Guild Wars 2

I have a followup question: are you allowed to reply to a mod at all?

Yes, but nobody’s claiming the endless blast finishers shouldn’t have been fixed. What we complain about is the fact that they were moved entirely.

I do have a glimmer of hope. Some guy in the bug forums said it may actually be an issue with the recharge timer.

We already did.

Yes, and complaints about bunkers aside, it’s not as if they were all that difficult to counter. Snares, weakness and immobilizes all worked great. And you could see them coming from a mile away too: if an ele put down a geyser, then you knew what was coming next.

My best suggestion is to try and get at least 12k health. That will help immensely with your survivability in dungeons and will be the difference between getting killed instantly and being killed in 2 hits.

As for your armor, the elementalist can’t really afford to not wear the best possible armor. try the trading post for better stuff, there’s usually some things for sale at 1 copper above the vendor price. Which means you can get update gear for just 1 copper.

Don’t plan on inviting anyone anymore.

Would love to claim that it’s because of ArenaNet, but the reality is that I don’t have any more friends that would like to try it.

fixit.7189:

And staffs have auras, riiiight.

First of all, the plural of staff is staves. Second, they in fact do have an aura: Magnetic Aura. Third, the build is focused on signets that generate auras that generate buffs. That works with any weapon and finally, you can also use runes to generate an additional aura with the accompanying buffs.

Blaine Tog.8304:

If I wanted to be an Auramancer, I would’ve been an Auramancer. I hate that build and have no intention of using it, though. That’s not why I signed up to play an Ele.

Agreed. Yet I wanted to help the original poster with an alternative that’s at least playable. The fact that it’s boring is the reason why I’m on the forums instead of ingame right now.
Just because there’s a combination that has 1 more aura than the rest doesn’t mean the build is suddenly useless on everything that has less auras.

Dismissing player’s concerns and comments over and over again because they ‘just don’t get it yet’ is a very good way to make people leave angry.

Jup. Why add cool content when you can just tweak a few numbers, and ignore your playerbase?

I just think it’s funny how 1 measely patch can destroy all the fun I have in a game. Between the ascended gear nonsense and the nerf (and then silence, that’s the worst bit) to eavsive arcana, I just feel a bit disgusted every time I login.

Maybe the description should be fixed, so it’s clear the skill doesn’t affect boons. To be honest, it’s not really clear from the description.

HyTman.2719:

After the patch for AE

What REALLY happens: AE blast finisher will only activate once per attunement, it will never activate again as long as you stay in the same attunement. There is no 10 second CD for the blast finisher!

Oh, so THAT’s what happens. I’m so glad that it’s actually a new bug and not a design decision. That means that someday in the nearby future, I’ll have my fun build back again!

You just made my day, thank you!

Well, basically what it does is combine several traits to give you buffs when using signets. The traits being:

Fire Magic IX
Earth Magic II,V,XII
Air Magic I

Aura/signet build still works.

DiogoSilva.7089:

I agree that EA created a fun playstyle, but everyone could tell that something was wrong when a single trait redefined the entire playstyle of a weapon with 20 skills.

To be honest, given the complexity and the high paced gameplay, I got the feeling that it was the way ArenaNet had intended the staff to be played.

I think we should get a blast finisher rolling trait in the future, but not for EA. Or maybe only for one of EA’s attunement effects (earth?).

Fixing the earth finisher to make it a blast finisher like it should be according to the description, would be an acceptable fix to me.

DiogoSilva.7089:

Wasn’t this option always available for Staff, even before people found out how to abuse EA?

Yes, but I was using those as well. Losing the EA blast finishers basically cut my number of options in half. The thing is that I was enjoying to make those kinds of decisions with every skill I used. Not make a combo or setup for a combo every few seconds or so, but for almost every move I made. How can I optimize my next move? Where are my teamates? Who needs healing? Where will they kite to next so my combos will affect them? The thrill and intensity of such a playstyle is unmatched, and it also made any alts I made feel very bland in comparison.

you have the arcane’s 20% cooldown reduction trait.

That’s actually a very good suggestion. I may try that. Thanks.

I should probably add that I posted this in the Warrior forum before it got moved. Moderators got no sense of humor.

This post explains things so well that I’m inclined to swim across the Atlantic just to make sure some dev reads it.

DiogoSilva.7089:

ThiBash.5634:

At least daggers can make use of their own might buffs. Without Evasive Arcana, we’re stuck watching others get buffed by our fire fields…

If Staff elementalists that love self-combos haven’t been using Earth and Arcane skills to interact with their own fields, then this is a perfect time to learning how to do so.

Seriously, I understand that Evasive Arcana was the god-tier of all traits, to the point that a single bug fix to a single trait can make an entire staff userbase melt in exaggerated drama, but there’s more life to Staff than a single trait.

