Guild Wars 2

Let me start off by saying this- Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. By all means state and explain your opinion, but don’t come in here trying to force them on others, please!

I have the strangest love hate relationship with GW2 combat. I enjoy the mobility of the combat, but I get burned out with my class by the time I hit 30-50s. I’ve leveled a few different classes to that range, and if playing Guardian in PvP for around a month counts, then that too.

I just can’t seem to fit in with this combat system. I feel like it heavily favors the lazy, solo minded DPS. I’ve always been a support/healer main and I just feel like these anti-trinity MMOs are trying to get rid of me.

I’ve tried Guardian, Necro, Mesmer, and Ranger. I had hoped Mesmer would be some challenging class like everyone claimed it to be, but I didn’t personally feel it was at all. Guardian was alright, but I feel their abilities were too self focused, like a strong melee based support. If they’re my only option I guess I may just try leveling one again.

Is there any class I could play that doesn’t feel like repetitive or dull combat, that can support? Or am I just SoL and need to look for another game?

Warrior can become a very powerful lynchpin for a group by basing themself around shous. At lvel 60, you unlock healing shouts, which AoE heal everyone around you. This also comes with severe boon duration buffs, letting you buff yourself, and everyone around you with those DPS buffs that damage only glass cannons love so much, while keeping them alive to brag about their 1337 dps (maybe not the best of things) as well as being a very strong resurrector. Add the proper runes, and you’re also condition proofing the party.

Mesmer can easily go heavy into support with Mantra of Pain specced into being a healing pulse. Phantasms specced into giving off AoE regen. Null field, and a third spell of your choice. Add timewarp and a staff, and you’re a healer, a support, and a supporting DPS all rolled up into one. Again, level 60 trait required.

Engineer is another level 60 trait required healer. Bomb kit and elixers let you heal and buff while being in melee. Every bomb you drop heals in an AoE, and you should be always dropping bombs as you run around the field.

Guardian’s perhaps the only one that can go healer without a level 60 trait, with their mace.

The big issue is that support builds for most classes only really open up at 60.

I like playing on my elementalist, warrior, and guardian.

I feel your pain, though. I don’t really feel like it’s teh classes that have been balanced poorly in PvE. I feel like the enemies really don’t require you to do more than dodge 1 or 2 moves and keep pouring damage.

As far as support, a shout based guardian or shout warrior are my personal favorites. You really won’t see how cool it is until you get soldier runes though. And I agree with Meer…you won’t really even start seeing the support ability until 60; imo, level 80 is where you’ll have the most options with traits and runes.

No, there’s no class you can play that doesn’t follow the mantra of DPS, DPS, dodge. This is essentially what they have done with combat in GW2. Welcome to a game without any semblance of real combat mechanics.

But hey, getting rid of the trinity was a great idea, right? It could have been, if they had introduced a system that was just as meaningful, and had developed combat roles beyond that of “hit this until it dies, and stay out of red circles”.

This is, of course, my opinion, after having played both melee and ranged up to 80. Feel free to disagree.

“Is there any class I could play that doesn’t feel like repetitive or dull combat, that can support?”

d/d ele

Awesome.6120:

“Is there any class I could play that doesn’t feel like repetitive or dull combat, that can support?”

d/d ele

+1

Definitely one of the more mobile choices. All most OP, imo.

If you are looking for non-dull and repetitive I would suggest a d/d elementalist. But, only if you want to play on the edge of your seat. Traited they can provide a lot of support to nearby allies.

People who previously played healers in GW1 or other games seem to have the most issues with the lack of meaningful combat roles.

d/d ele still becomes boring after a while. All you do is cycling attunements all the time to spam your high CD skills.

But there actually IS one way to play an ele so it actually feels like you are supporting the group (and thats not only because you can create combo fields or boons in rare conditions):
Play with conjured weapons. You get one for yourself and one for a different group member. Most conjured weapons have melee DPS, but a range of 900/1200 units, plus one AoE and either CC / interrupt / movement skill.
It’s especially helpful for classes which lack proper skills with some weapon set and it’s quite funny when your warrior suddenly goes ranged – while maintaining the DPS. The conjurer elite is even worse, it gives you a flaming greatsword which has higher DPS than every other weapon in the game. (Some combos might achieve higher burst damage, but that thing keeps the damage up for ~30-40 seconds before the 2x 25 charges run out!)

Also provides a relieve for other players. Not only do you gain the variety which eles usually lack (every other class can switch between ranged and melee weapon sets. Eles can’t), but you also offer them a variation from their usual skills. And trust me, they are just as bored from their fixed skillsets as you are…

Try an Engineer, switching Kits to keep up with skills, they have some great support options and are under played and under powered making it a real challenge at times.

Apparently a mod decided to move this and wiped out my entire reply. Don’t feel like writing my whole reply over again argh…

Thank you guys for your replies, though you probably won’t see it!