Skill animation

Skill animation refers to the graphical animation that a character makes while performing a skill.

If you watch a foe or ally closely while he is activating a skill you can tell a lot about the skill he is using, without even checking him on the Skill Monitor.

The animation has up to 4 parts:
 * 1) the movement animation of the caster
 * 2) a "casting symbol" appearing above the caster's head (optional)
 * 3) an "aura" around the body of the caster (optional)
 * 4) an "aura" around the body of the target

Movement Animation
For each skill there is a movement animation, the basic type of animation depends on the type of skill and the duration of casting:
 * If the skill is activated on another or on the character himself/herself.
 * How long the cast time for the skill is: Very Fast (less than 0.5 seconds cast time), Fast (more than 0.5 seconds, less than 2 seconds), Medium (more than 1 and less than 3) and Long (3 seconds activation or longer).

Each of the eight professions displays a different way of portraying these four combinations, some classes displaying more variety than others:
 * Warrior:
 * Female:
 * Attack skills use the standard weapon attack animation.
 * All other use a single casting animation based on the weapon the warrior is using. The animation speed and length is varied for the casting time.
 * When wielding a hammer, the warrior leans down and concentrates, then arches upwards holding the hammer vertical in front of the chest.


 * [[Image:warrior-skill-animation-two-hand-down.jpg|thumb|85px|casting]]
 * [[image:warrior-skill-animation-two-hand-arch.jpg|thumb|85px|skill completion]]
 * }
 * When wielding a sword or axe, the warrior waves the weapon above her head, then swings the weapon downward and finally arches upwards holding the weapon extended above the head.


 * [[Image:warrior-skill-animation-one-hand-wave.jpg|thumb|85px|casting]]
 * [[image:warrior-skill-animation-one-hand-arch.jpg|thumb|85px|skill completion]]
 * }
 * Male:


 * Ranger:
 * Female:
 * Short skills are cast simply by the ranger crossing her arms and throwing them backwards


 * [[Image:ranger-female-skill-animation-end1.jpg|thumb|85px|shoulders back]]
 * }
 * Preparations cause the ranger to kneel, and work her fingers against the bow


 * [[Image:ranger-female-skill-animation-prep-rit.jpg|thumb|85px|preparation]]
 * }
 * Longer skills cause the ranger to reach her arms back, and pull her arms forward in a sweeping motion. Long skills end with the short animation.


 * [[Image:ranger-female-skill-animation-long1.jpg|thumb|85px|reach back]]
 * [[Image:ranger-female-skill-animation-long2.jpg|thumb|85px|pull forward]]
 * [[Image:ranger-female-skill-animation-end1.jpg|thumb|85px|shoulders back]]
 * }
 * Touch skills use a separate animation where the ranger reaches up with her draw hand, and casts it out to touch the target.


 * [[Image:ranger-female-skill-animation-touch1.jpg|thumb|85px|reach back]]
 * [[Image:ranger-female-skill-animation-touch2.jpg|thumb|85px|pull forward]]
 * }
 * Nature Rituals use the long animation, but end with the preparation animation.
 * Male:


 * Necromancer:
 * Female:
 * Male:
 * Blood magic skills that cast in 0.5 seconds or faster are performed with a lunging motion towards the target with both hands outstretched.
 * Death magic skills that cast in 0.5 seconds or less are performed with the necromancer slightly leaning forward, then clapping his hands together.
 * Death magic skills that are cast in more than 0.5 seconds start with the necromancer bending backwards, then floating into the air, and finally, going upright and crossing his arms. Some skills in the Death magic category create a large green symbol of a bull, while others create black heiroglyphic-like symbols under the caster as he floats into the air.
 * Blood magic skills start with the same animation as Death magic skills, but end with both hands stretched towards the target. Some symbols that appear during the casting of a blood magic spell are giant green skulls with diamond-shaped eyes, while others can create a yellow circle filled with red circles (which pulsate) above the caster.
 * Curses start with the same animation as the rest, but end with the necromancer pointing his right hand (and weapon in said hand, staffs are held one-handed during the animation) towards his target. The main Curses spell symbol seems to be a cricle with many lines along its perimeter.
 * Non-Necromancer Spells are cast using the animation from the blood magic skills.
 * Elementalist:
 * Female:
 * All skills that cast in 0.5 seconds or faster are performed by a quick move of the hand so that the left palm is pointing towards the target (or forward if the target is the caster).
 * Skills slower than 0.5 seconds that target the caster herself: The elementalist will rise in the air, bow forward then arch her back and land back gracefully.
 * Skills that target others and are longer than 0.5 seconds but no slower than 2 seconds: The elementalist rises in the air, thrusts her weapon forward pointing to the target.
 * Skills that are 2 seconds (whether on others or self): The elementalist floats in the air holding her arms straight until a second or so is left in the cast time then she either brings her arms down and performs a thrusting motion as if throwing something at the target (if the target is someone else) or arches her back if the target is herself.


 * [[image:Ele_Very_Fast.jpg|thumb|85px|Under 0.5 cast]]
 * [[image:Ele_fast.jpg|thumb|70px|more than 0.5 sec on others]]
 * [[image:Ele_Slow_Self.jpg|thumb|120px|more than 0.5 on self]]
 * [[image:Ele_Slow.jpg|thumb|85px|more than 2 seconds]]
 * }
 * Male:


 * Monk:
 * Female:
 * All skills that cast in 0.5 seconds or faster are performed by a quick jab of the equipped weapon forward.


