Pre-script: Yeah, this is a bit of a wall of text, but the jist is fairly simple to understand.
This i think will settle many issues with PvP in general, and I'm sure its been suggested some time earlier, somewhere else, or neither.
The absolute one thing i think would improve everything is this: creating a better dynamic between pvp and pve. Right now there is no difference between the mechanics of pvp and pve; your damage, resist, accuracy, all of that remains the same in both situations. But in pve your facing a TOTALLY different situation.
You face monsters that star with spamming 7 to 8 to 9 pip spells that really hurt. Without that resist and health you stand little of a chance, and without that damage your battles would be long and arduous, not able to handle the amount of health the monsters have. The current gear we have seems to help account for both these things in PvE. But things have thrown even more out of whack.
Your gear REALLY matters, and you can easily be one shotted if your not careful with the insane % damage that most people can not combat, assisted by the sun spells colossal and gargantuan. This is barely helped by weaknesses, plagues, or what not, that used to have such a huge help before. and the addition of piercing has absolute not helped with the resist. either it multiples rounds that can be wated by supernova (destroys infallible) or earthquakes, enfeeble, disarm, and what not that removes pierce blades. Additionally the 10 or 15% is very little compared to the resist that people can have, like ice having nearly 70 or 80% resist or simply destroys any you might have any the additional damage you get.
What i think needs to happen is that when you enter the arena, your stats change regardless of the gear you have based upon school. Storm getting the most minimal damage boost of maybe 15, 20%, and ice getting the most resist at 15 or 20%, as damage dealing classes keep their purpose and tanking classes keep theirs. Critical should be VERY limited or even removed from pvp. Its far too luck based, and doing double damage to spells that already do thousands? If critical is to be kept maybe keep it again, higher critical with storm, a damage dealing class, and block, with ice. These things i think will help with the issues we're having. Each school will keep their purpose, and they won't be too overpowered or unmanagable, because right now some pvp matches are simply unmanagable (considerably the issues with ice against storm and fire).
I urge KI to take consideration in altering gear statistics in pvp as a primary balance, to reduce the issues with people who do pvp or at least like to pvp, and return more of the skill that used to be in pvp back.
KI should be working on something for PvP as of this moment, Greyrose (who is so awesome with how active she or whoever is behind her account has been) did say they were looking into something for PvP. You can find her remarks in the thread, "Please communicate with us!"
I agree with most of your post though, and I think a lot of the more reasonable posters do as well, especially those who are tired of spells being modified because of PvP complaints.
Many of us totally saw this coming, the increase in attack and resist warping things. Critical adding unpredictability and ruining strategic styles of play by randomly occurring and succeeding. And compounding the issue with enchanted strikes.
Enchants are a funny thing, they're the only group of spells that allow a wizard to boost their strikes without sacrificing a turn, a pip, or anything except deck space. It's just a quick fix that rings with, "I have no faith in the power of my spell so I am going to slip in an extra 200+ points of damage", To be fair, given the nature of the some school attack range and the way things have pushed to get us where we are, enchants were a big help to a lot of players I'm sure.
We already have spells to boost our heals (sanctuary, charms) we already have spells to increase attack damage (charms, wards, auras, field bubbles, minions,)
Enchants and critical have always been the big change to combat in PvP. Minions die so much quicker. i can't even tower my troll without a life wizard using an enchanted critical leprechaun to hit for just over 450. So much for defenses working ya? Same with infections and many know, critical heals along with gear boosts/sanctuary can really have you heal through infections as if there was nothing there. Certain good play styles have been muddied and so long as what you brought up are still a heavy part in the arena, certain useful play styles which some schools might rely on will continue to be dampened and degraded. This is not to say they are not obsolete, they just are not as effective as they once were, and it is a bit disappointing.
What I love about infallible and fortify is that these spells are direct counters to each other. And if we were to be forced once again to only use arena gear, where everyone's resist greatly outweighs attack boost, we now have infallible to even out those odds, and enchanted strikes. (I use enchants and will deal with them but I really hate how they are a quick fix to boost your attack damage if you know what I mean.)
If I had to pick though of which to remove from Arena between enchants or critical, just get rid of critical. And perhaps balance out out stats again like with arena gear. Remember, 25% attack boost for fire isn't the same as 25% attack for ice. It's all in the spells. Remember when spells used to speak for themselves? Don't forget that our health drops significantly when we remove our gear. Everything is still within range for our spells even unenchanted to be threatening if used right. it's all in how we play. The imbalance appears to be more in the gear.
I would rather not since people have to work hard to get this gear and such. I mean it seems the problem is just ice. You stated that and I am not about to get into the debacle of ice being over powered. PvP has simply gone down hill I feel most people can admit this. I have loss faith that it will ever change lol. I just play 2v2 and or more in ranked and I play practice. That seems to become more balanced because you can rely on each other to win. The only thing I find difficult would be the turn system. And gl fixing that.
Garrett, i cant help but notice you answer every pvp thread with comments no longer then 1 paragraph. You should explain your thoughts more...
But seriously, is this what it has come to? People don't even know what PvE is. Garrett, its what this game was BUILT upon. PvP comes after they had succcess with PvE. PvE is the actual questing of the game, not sitting around in the arena checking other people's stats and records while you wait for your match to start.
There is NO way to go through the game to the arena without doing some PvE, better known as questing.
Garrett, i cant help but notice you answer every pvp thread with comments no longer then 1 paragraph. You should explain your thoughts more...
But seriously, is this what it has come to? People don't even know what PvE is. Garrett, its what this game was BUILT upon. PvP comes after they had succcess with PvE. PvE is the actual questing of the game, not sitting around in the arena checking other people's stats and records while you wait for your match to start.
There is NO way to go through the game to the arena without doing some PvE, better known as questing.
Okay well sorry, don't get angry if I just ask a question. K K?
Garrett, i cant help but notice you answer every pvp thread with comments no longer then 1 paragraph. You should explain your thoughts more...
But seriously, is this what it has come to? People don't even know what PvE is. Garrett, its what this game was BUILT upon. PvP comes after they had succcess with PvE. PvE is the actual questing of the game, not sitting around in the arena checking other people's stats and records while you wait for your match to start.
There is NO way to go through the game to the arena without doing some PvE, better known as questing.
Okay well sorry, don't get angry if I just ask a question. K K?
Garrett, i am not angry at you, lol. i am angry at how unfairly and unbalanced kingsisle has been treating us, i just used you as an example.
I just play 2v2 and or more in ranked and I play practice. That seems to become more balanced because you can rely on each other to win. The only thing I find difficult would be the turn system. And gl fixing that.