I really dislike how the developers are balancing the game's classes through gear sets/mythics instead of focusing on class abilities, passives, and their mutual interactions, especially now that we have class masteries.

for instance: a 15% damage bonus on a 5 piece set is massive it effectively forces anyone playing that archetype to use it, which kills build diversity. Yet, people don't seem to complain about it much even tough it has long-term consequences?

Designers could put more effort into meaningful balance by changing the core class design rather than pushing mandatory choices

Let’s please address the elephant in the room. Healers. Supports, yes, but then you didn’t need to say tanks as well. Keep healers relevant.

For class passives specifically make something for every class that is determined by overheal (not heal). Reading the passives as they have existed to this point makes me terrified that you will end up writing healers as a role out of optimized end game entirely. We already see it in dungeons and arenas, running 3 DPS and a tank because “why would we run a healer if DDs can self-sustain and then we get more damage”? We already see it in current end game optimization where it’s common to run 1 heal, 1 tank.

My concern is that as DDs become more self sufficient and less necessity is placed on healing as a concept, end game groups will eliminate healers entirely because everything they provide can be provided equally as well by a support DD with 1 or 2 heals if necessary.

Example: Major Courage. As a very important buff, this has probably been the single most important thing for keeping healers relevant in the game since the best source (SPC) procs on overheal for 12 party members, no cooldown, potential 100% uptime with someone who plays it well enough. Adding this buff to a single skill on a werewolf is an enormous slap in the face. Where there aren’t specific heal checks, an optimized team can run a werewolf for Major courage instead of a healer at all. While this hasn’t been an issue previously (people choosing banners or Zenas, or soul burst or Yolna for minor courage instead of a werewolf in group), that was because it would be a net loss of damage to run a werewolf. In this case, with the emotional support doggo replacing the healer, it ends up a net increase rather than loss, assuming other buffs can still be sourced elsewhere.

Currently, the only buff that can only be sourced through healing is minor toughness. With Major courage more easily sourceable outside of healing, there becomes very few reasons to run a designated healer as opposed to only running support DDs in much optimized 12 man content.

KEEP HEALERS RELEVANT.

The class passives are an excellent opportunity to do this, but only if you model them with this in mind rather than just your damage or even just supports as a whole. Make a reason for a healer to be there instead of removing the existing ones.

(Edited for autocorrect sabotaging spelling)

Normally, I would argue that a 1-bar build shouldn't be stronger than a 2-bar build, but I believe the werewolf is an exception.
First, the werewolf's abilities are fixed, unlike other 1-bar builds that allow for free skill selection. Therefore, the werewolf lacks many essential survival tools, such as barriers and cleanses.
Second, in werewolf form, the werewolf must withstand additional poison damage and suffer the negative effects of losing weapon passives.
Third, if a transformation occurs (reverting to human or becoming a werewolf), the player is completely unable to do anything during this time. Although the new werewolf transformation animation seems shorter, this period is still incredibly vulnerable, and werewolf players need to pay extra attention to and control their transformation time, requiring a higher level of skill compared to other 1-bar builds.


As for sorc mastery, I think simply adding a condition "when dealing direct or shock damage" would effectively prevent werewolves from abusing sorc mastery.

Put pets as a world line Conjuration and change Daedric summoning to something else on the sorc. Everyone gets their pets who wants them and the sorc isn’t handicapped by it. I wish for the day my main can run a high dps in content without them instead of beam spamming.