Guild Wars 2

Hi!

I’m Mikali, a gw2 player like you. I would like to share some concerns with you, and some things I would like to see be changed.
What I want is, to be this less “x is OP” and more “x should be changed in this way” or “I don’t really understand x” way to deal with problems in PvP.

Let’s start with base:

- sPvP

1. 8vs8

- In the begging I didn’t like this massive number of players on those small maps. It makes it zerg play, and very untactical.
Now, after more then 300 games won, I realised it’s kinda nice to have some mess fights! When you are in mess, you should be more aware of things if you are kinda competetive and you want die less, and get more points.
It also is kinda casual, you can play w/e you want and noone will say anything about it.
It’s a base PvP where people are trying out their builds.

- What I do want to be changed is more reward for winning. Atm the bonus win is about one player kill. Problem with this is people don’t care about holding points, which is crucial part of tPvP.
Some rewarding points should be changed.
Autobalance is another thing that players don’t like. Well, maybe that is why bonus points for win are so low, you don’t lose a lot of points if you lose match.
Tho, I would like if there can be made some balance, for example:

15 bonus win for every 50 points you got, 10 if you didn’t win.
Also, there should be more points for defending the point, for example:
Every 20 seconds you stay defending you get 2 points, every 10 seconds there is a fight on defending point you get 3 points.

2. Raid on the Capricorn

Sharks are big problem. There is too many of them, and they do too much damage.
There are some classes that can evade their attacks and go for an easy cap (thief), or for much easier cap then other professions (Engi, Guardian with Hammer of Wisdom)

How to fix this problem?

1. reduce number of sharks
2. reduce their dmg OR make them unable to crit. That way you can always know how much dmg can they do to you.

3. random 5vs5 and elo

Another big thing players want is random 5vs5, where they can learn for tournaments in more casual way then it is there.
Anet said something about them making it possible, so for this we should wait for their blog post in incoming days.

3. Minions, AI, pets and downstate

This is the biggest part in this game I am all for not existing in the 1st place!
Minions/AI/pets attacking players in the downstate.

Lot of time I could healed myself and even maybe survived enough long in downstate while my partner deals with our enemy. But! It didn’t happen because AI doesn’t let you…
If there is downstate, then players, and only players should be ones that will finish you off.

Same thing is with Stealth.
If you, as a player lose target when it went to Stealth mode, and need to target it again once your enemy is out of it, then should AI too.
It’s just broken for AI to continue attacking Stealthed enemy once they are out of it. They should attack only when their Master attacks or commands them again.

4. Broken skills and broken designs

1. Mesmer

- Moa.

Skill with too long effect with also too long recharge.

I am always against skills like this. It doesn’t make their users happy because too long recharge, nor it does players against it cuz for it’s too long effect time.

What I would like to see is to lower it’s effect time to about 5 seconds, and lower it recharge to 120 seconds.
I am not balance expert, so I am just stating numbers I see fitting, just so other could understand what I want to say.
Moa is an elite skill. And it should feel like it’s elite!
When you are Moa, you are unable to do anything for that time. It’s already powerfull on itself! 5 seconds is enough time for it still being powerfull elite, making it on much lower recharge, makes it more usable, and with it, more effective.

Powerfull doesn’t mean hitting 30k in 1 hit, one shooting everyone and then making that skill on 5 min cooldown. It’s broken and unfun.
That is Moa in it’s current state.

- Phantasms.

They are too powerfull! They do too much damage! Phantasm builds give mesmer too much survivability. Yes, you can destroy them in 2-3 hits, but it doesn’t makes them less broken.
For me, it’s broken design when AI deals more damage then their master.
Mesmers are doing too low dmg on their own! A lot of skills aren’t viable because their too low dmg, and too low effect.

What I would like to see is, Mesmers getting more damage, and Phantasms to have much lower dmg, but to make them more effective in another way.
What do you think about them doing Cripple on every x attack for x seconds?
Or even chill? Protection? Stability?
It would make them much stronger in effective way!

