TLDR: the chronomancer doesn’t really change the way you play the profession like the other elite specs do. Maybe something defensive to match the shield or something revolving around periods of time that you need to work hard while they last to get the most out of like continuum split.
Elite specializations were advertised as a way to add a new way to play an existing class. A new weapon, new mechanics, new utilities, and a new trait line all designed around this theme and playstyle. We can see this in the slow, but unstoppable reaper with his cleaving melee attacks and use of chill as well as the Dragonhunter, who’s proficient at attacking from range, offering utility, support and damage while keeping enemies off of him and his allies. With the chronomancer, though, I feel like this wasn’t quite achieved. Don’t get me wrong; I like what I’m seeing, and I’ll definitely be making a chronomancer cuz they look cool, but I still feel as if they should have explored new mechanics besides cooldown reduction and adding another way to spawn clones and keep phantasms.
The Dragonhunter got the bow, and so naturally has ranged attacks as well as traits and utilities that benefit from range or at least can be used at range. Even the virtues were changed.
The Reaper’s Greatsword/Reaper’s Shroud skills allow him to be a destructive force on the front lines. His traits and shouts are made for being around as many enemies as you can.
Then there’s the Chronomancer. They got another shatter, which is understandable because the existing ones are kind of hard to completely change. This new shatter does somewhat offer a new playstyle that revolves around spamming all of your skills before you revert and then spamming them all again. The shield offers a defensive playstyle with two blocks and a projectile barrier, but neither the traits nor the wells really reflect either of those themes. The traits are essentially just a lot of existing mesmer mechanics with a timey twist. I like the wells the way they are, though.
I think it would be cool that if Anet altered the traits to reflect a role that offers strong defence through utility to match the shield. I know that some people would say “If I wanted to play a tank I would just role a guardian!” and that’s the sign that Anet have achieved what they originally wanted elite specs to be. People complain about how they never wanted a ranged Guardian, and some say they don’t like the idea of a melee necromancer; these complaints show that these elite specs actually have a new playstyle for people to dislike. I currently just feel like if I were to take the step and shift my mesmer to a chronomancer I wouldn’t be playing much differently from a regular mesmer. Interrupts are a base mesmer thing, shattering is a base mesmer thing, clone and phantasm generation is a base mesmer thing. Maybe some traits focused around periods of high action with a payoffs afterwards, like continuum split. A combat style revolving around windows of time when you need to work to achieve as much as possible, thus making quickness an even stronger, and still thematic aspect of the Chronomancer. “Danger Time” offers a great example of this. You want to hit an enemy as many times as possible while they’re slowed because you’ll be doing more damage to them. Another example of a possible chronomancer trait would be to heal and gain short duration stability every time you hit an enemy while under the effects of quickness. All about making the most of windows of opportunity.
I’m expecting maybe one person to actually agree with me here, but I do personally think that Anet should take a little time to play around more with the idea of a playstyle for the time mage.
(edited by Treetoptrickster.4205)