Guild Wars 2

I find it strange that some classes have access to a 25% passive speed increase, whilst others don’t.

Elementalist, Necromancer, Thief and Ranger have a 25% speed increase signet. Of those signets, one has a useful active (Thief).

Engineer and Warrior both have access to a trait that gives 25% speed increase (20 points for engineer, 10 for warrior). Of course, Engineers also get perma-swiftness.

Mesmers and Guardians get… nothing.

Some people might question the point of a passive speed increase. Here’s two reasons I find it useful – if not necessary – when playing the game: levelling and roaming. If levelling via map completion as opposed to mindlessly zerging Queensdale (which, alas, has become the trend lately) then a passive speed increase really helps. My Guardian took significantly longer than my other classes (excluding mesmer, which I’m still working on) to get to level 80. Then there’s WvW/PvP – obviously, when grouping with people spamming swiftness, it’s less of a problem, but if you’re a solo roamer or in a small group, no passive speed is a nightmare.

The thing is, I only notice it because I’m used to it on other classes. If no classes had the 25% passive, I wouldn’t see a difference between logging in my Mesmer and my Elementalist, in terms of running around.

In a game with no mounts, it seems only fair that every class should have the same opportunity to use the same level of speed increases. I think each class needs a passive 25% – and, seeing as 4 of the 8 already have a signet giving this effect, I suggest all classes are given a 25% increase signet. That way, everyone has the option of using the speed increase. Of course, some people won’t use it – that’s their choice – but currently, it makes no sense at all. Imagine in other games if 50% of the classes had a free mount, 25% had to use specialisation points in order to obtain a mount, and the remaining 25% had no mount at all.

Oh, and I know we have access to the 25% through various runes (Speed and Traveller) but that’s more for end-game, not for levelling… and of course, most people want to use different runes for their build.

I didn’t have to read the whole post to strongly agree how slow mesmers are. Please make a speed signet for mesmers, I don’t care whether you replace Signet of Midnight, nobody uses it anyway.

Couldn’t agree more. In fact, I think that all of the speed boosts should be standardized so that they all require either a signet or a trait, as opposed to how currently some are traited and others are signets.

Alternately, remove all the speed boosts and put the speed as a food buff.

I’d love for all classes to have equality in speed buffs, it sucks being a Mesmer and forced to use Focus for the speed buff. It’s not how I want to play, I know how useful focus is and how good it is but I don’t want to use it.

On the other hand I honestly wouldn’t mind them REMOVING the speed buff all together and make the world just that little bit bigger.

laokoko.7403:

dont’ think it’s that bad for guardian. You got staff, and 2 skills which increase speed. So I can actually keep swiftness up most of the time.

mesmer I find much slower though.

Warrior has many ways to increase speed with traits for speed. guardian has to use utilities and a weapon that may not help that person’s build for theirs.

I main a mesmer. That he by far is the slowest thing possible doesn’t actually worry me, I just accept it as something that makes each class different.

Having said that, what would be wrong with mounts, even if they only give you those 25% speed increase or 33% like swiftness would? This would not only satisfy everyone who plays a slower class, it would also mean something new to work towards, a new way for arenanet to add cosmetic rewards / goals instead of backpacks,…

Not only do mesmers have very few speed buffs, the one that they do reliably have, Temporal Curtain, is STILL bugged. If you have a second of swiftness and run over that, you are not credited the swiftness from Temporal Curtain at all!

Sunshine.4680:

laokoko.7403:

dont’ think it’s that bad for guardian. You got staff, and 2 skills which increase speed. So I can actually keep swiftness up most of the time.

mesmer I find much slower though.

Warrior has many ways to increase speed with traits for speed. guardian has to use utilities and a weapon that may not help that person’s build for theirs.

ya I’m just refering to the “It take me much slower to lvl to 80 part”. I dont’ find it much slower. I find guardian pretty bad for roaming though.

Also a 25% speed reduction of monsters that are in combat mode. It’s only fair. Why are we penalised for being in combat mode but not them?

laokoko.7403:

dont’ think it’s that bad for guardian. You got staff, and 2 skills which increase speed. So I can actually keep swiftness up most of the time.

