ArenaNet talk:Skill feedback/Ritualist/Spirit Channeling

Note: As of September 2, 2009 this page is no longer active. If you have suggestions for Guild Wars skills please go to Feedback:Main to learn how to submit suggestions that ArenaNet can use.

Anon's issue

I really kind of prefer this skill as is, as most energy management elites are useless in PvP, and this is a great skill to bring on any Communing, Restoration or Channeling Ritualist in PvE, there is no reason to mess with it. RitualDoll 05:01, 16 August 2008 (UTC)

That is completely besides the point, reread the suggestion. 90.58.67.57 02:24, 1 September 2008 (UTC)

It may not be feasible to code that proposed effect. Furthermore, the proposed change would have poor synergy. Channeling Magic has Essence Strike and Spirit Burn, Restoration Magic has has Ghostmirror Light and Spirit Light, as well as Mend Body and Soul, which requires the target to be within earshot of a spirit, and Spawning Power has Ghostly Haste. Lamentation requires the target foe to be within range of a spirit or corpse, and all the other ritualist skills witch conditional effects which depend upon spirits being within range are either elite or require an actual spirit. -- Gordon Ecker 02:51, 1 September 2008 (UTC)

True but :

1) poor synergy also can also have a balancing purpose unless you would like such a skill to be non-elite and more important

2) details are details, the main idea of the suggestion still stands. Should anything happen, Izzy's team will decide so I don't see the point of playing the Izzy wannabee like so many people here and suggesting tons of additional details with extremely precise numbers. Not to be rude, mean or anything. Izzy's team will not care about precise suggestion and numbers. I am not a skill balancer, I am a player who thought about something that may have a use. 90.18.210.9 02:53, 14 September 2008 (UTC)

The suggested version of the skill would be a narrow, underpowered waste of an elite slot, how is that balanced? IMO the suggestion should be archived or removed. -- Gordon Ecker 03:04, 14 September 2008 (UTC)

The purpose is to be able to activate spirit-related skills without the actual and usualy costly spirits that take long to cast, there is a real purpose and a real original idea rather than how boring and weak the original skill is. Is proposing a deletion your way to discuss suggestions ? 90.18.210.9 03:17, 14 September 2008 (UTC)

The proposed version is only self-serving really. If it did something along the lines of having you as a spirit in which to synergize all the rit goodies, then maybe this might be worth it. --Ezekial Riddle 04:33, 14 September 2008 (UTC)

Skill	Attribute	Benefit
Essence Strike	Channeling Magic	Up to 10 energy per casting, up to ~0.56 energy per second.
Spirit Burn	Channeling Magic	Up to 3 seconds of burning on the target per cast.
Ghostmirror Light	Restoration Magic	Up to 95 self-healing per cast.
Spirit Light	Restoration Magic	Removes 17% health sacrifice. At 16 Restoration Magic, Spirit Light heals for 188 health, ~49% more health than Mend Body and Soul.
Mend Body and Soul	Restoration Magic	Lose 1 more condition when cast on yourself, no benefit when cast on other allies.
Ghostly Haste	Spawning Power	Spells recharge 25% faster. Costs 10 energy per casting.

It may be an original idea, but it's also a bad one. The above table shows a summary of the benefits the proposed version of the skill would provide. For Channeling Magic, it would effectively make Essence Strike free, as well as yielding ~0.56 energy per second for 2 skill slots before the cost of Spirit Channeling (less with Ghostly Haste due to the cost), while Offering of Spirit yields ~0.65 energy per second at the cost of 100 health per casting with 12 Spawning Power and a 20% enchanting weapon for one skill slot and Offering of Spirit, some non-ritualist energy management skills are even better. For Restoration Magic, Attuned Was Songkai makes all spells and binding rituals cost ~40% less Energy at 12 Spawning Power ~75% of the time, making Soothing Memories free, Wielder's Zeal makes Vengeful Weapon virtually free and Wielder's Remedy adds condition removal, while Monks have Word of Healing and Zealous Benediction, each of which is more powerful, spammable and energy-efficient in ideal circumstances than Spirit Light, and only uses a single skill slot. -- Gordon Ecker 05:43, 14 September 2008 (UTC)

Really, maths are not the point, the concept is. There is nothing wrong if you think you would not use such a skill or if you think it would be a waste of your elite slot or its uses would be too limited. No problem with that, it is fine, but once again, it is a concept, not an Izzy wannabism.