2. Thief

- I played mostly thief, never as HS one, but as pw (pistol whip) one.
They are strong as burst damage dealers, but they are also kinda broken.
Their design is what makes them broken, initiative and no CD makes them very spammable. That is why they are the hardest ones to balance in carefull way. Let’s say, the most trickiest ones to balance. That is why they should be approached very carefully when balancing them.

I don’t see them very OP. They do have some skills, and some builds that are very strong yes, but they aren’t so OP to cry on forum for days.

Problem with them is this:
1 skill is doing too much damage on it’s own, while others don’t. This is the real problem. Skills should be balanced in damage, in that way that spamming one skill isn’t as effective as to use chain of skills which needs much more skill to pull off.
If Anet and their balance team can pull this off, Thiefs will be very enjoyable to play, because they got so much good skills, and even utility skills are great (which some of them aren’t used as much because all this powerhouse spam atm).

Also, haste, with this design, is problem and makes thief “OP”, even tho it has very strong dimishing result. If they balance skills, I think it wouldn’t be that much of a big problem.

3. Warrior

HS build is the only way you can really burst someone down. Even then, you gotta use your full combo to make it effective.
Other warrior builds don’t do enough damage, sword comes 1st on my mind, same as mace mainhand.

I do realise that sword is bleeding damage, but it’s low damage without bleeding makes them broken.
When you have stacks of bleeding on opponent, yet, it’s effective, but the problem with design is: condition removals are too strong in this game. They come in all forms, as skills, as traits, or as sigils.
That is why sword and bleeding dmg while never be effective in PvP unless it’s changed.
Give sword more base damage, and make flurry deals more damage on it’s own.
Bleeds are only good if they are stacked. Sword builds are yes or no. They aren’t “effective”.

Mace is great for stuns, same as hammer. They are nice control weapons, but the problem is they are also too low on dmg, or too slow.
Give them more faster animations, or more base damage, or more base skill damage.
They don’t need to do burst damage, but dps should be felt.

Same thing is with other weapons.

Most balanced weapon is Axe mainhand. Other aren’t far away, just few changes here and there and they are effective to use.

Why am I saying this? Because warriors are mostly melee, and if they are, then need to be tanky, that means they aren’t doing all power, and if they aren’t doing all power, they aren’t doing enough damage.

That’s way I am okay with Longbow and Rifle not having too strong base attacks, because they are ranged weapons, but melee weapons should have it.

4. Elementalist

They are one of the squishies professions out there, and also they aren’t doing enough damage. I am sure they will get balance update, to make certain skills stronger (even tho when you combine skills they can deal great damage output).

There are few skills that should be changed in another way then in damage:

1. Lightning Whip and Lightning Touch.
- their range is absurd. Only 300. I realise it’s a dagger weapon, but it still doesn’t make sense for it being so low range. I would like if it becomes 400, with Ele being so squishy, and unable to change weapon sets, being all the time in face to face with hard hitting professions, unable to deal dps while straffing on safe distance makes this 2 skills useless to use.
At least, that’s how I see them.

2. Blinding Flash
- too long animation, too long duration to get that blind there.
Blind should be instant imo, it would make this skill effective.
You don’t need blind 2 seconds after Thief comes to burst you, you need it instantly.

3. Elite skills

While I didn’t play ele as much I should to make clear statement, I feel like Ele needs some look on it’s elite skills.
Tornado is nice skill, but with long cooldown, long duration and I believe it doesn’t launch people with stability on.
Less duration, less CD. Would be more effective (Moa effect).

Glyph of Elementals. Doesn’t have that Elite skill effect. It’s great skill, but I feel like Ele needs some more effective elite skill.
Skills like Blinding Surge (gw1 elite skill) that would blind everyone in AoE.
Or Chill everyone.
I would like to see them having range AoE CC skill.

5. Guardian

Too much defense, too strong attacks. Balance issue, will be fixed in time.
Lack of real range attack is what kinda bothers me, tho not so much.
At least, not in PvP (this isn’t PvE thread, but why not mention it).
I’ll just say, orb of light is too slow.

