Casting

Overview
Casting is the act of performing an ability. Abilities can be activated by pressing the corresponding ability hot key.

Each ability must be performed for their effect to occur. Most abilities have a resourcecost associated with it, which will remove the associated cost from your stamina or focus bars before allowing the action to be performed.

Abilities are performed in 3 different ways: casting, instant casting and channeling.

Casting
Casted abilities require the user to remain stationary while performing an action. A cast bar will appear on the user's screen, as well as over the user's head to indicate the duration of the cast. Upon finishing the cast, the user pays a stamina or focus cost and then perform the action against their intended target. Certain abilities may be able to be casted while moving.

As a general rule, casting duration corresponds with power; the longer the cast the more powerful the ability.

Once a cast is finished the ability is activated and goes on cooldown. The resulting ability may heal, deal damage or provide a buff or debuff. Casted abilities may also be area of effect.

In order to start a cast you must have a valid target and be within the ability you are using's maximum range.

Instant Casting
An Instant cast ability is an ability that is instantly performed when the ability is activated. Unlike a normal casted ability, an instant cast requires no casting time and can be performed while moving.

As a general rule, instant cast abilities are weaker than abilities with long cast times. They also are often found on melee classes.

Channeling
A channeled ability is similar to a casted ability. However there are some differences, instead of activating its effect at the end of the cast, it periodically activates effect during the cast requiring the user to pay a stamina or focus cost during each tick.

Each periodic ability activation is called a tick. Stamina and focus costs at each tick and the end of the channel are linear and cost exactly the same. Additionally all channeled casts receive a small buffer at the end of the cast to allow the cast to complete (tick rate/1.25)

A channel with a 2 second duration with 4 0.5 second ticks will be reduced to (0.1 * 4) + 0.1/1.25) or 0.408 seconds

Some channeled effects may perform an additional action at the end of the channel, similar to a normal cast.

Increasing Cast Speed
Cast speed may be increased or decreased with certain buffs or debuffs that affect casting speed and have the 'casting speed' trait.

See the Casting Speed page for more information on how casting is affected by casting speed modifications.

Casting and Cooldowns
Finishing a cast or instant cast will trigger the cooldown for the ability used.

Starting a channel will immediately trigger the cooldown when the channel.

For more information on how cooldowns and global cooldowns see the Cooldown page for more information.

Stopping Casting
Casting may be stopped by receiving an interrupt effect. The interrupt effect will immediately stop the cast and prevent further usage of abilities for a set duration of time.

See the Interrupt page for more information on interrupts.

Casting will also be canceled when the user moves if the ability is not able to be cast while moving.

Casting While Moving
Some casted or channeled abilities may be cast while moving. Abilities that can be cast while moving act in the same manner that normal casts and channels act, however they will not be canceled upon movement.