Several Ultimate Change Ideas
Goldtistic
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I've been thinking about how boring and lackluster Ultimate abilities are in this game sometimes, and the lopsided power balance between some morphs. Many ultimates are also just massively overperforming in either PvE or PvP (CORROSIVE!!!) and probably deserve a total overhaul to their core function than a simple number shift. I'll go over every ulti and try to justify things that weren't/were changed.
DK
-Dragon Leap: I don't think either morphs need change, they fulfill their roles adequately and are a popular and pretty balanced option.
- Dragonknight Standard:
-Standard of Might: It's actually pretty good, don't think it needs a change.
-Shifting Standard: Extremely niche, I think instead of having to recast they could shorten it to 20s~ and have it be worn on the DK's back, like a bannerman. Maybe drop the Defile and give it a more heal focused approach?
- Magma Armor: Instead of a self-applied coat of armor, I think I'd like to see a location-based dome of cover that protects from ranged attacks and snares enemies inside.
-Magma Shell: Upgrade of the Magma Armor idea, a ground based AoE similar to Negate Magic in size. This morph would take the 100% of max hp damage shield and split it as a stacking, refreshing shield over the 10 second duration, meaning you get a stacking damage shield that gives 10% of your max hp every second while you're within the cover.
-Corrosive Armor: A more team focused and balanced approach, this morph would still take on the original idea with a coating of armor that limits damage to 3% of your max hp. The biggest change that I think would be healthy is the removal of the ability to ignore all armor, and instead to generate a damaging aura around 4 or 5 meters around the caster that reduces armor by a stacking amount as a debuff when damaged. As an example, it would apply a unique debuff "Corroded Armor" that reduces armor by 2,000 per stack, with a stack being added every time the enemy takes damage from the armor DoT. This would emphasize a close quarters combat style but also stop dragonknights from having immediate access to 14k burst whips. It would also serve well in PvE to debuff the armor of an entire group of enemies.
Templar
-Nova: Both morphs are pretty ok and have their uses.
-Rite of Passage: Again, both morphs are good and the recent change to Practiced Incantation certainly spices up the choices.
Radial Sweep:
-Crescent Sweep: Identifying, basic, cheap, and powerful. All around good.
-Empowering Sweep: Underused since hybridization, and the duration of Empower is pretty useless when you can use Solar Barrage or consider the changes to Empower in Update 35. I think I'd like to see it instead become a separate unique entity from the sweeps, and instead be a more long range, charged gap closer. I would personally go for a sort of "aerial/teleport" attack approach with it, selecting a lock on target up to 28 meters away then casting for 1 second, and you would see your character fly up with a spear and land on the target, dealing damage and stunning them if the ultimate used surpasses a certain amount. Rename it to Judgement Flight, or something.
Nightblade
-Death Stroke and morphs: Performing well, and each morph has it's use with the slotted passives. Changing them would be nothing but a pointless hit to nightblades.
-Consuming Darkness: Do people actually use this? It sucks in PvE because it drops aggro from monsters and causes them to either attack teammates or completely reset. The major protection as nice as it is would really only benefit tanks mostly, as they take the majority of damage. However, major protection comes from slotting flare! I think the entire concept needs to be re-thought, as teamwide invis synergy usually is just a wrench in the flow of combat as you randomly gain a massive amount of speed and go invis on accident when someone uses it. I have no ideas for it, but it seriously needs to be redone.
-Soul Shred and morphs: Soul Tether is integral to bombing and performs nicely, and Soul Siphon despite being a bit weird to run is an incredible burst heal. Maybe finally remove the cast time that makes it awkward to use?
Sorcerer
-Storm Atronach
-Greater Storm Atronach: Update 35 changes are already balancing it out, with a nice group berserk QoL too though.
-Charged Storm Atronach: It's such a meme. The AoE from a standstill pet is almost pointless when you realize once it kills the adds it's gonna have a bit of downtime. I would prefer they give up on the stationary aoe machine and instead give us a storm colossus. A Storm Colossus would perform similary to Flesh Colossus, but have it leave a more unique effect instead of just more Major Vulnerability. Perhaps a left over shock pool that makes allies within do 5/10% more shock damage for 10 seconds?
-Overload
-Power Overload: Performing nicely and often used as a burst parse starter due to how it functions, it also hits extremely hard in pvp. I think it defines the shock theme of sorcerer very well, the only thing I would smoothen out is the weird delay effect that the light attacks seem to have.
