Regina Buenaobra posted over on Guru and GWO Incgamers that the preliminary update notes for the currently-planned February 25th Skill Balance Update were posted on her Wiki Journal page:

http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Feedback:Skill_update_previews/20100219

Quote:

This update is targeted at several areas: * Shadow Form and Invulnerability * Hammer Mastery in PvE * Ritualist in End Game PvE * Tactics Rework * Blood Magic Rework * Other Balance Issues

Yes, this is the BIG skill balance. The one where Shadow Form (finally) gets the big boot in the ass. The one that will - hopefully - add some freshness to the game.


The exact changes to Shadow Form weren't mentioned, but here's what was said:

Quote:

Shadow Form and Invulnerability In tackling Shadow Form, we decided to take a larger look at the issues involved. We didn’t want to simply nerf Shadow Form and cause a mass migration to another overpowered build, only to nerf that after players start using it. It’s not possible to predict all of the clever combinations that players may invent, but we’d like to establish clearer guidelines for ourselves and for players as to what is and isn't acceptable. This should help us with any future buffs or nerfs related to end game PvE. Based on our testing, observation and discussion, we expect to make changes to Shadow Form, Obsidian Flesh, and to a skill or two used in 600-Smite builds.

"A skill or two used in 600-Smite builds" = Retribution and Holy Wrath, I bet.


Some of the blood magic changes sound pretty interesting. Rits are getting a bit of a workaround to be less reliant on spirits. If you are a Dervish, Paragon, or Mesmer fan, sorry to note that ANet will not help you with this update.

Guild Wars Community Forums Threads discussing this:

Guild Wars Guru: Preliminary Update Notes: Feb 19

GWO Incgamers: Preliminary Update Notes: Feb 19



People on Guru are referring to this skill balance update as "Farmageddon", which I think is an AWESOME nickname for it.

BTW, Signet Of Spirits' planned "nerf" will be hardly that:

Right now:
Create three level 1...10...12 Spirits. These Spirits deal 5...27...32 damage with attacks. These Spirits die after 60 seconds.

Preliminary Plan:
Signet of Spirits will receive a small nerf: its recharge will increase to 30 seconds and the damage from its spirits will be reduced to 5..25.


From 5..27 down to 5..25. (Whoa! Slow down there, buddy!) The recharge on it is only going up 10 seconds too. Spirit Spamming = still viable!

still gonna be alotta noise

about time

Why, why, why, why, why, why, why, WHY are they touching obsidian flesh????

I thought their problem was speed clears, and I understand that. I don't mind the SF nerf, I don't mind the 600/smite nerf. But eles have been begging for a role in this game since the fucking AI runs from AoE update years ago. And finally when eles could have had a comeback as tanks ... Fuck no anet says. We want eles to be completely useless. OF will never be part of a "speed clear" anyway. You walk so fucking slow it is next to useless compared to other spell blocking skills...

While I dread the nerf, I can't help but be excited by the prospect of all the new team builds that will develop over the coming months.

./cheer to that Link.


-this isnt the first nerf and wouldn't be shocked if its not the last. theres been a lot of changes ingame since the release skills and not. kinda numb to it. it happens, new builds made, its the gw cycle. personally would love less tinkering to kill the game and a little added content more often, but meh. gw2 is on their minds.

what was the thing mentioned about dictating how we play the game? im a bit tired so im not sure if links to that were posted.

/boohoo

theyre not nerfing shadowform or 600/smite imparticular, its just a nerf to try and prevent speedclears....ie invulnerability

Skill Balance update hit last night:

http://www.guildwars.com/gameplay/developer_updates/february_2010_skill_balances.php


It seems that the "invincibility" skills weren't hit TOO hard. At least, they weren't outright destroyed.



Community Forums Threads Discussing This:

Guru: Update - Thursday, February 25th, 2010
GWO IncGamers: Update - Thursday, February 25th, 2010

600 tanks'll still work, am I right?
Also SF now=buffed Spell Breaker

Right now (I say 'right now' as it may have been an oversight that gets changed soon) Shadow Form DOESN'T decrease your health when it drops... like it used to.

The Elementalist Obsidian Flesh Vaettir Farming build seems unhindered by this update, and even sped up slightly.

Ritualists have lots of different viable options now. Many-Rit groups can now be a bit more diverse. Unfortunately, someone on Guru reported a bug with the new Soul Twisting counter, which doesn't reset upon recast as it should.

Necromancer's skill Blood Bond is pretty goddamn good. Warrior's Dwarven Battle Stance is pretty goddamn good (for hammers).

Holy Wrath got an overhaul, as I predicted months ago.

I have to say i quite agree with this...
http://www.massively.com/2010/03/01/flameseeker-chronicles-the-great-nerfbat-of-10-or-why-arenane/#continued