Guild Wars 2

Hello!

As the title says, I’m asking why can’t mesmers have their clones “summoned” while out of combat? I mean skills like decoy or the mirror images, well mostly mirror images, I know it’s require a target, but why can’t we Mesmers have our clones summoned when we are out o combat, like in a city or everywhere else, and just in combat? Necromancers can have their minions, Rangers obviously their pets, Elementalists can have their elementals or their conjure weapons, guardians can also summon their spirit weapons without being in combat, warriors can have their banners, engineer can have their turrets, Thieves can… well umm … they can be… invisible ?… out of combat?

So why we couldn’t we have our clones or even phantasm summoned while out of combat? Sometimes I just wanna use my mirror images skill and walk around with 2 clones of myself.

Edit: Summoned clones out of combat would do nothing, but follow you (or maybe copying your emotes) and would immediately disappear when you get in combat or take damage. Also they would have a timer with around 20 seconds and then they would disappear automatically.

Edit2: They couldn’t be summoned in WvW nor in sPvP, and also sigh if it wasn’t so obvious already they cannot be used for shattering or anything else. They would just simple follow you for a specific time (around 20 or maybe 30 seconds) it would a small feature to be able to summon them out of combat.

You need a mind to play your trick in. Clones don’t exist and alwaya go for their target. They’re supposedly just in your opponents imagination, and you’re able to hurt them through their minds. With no enemies you can’t play the trick on your crowd.

Lokheit.7943:

You need a mind to play your trick in. Clones don’t exist and alwaya go for their target. They’re supposedly just in your opponents imagination, and you’re able to hurt them through their minds. With no enemies you can’t play the trick on your crowd.

yeah I know that, and after all why can’t I play with all the minds around me “who see them”, with this then how can Necros summon their minions if they are made from bones and stuff from rock, stones or on the street through concrete? I’m just saying that mesmers should be able to summon clones too in out of combat

That’s a somewhat silly theory since I can summon Clones while attacking inanimate objects.

My answer as to why is simple game mechanics. The existence of your clones are tied to the life time of the target because they need to know what to kamikaze attack, and when that target no longer exists then something needs to be done with them. Not re-targeting something is a control to the amount of damage a Mesmer can do, it is a limitation that if removed could unbalance the class related to other classes. Even just letting them sit there could increase the Mesmer’s damage since they could just explode in place. And while “Mesmer Mines” sounds like a cool idea, that is kind of a thing for some of the other classes.

My clones are in my own head so I should be able to have them out at all times.

LegatusLeaf.5934:

That’s a somewhat silly theory since I can summon Clones while attacking inanimate objects.

My answer as to why is simple game mechanics. The existence of your clones are tied to the life time of the target because they need to know what to kamikaze attack, and when that target no longer exists then something needs to be done with them. Not re-targeting something is a control to the amount of damage a Mesmer can do, it is a limitation that if removed could unbalance the class related to other classes. Even just letting them sit there could increase the Mesmer’s damage since they could just explode in place. And while “Mesmer Mines” sounds like a cool idea, that is kind of a thing for some of the other classes.

Out of combat clones could have a timer, like they disappear in 20 seconds, or less or more, also I think it’s not that hard to make them also disappear when you get into combat, so they would do nothing at all

Be funny if mesmers could not see their own phantoms/clones. Then watch in amusement as the enemy swings at nothing.

The reason is simple – with certain build you could “pre-summon” your clones and shatter your way to glory. One of Mesmer weaknesses is that they require time to set up their big effects in combat. This gives other classes time to fight them. If you could run around with your clones, first, it would be difficult to target the real mesmer giving them an advantage from the start, second you would have your big effect (confusion, damage etc.) already preloaded and ready to fire at a moment’s notice.

Probably to prevent you from being permanently stuck in combat with a clone that’s stuck in the world somewhere outside of shatter range.

Gaudrath.6725:

The reason is simple – with certain build you could “pre-summon” your clones and shatter your way to glory. One of Mesmer weaknesses is that they require time to set up their big effects in combat. This gives other classes time to fight them. If you could run around with your clones, first, it would be difficult to target the real mesmer giving them an advantage from the start, second you would have your big effect (confusion, damage etc.) already preloaded and ready to fire at a moment’s notice.

Like I said before, clones or phantasm summoned out of combat would do absolutely nothing (except following you and copying your emotes) and they would immediately disappear when you get in combat

Daviez.4913:

Gaudrath.6725:

The reason is simple – with certain build you could “pre-summon” your clones and shatter your way to glory. One of Mesmer weaknesses is that they require time to set up their big effects in combat. This gives other classes time to fight them. If you could run around with your clones, first, it would be difficult to target the real mesmer giving them an advantage from the start, second you would have your big effect (confusion, damage etc.) already preloaded and ready to fire at a moment’s notice.

Like I said before, clones or phantasm summoned out of combat would do absolutely nothing (except following you and copying your emotes) and they would immediately disappear when you get in combat

So basically you’re looking for a cosmetic effect? Sure, I’m down with that. Every class should have more emotes and nifty stuff they can do when not in combat.

Better questions:

Why do I have no control over where my clones are placed?