My point wasn’t that we can no longer combo. My point is that we have little incentive to run forward and join the melee as a staff elementalist now. When we make the earth/fire combo, only those in melee get the buff. Whereas the D/D eles already are in melee, so when they damage the enemy, they get their own buff.

So basically, if we want to buff ourselves, we have to give up 2 damage spells to do so. Which is a bit hefty for only 3 might on ourselves.

I’m looking for a build that allows me to change effects based on my creativity at the moment. Evasive Arcana allowed me to pick an effect based on the available combo fields out there. It kept me thinging and planning constantly. That’s what appealed to me and that’s what Í’m looking for. A very flexible, constantly changing build that changes based on the decisions you make.

Azzrael Deathbane.4965:

At least they havn’t started level increase yet lol. We just need to rememebr that it is an armour level:

White, Blue, Green, Yellow (Rare), Exotic, Infused and legendary.

Look on the bright side it appears that it will not change after this. How can it?

It won’t stop changing until they run out of colors.

Just so you know, I’ve made a post about the changes on the Warrior forums. I figured that way, It’s sure to be read by the people who balance this game.

DiogoSilva.7089:

If you go check the other profession boards, everyone is saying the same. Everyone feels that their profession is weaker than all other 7.

Let me rephrase the question: what profession would you recommend that’s even remotely as much fun as an Evasive Arcana staff elementalist?

Yes, let’s merge all the feedback so the developers will just have to ignore one thread instead of dozens.

Good call.

Seeing as how the people in charge of game balance don’t actually visit the Elementalist forums, I figured I’d post this here where it’s sure to be read.

Summarizing about a dozen threads, Elementalist players don’t mind that Evasive Arcana got nerfed. They understand it. What they do mind is that by removing the blast finishers you’ve effectively destroyed an unique and very fun playstyle.

So we’re asking, no BEGGING you: rebalance Evasive Arcana so it can retain it’s blast finishers (at least some of them, maybe even just 1?). Remove the other effects it gives instead if needed. But please, please, allow us to keep the playstyle.

P.S. I know I’ll get infracted for this and to be honest, I don’t care. This post is not without purpose. It’s the result of Elementalist players feeling very neglected, and not listened to or even taken seriously. Read the elementalists’ forums to see why. Hint: the Tornado bugfix is a very good example to start with.

I’m not missing the damage at all. Don’t need it. What I miss is the fun of making all kinds of crazy combos and dodging all over the place.

I’m not so much bummed about the lack of power. I can live with that.

What I’m missing is the fun. Dodging about, creating all kinds of combos was incredibly fun to do. It made for a very versatile build and promoted on the spot decision making. Now I’m back to standing at long range, tossing fireballs.

Nerf EA to bits for all I care, but keep (some of) the blast finishers. It was such FUN to play that way.

Just about as exciting as I am about the buff to Evasive Arcana!

No, seriously, I logged in today and I though what I was gonna do.

A dungeon maybe? Yes, but that’d be pointless thanks to the gear change.
Work on my build? Well, I’m not really into it just yet after the change. Still grieving.
File a bug report? Did that instantly, but still have nothing to do.
Get more stuff for my legendary? Yeah, well the ‘new more excitin way to get the precursor’ runed out to be a slight increase in Mystic Forge droprate.

To be perfectly honest, I just couldn’t do it. At the moment, there’s nothing that excites me about Guild Wars 2. I ended up quitting and booting up Sibelius to work on my music.

I sincerely hope I’ll get the good feelings back. Somehow, this patch just made me very miserable about the game and I really, really don’t want that to happen. But it still did…

Bug is still not fixed. Please note that while this will be my last post on it on these forums, I will continue to file a bug report every day ingame until it’s fixed. And I encourage each elementalist fan to do the same.

Note that I’m perfectly fine with a weakened version of Evasive Arcana. It’s the playstyle that appealed to me, not the power.

I believe there was a request for a feature that allowed players to report moderators in the Suggestions forums. Maybe you can add your 2 cents to that one?

It’s not safety when they force me to change a good password back into a bad one. I’ve already changed my password based on their article. And their response to that is to go change it again?

DiogoSilva.7089:

If the typical MMORPG world of patches and nerfs is too harsh for you, you should prepare yourself very well for real life.

So they’re not allowed to be disappointed? They’re not allowed to complain? Well, guess what, this IS the real world. Where consumers who are unhappy about a product take their business elsewhere.

There are several major issues, this being one of them. The only thing that got fixed was the conjures, though it’s still up in the air wheter it will work.

However, the changes to Tornado makes me wonder if Anet gets any of the real issues at all…

For myself, I’m kinda torn between a cantrip build and using Elemental Surge to make up for the loss of blasts.

To you know, get my combos some other way. Combo play is just too much fun and I really resent Anet for taking away the playstyle.

