User talk:Raine Valen/Mass Balance

So

I wasn't sure where to put this, but I was wondering after perusing the monk suggestions how you plan to integrate the different changes across the other professions. For example, several skills had elements added to counter casters, so was that done with or without concurrent changes to caster skills/damage in mind? --67.240.83.137 23:26, 19 July 2009 (UTC)

Things like Pensive Guardian and Spell breaker are really late in the making. While it is an indirect "nerf" to caster damage, many players agree that casters are currently way out of line from a balance perspective.

Also, keep in mind that this isn't supposed to be a single update; each change should work on its own, more or less. So, a lot of the caster skills that need to be toned down will be toned down, and a lot of anti-caster skills will be beefed up. They aren't both meant to happen, but are merely means to the same end. Raine - talk 04:30, 20 July 2009 (UTC)

Oh, I was thinking that you intended this to be a single update at some point. Either way, I don't really like the "chance to fail" mechanic for spells, because it relies on luck rather than making skillful play more effective. Without changes to the problem caster skills, I guess it could work, but I wouldn't want that to be the only direction to take skill balance in. --67.240.83.137 18:09, 20 July 2009 (UTC)

You mean like block, miss, HCT, HSR, etc? Raine - talk 19:48, 20 July 2009 (UTC)

Ah, the good old grey area. It's hard to figure out where to draw the line on chance, but I actually meant changing skills to provide a counter as opposed to addressing the strength of the spells themselves, hence my original question. --67.240.83.137 19:55, 20 July 2009 (UTC)

Look at Deny Hexes and Visions of Regret (I mean, the ones here) - one was buffed to counter hexes, one was nerfed because it was too strong of a hex. Both are solutions to the same problem, and, in many cases, both suggestions will be present.

Also, a lot of the "buffed x to counter y" skills were skills that don't really see play (like Pensive Guardian); these could easily be adjusted at no expense. It would invariably create a different meta, but that would be mostly due to the increased number of options, and I wouldn't call that a bad thing.

I'm not sure if I answered your question, but I think I got it. =x Raine - talk 20:07, 20 July 2009 (UTC)

Anti-hex skills

All of your suggestions seem to completely shut out hexes. Hexes aren't the problem. Hex stacking is. A lot of your changes to things like Deny Hexes or Amity would make it impossible for people to run snare eles, diversion/shame mesmers, and other legitimate builds. ~Shard 23:38, 19 July 2009 (UTC)

Propose a change to the hex mechanic, imo. I'm not really sure how you'd go about doing it, but you're a capable designer - I'll leave that to you. ♥ Raine - talk 04:31, 20 July 2009 (UTC)

You don't even need that much. You can easily change hex removals without affecting single-hex builds just by adding hex-stack-hate. For example, one of them could remove a hex, then heal/apply a buff for each remaining hex. A lot of the elite hex removals on my pages actually blackout enemy hexes.

The less inventive way is just to make hex removal recharges match (or be slightly less than) hex recharges. Hex removals aren't weak at all, the things they counter are just too good. ~Shard 04:46, 20 July 2009 (UTC)