What I don’t like is, their elite skills. They change all of your skills. Fine, but why 2/3 of elite skills, 3rd being stupid one (why it even exists?).
I would like to see them having elite skill that doesn’t change their all weapon skills.
I think you will agree on this with me.

6. Ranger, Engi, Necro

I didn’t play those in PvP, I will in next days.
I can only comment what I did see, but not much.

Ranger pets are doing too much damage, while Ranger itself doesn’t. Pets are following their target for too long range, it should be limited!
Ranger in melee doesn’t work so good in PvP, something must be done about it.
They should be able to do effective in melee range, as well in range.

Engi. I’m smilling when I see good Engi. At the beggining Engi was once of the most “UP” profession, but in time people learned how to play them, and they can give me a lot of hard time.
I am sure there are bugs to be fixed, skills to be balanced, made more stronger, or less strong, or less spammable.
You know them better, so please write something constructive about them.
I would like to know their problems.

Necro. I’m kinda sad I didn’t try them out. People are crying about them on this forums, but in PvP they are the ones that takes me longest to kill.
DS is strong. Problem is, a lot of players are using it just before they are about to die. A lot of players take my full combo without them being in DS.
There is nothing more frustrative when you are guardian with 6 boons and necro strips them all making them into conditions. STRONG. And I like it.
I see necro as they were in gw1: they are not here to deal insane amount of damage, they are here to make your strong points in you weakness, and I like it.

Lich Form, Minion Masters…they need something, they never ever gave me any problem.

5. Competetive PvP

Should I say what we all already know?

-ELO system: we need ranks, ranks are needed for competetive atmosphere. Ranks should be able to be shown. Don’t pretend like you don’t care if they don’t know how good you are. We all need it. We need world to see how good we are. It’s what makes us feel good and like we accomplished something.
We need to be able to play against teams close to our range of skills. We need to grow stronger, and this is the only way to do it

-Spectate mode: if you want this as E sport, you gotta have this. More people there is that are learning from other, better players, that means more competition.

-Creating maps. Teams should be able to create their maps/servers to practice vs each others

-Awards. We don’t have any award. While ELO/rank gain is already what would be ward itself, we need something more.
What I really like is being able to carry PvP armor (look) in PvE/WvWvW, vice versa!
There isn’t any reason not to, and just that small change would make people happy

This are some my advices, and how I see things atm.
I am sure I didn’t write everything, I will when I remember them.

I am glad for everyone that took their time reading all this, and reading it through all my grammar mistakes.
Please write some comments and suggestions. I think it’s time to look on problems in another way, constructive and calm.

Thank you,

Mikali

As a condition ranger, i felt the need to let you know, they do a ton of damage.

Try one out, they are pretty fun.

cursed.5619:

As a condition ranger, i felt the need to let you know, they do a ton of damage.

Try one out, they are pretty fun.

Thank you, I will try it
I’m glad you read this all!

I would like to see damage conditions being able to benefit from damage multipliers( like do 5% more damage while over 90% health). Or the ability for conditions to do critical damage. Since as you said, there is a lot of passive condition removal in PvP, requiring practically no effort from the opponent.
Actively trying to get a 10+ bleed stack or a 30sec poison duration on someone takes a fair amount of effort and is frustrating when its just auto-removed by a Guardian signet. That bit of extra damage might alleviate some of the frustration and bring some more variety to condition builds.

Astos.3609:

I would like to see damage conditions being able to benefit from damage multipliers( like do 5% more damage while over 90% health). Or the ability for conditions to do critical damage. Since as you said, there is a lot of passive condition removal in PvP, requiring practically no effort from the opponent.
Actively trying to get a 10+ bleed stack or a 30sec poison duration on someone takes a fair amount of effort and is frustrating when its just auto-removed by a Guardian signet. That bit of extra damage might alleviate some of the frustration and bring some more variety to condition builds.

