Guild Wars 2

So this issue has got my back up for a while now and I just can’t take it; watching my character running nicely one moment just to be attacked and slowed to a snails pace. Shouldn’t it be up to me when I slow down? Or in fact when I want to enter/leave combat?

While I’m actually in-combat being slowed isn’t so notable and in game-modes like PvP it isn’t too bad, perhaps its even good; but in PvE and WvW, where the leg work matters, its a killer and it gets me every time. Suddenly its become a chore to move and I actively avoid combat for this reason. And I can’t help feeling that i’m avoiding playing the game because i avoid combat because I get slowed; I can’t stress that enough, its an immersion breaking mechanic.

Realistically I see no reason for this to be in the game, if I was running and got hit by something I wouldn’t slow down, in fact i might speed up. And if I didn’t keep running I would engage in combat but I wouldn’t forcibly make myself move slower, i’d move less but not slower.

Mobility is a big thing in MMOs and slowing someone is the greatest of all punishments. My suggestion would be to level the playing field here, one speed in and out of combat (whether is be the slower or faster version I don’t care as long as its the same). Or make being slowed in combat a viable/optional thing (I know I get slower when i have my weapons out, but I also know I can put them away) Maybe we could tie weapon sheathing and unsheathing to slowed movement. Its an equal trade off, I can’t engage in combat with my skills if I don’t have my weapons out but I’m faster for doing so.

if ANYONE agree BACK ME UP here, it won’t change unless we say something.

It’s like in slasher movies. When the slasher is right behind them they seem to run so slow. lol I don’t like it either but it’s better than giving every mob a snare/stun or something. I don’t think they want us to be able to blow past hordes of mobs loot/mine and jet out again. It’s what everybody does anyway, now that mobs don’t drop loot, there’s no reason to kill them.

True…I’ve always felt that this thing is so wrong…yet so much used in games !…During a real combat you build up adrenaline…so it’s a big nonsense that you become slower…you should actually go faster !
During puzzles in wvw this is just so annoying…all they have to do is hit you once with a bow…and then climbing up becomes hella hard…even impossible if you don’t have swiftness…
I would personally remove it…just make the mobs faster if you want to balance…or idk…

This problem is perspective. The technic is that you move faster out of combat, not that you move slower in combat, which is in place solely for the sake of travel. It can also be viewed as a way to slow down people you’re trying to ambush – or, inversely, you can purposely time evades and the like to stay out of combat so that you can catch or get away from those who are already in it.

I can relate to the slight frustration of it, but I don’t consider it wrong or broken because it’s not hard to understand why it’s there.

IVeracityI.8936:

This problem is perspective. The technic is that you move faster out of combat, not that you move slower in combat, which is in place solely for the sake of travel.

I agree. The alternative to slowing down during combat is to move at current combat speed all the time, even out of combat. I prefer the current situation (being allowed to run from WP to WP quickly).

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

IVeracityI.8936:

This problem is perspective. The technic is that you move faster out of combat, not that you move slower in combat, which is in place solely for the sake of travel.

I agree. The alternative to slowing down during combat is to move at current combat speed all the time, even out of combat. I prefer the current situation (being allowed to run from WP to WP quickly).

Yeah, and that’s no pleasing alternative, so I say leave it as is.

IVeracityI.8936:

This problem is perspective. The technic is that you move faster out of combat, not that you move slower in combat, which is in place solely for the sake of travel. It can also be viewed as a way to slow down people you’re trying to ambush – or, inversely, you can purposely time evades and the like to stay out of combat so that you can catch or get away from those who are already in it.

I can relate to the slight frustration of it, but I don’t consider it wrong or broken because it’s not hard to understand why it’s there.

I don’t think its broken, for what it intends to do it does the job. Maybe my perspective is a bit bias, but I also believe its poorly optimized. I can see where you coming from with ambushing people or avoid those in combat, and I agree in this is does well; but how the game decides your in combat is plain bad, sure its gotten better at deciding when your out of combat but the fact its deciding for you is horrible.
In a real situation I can break combat with someone and run after someone else just as fast as they’re getting away. I might never catch up but I can try and thats the point I can try.

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

IVeracityI.8936:

This problem is perspective. The technic is that you move faster out of combat, not that you move slower in combat, which is in place solely for the sake of travel.

I agree. The alternative to slowing down during combat is to move at current combat speed all the time, even out of combat. I prefer the current situation (being allowed to run from WP to WP quickly).