Except that the current way forces you to use 2 skills instead of one passive. You’re sacrificing an extra utility just to be able to run faster. The staff change is also really annoying now. You have to stand still to get the max benefit…

Guards have Staff, Save Yourselves and Retreat which gives swiftness. That should be enough to get you anywhere, fast.

I agree that it’d be nice to have a signet, but we’re not exactly “swiftness starved” like mesmers are. Those guys have the short end of the stick.

I also think all proffs should have access to this in either traits or signets. Weapons can have a short burst but I do believe you should not need to use a weapon just for speed.

I have a lvl 66 mesmer alt i stopped playing simply because i got tired of using focus buff.

I want to have the same passive walking speed as other classes without spending 9g per rune of traveler.

Untill then mesmer is a no go for me.

laokoko.7403:

dont’ think it’s that bad for guardian. You got staff, and 2 skills which increase speed. So I can actually keep swiftness up most of the time.

mesmer I find much slower though.

Agreed. On Guardian, if I properly space out my skills, I can keep speed buffs up 100% of the time, which makes me faster than any passive gives you. Would be nice being able to move quickly without having to slot two utility skills and a staff, however.

I used to be slow mesmer like you, but then I took 6 runes of speed to my gear.

Smirgel.9460:

I used to be slow mesmer like you, but then I took 6 runes of speed to my gear.

That’s not fair though. Why should Mesmers have to pay 8-10g per rune just to have run speed most other classes get for free?

I mean one would expect that a class that can bend space and time would be able to hasten their walk speed. :P

All classes have at least one option for a 25% passive speed buff, most have 2, some have 3.

GrandmaFunk.3052:

All classes have at least one option for a 25% passive speed buff, most have 2, some have 3.

What does all include in your opinion?

skullmount.1758:

laokoko.7403:

dont’ think it’s that bad for guardian. You got staff, and 2 skills which increase speed. So I can actually keep swiftness up most of the time.

Except that the current way forces you to use 2 skills instead of one passive. You’re sacrificing an extra utility just to be able to run faster. The staff change is also really annoying now. You have to stand still to get the max benefit…

I’ll save myself trouble and just delete my post. I was only refering to the “it take me much slower to lvl to 80 part through map completion”. Obviously most people try to use fast leveling build.

I dont’ felt I actually map completion slower than other class with my guardian.

Runes of the traveler gives you 25% speed increase no matter who you’re on. There’s another one too.

ronpierce.2760:

Runes of the traveler gives you 25% speed increase no matter who you’re on. There’s another one too.

This…

In fact I use traveler runes on my ele just so I do not need to take up a skill slot for 25% run speed.

Mesmers can trait for speed. They can get a speed increase for how many clones you have.
Guardians have perma speed if you carry a staff and have a small boon duration increase.

Chewablesleeptablet.3185:

Mesmers can trait for speed. They can get a speed increase for how many clones you have.
Guardians have perma speed if you carry a staff and have a small boon duration increase.

This is true, but both examples require the player to actively maintain their speed boost. Mesmer clones typically only last for 10 – 15 seconds (rough estimate) and in the guardian’s case, you’ve got to sacrifice more useful skills for a temporary speed increase. This in no way puts these classes on equal footing with the others that have an always-on speed boost.

Also with (centaur?) the runes that give swiftness when you heal, using mantra heal you can have perma swiftness on a Mesmer pretty easily. You can’t not include runes. They’re part of the overall building process of a character and is simply a shift in where the burden for mobility comes from. For mesmers its a lack of rune freedom, for necromancers its a lack of a utility in addition to no forms of teleports and leaps. For other classes it’s a lack of utility spot or lack of trait freedom. Everyone feels a burden.

Chewablesleeptablet.3185:

Mesmers can trait for speed. They can get a speed increase for how many clones you have.

Should I remind you that this trait is absolutely useless for roaming (~90% of playtime) because spawning an illusion means getting in combat mode which means getting a speed debuff?

It’s very, very easy to swap a utility when you’re out of combat. You can’t compare sacrificing one skill slot temporarily for permanent swiftness to trait adjustment and constant skill usage for temporary swiftness.

Runes require even greater sacrifice. Traveller runes are a bit too pricey for a ‘one trick pony’ kind of set.

