15 April: Skill Balance

Bericht door **Thierry** » wo 16 apr 2014, 07:36

General

Fear: This condition now functions as an interrupt and will trigger on interrupt functionalities.
Player bundles (kits, conjured weapons, banners, etc.) will now scale damage based on the rarity of the player’s equipped weapon.
Jezza’s Flamethrower:
- Red Button: Fixed a bug that caused the AoE on this skill to be centered on the player's target instead of on the player. Reduced the damage of this skill by 70%. Added a 20-second recharge.
Underwater Net:
- Throw Net: Added a 20-second recharge to this skill.
Mine Kit: Updated the skill facts for this bundle to display the correct damage and radius.
Fixed an issue that prevented attributes from scaling correctly when the player’s sidekick level changed within a zone.
Fixed an issue in which some projectiles wouldn't respect reflection and blocking bubbles. An example of this is the guardian's Orb of Wrath.
Non-targetable entities that cannot be damaged are no longer able to serve as valid attack targets.
Fixed several server-side bugs that will help reduce skill lag in combat.
Fixed an issue in which players would occasionally be unable to move if resurrected immediately after being downed.
PvP rank achievements now use the account's total accumulated rank points instead of personal score.
The PvP rank medal on the Character Select screen now matches the in-game rank.
- Removed player rank from the PvP scoreboard at the end of the match.

Racial Skills
Human

Prayer to Lyssa: Reworked the percentage chances so that all boons have a more equal chance to activate. Added 3 seconds of stability. Increased duration of might from 5 to 15 seconds. Fury duration increased from 5 to 8 seconds.

Asura

Radiation Field: Added strike damage and unblockable skill facts.
Elite Power Suit:
- Gatling Fists: Added a strike damage skill fact.
- Power Suit Buff: Added a time left counter.

Norn

Become the Wolf:
- Howl: Added a skill fact for number of targets: 10.
Call Owl: Changed the way this skill’s targeting works in order to make it more intuitive.

Sylvari

Healing Seed: Updated the hit box of the turret to better reflect the turret’s appearance.
Seed Turret: Updated the hit box of the turret to better reflect the turret’s appearance.
Grasping Vines: Updated the hit box of the vines to better reflect the turret’s appearance.

Professions
Elementalist

Burning Speed: This skill now evades attacks.
Frozen Burst: This skill is now a blast finisher.
Water Trident: Added 3 seconds of regeneration to up to 5 allies in the radius.
Arcane Shield: Reduced the maximum number of targets on the blast to 5. Fixed a bug that caused the skill to not deal damage when underwater.
Signet of Restoration: Removed the split on this skill so that the signet passive heal amount will be increased in PvP to match the current PvE amount.
Armor of Earth: Reduced the recharge from 90 seconds to 75 seconds.
Fiery Greatsword:
- Conjure Fiery Greatsword: Added a skill fact for number of targets: 3.
- Fiery Rush: This skill now aborts if Shadowstep or Teleport is used.
- Fiery Eruption: Added a skill fact for number of targets: 10.
- Firestorm: Added a skill fact for number of targets: 10.
Cleansing Water: This trait no longer has an internal cooldown while in PvP.
Static Field: Fixed a bug that allowed players to block the lightning field.
Tempest Defense: Fixed a bug that prevented this trait from activating when an elementalist was hit by basilisk venom.
Glyph of Elemental Power: Added a skill fact to indicate the recharge when the skill triggers its effect.
Tornado: Fixed a bug that caused the area effect ring to persist if the player exited the skill early.
Ice Spike: Fixed a bug that allowed the spell effects to continue even if the skill was canceled early.
Dragon's Tooth: Fixed a bug that allowed the spell effects to continue even if the skill was canceled early.
Eruption: Fixed a bug that allowed the spell effects to continue even if the skill was canceled early.
Earth Shield:
- Magnetic Shield: Added a skill fact for number of targets: 3.
Flamewall: Increased the number of targets from 4 to 5. Added a skill fact for number of targets: 5.
Lava Font: Added a skill fact for radius: 120.
Meteor Shower: Updated the skill fact to display the increased endurance regeneration while the player has the Zephyr’s Focus trait. Added a red ring to indicate area of effect for enemy players. Added a white ring for allied players.
Lightning Cage: Added an unblockable skill fact.
Lightning Hammer:
- Lightning Storm: Added a skill fact for number of impacts. Updated the description of this skill to be more accurate.
Cleansing Wave: Updated the skill fact for number of targets to display the correct number of targets.
Ice Globe: Fixed a bug in which this skill’s explosion could only hit a single target. Added a skill fact for number of targets: 5.
Signet of Fire: Added a precision increase skill fact.
Signet of Earth: Added a toughness increase skill fact.
Signet of Air: Added a movement speed increase skill fact.
Signet of Water: Added a conditions cured skill fact.

