RDM: Acceleration and Impact

[PrismaticDaybreak]

It's only pretty because you don't use it often, if we use it all the time it's gonna get as annoying as SAMs midare

[Isrea]

Okay think of it like this, before you can cast Impact, you have a chance to go 100% (an outlier yes, but for the sake of argument) without procs meaning you would only be able to do 540 potency per 2 gcds instead of 570, over the course of a standard fight it's a substantial potency loss. Over the course of a minute it's about 360 or so potency. Impact means that for a minimum of 50% of the fight you get the extra 30 potency and 1 additional mana for each element (to a total of 8 mana generated vs the 9 from stone/fire). Meaning it's your damage insurance in the case that you're unlucky, reducing RDMs dependence on RNG up to that point. It's fine, doesn't need to be changed.

In terms of Impact's effect on dps numbers it doesn't need to be changed, but as it is right now it really should be a "your next Jolt II does 30 more potency" proc. In it's current iteration there are some niche reasons to cast Impact over a VerReady spell, but there is absolutely no reason to cast Jolt II over impact. If it were a random proc chance you'd have to react to it, if it were instant cast (but still proced dualcast) it could be worth holding on to for movement, if it gave some sort of buff it might be worth timing it for buff up time... As it is Impact adds no gameplay or meaningful decisions over it being a +30 potency proc or simply adding 15 base potency to Jolt II. It is the epitome of pointless button bloat.

[Meng_Qing]

Turn impact into an AOE? Both scatter and jolt procs it?

It looks like it'll be an AOE with the animation.

[Trespar]

I'd give RDM a trait that adds the additional effects of Impact(+30 potency +1 B/W mana) to the next Jolt, rather than replacing Jolt with Impact, this would be to prevent Impact from failing if cast with too little time on the buff.
If the buff expires, you'd simply cast Jolt II at 240 potency and 3 B/W mana. If cast with, it's Jolt II at 270 potency and 4 B/W mana.

And change Impact to always be active and instead have a 5 sec cast time, and have 120-150 aoe potency.
This to spice up our aoe, because just spamming Scatter doesn't feel like it fits with the spirit of the job.

If necessary, take some of Scatter's potency to keep our aoe potency same as before.

About Acceleration, maybe it could cut down the global cooldown on whatever next skill you cast with Dualcast in addition to its usual effects?
Say that it lowers the gcd by 1 second, you'd get a Jolt(2.5s gcd) into an instant, but 1.5s gcd Verthunder.

Personally I don't think Acceleration needs changing, though.
But something like that could be somewhat interesting at least.

However, Impact is probably my least favorite skill in the RDM repertoire, because it just feels like unecessary clutter, and I like the idea of completely redesigning it to have it spice up our aoe, and retain the neat animation.
Its animation being as flashy as it is, fits aoe much better, anyway.

I don't know how others experience it, but in a single target situation, its animation is actually kind of distracting in a way.

[MelvinK]

What i think is impact could be very well be introduced as a high ceiling skill, where player ability to use the proc instead of wasting set themselves apart as better player. One of the way of doing this has to be by nerfing veraero/verthunder or even the verfire/verstone and add a more signficant buff attached to impact maybe next 10sec damage % increased or +50% to next spell potency. This will not be a popular move as im sure even my suggestion here will get bombarded by objections but this is the only way i see to make us want to cast impact while maintaing current DPS potential.

[PrismaticDaybreak]

suggestion

Okay... you don't nerf the core kit to improve the functionality of a simple filler replacement spell. @Isrea try casting Impact every time you don't have the both ready procs available, you'll use it every time and your mana won't become unbalanced and you might even get ahead of the predicted sword combo timer of about 40 seconds between combos (excluding scenarios where Manafication is available). Source: I do it myself and it's fairly effective and very few procs get wasted outside of unavoidable scenarios.

[Isrea]

Okay... you don't nerf the core kit to improve the functionality of a simple filler replacement spell. @Isrea try casting Impact every time you don't have the both ready procs available, you'll use it every time and your mana won't become unbalanced and you might even get ahead of the predicted sword combo timer of about 40 seconds between combos (excluding scenarios where Manafication is available). Source: I do it myself and it's fairly effective and very few procs get wasted outside of unavoidable scenarios.

I think you may have misread my post... I agree with you, there are times where it is worth casting Impact while you have a VerReady proc, that's not the problem. I'm saying that for Impact to be worth existing as a separate button/spell from Jolt II there needs to be some sort of situation where it is beneficial to cast Jolt II while you have an impact proc. As is, Impact is literally just an extra button for the sake having an extra button. Imagine if as a Paladin, after every combo where you start with Fast Blade you could start you next combo with Quick Blade or something and do the exact same combo for a little more potency... it would be the same thing as Impact is now. Completely pointless.

[PrismaticDaybreak]

I mean... that's more a QoL thing than anything, they could easily make it a flip skill like in PvP.