Guild Wars 2

Looking forward to it

Will we get any coverage about PvE or WvW balance? Really not trying to be angry here, but the attention such a miniscule game mode is getting at the total expense of any balancing in regards to the two large game modes is really disheartening.

It’s not that the imbalance itself is annoying, but the lack of even acknowledging the issues is. I can do years of waiting. Waited 7 years for some changes in WoW. But at least the devs replied in vanilla-era threads that they’d like to do a change there or here but had no resources for it.

Carighan.6758:

Will we get any coverage about PvE or WvW balance? Really not trying to be angry here, but the attention such a miniscule game mode is getting at the total expense of any balancing in regards to the two large game modes is really disheartening.

It’s not that the imbalance itself is annoying, but the lack of even acknowledging the issues is. I can do years of waiting. Waited 7 years for some changes in WoW. But at least the devs replied in vanilla-era threads that they’d like to do a change there or here but had no resources for it.

And what are the issues?

How do you want WvW balanced? Balance to roamer vs roamer? balance each profession based on zerg vs zerg fight? balance each profession for assaulting a keep? Balance each profession for defending a keep?

If you are going to claim there are issues, it is perhaps best if you list them. As well, what you claim as issues may be non-issues to the rest of the population.

Total balance is impossible to achive. There will alwas be some rock paper scissors left. But it can get way better than now if they´d just think for one second, fix all bugs, tweak numbers and overhaul some mechanics. Still a long way to go, but its possible when they are willing to do it. Currently they don´t even seem to listen. Many professions have bugs which exist since release and well, for example seeing how conditions work its totally clear why they are highly OP in small group and solo WvW / sPvP and why they are so underwhelming in PvE / zergfight WvW. I´m not even a developer and i can think of half a dozen ways to make them worthwile in PvE and zergfight WvW while cutting them down in small groups / solo WvW / sPvP to bring them in line with power based builds.

just out of curiosity, that does a Community Special Operations person do exactly?

coglin.1867:

Carighan.6758:

Will we get any coverage about PvE or WvW balance? Really not trying to be angry here, but the attention such a miniscule game mode is getting at the total expense of any balancing in regards to the two large game modes is really disheartening.

It’s not that the imbalance itself is annoying, but the lack of even acknowledging the issues is. I can do years of waiting. Waited 7 years for some changes in WoW. But at least the devs replied in vanilla-era threads that they’d like to do a change there or here but had no resources for it.

And what are the issues?

How do you want WvW balanced? Balance to roamer vs roamer? balance each profession based on zerg vs zerg fight? balance each profession for assaulting a keep? Balance each profession for defending a keep?

If you are going to claim there are issues, it is perhaps best if you list them. As well, what you claim as issues may be non-issues to the rest of the population.

The only issue I see is that GW2 still wants to be an eSports.

coglin.1867:

How do you want WvW balanced?

If you are going to claim there are issues, it is perhaps best if you list them. As well, what you claim as issues may be non-issues to the rest of the population.

One issue, e.g. is the problem with perma stealth for thieves. In PvP, where control points can’t be taken by an invisible thief, the area to move around is more limited than e.g. in a WvW camp. This also means the area that needs to be bombarded with AoE is much larger allowing a perma stealth thief to having a much greater advantage over other professions. The ability to reset in perma stealth (or by moving out of combat range, a GS Warrior issue) is much bigger in WvW. Don’t forget the WvW meta where perma invisible players can hide inside keeps to rezz downed Mesmer for portal attacks.

coglin.1867:

Carighan.6758:

Will we get any coverage about PvE or WvW balance? Really not trying to be angry here, but the attention such a miniscule game mode is getting at the total expense of any balancing in regards to the two large game modes is really disheartening.

It’s not that the imbalance itself is annoying, but the lack of even acknowledging the issues is. I can do years of waiting. Waited 7 years for some changes in WoW. But at least the devs replied in vanilla-era threads that they’d like to do a change there or here but had no resources for it.

And what are the issues?