"Ezekial Riddle" made the kind of answers I am looking for, and I think the kind of answers a skill balancer could use, because it tries to explore the concept to get something out of it, instead of dismissing the idea just because its first occurence was lacking, broken, over/underpowered, incomplete, imprecise or whatever.

And actually, what "Ezekial Riddle" proposed was closer to what I first thought. Then again, it is not over, you have to think of what would skills that destroy spirits do, if Spirit Transfer would drain yourself, etc, but great, because it is a skill balancer's reasonning.

I do not want to sound condescendant but you seem to base your answers on "what could the player Gordon do with this skill ?" (wich obviously is very unappealing because the suggestion is conceptual and rather hollow as is) instead of "what could the skill balancer Gordon do to make it a useable and balanced skill ?"

I hope I do not sound stubborn or irritating, because at least you took the time and effort to answer me precisely and inteligently, and I really appreciate that. 90.18.210.9 06:56, 14 September 2008 (UTC)

IMO the purpose of skill feedback pages is improving the game with constructive skill feedback, and the purpose of skill feedback talk pages is to improve their corresponding skill feedback pages by distinguishing good suggestions from bad ones and providing constructive criticism. There is a clear consensus against the posted suggestion. IMO both Ritual Doll's anecdote about finding the current version useful and my criticisms of the suggestion were relevant. Gordon Ecker 08:38, 14 September 2008 (UTC)

Consensus by you and someone who thinks the current skill is "a great skill to bring on any Communing, Restoration or Channeling Ritualist in PvE". But whatever. The discussion is going nowhere. 90.18.210.9 09:10, 14 September 2008 (UTC)

Spirit mobility

What about making it give you energy and teleport all your spirits to your location? Would that work in PvP or would it be overpowered? -- Gordon Ecker 08:38, 14 September 2008 (UTC)

An elite Draw spirit would sure be very useful but there is still the problem of the activation time, extremely painful especially against rangers, and spirit's death, wich occurs fairly easily. You can place a spirit more or less properly against AI opponents, but human foes will happily charge one or two adrenalines on their way back of pressuring the flagger, or drop an arrow or two. The idea is to avoid that at the cost of an elite.

Also, speaking of the flagger, a "portable" spirit could be interesting to have condition removal and energy management (Mend Body and Soul and Essence Strike) with a standart 10+1_10+1_11+1+1. I admit I thought of it mostly with flag runners in mind (PvE rits have a problem with mobility too but 1) have more tools around it and 2) I don't use spirits in PvE, only channeling/smite), wich may explain why it seems so narrow in use. 90.18.210.9 09:27, 14 September 2008 (UTC)

Need I explain the tactical benefits of +100 healing every 20 seconds at 15 Spawning Power? Your defense-Spirits being nuked in PvP, warp them to safety for a quick Heal their wounds! Being pressured and need reinforments? Call upon attack-spirits for a quick spike/decoy and use the extra to run away. Plus I miss that heal bonus old-version provided, and you cant exactly spam this skill like you could with Summon Spirits. ^_^ --Falconeye 01:14, 18 September 2008 (UTC)

Kigamo's Issue

Not all Ritualists use Channeling Magic. I'm using this skill almost constantly in PvE and CM when playing Restoration, and I really like the skill how it is; Passive. Mediggo 06:36, 20 May 2009 (UTC)

I was using Spawning playing first 2 weeks as a rit. Then I realised that Spawning sux. Lack of useable skills and it's own effect make it incredible bad. Imo, it's better to use some channeling+resto. But if you found some use of this uselles line, it's good. Kigamo 07:21, 20 May 2009 (UTC)