Guild Wars 2

I will keep it short:
The combat system is sick! Even if you cure the symptoms, it will still be sick.

Symptoms:
Stacking, full DPS (Zerker Gear), Wall / Corner spots (the places to stack in)

The causes:

-Weak AI (mostly only auto attacks, boss AI will not work properly if the group stacks in corners)

- Weak npc Skills (eatherblade hammerguys were a good start. There shuold be more like them in the open world. Or something like those heartseeker thiefs form WvW. These enemies would make defence more important.

-ONE-HIT Kill Mechanics (because of them, it is regardless of whether zerker, or soldiers gear, for example, but zerker does more damage)

- Dodge (should not protect against 100% of the incomming damage of AOE, maybe only 50%)

-Block (see dodge)

-Combo fields (so that you can maximize their benefits, you MUST be stacking)
- too short range of support skills( this favors stacking)

Don’t Forget, if those changes would be made, the game would be a little harder for everyone. So the Risk/Reward factor should be changed more to the Rewardside

Edit:
Please, dont get me wrong, I love the game and also the combat system itself. It is great! BUT these were things, where I think, that you can improve them.

Turak.3286:

- Dodge (should not protect against 100% of the incomming damage of AOE, maybe only 50%)

Wow, I got the same idea this night before I fall asleep. Yea, it looks stupid, that you can roll over the field of fire or spikes and take no damage. I was also thinking about exactly the same thing, that it should reduce damage by 50%. Projectiles on the other hand should be still 100% dodgeable.

yayuuu.9420:

Yea, it looks stupid, that you can roll over the field of fire or spikes and take no damage.

Use your imagination. Just because a simple dodge animation is played in-game doesn’t mean that’s what really happened. If there was a movie or something, anything that allowed for more detail, a simple roll would be replaced with strategic movements. Instead of rolling through spikes, you would see the character perform a dance between the vulnerable spots.

As for fire, you can if you’re quick enough.

i kinda agree. but here is the way i look at it.

in other mmos i see mobs that just come close to you and start swinging their weapon at you ever 1-2 seconds.
there are also ranged ones but it looks and feels the same (shooting a arrow or a fireball at you every few seconds)

but in gw 1 ,as you progressed further in the game ,you will find mobs that have actual skill builds just as the players have, and if you rely go deep enough in to the more harder areas, the mobs will have complex builds with skills from 2 professions (and monster exclusive builds)

add that up with grouping 4-6 mobs together with various builds (healing,dps, cc) and every mob group you face is a small challenge that requires thinking instead of simply running into them and start swinging your own sword.

I think this should be the case in gw2 as well.
while some mobs already have their own skill sets (boars use charge,wolf use call for help, a undead orrian can summon a (geysir from elementalist?) to heal his undead friends) sometimes its still not quite a challenge at the “highest lvl zones”

imo, there should be more mobs that have a larger skill set and that interact with one another (the toxic aliance ,while having downstate on a mob is rediculous, is a great example of mob interacting with one another)

also, in gw1 some mobs had actual gear on them such as runes and insignias, why not have some mobs sigil of flame or a full set of runes on them.

bottom line there are many ways gw2 can make their mobs more challenging without simply increasing its hp and dmg… and if it gets too hard→ ITS A MMO , GROUP UP AND EXPLORE THE WORLD TOGEATHER

I disagree with the OP on some points – and disagree with his attitude because this is another one of those " make the game the way i would like it " threads.

While the AI could be made more challenging the fact that they haven’t done it by now means it will probably never happen.

In case you haven’t noticed OP – one hit skills do not one hit you in PVT gear.
I’ve done content in full Knight’s and full zerker’s. There are a LOT of things that will one shot you as a full zerker and leave you at around 30-40% HP as full knight. I can imagine PVT gear does this even better.

Some boss mechanics need to stay ONE SHOT so people don’t afk during the engagement in their " awesome omg cleric’s so tanky " gear.
Even with this people have done Arah without dodging ONCE. Is that what you want the game to be?

Dodging and blocking are fine the way they are – they reward skilled play. You dodge well? Great – no damage.
You popped a good block ? Great – no damage.
What you’re saying is to reward skilled players less because less skilled players are doing poorly. So we should all get hit – for the common good of the proletariat right?

The game’s combat is fine, zerker is fine.

Y’know, when I saw this topic I read it in a positive tone. More like, The combat system is sick! * high five*. But anyways…

Turak.3286:

Don’t Forget, if those changes would be made, the game would be a little harder for everyone. So the Risk/Reward factor should be changed more to the Rewardside

I’m glad you added this bit. While I’m perfectly happy with the ‘broken’ PvE combat system you outlined, bear in mind that even if it were to be changed to make encounters more difficult, there’s not likely to be a corresponding update to the rewards given as well. Just consider the Ascended gear fiasco, for example. 500% greater cost and effort required for 5%-10% in stats (vs. Exotic).

Really best to be careful what you wish for.

OHKOs help to balance out the weak AI, imho. Enemies aren’t very bright, but they will CC and Nuke the kitten out of you if you slip up. It’s not ideal but it works well enough (probably a lot easier for the devs to write code for as well).

Dodging also doesn’t always protect 100% unless your timing is spot on. I’m pretty sure I’ve taken half the usual damage from Malrona in TA and Subject Alpha during sloppy dodges. Could be wrong about this, though.

I do agree with you on combo fields and boons though, even though ranged weapons are less damaging some players have a much better time attacking from range and should be able to benefit from these, and contribute to the party in a more meaningful way.

It’s one of those topics going to entertain me this week, isn’kitten

Vukorep.3081:

(great text)

That is exactly what i hab in mind

Harper.4173:

I disagree with the OP on some points – and disagree with his attitude because this is another one of those " make the game the way i would like it " threads.

Sorry if my opening post appeared like that. I really wanted to avoid a wall of text, so I kept it short and reduced it to my main points. But you have a point I should have added, that the game is great(so i added it). It really is. I only meant to improve it, or better tell how, I think, it could be improved.

Sick as in good, or sick as in bad? Also, stick?

As in “Someone feels sick”