How do you want WvW balanced? Balance to roamer vs roamer? balance each profession based on zerg vs zerg fight? balance each profession for assaulting a keep? Balance each profession for defending a keep?

If you are going to claim there are issues, it is perhaps best if you list them. As well, what you claim as issues may be non-issues to the rest of the population.

Non-exhaustive list here.

WvW:
WvW is currently reigned by whoever has the best coverage. Servers that simply field less players during off-hours are fighting an uphill battle that is unfair to them.

Steps to beating GW2 PvE:
1) Go full zerk 2) Drop Fiery Greatsword/Ice Bow 3) Stack 4) Profit.

@Waikd.4632

A simple solution to the PvE all zerker meta would be to add “Iron Hide” to a champion’s ability bar (timed perhaps), each time Defiance gets renewed. Since it reduced direct damage by 50%, the CC and conditions by the ones actually running condi or hybrid builds would matter a lot more.

But don’t forget to stay on topic guys.

I am looking forward to the announcements about the Thief and Warrior profession. It will be interesting to see if the Devs have the will to nerf some stuff on their favourite professions up till now, to keep them more in line with the others.

2 months for all previews…

Patch for Christmas?

When will we have a ready up with the balance team telling us what are the reasons behind all the balance changes being implemented on next balance patch?

First two classes got buffed, is it time for nefrs now? :P

Atoss.1056:

First two classes got buffed, is it time for nefrs now? :P

It’s well known Warriors and Thieves are vastly under powered in almost every area. Obviously gonna be full buffs all around.

Mark Katzbach.9084:

We decided to prerecord these segments because it allows us to cut down each profession from over 15 minutes to about 5 while still allowing us to show off the changes without making you wait for Karl to make build changes on the fly.

Mark Katzbach.9084:

Actually, we split the balance update into multiple episodes because a single, 80 minute balance show was exhausting for both the team and the viewers.

Hmmm.

Is the other 40 minutes “we are removing skyhammer from solo queue” played repeatedly, or is it one recording elongated over that time?

Carighan.6758:

Will we get any coverage about PvE or WvW balance? Really not trying to be angry here, but the attention such a miniscule game mode is getting at the total expense of any balancing in regards to the two large game modes is really disheartening.

It’s not that the imbalance itself is annoying, but the lack of even acknowledging the issues is. I can do years of waiting. Waited 7 years for some changes in WoW. But at least the devs replied in vanilla-era threads that they’d like to do a change there or here but had no resources for it.

Haha, dream on.
Your never going to see any such ‘balance’ in WvW, whatever the heck that means, because Arenanet absolutely refuse to split their skills between game modes, and from what I’ve seen, sPvP takes priority. They evidently learned nothing from GW1.
Whatever poultry changes you do get will be few and far between. It’s disgustingly slow.

But a lot of the problems with WvW a fundamental design problems, both with the game mode and the professions in general. Someone likened it to rock, paper, scissors.
If that were actually the case I would be ecstatic, but it’s not, it’s rock, rocks and more rocks.

It’s all about DPS and as many people as you can muster, everything else is irrelevant.
Control and Support could never be any more powerful then they already are, because that would make them over powered in either sPvP or PvE, and since they refuse to split skills, these two so-call play styles will continue to be completely pathetic.

I gave up long ago on it being any more then a one trick pony show. Makes me find the whole idea of GW2 being an ‘esport’ kind of comical in retrospect.
You kind of need depth for that.

Pve: zerker burst
Small scale: condi
Large scale : cc tank
Every kind of gamestyle have its own place, its not the problem
The problem is not every profession able to do everything.

Kaiyanwan.8521:

coglin.1867:

Carighan.6758:

Will we get any coverage about PvE or WvW balance? Really not trying to be angry here, but the attention such a miniscule game mode is getting at the total expense of any balancing in regards to the two large game modes is really disheartening.

It’s not that the imbalance itself is annoying, but the lack of even acknowledging the issues is. I can do years of waiting. Waited 7 years for some changes in WoW. But at least the devs replied in vanilla-era threads that they’d like to do a change there or here but had no resources for it.