Engineer

Engineer Turrets: Fixed a bug causing all turrets to shoot slower than intended. Fixed a bug causing all turrets to have a larger hit box than intended.
Deployable Turrets:
- Fixed a bug in which engineers could activate overcharge skills before a turret finished deploying, wasting the skill and placing it on cooldown.
- Fixed a bug in which engineers could blow up their turrets before they finished deploying, dealing damage without destroying the turret.
- Fixed a bug in which turrets created with this trait were not benefitting from Rifled Turret Barrels.
Automatic Fire:
- Fixed a bug in which overcharging a turret with this skill would not increase its rate of fire.
- Updated the skill description to better communicate the skill’s effects.
Electrified Net: Removed an incorrect skill fact for rate of fire increase.
Net Turret: Reduced the cooldown on this turret’s basic attack from 13 seconds to 10 seconds. Decreased the immobilize duration from 3 seconds to 2 seconds on the basic attack.
Rocket Turret: Changed this turret to allow it to benefit from traits that improve explosives.
Explosive Rockets: Updated the duration skill fact to correctly display 4 seconds.
Slick Shoes:
- Fixed a bug that caused this skill to have a 30% reduced recharge when traited with Speedy Gadgets.
- Added an unblockable skill fact.
- Updated the oil slick skill fact to display the correct duration.
Poison Grenade: Reduced the poison duration per pulse from 5 seconds to 3 seconds.
Box of Nails: Reduced the cast time from 1 second to .75 seconds. Added an unblockable skill fact.
Box of Piranhas: Reduced the cast time from 1 second to .75 seconds.
A.E.D.: Reduced the cast time from 1 second to .75 seconds.
Automated Response: The health threshold of this trait has been increased from 25% to 33%. Condition duration reduction has been reduced from 100% to 50%.
Rocket: Changed this skill to allow it to benefit from traits that enhance explosive attacks.
Timed Charge: Changed this skill to allow it to benefit from traits that enhance explosive attacks.
Autodefense Bomb Dispenser: Fixed a bug that caused the smoke field from this skill to be visually displayed before it took effect.
Grenade Kit:
- Fixed a bug that caused grenades to explode twice before being destroyed when used under water.
- Added a skill fact for number of grenades to all grenade skills.
- Fixed a bug that sometimes prevented grenades from having any effect if they directly hit certain destructible structures.
- Updated the description of this skill to be more accurate.
Blowtorch: Added a skill fact for distance scaling.
Blunderbuss: Added a skill fact for distance scaling.
Fire Bomb: Added a skill fact for number of pulses.
Smoke Bomb: Added a skill fact for number of pulses.
Magnet: Added an unblockable skill fact.
Mortar: Added a stability skill fact. Fixed a bug that prevented mortar shots from having any effect if they directly hit certain destructible structures.
Mine Field:
- Added a vulnerability skill fact when the player has the Steel-Packed Powder trait.
- Fixed a bug that prevented trait points in the Tools line from lowering the cooldown of this skill. Added a skill fact to indicate boon removal.
Throw Mine: Added a vulnerability skill fact when the player has the Steel-Packed Powder trait. Updated the size of the ground-targeting reticle to match the size of the explosion.
Toss Elixir R: Updated the underwater skill facts to display correctly. Added a skill fact for conditions removed: 1.
Toss Elixir C: Added a radius skill fact. Updated the skill fact to display the correct number of conditions converted into boons. Updated the description of this skill to be more accurate.
Toss Elixir S: Removed the chance to gain stability when using this skill under water, making the underwater functionality of this skill the same as the above-water functionality.
Throw Napalm: Added a skill fact for combo field: fire.
Acid Bomb:
- Added a skill fact for jump distance: 550.
- Removed a duplicate strike damage skill fact.
Homing Torpedo: Added a radius skill fact.
Throw Junk: Updated the damage skill fact to scale with the Always Prepared trait.
Grappling Line: Updated the damage skill fact to scale with the Always Prepared trait.
Booby Trap: Updated the damage skill fact to scale with the Always Prepared trait.
Reserve Mines: Added a fact to indicate this trait's boon removal functionality.
Elixir S: Fixed a bug that caused the skill facts to be displayed incorrectly when traited with Fast-Acting Elixirs.
Elixir X: Fixed a bug in which players would remain in plague or rampage form after entering or exiting water.
Steel-Packed Powder: Fixed a bug that would add a skill fact for vulnerability to thrown elixir skills when players did not have the Acidic Elixirs trait.
Drop Antidote: Added a skill fact for number of conditions removed: 1. Updated the description of this skill to be more accurate.
Toss Elixir:
- Fixed a bug that would prevent these skills from having any effect when thrown against certain destructible structures.
- Fixed a bug that caused the above water and underwater versions of these skills to have separate cooldowns.
Explosive Shot: Renamed this skill to Fragmentation Shot to clarify that this skill is not affected by traits that enhance explosions.

