Thread: 'Improved' Focus - buff is bugged, too short!

I'm very annoyed by the fact that this so-called 'improved' skill is so gimped...if you were gonna implement an improved version of the very useful skill 'Focus', wouldn't you implement entirely different improvements than what we just got? Like, oh I dunno, make it faster, or maybe change it so it stops channeling when the focus meter is filled up?? As far as I know, those are the two major issues with that skill, ones that we've learned to live with, but would be extremely happy to be rid of, since we're still the only DPS class that actually has to stand still for 3 whole seconds to get ready for combat. Oh wait... that's right... those ideas would require the skill designer to actually know and love the class they're working on. Clearly too much to ask.

[EDITED] Because I should learn to triple-check before crying wolf. Now if only a kind forum mod would be so kind as to change the thread title to simply 'Improved' Focus... hmm *OMNOMNOM* Mmmm... this humble pie tastes yummy :S

Anyway... even if the buff is actually correctly applied as 5 seconds, it doesn't seem like you can get a lot of skills off in that time. When soloing, I'm constantly in S:S so I pull with QS, and this is pretty much all I can get off in that 5s window, strangely enough: QS>PS>Blood Arrow. If I'm VERY lucky I can stick a RoA at the end but usually the buff has dropped by then. Sounds better in theory than it works in practice.

+Rep, good player. +Rep

I haven't checked this out for myself yet but the amount of time on the buff probably is correct. Right when the buff starts it would be at 0:05.00 but after the first 1/100th of a second it becomes 0:04.99 which is probably why you see a 0:04 in buffbars. It is similar to what you would see with crafting cooldowns on recipes. Take any recipe with a 7 day cooldown (like some guild recipes) and once you finish crafting it, the panel will say "6d" before you can use the recipe again.

Originally Posted by NPCDelta

I haven't checked this out for myself yet but the amount of time on the buff probably is correct. Right when the buff starts it would be at 0:05.00 but after the first 1/100th of a second it becomes 0:04.99 which is probably why you see a 0:04 in buffbars. It is similar to what you would see with crafting cooldowns on recipes. Take any recipe with a 7 day cooldown (like some guild recipes) and once you finish crafting it, the panel will say "6d" before you can use the recipe again.

So true! I actually grabbed a stopwatch this time around, and timed the damn thing... it pans out at *almost* 5 seconds. Thanks, although you could've saved me some embarrassment and put it in a PM instead

Something I've always done with this skill is cast it, and when I have enough focus I move my character forward slightly to cancel the rest of the induction. This way, you get the focus and the buff, but you don't have to wait for the entire induction to finish.

Originally Posted by Sephollos

Something I've always done with this skill is cast it, and when I have enough focus I move my character forward slightly to cancel the rest of the induction. This way, you get the focus and the buff, but you don't have to wait for the entire induction to finish.

Hehe yeah... thanks, really very nice of you to share that trick, but I personally have been doing exactly that for over 4.5 years, I'd be very surprised if most hadn't found that out. Again, not knocking you, it's great that ppl share their tips&tricks

Would be nice to no longer have to resort to that though. The problem with that trick, no matter how well you've 'mastered' it, is that you're sometimes able to still keep full focus, but often you lose one because you moved. Before, that didn't matter all too much, but now, it means the difference between being able to pull off 2 or 3 focus shots.

Originally Posted by Sephollos

Something I've always done with this skill is cast it, and when I have enough focus I move my character forward slightly to cancel the rest of the induction. This way, you get the focus and the buff, but you don't have to wait for the entire induction to finish.

Ya I have always done that, works great!

Originally Posted by Lowj

I'm very annoyed by the fact that this so-called 'improved' skill is so gimped...if you were gonna implement an improved version of the very useful skill 'Focus', wouldn't you implement entirely different improvements than what we just got? Like, oh I dunno, make it faster, or maybe change it so it stops channeling when the focus meter is filled up?? As far as I know, those are the two major issues with that skill, ones that we've learned to live with, but would be extremely happy to be rid of, since we're still the only DPS class that actually has to stand still for 3 whole seconds to get ready for combat. Oh wait... that's right... those ideas would require the skill designer to actually know and love the class they're working on. Clearly too much to ask.

