After reading the engineers class balance philosophies and raging and being frutrated, then calming down a bit, I decided to write down points on why getting damaged reduced should not be another cost to pay for versatility, since we pay enough for that already. I hope when arenanet developers read this they take it seriously.
Before that here is their philosophy on engineers one more time for people that may have missed it: “The Engineer is a highly versatile class. While it doesn’t have the long range capabilities of the Ranger, or the melee capabilities of the Warrior or Guardian, they are comfortable at medium ranges in most fights. They have a lot of control, and use their boons to keep themselves (and allies) alive in a fight. They can use different kits based on the situation, but this extreme versatility comes at a cost in damage on their main hand weapons.”
And here is what we pay for it already:
1. Our tool kits are already paid by not being able to weaponswap: What comes natural to other classes we cannot really do, but its made up by a semi variety of kits. Other classes like a warrior are easily versatile on the battle field, where they can easily switch between short and long range weapons without having a damage penalty on their weapons. So use having versatile kits doesn’t seem too special.
2. Every kit cost a utility slot to use: Unlike ele’s attunements, which are innate and free, we have to choose carefully about what kit to use because for every kit we use, that is one less utility available.
3. Much of our versatility is too unreliable: I assume our versatility comes from being able to do what other classes can do such as copying a warriors stability or a thieves’ stealth, but when its all rolled up into one skill, you got a 50/50 chance of screwing yourself up. Same for many other effects in our elixir group. I get the reasoning that they wanted to make some sort of gamble build, but in reality its too unstable, could never see it be used in professional games. Imagine if half the time a thief wanted to get into stealth they just made themselves literally a bigger target to hit and thats what engineers have to go through continuously. Or how about throwing down an elixir for stability in hopes you wont get knocked down from fractals harpies, only to get invisibility? At least the harpies wont get to see your character fail miserably.
4. Being able to cast boons on allies is already hindered by radius size Most of our boon share comes from thrown elixirs, and when their radius size is as big as Jump Shot, our boon support capability suffers. Seriously try landing a projectile that takes time to get there on a group of jumping , running and dodging allies. Other classes with shouts that you don’t even have to target and bigger area of effect fields do it way better. I say that because of this part in their philosophy “use their boons to keep themselves (and allies) alive in a fight.”
So to the developers: In conclusion please look over the engies again. We already pay enough as it is we don’t need changes with a mindset set on damage reduction penalties too
(edited by Penguin.5197)
). If you didn’t, it would reduce the effectiveness of several of the Elixir traits because you could no longer apply your affects to allies. You would reduce the effectiveness, however, of these now throwable elixirs, on allies other than yourself. Elixirs H and B would apply every boon they have to allies, but at a reduced duration (-33% maybe?), and Elixir C would only remove up to 2 conditions on allies other than yourself, and apply up to 2 boons, instead of “all”.