Next Mesmer Spec Idea - Call to GW1 Mesmer

[Revan.2015]

This is just a thought post and not a serious inquiry, but I wanted to see what people thought of it. I played Mesmer in GW1 due to its uniqueness and when GW2 came out the first class I made was a Mesmer, but I was quickly turned off by its mechanics, the illusions was simply not doing it for me. I felt that the class didn't have that "oompf" or impact or that "something" that the GW1 mesmer had. I shelved it and when HoT came out I used a 80 booster to try mesmer again, but again, I was quickly turned off by it. While some of the skills looked neat like most of the GS skill-set and while i would enjoy assisting people with the portal I just can't enjoy playing the class fully. Not to mention the staff which had my favorite skill form GW1, Chaos Storm, felt utterly lackluster.

 

I miss the mesmer from GW1 being a real spell-caster instead of a "Duelist" using hexes and spells to control opponents on the battlefield. The skills were also highly unique in their functions which added to the reward factor to playing them (dominion mesmer anyone?). Would be cool if a spec brought back that kind of mesmer play. Would drop my necro, engie and guardian in an instant. well maybe not the guardian. My second main was a monk in GW1 and the concept of the guardian I enjoy too much.

 

Thoughts?

[OriOri.8724]

Hexes could be very fun in this game I feel, but as an entire class mechanic, or even just an elite spec skill category, it would never be balanced without a full balance split between the game modes (which Anet seems overly reluctant to do). If they were balanced around being fair in PvP then they would be pathetically weak in PvE (similar to our current illusion mechanic). If they were balanced to be useful in PvE, they would be grossly overpowered in PvP. I just can't see it working out in a cohesive way, even though I think it would be great fun to bring hexes back for a mesmer elite spec.

 

INB4 Anet proves me wrong, but gives hexes to thief or something in the next expac

[Tseison.4659]

I mentioned in the old forums and on here before that my suggestion would be that hexes CAN work because all it really is when translated to this game is a reverse barrier. They would just have to make the decay of health slower as opposed to faster. Then what they can do is when the hex ends in duration, it can inflict a bunch of random conditions/confusion etc... But again, this would sorta lead it down the condition road which I wouldn't want since I know there's a lot of people who like playing a power build so.

 

It's definitely possible, just anet isn't that creative enough and lazy so...

[OriOri.8724]

First, a slow health drain would be an exceptionally boring mechanic when it could be much better (an entire hex skill category, or a different hex for each shatter). But even if that's all it was, you face the same problem where it cannot be balanced in both game modes without a complete balance split. If its to be balanced in PvP, it would have to deal such little damage each second so as to be useless in PvE, not to mention when fighting a champ or boss. If it was balanced for PvE, it would down enemies in PvP much too quickly.

[Revan.2015]

The health drain skills would probably be pretty tough to balance out. One of the other functions I mainly leaned towards in GW1 were skills like Empathy and Backfire and blackout. Skills that punish actions or activate on targets actions. I am not sure if its due to the current mechanics of skills in gw2 that it may not work, but the old skills were pretty innovative and unique in my opinion ([gw1 skills](https://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Domination_Magic#Domination_Magic_skills "gw1 skills"))

[Coulter.2315]

I would love them to return hexes but I think they would need to be very specific types. The short duration "if then" type; Guilt, Shame, Diversion, Clumsiness, Mindwrack. We won't be able to have any hexes which have a continuous effect due to no removal.

[adderbrew.5491]

I would love this change, but if being a Mes main in GW1 taught me something, it's that our kits will always be a nightmare for devs to balance without a split. GW1 Mes really thrived in PvP because of so many manipulation skills that allowed you to control your opponent through a series of forced choices (should I cast? Should I attack? etc.). GW2 Mes, though I have a lot less experience with it, seems to take the control aspect and move it from decisions on actions to decisions on placement. This also isn't ideal for PvE, but is more manageable.

 

I want hexes to be back, but aside from a skill split, I don't see how they could balance them between PvP and PvE since NPC's don't have as sophisticated of decisions to make (what the core of Mesmer really exploited in GW1)

[Tseison.4659]

Since my idea got shut down for some reason...

They could always have it as well where hexes created the "barrier'esc" effect on a target, though it would be purple and NOT decay. BUT, during it's duration, you and your illusions attacks will inflict random conditions. Would probably have to have a .5 or 1s ICD.

 

Or hexes can be a single target effect that greatly debuffs an enemy then when the duration ends it causes HUGE aoe effects and damage to the target and nearby foes.

[draxynnic.3719]

> @Coulter.2315 said:

> I would love them to return hexes but I think they would need to be very specific types. The short duration "if then" type; Guilt, Shame, Diversion, Clumsiness, Mindwrack. We won't be able to have any hexes which have a continuous effect due to no removal.

 

I think there might be a bit of space for this, actually...

 

If you look at the guardian traits, you'll see a number of traits that key off an Aegis they generate being triggered. Shattered Aegis, for instance, makes enemies take damage when an Aegis is triggered, making Aegis behave a bit like Reversal of Damage, while Pure of Heart makes Aegis heal, behaving a bit like Reversal of Fortune.

 

Now, I think the combination of a Blind and a Confusion is supposed to achieve a similar effect to skills like Clumsiness, Mistrust, and Wandering Eye, but they could probably draw from the guardian Aegis interactions and give mesmers a trait that means that if a Blind they apply ends prematurely, it inflicts damage around the area of the target: essentially replicating the effect of a Mistrust or a Wandering Eye (they could even name the trait Wandering Eye).

[Cyninja.2954]

I like the idea, anything that gives us some kind of build which is not dependant on illusions or frees us from their limitations (at least as choice) gets an upvote from me.

 

It would require massive reworks though similar in scale to Scourge versus baseline necromancer. Illusion summoning skills would have to work differently, hexes would have to be potent enough. The rework would have to be big because I doubt some changes to F1-F4 skills, 1 new weapon and 4 utility skills plus elite would be able to handle a completely new mechanic.

[Lumix.5069]

Gw2 need mana mechanics as well. I miss it from gw1. Aah i remember in some AB when i used mind wrack, power leak, energy surge and at the end aneurysm, to punish some ele spammers... Good times