Why do my clones run into melee range and get themselves instantly killed when their abilities have 1200 range on them? o.O

Daviez.4913:

Lokheit.7943:

You need a mind to play your trick in. Clones don’t exist and alwaya go for their target. They’re supposedly just in your opponents imagination, and you’re able to hurt them through their minds. With no enemies you can’t play the trick on your crowd.

yeah I know that, and after all why can’t I play with all the minds around me “who see them”, with this then how can Necros summon their minions if they are made from bones and stuff from rock, stones or on the street through concrete? I’m just saying that mesmers should be able to summon clones too in out of combat

No, minions are actually summoned from underworld itself and shaped by necromancer. Thank Grenth for that.

Clones and Phantasms do not exist. They are mind tricks. With no mind to play with you don’t get them and using it on friendly NPCs is illogical.

Snow White.9680:

Better questions:

Why do I have no control over where my clones are placed?

Why do my clones run into melee range and get themselves instantly killed when their abilities have 1200 range on them? o.O

Because they are in enemies mind :P

Killyox.3950:

Daviez.4913:

Lokheit.7943:

You need a mind to play your trick in. Clones don’t exist and alwaya go for their target. They’re supposedly just in your opponents imagination, and you’re able to hurt them through their minds. With no enemies you can’t play the trick on your crowd.

yeah I know that, and after all why can’t I play with all the minds around me “who see them”, with this then how can Necros summon their minions if they are made from bones and stuff from rock, stones or on the street through concrete? I’m just saying that mesmers should be able to summon clones too in out of combat

No, minions are actually summoned from underworld itself and shaped by necromancer. Thank Grenth for that.

Clones and Phantasms do not exist. They are mind tricks. With no mind to play with you don’t get them and using it on friendly NPCs is illogical.

This is silly, with this theory again then I play with my own mind too if I can see them, then why couldn’t I summon them out of combat and pretend it only I see them? Then why cam my team mates see them also if I summon them in combat?

Daviez.4913:

Lokheit.7943:

You need a mind to play your trick in. Clones don’t exist and alwaya go for their target. They’re supposedly just in your opponents imagination, and you’re able to hurt them through their minds. With no enemies you can’t play the trick on your crowd.

yeah I know that, and after all why can’t I play with all the minds around me “who see them”, with this then how can Necros summon their minions if they are made from bones and stuff from rock, stones or on the street through concrete? I’m just saying that mesmers should be able to summon clones too in out of combat

2 aditiona points:

- Phantoms are the replacement of GW1 Hex. So you can’t cast a Hex on the air to punish it.

- The difference between having minions with you and being followed by 3 NPCs with your same name and appareance is that you will have an incredible advantage in PvP without blowing cooldowns in battle as your opponents won’t know what to hit.

Lokheit.7943:

Daviez.4913:

Lokheit.7943:

You need a mind to play your trick in. Clones don’t exist and alwaya go for their target. They’re supposedly just in your opponents imagination, and you’re able to hurt them through their minds. With no enemies you can’t play the trick on your crowd.

yeah I know that, and after all why can’t I play with all the minds around me “who see them”, with this then how can Necros summon their minions if they are made from bones and stuff from rock, stones or on the street through concrete? I’m just saying that mesmers should be able to summon clones too in out of combat

2 aditiona points:

- Phantoms are the replacement of GW1 Hex. So you can’t cast a Hex on the air to punish it.

- The difference between having minions with you and being followed by 3 NPCs with your same name and appareance is that you will have an incredible advantage in PvP without blowing cooldowns in battle as your opponents won’t know what to hit.

Easy solution, it won’t be available in WvW nor sPvP

Because of game mechanics, and rightfully so.

If it were different, I’d just run around with 3 presummoned zerkers, port into a mob and shatterbomb everything to death instantly.

wintermute.4096:

Because of game mechanics, and rightfully so.

If it were different, I’d just run around with 3 presummoned zerkers, port into a mob and shatterbomb everything to death instantly.

They won’t attack, cannot be used for shattering, nor you can have benefit of them because they are around you. Gamemechanics.. even the kittentiest games can do this… don’t tell me that Anet couldn’t do this easy stuff for Mesmers

Conner.4702:

My clones are in my own head so I should be able to have them out at all times.

In that case you can always use the power of imagination to look at them! :P

how about this instead of changing any game mechanics, splitting more skills for PvE and PvP / WvW, and messing up build strategies..

Answer: Mini Pets that look like full scale Phantasms, based on your character model. Any profession can use them.

(same way anyone that can use greatsword can find or buy one that looks like a ghostly Mesmer sword)

Perhaps we could turn this into a slightly different suggestion?

Everyone should, by default, have “town clothes” powers/emotes. They can take the 5 power slots that are otherwise empty unless you’re equipped with a town clothes toy.

The first three can come from your class, and the last two from your race. Then you could have Mesmers walking around with copies of themselves or creating swarms of butterflies. Asura pulling out random gadgets to poke at and fiddle with. Charr giving themselves a good shake and filling the air around them with fur. Elementalists making little orbs of elements and floating them between their hands. And so on…

I think arena net has more on its plate than answering someones request for specific fluff material. Personally I think this would go more along the line of a class specific emote, ie for mesmers you’d get a clone that did clown tricks or some such.

There are some places where you can take advantage of combat state to this effect. It’s quite funny.

IMO, the main reason for no OoC clones is simply to reduce latency in hubs liek Lion’s Arch. I wouldn’t bet on this being the only reason, but I’d debate it over a cold beer or two.