Yes, I was thinking about that issue, as I am the person who mained sword warrior in PvE (lev 80). I tried him in PvP and it was bad.
Idea that got me was that conditions (ONLY bleed, poison, burning) do some dmg when they are stripped like that.
Damage should scale off condition damage and base weapon damage for every stack.
That way they would do moderate damage with cond dmg spec builds, and low with non cond dmg spec builds. I am not sure what numbers would be tho…

Astos.3609:

I would like to see damage conditions being able to benefit from damage multipliers( like do 5% more damage while over 90% health). Or the ability for conditions to do critical damage. Since as you said, there is a lot of passive condition removal in PvP, requiring practically no effort from the opponent.
Actively trying to get a 10+ bleed stack or a 30sec poison duration on someone takes a fair amount of effort and is frustrating when its just auto-removed by a Guardian signet. That bit of extra damage might alleviate some of the frustration and bring some more variety to condition builds.

Taugrim, (idk if you know him or w/e) appears on a show on Gamebreaker TV talking about builds. To paraphrase him → Ofc there are many condition removals, the goal of a condition build is to overwhelm their removals. Rangers can throw up somewhere around 10-18 stacks of bleeds in about 5 seconds on very minimal cooldowns. At some point, your bleed will get removed, you just have to re-apply them and overwhelm them.

i think this is the best,polite, objective thread i ever seen in this forum since release.
i would like some dev read this thread.
it doen’t mean i agree every single word in this thread, but allaround is a good start.

Mikali.9651:

4. Broken skills and broken designs

1. Mesmer

- Moa.

Skill with too long effect with also too long recharge.

I am always against skills like this. It doesn’t make their users happy because too long recharge, nor it does players against it cuz for it’s too long effect time.

What I would like to see is to lower it’s effect time to about 5 seconds, and lower it recharge to 120 seconds.
I am not balance expert, so I am just stating numbers I see fitting, just so other could understand what I want to say.
Moa is an elite skill. And it should feel like it’s elite!
When you are Moa, you are unable to do anything for that time. It’s already powerfull on itself! 5 seconds is enough time for it still being powerfull elite, making it on much lower recharge, makes it more usable, and with it, more effective.

Powerfull doesn’t mean hitting 30k in 1 hit, one shooting everyone and then making that skill on 5 min cooldown. It’s broken and unfun.
That is Moa in it’s current state.

- Phantasms.

They are too powerfull! They do too much damage! Phantasm builds give mesmer too much survivability. Yes, you can destroy them in 2-3 hits, but it doesn’t makes them less broken.
For me, it’s broken design when AI deals more damage then their master.
Mesmers are doing too low dmg on their own! A lot of skills aren’t viable because their too low dmg, and too low effect.

What I would like to see is, Mesmers getting more damage, and Phantasms to have much lower dmg, but to make them more effective in another way.
What do you think about them doing Cripple on every x attack for x seconds?
Or even chill? Protection? Stability?
It would make them much stronger in effective way!

Most Phantasems are on a 15 second cooldown before reductions. Phantasems themselves are obvious targets at they differentiate themselves from the mesmer themselves.

There are problems when it comes to balancing these issues.

First, the Phantasms, like all illusions, die quickly cutting them from their damage output and forcing the Mesmer to have to re-summon them, which catches up to them quickly as most Phantasms have a cast time which can be interrupted, as well.

Nerfing the damage of phantasms isn’t going to resolve the problem of Mesmers, as they also apply bleeds as a trait, which can be an alternate build for a Mesmer stacking condition damage.

And that’s the crux about Mesmer’s damage. It’s distributed. The Mesmer himself dosen’t do bad for damage either as Blurred Frenzy can do 5k to anything in front of the Mesmer.

As far as tweaking Memser, I have a feeling this is a quality of life problem for other classes. AoE Damage wrecks Mesmer’s illusion, but people aren’t building AoE’s because burst damage is more successful right now. Until that has been properly improved I’d say it’s too hard of a call to say that Phantasem’s are too powerful. Their damage only stacks if you leave the phantasems up to do so.

