Guild Wars 2

Heads up: I am moving this to the General from PVP section, as I figure it involves all parts of the game. If one is to be deleted, delete it from PVP. Thanks.

Greetings everyone, I just wanted to toss out a few suggestions for improving gameplay and controls. (TL;DR the suggestions are: adding an option where holding the right mouse button and turning with the mouse causes your entire body to turn even when not moving, having a single facing-check for casts, and max distance ground casting.)

Turning Controls
Currently: When you hold right click and turn:
When Moving – Changes your body direction with camera.
When Casting – Changes your body direction with camera.
When Not Casting – Only changes camera direction, requiring steps to adjust the body.

Suggested: When holding right click and turn with mouse:
When Moving – Turns camera and body.
When Casting – Turns camera and body.
When Not Casting – Turn your body with your camera, much like it does while casting without requiring movement or a spell.

What this does: In terms of improving game-play, these key points would be improved:
- Less accidental spell wasting when immobilized. (Spells that are too fast will fail sometimes even without holding down the right click, others however can still cause a failed cast when holding the right click.
- General game-play improvements when immobilized. (Important for active defending against flanking targets!) This is important because its clear turning is legal for immobilize, so being able to defend yourself appropriately is important.
- Others, will fill in as I remember or others bring them up.

Single Facing-Check Casting
Check at the cast finish: Coupled with this, and this is a slightly more technical issue, but spells starting to cast from behind should only have one facing check at the end of the cast. Much like beginning a cast out of line of sight, a cast should be able to be started regardless of current facing, and only fail if the cast-finish check registers as not-facing.

Max-Distance Fast-casting
Instantly cast furthest liniar distance: This isn’t a new suggestion, actually, but would be a nice one to have. Often spells lose distance trying to find a maximum range for a spell, and several have suggested to allow spells to cast at their maximum range between the character and their pointer. This is simply for fluidity of casting. As this might require a bit more discipline to use correctly and is a more advanced option, I definitely suggest this to be an option and not at all baseline.

Make Each An Option: Some people may enjoy how things are currently. I do however, feel like these would improve the overall game-play and handling, and cause far fewer frustrations and would be incredible control option additions.

This will make the game’s general play feel better control-wise and functionally. Thanks for listening and please feel free to weigh in.

I went ahead and created a quick video showing the odd difference between turn-shooting with a target and without that causes a disruption in how you play.

These are good suggestions, especially the max distance fast casting which would be super useful for infiltrator’s arrow. Also, only checking if you are facing the target at the end of a cast would be super useful for skills like ray of judgment (which fails if you don’t keep your target in front of you from the moment you press the button until the moment the ray comes out).

Personally I prefer to turn my character by holding right click and turning the camera, but that’s why options are good

CaptainShrimps.9143:

These are good suggestions, especially the max distance fast casting which would be super useful for infiltrator’s arrow. Also, only checking if you are facing the target at the end of a cast would be super useful for skills like ray of judgment (which fails if you don’t keep your target in front of you from the moment you press the button until the moment the ray comes out).

Personally I prefer to turn my character by holding right click and turning the camera, but that’s why options are good

Yeah, I figure each would have to be an option, minus maybe the single facing-check on casting.

Just so in clear though, right click, in my suggestion, would turn your camera still. The only difference is that it would ALSO turn your character when standing still, much like when moving, and turning your camera but not your body would still work with left click.

Essentially the idea is left click would turn only your camera always (as it does now) and right click would always turn your camera AND body (as it does now, but does not do when standing still for some reason).

I edited the OP to better reflect how right click turning should be adjusted while still, clearing up some confusion that was expressed to me.

I’m not suggesting it only moves your body facing, but just like moving, it turns your body and camera, not just your camera while still (as it happens currently), for all of the reasons above.

Would love some more feedback here in the thread, please!

I would use all of these except the right click camera thing

Quadox.7834:

I would use all of these except the right click camera thing

In regards to this, why wouldn’t you use it, out of curiosity? Currently when still left and right click turning functions the same way (only the camera), and with the suggestion, you could still have that functionality with left, but also be able to more effectively turn when immobilized or just standing still in general with your right moist button, as it would function with your camera and body as it does while moving.

Is there a specific part of this functionality that would be worth not using? Or is it simply out of comfort/being used to current controls?

I didn’t understand what you meant till I saw the video. I actually like that a lot!

Wtb toggle for making scroll wheel be left click. It’s a pain to set this up and turn this off yourself. If they can’t do “consume all” on right click this wild be the next best option.

+1 if the toggle is in the inventory screen. Or just set it up so I can hit a key on the key board to toggle it on and off.

Andraus.3874:

Wtb toggle for making scroll wheel be left click. It’s a pain to set this up and turn this off yourself. If they can’t do “consume all” on right click this wild be the next best option.

+1 if the toggle is in the inventory screen. Or just set it up so I can hit a key on the key board to toggle it on and off.

They just need to make that a consume all. The fact that we have to mouse wheel rig it is sort of sad lol. Over the years the game has become more and more “bags” based, at this point an open all would be perfect. Maybe they don’t because of bag space, but it could just be set to break the automatic open when the bag fills up. I’d be okay with that.

I would like to add that they need to remove the function where you cast-in-place if your cursor touches any part of the UI. For example if you cast Blink while mousing over the skill panel, mini map, chat box, health globe, score panel (top of the screen), enemy name plate, or party UI. Your character will cast Blink, but remain in position. The skill will go on cooldown, and you will still be in the middle of enemy fire should this be a combat situation. This occurs for any ground target skill in the game.

I tried to explain this to a dev once and he literally had no clue what I was talking about and simply said “well don’t do that.” I’m sorry, Anet but that attitude is just unacceptable.

Countless times I have died because I tried to blink away from danger only to waste my teleport due to the intrusive UI. In the heat of battle I often lose track of my cursor’s exact position on the screen. A few pixels too close to the mini map, and bam, I’m dead.

My suggestion is to change it so the skill fails to cast should you mouse over the UI while casting it. Seems like the simplest fix. Otherwise allow it to cast “through” the UI as if the UI weren’t there. Make the ground target affect the actual ground beyond the UI in the game world.

Xenon.4537:

I would like to add that they need to remove the function where you cast-in-place if your cursor touches any part of the UI. For example if you cast Blink while mousing over the skill panel, mini map, chat box, health globe, score panel (top of the screen), enemy name plate, or party UI. Your character will cast Blink, but remain in position. The skill will go on cooldown, and you will still be in the middle of enemy fire should this be a combat situation. This occurs for any ground target skill in the game.

I tried to explain this to a dev once and he literally had no clue what I was talking about and simply said “well don’t do that.” I’m sorry, Anet but that attitude is just unacceptable.

Countless times I have died because I tried to blink away from danger only to waste my teleport due to the intrusive UI. In the heat of battle I often lose track of my cursor’s exact position on the screen. A few pixels too close to the mini map, and bam, I’m dead.

My suggestion is to change it so the skill fails to cast should you mouse over the UI while casting it. Seems like the simplest fix. Otherwise allow it to cast “through” the UI as if the UI weren’t there. Make the ground target affect the actual ground beyond the UI in the game world.

Lol Did that conversation really happen? That blows my mind. Make a video. I tried it, and yeah, that’s very bad. I never noticed it before. I did know that if you clicked it would cast at your feet with certain quick cast options on. That should definitely be fixed.