User talk:Mediggo/Berserker

I felt like GW2 was lacking that barbaric, somewhat emoish, "dark knight" class archetype. So that is what I had in mind when I created the berserker. They are no more warriors than guardians are wammos, either. If placed in lore, their origins would be in Cantha, where numerous warriors came under influence of demonic presence that had been driving Luxons mad for quite some time. Berserkers are those warriors who overcame the influence over years, mastering the weakness within them that is sensitivity to the Mists and its raging spirits, converting it to a source of strength. They rely on savagery and brutality more than any other profession, willing to sustain personal harm to inflict same on their enemies. Because of their affinity to the Mists, they can phase in and out of physical world, providing useful plot device for magical tricks and other unique skills.

Berserker design

Weapon skills

• List of berserker skills
• Draft of skill descriptions

The berserker has some general weapon skills. They wield melee weapons only, in contrast to rifle- or longbow-wielding warriors. That means they have to take care when positioning, and that their enemies will hope to get away from them before they come under their attacks, which are especially powerful. Each of their weapons have one or more streaks available, which are described in more detail below. While unfinished, many of their weapon skill traits cause additional conditions, like cripple and knockdown, to make their enemies vulnerable to further attacks, especially from streaks. Berserkers are, like elementalists and engineers, restricted to one weapon set during combat. They can use their Aspects to alter the effects of their streaks and adapt to current situation, however.

Streaks

• Streak skills

Streaks are a berserker specific attack type, similiar to chains. In a streak, the berserker can use the same attack over and over again, up to five times (8 times with Aspect of Anger), applying various effects depending on streak. For instance, a berserker activating Pummel hammer streak would cause weakness on every third activation. With Aspect of Anger, and total of six attacks, the berserker can stack and lengthen the duration of weakness on the foe. With Aspect of Hate the berserker would knock down the enemy on final blow, but only cause weakness once. Streaks also cause increasing damage as you hit your foe many times in a streak. The duration of streak before it is reset is brief (2s or 3s) so the attacks must be made in quick succession.

Other skills

The berserker's other skills are more in line with other professions. However, there is one boon they emphasize on: Regeneration. The Aspect of Suffering increases duration of any regeneration effect by 2s, resulting in more healing, and thus many berserker's selectable skills inflict brief regeneration boon. Berserker's healing skills are also affected by Aspect of Suffering in a more specific way. Most of their utility skills grant offensive support to allies in form of shouts and other buffs. Some of their skills induce boons on themselves only at the cost of suffering conditions for a short duration. Their elite skills favor usage of streaks; Massacre makes the streaks cause AoE damage, as well as make them uninterruptible, so you continue the same streak even after getting interrupted or using another skill. One with the Mists grants short invulnerability, useful in a pinch.

Berserker's downed/drowning mode skills have particularly interesting effects: They can refill their consciousness/breath gauge to maximum. While downed, they can prolong their survival, gradually weaken and damage their opponent. When drowning underwater, they can throw a spear and pull in a foe, then use underwater Strangle streak to inflict severe damage on them.

Profession mechanics

The berserker's unique ability is to alternate between three Aspects. You can read in depth about them here.

Aspect of Anger increases the attacks when using streaks. This increases overall damage as well as granting second applying of effects from those streaks. Aspect of Hate makes the streaks cause conditions, inflict them more often or make the effects stronger. And finally, Aspect of Suffering grants additional effects when using healing skills, as well as increasing duration of any instance of regeneration boon by 2s.

I wanted the berserker to have the ability to alternate their skills while relying on only one weapon set, much like the elementalist. The Aspects, however, ended up being more unique ability than originally intended. I also made them while keeping in mind the berserker's connection to the Mists and demons. The Endurance gauge (described in berserker skill descriptions page) was put there to prevent too easy play with Aspect of Suffering and other gimmick tactics.

tl;dr

If you actually read anything I wrote, in this talk or actual article, feedback and comments are welcome. Mediggo 07:48, 20 September 2011 (UTC)

Comments

lol nice I like it but I don't think it'd be something for GW2 :P --The Holy Dragons 18:58, 15 September 2011 (UTC)

How come? Mediggo 19:14, 15 September 2011 (UTC)

I feel that it resembles the warrior too much :/ (the warrior having extra support though) all by all it's just the same with more offensive buffs :P --The Holy Dragons 19:16, 15 September 2011 (UTC)

I know what you mean. That's why I wanted to make them melee only. I know many people are going to use those longbows and rifles on warrior. Warrior has way more finesse though: If you look at skills like Bladetrail, banners and stances... and all the motivational shouts. Warriors rely on technique. Berserker is just... well, surely you have seen that sort of fury in movies/games or even real life. It's pretty terrible, beating the victim over and over again, and I don't think warriors are quite as close to that. War and fighting is a pretty terrible thing, after all. Well, that's what I thought anyways... It's good to have little feedback on something like this, so I thank you. Mediggo 19:43, 15 September 2011 (UTC)