To do 15k to an opponent, in a quick combo a Mesmer has to:

1. Summon iDuelist, Duelist must crit it’s volley.
2. Summon iSwordsman, swordsman must crit on the first hit.
3. Use Illusionary Leap (This can flat out fail if you’re not close enough to target.)
4. Stun somehow. (Reliant on Pistol or Signet)
5. Swap. (Illusionary Leap’s clone must be 1. Alive, 2. Not glitched out, 3 adjacent to target.) Optional if convinced it will finish: Press mind wrack for shatter. (Do not if not convinced.
6. Blurred Frenzy, blurred frenzy must crit for high damage.

If the opponent is intelligent, they can break this combo at any point in those six steps. Easiest is of course to destroy the illusions as they won’t get an opportunity for that second volly or shatter.

Otherwise, Mesmer is reliant on easily killed illusions for damage. Yes, they’re AI’s, but no less so than a Necro’s pets, and just as susceptible to AoE damage.

I’m not opposed to taking a bit off the top, damage wise, but not until we’ve fixed a lot of the quality of life issues we’re having with other classes first. We should be making other builds more viable rather than destroying builds because we feel they’re ‘too powerful’.

Speaking on that subject. Mesmers have been stating for a while that the Mantras in the game are fairly weak, even when speced directly for them. A substantial improvement on these may attract different kinds of mesmers.

The going reccomendation for them would be that instead of having a set amount of stacks, mantras gain stacks depending on how long it’s channeled, a full channel resulting in three casts without having to trait, the trait perhaps reducing the channel time significantly.

As far as Moa… I’d kind a rather they’d remove the skill completely and replace it with something more thematic to the actual class. I was thinking perhaps a perfect duplicate. A timed illusion that takes your name, appearance, stats, and mimic’s your skills and actions for a short duration and is otherwise a perfect clone. Something that really reflects on the ‘twins’ nature of Lyssa, which is the Mesmer’s deity anyways.

But if they were to just adjust it? I’m fairly cool with your idea of a shorter cooldown for a shorter duration.

Kalar Meadia.8439:

Mikali.9651:

4. Broken skills and broken designs

1. Mesmer

- Moa.

Skill with too long effect with also too long recharge.

I am always against skills like this. It doesn’t make their users happy because too long recharge, nor it does players against it cuz for it’s too long effect time.

What I would like to see is to lower it’s effect time to about 5 seconds, and lower it recharge to 120 seconds.
I am not balance expert, so I am just stating numbers I see fitting, just so other could understand what I want to say.
Moa is an elite skill. And it should feel like it’s elite!
When you are Moa, you are unable to do anything for that time. It’s already powerfull on itself! 5 seconds is enough time for it still being powerfull elite, making it on much lower recharge, makes it more usable, and with it, more effective.

Powerfull doesn’t mean hitting 30k in 1 hit, one shooting everyone and then making that skill on 5 min cooldown. It’s broken and unfun.
That is Moa in it’s current state.

- Phantasms.

They are too powerfull! They do too much damage! Phantasm builds give mesmer too much survivability. Yes, you can destroy them in 2-3 hits, but it doesn’t makes them less broken.
For me, it’s broken design when AI deals more damage then their master.
Mesmers are doing too low dmg on their own! A lot of skills aren’t viable because their too low dmg, and too low effect.

What I would like to see is, Mesmers getting more damage, and Phantasms to have much lower dmg, but to make them more effective in another way.
What do you think about them doing Cripple on every x attack for x seconds?
Or even chill? Protection? Stability?
It would make them much stronger in effective way!

Most Phantasems are on a 15 second cooldown before reductions. Phantasems themselves are obvious targets at they differentiate themselves from the mesmer themselves.

There are problems when it comes to balancing these issues.

First, the Phantasms, like all illusions, die quickly cutting them from their damage output and forcing the Mesmer to have to re-summon them, which catches up to them quickly as most Phantasms have a cast time which can be interrupted, as well.

