Guild Wars 2

I play as an elementalist, have been doing so for three months now.
The thing is, two weeks ago I hit 80, geared my first exotics and started to think in the next step.
Legendaries are not a realistic goal for me because I play one two hours max a day, so I watch exotic armor sets, weapons, jump puzzles, world exploration, jeweller crafting as more inmediate sources of accompishment.
I thougt tha I was not an exceptional player and really dont want to invest the time in become one, but here is the thing:
Playing with my traits and skills last night I found a build that increases my damage and life expectancy almost an order of magnitude, suddenly I can solo 5-8 mobs without dying, something unheard of for me before.
It is nothing spectacular, just a nice sinergy between traits skills and weapons, there are for sure hundreds of builds better (I am not even counting with runes\inscriptions, etc).
This lead me to think: “Really the gear is that important??”
If a slight change in build and style of play can alter the game experience so much, It is not a mistake to base your profficiency in the type of gear you wear??
Of course it matters, but I am happy to learn that the skill developed in the game, the knowledge of your class is the real deal here.
A good player in rares is worth more than a bad player in megaultraascendet apocallyptic gear, always will be.
The power plateau is in your skill.

Of course, the logic goes: “But if two equally skilled players duel, the winner surelly will be the one with the ascended infused backpack and rings”
Perhaps, but this hippotettical duel is statistically very unlikelly ) and I think the bottom of the issue is the need to blame outside factors when you lose and the not very honorable attempt to rob the moral victory from someone that was better than you.

I keep enjoing this game, keep learning and I am thankful each time someone defeat me, because each death is a lesson.

What do you think?

Gear matters very little in gw2, less than a quarter of your game-relevant stats come from gear.

A full suit of exotic is about half the points you get from traits, and as noted in the top post, the strength of a build is in how it all comes together, not raw precision and power.

People who’ve played other games get misled, cuz we’ve been trained that increasing gear level matters so much in many mmos. Not here.

I’m no pvper but This does seem to be the biggest concern for pvpers is that they DID exactly the opposite that they claimed for PVP when it comes to WvW where the Ascended gear is concerned. It does give those in ascended gear an advantage over those who do not, however argumentative people might be about the higher percent, it’s still a higher percent of stats so it would give them the edge to survive longer, stronger attacks. Especially when added with the new stats coming to legendaries.

So in a way they not only gave people an unfair advantage in dungeons but also in WvW pvp with the coming of this new armor types.

If they do right by our complaints about it. It will be available as sets from pve karma vendors, or it will be available and relatively easily farmable for pve recipe crafting vendors, or it will be available as RNG drops from vets champs, or they will make it available as pvp armor sets via the pvp currency if they want to keep the balance going in this game and make it truly horizontal.

So I fully expect at least two of those things, pvp and pve to happen at some point or they really will be losing lots more players over this problem.

tigirius.9014:

I’m no pvper but This does seem to be the biggest concern for pvpers is that they DID exactly the opposite that they claimed for PVP when it comes to WvW where the Ascended gear is concerned. It does give those in ascended gear an advantage over those who do not, however argumentative people might be about the higher percent, it’s still a higher percent of stats so it would give them the edge to survive longer, stronger attacks. Especially when added with the new stats coming to legendaries.

So in a way they not only gave people an unfair advantage in dungeons but also in WvW pvp with the coming of this new armor types.

If they do right by our complaints about it. It will be available as sets from pve karma vendors, or it will be available and relatively easily farmable for pve recipe crafting vendors, or it will be available as RNG drops from vets champs, or they will make it available as pvp armor sets via the pvp currency if they want to keep the balance going in this game and make it truly horizontal.

So I fully expect at least two of those things, pvp and pve to happen at some point or they really will be losing lots more players over this problem.

“unfair advantage” that was earned … how is this unfair?

Look at the actual gear — +5 Power, + 5 Precision +3% mf over the corresponding exotic. That’s less than 1/5 of a percent more damage. In wvw, which isn’t even very gear-dependent, this really doesn’t matter (yet). Maybe at some point it will, but the O.P.‘s point, that skill and build and the player’s approach will matter far more than what’s being worn.

Best example, go join a spvp tournament. There everyone has exactly the same gear. Watch any newb get curb-stomped mercilessly.