Crunchy Gremlin.5798:

its not churning earth. wiki says it is but it obviously isnt when it goes off. bug list says it shockwave which is much more in line with the damage done but not the immobilize.

The ingame description of Evasive Arcana calls is Churning Earth. Hence it should have a blast finisher. Just like how the EA version of Cleansing Wave also removes a condition. The fact that in practice it’s some other skill is exactly my point. It says Churning Earth. Then make it cast Churning Earth.

The account screens more or less tells me that in the nearby future, I have to ‘change my password due to the new policy’.

I AREADY DID THAT STRAIGT AWAY WHEN YOU CAME OUT WITH THE SILLY COMIC!

Why am I forced to change my password from something good that I can also remember well, just because I was too quick to listen to your concerns?

Why were the blast finishers on Evasive Arcana removed instead of changed so they’d be balanced?

It’s not a weird question, given the fact that the ‘bug’ created a playstyle in itself (which many people seemed to enjoy I might add).

Wouldn’t it be a better fix to remove the abilities and keep the blast finishers, instead of vice versa? It seems like a lot of people would enjoy that.

At least daggers can make use of their own might buffs. Without Evasive Arcana, we’re stuck watching others get buffed by our fire fields…

DiogoSilva.7089:

A single trait that offers, in addition to four skills, four blast finishers, is broken in my humble opinion. Evasive Arcana got as big of a nerf as it was begging to.

I think it’s a good, balanced trait as it is now.

Let’s take a look at that shall we?

Warrior X comes running to me and starts hacking. Being a good player, I immediatly dodge out of the way. At the end of the dodge, Evasive Aracana triggers…

…and misses Warrior X because the range is less than the distance I just dodged.

Evasive Arcana should be changed to “Heals you on your dodge roll once every 10 seconds.” because that’s all that it does.

In a nutshell, I’d rather have the blast finisher stay and the skills removed, than the way it is now. It just doesn’t do anything anymore.

Signet/Aura build works well.

I still don’t get why they removed the playstyle instead of rebalancing it to whatever they thought would be more fair.

The aura/signet build still works.

Evasive Arcana wasn’t the only viable build. Not by a long shot.

THE PROBLEM IS THAT IS WAS FUN!

And instead of keeping the fun, but balancing it, the fun was removed in its entirety.

That’s the problem, and no other.

DiogoSilva.7089:

Yeah, evasive arcana is a good trait even without blast finishers, and I agree bunker builds are still good. Just not overpowered-good.

You’re missing the fact that whatever you dodge will not get hit because you’ve just dodged out of range.

Arc.9374:

Evasive Arcana was broken in every regard. If the original tooltip is representative of the intended function, the only blast finisher it should ever have had was on an earth dodge. Stop crying because they fixed your ability to dodge for free finishers at every opportunity.

Totally disagree. The thing is, even if it was unintentional, then ArenaNet just stumbled on a whole new way to play an MMO caster. It was a fun, risky and skill-requiring way to play the game, and the rewards you got for it were slightly above reasonable.

But instead of altering things slightly to the point where it’s not overpowered, they just removed it from the game. And that’s what I’m upset about. Not having a blast finisher on every roll is fine. Mandatory even. But having none at all just destroyed a very fun playstyle. Why destroy fun when you can rebalance it?

My proposal is that all elementalist players that dislike the fact that our playstyle was ripped from us, post an ingame bug report each day until it is reverted. If we ALL do it, it may cause Anet to listen.

Seriously, nerfing overpowered stuff is fine, but do it by altering skills and traits, not by removing ways to play the game.

Kodiak.3281:

ThiBash.5634:

Kodiak.3281:

" Evasive Arcana: This trait no longer creates unintended blast finishers."

Even so, it should at the VERY LEAST create a blast finisher on Churning Earth. Since, you know, the dagger version also has a blast finisher.

Seems like Anet was a bit too thorough with the blast removing. This cannot have been intentional.

No where in Evasive Arcana does it state the intended effects are supposed to be Blast Finishers at all which could also mean that they were never intended from the start.

The description of Churning Earth clearly states that it’s a blast finisher.

A blast finisher on every roll? Yes, that should have been fixed straight away. I even reported it as a bug after I found out it triggered Signet of Restoration twice instead of once.

But removing blast finishers completely just ruined the skill. The reason for that is when you dodge, you get far away from your opponent quickly. In practice, this means the thing you’re dodging away will NEVER be in range of the blasts. So other than the water heal, the skill is now completely pointless. All it does is add more aggro on other targets, something you don’t really want when trying to stay alive.

Crunchy Gremlin.5798:

ThiBash.5634:

Evasive Arcana no longer has any blast finishers at all. Not even the Churning Earth version, and it should be a blast finisher.

it doesnt cast churning earth. its shockwave. see evasive arcana bug list.

Doesn’t change my original point though, the skill should still be a blast finisher.