Guild Wars 2

Guardians are the most flexible class we have in this game. You can DPS, you can heal, you can CC and you can buff, all fairly competently.

Guardians are easily the easiest class of all to optimize for the playstyle you prefer. It can also makes that class one of the more difficult classes to “play well”.

“Optimal” build…. hehe.. optimal for what? And in what circumstances? The location and team composition will alter what is deemed optimal.

Unlike other MMOs with very structured roles and boss enrage timers, there isn’t really a need to be optimal in the traditional sense. There is a need to synergize well with others and have sufficient survivability for when things go wrong.

Honest question: Why do you want every profession to be basically the same? What is the purpose of that?

Xia.3485:

“Optimal” build…. hehe.. optimal for what? And in what circumstances? The location and team composition will alter what is deemed optimal.

Unlike other MMOs with very structured roles and boss enrage timers, there isn’t really a need to be optimal in the traditional sense. There is a need to synergize well with others and have sufficient survivability for when things go wrong.

This was my first thought as well….

Optimal for what? I have several builds I use. I have an optimal defensive one, optimal crit damage build, optimal AoE healing and cleansing build, optimal condition build, or optimal control build.

Not to mention, what defines each of those builds as “optimal” varies depending on if it is PvP, how big my group is, if it is WvW am I in a small guerrilla group or running with the zerg. In PvE, am I solo or in a 2 man group or 5 man group.

@OP
The discussion you are trying to have, is repeated in thread after thread after thread of each of the respective professions threads. I really do not see any need to pile it all in here as well.

coglin.1496:

Optimal for what? I have several builds I use. I have an optimal defensive one, optimal crit damage build, optimal AoE healing and cleansing build, optimal condition build, or optimal control build.

- But you can’t be optimal with a single armor and trait set. You either got attack damage, or condition damage or survival stats in that. Optimal can mean two things: (1) best for given situation (e.g. which profession takes down enemies at fastest rate possible?) (2) best given the current resources (e.g. I got gear with +power and +crit, which weapon is the most optimal to use?). The latter meaning is also heavily influenced by traits, which gives professions path where they excel.

Zenith.6403:

But you can’t be optimal with a single armor and trait set. You either got attack damage, or condition damage or survival stats in that. Optimal can mean two things: (1) best for given situation (e.g. which profession takes down enemies at fastest rate possible?) (2) best given the current resources (e.g. I got gear with +power and +crit, which weapon is the most optimal to use?). The latter meaning is also heavily influenced by traits, which gives professions path where they excel.

True, but you can be reasonably optimal at one or two thing, but not all.

I have about 5 sets of exotic gear I maintain for what I want to do in PvE and WvW. In PvP it doesn’t mater because the game stores a separate build and you can acquire the gear for free and respec for free.

snackpackson.1803:

It would be nice to see each professions have a thread for such a topic with similar title to be easy to find and it might belong here in players helping players as the whole purpose is to help players and professions at their weak points

As much as I can see what you are trying to do, until you have players with a significant amount of time in all eight classes, it is difficult for anyone else to compare what your refering to, from class to class, because they will not know what they are relating it too.

No. In mu experience it turns counter productive. How do you expect someone with no experience in a particular profession to be able to make comparisons to it?