Nerfing the damage of phantasms isn’t going to resolve the problem of Mesmers, as they also apply bleeds as a trait, which can be an alternate build for a Mesmer stacking condition damage.

And that’s the crux about Mesmer’s damage. It’s distributed. The Mesmer himself dosen’t do bad for damage either as Blurred Frenzy can do 5k to anything in front of the Mesmer.

I’m not opposed to taking a bit off the top, damage wise, but not until we’ve fixed a lot of the quality of life issues we’re having with other classes first. We should be making other builds more viable rather than destroying builds because we feel they’re ‘too powerful’.

Speaking on that subject. Mesmers have been stating for a while that the Mantras in the game are fairly weak, even when speced directly for them. A substantial improvement on these may attract different kinds of mesmers.

The going reccomendation for them would be that instead of having a set amount of stacks, mantras gain stacks depending on how long it’s channeled, a full channel resulting in three casts without having to trait, the trait perhaps reducing the channel time significantly.

Oh, don’t get me wrong when I say they are too powerfull. I am against them doing 0 dmg hehe. I want to see them less strong, which means not nerfing their dmg to the ground.
As I said, Mesmers themself could do more dmg and do some more effective things, things you stated.

Also, I like shatter build more then phantasm, that is what is main mesmer design, but somehow this Phantasm build become stronger then real design…that is what is bothering me – it shouldn’t have been like this

when i die to a mesmer, assuming he is a good mesmer, and i read the death log i have always 10k + damage by imaginary sometthing. i know mesmers illusions are weak but if you as mesmer know how to play you will have alway up 2 phantasm + clones. if i kill some illusion i take conditions. then a lot of mesmers have sword/pistol, staff, means they do cond damage (not so high but still dps), stuns, blocks+flurry.
i think i can play quite decent but mesmer is the only class i cannot win and which i can’t improve and learn anything.
i would suggest lowering a bit the damage. cannon glass thief and cannon glass mesmer are not the same thing.
s/s can make you 2 illusionary swordman which do 5?k damage each.
too much reward for less risk than other cannon glass classes.

The OP has some valid points, other parts are bit off.

1. Mesmer
I agree that the mesmer Moa elite needs a change. Not only in duration, but also the way it affects other classes. I don’t think it’s ok that moa insta wipes all necro minions. Agree that the necro should not benefit from the minion healing while in moa form, still minions should be there until they are destroyed by direct attacks. Otherwise 2-3 utility skills are just negated by the moa elite.
I’m not sure how phantasms should be actually balanced.
One thing that needs balance in the portal utility skill. It’s being abused in ways that I’m not sure they were intended (treb repairs, etc).

2. Thief
Despite some odd 14-18k backstab crits, it’s almost where it should be. Hit and run class with insane burst, generally squishy.
Some overall burst dmg might need adjustment (lowered).

3. Warrior
I haven’t played warrior yet, but there are some insane dmg builds using axe and whatnot in offhand. And when I say insane, I mean 1 warrior trahed a bunker guardian and ele in a 1v2 in like 15s total.
I don’t want to see warriors becoming the bunker on wheels version of guardians, but with the dmg burst of thieves.

4. Ele
Needs some love, but I don;t want to see a “frost mage” patch. Ele is not usually a solo fighter, i has good mobility to create superiority in team fights across the map and can dish out serious damage and healing when synchronized with the rest of the team.
It has one of the highest skill cap in the game, right there with the engi and necro in some ways.

5. Guardian
The elite books got nerfed for some time now, and it’s no longer “ermagered leet hilz lulz”.
The only problem I see is with the spirit weapons and that guardians can go almost full bunker while still having really good spirit weapons.

6. Ranger
Spirit builds are no longer viable, or just got phased out.
Shortbow/Axe+Warhorn condition build does really well. It’s one of the classes/builds that can seriously screw a defensive guardian and defensive engi.
Also the axe in mainhand is great vs mesmers (e.g. no 1 axe attack bounces through to the real mesmer). I think that QZ is a must for a ranger. The 4 sec quickness just makes such a big diff IMO.