And what are the issues?

How do you want WvW balanced? Balance to roamer vs roamer? balance each profession based on zerg vs zerg fight? balance each profession for assaulting a keep? Balance each profession for defending a keep?

If you are going to claim there are issues, it is perhaps best if you list them. As well, what you claim as issues may be non-issues to the rest of the population.

The only issue I see is that GW2 still wants to be an eSports.

Never going to happen under the point control scoring system.

Would anybody at all watch football if the point of the game was to score first and then sit in the same spot where the ball is first punted and prevent the enemy team from moving you, from scoring, from having any play, interaction, strategy, or choice? No, that would be the most boring game to watch ever, not to mention completely stagnant to play.

And yet it is exactly what GW2’s PvP is. Your job is to interract with opponents as little as possible, bunker, heal, tank, never die. This game’s PvP is going nowhere until the maps get a different, or multiple, varying methods of point gain.

coglin.1867:

How do you want WvW balanced? Balance to roamer vs roamer? balance each profession based on zerg vs zerg fight? balance each profession for assaulting a keep? Balance each profession for defending a keep?

If you are going to claim there are issues, it is perhaps best if you list them. As well, what you claim as issues may be non-issues to the rest of the population.

Hrm, bit tight on time, I listed them in another thread, I’ll look for the link later.
Basically I’d like to hear some information about the balance as far as WvW-specific issues go.

That is most notable the following two balance areas:

• Balance of scaling. A class should not be “for roaming” or “for zerg play”. A Mesmer should not be less valuable in a group of 100 versus a group of 5 (though obviously the single mesmer becomes less impactful, but if we assume 20% Mesmers they should feel just as useful as a single Mesmer in a group of 5).
• Balance of need. Right now WvW is carried by a roaming-dominance of Necros and Thieves for highwaymen and GWE for larger fights. WvW-balance would need a balanced setup here so that each class, assuming you aren’t already oversaturated, is equally “good” to add to your pack. This doesn’t mean the same as 1-for-1 balance does in sPvP. Individually, these characters don’t have to be balanced at all. Rather the crucial tools they bring to WvW (which are always going to be a subset of everything the class does) should not lose value simply because of a different setup. Though it is understandable if this falters in very lopsided zergs like, say, 80 Mesmers.

Hope to hear some doors open for thief^^ If there is ever a new mechanic to disable minor traits it would be because of thief

Do i smell another 8% ? maybe 9 ? :O maybe even this year?!!!

jokes aside, Im mainly hoping for:
-warior stance & heal sig trim, sword#4 nerf/rebalance whatever..
-Thief shorter might on doge, less doge, potential mobility or trickery nerfs (like seperate daze & CD reduction on steal)
-Anet listening to feedback and giving that they gave themselves 2months, that the changes come shortly after

Flumek.9043:

Do i smell another 8% ? maybe 9 ? :O maybe even this year?!!!

jokes aside, Im mainly hoping for:
-warior stance & heal sig trim, sword#4 nerf/rebalance whatever..
-Thief shorter might on doge, less doge, potential mobility or trickery nerfs (like seperate daze & CD reduction on steal)
-Anet listening to feedback and giving that they gave themselves 2months, that the changes come shortly after

They should do these kinds of changes once every 2 months until things look like their settling. Then do little changes every 2 months or so until it is all about monitoring. But hey, we might get this upcoming change before 6 months so that is progress I’d say!

Nerfing Thief again. You guys are plain RIDICULOUS.

Meh, hardly a nerf just a disappointment that they didn’t open anything up. Same builds, no one is going to use IP still, sb taunting is out the window they might as well delete sb.

Our first 1,050 range though O.o sucks p/p is still awful and p/d was fine already.

Well deserved nerfs right there for the warrior. Watch thieves play on the “nerfs” like they’re all they got. You guys got mostly buffed. p/d venomshare thieves incoming!

Warriors and thieves are two of the most powerful professions in the game, so this is just as well.

How are they nerfing thief?

