Pipe Dreams: Chemist

[MartaDemireux]

I like your idea but I would like to see a more typical use of Mix in a Chemist job. Not so much as using it for direct heals/damage, but in prepping for other abilities.

For example: Using Mix could pop up 3 vials that have the speed of mudras. Each of your proposed Catalyst effects could be achieved by mixing the proper 2 vials together (1+2 for healing boost, 1+3 for damage boost, 2+3 for support boost). Catalysts could have 3 tiers so that you can store them for future uses mid battle or during downtime. Catalyst buttons could switch to vial buttons after pressing Mix to prevent bloat (like DNC steps do). Make the DoTs do more damage to account for more time mixing and less time nuking.

I feel like CHM should be more busy than current SCH but less busy than current AST with liberal use of oGCDs due to mixing and using catalysts.

[Duelle]

I like your idea but I would like to see a more typical use of Mix in a Chemist job. Not so much as using it for direct heals/damage, but in prepping for other abilities.

For example: Using Mix could pop up 3 vials that have the speed of mudras. Each of your proposed Catalyst effects could be achieved by mixing the proper 2 vials together (1+2 for healing boost, 1+3 for damage boost, 2+3 for support boost). Catalysts could have 3 tiers so that you can store them for future uses mid battle or during downtime. Catalyst buttons could switch to vial buttons after pressing Mix to prevent bloat (like DNC steps do).

There's a couple of issues I have with what you're suggesting. First that it sort of makes Catalyst as currently written pointless. One of the reasons Catalyst exists is to allow access to a quick oGDC heal (hence why it can react to Chemical Residue and said reaction heals for the equivalent of a Basic Potion) without having to burn Emergency Potion/Emergency Ampoule. It's also why I gave it 3 charges by the time CHM hits the level cap.

Second, separating the different reactions into separate Catalysts would involve more buttons to press, which personally I am not fond of. You'd need to split the Catalyst button into Healing Catalyst (this would be the 400 potency heal that reacts to Chemical Residue), Kinetic Catalyst (this would be the buff duration increase for Lifewater and Invigorator's effects), and Volatile Catalyst (to deal damage on targets under the effect of Poison or Bottled Fire/Inferno).

That said, I'm willing to consider your suggestion, but will have to make a couple of tweaks:

30 Mix (active for 10s. allows use of Abilities but not chemicals)
30 Healing Catalyst (triggers Chemical Residue)
30 Volatile Catalyst (triggers Poison & Bottled Fire/Inferno)
45 Kinetic Catalyst (triggers Lifewater & Invigorator)

When Mix is activated, Healing, Volatile and Kinetic Catalysts turn into Solutions Alpha, Beta and Gamma, which can be mixed in a certain order to create the catalysts. Mix has a 20s recast, so you have to decide which Catalyst you want to make, though you can save one of each until a later level (TBD) that allows you to store two of each catalyst for future use. Using these solutions to make catalysts increases the By-product Gauge by a higher percentage than your usual potions.

This would grant CHM access to the extra effects from the original Catalyst ability, adds Mix and increases By-product generation when used. Thoughts? (note: I've added a slightly better breakdown in my write-up under Discourse Topics)

Make the DoTs do more damage to account for more time mixing and less time nuking.

I don't think this is necessary, as I'd like the pace of Mix to be around the same amount of time AST spends on the cards. If the paradigm/design for healers changes, I am willing to come back and reconsider this.