Guild Wars 2

They are (and work) better than the normal/land versions… How come?

Casting time in water for nearly all our spells are almost halved, if not instant cast.

Seems like the animation on land takes longer than the actual casting, I don’t know if it’s intended though.

Corrupt Boon never has a cast time, but it’s suspected that it works better underwater due to terrain issues being nonexistant there (not that those should matter on land). We’re not sure why it doesn’t work too reliably on land.

Panhauramix.2784:

Casting time in water for nearly all our spells are almost halved, if not instant cast.

Seems like the animation on land takes longer than the actual casting, I don’t know if it’s intended though.

Not just that, but stuff like Epidemic always holds to set range, cannot be cast on enemies that are behind walls/out of LOS, corrupt boon never fails to “hit” the target so that its just a self poison, hell even spectral grasp works way better (still pull issue, but all pulls are buggy so its probably behaviour code not the actual skill) also really? Didnt notice the cast times till you mentioned that the cast times are halved (made the thread since i actually enjoyed UW combat when i did the daily underwater kills and didnt just spam Crimson Tide/Frozen Abyss).

Drarnor Kunoram.5180:

Corrupt Boon never has a cast time, but it’s suspected that it works better underwater due to terrain issues being nonexistant there (not that those should matter on land). We’re not sure why it doesn’t work too reliably on land.

Just to note:

While it has no cast time, this skill has an aftercast delay and cannot be used in the middle of other skills.

From the wiki. It isn’t really an instant cast ability in the standard sense. Its much closer to a 1/8 second cast, since you cannot use it while chaining something else.

I also think the cones of activation on that skill work differently underwater, where differences in elevation are not a factor with skills like they are on land.

Rennoko.5731:

Drarnor Kunoram.5180:

Corrupt Boon never has a cast time, but it’s suspected that it works better underwater due to terrain issues being nonexistant there (not that those should matter on land). We’re not sure why it doesn’t work too reliably on land.

Just to note:

While it has no cast time, this skill has an aftercast delay and cannot be used in the middle of other skills.

From the wiki. It isn’t really an instant cast ability in the standard sense. Its much closer to a 1/8 second cast, since you cannot use it while chaining something else.

I also think the cones of activation on that skill work differently underwater, where differences in elevation are not a factor with skills like they are on land.

Then they really should change most skills into their underwater versions since they seem to work perfectly.

Just try summoning your minions underwater, they almost pop instantly, while on land you’re stuck with the casting animation, casting the spell, and then the creature coming from the ground till the first attack is landed.

If Epidemic was as fast on land than underwater, it would be much more reliable!

I am all for water cast speed spells on land, and remove the stupid animation delays for when spells hit (I AM LOOKING AT YOU DAGGER #5), but as to why they don’t just make land spells work like water spells is because they would have to more or less make targetted spells ignore obstruction.

If you remember that was what led to being able to cast I-berzerks through walls and into keeps. No one wants that again (except for maybe mesmers).

Rennoko.5731:

I am all for water cast speed spells on land, and remove the stupid animation delays for when spells hit (I AM LOOKING AT YOU DAGGER #5), but as to why they don’t just make land spells work like water spells is because they would have to more or less make targetted spells ignore obstruction.

If you remember that was what led to being able to cast I-berzerks through walls and into keeps. No one wants that again (except for maybe mesmers).

Well 2 things, WvWvW is and always will be imba and cant they already do that with pistol and greatsword? Also all projectiles still dont go trough walls and reefs underwater, its just that they dont fail to pull or cast if the ground is 1 mm higher on one spot between you and the target.