Hi Anet,
I am sure someone has talked about the same things mentioned here before. But I am still seeing the same problems. Therefore, the same complaints.
Appreciate the attempt to diversify the builds for Elementalists by changing the traits. I think the latest patch did open up some possibilities for other types of ele builds besides D/D. Especially the Fire traits. However, the main underlying issues I feel isn’t just about the traits.
First of all, our best ranged weapon, the Staff isn’t exactly what a nuker would use. The skills needs to hit faster and some of the less functional skills really needs to be revamped. Water 3 is ground target and is hardly useful in fights that requires immediate burst heal and larger AOE. Skills like Dagger Water 5 which does a perfect job. I mean, even a warrior with traited Shouts Heal can heal better and faster than that(3xshouts heals 3x!). We really need something like Staff Water 5 to work just like Water 3. Heals. Not just regen. Fire spells are cool but would love to have it hastened for better dps. Lightning and Earth really needs more attention. Lightning can have more AOE damaging skills instead of just pure CC. Engineer grenades has both damage and conditions like blinds. I would love to see at least 1 more aura for Staff skills. Or at least give us a lunge combo finisher so that we can get Fire Aura. D/D can have 3 auras up almost permanently!
Personally I feel that I really survive better with D/D because I was able to move around quickly and heal fast. I have all the skill interrupts and evades available. I have 3 Auras and all of them grants me Fury and Swiftness or even Mights. I really won’t see myself with a Staff unless I can go full berserker with my character and not die away like a paper.
No, an Ele isn’t just normal paper. It is a Tissue paper. Even among the 3 scholars, we have the least HP and Defence. Why the class discrimination man? Even with full Soldier Armor, the most HP I can see is 20-22k. And less than 3k defence. That’s almost like what some of the classes get by default. We had to sacrifice stats on toughness and vitality just so that we do not die easily. And our dps output just doesn’t cut it. The only reason I hope to find for being weak is that you are at least a glass cannon. But we are not. We attack slower, we have absurdly low crit rate.
So Anet, think about the underlying factors before you make changes to traits. If you do not change the formula of the equation, the end result remains the same.