Run speed in all mmo’s seem to be absolutely sluggish and horrible. It’s quite sad that each time I create a new profession, it doesn’t matter what the other utility skills are, even if it would destroy any creature with one hit with a 1 second cooldown, if it doesn’t make me run faster then I’m not equipping it.

>log in
>"golem is up"
>port there
>switch to my speed signet
>hope i don’t get hit by anything on my way there
>switch to frost bow
>repeat the switching 30 times over the next hour

Personally I think they should just normalize run speeds to the current 25% bonus speed. It is essentially limiting our options. 25% run speed is better than any other bonus you can get in the game because 99% of the game is spent running.

we are given 3 utility slots, but really I need to take the run speed signet to keep pace with my group so that utility slot is completely useless to me.

The only other way to get a similar bonus is with a 6 piece rune set, which is even more limiting unless you happen to run a build specifically tailored to that run set, which I don’t.

mathras.2450:

Elementalist, Necromancer, Thief and Ranger have a 25% speed increase signet. Of those signets, one has a useful active (Thief).

If traited, Signet of the Hunt gives not just the pet but the ranger a 25% damage boost. Which is… potent, shall we say.

How about a speed boots instead?

Tman.6349:

There are actually TWO runesets that give +25% speed and one is fairly cheap though not as useful as Traveler runes. Guardian AND Mesmer do BOTH have rediculous defensive setups and are great at killing should something happen to chase them down. I think maybe the were meant to HAVE to sacrifice some of their natural prowess on order to ‘go fast’ but that’s just speculation. If you ever have something you need to destroy around the house/yard and need some motivation, forget about death metal music and roll a Charr Mesmer for a couple hours! Lol iI think this could be used for professional fighters as well.

What are you guys talking about?!

Guardians and Mesmer’s have incredible access to 25% Passive Run speed….

We just have to pay 60 gold to get it.. /cough Travellers.

What a joke.

Amins.3710:

Guardians and Mesmer’s have incredible access to 25% Passive Run speed….

We just have to pay 60 gold to get it.. /cough Travellers.

or 15g for Runes of Speed

I don’t even bother with the signet on Necro, I use either Speed runes, Centaur runes or just Swiftness.

Mesmers seriously lack swiftness, which sucks for them…
But with speed Runes and Blink they are faster than Necros, because Necros can’t tele forwards without an enemy target, and even that tele is slow.

The biggest factor in speed are leaps, though.
I use Fiery Greatsword on my Elementalist sometimes just to move around, it allows ridiculous mobility.

On that note Thieves actually don’t usually have a lot of Swiftness, most of their speed is from Shadowsteps.

They could give 25% faster movement speed across the board as a new default movement speed, and replace traits/skills that grants faster speed with something else.

Moving without the traits/skills that grants the faster movement speed feels like walking through a swamp.

For a “quality of life” improvement to the game – do this.

I said it before: 25 on every “elite” as a passive buff. Or 25 on one support skill for every profession it’s just annoying to switch skills or weapons just for speed buff.

And the guardian stuff #3 is also stupid to stand in that circle to get a speed buff. Standing for faster running. Makes perfectly sense.

I would like Anet to get rid of all passive speed increases through traits, signets, & runes .

Boost Ranger pets passive speed to 40% (“sic’ em”), they’re animals after all should be faster naturally.

Boost all professions passive run speed by 25% pve/wvw

my 2cents on the topic

Because it is already easy to have perma-swiftness as a guard.

As for the speed boost, all classes have access to the rune of speed or rune of the traveler. Use those if speed is that important.

Smirgel.9460:

I used to be slow mesmer like you, but then I took 6 runes of speed to my gear.

I’ll see your 6 runes of speed and raise you 7 runes of the traveler! :P

(aquabreather also needs one if you want to retain the 6th bonus underwater)

If we give more movement to classes that can spam stealth, then lets also give spam stealth to other classes, including warriors of course.

Even if you don’t like it, movement speed is part of balance. The power of misdirection is strong enough as it is, giving a further perma speed increase is overkill.

If you’re gonna give something to everyone you might as well remove it.

It just creates an illusion of choice.

