Thread: DEV Request: WM & GB changes for 4.0

Seems like the bow/gun mage is here to stay, but I would like to propose some changes to them to make physical range feel more dynamic than the caster sets.

My idea: When WM/GB is activated Bard/MCh skills have the same cast time but the cast time is only activated by holding the icon/ holding corresponding button. Then when cast time is over the action is automatically executed even if user forgets to release the button. So if you want movement while attacking just click the icon/button like normal but if u want to use the WM/GB user must hold the button.
What do you think?


edit: User would only loser auto attack when holding the button/ charging up the attack

P.S. can we please change GB’s stance like you did WM

Originally Posted by Xlantaa

The Gauss Barrel was designed for the Machinist, and it works on machinist due to the nature of their combos (can be executed in movement). They copy-paste to bard, and destroy the bard. They should keep the machinist as is it, and change the bard one.

It is possibly true that MCH was designed around GB, but even if so that doesn't mean it was designed well. I personally don't think GB's added cast times really add anything fun to MCH from a gameplay point of view. I can definitely see GB adding cast times to especially high damage skills perhaps, but instead it ends up affecting our most used combo starter (split shot) and that can't be mitigated outside of Rapid Fire. It ends up feeling rather clunky.

Originally Posted by Xlantaa

The Gauss Barrel was designed for the Machinist, and it works on machinist due to the nature of their combos (can be executed in movement). They copy-paste to bard, and destroy the bard. They should keep the machinist as is it, and change the bard one.

I'm in the process of leveling Machnist too after having sub-mained Bard for several months just to see their differences, and this was exactly the first thing I observed upon unlocking Gauss Barrel. Bard's version in comparison to how it works for Machnist feels like a very poorly thought out copy-paste job that feels like a dev decision to nerf the class in terms of playing style more than anything actually reasonable. Especially since Gauss Barrel doesn't really clash with anything else in the Machnist skill set - if anything, it encourages people to use Quick Reload more intelligently to keep up their procs for more mobility and ease of use in weaving in off-GCDs, and maintaining earlier Machnist buffs and procs becomes even more important (especially Rapid Fire, which gained the additional effect of being able to ignore Gauss Barrel casting.)

But for Bard, Minuet hugely clashes with one of the major mechanics of the class, the Bloodletter/Rain of Death CD resets, to the point where Bards will often have unused Bloodletter/RoD resetting multiple times because they were already using something with a cast time. Minuet doesn't add ANYTHING for Bards playing-style wise besides Empreyal and Iron Jaws being locked behind Minuet, and that's really an essential limitation instead of something that's actually interesting. It doesn't even do anything to the songs. (The only earlier weaponskill that gains an additional effect under Minuet is Straight Shot if the Straighter Shot procs at a 20% rate, and that only lets you cast it while moving.)

I mean, the whole 'turning Bard from a mobile ranged DPS to a caster' is the least of my concerns, movement is hardly an issue with proper positioning anyway. It's mainly Minuet clashing with everything you use in the 51 levels prior to learning it, with nothing to mitigate how awkward your rotations suddenly become. It suddenly transforms the class into something completely different.

GB definitely "feels" better than WM does but SE didn't want brd's doing that whole being able to run and jump around while maintaining high dps with no penalty. That being said, I do believe that the main complaint I see (i.e. that brd goes from being a mobile dps to having a completely different playstyle after 52+ levels) is a perfectly valid one. I'd rather see them encourage brd to stay still a different way rather than using the whole cast time thing, especially since the cast time can interfere with Bloodletter/RoD procs.

But then the question comes to how can they make brd competitive dps wise while making them give up mobility? One thought is simply remove the ability for brd to attack while moving or if folks don't have an issue with borrowing something from WoW, WoW's marksmanship hunter has a passive called "Sniper Training" where you get a damage buff by standing still and not moving for three seconds and it stays as long as you're not moving, that passive gets stronger over time as you gear up also.