Game updates/20090618

Bug Fix

 * Fixed a bug with Hero and NPC AI which would prevent them from effectively utilizing minion skills.

GuildWiki notes

 * After this update, many players are experiencing frequent lag spike.

Skill Updates
For more information on these changes, please see the Developer Updates page.

PvE and PvP
Assassin
 * Palm Strike: increased recharge time to 7 seconds.

Elementalist
 * Ether Prism: increased recharge time to 20 seconds.

Mesmer Necromancer Ritualist
 * Visions of Regret: functionality changed to: "For 10 seconds, target foe and adjacent foes take 15..45 damage whenever they use a skill and 5..50 damage if not under the effects of another Mesmer hex."
 * Lingering Curse: increased Energy cost to 15.
 * Suffering: increased recharge time to 10 seconds.
 * Weaken Knees: decreased duration to 1..16 seconds; decreased Health degeneration to -1..4; decreased damage to 5..10.
 * Brutal Weapon: decreased duration to 10..40 seconds.
 * Guided Weapon: decreased duration to 4..10 seconds.
 * Resilient Weapon: decreased duration to 5..15 seconds.
 * Signet of Binding: functionality changed to: "You lose 200..50 Health. Gain control of target spirit."
 * Spawning Power: increased effect on Weapon Spells to 4% per rank.
 * Spiritleech Aura: functionality changed to: "Skill. For 5..20 seconds, all of your spirits within earshot deal 5..20 less damage and steal 5..20 Health when they attack."
 * Spirit Siphon: functionality changed to: "The spirit nearest you loses all Energy. You gain 15..50% of that Energy."
 * Vital Weapon: decreased duration to 5..30 seconds.
 * Wailing Weapon: decreased duration to 3..9 seconds.
 * Warmonger's Weapon: decreased duration to 3..13 seconds.
 * Weapon of Shadow: decreased duration to 3..8 seconds.
 * Weapon of Warding: decreased duration to 3..8 seconds.

PvP Only
Elementalist
 * Savannah Heat (PvP): increased Energy cost to 15.

Paragon
 * "Help Me!" (PvP): functionality changed to: "For 1..10 seconds, you gain 5..50 Health and other allies' spells targeting you cast 50% faster."

PvE Only
Sunspear
 * Cry of Pain: functionality changed to: "Interrupt target foe's skill. If that foe was suffering from a Mesmer Hex, that foe and all foes in the area take 25...50 damage and -3..5 Health degeneration for 10 seconds."
 * Vampirism: decreased casting time to .75 seconds; increased spirit level to 4..14.

Ritualist Paragon
 * Agony: decreased casting time to .75 seconds; increased spirit level to 1..12.
 * Anguish: decreased casting time to .75 seconds; decreased Energy cost to 15; increased spirit level to 1..11.
 * Armor of Unfeeling: decreased Energy cost to 5. Functionality changed to: "For 10..35 seconds, your spirits takes 50% less damage and are immune to critical attacks."
 * Bloodsong: decreased casting time to .75 seconds; increased spirit level to 1..12.
 * Destruction: decreased casting time to .75 seconds; increased spirit level to 1..14.
 * Disenchantment: decreased casting time to 1 second; decreased Energy cost to 15; decreased recharge time to 30 seconds; increased spirit level to 1..12.
 * Displacement: decreased casting time to .75 seconds; increased spirit level to 1..14.
 * Dissonance: decreased casting time to 1 second; increased spirit level to 1..12.
 * Earthbind: decreased casting time to 1 second; decreased recharge time to 30 seconds; increased spirit level to 1..14.
 * Empowerment: decreased casting time to .75 seconds; increased spirit level to 1..14.
 * Gaze of Fury: decreased casting time to .75 seconds; increased spirit level to 1..14.
 * Life: decreased casting time to .75 seconds; increased spirit level to 1..14.
 * Pain: decreased casting time to .75 seconds; increased spirit level to 1..12.
 * Preservation: decreased casting time to .75 seconds; increased spirit level to 1..14.
 * Recovery: decreased casting time to .75 seconds; increased spirit level to 1..14.
 * Recuperation: decreased casting time to .75 seconds; increased spirit level to 1..14.
 * Rejuvenation: decreased casting time to .75 seconds; increased spirit level to 1..20.
 * Restoration: decreased casting time to 1 second; decreased recharge time to 30 seconds; increased spirit level to 1..14.
 * Shadowsong: decreased casting time to 1 second; decreased recharge time to 30 seconds; increased spirit level to 1..10.
 * Shelter: decreased casting time to 1 second; increased spirit level to 1..12.
 * Signet of Creation: increased recharge time to 30 seconds. Functionality changed to: "For 5..30 seconds, your next 1..3 Binding Rituals cast instantly."
 * Signet of Spirits: increased recharge time to 20 seconds. Functionality changed to: "Create three level 1..12 spirits. These spirits deal 5..30 damage with attacks. These spirits die after 60 seconds."
 * Soothing: decreased casting time to 1 second; decreased Energy cost to 15; decreased recharge time to 45 seconds; increased spirit level to 1..12.
 * Union: decreased casting time to .75 seconds; increased spirit level to 1..12.
 * Wanderlust: decreased casting time to 1 second; increased spirit level to 1..12.
 * Weapon of Warding: decreased duration to 3..8 seconds.