Guardian

Searing Flames: This trait now activates only if the target has a boon on them.
Vigorous Precision: Increased the recharge from 5 seconds to 10 seconds.
Healing Breeze: This skill has been rescaled so that the guardian receives 50% of the heal up front, and the remaining healing is distributed over 5 ticks to the caster and up to 5 allies in the cone’s radius.
Litany of Wrath: Reduced the cast time from 1 second to .75 seconds.
Zealot’s Flame: Updated the skill fact to correctly display the burning duration. Fixed a bug that caused burning to be applied twice when activated.
Sanctuary: Updated the skill fact to display the correct healing amount.
Hallowed Ground: Updated the skill fact to better communicate how the skill works.
Merciful Intervention: Added a radius skill fact.
Shield of the Avenger: Updated the skill description to better communicate the skill's effects.
Smite Condition: Fixed a bug that caused this skill to occasionally damage enemies outside of its radius.

Mesmer

Illusions X--Phantasmal Haste: Fixed a bug that caused the illusions created by Illusionary Mariner, Phantasmal Berserker, Phantasmal Swordsman, and Phantasmal Warden to be unaffected by this trait.
Phantasmal Warden: Fixed a bug that caused this skill to go on cooldown without being cast. Fixed an issue in which the warden would be in range of an enemy but not begin attacking.
Masterful Reflection: Fixed a bug that prevented the player from gaining reflection when they gained distortion from activating signets.
The Prestige: Fixed a bug causing the radius on the blind condition to be smaller than intended.
Time Warp: Fixed a bug that caused the skill to enter cooldown twice.
Critical Infusion: Increased the recharge from 5 seconds to 10 seconds.
Halting Strike: Fixed a bug that occasionally caused this trait to instantly kill targets.
Illusion of Drowning: Changed the skill from multi-hit to single-hit, increasing damage to compensate. Updated the skill fact to reflect this.
Illusion of Life:
- Fixed a bug that would reset the cooldown for this skill when Far-Reaching Manipulations was equipped.
- Fixed a bug in which the skill would count the player as one of the max targets.
- Added a skill fact for number of targets: 3.
Arcane Thievery: Fixed a bug that would reset the cooldown for this skill when Far-Reaching Manipulations was equipped.
Illusionary Mariner: Added a skill fact for number of hits.
Mind Spike: Updated the skill facts to correctly display the number of boons removed: 1.
Phantasmal Disenchanter: Added skills facts for boons removed and conditions removed. Added a skill fact for number of bounces: 5.
Portal Entre/Exeunt: Added a range threshold skill fact.

Necromancer

Reanimator: This trait has been merged into Death Nova.
New Adept Minor Trait--Armored Shroud: Gain bonus toughness while in death shroud.
Protection of the Horde: This trait has been merged into Flesh of the Master.
New Master Minor Trait--Soul Comprehension: Increases the passive life force generation from nearby deaths.
Plague Signet: The activation of this signet will now transfer blind, instead of causing the skill to miss.
Reaper's Touch: This skill no longer uses a longer casting animation when traited with Spiteful Talisman. Updated the skill fact to indicate the correct regeneration duration (5 seconds).
Vampiric Master: Reduced the effectiveness of this trait by 10%. The healing portion of this trait will now scale with the necromancer's healing power stat.
Reaper's Mark: This skill no longer has a reduced cast time when traited with Greater Marks.
Death Shroud: Fixed a bug that caused necromancer skills to be locked for 1 second after exiting death shroud. Removed old text from this skill’s description stating that entering Death Shroud removes spectral effects.
Lich Form: Fixed a bug in which entering Lich Form would not remove all of the effects of Spectral Walk. Fixed a bug in which this skill would occasionally go on full cooldown after being interrupted.
Quickening Thirst: Fixed a bug in which this trait would not activate if a player only had a dagger in their off-hand.
Blood to Power: Fixed a bug in which this trait would not correctly update the player’s power stat.
Death Nova: Fixed a bug that prevented this trait from properly activating when a player is down.
Putrid Explosion: This skill is no longer unblockable.
Training of the Master: Reduced the damage increase to minions from 30% to 25%.
Dhuumfire: This trait has been changed so that it will make Life Blast inflict 3 seconds of burning with a 10-second recharge. This trait is no longer split between PvP and PvE.
Plague: Fixed a bug that caused the ring effect to persist on the player if they exited the skill early.
Signet of Vampirism: Fixed a bug that caused downed players to be immune to the signet.
Corrosive Poison Cloud: Added an unblockable skill fact.
Chilling Wind: Added a skill fact for number of targets: 3.
Tainted Shackles: Added a skill fact for immobilize. Added a duration skill fact.
Putrid Mark: Added a skill fact for number of conditions removed.
Marks: Added a blast radius skill fact to all marks on the staff weapon (4 total).
Deadly Feast: Added skill facts for duration and number of impacts.
Locust Swarm: Added skill facts for duration and number of impacts.
Signet Mastery: Added might skill facts to all necromancer signet skills while this trait is equipped.
Life Siphon: Updated the skill fact to scale correctly with healing power.
Life Leech: Updated the skill fact to scale correctly with healing power.
Blood Is Power: Fixed a bug that prevented this skill’s self-bleed from activating if the necromancer had no target.