Gear does give you more wiggle room, but nothing jawdropping like the difference between top tier raid gear and normal gear in WoW. That being said, it is nice when items that are hard to obtain and take awhile are such because they require legit challenges to overcome rather than just taking a while to get because the RNG and DR only allow you to achieve the item at a certain rate.

mulch.2586:

tigirius.9014:

I’m no pvper but This does seem to be the biggest concern for pvpers is that they DID exactly the opposite that they claimed for PVP when it comes to WvW where the Ascended gear is concerned. It does give those in ascended gear an advantage over those who do not, however argumentative people might be about the higher percent, it’s still a higher percent of stats so it would give them the edge to survive longer, stronger attacks. Especially when added with the new stats coming to legendaries.

So in a way they not only gave people an unfair advantage in dungeons but also in WvW pvp with the coming of this new armor types.

If they do right by our complaints about it. It will be available as sets from pve karma vendors, or it will be available and relatively easily farmable for pve recipe crafting vendors, or it will be available as RNG drops from vets champs, or they will make it available as pvp armor sets via the pvp currency if they want to keep the balance going in this game and make it truly horizontal.

So I fully expect at least two of those things, pvp and pve to happen at some point or they really will be losing lots more players over this problem.

“unfair advantage” that was earned … how is this unfair?

Look at the actual gear — +5 Power, + 5 Precision +3% mf over the corresponding exotic. That’s less than 1/5 of a percent more damage. In wvw, which isn’t even very gear-dependent, this really doesn’t matter (yet). Maybe at some point it will, but the O.P.‘s point, that skill and build and the player’s approach will matter far more than what’s being worn.

Best example, go join a spvp tournament. There everyone has exactly the same gear. Watch any newb get curb-stomped mercilessly.

And the infusions? you forgot those no add them across the your whole toon hmm a little more then 0? in a close battle no matter how good you are gear will always trump skill. This is no different and leaving out infusions is dishonest answer especially since there are going to be many many tiers with a lot of extra +5 x100.

I will wait and see if they actually do release it or how many tiers behind the release is. That whole ama was a oooh we are sorry you didnt like what we did. To bad we arent changing things.

The best part about legendary and ascended gear is how little they matter.

For a WvW anecdotal reference, I have been doing it with my Necro lately who is level 62 and dressed in lv50 blue gear. I generally avoid the zergs and try to take out supply caravans and check point veterans. I haven’t had issues winning 1 on 1 battles if I play well, if I don’t play well I lose.. I haven’t yet lost a fight and thought “well her/his gear beat me because I played perfectly.” Maybe if I followed the zerg around I’d have more issues, because more people could potentially be attacking me at once? Not sure, but you can certainly be competitive and enjoy the game without even exotic gear.

Yes build matters a great deal but if I may add my own personal experience. I play a warrior and for the early levels like everyone else i went full glass cannon. When i hit Orr i kept dying and being useless. Long story short, i switched from zerk gear to a full Knights set including accs, (pwr +prectoughness). That made a world of difference, now i can stand there and smash face without the constant fear of death. To my point, maybe gear tiers do not matter as much, but choosing the right kind of gear sure does.

Then you are building your warrior with purpose. The gear is selected because it serve “great justice”
And to do so, you must learn the nuances of your profession, develop a playstyle, etc.
In short, you learn to play better.
And your conclusion is spot on:

“…maybe gear tiers do not matter as much, but choosing the right kind of gear sure does.”

Knowledge with skill is the ultimate weapon and the best armor.

My alt level 80 is in all white stats, and im owning most of the time.
Gear does not matter in this game!
How hard is it to understand.
Hey you could even be naked in any match if you got the skills.
L2P but not L2G! (Learn 2 Gear).

Anyways.. most birdybrain gamers have this mindset that those with max stats are mostly Noobs and you can owned them if you are skilled even with lower stats gear lol!
The thing is… what if you opponent is as equally skilled as you are, and what is the slightest (for now) advantage does he/she have againt you?
Think about it.

If two people were equally skilled and on equal footing, then gear would essential be the deciding factor. I just don’t think that’s possible to ever happen, and if it did, then you made a mistake somewhere. Smart players will keep the “high ground” and avoid an equal battle. A don’t fight unless you can win approach. If you find yourself in an equal battle, then my guess is there is something you could have done better.

Also to your max stat are mostly noobs, it does hold some water. Right now someone who owns a legendary, most likely has not done as much PvP as someone who hasn’t invested that much time in PvE. Over the years this division will blur, but certainly right now it’s fair to assume max stat players probably aren’t the best PvP’ers out there.