 * "Brace Yourself!": functionality changed to: "For 5..12 seconds, the next time target other ally would be knocked down, all nearby foes take 15..75 damage instead."
 * "Can't Touch This!": functionality changed to: "For 20 seconds, the next 1..5 touch skills used against allies within earshot fail."
 * "Fall Back!": decreased recharge time to 20 seconds.
 * "Find Their Weakness!": functionality changed to: "For 5..20 seconds, the next time target ally attacks, that ally also inflicts a Deep Wound and does 5..50 additional damage for 5..20 seconds."
 * "Go for the Eyes!": decreased recharge time to 0 seconds; increased chance to land a critical hit to 30..100%.
 * "Help Me!": decreased recharge time to 10 seconds. Functionality changed to: "For 1..10 seconds, you gain 15..90 Health and other allies' spells targeting you cast 50% faster."
 * "Incoming!": decreased Energy cost to 5; decreased recharge time to 20 seconds.
 * "Never Give Up!": decreased recharge time to 15 seconds.
 * "Never Surrender!": decreased recharge time to 15 seconds.
 * "Stand Your Ground!": decreased Energy cost to 10; decreased recharge time to 20 seconds.
 * "We Shall Return!": increased Energy cost to 25; increased recharge time to 30 seconds. Functionality changed to: "All party members in earshot are resurrected with 25..50% Health and 5..20% Energy."
 * Anthem of Disruption: decreased casting time to 1 second.
 * Bladeturn Refrain: functionality changed to: "For 20 seconds, target non-spirit ally has a 5..20% chance to block incoming attacks. This Echo is reapplied every time a Chant or Shout ends on that ally."
 * Blazing Finale: increased Burning duration to 1..7 seconds.
 * Defensive Anthem: decreased Energy cost to 10.
 * Signet of Return: decreased recharge time to 5 seconds.

AI Updates
The following AI updates apply to Heroes and Hard Mode NPCs.

Assassin
 * Heroes are more likely to use offensive Shadow Step skills before their Health reaches 50%.
 * Heroes will now use Black Lotus Strike against non-hexed foes when appropriate.

Dervish
 * Heroes are more likely to use Attacker's Insight during combat.

Elementalist
 * Heroes are more likely to use attunement skills during combat.

Mesmer
 * Heroes will now more appropriately use hex spells that require an interrupt to take effect.
 * Heroes will now maintain Mantra of Inscriptions both in and out of combat.

Monk
 * Heroes are more likely to scatter appropriately when affected by Ray of Judgment.
 * Heroes will now use Life Sheath to remove conditions out of combat.
 * Heroes will now use Boon Signet more frequently.
 * Heroes are now more likely to use Spotless Mind and Spotless Soul in conjunction with other hex and condition removal skills.
 * Heroes are now more likely to use Restore Condition if their target is suffering from multiple conditions.
 * Heroes will now use Dwayna's Kiss more frequently when hexes and enchantments are present on the target.
 * Heroes will now use Words of Comfort more frequently on characters suffering from conditions.
 * Fixed a bug where the AI only used Healing Burst as a self-targeting spell.
 * Fixed a bug where the AI did not recognize Unyielding Aura as a hard resurrection skill.

Necromancer
 * Heroes can now cast Lingering Curse off-target.
 * Heroes will now use Blood is Power and Blood Ritual on casters holding bundle items.
 * Heroes will now maintain Aura of the Lich in and out of combat.

Paragon
 * Heroes will now check if Angelic Bond is active on all party members before using the skill.
 * Heroes will only activate Angelic Bond if a party member is under 50% Health.
 * Heroes are more likely to use "Incoming!" outside of combat.
 * Heroes will only use Chest Thumper against foes that are suffering from Cracked Armor.
 * Heroes will now use "Never Surrender!" both in and out of combat.

Ritualist
 * Heroes will now use Resilient Weapon, Spirit Light Weapon, and Weapon of Warding to overwrite non-defensive weapon spells when the target's Health is at critical levels.
 * Heroes will now use Offering of Spirit more frequently and will now use it out of combat.
 * Heroes will now use Mending Grip as a self-targeting spell.
 * Heroes will now only use Brutal Weapon on targets who are engaged in combat.
 * Heroes will now cast Weapon of Quickening on spell-casting classes regardless of weapon type equipped.
 * Fixed a bug where the AI would not use Renewing Memories while holding a bundle item.

Warrior
 * Heroes are more likely to use Defy Pain at 95% Health to make better use of its damage-reduction feature.
 * Heroes will use "For Great Justice!" as is appropriate for their weapon type.
 * Heroes are less likely to overwrite Rush with other stances.
 * Heroes are less likely to overwrite Frenzy with other stances unless Health is low.

General

 * Fixed a bug where Heroes would not use zero-Energy skills when low on Energy.

Bug Fixes

 * Fixed a bug that would cause GvG matches to end in a tie if a Guild Lord died when the tiebreaker triggered. All Guild Lords will now become non-combatants when the match ends after 28 minutes according to the server clock. Note that this time may differ slightly from your client's timer.
 * Fixed a bug that prevented Depravity and Ether Phantom from displaying Energy loss.
 * Fixed a bug that caused Depravity to affect all nearby foes.
 * Fixed a bug that caused the following Ritualist skills to use an incorrect casting animation: Agony, Anguish, Empowerment, Gaze of Fury, Recovery, and Rejuvenation.

Miscellaneous

 * Xunlai Tournament Agents now offer prizes for the May tournament. These agents can be found in the Great Temple of Balthazar, Lion's Arch, Kaineng Center, and Kamadan.
 * Reduced the amount of wins needed for the base objective and second bonus objective on the Random Arenas Zaishen quest.
 * Increased the Zaishen Coin rewards for all Zaishen Mission quests and Zaishen Bounty quests.

GuildWiki notes

 * Many players have received fewer tournament reward points from the Xunlai Tournament House than they were supposed to.