an attunment we already have with existing traits, so that is also not something that would be new / changing to the mechanic.

I can’t see them giving the ability to weapon swap unless it comes with a hefty price of barring you from certain elements, otherwise we would have 2 weapon sets and 40 weapon skills at our disposal. So it either becomes way to out of hand or goes against the principle “adding to the mechanic”….

And I really can’t see the elements becoming active buttons for something else than just swapping and triggering the changing effects of the mechanic. This would just be very similar to what we already have of attunment swaping and triggering an effect, so it is just more of the same.

I really don’t know what we could expect…

Or maybe each attunement becomes a virtue with passive effects, and triggers the active when you swap.

And how about a specialization into aspects? Sun/Wind/Lightning that’d fit the name tempest pretty well. I’d love it.

MyPuppy.8970:

Or maybe each attunement becomes a virtue with passive effects, and triggers the active when you swap.

And how about a specialization into aspects? Sun/Wind/Lightning that’d fit the name tempest pretty well. I’d love it.

That is the thing though, the “virtue” part we already have. Every element trait line gives you a passive bonus when attuned/attuning (e.g., improved toughness) and an active when attuning (e.g. Earthen Blast).

So that would be just more of the same… no innovation…

But maybe, in that line of thought, although not very “new” what we might receive is actually a burst class skill similar to the warrior.

We get an F5 with a chargeable bar that triggers the “Tempest” ability…. maybe a way for us to get quickness and something else?

I hope we wont get a burst of quickness of like 4-5sec. Quickness on a too long duration just destroy your rotation and in the end your fight, if they does this, i think it would definitely be the proof that devs have no clue of how to play nor how work the class …

Maybe a bar that works like adrenaline that makes your attacks/skills faster the more it fills up, and make your next spell instacast whith no cd when you release f5?

might be beyond OP if churning earth is instant ^^ (and basically it would be the only use of it :/ )
+
you could basically use it twice in the same fire field in a common might stack rotation 4 4F-3W-(Eroll)-4E-5Ex2)

How about double MS? GW1 style.

Knighthonor.4061:

I just thought of something.

What is Tempest is Ele/Necro and gets Elemental Minions?

Or how about Tempest = Ele/Warrior and gets Physicals

That would be the worst possible thing that could happen. Like seriously. Who the hell wants to play minion ele?

Ele getting deception or mix of mesmer skills in the combination of dps specialization would be probably the best to make dps ele viable in pvp.

ZudetGambeous.9573:

\meditations which implies sustain and mobility.

Personally i’m hoping for a fast paced mobility build to replace my d/f build. I just find staff so boring, but it seems like the only viable build so far.

DId not think of meditations. Would be absolutely in the clouds if we got meditations!

had a silly thought yestersay, what about an f5 no-attunement with physical utility skills. don’t think it will happen but it would definitely be a revolutionary concept for ele^^

Disappointment piled upon let down due to the direction the trait changes that were revealed are taking. Played this class from release and nothing good has ever been given to it since then, I don’t see it changing now.

The lower I get my expectations the better. That way if it is anything interesting, I can be mildly pleased.

So much QQ over something we got zero info about.

Tell us more about how the world is ending and how utterly useless the class along with it’s spec will be once HoT hits.

~sigh~

Yelloweyedemon.2860:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGpQNIQqPjw

So much QQ over something we got zero info about.

Tell us more about how the world is ending and how utterly useless the class along with it’s spec will be once HoT hits.

~sigh~

You cannot blame people for not having faiht in the elite spec after the proposed changes to ele.

The proposed changes to ele aren’t that bad the ele community is just being the most shortsighted of them all. Of course buffs to glass else in pvp should of been prioritized to be stronger like thieves which got a buff, but cele tank melee who are hard core raging cause they aren’t the strongest build in the game(with their current spec) are just sad.

Sadrien.3470:

The proposed changes to ele aren’t that bad the ele community is just being the most shortsighted of them all.

Can you explain how they’re not bad and what’s actually good about them?

Well, for starters there are some very powerful ( by appearances ) aura builds. you can still maintain your high protection uptime on the meta spec equivalent, you were already extremely strong, need I list more? This is in terms of cele d/d and d/f meta. I am disappointed by lack of care for zerker s/f or s/d builds though.

Sadrien.3470:

Well, for starters there are some very powerful ( by appearances ) aura builds. you can still maintain your high protection uptime on the meta spec equivalent, you were already extremely strong, need I list more? This is in terms of cele d/d and d/f meta.

Seeing as the protection is only selfish doesn’t change anything. No one asked for stuff like Geomancer’s defense. People were interested in more team support to keep ele in meta.

Not all builds require team support and there are ways to get more out of the new traits through stuns, defensive aura share, and I’m typing on a kindle with internet cutting me off so sry if my responses do not make tons of sense. they may not be what was hoped for, but ele was already meta and the guardian traits aren’t that impressive either.(edit: when referring to guardian traits I mean base class not DH btw).

Sadrien.3470:

Not all builds require team support and there are ways to get more out of the new traits through stuns, defensive aura share, and I’m typing on a kindle with internet cutting me off so sry if my responses do not make tons of sense. they may not be what was hoped for, but ele was already meta and the guardian traits aren’t that impressive either.

No, not all builds require team support, but there is literally no reason to take a tanky ele over a shoutbow.

Even tanky eles hit harder than shoutbow , but yes d/d has less support now unless you go aura sharing but is a self survivable medium damage support and tank really fair? ( with the cele Neff I believe you will see more valk eles running runes with auras or percision based runes with aura share for a more support role while maintaining the ability to survive and deal damage.

Honestly don’t think we are getting a team support focused specialization…. Ele have had this role for quite sometime now and, despite the nerf, ele will still have it although people might prefer other group support classes simply because they will outclass Ele.

What ele is missing is a good option for a burst and for a condi spec. And maybe the nerf to air is in part due to the Tempest specialization…. make it so Air and Tempest combine greatly for a burst build and if left as is Air and Tempest would be too op.