Guild Wars 2

So I realise I’m at a disadvantage first up, being in Australia, and the ping being so horrible (what you US folks would call horrible anyway), but to us 300+ is normal, thanks to so many server hops (gateways) to get to Anet.

The orbs in this fractal don’t play nice with those that can’t predict them — the spatially inept as Arkk says — but for those that can and have a high ping, it still doesn’t play nice as I always get stung by agony (I’m on max AR as well) from those orbs floating outwards. I do everything within my power to avoid them at all costs and somehow I’m still getting the residual agony from them. In my case the blue orbs don’t float out enough.

I’ve read every guide there is about this fractal and its mechanics, and it seems once again I’m stuck behind that dreaded 8-ball. I have even gone so far as to analyse where and when the agony pulses from those orbs, and still there’s not much I can do to pre-empt the agony. I find I die at the central altar (before Siax) probably 8 out of 10 times because the agony just can’t be avoided. When it comes to doing Fractal 100 at Ensolyss (33% stage), I’m dead at about the halfway capture point. Because of this lag I just cannot get the timing right, even when I think it’s right.

I understand there’s a reason the higher tiers of fractals are supposed to be harder, but I really can’t avoid the agony from those orbs any better than what I have done so far. I just don’t want to be a weight that people carry around in my fave challenging content.

I think dmg from the orbs comes from your last position before it got sent to the server. If you have high ping tho that is much slower and that means even tho you avoid them your position on the server delays to update it and it registers like you where in their radious. What i heard you could do was literally walk in the orbs because your position on the server will be delayed it will seem like you are outside their radious. Its wierd i know but i gave it a try once i had “high ping” and it somewhat worked. Btw in the bullet hell phase your least concern is the agony it self its rather avoiding the orbs as they do flat dmg and it hurt like a morher kittener. Either that or calmly explain your situation to your group try to cap as much as you can and then let them dothe rest of the capping.

Yeah that’s kind of what I’m forced to do already. Thankfully, most times I get empathetic groups (esp. for pugs) so they understand that high ping happens. I’ve also tried what you suggested with walking directly into the orbs and hoping the server will see me as being away from them, with limited success. It seems to be a random thing if I do this, determinant upon the ping.

If you have a ping that spike often then there is nothing you can do.
But if you have a stable and high ping like me, always 180 or 200. Then i would suggest you to go for nightmare normal 25 to train your position alone.
I thought it was impossible with my ping but now is commom for me complete two circles at 33% on 100cm.
At 180 I need to follow the orbs almost touching it. With 300 if its stable you probably need to be exatcly where the orb is.

I find the orbs on the altars that you capture after MAMA to be a lot more frustrating, no matter how we position ourselves it’s almost impossible to not get hit by agony and keep getting agony applied to you the whole time. No we aren’t getting hit by the orbs either, it seems just being near them causes agony which makes me wonder if this is an intended mechanic. Doesn’t happen in Ensolyss either and we all have stable ping in the 30-60 range.

Anyone else run into this problem with orbs?

apharma.3741:

I find the orbs on the altars that you capture after MAMA to be a lot more frustrating, no matter how we position ourselves it’s almost impossible to not get hit by agony and keep getting agony applied to you the whole time. No we aren’t getting hit by the orbs either, it seems just being near them causes agony which makes me wonder if this is an intended mechanic. Doesn’t happen in Ensolyss either and we all have stable ping in the 30-60 range.

Anyone else run into this problem with orbs?

No, the mechanics is that the circle causes agony, and the orbs deal flat damage. As long as you remain in the circle you will experience agony.

Really? I thought the agony application didn’t quite cover the entire circle, but I could be wrong on that.

OriOri.8724:

Really? I thought the agony application didn’t quite cover the entire circle, but I could be wrong on that.

you more or less have always agony on you once you join especially on the last boss phase the biggest issue tho are the balls themselves

Benjamin Arnold.3457:

Yeah sorry that you have to deal with the ping issues As others have said, all you can really do is try to anticipate where the orbs are going to be and put yourself 300ms ahead in time, since the server position is going to be 300ms behind.

I usually do this and it alleviates the damage. But anticipating concurrent mechanics can be really hard. :P

Benjamin Arnold.3457:

Yeah sorry that you have to deal with the ping issues As others have said, all you can really do is try to anticipate where the orbs are going to be and put yourself 300ms ahead in time, since the server position is going to be 300ms behind.

I thought there was some lag compensation thing that adjust for at least some of that? There was a blog post about it a while back.

Thanks kindly for the responses Ben and everyone else. It’ll have to be one of those things where I gotta make-do with what I got. When I was in the US last year, although I didn’t do fractals at the time, I noticed everything I did in the game was so much snappier and instantaneous compared to here. You kind of just get used to the inherent delay between continents, and knowing that it’s something that can’t be avoided is a bit of a downer. I haven’t bothered with trying CM yet on any nightmare fractal, as I think I’ll spend most of my time either downed or dead. :P