Customizing and reworking Combo Finishers

[The V.8759]

One thing I love about GW2 combat, are the combo finisher. I've always found it a shame that the impact they make, is quite low. I would suggest two things that could change the whole spectrum of combo fields:

 

1. **Personal Combo Fields Priority Customisation** Allow for a tab near the traits, to set up a priority line for your combo fields. Right now, the first field you enter, is the field you combo in. However, imagine someone places an ice fields, I place a water field on top of that. I still get the ice combo, even though I want water.

Whenever you set up the water field as the highest priority, the game will always make use of the water fields if there is one under you. Therefore, the time that you are in the field doesn't matter anymore, but rather which field has the highest priority. A reaper might want to place ice fields very high, an engineer water, a thief smoke.

 

2. **Rework finishers (mainly whirl)** There are many finishers that barely have an impact on the game. Whirl finishers are the worst in that sense, as they are 'randomized' projectile finishers. A rework to whirl finishers, for example turning them into a small whirlwind for a very short duration could benefit them. Example:

- Lightning + Whirl: 1/2 second whirl, damaging enemies and apply vulnerability in the AoE of the whirl.

- Water + Whirl: Small water whirl that instantly dissolves your regeneration boon but heals the remaining duration instantly

- etc.

 

Above proposals are just simple suggestions, I would already be happy if they would rework it their own way, as long as something is done in favor of combo;s :)

[CharterforGw.3149]

I've actually never really figured out how some of the combo finishers works, I just know about the fields creating combo potential, reaper shroud allowing for a freeze field in which you can use the spinning attack to cause chilling (I think this is the whirl one).

One thing they should do for a rework, is change all the ability effects, right now some of the effects are barely visible when combo'd with something else.

[rng.1024]

I agree with your own fields taking priority, meaning you don't drop your own on top if you want to combo with another. Then the fields could function just as they do now with 5 unique finishers. Whirl and projectile finishers ought to get a buff, projectiles have good spread but should be more potent (100% duration and 5 stacks atleast) given most finishers have 20% chance, and whirls should be a lingering mass finisher (5-10, think like tempests fire overload) in an AoE instead of shooting out random bolts. As of right now the biggest issue with whirl finishers are that you as the caster don't benefit that much from them.

[Leo G.4501]

Regarding projectile finishers, how about a unique kind of piercing mechanic that both enhances the attack and gives it an effect for each kind of field. For instance:

 

Projectile Finishers = All projectiles bypass other targets, striking the intended target only (unless the projectile's trajectory allows piercing multiple targets) and cause a unique based on the combo field.

 

Demonstration: You're a warrior that uses Dual Shot through an ice field. If you target the furthest enemy, your dual shots will bypass any non-obstruction targets and hit the individual you have targeted if it's a combo and all targets that projectile passes + the actual target are chilled.

[zealex.9410]

It would prob b beneficial if the slowly moved away from the bloat of existing combo fields and also moved away from the over focus on the combo fields being mostly tools to provide boons.

 

More refining of the way ppl can couple combo fields and attacks to deal more dmg would add to the experience nicely.

 

Maybe even introducing elemental combos like shooting a fire projectile pn a water field creates mist making the group harder to hit.

 

Games like spellbreak and dos2 woth their element and comboing systems come to mind.

[Skotlex.7580]

I would be just fine if they change whirlwind finishers to be aoe blasts so that up to 5 targets in short range (300?) get affected.

 

The animation could be something really simple, like arcane blast, or necromancer axe 3, just recolored depending on element.

 

That would remove the random component to it and make them more reliable.

[perilisk.1874]

Definitely think an overhaul of combo mechanics would be helpful. Wouldn't mind seeing some new categories of finisher, or even having different field types (ground, wall, cloud, zone) that react differently to different types of finisher or only work with certain types. Maybe also have some field counterplay (field-cleansing skills or skills that convert enemy fields into your fields). Or giving people another way to execute finishers without fields.

 

Whatever they do should be part of a general solution that addresses the problems with effect overload and zerg gameplay. Maybe have an "ambient magic" system so that multiple overlapped fields disappear faster than spaced-out fields.