This conversation is useless without a synopsis of the presentation. Some of us work for a living in buildings with firewalls!

Good stuff, good changes.

- I especially like how failed burst skills will cost adrenaline. That had a long time coming.
- WvW Thieves can’t troll you as easily by perpetually alternating stealth and black powder (pulses once every two seconds now).

I know it’s an unpopular opinion among forum stars but WvW thieves and warriors are probably the two classes with the lowest risk and highest grief potential in the game. Thanks for your hard work.

Other notable changes:
-Daggers cleave two targets total

-Flanking strike costs one more initiative, larcenous strike one less. You need to hit flanking strike to use larcenous strike

-Choking Gas does damage on impact so it will reveal you

-Venom share scales off of your stats instead of your ally’s

-Pistol Richochet trait will give 115 (?) extra range

-Unload gets a faster cast time (?)

-Warrior greatsword: 100 blades and Whirlwind get 5% damage reduction, 100 blades first few strikes damage rebalanced towards the last hit

-Berserker stance adrenaline gain nerfed “by 40%,” more like using it will get you from empty to full, instead of empty to full + two more extra bars

-Signet of Rage gets 5 seconds off base duration of boons, 50% increased adrenaline gain while on passive

-Greatsword burst skill looks more like a nuke now

All that I remember. There were a bunch of other inconsequential changes like with Juggernaut Throw Rock but whatever.

Thank you for the thief buffs, especially invigorating precision and ricochet buffs. I’m fine with black powder nerf and flanking strike nerf, they were needed imo. S/D is still fine, D/P will still be fine. Some thieves are just overreacting. I like the changes to thief.

Well warrior will be even more OP then its now. Thats abaout balance..

So warriors are even FURTHER pushed into hambow by adrenaline changes? Didn’t cleansing ire teach them anything? They should at least make the precision signet instant to compensate.

No idea where the damage reduction on 100b came from either, already required a specialized build, maybe this is to balance the new burst skill. The bonus on axe is certainly appreciated, could be fun with frenzy (well same with greatsword there since it has a finisher other than #3 now).

Thief s/d nerf was probably needed, but I’m not going to be angry if I get an extra evading homing attack… Will take some testing to determine if you can actually counter thief by evading it or not… Guardians will have a field day I’m sure.

Black powder change probably correct, a well placed bp was very punishing and now you can choose to attempt to fight through it… Also means you can interrupt stomps if you spam autoattack, which is kind of a big deal. I don’t think it will affect pve too much, attack speed is very slow there.

Wondering how they came up with 1050 for pistol range…?

invigorating precision?! does anyone even consider using that trait over the other 2?

Volrath.1473:

invigorating precision?! does anyone even consider using that trait over the other 2?

That’s precisely why it needed a buff.

Anyone else concerned about how the ricochet buff might make p/d thieves even more difficult to fight? It could be worse, though.

I’m pretty impressed with what I’ve seen from these skill bars so far. Here’s to hoping the other 2 deliver as well.

hmmm Warriors got Buffed again…great lol.
The thieves changes now….whats up with the Traps? No one play with them because they are bullkitten.Then whats up with D/D dancing dagger and deathblossom? This two skills are really blah.
Im a bit confused that they dont nerved P/D thieves but S/D and D/P lol. Its not S/D its the acro line where is OP(+ Sigils), not the weaponset.(The blind change is ok)

I like the Warrior Adrenaline change. Though lots of the other changes are serious buffs, the adrenaline change is such a huge nerf to most current plays that it could work out.

And I like it. Adrenaline currently feels meaningless. It’s one of the shortest-CD skills, equivalent to #2 on most weapons.

Carighan.6758:

I like the Warrior Adrenaline change. Though lots of the other changes are serious buffs, the adrenaline change is such a huge nerf to most current plays that it could work out.

And I like it. Adrenaline currently feels meaningless. It’s one of the shortest-CD skills, equivalent to #2 on most weapons.

