Am I the only one dissapointed?

[Carighan.6758]

I love the elite spec conceptually. I am an Asuran Engineer, so playing a spec with traits where my goal is to intentially overheat myself and **explode**, but this all damages and burns foes, which I also constantly burn with me attacks... damn. So awesome.

 

Also, my photo forge autoattacks throw exploding light beams. Can't get much more Asuran than that.

 

The thing holding the spec back is, IMO, more of a general engineer problem: kits. And the way they dominate the spec without being fully integrated as the class mechanic. If kits were the F-skills, I think I'd mind the setup of the core class a lot less than I do now. Elite specs could "simple" add a fifth kit to that, essentially. Which might not even always overwrite all weapon skills or even any of them (for example the gyro kit of the scrapper I would have overwrite the healing/utility/elite skills).

 

But anyhow, love the Holosmith conceptually, even though I think the implementation has a lot of issues which cannot be fixed with balance and/or tweaks.

[Menadena.7482]

> @Arimas.3492 said:

> * Secondly after playing quite a bit of Holosmith and comparing it to other Elite specs and measuring its drawbacks, the Heat mechanic is too debilitating. I'm pretty much now in the party where there should be zero drawbacks to using Forge mode. There should be no CD entering forge, there should be no damage taken from overheating, there should be no delay in losing heat and heat lost should start immediately at 10 stacks instead of 5, and even in this case we'd still be outclassed.

 

I *REALLY* hate having the heat mechanic. Name one other primary mechanic of any base class or elite that can do damage to your character. Having a CD is one thing but actually doing harm to you if you try to use it too much is a completely different ball game.

[Horan.7013]

> @Menadena.7482 said:

> > @Arimas.3492 said:

> > * Secondly after playing quite a bit of Holosmith and comparing it to other Elite specs and measuring its drawbacks, the Heat mechanic is too debilitating. I'm pretty much now in the party where there should be zero drawbacks to using Forge mode. There should be no CD entering forge, there should be no damage taken from overheating, there should be no delay in losing heat and heat lost should start immediately at 10 stacks instead of 5, and even in this case we'd still be outclassed.

>

> I *REALLY* hate having the heat mechanic. Name one other primary mechanic of any base class or elite that can do damage to your character. Having a CD is one thing but actually doing harm to you if you try to use it too much is a completely different ball game.

 

I hear you. What's worse is that even with all this risk-taking behavior, Holosmith's damage potential is pretty anemic.

I mean, with all this risk/reward mechanic, shouldn't Holosmith be by far most damaging class? High-risk, high-reward, glass cannon. It fits the description.

But the reality is that there are many classes that do higher damage while being more tanky and without risk.

 

[Ves.8236]

Nice to be back after long break just to see that playing my beloved engie anywhere beside pve is pain in the kitten. Why they did that to us? I remember beeing jack of all trades. Nice addition to runs. But now? Do they really want engies to be last picked class in the game? :( #sadnessoverload

[Unholy Pillager.3791]

> @Ves.8236 said:

> Nice to be back after long break just to see that playing my beloved engie anywhere beside pve is pain in the kitten. Why they did that to us? I remember beeing jack of all trades. Nice addition to runs. But now? Do they really want engies to be last picked class in the game? :( #sadnessoverload

 

Holosmith is a lot of fun in sPvP. I'm not sure about anywhere else, I've mostly just been doing that and some open world content (legendary bounties).

[Vagrant.7206]

> @"Unholy Pillager.3791" said:

> > @Ves.8236 said:

> > Nice to be back after long break just to see that playing my beloved engie anywhere beside pve is pain in the kitten. Why they did that to us? I remember beeing jack of all trades. Nice addition to runs. But now? Do they really want engies to be last picked class in the game? :( #sadnessoverload

>

> Holosmith is a lot of fun in sPvP. I'm not sure about anywhere else, I've mostly just been doing that and some open world content (legendary bounties).

 

That's part of the problem.

 

The balance team only seems to care about engineer balance in PvP. That's what happened to the scrapper. That's what happened to turrets.

[gannondorf.7628]

I'm particularly disapointed by the fact that the 2 engineer elite specs are uninspired. I mean, seriously Scrapper only had a gyro mechanic for pvp and a bruiser playstyle without offering new Tools and new ways of playing. Holosmith is the same thing, you just trade a f5 toolbelt skill for a kit and you get a melee spec. I have seen better for originality and inspiration.

[Zlater.6789]

Disagree with op fully, I'm a raider and pvp'r. While I would never use deadeye in a raid or pvp. Seriously if you join on deadeye I will kick you. A holosmith is actually really strong, has very good damage, very good cc and it's 5 target toolkit does more dps then a deadeye's 1 target toolkit, not to mention it has more group utility and support.

Saying that though daredevil goes toe to toe with holosmith, if not it's better in pvp outright.

[Adamantium.3682]

I may be misinterpreting what you mean by lacking "originality and inspiration" but I just don't see how that describes Holosmith at all... It is easily one of -- if not THE -- most unique and flashy builds in the game.> @Zlater.6789 said:

> Disagree with op fully, I'm a raider and pvp'r. While I would never use deadeye in a raid or pvp. Seriously if you join on deadeye I will kick you. A holosmith is actually really strong, has very good damage, very good cc and it's 5 target toolkit does more dps then a deadeye's 1 target toolkit, not to mention it has more group utility and support.

> Saying that though daredevil goes toe to toe with holosmith, if not it's better in pvp outright.

