Guild Wars 2

It is very clear the main feedback ArenaNet received from last season was that the bunker build was boring and slowed game progression. The twitch stream of the league finals reflected this.

As we know, ArenaNet is becoming more focused on eSports and they want to ensure matches are fun to watch. So the latest balance patch saw the removal of stats and nerfing skills that made up typical bunker builds. Some decisions I agree with, such as nerfing the diamond ele build which was just a little too impervious to damage.

I play a supportive role in matches and do my best to communicate with my team. My main is a hybrid support/cc/shout warrior, but last season I had a lot of fun with a supportive bunker chronomancer and a condition druid build. I play alongside an offensive role and we usually do well together, communicating heavily with each other.

As a supportive role I am doing a lot of micromanaging, focusing on condition cleansing, healing/rezzing downded allies, noting down enemy buffs and cool downs for effective interrupts, as well as team rotation and having good map awareness. Often in fights I need to keep a third eye on another point so I can quickly rotate to contest it.

Now, the current meta favors heavy damage output, specifically from the elite specializations. I can no longer actively support my team as well as I could in fights because by the time I attempt to cleanse allies I’ve been struck with insanely high hits. When you weigh up the casting time of your supportive skills in comparison to damage per second from the enemy team running meta builds, in most cases it’s just not a good option to waste time on defensive/supportive skills because damage reigns supreme. The damage output is much more than what you could possibly sustain. You can expect fights to end with you or your team wiping instead having an opportunity to fall back and form a new strategy. Even trying to hold a point while you wait for backup is unrealistic.

I enjoyed longer fights, it meant that I could keep a player occupied if need be, rotate with my team, or bait them into a strategic spot. Instead now each battle now is more about who can deal the highest damage. The beauty of bunker builds was the obvious trade off in damage output so you needed to know how to still be an asset to the team.

ArenaNet has always been good at allowing any class to play any role they wanted, some classes could do it better but I always believed if you knew a class well enough and practiced you could still be as effective, which is why I’ve always loved warrior.

Players will obviously favor high damage because it’s easy and quick. Power hungry players will boast how they could beat you in a 1v1, to which I respond by reminding them the game type is 5v5, sure you could beat me 1v1 but that’s not my purpose in a team, so why would I even give you the satisfaction of letting you kill me when my build is about team support. This new balance patch actually reinforces the mentality and behavior of damage always wins!

ArenaNet, you’ve done a great job with the matchmaking system, and the league progression is really enjoyable and rewarding. I had a lot of fun last season, but I think something really needs to be done about damage intensity. If you say that any class can play any role they want, make that happen, because I think the latest balance patch has actually deprived more players from playing classes and roles they want to play than offer more options.

Thanks for your time.

Tell your rev/engi to spam blocks/evades while you 0-100 them. Gonna see how funny it is for the enemy team

Strange, you could say I’m running a supportish reaper. Chill, boon removal, weakness, vulnerability, projectile destruction, … . Of course I’m still doing damage but that comes with being reaper.

recklessjive.7940:

When you weigh up the casting time of your supportive skills in comparison to damage per second from the enemy team running meta builds, in most cases it’s just not a good option to waste time on defensive/supportive skills because damage reigns supreme. The damage output is much more than what you could possibly sustain. You can expect fights to end with you or your team wiping instead having an opportunity to fall back and form a new strategy. Even trying to hold a point while you wait for backup is unrealistic.

I don’t know what you do but the support I run is certainly worth the cast. A corrosive poison cloud can reduce some serious pressure.

recklessjive.7940:

ArenaNet has always been good at allowing any class to play any role they wanted, some classes could do it better but I always believed if you knew a class well enough and practiced you could still be as effective, which is why I’ve always loved warrior.

Unfortunately elite specs threw a wrench in this due to the inherent power creep created by the horiontal progression. But give it some time and elite spec and your roles will be back.

This exactly, have to be glass to do anything now.

Playing a Cleric Tempest is easy if you have teammates who actively peel.

Agree with the OP, we are back at square 1 in S0, blow you up meta. It sucks, i want to play an mmo rpg not a moba, if i wanted a moba where everything dies with 4 skills and a couple of attacks i would play LOL.

Why does it feel that every balance attempt by ANET is a shot in the dark that rarely if ever hits the mark.

Apolo.5942:

Agree with the OP, we are back at square 1 in S0, blow you up meta. It sucks, i want to play an mmo rpg not a moba, if i wanted a moba where everything dies with 4 skills and a couple of attacks i would play LOL.

Why does it feel that every balance attempt by ANET is a shot in the dark that rarely if ever hits the mark.

If you can blow up revenants, scrappers, mesmers or thieves who rune glass in a few seconds while +1 ing you are the god of +1rs my friend. a 1v1 should not last more than a minute I am sorry!

Aurugal.6954:

Apolo.5942:

Agree with the OP, we are back at square 1 in S0, blow you up meta. It sucks, i want to play an mmo rpg not a moba, if i wanted a moba where everything dies with 4 skills and a couple of attacks i would play LOL.

Why does it feel that every balance attempt by ANET is a shot in the dark that rarely if ever hits the mark.

If you can blow up revenants, scrappers, mesmers or thieves who rune glass in a few seconds while +1 ing you are the god of +1rs my friend. a 1v1 should not last more than a minute I am sorry!

pff 1 minute? dude you are 54 seconds short.

Apolo.5942:

Aurugal.6954:

Apolo.5942:

Agree with the OP, we are back at square 1 in S0, blow you up meta. It sucks, i want to play an mmo rpg not a moba, if i wanted a moba where everything dies with 4 skills and a couple of attacks i would play LOL.

Why does it feel that every balance attempt by ANET is a shot in the dark that rarely if ever hits the mark.

If you can blow up revenants, scrappers, mesmers or thieves who rune glass in a few seconds while +1 ing you are the god of +1rs my friend. a 1v1 should not last more than a minute I am sorry!

pff 1 minute? dude you are 54 seconds short.

If you really are that good at it please add me in game i want to duel you and learn, you probably would go through my rev’s shield 5 staff 3 crystal hibernation glint heal 2 dodges shiro roll and staff 4 np! I want to be your padawan