Minstrel Feedback: Update 30.3 - Early Beta 1
Hello,
Upon testing the new LIs for minstrel and the sneak changes, I would like to give some feedback regarding 4 major issues in the current build and some feedback on a few minor issues.
1st major issue: There seems to have been a behind the scenes flat out nerf on the minstrel's healing output, when comparing Live to Bullroarer, whether that's due to changes in the backend, LI legacy changes or a bug I am not certain. All my healing skills have had their tooltips lose about 10-15% of their potency compared to the Live server, while having both gear and old LIs equipped.
2nd major issue: Inspire Fellows is utterly and completely broken since while using both old and new LIs it heals for a measly 1k-1.2k, compared to the 40k tooltip on Live.
3rd major issue: Triumphant Spirit skill has had its initial cooldown greatly increased. One the live server the skill has a 45s cd (with traits and LI legacies maxed), while on Bullroarer it stands at 1min 48s, making it on par with Fellowship Heart. The skill has also been nerfed since its new legacy has lesser critical magnitude. This is a significant nerf for the minstrel's healing capabilities, and a urge you to please reconsider.
4th major issue: Alongside the unexplained healing loss from Live to BR, minstrels are being further nerfed by the removal of the Healing and Motivation skills legacy, which affected all our heals. This legacy is being replaced by 6 new Words of Power traceries, that do not come close to matching the 34,8% heal boost the HoM legacy gave us, since we get 16% on Area of Effect heals and 22% on Single Target heals and 22% on HoT skills (a WoP tracery that we dont really have room to slot in). Moreover, neither the AoE nor the ST heal traceries affect Fellowships Heart skill. Only the HoT tracery affects the skills heal over time.
The only reason minstrel healing appears to be increased is due to the Tactical Healing rating difference between the old LIs (~950) and the new ones (~1450).
Other issues/comments:
1st: The tracery that increases healing skills' range by 11 meters only affects Single Target Heal skills, Major Ballad, Inspire Fellows, Triumphant Spirit and Fellowships Heart are not affected. Having that tracery apply at least on Major Ballad would totally be a gamechanger for minstrel's fellowship healing abilities while moving.
2nd: Minstrel's value in a raid setup, other from its solid healing capabilities, mainly revolves around their ability to rezz (which is made less relevant by the rezz caps during raids) and its anthems. It has been stated that the Development team wishes to prevent us from weaponswapping during combat, a move that would either greatly diminish minstrel's anthems potency or force the player to sacrifice healing class traceries in order to accommodate the anthem ones. Such a move threatens to displace blue minstrel from a 2 healer setup in raids.
3rd: Personally, I havent had the time to test minstrel's new dps traceries, but people have informed that on that department our class traceries are vastly inferior to current legacies, as they do not balance the loss of minstrel's significant skill crit multipliers.
