Guild Wars 2

I really like Druid as the new Ranger spec. The theme of nature calling and spirit healing really suit the class and give more addition in the gameplay. But one thing is troubling me after I read the article Meet the Druid .

From my experience playing Guild Wars 2 for a year, mainly Ranger, this class is always about the synergies between pet and player. Many weapon and utility skills, even traits, are designed with pet in mind, which make the class more standout from other.

However, Druid is somewhat different, you barely have any synergy with your pet at all ,except only one adept trait. Unlike other traitlines that have 2-3 traits that focus on having pet include into it. It feels more like a new class than Ranger’s elite spec.

tl:dr; Druid really really lack pet interaction that I feel you should just remove pet entirely.

Druid is one traitline, you still need the other two, including the other weapons (2 weaponslots afterall) and you can still select all the other utility skills instead of just the glyphs. So the pet isn’t going anywhere, nor should it.

That is ridiculous.

“It’s not nice and neat and tidy so BURN IT DOWN”? That’s the idea I’m taking away from this thread.

dsslive.8473:

Druid is one traitline, you still need the other two, including the other weapons (2 weaponslots afterall) and you can still select all the other utility skills instead of just the glyphs. So the pet isn’t going anywhere, nor should it.

I know that as much. My problem is just that the traitline itself is still out of the pet theme of ranger more or less. From what I remember Ranger’s main mechanic is always about pet. Most of Ranger’s traitline always have 2-3 traits that synergize with pets whether it’s good or not.

If you looks into other elite specs, you’ll notice most of the elite specs have their new mechanic revolt around their respective old ones. Warrior gets an alternative on how they use adrenaline. Elementalist is about overloading their attunement, or Necromancer has their spectral form enhanced. Why Ranger get something a bit on the other way round? They never got any charge-up-bar like any classes, they’re always about pet.

Demented Yak.6105:

That is ridiculous.

“It’s not nice and neat and tidy so BURN IT DOWN”? That’s the idea I’m taking away from this thread.

So feedback is a burn?

Luche Lenardon.4951:

dsslive.8473:

Druid is one traitline, you still need the other two, including the other weapons (2 weaponslots afterall) and you can still select all the other utility skills instead of just the glyphs. So the pet isn’t going anywhere, nor should it.

I know that as much. My problem is just that the traitline itself is still out of the pet theme of ranger more or less. From what I remember Ranger’s main mechanic is always about pet. Most of Ranger’s traitline always have 2-3 traits that synergize with pets whether it’s good or not.

If you looks into other elite specs, you’ll notice most of the elite specs have their new mechanic revolt around their respective old ones. Warrior gets an alternative on how they use adrenaline. Elementalist is about overloading their attunement, or Necromancer has their spectral form enhanced. Why Ranger get something a bit on the other way round? They never got any charge-up-bar like any classes, they’re always about pet.

And thief gets an extra endurance bar and the traits revolve around the new addition, the engi gets a rez/finish bot and the traits in their new specline add to that. Yet thief still ahs theif and engi still ahs toolbelt.

dsslive.8473:

Luche Lenardon.4951:

dsslive.8473:

Druid is one traitline, you still need the other two, including the other weapons (2 weaponslots afterall) and you can still select all the other utility skills instead of just the glyphs. So the pet isn’t going anywhere, nor should it.

I know that as much. My problem is just that the traitline itself is still out of the pet theme of ranger more or less. From what I remember Ranger’s main mechanic is always about pet. Most of Ranger’s traitline always have 2-3 traits that synergize with pets whether it’s good or not.

If you looks into other elite specs, you’ll notice most of the elite specs have their new mechanic revolt around their respective old ones. Warrior gets an alternative on how they use adrenaline. Elementalist is about overloading their attunement, or Necromancer has their spectral form enhanced. Why Ranger get something a bit on the other way round? They never got any charge-up-bar like any classes, they’re always about pet.

And thief gets an extra endurance bar and the traits revolve around the new addition, the engi gets a rez/finish bot and the traits in their new specline add to that. Yet thief still ahs theif and engi still ahs toolbelt.

Engi is always revolve around using tools and gadgets so using bots is appropriate for me.

Thief is another class I feel that could use more about the stealing and stuff. I don’t like the theme of Daredevil that much myself.

I don’t think people see the huge synergy in Astral Force building and the pet. You get a large amount of Astral Force from healing allies, and that includes your pet. Positioning and supporting your pet benefits you quite a bit and has a nice synergy. It’s not all spelled out for you, but it’s definitely there.

I’ve said it way too many times. Either pet needs to go or they need to integrate it better into the new traits/weapons and the F5. Like I would have been perfectly fine if the F5 is a “combination” with the pet would disappear and the ranger would gain enhanced stats based on the pet equipped. At least that would have better player-pet interaction.

Druid just needs to make up it’s mind do you want to be a celestial healer or a half-ranger.

ronpierce.2760:

I don’t think people see the huge synergy in Astral Force building and the pet. You get a large amount of Astral Force from healing allies, and that includes your pet. Positioning and supporting your pet benefits you quite a bit and has a nice synergy. It’s not all spelled out for you, but it’s definitely there.

It feels more like a team synergy that you don’t need a party to do so, which I feel it doesn’t make the pet mechanic standout. Because you’ll still get the same benefits with a party member all around you whether you have a pet or not.

