Guild Wars 2

No, I’m not here to say “stacking is evil”. However, it is limiting. Therefore, I’d like to make the following suggestion for improvement:

Let all group buffs that are centered on the caster/user affect teammates regardless of distance (within the same zone, of course). If there are still potential targets left after the team has all been buffed, THEN radiate out from the caster to find other targets.

This would allow teams to spread out more, and share buffs nearly as well as if they were standing right next to each other. If someone wanted to stand back and fight at range while others go into melee, or if the team wanted to spread out to try to keep a target running in circles, it would be a much more viable tactic. In a large group (zerg), this would also mean that your buffs would go to your chosen teammates, rather than whoever just happens to be the closest to you.

Yes, this does mean you could get buffs from a teammate that’s half a zone away. But it also means that you might NOT get the buffs from a guy that’s right next to you, if he’s on a full team, so it should balance out over time. In dungeons and well coordinated PvP and WvW, however, it would add some real merit to being on a team.

Range is exploiting: you avoid the melee mechanics.

i agree

when i see pug groups stacking lupicus at range it makes me upset because it means he doesnt kick, theyre negating his mechanics

No, I’m not here to say ‘’ranging is evil’’. However, it is limiting.

Play how you want 15 chars.

Palador.2170:

No, I’m not here to say “stacking is evil”. However, it is limiting. Therefore, I’d like to make the following suggestion for improvement:

Let all group buffs that are centered on the caster/user affect teammates regardless of distance (within the same zone, of course). If there are still potential targets left after the team has all been buffed, THEN radiate out from the caster to find other targets.

This would allow teams to spread out more, and share buffs nearly as well as if they were standing right next to each other. If someone wanted to stand back and fight at range while others go into melee, or if the team wanted to spread out to try to keep a target running in circles, it would be a much more viable tactic. In a large group (zerg), this would also mean that your buffs would go to your chosen teammates, rather than whoever just happens to be the closest to you.

Yes, this does mean you could get buffs from a teammate that’s half a zone away. But it also means that you might NOT get the buffs from a guy that’s right next to you, if he’s on a full team, so it should balance out over time. In dungeons and well coordinated PvP and WvW, however, it would add some real merit to being on a team.

the risk and playstyle of being a buffer in this game, is basically about positioning, your team mates have to work together to maximize the buffs (via positioning) and you as a buffer have to take calculated risks in order to deliver your buffs.

This is actually good and skillfull. Making buffs have large range doesnt make fights more interesting, it makes them less interesting.

I dont think stacking should be the best way to handle every situation, and i dont think the enemy should make it easy for players to gain this strong advantage, every time. However the key to remember its not really about people not standing near each other, its about making sure the fight is engaging, and requires player to actually watch, adapt and react to the fight.

phys.7689:

the risk and playstyle of being a buffer in this game, is basically about positioning, your team mates have to work together to maximize the buffs (via positioning) and you as a buffer have to take calculated risks in order to deliver your buffs.

This is actually good and skillfull. Making buffs have large range doesnt make fights more interesting, it makes them less interesting.

I dont think stacking should be the best way to handle every situation, and i dont think the enemy should make it easy for players to gain this strong advantage, every time. However the key to remember its not really about people not standing near each other, its about making sure the fight is engaging, and requires player to actually watch, adapt and react to the fight.

I guess I can see this point of view, and it does seem to be a valid one. I hadn’t considered risk/reward on the effectiveness of the use of buffs. If you want to buff the people going into melee, then you have to face the risks of melee.

Fror.2163:

Range is exploiting: you avoid the melee mechanics.

THIS, however, someone will have to explain to me.

maha.7902:

i agree

when i see pug groups stacking lupicus at range it makes me upset because it means he doesnt kick, theyre negating his mechanics

Unless they’re somehow keeping him from closing to melee if he wishes, how is that a problem? The very point of ranged attacks doing less damage is that it’s a trade off for being safer because you’re at a distance. Things like kicks and sword swings won’t hit you unless the enemy manages to close the distance first. Less damage for more safety is the accepted trade off, right? Isn’t that the reason why even Rangers, the supposed masters of ranged combat, do their best damage with a melee weapon (sword)?

So now that the Queensdale train is dead I’m a wee bit worried that the anti-stack lobbyists might actually influence a future update. You guys, please, no. Just no. Stahp! We promise we’ll be good. Don’t let them take our meta awayyyyyy.

Jahroots.6791:

So now that the Queensdale train is dead I’m a wee bit worried that the anti-stack lobbyists might actually influence a future update. You guys, please, no. Just no. Stahp! We promise we’ll be good. Don’t let them take our meta awayyyyyy.

why would anyone be worried about queensdale, they just killed them for noobs, there will be new champion trains to pop up elsewhere, and to be honest EOTM is probably way better than champ train.

as far as killing stacking, if they replace it with a system where you pay attention and fight the bosses, and get rewarded for it, i think the game as a whole would be much better

Jahroots.6791:

So now that the Queensdale train is dead I’m a wee bit worried that the anti-stack lobbyists might actually influence a future update. You guys, please, no. Just no. Stahp! We promise we’ll be good. Don’t let them take our meta awayyyyyy.

Just to be clear, I’m not trying to get stacking nerfed. I’m trying to get other combat options buffed so they’re a more viable option to stacking.

I’ve heard of complaints against Rangers in dungeons for (but not only for) trying to fight at range to get better damage from the longbow, and therefore not being able to contribute to or benefit from group buffs. A few times, I’ve heard it about anyone fighting at range instead of stacking up. So, I’m looking for ideas that can change that, without hurting currently valid playstyles.

phys.7689:

Jahroots.6791:

So now that the Queensdale train is dead I’m a wee bit worried that the anti-stack lobbyists might actually influence a future update. You guys, please, no. Just no. Stahp! We promise we’ll be good. Don’t let them take our meta awayyyyyy.

why would anyone be worried about queensdale, they just killed them for noobs, there will be new champion trains to pop up elsewhere, and to be honest EOTM is probably way better than champ train.

as far as killing stacking, if they replace it with a system where you pay attention and fight the bosses, and get rewarded for it, i think the game as a whole would be much better

Yeah, no. ANet understood how to reward players years ago. Now, they don’t have a clue.