Ranger

Pet responsiveness updates:
- F2 command: Pets will now immediately begin using these skills as soon as they are commanded to do so.
- Attack command: This skill will now break the pet out of its current skill and cause the pet to immediately attack the intended target.
- Pets no longer have an initialization time after being summoned, where they would stand around doing nothing.
- A fix was made so that spamming pet commands will no longer cause the pet to freeze and do nothing.
- Ranger pets will now reengage in combat if players toggle their mode from passive to guard while in combat.
Pet updates:
- Armor Fish:
  - Protection: Updated the duration of the protection skill fact to correctly display 10 seconds.
- Snow Leopard:
  - Icy Pounce: Fixed a bug causing the chilled effect to be applied four times instead of twice, as originally intended.
- Lashtail Devourer:
  - Lashtail Venom: Updated the description of the buff applied by this skill to correctly state that the player’s next two attacks will stun their victims.
Keen Edge: This trait is now classified as a Survival skill. Fixed a bug that caused the trait to trigger at 50% health rather than the indicated 75%.
Lightning Reflexes: This skill now removes immobilize.
Hunter's Call: Fixed a bug that caused the hawks summoned by this skill to become obstructed if line of sight was broken between the player and their target.
Call of the Wild: Fixed a bug that caused pets to think that using this skill was a hostile action.
Flame Trap: Fixed a bug so that the combo field radius would properly increase when the Trapper's Expertise trait is equipped.
Frost Trap: Fixed a bug so that the combo field radius would properly increase when the Trapper's Expertise trait is equipped.
Trapper’s Expertise: Fixed a bug in which thrown traps would not work when placed on certain buildings.
Empathic Bond: Fixed a bug so conditions will only be transferred when the pet is alive.
Spirit of Nature: Reduced the healing per second while summoned from 480 to 320.
Viper's Nest: This skill is now a poison combo field.
Sun Spirit: Fixed a bug that caused the spirit to have a 3-second base burn when triggered by a projectile.
Concentration Training: Added a combat only skill fact.
Compassion Training: Added a combat only skill fact.
Expertise Training: Added a combat only skill fact.
Malicious Training: Added a combat only skill fact.
Pet’s Prowess: Added a combat only skill fact.
Man O’ War: Updated the skill fact to display the correct number of attacks.
"Guard": Updated the skill description to better reflect the duration of buffs. Updated the skill description to better reflect the skill’s behavior.
"Search and Rescue": Added a range skill fact.
Muddy Terrain: Added skill facts for number of targets (5) and radius (240).
Stone Spirit: Added a skill fact for number of targets (3) to the spirit's Quicksand skill.
Splinter Shot: Added a skill fact for number of targets: 5.
Whirling Defense: Added a skill fact for number of targets: 3.
Mercy Shot: Updated the skill facts to correctly display the bonus damage for shooting wounded targets.
Feeding Frenzy: Added a radius skill fact. Updated the damage skill fact to display the correct number of attacks.
Nature's Bounty: This trait now displays the regeneration duration increase on tooltips.
Furious Grip: This trait has been updated to display the correct duration of fury (5-second base).
Storm Spirit: Updated the spirit’s buff description to better reflect the buff’s behavior.
Hide in Plain Sight: Updated the trait description to correctly reference being knocked back instead of pushed back.
Healing Spring: Fixed a bug in which the regeneration skill fact would not turn blue when affected by Nature's Bounty.
Entangle: Updated the hit box of the vines to better reflect their appearance.

