Guild Wars 2

I would imagine a thread has been brought up about this before.

I’m not sure if my idea has been suggested, but here goes.

Currently shatters are all or nothing in regard to your illusion count. Meaning you use a shatter and all your illusions shatter or you don’t use the shatter to keep them all.

I think it’d be nice if players had the option to decide between shattering clones only or all illusions (phantasms + clones)

Yeah, it’d be cool, but how to implement it?

I would say allow a brief queue for a double tap, meaning do a back to back command on the same shatter.

The first execution of the shatter would send clones, then provide a short window for the player to execute the shatter again (maybe a 1-1.5 second window) to send your phantasms as well.

Also in the dot’s representing the illusions on the UI, have a color distinction between phantasms and clones. Maybe keep the current color for clones and give phantasms a purply pink dot.

This is actually just my interim term solution.
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The long term solution I’d like to reach for controlling shatters is similar and builds off my first suggestion.

On the UI show a clear distinction of what clone or phantasm is active (instead of just the 3 dots)

Then when you select a shatter adjust the UI to show the 3 illusions as F2, F3, F4 meaning you’d queue a shatter to use and be able to choose, which illusions shatter, also provide an ALL illusions shatter option as F1. If you do decide to only only send 1 illusion then provide a 1 second window to send a second illusions before return the F1-4 keys to the shatters, no need to do more than that, because if the player wanted to send all three they would hit F1.

That’s the jist of it. Obviously there are probably some logistical things to work out. But it’d be nice to give players the option to add to the skill cap of the mesmer, while keeping the basic functionality of the profession mechanic there still.

I think it’s nice in concept—and would certainly be great in PvE—but has a lot of OP potential in PvP with being able to pressure with phantasms and shatters simultaneously.

Imagi.4561:

I think it’s nice in concept—and would certainly be great in PvE—but has a lot of OP potential in PvP with being able to pressure with phantasms and shatters simultaneously.

I don’t know that I agree with that. You can already do a burst shatter and quickly follow up with new phantasms.

Shockwave.1230:

Imagi.4561:

I think it’s nice in concept—and would certainly be great in PvE—but has a lot of OP potential in PvP with being able to pressure with phantasms and shatters simultaneously.

I don’t know that I agree with that. You can already do a burst shatter and quickly follow up with new phantasms.

So, you burst/shatter your clones, your phants are still up, and then “quickly follow up with new phantasms” in addition to the phants already up. End result – get bursted by the shatter, then have to contend with three phants at the same time. Sure sounds pretty powerful to me.

I just don’t think it’d work in PvP, and as silly as ANet’s balance team can be, I don’t think even they would be able to miss the OP potential here.

This would pretty clearly be overpowered, and it’d reduce the skill involved in my opinion. Right now shattering is a judgement call in terms of when to do it based on what you have out and what your cooldowns are. Allowing for “clone-only” shatters just trivializes that.

Shatters are weaker with less Illusions used. Also phantasms attack infrequently after they use their immediate attack. While I am sure some balancing would be required. It’s not something that would suddenly be game breaking, or couldn’t be fixed. It’s simply a suggestion to add depth to Mesmer combat.

I have to fall on the OP side here myself. It takes away one of the drawbacks of shattering, and one of the things that makes it a high skill playstyle. It would allow you to get tons of shatter damage and also stack up 3 hard-hitting phantasms in a short window.

It’s risk-reward, leave shatter the way it is please.

But if you can choose between a “full” shatter and a “only clones” shatter, whats the meaning of clones anyway?

They almost distract nobody in PvP and NPCs in PvE also attack phantasms. Everybody would always shatter his clones.

I’d be more happy with some kind of CD-reduction or special effects when shattered illusions dont hit. …Or just faster movement of the illusions sent to shatter.