Guild Wars 2

The Engineer has been held back by the sheer lack of burst DPS traits in it’s trait lines as well as defensive traits common to the other two adventurer classes which provide better survivability options even when traited for burst DPS. Engineer traits need a complete overhaul to include the equivalent items listed below found in the trees of the other two adventurer style classes available in the game. Until engineers have these options it will remain weak and inferior to all other classes in the game because of the missing bonuses and the lack of choices of skills that offer boons that all other classes take for granted in their trait lines. This thread will reveal some of the enhancements that Thieves and Rangers and attempt to make suggestions appropriate to this new task.

It is the trait choices that determine how the class will be played and lack of choices in this area means people will cookie cutter their builds more often because many traits are useless. There’s also some question of whole types of utilities completely ignored by most of the Engineer community due to those skills being weaker and not giving boons equivalent to the signets/seals on other classes even in other categories. Keep in mind readers this isn’t a thread for flaming and the purpose of this thread is to help identify many of the problems Engineers face (without regard to the traits that don’t function right now due to ongoing bugs)

Engineer needs the equivalent of these types of traits if it’s to remain an adventurer class:

1. Thief Exposed Weakness Ranger’s Hunters Tactics (10% to damage if enemy has a condition, 10% to damage when flanking) (engineers are limited to a single condition damage as the trigger for this type of bonus and only in the Rifle Heavy builds no other builds benefit)
2. Thief’s Improvisation (Deal 10% more damage when wielding a bundle or when carrying a gadget)
3. Thief’s Venomous Strength / Signets of Power and Ranger’s Beastmaster’s Might (gain might when utility is cast 5 stacks of might per signet used in Signets of Power)
4. Ranger’s Beastmaster’s Bond (Gain fury and might when pet’s health reaches 50%) (Turrets)
5. Thieve’s Pistol Mastery Ranger’s Honed Axes (Deal an additional 10% damage with pistols / deal 10% more critical damage when axes is in main hand)
6. Ranger’s Carnivorous Appetite (Pet’s gain health on critical hits) (Turrets self repair needs this improvement badly)
7. Ranger’s Companion’s Might (Pet’s gain might on critical hits) (Turrets)
8. Ranger’s Empathic Bond (Pets periodically remove conditions from you) (Healing Turret while up this would improve the healing turret so much more then that extremely long 1 time use ability)
9. Thief’s Shadow’s Embrace (Enhanced Backpack Regenerator)
10. Thief’s Slowed Pulse Ranger’s Oakheart Salve (Gain regeneration when you have a condition)
11. Ranger’s Expertise Training (Pet’s deal extra condition damage) (Turrets could easily have their own condition damage ones that the engineer normally doesn’t have say bleeding option for when pistols are used or poison or gain the option of having their own condition stacks)
12. Ranger’s Spirits Unbound (Turrets)
13. Ranger’s Mighty Swap (Pets gain 3 stacks of might on activation) (Turrets)
14. Thief’s Thrill of the Crime (on use of kits or on use of gadgets to improve gadget use)
15. Thief’s Critical Haste
16. Ranger’s Furious Grip (Engineers only have 1 automatic fury builder this could be adapted for use when we switch kits)
17. Ranger’s Fortifying Bond (could be adapted to engineers to help protect turrets more)
18. Ranger’s Companion’s Defense (could replace Protective Shield in function)

Also, certain traits shared with Rangers and Thieves are in the wrong place when compared to Thieves and Ranger skill locations:

1. Engineer’s Adrenaline Implant should be a in the first tier just like the Ranger’s Natural Vigor
2. Enhance Performance should be a tier 1 trait not a tier 3 (XII)
3. Most defensive boon builders on Thieves and Rangers happen at 90% hitpoints, yet hidden flask is still at 75%. Damage done to engineers that put them at 75% often causes nearly instantaneous death in PVE, and let’s face it, when fighting with a heavy toughness healing build, this trait is completely useless as most normal mobs won’t get the engineer down to 75% of health, so this trait needs an overhaul as well. Also there are many a boon trait that doesn’t work. The heal on the medkit toolbar for example never activates the Enhance performance on the engineer.

And finally: Thief’s and Ranger’s signets that offer run speed of 25% ooc could easily be adapted for use on the Engineer’s Slick Shoes or Rocket Boots respectively.

So as you can see Thief’s and Ranger’s have multiple options for building might, but engineers only have 2, using a timer/or relying on 75% damage or a single elixir.