Thief

Fixed an issue in which initiative would occasionally be removed during the resurrection process.
Smoke Screen: Fixed a bug that sometimes caused this skill to appear at the target’s position instead of the player’s position.
Steal: Fixed a bug in which this skill would be obstructed after shadowstepping to the target if there was an obstacle between the thief and the target upon activation.
Basilisk Venom: Fixed an issue that caused the target to interrupt themselves, instead of the thief being the source of the interrupt.
Pistol Whip:
- This skill has been split between PvP and PvE. It will now cost 6 initiative in PvP, while maintaining a 5 initiative cost in PvE.
- Updated the skill facts to show the bonus damage from Combined Training.
- Added an evasion skill fact.
Disabling Shot (Shortbow):
- Reduced the length of this skill’s evasion component from 100% of the skill’s duration to 64% of the skill’s duration--an overall reduction of .3 seconds.
- Evasion is still applied immediately upon using the skill.
- Fixed an issue that caused the player to stop moving momentarily when using this skill on opponents behind the thief.
Backstab: Updated the skill fact to display the correct damage amount with Dagger Training.
Black Powder: Added a radius skill fact (120).
Signet of Agility: Updated the skill fact to display the correct amount of precision gained.
Signet of Malice: Added a might boon skill fact when the player has the Signets of Power trait.
Shadow Refuge: Updated the skill fact to display the correct healing amount.
Choking Gas: Reduced the poison per pulse from 5 seconds to 3 seconds. Added a weakness skill fact when traited with Lotus Poison.
Cloaked in Shadow: Fixed a bug in which this trait would blind enemies while the thief was already stealthed.
Venomous Knife: Updated the poison skill fact to scale with the Potent Poison trait.
Escape: Updated the poison skill fact to scale with the Potent Poison trait.
Exploding Venom Sack: Updated the poison skill fact to scale with the Potent Poison trait.
Rusty Scrap Strike: Updated the poison skill fact to scale with the Potent Poison trait.
Throw Scale: Updated the poison skill fact to scale with the Potent Poison trait.
Whirling Axe: Fixed a bug in which this skill would interact with combo fields incorrectly.
Tripwire: Added strike, cripple, and knock down skill facts.
Twisting Fangs: Updated the skill facts to show damage from multiple hits.
Flanking Strike (Dual): Updated the skill facts to show the bonus damage from Combined Training.
Stab (Dual): Updated the skill facts to show the bonus damage from Combined Training.
Shadow Strike: Updated the damage skill fact for the second strike to display the correct damage amount.
Infiltrator’s Arrow: Added a skill fact for number of targets: 3.

Warrior

Rampage: Fixed a bug in which players would remain in this transformation under water, preventing the use of any skills.
Arcing Shot: The damage of this skill has been reduced by 15%. Fixed a bug with the skill's damage fact that displayed a much lower damage amount when traited with Burning Arrows.
Impale (Sword):
- The time this skill is active has been reduced from 10 seconds to 4 seconds.
- Torment is now applied every second that the skill is active, rather than every 3 seconds.
- Reduced the number of torment stacks when the missile hits from 2 to 1 to compensate for the increase in pulses, so that the number of stacks remains the same.
- This skill will no longer fire at enemies behind the warrior.
Merciless Hammer: Damage to stunned and knocked down foes has been decreased from 25% to 20%.
Shrug It Off: Fixed a bug in which this trait required two conditions to trigger.
Deep Strike: Fixed a bug that caused bonus precision to be calculated incorrectly.
Building Momentum: This trait now correctly awards 15% endurance on using skills. Fixed a bug that caused this trait to grant additional condition duration to the warrior.
Adrenal Health: Updated the trait fact to scale with healing power.
Kick: This skill now correctly functions with Mobile Strikes.
Dogged March: Added a cooldown trait fact.
Charge: Fixed the range skill fact to correctly display radius instead (1200).
Rending Strikes: This trait now displays the amount of vulnerability it applies.
Healing Signet: Reduced the passive heal by 8%.
Pin Down: Added a new warm-up effect. Increased the cast time from .25 seconds to .75 seconds.
Battle Standard: Renamed the Warbanner this skill summons to Battle Standard in order to keep it consistent with the skill's name and description.
Whirling Axe: Fixed a bug in which this skill would interact with combo fields incorrectly. Fixed a bug in which duplicate skill facts would be displayed when mousing over this skill.