-Energy Overload: As good as resource return is, a weaker flavor of Overload just to get resources back feels... strange. Like a wasted opportunity for Sorcerer to have more team viability too. My main theme here is taken from the Volatic Overload mechanic in Cloudrest. Rename the ultimate to "Volatic Infusion", and have it be a situation where you begin to drain (x) ultimate to channel a conduit of electricity through yourself, becoming a source of damage and returning resources to yourself (and allies maybe?) every second while it's active. It would be a very active ultimate to play around, as you would regularly turn it on and off.
-Negate Magic and morphs: They do their job, not much to change here?
Warden
-Secluded Grove and morphs: They do well!
-Feral Guardian and morphs: I would like a shift in passives for Warden as a whole, for it to become a "Frost/Bleed" damage increase instead of Frost/Magic. Then I would change Eternal Guardian to do frost damage, just to line up with the whole ice master identity a bit more.
-Sleet Storm and morphs: Both of them are really, really ok. Permafrost is a nice snare that is unfortunately often countered by snare removal skills that are all too common in PvP though. Perhaps if one of them is found to be underperforming too much, they could change it to a remotely placeable Ice Storm that upon entering will begin to slowly pull people in towards the center whilst doing damage.
Necromancer
-Goliath and morphs: They both do ok, but I think Pummeling Goliath needs a bit of help since bashcros are mostly dead.
-Frozen Colossus
-Pestilent Colossus: Very common source of Major Vulnerability, I think it does it's job very well.
-Glacial Colossus: Another source of Major Vulnerability, but this one just... does less damage. I think maybe it should be made a bit more unique to be either a standing Flesh Atronach, or needs a massive damage increase and removal of Major Vulnerability to justify.
-Reanimate
-Renewing Animation: Strong panic button for resource return when the team is dead.
-Animate Blastbones: As fun as this morph is, it's a little strange and despite fitting thematically I think would be the one to be changed, if either were to be. My most controversial idea yet, a self-reviving safety net: Predictive Reanimation. You would cast it and it would tick down from 10 seconds. If you were to die within those 10 seconds, it would resurrect you after a short animation and allow you to get back into the fight, albeit with low resources due to having just revived. It's a risk reward factor, and a kind of panic button for necro tanks. You'd have to make the animation long enough and register as being dead to make sure it doesn't bypass any wipe mechanics though.
DK
-Dragon Leap: I don't think either morphs need change, they fulfill their roles adequately and are a popular and pretty balanced option.
- Dragonknight Standard:
-Standard of Might: It's actually pretty good, don't think it needs a change.
-Shifting Standard: Extremely niche, I think instead of having to recast they could shorten it to 20s~ and have it be worn on the DK's back, like a bannerman. Maybe drop the Defile and give it a more heal focused approach?
- Magma Armor: Instead of a self-applied coat of armor, I think I'd like to see a location-based dome of cover that protects from ranged attacks and snares enemies inside.
-Magma Shell: Upgrade of the Magma Armor idea, a ground based AoE similar to Negate Magic in size. This morph would take the 100% of max hp damage shield and split it as a stacking, refreshing shield over the 10 second duration, meaning you get a stacking damage shield that gives 10% of your max hp every second while you're within the cover.
-Corrosive Armor: A more team focused and balanced approach, this morph would still take on the original idea with a coating of armor that limits damage to 3% of your max hp. The biggest change that I think would be healthy is the removal of the ability to ignore all armor, and instead to generate a damaging aura around 4 or 5 meters around the caster that reduces armor by a stacking amount as a debuff when damaged. As an example, it would apply a unique debuff "Corroded Armor" that reduces armor by 2,000 per stack, with a stack being added every time the enemy takes damage from the armor DoT. This would emphasize a close quarters combat style but also stop dragonknights from having immediate access to 14k burst whips. It would also serve well in PvE to debuff the armor of an entire group of enemies.
Templar
-Nova: Both morphs are pretty ok and have their uses.
-Rite of Passage: Again, both morphs are good and the recent change to Practiced Incantation certainly spices up the choices.
Radial Sweep:
-Crescent Sweep: Identifying, basic, cheap, and powerful. All around good.
