Guild Wars 2

From Dulfy’s summary of the latest Ask Me Anything:

“Epidemic – There’s a bit of inconsistency with the ways that condition copies function and we are looking into how we can normalize it. Once that’s solved, we’ll be able to better evaluate epidemic’s current effect.”

What is/are the inconsistency(ies) being referred to, and how might the skill be “normalized” or modified?

It’d probably be something lame, like

epidemic now only copies vulnerability and weakness.

First thing that comes to my mind is conditions you spread no longer scalling with your Condition damage, but with their original source’s Cdamage instead (in other words, scalling with Cdamage of the ally who applied them).

They don’t scale with your Condition duration, but do with Cdamage – they might have that on mind when talking about “inconsistency”.

I feel IF they change epidemic it will be to put a cap on the size of the stack that can transfer. So no more transfering 40 burning from a boss to adds and back again. Or burning through an entire swarm of small guys just by epidemicing off one mob.

It would still be a kitten good aoe nuke. But it would cap out how good it COULD be. And prevent the more extreme examples. (Every condi necro here has dreamed of eping all the condies on a keep/castle lord in wvw onto the zerg around it).

‘normalize’ is a fancy word for ‘nerf’.

Rym.1469:

First thing that comes to my mind is conditions you spread no longer scalling with your Condition damage, but with their original source’s Cdamage instead (in other words, scalling with Cdamage of the ally who applied them).

They don’t scale with your Condition duration, but do with Cdamage – they might have that on mind when talking about “inconsistency”.

That would be the death of parastitic contagion and epidemic.

Shadelang.3012:

I feel IF they change epidemic it will be to put a cap on the size of the stack that can transfer. So no more transfering 40 burning from a boss to adds and back again. Or burning through an entire swarm of small guys just by epidemicing off one mob.

It would still be a kitten good aoe nuke. But it would cap out how good it COULD be. And prevent the more extreme examples. (Every condi necro here has dreamed of eping all the condies on a keep/castle lord in wvw onto the zerg around it).

The cap is at 25 stacks per unique condition. They might give targets affected by Epidemic already a temporary debuff that would prevent them from being struck by Epidemic again within short amount of time.

Burning through an entire swarm of small guys is exactly what Epidemic is supposed to do. That’s not the direction for nerfs if they want to keep it fun and relevant.

Tim.6450:

Rym.1469:

First thing that comes to my mind is conditions you spread no longer scalling with your Condition damage, but with their original source’s Cdamage instead (in other words, scalling with Cdamage of the ally who applied them).

They don’t scale with your Condition duration, but do with Cdamage – they might have that on mind when talking about “inconsistency”.

That would be the death of parastitic contagion and epidemic.

Why? If the original source is applying damaging conditions, they are probably using condi stat gear as well…

bearshaman.3421:

Tim.6450:

Rym.1469:

First thing that comes to my mind is conditions you spread no longer scalling with your Condition damage, but with their original source’s Cdamage instead (in other words, scalling with Cdamage of the ally who applied them).

They don’t scale with your Condition duration, but do with Cdamage – they might have that on mind when talking about “inconsistency”.

That would be the death of parastitic contagion and epidemic.

Why? If the original source is applying damaging conditions, they are probably using condi stat gear as well…

Nope, trait proc are a thing (like serpent touch or precise strikes) and some weapons apply condi’s even though they are used as power weapons (dragon’s tooth,serpent strike). Guardians apply burning wether they like it or not.

Rym.1469:

Shadelang.3012:

I feel IF they change epidemic it will be to put a cap on the size of the stack that can transfer. So no more transfering 40 burning from a boss to adds and back again. Or burning through an entire swarm of small guys just by epidemicing off one mob.

It would still be a kitten good aoe nuke. But it would cap out how good it COULD be. And prevent the more extreme examples. (Every condi necro here has dreamed of eping all the condies on a keep/castle lord in wvw onto the zerg around it).

The cap is at 25 stacks per unique condition. They might give targets affected by Epidemic already a temporary debuff that would prevent them from being struck by Epidemic again within short amount of time.

Burning through an entire swarm of small guys is exactly what Epidemic is supposed to do. That’s not the direction for nerfs if they want to keep it fun and relevant.

Ah sorry I meant when multiple necros were involved. It is my fault there for not being specific. And I do see what you mean. A debuff that prevented a subject from being affected multiple times would do as you say and keep it as a sweeper skill. I wonder if they would make it so that you couldnt epi those condis back onto the ORIGINAL target like is so common in PvE.

It would still be an aoe weapon. But it would SERIOUSLY hurt condi necro’s burst dps on bosses with adds. (Even though it takes two necros to pull it off) That would REALLY suck for alot of raid compositions (where this trick is used most often). But it would make sense and fit how Arena.Net worded it. Kinda worried about that now.