Agree

Warrior adrenaline management was huge nerfed. They would not be able to use burst skills as often as before and this way they will be weaker to conditions. (this without the other player in action, if the player dodge the bursts the warrior will keep the conditions even more time)

The good thing is now GS burst skill will offer a good way to proc CI.

The two most QQ builds in PvP were nerfed hard.

Question about the choking gas “hit on strike” thing. Does that mean it’s going to cause revealed now if it hits in an enemy group? Because if so, you’ve effectively killed the skill for any thief in stealth. The skill itself is rather useless unless you have Signet of Malice in PvE or WvW, and we all know any build with that skill is going to be dependent on multiple strikes and defense to take the blows they’re receiving DURING those strikes.

So 100% of warriors will carry a longbow now?

Axialbloom.8109:

So 100% of warriors will carry a longbow now?

It seems like a very likely possibility. I’m curious how the meta will shift – will other builds emerge or will we be forced even further into Hambow?

No healing signet revamp?

In what game is a defensive skill that causes one player to massively benefit from any interrupt, heal, defensive maneuver, or any drawing out of combat employed by EITHER player fun to play against?

In absolutely none.

Carighan.6758:

I like the Warrior Adrenaline change. Though lots of the other changes are serious buffs, the adrenaline change is such a huge nerf to most current plays that it could work out.

And I like it. Adrenaline currently feels meaningless. It’s one of the shortest-CD skills, equivalent to #2 on most weapons.

Umm … what other change – that is actually used in common builds – got a serious buff?!? Hint: Rampage buff doesn’t count. Maybe the GS nerf/buff is a net gain, but that’s about it. And the Signet of Rage nerf is pretty harsh, too.

perko.8309:

Umm … what other change – that is actually used in common builds – got a serious buff?!? Hint: Rampage buff doesn’t count. Maybe the GS nerf/buff is a net gain, but that’s about it. And the Signet of Rage nerf is pretty harsh, too.

You realize that you don’t get things into “common builds” by nerfing or not-buffing them?

What would you buff? Things already constantly taken?

Surprised Combustive Shot was not heavily nerfed. That thing ruins much of pvp.

You do not need to hit someone to proc CI. You just need to spend adrenaline. It will still work even if you miss, the condition removal that is.

Chokolata.1870:

You do not need to hit someone to proc CI. You just need to spend adrenaline. It will still work even if you miss, the condition removal that is.

No. Karl confirmed in Twitch chat that missing will NOT proc CI.

Bug fixes where?

Also, IP still going to be poor… CS depends on the end GM, and IP does nothing to compensate for that dps loss. You’d think you lose some gain some but 8% won’t accomplish that.

Axialbloom.8109:

Surprised Combustive Shot was not heavily nerfed. That thing ruins much of pvp.

combustive shot has already gone through a few heavily unreasonable nerfs.

combustive shot is a well balance burst skill, and it is in a very fine spot at the moment.
no further adjustments are necessary.

would you kindly please stop making unreasonable claims?
thank you.

Anet, I’m begging you, do NOT make it so Choking Gas gives reveal. It’s rarely used outside of stealth due to the fact that it only poisons, adding reveal to it will only guarantee it’s never used. Shortbow itself is already hanging by a thread due to the fact that Disabling Shot is only for evasions, and Infiltrator’s Arrow costs too much for what Heartseeker can do for cheaper. Clusterbomb and Choking Gas are the only things keeping that weapon alive, and if you nerf the Choking Gas, then the weapon is dead.

I understand the need to get rid of annoying builds from the thief, but all you will be doing from nerfing Choking Gas is destroying some of the only support a thief has in WvW for zerg/group fighting. A thief uses Choking Gas in stealth only because we cannot survive against large groups, Caltrops and Choking Gas are the only two moves we can use in stealth that will not reveal us, the only two things that will keep us safe from dying in a matter of seconds, even when built tanky. I will only accept a Choking Gas nerf in the same patch you decide to nerf our access to stealth and buff our survivabilty outside of stealth, because until then the Choking Gas nerf is a bad joke which effectively kills shortbow and makes it a liability.