7. Engi
IMO is a class with high skill cap and needs lots of effort if you want to play it well.
Once mastered, it’s almost a must in tPvP. It’s one of the most versatile classes, really good “side” point defender.
You don’t see people crying that engi is OP, because it takes skill to make use of the force that is the engi.
The only ones who could actually say if engi is OP or UP, are the engies themselves, most of who play it as an exclusive main right now.
And since you don’t see them crying on the forums, it means engi is not UP. Even if there is something OP about engi, I don’t expect engies coming on forums and bragging about it anytime soon.

8. Necro
Like ele, needs some love in certain areas.
The condition-mancer brings great support into team fights. I would say that is one of the top team fight builds out there.
What’s sad is that the utility skills are almost cast in stone: plague signet, corrupt boon, epidemic and plague form as elite. There is no much place left for anything else.

Mikali.9651:

Oh, don’t get me wrong when I say they are too powerfull. I am against them doing 0 dmg hehe. I want to see them less strong, which means not nerfing their dmg to the ground.
As I said, Mesmers themself could do more dmg and do some more effective things, things you stated.

Also, I like shatter build more then phantasm, that is what is main mesmer design, but somehow this Phantasm build become stronger then real design…that is what is bothering me – it shouldn’t have been like this

Actually shatter builds are quite powerful. There’s a video and a spec you should look at.

Build:
http://gw2skills.net/editor/en/?fgIQNAW8alwzaqnVzoGa9ICqHaX29dkU0asWJF42FC;T0Ag0CnoqxUjoGbNuak1ssY8x5j9HvPA

Video explaining how to use it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eT71X8Kfm8c

It’s very effective as a glass cannon build, just expect to have to use that portal to escape if you get slammed with conditions.

Mikali.9651:

Necro. I’m kinda sad I didn’t try them out. People are crying about them on this forums, but in PvP they are the ones that takes me longest to kill.
DS is strong. Problem is, a lot of players are using it just before they are about to die. A lot of players take my full combo without them being in DS.
There is nothing more frustrative when you are guardian with 6 boons and necro strips them all making them into conditions. STRONG. And I like it.
I see necro as they were in gw1: they are not here to deal insane amount of damage, they are here to make your strong points in you weakness, and I like it.

Lich Form, Minion Masters…they need something, they never ever gave me any problem.

I want to answer this as a Necro.
The only fact that you said “they are the ones that takes me longest to kill” is indicative of the state of the Necro.
Death Shroud is a strong mechanic sure, only if it didn’t last few seconds and it wasn’t too hard to build Life Force without traiting in. Actually I’m running a build with 30 points on Soul Reaping and my Life Force goes down so fast that you don’t even realize that you went in Death Shroud.

Also, the Axe is meant only for damage, because it has no conditions/controls at all, but its damage is just ridicolous.

The skills you are talking about that transform boons in condition are two, one of them has 40 seconds of cooldown, apply poison to the caster and half the time doesn’t work, the other is a PBAoE (unless if traited) which transform just one condition per second for 5 seconds if the enemy stands in the AoE and, of course, has an insane recharge time of 45 seconds.
They would be good, sure, but they aren’t since there is one pinky profession that do the same job with better results.

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Null_Field
http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Arcane_Thievery
http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Phantasmal_Disenchanter

Plus, you have pets which actually works and attack enemy players!

Yeah, Necromancer could use a bit of refinement in a lot of its build synergy. Not that it can’t be build to be powerful. It’s just that it takes a lot of oddball building and makes it highly specific.

But as far as Null Field, it removes buffs from enemies and conditions from allies. It’s not exactly the same as turning them into their opposites.

Arcane Theivery is great, except it’s twitchy. You either use it to steal a whole bunch of boons from the enemy, or use it to get rid of conditions from yourself. It dosen’t always work either, and it’s rare that you’ll get the best of both worlds from it.