As I suggested above instead of an even speed all the time, they could also make the speed change viable or optional. The way the game works at the moment is if you get hit/use a skill, you take out your weapons and are in combat and naturally when your out of combat your character automatically sheaths their weapons. Now there is an optional keybind to sheath or unsheath weapons. Since you cannot use skill without unsheathing weapons would it not be nice to have this also break combat and thus change the speed.

So in what situation would this actually be of use?
EG: I’m in combat my commander runs past shouting retreat, I use a stun on my opponent, sheath my weapons and run. Now my opponent can chase me with weapons drawn and take the movement penalty(but use skills) or sheath them and pursue me(but can’t use skills).

Opposed to: I’m in combat my commander issues retreat, I slowly make an escape while being attacked by every kitten. Very boring, very un-immersive.

I can definitely understand the proposal, and I don’t consider it a bad idea. Hell, it could be quite fun and interesting.

I’m just a -little- concerned that it’d be exploited by dancing between sheathed/unsheathed to utilize both at once – and putting a CD on it would be a little… odd. So unless you made it so you have to keep your weapons sheathed for the amount of time that it’d normally take for combat to break (as if you weren’t taking damage or anything), it’d be easily flipped and twisted to meet the needs of the MLG PRO folks.

Hrm yeah it being exploited like that does sound bad. Maybe if the cool down could be balanced like weapon swapping; slowing in combat, and faster out of combat. Although it would have to be a fair few seconds out of combat before the cool down accelerated. Or if the cooldown was long enough to deter such behavior but short enough to use nicely.

If it treats sheathing weapons like a combat break, it could be okay. So long as it keeps the 2-3 second delay before triggering, it shouldn’t be too exploitable, but still, for balance reasons, it may be best to just leave it as is.

I don’t really see the problem. If I’m trying to run past mobs and I use a speed boost, they aren’t aggro’d and I keep moving quickly. If I hit them with an offensive skill or they hit me, then I am “in combat,” and it’s up to me to break aggro or deal with the foes. Of course, that’s an incentive to refrain from entering combat, as noted by the OP — that doesn’t seem like a bad thing to me.

The original post describes entering combat (and slowing down) as a punishment and treats the current situation as if it’s an unlevel playing field. But, as noted above, the current situation is of benefit to the player.

For a game that is based in a large open world where mobility is a must, being slowed under any circumstance can be painful process. And in a game that is 99% combat, I should not feel the need to avoid it, if anything there should be a greater insentive to openly engage in every fight; but that’s another topic. Point being that this mechanic makes me feel limited or forced into certain situations. Combat would feel allot more dynamic, smooth, tactical and exciting if your opponent could quit the field trying to escape as you launch into hot pursuit. Or if you could disengage battle to protect an ally in need and save them in an heroic effort.

Back in PvE trying to escape a mobs agro range is silly, its horrible. Especially in the situation where you enter and combat and the only way to leave is an invisible line somewhere over the hill is a bit far fetched. Whether your twice or half your speed you’ll reach that line if you really want; the only difference is the time factor. It feels slow and heavy from the normal pace of the rest of the game. Suddenly the only options are fight or flee… slowly to an invisible line.

I’m not trying to compare this to anything or place the current system on an uneven field of play but I am saying its a personal annoyance and something I feel that could be improved upon to make the game better.

Question for the OP – are you playing a thief?

There is nothing wrong with the current mechanic, it allows people to catch each other whilst still being able to get away in certain circumstances. It also allows certain tactics like slowing a zerg with traps, snares, etc which wouldn’t work if you disabled the ‘in combat’.

I don’t see how with a little skill applied you cannot avoid getting ‘in-combat’ unless you are attacked by another player- and in pve it really doesn’t matter as you either learn to avoid the mobs or kill any that get in the way.

Lol no, I main a Mesmer; avoiding/escaping mobs is something I do well. And I’m not trying to say there is anything wrong with the mechanic, for what it aims to do it does the job, and as you stated works well in situations. All I’m trying to suggest is that it could be improved made more flexible, I’m now solidly of the opinion that the speed change can be a viable mechanic if its optional. As I suggested above many times with the weapon sheathing. You can’t attack/use skills with your weapon in there holster, and it makes sense that you’d move slower with your weapons drawn. Apply a balanced cooldown or condition and a simple mechanic, like being slowed in combat, becomes an exciting, strategic part of the game. Rather then something that you deal with.