Feedback:User/Mcscamper/Suggestions for the Mesmer Profession

Suggestions for the Mesmer Profession
User	Mcscamper
Categories	Mechanics

I've already made a suggestion about the Mesmer in general, but I had more ideas. This will probably overwrite much what I've already said, but here goes anyway.

The Effect of a Mesmer

The reason the Mesmer started out in GW1 as a lack-luster class was because, since the idea was so novel and different, people didn't exactly know how to handle it, especially within the context of a "Holy Trinity" MMO. For this reason it was typically relegated to PvP alone because it was a dueling class at heart and that's where it excelled. However, in PvE it suffered because of its inability to deal large amounts of direct damage or disrupt battles. The cycle seems to be repeating for GW2 in that the Mesmer has mostly found itself outclassed by other professions in PvE and even now in PvP. This is because they are typically unable to match or surpass the DPS delivered by other classes. However, a Mesmer can typically survive longer than other classes due to the very well-engineered utility skills, but these are often spent evening the playing field by countering another player's most powerful attacks--attacks that are often chained off of utility skill buffs. The only problem is, when we remove the utility skills from the equation entirely, the Mesmer class's weapon skills that remain are almost instantly outpaced by those of other classes.

So how could we fix this?

Confusion

Confusion was supposed to be this sort of Mesmer-specific condition that went in line with their aesthetic. Never mind that it really isn't since other classes are able to produce it independent of combo fields that the Mesmer lays out, what the real problem is that the Mesmer doesn't have a reliable way to inflict Confusion, and that Confusion itself isn't as useful as it could be. Furthermore, as it stands for this condition implemented as the result of a single class' introduction, Confusion isn't half of the Mesmer class, nor is it a quarter of the class or even one tenth of the class. It's something like two weapon skills and a mechanic skill. For a class built around misdirection and indirect contribution to a battle, this is a bit of a glaring issue.

As for Confusion itself, it is sort of geared to be is just a really long daze in that instead of an opponent not be able to use skills at all, that opponent has to think "Well, is it really worth it to keep spamming attacks at this guy or should I break off for now?" So it reduces the amount of damage a conscious enemy does by discouraging that enemy from using powerful attacks. However, one issue with confusion is that it only damages an opponent once per skill use. So what about an elementalist who has Confusion but casts Meteor Shower for its entire duration?

Suggestion

• Tie Confusion to Clone and Phantasm generating skills. Each time someone uses one of those skills, it can apply one stack of Confusion to the selected target.

• At the moment, most Mesmer skills that involve a clone give up a skill slot that would otherwise be used for a damage skill. This means most Mesmers are competing with other classes that effectively have one or two more actual attack skills than they do. By tying in Confusion to the creation of clones and phantasms, this gives the Mesmer a more reliable way to keep damage coming, even if it's done so indirectly.

• Make Confusion deal damage based on the duration of a skill's animation or channeling duration.

• Skills with no channeling duration can apply Confusion damage just once. However, when a player inflicted with Confusion uses skills that have a duration (i.e. Meteor Shower, Hundred Blades, Rapid Fire), he or she takes damage that is applied at a constant rate throughout the channeling duration (1 calculated packet of damage every 0.50-1.00 second[s]).
• This would have a bigger impact on a battle because it would truly discourage other players from using their more powerful attacks for fear of taking more damage. Sure, they could still use them, just not without a more drastic consequence or without re-thinking how they would carry on the battle after use.

Phantasms

Refer back to this page for my initial assessment on the current Phantasms mechanic.

At the moment, Phantasms are single-target “mind tricks” that are effectively useless for 5/6 of the time they are considered active on the battlefield. Their problem areas are a lack of control that Mesmers exercise over their Phantasms, and a lack of real threat or hindrance to enemy players (aside from the Illusionary Duelist). However, this could be remedied by simply making a Phantasm a one-time-effect skill with a lingering after-effect that could affect multiple enemies. This change would be two-prong: give Mesmers more control over their Phantasms’ effects, and give Mesmers more influence over a battlefield. I mean, what’s more unsettling than seeing a flash of pink hit somebody and shatter, knowing that there’s a Mesmer somewhere that’s probably about to drop another effect on top of your location?

Suggestion

• Turn Phantasms into chain skills and make them primary targets above the original Mesmer while active.

• The first time you activate a Phantasm, it will perform a single action to a single target (all of these single actions will remain the current abilities of each Phantasm). After that, the skill will chain into an after-effect skill that the Mesmer can use at leisure (there will be a short time limit for usage).
• See this page for more explicit suggestions on what Phantasm skills would look like in this form.

Shatters

Refer back to this page for my assessment on the current Shatter mechanic. While the aforementioned link and this post both share the same reasons why the Shatter mechanic should change, the suggestions between the two vary wildly.

But first, let's imagine what the Mesmer class could be without clones for a moment, shall we? But what? The Mesmer is all about clones, man! Isn't it?

Is it? I thought it was all about subterfuge, control and indirect damage.

Clones are supposed to help accomplish this. Not only do they often fall short in their mission, but Shatter runs counter-productively against this unaccomplished goal. What I mean to say is that these two Mesmer-specific abilities often shoot so far wide of their target that ANet might as well just reformat the Mesmer to either have a decent version of one or the other than trying to keep them both in their current states. To salvage them both, these two facets of the Mesmer need to work together to achieve the shared desire for true misdirection and damage contribution on the battlefield.

Suggestion #1

First off, the Shatter skills that require a target should not have a lag time as they do now. Having your illusions physically run to a target costs the Mesmer crucial time while in combat. Simply have targeted illusions Blink to their target and shatter immediately for a more on-command effect.

Suggestion #2

F1 - Arcane Conundrum

• Recharge - 15 seconds
• Beguile your foes by swapping locations with one of your clones, chosen at random.

- Does not require a target, only active clones.

F2 - Mind Wrack

• Recharge - 25 seconds
• Destroy all your illusions and Shatter your figure, inflicting damage and Confusion to nearby foes while gaining Stealth.
• Confusion - 4 seconds (1 stack per illusion destroyed)
• Stealth - 2 seconds
• Range - 1200

- By "Shatter your figure," I mean to say that your character would use the Shatter animation when gaining Stealth for this skill, thus effectively disappearing as if you were simply a shattered clone as well. It's mostly an aesthetic suggestion and not truly necessary.

- Functions like the original Mind Wrack except now you gain Stealth and inflict Confusion on top of straight damage.

- If the clones Blink to the target and Shatter, the end effect would be that the caster disappears, the Clones attack and instantly shatter to deal a heavy blow, and then the caster's form flickers back into view once the victim's mind has recovered.

F3 - Diversion

• Recharge - 45 seconds
• Destroy all your illusions to Daze and Confuse your target.
• Daze - 1 second per illusion destroyed
• Confusion - 6 seconds (1 stack per illusion destroyed)
• Range - 1200

- Functions like the original Diversion except now with Confusion to add more depth to the skill after the Daze wears off.

F4 - Blackout

• Recharge - 45 seconds
• Shatter your illusions at target location, inflicting Fear and Confusion in nearby foes.
• Fear - 1 second
• Confusion - 4 seconds (1 stack per illusion destroyed)

This is a targeted AoE with a green circle marker that the player would use to place the skill's effects.

The placement of the skill would trigger the Fear (a fixed 1 second duration) while the player's illusions that blink to the area and Shatter are what inflict the Confusion. However, they both trigger concurrently so both effects are felt, visually and mechanically.