Lyger.5429:

I’ve said it way too many times. Either pet needs to go or they need to integrate it better into the new traits/weapons and the F5. Like I would have been perfectly fine if the F5 is a “combination” with the pet would disappear and the ranger would gain enhanced stats based on the pet equipped. At least that would have better player-pet interaction.

Druid just needs to make up it’s mind do you want to be a celestial healer or a half-ranger.

That was what I really have in mind that Anet was going to do, it seems that I’m at fault.

I think what everyone saying is that people might still taking Beastmastery spec along with druids. Removing pet will probably reducing diversity of build and make some trait lines dysfunctional and downgraded. Ranger is not always about pet either, since as far as I know traits that need your to manage and interact with your pet heavily mostly is in Beastmastery, other than that they do not require much management (such as effects that applied to you and your pet, and clarion bond as far as I can recall, that require you to swap pet to trigger). Additionally, druid can have synergy with pet, especially with it’s solar beam (and other skills lol haven’t looked up further, but sure they have lots of CC and can support each other with pets, and they can have their celestial energy things by healing their pets).

Beside, druid’s new mechanic is its celestial avatar.

I also think they should have put more effort in reworking celestial avatar to working as a substitute for the pet traits. Just as they did with reaper shroud.

ErickDntn.1847:

I think what everyone saying is that people might still taking Beastmastery spec along with druids. Removing pet will probably reducing diversity of build and make some trait lines dysfunctional and downgraded. Ranger is not always about pet either, since as far as I know traits that need your to manage and interact with your pet heavily mostly is in Beastmastery, other than that they do not require much management (such as effects that applied to you and your pet, and clarion bond as far as I can recall, that require you to swap pet to trigger). Additionally, druid can have synergy with pet, especially with it’s solar beam (and other skills lol haven’t looked up further, but sure they have lots of CC and can support each other with pets, and they can have their celestial energy things by healing their pets).

Beside, druid’s new mechanic is its celestial avatar.

They could make it a little bit more standout, like having one trait that says “You generate bonus celestial energy when you heal your pet” or maybe make the staff-swapping trait at least “Daze foes nearby you and your pet” instead of going plain.

It’s not going to change the gameplay much, but can bring the spec more closer to its origin

Luche Lenardon.4951:

ErickDntn.1847:

I think what everyone saying is that people might still taking Beastmastery spec along with druids. Removing pet will probably reducing diversity of build and make some trait lines dysfunctional and downgraded. Ranger is not always about pet either, since as far as I know traits that need your to manage and interact with your pet heavily mostly is in Beastmastery, other than that they do not require much management (such as effects that applied to you and your pet, and clarion bond as far as I can recall, that require you to swap pet to trigger). Additionally, druid can have synergy with pet, especially with it’s solar beam (and other skills lol haven’t looked up further, but sure they have lots of CC and can support each other with pets, and they can have their celestial energy things by healing their pets).

Beside, druid’s new mechanic is its celestial avatar.

They could make it a little bit more standout, like having one trait that says “You generate bonus celestial energy when you heal your pet” or maybe make the staff-swapping trait at least “Daze foes nearby you and your pet” instead of going plain.

It’s not going to change the gameplay much, but can bring the spec more closer to its origin

well there is one trait with some pet synergy:

Cultivated Synergy – Using a heal skill heal allies around you and your pet. You can double up this ability if you stand next to your pet.

dsslive.8473:

well there is one trait with some pet synergy:

Cultivated Synergy – Using a heal skill heal allies around you and your pet. You can double up this ability if you stand next to your pet.

I stated in the first post that they could use more of that.

I agree with the title.
Though, you may see your pet as a way to passively astral force through trait/skill. What trouble me the most is the detachment of the druid from it’s pet.

My opinion is that the whole [F5] thing is a bad design. They could have done a lot of thing very differents that would have involved the pet more. The only thing that I can think when I see this [F5] is :

“God… They expect that our pet will die instantly. They aren’t even trying to fix them… Pathetic…”

Luche Lenardon.4951:

dsslive.8473:

well there is one trait with some pet synergy:

Cultivated Synergy – Using a heal skill heal allies around you and your pet. You can double up this ability if you stand next to your pet.

I stated in the first post that they could use more of that.

Wasn’t supposed to be a “here’s synergy that’s enough” kinda post more like that there is something that synergises with it. Rereading your original post tho i see it was already mentioned.

Luche Lenardon.4951:

I really like Druid as the new Ranger spec. The theme of nature calling and spirit healing really suit the class and give more addition in the gameplay. But one thing is troubling me after I read the article Meet the Druid .

From my experience playing Guild Wars 2 for a year, mainly Ranger, this class is always about the synergies between pet and player. Many weapon and utility skills, even traits, are designed with pet in mind, which make the class more standout from other.

However, Druid is somewhat different, you barely have any synergy with your pet at all ,except only one adept trait. Unlike other traitlines that have 2-3 traits that focus on having pet include into it. It feels more like a new class than Ranger’s elite spec.

tl:dr; Druid really really lack pet interaction that I feel you should just remove pet entirely.

would be nice if it did that… but honestly, looking at the druid skills and animations – i get the VERY strong feeling that the original plan didnt work and they quickly put this together (also why a lot of the animations look rather bland/bad in comparison)… i hope they work on adaptions until/after the beta weekends

Lyger.5429:

I’ve said it way too many times. Either pet needs to go or they need to integrate it better into the new traits/weapons and the F5.

this