 * [[Image:monk-female-skill-animation-jab.jpg|thumb|85px|short casting jab]]
 * }
 * Long casting skills all begin with the same animation. The monk enters a wide stance, places the weapon above her head, and cycles her offhand away from and back towards her torso.


 * [[Image:monk-female-skill-animation-casting.jpg|thumb|85px|long cast animation]]
 * }
 * Long spells without a target, or where the target is the caster, end with the monk pulling the weapon around her body, and slashing it back and downward.


 * [[image:monk-female-skill-animation-self1.jpg|thumb|85px|step backwards]]
 * [[image:monk-female-skill-animation-self2.jpg|thumb|85px|drawn across the body]]
 * [[image:monk-female-skill-animation-self3.jpg|thumb|85px|slashing downward and backward]]
 * }
 * Long spells with a target end with the monk pulling the equipped weapon upward over her head, then stabbing forward as in the short animation.


 * [[Image:monk-female-skill-animation-other1.jpg|thumb|85px|over and behind]]
 * [[Image:monk-female-skill-animation-jab.jpg|thumb|85px|jab at target]]
 * }
 * Male:
 * Identical with female animations.
 * Mesmer:
 * Female:
 * All skills that cast in 0.5 seconds or faster are performed by a swift point of the weapon/wand.


 * [[Image:mesmer-skill-animation-female-short.jpg|thumb|85px|short cast stab]]
 * }
 * Long casting skills all use the same animation. The mesmer enters a wide stance, reaches forward with her offhand, and drags it away from the target, as if pulling something out of the target. This repeats until near the end of the casting time, when the mesmer pirouettes, ending with her weapon pointing at the target.


 * [[Image:mesmer-female-skill-animation-long1.jpg|thumb|85px|Reach]]
 * [[Image:mesmer-female-skill-animation-long2.jpg|thumb|85px|Pull]]
 * [[Image:mesmer-female-skill-animation-long3.jpg|thumb|85px|Spin]]
 * [[Image:mesmer-female-skill-animation-long4.jpg|thumb|85px|Point]]
 * }
 * Male:
 * All skills that cast in 0.5 seconds or faster cause the Mesmer to perform a fast pose with the weapon hand extended and the offhand poised upwards, similar to a fencing maneuver.
 * Assassin:
 * Female:
 * Male: All skills that cast in a short amount of time (like most Assassin skills and hexes) result in the Assassin spreading one leg out to the side, bending the other, then reaching upwards and throwing something to the ground- all in quick succession. Skills and spell with longer casting times result in a similar animation, but the Assassin will hold his hand in the air for as long as the spell takes to cast before throwing it downwards.
 * Ritualist:
 * Female:
 * Male:

Casting Symbols
The Casting Symbol is a symbol that appears above the head of the caster. Typically it appears during the whole process of activation.

The Casting Symbol is optional and the type depends on type of the used skill:

Spells
For Spells (including hexes and enchantments) the casting symbol usually indicates the linked attribute, for example most Healing Prayers spells have the "ankh" symbol, most Divine Favor spells have the "vortex" symbol, etc.

However, there are exceptions from this rule:
 * Some few spells have no Casting Symbol at all.
 * Some few spells have a unique casting symbol, for example Vampiric Gaze has a green skull instead of the typical red blood-dripping ring of a Blood Magic spell.
 * Some few spells have the "wrong" casting symbol, for example Life Attunement has the "ankh" symbol of a Healing Prayers spell altough it is a Protection Prayers spell.

Signets
Signets have the same "rose" symbol for all professions and attributes:
 * [[Image:SignetCastingSymbol.jpg]]

Nature Rituals
Nature Rituals have two casting symbols:
 * 1) a symbol that appears at the very end of activation, which is identical for all Nature Rituals: [[Image:NatureRitual_Symbol.jpg]]
 * 2) a spinning ring appearing around the middle of the character.
 * 3) a symbol that is unique above the character:

Chants
Most or all chants share the same animation. The character leans backwards and floats up as a pair of glowing transparent wings appear on the character's back, flap once and then disappear.

Forms
The character is surrounded by blue lightning and a colored circle containing an image depicting the appearance assumed during the form appears over the character's head.

Other Skills
Most "other" skills (especially those that activate instantly) have no Casting Symbol at all:
 * "Plain" Skills
 * Attack Skills
 * Stances
 * Shouts (While Warrior shouts display chat popup with phrase of that shout.)
 * Preparations
 * Traps

Again, there are exceptions from the rule. There are plain Skills and Stances that use the Casting Symbol of their linked attribute or a unique symbol. For example, the Mantras used by Mesmers (which are Stances) show the same glowing symbol above the user's head as the symbol shown in the skill icon.

Caster/Target Aura
The "aura" is some kind of visual effect that appears around the body of the caster (optional) and/or the target.


 * The auras are unique for each skill.
 * They are usually nicely animated: Swirling, rotating, pulsing, sparkling, flashing, ... there are countless variations.
 * In case there is an aura for both the caster and the target, these two auras are usually different.

Caster Aura

 * Many spells do not have a caster aura.
 * Most non-spell skills have a caster aura (instead of or in addition to a Casting Symbol).
 * The caster aura appears either during the whole process of activation (typical for non-spell skills) or at the end, right before or right after the activation is complete (typical for spells).
 * In case of a self-targeting skill the target aura appears on the caster, blending in with the caster aura.
 * All Warrior shout skills can be easily identified by a balloon above their user's head. Ranger shouts do not have this bubble.

Target Aura

 * Virtually all skills (including non-spell skills) have a target aura of some kind.
 * The target aura appears upon "impact" of the skill, i.e. after successful activation.