This is my proposed solution to the [i]firebolt controversy [/i]that is ongoing. Make sure to at least finish reading the [u]entire[/u] post before you get salty because it actually isn't a nerf and brings the neutral game inline with the rest of the sub classes, while literally not taking away any power from Radiance. Here we go...
Remove viking funeral/touch of flame as perks and add them in as a part of radiance, so that every grenade thrown during Radiance has their combined effect. Add a different perk into the old viking funeral/touch of flame nodes and the neutral game is much more in line with other classes. This simple change keeps the power during Radiance , at an absolute minimum, the same if not better with the new perk addition, but stops firebolt spam every 30 seconds while Radiance is not in use.
I feel like this change is reasonable. People defending the grenades are partially correct - the class is built around them. However, it is simply impractical that in a PvP setting, you can:
(a) be taken out of a fight completely for 14 seconds due to DoT
(b) die from burning out to someone who isn't actively engaging you anymore
(c) have the ability to spam such powerful abilities every 30 seconds because of cooldown
So keep in mind, this "fix" is geared toward keeping Radiance/super, at a minimum, no less powerful than it is now. If anything it will be a buff to Radiance because you will have 2 extra perks to add on top of it the effects of VF/ToF. It also produces the desired effect of bringing the spammability of the grenade outside of your super down, and making players choose their grenade placement/usage more tactically. Simply put, it "balances" the neutral game, bringing it much more in line with others.
[b]I hate nerfs. I am all for buffing[/b] things to be as powerful as the better choices. But not in this case. The combination of VF + ToF being able to be spammed every 28 seconds is kind of crazy. And that's if you're just facing one sunsinger. If you play a team of 3 that have max discipline you can (and will) probably always be running backwards from the grenade, getting hit anyways, hiding for 10 seconds and just when your recovery finally starts, they toss another one or two around a corner and you're -blam!-ed.
Also, I realize that to replace the perk nodes with "new" perks is more work than it sounds, as they would have to actually develop (what a concept) the new perks, spend time making them work with the class and there would be a lot more to it than "just making a new perk. However, I would expect a AAA game with tons of cash flow and a dev team with 500 employees to be able to allocate the resources to get it done.
So that't pretty much it. [b]A common sense approach, while not completely destroying the class (ie hammerbo disaster of 2015 rip).[/b]
TLDR [spoiler]Viking Funeral/Touch of Flame perk nodes removed. They are both added as a part of Radiance, so that every grenade thrown in Radiance has the effects those perks provided. Replace those 2 perk nodes with 2 new perks. This actually buffs radiance (at worst it doesn't make it worse/less powerful) and balances the neutral game better.[/spoiler]
-
No. Removing touch of flame and viking funeral would make the grenade totally worthless. On its own, it's a very weak grenade. Unless they are going to up the damage on it, that's not a viable solution.