Following up on the Stunbreak conversation: This is something we’ve talked about in the past and felt like it might just be way too strong. However, it still sounds like way too much fun to not try it out… so I’m going to change them over and we’ll see what that plays like in BWE3.
Please keep in mind that this will be a test and we may have to compensate for or remove it at some point in the future, if it’s too strong.
-Karl
Please keep in mind that traited properly, a necro can use f1 to stunbreak every 7 seconds, not including any utility skill stunbreaks they take.
now, elementalists taking signet of air can stunbreak every 20 seconds while traited, not including tempest defense and gale song.
assuming that the stunbreak on overload cast (at start of cast) would have no icd, allowing overloads to stunbreak would be at best, every 5 seconds, IF the player uses the overload to stunbreak, and then immediately swap attunements to start the pre-cast warm up for the next overload stunbreak.
now, using an overload only for the stunbreak also means setting that stunbreak on a 25 second cooldown, assuming that the channeling is interrupted by attunement swap immediately. (an aside, i thought it was said in the Tempest PoI livestream that it was intended that attunement swapping would NOT interrupt the overload channel, but just wasn’t in the beta build yet)
at this point, starting at the first stun break, and assuming perfect timing on attunement swap. we have: SB + 5s, SB + 5s, SB + 5s, SB + 5s, and since 20s have passed, the first attunement is available again. that doesn’t include any aftercast delays. realistically, we can expect every 6 seconds a stunbreak would be available with constant attunement swapping.
this appears to give the Tempest another choice to make: finish the overload or swap attunements to continue regular weapon skill rotation. (if the attunement swap does not interrupt the overload channel, then how else will the tempest be able to interrupt the channel? cast another weapon skill? we currently can’t dodge out of the overload channel…)
that possible every 5 second use could possibly be OP with the d/d cele cantrip ele build that dominates PvP, but i think that d/d cele cantrip eles would think twice about blowing their standard rotations for a stunbreak that essentially locks them out of an element for the next 20 seconds. this would really slow down their rotation, by a lot, so the damage output would fall considerably. i think it’s a fair trade off.
also, the more available stunbreak might finally allow for other utilities besides full cantrips, but i suppose that’s another conversation.
in the current iteration of overload channels, d/d cele cantrip eles also have to consider whether to let the overload finish channeling, too, which adds another 4 seconds before swapping attunements, (since attunement swap breaks the channel) which could essentially put the stunbreaks on longer cooldowns. 4 second channel + 5 second warmup means 9 seconds before next stunbreak is available.) this might make up for some of the damage lost from their regular rotation, but again, it’s a tradeoff.
realistically, i see overload stunbreak potential on par with necro using shroud as a stun break.
i’m actually really excited about this…