Runspeed is always problematic in MMOs since it something everyone always wants. And when everyone has it those who do not often can’t keep up.

It creates an armsrace and leaves other interesting traits behind.

Imo ANet would be better off getting rid of all the passive run-speed increases and removing any ability to stack Swiftness permanently. Swiftness should remain a temporary boost, something you use to get away, not something you have permanently.

Runes of the traveler negate this, and guardians can rather easily achieve perma swiftness. Mesmers are slow, but also provide great group utility and are an incredible dueling class. So it’s not too crazy that they have some weakness. Most classes have some weakness, somewhere.

Tbh I am also one of those that think all 25% speed buffs should be removed while all characters also move at 25% normally. Its a major QoL improvement for all classes and a major nerf for swiftness, yes… But swiftness really has little place in the game to begin with. The very idea that groups of players can stack perma-swiftness and zoom across WvW zones is kittened to say the least. Its been taken granted to the point that WvW is unplayable without either 25% or 33%.

I play a Mesmer and after having traveller runes since they made them 25%… Its just unplayable to use anything else. It doesnt work. I cant be without them. Its like running in constant combat when I use any other rune. It’ll drive anyone insane. People that say “its ok, I can play without any type of speed runes!” are just torturing themselves.

No. The only way to get a speed boost should be swiftness or boost items. All classes should have their running speed increase traits/signets removed/repurposed. Speed is relative so if you’re going to bring everyone up to 25% you may as well bring everyone down instead. That way swiftness is actually highly sought after i.e. stacking swiftness as a group for a huge mobility boost or using items runes/sigils that have swiftness as a bonus (e.g. on heal or on kill/crit/whatever).

mathras.2450:

I find it strange that some classes have access to a 25% passive speed increase, whilst others don’t.

Elementalist, Necromancer, Thief and Ranger have a 25% speed increase signet. Of those signets, one has a useful active (Thief).

Yea you got no idea there. The elementalist speed signet is significantly a LOT BETTER than the thief on the activation (blind versus blind and stunbreak and damage not even a comparison) so please try to at least get your facts straight before posting anything

Darkstorn.5423:

mathras.2450:

I find it strange that some classes have access to a 25% passive speed increase, whilst others don’t.

Elementalist, Necromancer, Thief and Ranger have a 25% speed increase signet. Of those signets, one has a useful active (Thief).

Yea you got no idea there. The elementalist speed signet is significantly a LOT BETTER than the thief on the activation (blind versus blind and stunbreak and damage not even a comparison) so please try to at least get your facts straight before posting anything

Actually, I have both classes at 80, and the signets are similar enough not to warrant a mention. So please take your patronising attitude elsewhere, thanks.

• Remove all +25% speed traits and signits.

• Increase all classes base speed by 25%

• Remove swiftness, or dramatically reduce all swiftness durations so they only give a tiny speed boost when used, making them more tactical and not perma for (most) classes.

Keep everyone moving at relatively the same speed. It’s better for the game.

mathras.2450:

Darkstorn.5423:

mathras.2450:

I find it strange that some classes have access to a 25% passive speed increase, whilst others don’t.

Elementalist, Necromancer, Thief and Ranger have a 25% speed increase signet. Of those signets, one has a useful active (Thief).

Yea you got no idea there. The elementalist speed signet is significantly a LOT BETTER than the thief on the activation (blind versus blind and stunbreak and damage not even a comparison) so please try to at least get your facts straight before posting anything

Actually, I have both classes at 80, and the signets are similar enough not to warrant a mention. So please take your patronising attitude elsewhere, thanks.

Granted, the damage alone is not all that important. But the fact that one signet breaks stun and the other does not in a CC-heavy game is a very important difference.

Two things:

1. First, increase the base out of combat run speed boost by ~25%.
2. Second, make all other speed boons nonstacking with the OOC, outside of superceding it to 33% with Swiftness.

Result: Everyone has 25% faster OOC speed, and no one has to waste a utility slot to get it.

Why not make a food item which gives a 25% speed bosst instead? That would solve the issues with mesmers/guardians and keeping in line with game balance. They could get their speed but it’s more costly than for example eles (which don’t have to trait/skill for it but get lower bases stats as a compromise).