 

What is the group utility and support outside of break bar that you mentioned separately? Genuine question, it's my biggest gripe with current Holo performance so I'd like to learn any tricks I'm not seeing

[Vagrant.7206]

> @Zlater.6789 said:

> Disagree with op fully, I'm a raider and pvp'r. While I would never use deadeye in a raid or pvp. Seriously if you join on deadeye I will kick you. A holosmith is actually really strong, has very good damage, very good cc and it's 5 target toolkit does more dps then a deadeye's 1 target toolkit, not to mention it has more group utility and support.

> Saying that though daredevil goes toe to toe with holosmith, if not it's better in pvp outright.

 

Holosmith's damage is objectively worse than most other DPS classes. Look at the QTFY DPS benchmarks if you want to see. And that's when they forgo almost all group support/self-defense in favor of pure damage. Our CC can be good, yes, but a large chunk of that CC is attainable with a core condi engi already. Holosmith adds 2 new CC's if you decide to take them.

 

As for group utility... the only group utility we have is HLA. And that's generally not worth taking if you're in a decent raid.

[Ardid.7203]

Holosmith ads 3 new CC: PF5, Prismatic Singularity and Prime Light Beam. All of them are beautiful, and the only reason I'm still using the spec.

In fact, I've discovered that I can somewhat forgive the unreasonable DPS aspect of the e-spec if I focus mostly on the CC play. In the open world it has become very nice, as I'm able to blow huge breakbars all by myself. PF4 is still a huge dps addition, and pairing all with the old FT I get a build that is miles away from optimal, but extremely fun.

[insanemaniac.2456]

> @Ardid.7203 said:

> Holosmith ads 3 new CC: PF5, Prismatic Singularity and Prime Light Beam. All of them are beautiful, and the only reason I'm still using the spec.

> In fact, I've discovered that I can somewhat forgive the unreasonable DPS aspect of the e-spec if I focus mostly on the CC play. In the open world it has become very nice, as I'm able to blow huge breakbars all by myself. PF4 is still a huge dps addition, and pairing all with the old FT I get a build that is miles away from optimal, but extremely fun.

 

how awkward is it that scrapper was supposed to be focused on control, holo is supposed to be focused on dps, and now you use holo for its control.

[Nephalem.8921]

> @insanemaniac.2456 said:

> how awkward is it that scrapper was supposed to be focused on control, holo is supposed to be focused on dps, and now you use holo for its control.

 

Scourge and firebrand were supposed to be supports.

[coglin.1496]

> @insanemaniac.2456 said:

> > @Ardid.7203 said:

> > Holosmith ads 3 new CC: PF5, Prismatic Singularity and Prime Light Beam. All of them are beautiful, and the only reason I'm still using the spec.

> > In fact, I've discovered that I can somewhat forgive the unreasonable DPS aspect of the e-spec if I focus mostly on the CC play. In the open world it has become very nice, as I'm able to blow huge breakbars all by myself. PF4 is still a huge dps addition, and pairing all with the old FT I get a build that is miles away from optimal, but extremely fun.

>

> how awkward is it that scrapper was supposed to be focused on control, holo is supposed to be focused on dps, and now you use holo for its control.

 

This was my first thought too. They completely nerfed CC value of scrapper to the point that we head thread after thread about how invaluable it made some of the traits.

 

[Ardid.7203]

> @insanemaniac.2456 said:

> > @Ardid.7203 said:

> > Holosmith ads 3 new CC: PF5, Prismatic Singularity and Prime Light Beam. All of them are beautiful, and the only reason I'm still using the spec.

> > In fact, I've discovered that I can somewhat forgive the unreasonable DPS aspect of the e-spec if I focus mostly on the CC play. In the open world it has become very nice, as I'm able to blow huge breakbars all by myself. PF4 is still a huge dps addition, and pairing all with the old FT I get a build that is miles away from optimal, but extremely fun.

>

> how awkward is it that scrapper was supposed to be focused on control, holo is supposed to be focused on dps, and now you use holo for its control.

 

Extremely awkward indeed!

But I'm getting used to Engie being that way: if you want to play something straight and direct, you play warrior. If you want something deceiving and indirect, you play mesmer. If you want to play something weird and awkward, you play engie.

[Zoltar MacRoth.7146]

I've got a toon for each profession, and I'm happy with where all the others are. I found builds for them which feel comfortable and effective. But I'm struggling to settle into engi. Holosmith seemed promising - who doesn't like lightsabers? But sword itself is a little bland. It neither looks nor feels like it's doing much. It looks like a lightsaber but is waved around like a simple stick. It's still early days. Maybe I'll find my groove in engi yet..

[draxynnic.3719]

> @coglin.1496 said:

> > @insanemaniac.2456 said:

> > > @Ardid.7203 said:

> > > Holosmith ads 3 new CC: PF5, Prismatic Singularity and Prime Light Beam. All of them are beautiful, and the only reason I'm still using the spec.

> > > In fact, I've discovered that I can somewhat forgive the unreasonable DPS aspect of the e-spec if I focus mostly on the CC play. In the open world it has become very nice, as I'm able to blow huge breakbars all by myself. PF4 is still a huge dps addition, and pairing all with the old FT I get a build that is miles away from optimal, but extremely fun.

> >

> > how awkward is it that scrapper was supposed to be focused on control, holo is supposed to be focused on dps, and now you use holo for its control.

>

> This was my first thought too. They completely nerfed CC value of scrapper to the point that we head thread after thread about how invaluable it made some of the traits.

>

 

Oh, yes. I could understand that gyros dazing on detonation was maybe a bit much, but it does make the grandmaster minor trait pretty weak, as engineers have relatively few dazes and stuns outside of hammer and what got taken away from gyros.