“Normalize” : It feellike they will do to epidemic what they did to WHAO on ranger. Look at the conditions on the ennemy, spread a preset number of the same conditions with number of stacks and duration normalized. Simply put, a big nerf on the potential of all the condition that are stackable… well… on all the condition because there is no way that we will have a 10s normalized chill/cripple/weakness/…etc. spread.

Something like, “Epidemic now applies vulnerability stacks equal to the number of conditions copied and might equal to the number of boons copied on up to five enemy targets.”

Jk

Shadelang.3012:

It would still be a kitten good aoe nuke. But it would cap out how good it COULD be. And prevent the more extreme examples. (Every condi necro here has dreamed of eping all the condies on a keep/castle lord in wvw onto the zerg around it).

Shade please, it ceases to be a dream when we have been doing it daily for weeks :P

Dadnir.5038:

“Normalize” : It feellike they will do to epidemic what they did to WHAO on ranger. Look at the conditions on the ennemy, spread a preset number of the same conditions with number of stacks and duration normalized. Simply put, a big nerf on the potential of all the condition that are stackable… well… on all the condition because there is no way that we will have a 10s normalized chill/cripple/weakness/…etc. spread.

That would be a terrible change because it wouldn’t feel rewarding. Why try to squeeze as much condition damage on target before Epidemic if stacks don’t count anymore.

Change like that kills not only the potential of the skill, but also it’s identity and fun from using it, trying to pull off the biggest “bomb”.

Rym.1469:

Change like that kills not only the potential of the skill, but also it’s identity and fun from using it, trying to pull off the biggest “bomb”.

I really don’t know why you have so much faith in Anet…

Normalize=change from situationally strong to always bad

I feel epidemic should be an instant, allow necros to spread things like fear and blind easily before the condition is gone. Would add a level of AoE defense that the class does need. Also im not entirely sure if it should take up its own slot, would be better as a flip over weapon or utility skill

when it comes to necromancer balancing expect heavy handed unjustified nerfs with no compensation at all.
Perhaps the only positive change from Anet would be a tooltip update and thats about it

Oslaf Beinir.5842:

when it comes to necromancer balancing expect heavy handed unjustified nerfs with no compensation at all.
Perhaps the only positive change from Anet would be a tooltip update and thats about it

Now, that’s negative thinking. ;p

Epidemic has mostly survived 4 years of patches because it is so situational, going from OP to useless from one second to the next.

Epidemic is ignoring duration stacking limits. For instance a target can only have 3 stacks of immobilize at a time, but epi bombs ignore that and can thus inflict very long duration CC. I’m guessing they are looking at fixing that problem instead of just nerfing it across the board because of it.

Ensign.2189:

Epidemic is ignoring duration stacking limits. For instance a target can only have 3 stacks of immobilize at a time, but epi bombs ignore that and can thus inflict very long duration CC. I’m guessing they are looking at fixing that problem instead of just nerfing it across the board because of it.

Once upon a time, I had that kind of faith in the balance team.

If they nerf epidemic, you can say goodbye to necros from most raid runs. They’ve already kittened over ele. Expect the same with necro.

Mitch.4781:

If they nerf epidemic, you can say goodbye to necros from most raid runs. They’ve already kittened over ele. Expect the same with necro.

i’m def saying good bye if that’s the case. i wasted 70 gold vipers gear not to mention completing the kitten achievements for the ascended sinister trinkets. i didn’t expect them to wana nerf the only skill i’m playing for and what makes the necro a viable condi class compared to the other classes.

i did sense a satisfying experience when the adds melted because a boss had 100 bleed stacks… but who cares about adds, it’s the boss that’s supposed to be hard and it’s rare to find condition people since every1 is so in love with being zerk #don’tkillpvecondi

Swagginator.3246:

Mitch.4781:

If they nerf epidemic, you can say goodbye to necros from most raid runs. They’ve already kittened over ele. Expect the same with necro.

i’m def saying good bye if that’s the case. i wasted 70 gold vipers gear not to mention completing the kitten achievements for the ascended sinister trinkets. i didn’t expect them to wana nerf the only skill i’m playing for and what makes the necro a viable condi class compared to the other classes.

i did sense a satisfying experience when the adds melted because a boss had 100 bleed stacks… but who cares about adds, it’s the boss that’s supposed to be hard and it’s rare to find condition people since every1 is so in love with being zerk #don’tkillpvecondi

I’m thinking the exact same thing. I also spent upwards of 90g on Viper’s gear, Runes and everything else after sitting my Necro since before HoT. In classic GW2, I ran Rabid gear and was an UNKILLABLE juggernaut, once HoT came out Toughness became the Tank stat so I had no choice but to bail until I had the means & commitment to regearing my Necro.

I’ll be beyond kittened if they kitten around and nerf the profession again.