-Empowering Sweep: Underused since hybridization, and the duration of Empower is pretty useless when you can use Solar Barrage or consider the changes to Empower in Update 35. I think I'd like to see it instead become a separate unique entity from the sweeps, and instead be a more long range, charged gap closer. I would personally go for a sort of "aerial/teleport" attack approach with it, selecting a lock on target up to 28 meters away then casting for 1 second, and you would see your character fly up with a spear and land on the target, dealing damage and stunning them if the ultimate used surpasses a certain amount. Rename it to Judgement Flight, or something.
Nightblade
-Death Stroke and morphs: Performing well, and each morph has it's use with the slotted passives. Changing them would be nothing but a pointless hit to nightblades.
-Consuming Darkness: Do people actually use this? It sucks in PvE because it drops aggro from monsters and causes them to either attack teammates or completely reset. The major protection as nice as it is would really only benefit tanks mostly, as they take the majority of damage. However, major protection comes from slotting flare! I think the entire concept needs to be re-thought, as teamwide invis synergy usually is just a wrench in the flow of combat as you randomly gain a massive amount of speed and go invis on accident when someone uses it. I have no ideas for it, but it seriously needs to be redone.
-Soul Shred and morphs: Soul Tether is integral to bombing and performs nicely, and Soul Siphon despite being a bit weird to run is an incredible burst heal. Maybe finally remove the cast time that makes it awkward to use?
Sorcerer
-Storm Atronach
-Greater Storm Atronach: Update 35 changes are already balancing it out, with a nice group berserk QoL too though.
-Charged Storm Atronach: It's such a meme. The AoE from a standstill pet is almost pointless when you realize once it kills the adds it's gonna have a bit of downtime. I would prefer they give up on the stationary aoe machine and instead give us a storm colossus. A Storm Colossus would perform similary to Flesh Colossus, but have it leave a more unique effect instead of just more Major Vulnerability. Perhaps a left over shock pool that makes allies within do 5/10% more shock damage for 10 seconds?
-Overload
-Power Overload: Performing nicely and often used as a burst parse starter due to how it functions, it also hits extremely hard in pvp. I think it defines the shock theme of sorcerer very well, the only thing I would smoothen out is the weird delay effect that the light attacks seem to have.
-Energy Overload: As good as resource return is, a weaker flavor of Overload just to get resources back feels... strange. Like a wasted opportunity for Sorcerer to have more team viability too. My main theme here is taken from the Volatic Overload mechanic in Cloudrest. Rename the ultimate to "Volatic Infusion", and have it be a situation where you begin to drain (x) ultimate to channel a conduit of electricity through yourself, becoming a source of damage and returning resources to yourself (and allies maybe?) every second while it's active. It would be a very active ultimate to play around, as you would regularly turn it on and off.
-Negate Magic and morphs: They do their job, not much to change here?
Warden
-Secluded Grove and morphs: They do well!
-Feral Guardian and morphs: I would like a shift in passives for Warden as a whole, for it to become a "Frost/Bleed" damage increase instead of Frost/Magic. Then I would change Eternal Guardian to do frost damage, just to line up with the whole ice master identity a bit more.
-Sleet Storm and morphs: Both of them are really, really ok. Permafrost is a nice snare that is unfortunately often countered by snare removal skills that are all too common in PvP though. Perhaps if one of them is found to be underperforming too much, they could change it to a remotely placeable Ice Storm that upon entering will begin to slowly pull people in towards the center whilst doing damage.
Necromancer
-Goliath and morphs: They both do ok, but I think Pummeling Goliath needs a bit of help since bashcros are mostly dead.
-Frozen Colossus
-Pestilent Colossus: Very common source of Major Vulnerability, I think it does it's job very well.
-Glacial Colossus: Another source of Major Vulnerability, but this one just... does less damage. I think maybe it should be made a bit more unique to be either a standing Flesh Atronach, or needs a massive damage increase and removal of Major Vulnerability to justify.
-Reanimate
-Renewing Animation: Strong panic button for resource return when the team is dead.
-Animate Blastbones: As fun as this morph is, it's a little strange and despite fitting thematically I think would be the one to be changed, if either were to be. My most controversial idea yet, a self-reviving safety net: Predictive Reanimation. You would cast it and it would tick down from 10 seconds. If you were to die within those 10 seconds, it would resurrect you after a short animation and allow you to get back into the fight, albeit with low resources due to having just revived. It's a risk reward factor, and a kind of panic button for necro tanks. You'd have to make the animation long enough and register as being dead to make sure it doesn't bypass any wipe mechanics though.
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