Guild Wars 2

This suggestion comes purely from an aesthetic point of view.

I hate watching my 8 foot Norn Guardian roll around on the ground in his heavy armour. I know we suspend our disbelief in video games, but that just goes over the line. Heavies should be blocking instead of dodging.

Since the dodge mechanic is underneath a few seconds of invulnerability (with movement), my suggestion would be to replace the animation with a blocking one as an option. Blocking would have to include some movement to duplicate dodging, as a static block would actually be better in some places (dodging on edges of cliffs). But I’m sure it could be worked out.

People could still have dodging if they wanted it, but others, especially on heavy classes, could have the option of blocking.

This would be SO AWESOME if it could happen. I totally agree with y ou on the aesthetics. I don’t think they’ll ever do it but hey we can dream right. And who cares if it might be nicer in places than falling off cliffs, falling off cliffs sucks. Just let everybody dodge/parry and there it’s not OP.

While I agree with you, this is a game after all.

I suggest you take your heavy armored guardian out for a swim to cool off. :P

There are several weapon sets that have a “block” or “block and counter” ability. All of these would have to be changed or replaced with something just as powerful. This change would also have to keep the weapons feeling different than their non-blocking counterparts for each class.

I’m not saying it couldn’t be done, just that there’s more to it than the one change you want. It would require a lot of work, and possibly a rebalancing of the entire combat system.

I have been voicing something similar from day one.

As for the various block or parry skills out there right now, in my opinion they are pointless. They have a 3 second window with a 30+ second cooldown most often, and they enter said cooldown even when they fail to block anything.

About the only block i have found interesting is shield #4 for engineer, because it is a projectile reflect. This allows me to turn the tossed boulders back at the boss that tossed it. but even then i have to often dodge one or two boulders between each i can reflect back.

Now if the block skills were sustained skills, meaning that the block stayed up for as long as i kept the button pressed or a attack got blocked, i would not mind having them there still. You are after all incapable of attacking while holding the block, and often you are also rooted to the spot. And upon hit, it could enter the cooldown assigned to it.

Most block skills also have a side effect if they fail to block.
You should only use the block skills when you know the enemy is about to hit.
Many of the block skills allow you to move. In fact I don’t know which block skills root you in place. Can you name the block skills that root you in place?

Engineer shield #4 do, it makes me sit under a energy dome for its duration.

As for side effect on failure to block, only ones i can think of are one or more guardian ones that give out a boon or something at the end if it didn’t block x attacks during the period. Engineer shield blocks do nothing, unless i remember to hit them again to trigger their secondary skills, nor do the mesmer parries that i can think off at the moment.

Honestly i suspect the black/parry mechanics are yet another case of tuned for SPVP, virtually pointless unless overwhelmed in PVE. This because their window of effect seems to work best when you are facing one or more opponent with rapid attacks, something most mobs (outside of the poison barrage of hyleks, and stinger barrage of karkas) do not have.

Or add the weight system from dark souls so we can watch guardians fat-roll.

Palador.2170:

There are several weapon sets that have a “block” or “block and counter” ability. All of these would have to be changed or replaced with something just as powerful. This change would also have to keep the weapons feeling different than their non-blocking counterparts for each class.

I’m not saying it couldn’t be done, just that there’s more to it than the one change you want. It would require a lot of work, and possibly a rebalancing of the entire combat system.

Oh settle down the block would still be a dodge in essence and mechanics, just an animation change. Would be brilliant to have your dodge animation tied to your class. Thieves already get their swoooosh! effect. Necro’s it could be some sort of fog form, ele’s have a little zaap spark they do all the time.

Wait, I’m rambling, and just realllllly horny for a huge jump in animation quality in mmos =D

Keep dodging but add block. block reduced damage by some percentage and is easier to do, dodge is harder but completely prevents you from taking any damage.

Shield #4 isn’t a block.
And shield#4 allows you to do damage if you are reflecting projectiles.