Actually really glad it's getting a damage nerf.

From PTS Notes about Snipe: "Increased the travel speed of the arrow to put it in line with other projectiles."

How does this work/look now?

This is one of the two biggest eyerolls on the whole patch. Snipe is one of the easiest abilities to avoid.

This is just feeding the crybabies who don't want to adjust their builds.

likecats wrote: »

"Removed the 200ms post global cooldown from cast time abilities."

So basically, 0.1 + 0.2s = 0.3s reduction.

Kind of a buff actually.

Proportionally, a 1.3s total cast time reduced to 1s is a total change of 32.5% dps, with a net gain of 12.5% dps before the increase in projectile travel time.

If the projectile travel time is increased by 1.25 seconds than the first shot would be equal dps to current. All subsequent spammed shots would see an increase of 12.5% dps, as the time between hits would be shorter (assuming the target's distance remains the same).

So it will take more shots, but hits will be in more rapid succession. So overall this is actually an increase to casting cost, rather than a decrease to damage, since every 4 seconds~ (3.9 seconds) you are now making an extra cast.

So ignoring the initial extra projectile travel time, you are paying the cost of one extra snipe for a 12.5% dps bonus. HOWEVER, it is a shift from burst oriented damage, to dps -- this affects how it compounds with other bonuses that typically compliment snipe. In practice, you will see an overall decrease in damage for reasons I won't discuss here in build implementation.

In practice this also makes it easier to dodge, since the initial burst will hit more slowly, and the impact of subsequent hits will be absorbed by an initial dodge, where before they may not have been because of a longer cast time.

If there is an error in my logic please let me know.

GrumpyDuckling wrote: »

From PTS Notes about Snipe: "Increased the travel speed of the arrow to put it in line with other projectiles."

How does this work/look now?

So to answer this question projectile travel time adjusted proportionally to dps on the first hit would be 1.25s. So if it is lower then the initial hit would see a positive dps affect, and if it is higher than it would see a deficit - but all subsequent hits in a spam chain would sit at a 12.5% base skill dps increase with a total spam casting cost increase of 25% over 4 seconds of spam.

Now if you calculate damage as a proportion of casting cost, then in that regard, it is a damage nerf.

Again, to reiterate, because this change has subverted the burst nature of snipe to shift toward dps, the overall dps of snipe will go down.

Mathed.

Pallio wrote: »

Snipe change says reduction in shot time, 1 sec from 1.1. With this change snipe is losing 25% dmg? Shoots 10% faster, with 25% less dmg.. what?

Really what we need to be praising about this change is the removal of major defile from Lethal Arrow!! Really need to thank the Nine for that one!

The dps to a pve bow build is a 3k dps nerf. 10 parses with live build on a stam sorc. So to appease the pvp community by making the skill do 25% less damage they have also killed all but warden bow builds again as no class other than warden has a ranged spamable. For you pvpers that are about to say just use crushing, just don't it sucks for bow builds with it's clunky animation, as well as being even less dps than the reduced lethal. To ZOS congratulations on fixing a pvp problem (which I fully agree was a major problem) by killing off bows once again if you don't fix this.

Bladerunner1 wrote: »

Snipe:
Reduced the cast time of this ability and its morphs to 1 second from 1.1 seconds.
Reduced the damage dealt by 25% to make up for the removal of the post global noted earlier.
Increased the travel speed of the arrow to put it in line with other projectiles.
Lethal Arrow (morph): This morph now applies Minor Defile, rather than Major Defile. This was done since the morph already has another bonus, the guaranteed chance to apply the Poisoned status effect.
Focused Aim (morph): This morph no longer increases the range in which your allies can hit the target. Instead, it reduces the cost by 5% and increases the range by 5 meters. Note that Minor Fracture remains.

I tried this on the PTS. If you weave light attacks it's not any faster than on live. It still takes about 1.3-1.4 seconds to weave light attacks between applications of focused aim.


Light attack weaving with Focused Aim


Spam with Focused Aim

At the base value it's actually higher dps to not weave light attacks and just spam focused aim, which happens around every 1.1 seconds at it's fastest, not 1 second.

Just quoting myself since now I've got the comparison to live:


Light attack weaving with Focused Aim, 1.3-1.4 seconds on live, compared to 1.3-1.4 seconds on the PTS.


Spam with Focused Aim, 1.2-1.3 seconds on live, compared to 1.1 seconds on PTS

At the base value, it's much better DPS to weave light attacks on live. The PTS is probably bugged.

Katahdin wrote: »

1/10th of a second faster cast time.....big Farking deal. Like thats going to do anything to compensate for a 25% reduction in damage.

Just made snipe totally useless because the babies cried

Magplars feel your pain, friend.

GrumpyDuckling wrote: »

From PTS Notes about Snipe: "Increased the travel speed of the arrow to put it in line with other projectiles."

How does this work/look now?

I've heard its just as bad if not worse than it is on live.

with them removing the reflect ability from my DK's wings, I for one welcome the snipe nerf.

I want snipe nerfed even more but ill take what take what i can get