Work In Progress: Earth Balance

Hi all,

We will be fine-tuning the Earth powerset in the future to make sure it is in line with other powers in terms of balance. We expect to make changes as we can - not all at once - and will update this post as we do. We do not intend to make any visual effects changes.

Please post your recommendations and suggestions below!

You guys manage to impress me when I least expect it. Nice

Possible Changes to Earth:

• RumbleCrush: add option to fall from the Sky like Meteor or Ice Boulder
• Golem Blocking: Brick & Crystal Block when the caster blocks
• Damage Shift: Add Group Breakout ability in Tank Role
• Reinforce: Shifts Team member's damage to Golem if active instead of caster in Tank Role
• Crystal Golem: Add ranged attack that Crushes enemies, making them vulnerable to Crushing effects
• Totem: Increase Golem Healing in Tank role; Increase Damage Over Time in Damage role
• Striking Stones: Reduce Animation time
• Epicenter: Add Aftershock to increase Damage Absorption
• Upheaval: Reduce Animation time
• Localized Tremor: Add Unlimited Aftershocks like Jackhammer
• Unstoppable: Remove Damage component in Tank role so that it is Usable While Countered
• Gemstone Shield: Change to 100% Damage Prevention Shield; Aftershocks cause damage to nearby opponents
• Reduce Aftershock power cost

It's been so long since I was Earth that I forgot all the issues I had with it but I'll throw my 2 cents in anyway.

Couple of ideas:
I would like the see the power cost of aftershocks in DPS stance either removed or greatly reduced.
Brick and Crystal should unlock with one power point, kind of like the different versions of meteor
Upheaval animation and aftershocks should be sped up a notch + damaged increased
The power where you summon the two boulders and smash the enemies between them should apply the crushed PI

i hope eath keeps some focus on crushing loadout. everyones all precision and missing out on the dots. the meteor glitches so often though it stinks. anyway love the spamable dots so hopefully as you tweak the power they stay relevant.

change rumble crush

I hope (though it is very unlikely) that they are dropping the pets. They just seem silly for that power set.

Yeah I think that's unlikely. Pets were a huge focus and draw for the powerset when it was announce and came out. It makes it unique. Plus they give options to not run with a pet.

Needs more pi for crush easier and less complex, most animation are too slow, and the splits have to be reduced everything splitting kills earth dps

Rumblecrush need to have two verisons like Fire and Ice giant rock.
More things that cause crushing maybe Debris Field
Earth is the only combo power that cost power to use the combo. So the removing power cost for combo would be good or at least have them use very little power

-Make the seismic powers like Localized Tremor and Jackhammer not require the dazed PI in order to juggle enemies.
-Reduce cooldown on Unstoppable for DPS use. A cooldown a little similar to Localized Tremor but obviously a bit longer.
-Increase either the damage dealt by absorption powers or reduce their power costs. Encourage players to use aftershocks and have them feel powerful as they should.
-Make the range powers of Earth more viable and please allow for melee DPS to be viable in the future (by adding some def or health bonus when using melee aftershock powers).

A little controversial but here goes nothing...
-Make jackhammer have absorption go up to 100%. 1 hit=50% (as it is now), 2 hits=75%, 3 hits=100%.
-Decrease power costs of absorption powers for Tanks.

Make more of the ranged powers burst damage. And adjust power cost (only slightly) for Jackhammer. I can keep up with it as it is but I know people that would like this adjusted.

Very excited,

I know it was said you do not intend to change visual effects, but.... Would you consider at all giving brick and crystal a makeover? Clean them up a little with some cool details, give them a little attitude or personality? Also again I know you do not intend to change visuals but gemstone shield and the cones? Lol their alright but I bet you guys can make them more earthly interesting !?

Anyways still exciting and thank you

It needs to look more like... a gemstone lol

This ^ is actually realllly accurate as to what earth needs. Earth would be INCREDIBLY more fun with these changes listed above.

And I'm glad to see this thread today! I switched back to earth yesterday due to how much I missed it oh so dearly.

Rumblecrush should work like Shards for Sorcery. Decrease cost or up damage for Debris Field, or both. Up damage for Meteor Shower. Cast time on Striking Stones is too long. Could damage on Crystal and Totem be looked at? Can Earth's tank buff be increased slightly?

For Seismic, Unstoppable has been a WIP. If aftershocks still cost power, can cool down for Jacks be lowered? Also damage for Sandblast needs checked that it is not providing extra damage under 35%. Can enemies be knocked down instead of knocked back? Localized Tremor need help.

I just want to see a awesome looking brick

1. Rumble crush in the version of spawning an object in player hands that you have to throw has to go, make it like ice bouldr strike.
2. Base dmg's of almost all of earth's powers need looking at.
3. Buff upheveal it's a sad joke cpmpared to dreadfull blast
4. More full range aoe options or at least any aoe range options, range aoe PI spreaders
5. Give the crush PI powers an intial burst hit
6. totems dmg is super weak sauce
7. Crystal is broken she doesn't cleanse or do her big hit
8. Give tanks a visual or audio clue as to when the aftershock buff runs out.

I actually really like how gemstone shield looks already. This move was the origin reason why I originally made an earth characters anyways.

But yes, A makeover to Earth brick and crystal golems would be extremely nice! I think the make-over given to sorcery guardian pet should have been given to the earth golem instead.

Make Totem have more DOT's and a Higher damage, and make Crystal daze enemies.

Here are my thoughts:

DPS - Dazed/Aftershock Build
1. Reduce upheavel cast time significantly and subsequent after shocks
2. Reduce upheavel power costs significantly
3. Remove vulnerability to block on all aftershocks (have it so a block reduces dmg but doesnt knock you down!)
4. Increase damage of each subsequent tick of aftershock damage up to a certain capped amount so that you get a benefit if you are able to maintain a lot of aftershocks
5. Have the Daze PI actually do something, like have a chance that the enemies attacks miss or act like a paralyze

DPS - Crushed Build
1. Change rumblecrush to be able to uplift a column of earth from underneath enemies knocking them up and applying the Crush PI to all nearby enemies. (Think opposite effect of Sorc crystal (instead of knock down stun, knock up stun)
2. Have Crystal pet act more like sorc pet (i.e., actually be worth calling!)
3. Reduce striking stones cast time significantly
4. Reduce cast and power times across the board for rumblecrush, shards, and striking stone so you can keep DOTs up easily OR give some power to reapply DOTs similar to Harvest in Nature

Tank - Pet Build
1. Increase Def or Brick, or allow him to Block when you block.
2. Have damage transfer ability be automatic when Brick is called in Tank mode
3. Have damage transfer both act as a group break out and immediately heal brick's health with the tanks health. This will greatly increase Brick's survivability when added to extra defense.
4. Significantly increase Totem's healing to Brick and tank.

Tank - Aftershock Build
1. Reduce upheavel cast time significantly and subsequent after shocks
2. Reduce upheavel power costs significantly
3. Remove vulnerability to block on all aftershocks (have it so a block reduces dmg but doesnt knock you down!)
4. Change it so that the first aftershock gives you more dmg abs while the last one gives you less (Maybe instead equal thirds think maybe 50-35-15) so that if you get interrupted you arent as screwed as you are now.


I also agree that: Make the seismic powers like Localized Tremor and Jackhammer not require the dazed PI in order to juggle enemies.