[EDITED] Because I should learn to triple-check before crying wolf. Now if only a kind forum mod would be so kind as to change the thread title to simply 'Improved' Focus... hmm *OMNOMNOM* Mmmm... this humble pie tastes yummy :S

Anyway... even if the buff is actually correctly applied as 5 seconds, it doesn't seem like you can get a lot of skills off in that time. When soloing, I'm constantly in S:S so I pull with QS, and this is pretty much all I can get off in that 5s window, strangely enough: QS>PS>Blood Arrow. If I'm VERY lucky I can stick a RoA at the end but usually the buff has dropped by then. Sounds better in theory than it works in practice.

Someone might have pointed this out, I didn't read all the responses, but you can hit focus again a second time and it will stop the channel, i.e. when you're full of focus.

Originally Posted by Lowj

I'm very annoyed by the fact that this so-called 'improved' skill is so gimped...if you were gonna implement an improved version of the very useful skill 'Focus', wouldn't you implement entirely different improvements than what we just got? Like, oh I dunno, make it faster, or maybe change it so it stops channeling when the focus meter is filled up?? As far as I know, those are the two major issues with that skill, ones that we've learned to live with, but would be extremely happy to be rid of, since we're still the only DPS class that actually has to stand still for 3 whole seconds to get ready for combat. Oh wait... that's right... those ideas would require the skill designer to actually know and love the class they're working on. Clearly too much to ask.

[EDITED] Because I should learn to triple-check before crying wolf. Now if only a kind forum mod would be so kind as to change the thread title to simply 'Improved' Focus... hmm *OMNOMNOM* Mmmm... this humble pie tastes yummy :S

Anyway... even if the buff is actually correctly applied as 5 seconds, it doesn't seem like you can get a lot of skills off in that time. When soloing, I'm constantly in S:S so I pull with QS, and this is pretty much all I can get off in that 5s window, strangely enough: QS>PS>Blood Arrow. If I'm VERY lucky I can stick a RoA at the end but usually the buff has dropped by then. Sounds better in theory than it works in practice.

My routine is a swb and blood arrow and pen for the 5s duration im pretty sure i get all those in... this for me can lead to 8k or more... honestly dont really see much of a prob its a heavy hitting front load dps and very helpful for a solo hunter in pve..

Without Needful Haste, Fast Draw, or Fleetness I fit a Barbed Arrow, a Blood Arrow, and two Penetrating Shots within the Improved Focus buff duration, followed with Swift Bow to regenerate focus and then alternating Penetrating Shot and Quick Shot.

I'm not sure why you're using QS right after your improved focus. Wouldn't you want to use PS, PS, BA with your three focus to get 3 high damage shots off in your 5 second window and then have QS cooled down so you can fire it off for the focus build it gives? If you're traited 5B, QS doesn't take too terribly long to fire off and it does give you a lot of focus.

Sometimes for kicks and giggles, if it's a group of mobs, I'll focus up and then Rain of Arrows/Rain of Thorns back to back to get a pretty powerful AOE attack dropped on a group. Then you concentrate, burn hot and smack down anything that survived.

if your tr8d blue and have needfulhaste/fleetness up you can get swift bow pen shot blood arrow pen shot off in 5s

I did some experiments about which skill is best to use within these 5s:

-Swift Shot: Even though it only took less than 2s to cast, the animation makes it uses 3s. Chance to get critical is good cuz of 3 attacks at once. But, why Swift Shot when you already have full focus?

-Barbed Arrow: For some reason, it is slow to excute Barbed Arrow, especially after an induction skill.

-Heart Seeker: Well... I don't think you will have room to shot another shot. And the chance to get critical/devastration is so so. And your Focus Meter is still full...

-Rain of Arrows: About 2 times if traited Arrow Storm due to the long animation

-Rain of Arrows + Split Shot: Fully make use of these 5s

-Blood Arrow + 2 Penetration Shot/ 3 Penetration Shot: Fully make use of these 5s. You may get another one if you has lucky critical.

So, in my opinion, the combo BA + 2PS or 3PS would be the best way to use this 5s buff.

And, I wonder if this is old, but using Improved Focus on move also gives you the 5s buff, even though the channeling is cut off itself.