The thief cloak and dagger skill has the exact same parameters (.5s cast, 130 range, high cost, telegraphed), must be landed more often and is at least as critical as skull crack for many popular PvP builds.
CnD is a perfect example of a skill that has high risk and high reward. Risk being that if you miss, you lose a crap ton of initiative and are left vulnerable. Reward being you deal good damage and stealth.
Ideally, all of our high impact skills should allow for counter-play via a clearly telegraphed attack animation. It’s something we’re constantly thinking about when we look at existing skills, and doubly so when we brainstorm new ones.
There are a few skills that can be easily telegraphed/improved. I’ll list the ones I think need the tweaking most, as short as possible.
Pin Down
•The problem with Pin Down is the fact that it is (almost) instant, immobs and bleeds. I think the cast time should be moved up to 3/4 a second (like arcing arrow and the auto attack), and should display a charging effect similar to that of kill-shot or the new skullcrack (that “fiery” impactful effect). This would make it easier to tell when a warrior is using it due to the charging effect and would allow enemies to counteract the projectile itself.
Ele scepter #2/electric discharge trait
• I think making these two attacks more apparent is what’s important. Adding a higher cast time would make them almost useless, however adding some sort of react time is needed. If the lightning strikes became projectiles, you would be able to keep it insta-cast but would allow more reaction time making it dodge-able. It would work like the engi’s static discharge trait. Instant cast, but visible and apparent instead of instant cast and direct damage.
Necro Marks
•I believe the animation of casting the marks themselves are fine. When a necro uses them you can see their arm move to the side before he/she places a mark. However, the fact that pulling off marks themselves is so easy (place them in enemies general area, do dmg), I believe some change is in order. There should be a slight delay when a mark is placed before it comes active, say 3/4 a second. This would give people time to react instead of it being placed directly on them and doing damage and would also force the necro to place them correctly when used offensively.
Mantras
• Like the ele’s lightning strikes I believe these also should become projectiles. Keep the instant cast time just take away the instant damage and instead become projected damage. The velocity of the missile should be high of course, similar to Arcane Blast on ele. Meaning the projectile will travel at a fast speed making it dodge-able, but very deadly. Making these instant damage skills projectiles can also mean more combo play in fire fields and such. Although, if mantra of pain is to be dodge-able I think the dmg should be buffed.
There are skills I feel should stay instant damage of course like mesmer auto and ele scepter auto (to name a few), because these are channeled damage. The damage starts out low and then channels upwards giving more reaction time. But I don’t think powerful skills should be instant cast/instant damage, because that makes things too easy to pull off for the user.
People trying to duel would get angry if other’s jumped in though.
