Skill blocks. What are they? An affect that prevents you from spamming a certain skill for a certain period of time. Who has them? Mostly Elitists and Masters, but we share irongrip with several, if not all, fighter classes at some point. How long do these last? A measly 50 hours in the affects list at inept.
How long is 50 hours, in the affects list? Somewhere around 150 -real- minutes. Yeah, okay, so skills like, irongrip, shell, and concentrate have a block, and said block gets shorter as the skill improves. Sure, fine, whatever. Irongrip has improved -once-. No offense, but how in the -hell- are we supposed to GM a skill we can only use every 2 1/2 to 3 hours?
Okay, let's infuse logic into this situation. Concentrate turns movement into health. You convert 2 move for 1 health, and you can't control how much you convert, unless you have complete concentration. At best, at inept, my concentrate skill has returned a -measly- 20 health.... and slaps on a 2 1/2 hour block. Lets look at its sister skill, praying, which turns move into spirit mana, probably at the same convesion ratio and amount. It apparently doesn't have a block. Wierd, huh? Okay, so that's one elitist skill, that is shared with master.
Next up, Shell, also shared with Master. It reduces -my- damage output in order to reduce the damage I -take-. So it has a 2 1/2 hour block, I can turn it on and leave it on. Yeaaaaah... I only intend on using shell when I -need- too. Reducing myself from upwards of, guessing, 3-4K a round, easily, to 1-1.5K? ... Not gonna happen. And honestly, I can't notice much of a damage reduction from enemies. So again, I can go into it and stay. Sure. Logic: It's a stance, which means I should be able to slide in and out of it as I please. Honestly, does any martial arts stance prevent you from re-entering it for half an hour, an hour? No. You slide right back into it when it's necessary.
And now, irongrip, the skill I also share with Masters, and probably all fighter's on the fourth tier.... maybe. Irongrip, is, for lack of better words, a stance in essence. You concentrate to tighten your grip to prevent yourself from being disarmed, and then you relax it. Then you do it again when you need it. Makes sense, right? Not blocking it for 2 1/2 hours for that two or three fights you need it on. But you say, 'it prevents you from being disarmed, why not just keep it on?'. Well, with the block, that's not a half bad idea. Except for the fact that it has a -drawback- as well, on top of the block. Irongrip effectively drops your damage output by roughly 10%. Trade off damage for not getting disarmed.... and then you can't do it again for 2 1/2 hours.
Point I'm trying to make. Blocked skills are aimed almost -solely- at Elitists and Masters. What I would like? The blocks removed, or greatly reduced in duration. If none of those are suitable.... then put a 10 hour block on gate, please. If my class is going to be penalized for simply having skills that make us 'warriorish' then we might as well disable the mages prized spell of gating.
Furthermore, as an added note... uhm.... could you guys maybe look at the damage output of Elitist skills in general... like.. palmstrike... or knee.... cause... ya know... the damage totally stanks.