The Competitive Anet Necromancer Patch Note Discrepancy (and suggestions)

[Apokriphos.7042]

If we're being honest, the well changes were written as buffs but ended up strict competitive nerfs, deleting several whole playstyles and alternative builds. Similarly, the changes to vampiric signet and signet mastery weakened another off meta playstyle (both by sustain - from 6% traited life force always to 5 only when shrouded, among other things) that used it to some success when the patch note direction clearly stated it was to be a buff as well.

 

And the scourge change, deserved as it might be, leaves many necromancer traits strictly pointless in most competitive gamemodes, if not actively punishing you for taking them (read - big shades). Additionally, the changes reinforce the build design as a selfish beginner friendly class with (absent well protection) even poorer group utility when players have been asking for parity among the classes when it comes to skill caps, damage potential and possible roles.

 

It is poor balance by finding and acting on the angriest thread without reading the nuance behind its motivation. Balance as currently done using this method will only lead to further dev headache in the future. A core vision is needed where balance is somewhat self adjusting.

 

Lets not pretend that Wvw or sPvp are gem store moneymakers. If Anet really wanted to tie improve revenue to balance they would have replicated the Gw1 exchangable skill system. Every class gets 2 exchangable trait lines and weapons that can be taken from their 'secondary chosen class'. Its never too late.

 

Problematic trait/weapon appears? Adjust as necessary. This way it doesnt kill players builds as badly when all of their core class options are removed. Additionally if their is an overperforming trait or skill everyone can access, and it makes balance easier to adjust for.

 

Sticking with their current system and out of fantasy land, the best solution is to offer more then 3 trait choices at each tier. 4 or 5 would add more variety in both the meta and balance between the game modes, Its not the best solution here, because it still requires devs to look at an ever increasing number of builds and how they fare against eachother and the world.

 

However, it would promote more build diversity and a less easily solved meta while also not destroying a good trait to add a subpar one.

 

Difficult to solve metas add entertainment, enthusiasm and variety to a game, promoting play as a chess based flexible puzzle where there isnt clearly one perfect solution. This challenge promotes time investment, which leads to monetary investment.

 

Taking options away does exactly the opposite.

[DanAlcedo.3281]

I still dont understand the reason to change the shroud mechanic back.

 

It wasnt needed in Openworld, especially because necro already had the best openworld build in the game with reaper.

 

Sure, Scourge wasnt a top dog dps spec but the dps was ok while being an ultra hard carry for every raid/strike group.

 

It needed nerfs in WvW.

 

In PvP it maybe needed a Buff but thats the only place.

 

Sooooo.... why make this change when it was not needed in 3/4 gamemodes?

[Dadnir.5038]

> @"DanAlcedo.3281" said:

> I still dont understand the reason to change the shroud mechanic back.

>

 

I assume you meant "shade mechanic".

 

> It wasnt needed in Openworld, especially because necro already had the best openworld build in the game with reaper.

>

> Sure, Scourge wasnt a top dog dps spec but the dps was ok while being an ultra hard carry for every raid/strike group.

>

> It needed nerfs in WvW.

>

> In PvP it maybe needed a Buff but thats the only place.

>

> Sooooo.... why make this change when it was not needed in 3/4 gamemodes?

 

To put it simply it was a poor "trade-off", it made the minor traits awkward. It was also a change that goes against the poor idea of a "Theme" that a pur area denial spec is.

 

The most likely theory would be to imagine that ANet expected the february PvP/WvW damage/condi nerf to the shade's mechanic to have had enough of an impact to bring back the self shade.

 

I think the issue come more from WvW than any other gamemode. One of the first issue is that LF gains in WvW are unbalanced which give the scourge an easy access to the shade skills. The second issue is that those shade skills cannot be interrupted. And the third issue is basically the number of things shade skills can do at the same time. In itself, the coverage is just the icing on the cake yet maybe the most annoying thing in sPvP.

 

To balance scourge ANet would have to first tweak LF gain from death in such a way that they are balanced in all gamemode (Let's be honest, it's very unlikely that they even tackle this problem, ever). After that they should probably make shade skills interruptible (which would imply a change of philosophy on hard CC, having them more as quick interrupt than slow skill with long lasting effects. Again it's unlikely that they touch this subject, ever.). And in the end they would have to thin out the range of things that the shade's skills can do (which in itself imply complex interaction with the core traitline and... well... Let's just say that they are unlikely to delve this far in balancing). I want to say that scourge is a lost cause, but in fact at this point any non-shroud necromancer's e-spec is a lost cause.