Phantasmal Disenchanter isn’t worth the slot except for PvE raids.

mikali dude, you really dont understand thief, ini is for flexibility, so we can choose to do damage or choose to use our utility back to back.

if you do yoru suggested change to how damage is distributed you are either gonna make them useless or make them even more overpowered

The only ones I agree with is that Moa needs a change, well I am kind of on the bench on this one (I do have an 80 mesmer and never use Moa).

I also agree with the general consensus that some Ele/Necro weapons should all have at least a 900 range not 1 ability at 300 another at 900 etc (unless its AOE ofc). With a lot of the weapons in the game even on thief, I think they were just put there at the last minute to pop in some FLUFF.

A necro with a dagger weapon should NOT have to get into pretty much melee to do some of his attacks… currently they do

Just like Pistol Whip should NOT self root a class that is completely by A-net design (and advertisement/canon) based on mobility. Id be willing to sacrifice some damage on it OR trade the stun for a 1s daze if it did not self root. At the same time, I think the activation times/animation times on sword abilities themselves are too slow for such class design as well, fixing this would also require altering haste.

i would like to everyone, thief has only one initiative pool for 2 set of weapons, while every other class have single cd for every skill. so thief can spam less than every other profession. think about it.

Kalar Meadia.8439:

But as far as Null Field, it removes buffs from enemies and conditions from allies. It’s not exactly the same as turning them into their opposites.

You are right. It actually helps your allies also! And compared to Well of Corruption, it isn’t PBAoE, doesn’t convert just one boon per pulse for 5 seconds, but it actually strips all boons on enemys and all conditions on allies each time they enter the field (not per pulse) for even more time! (7 seconds).
So when you cast Well of Corruption, it has the time to convert just one-two conditions before the enemy realize you’ve casted a well and dodge out of it, while with Null Field, your enemy has no time to realize he is in a Null Field to save his boons, since they are already all stripped out.

Kalar Meadia.8439:

Arcane Theivery is great, except it’s twitchy. You either use it to steal a whole bunch of boons from the enemy, or use it to get rid of conditions from yourself. It dosen’t always work either, and it’s rare that you’ll get the best of both worlds from it.

But you’re actually getting a benefit plus an offense. With corrupt boon you are getting a condition on you (Poison) plus only an offense. This makes Arcane Thievery more versatile than Corrupt Boons, of course.

Kalar Meadia.8439:

Phantasmal Disenchanter isn’t worth the slot except for PvE raids.

I’ve seen that most of the builds on build databases have that skill as utility and I can imagine why. A bot who strips boons and removes conditions automatically and on 20 seconds cooldown? Hell, I want one on my Necro! I can give any of the crappy minion we have as payback!

Shukran.4851:

i would like to everyone, thief has only one initiative pool for 2 set of weapons, while every other class have single cd for every skill. so thief can spam less than every other profession. think about it.

You know that this makes no sense, right?

sorrow.2364:

Shukran.4851:

i would like to everyone, thief has only one initiative pool for 2 set of weapons, while every other class have single cd for every skill. so thief can spam less than every other profession. think about it.

You know that this makes no sense, right?

assuming you can switch weapons, every single skill has his own cd, as i explained, so you can cycle 10 skills. thief can’t. do you want me to spam HS or PW?ok, then?what if i have to use something else during combat and i finish my initiative? i cannot use my skills anymore. it means that if u have a long cd power skill, u use it and then u have another 9 skills available(7 if ii don’t count autoattack). if thief uses a high initiative skill like black powder, CnD, #5 shortbow, we have about half initiative pool used, so we don’t have 7 skills available, but less and probably after another skill used, we will have only autoattack available.
it should be one answer at all the HS, PW haters.

I agree on Moa being out of place. I’d prefer it to be completely removed and give Mesmer a new elite (the perfect clone sounds nice). There’s simply no place for a 10 second complete shutdown in a fastpaced game like this.

It has nothing to do with Moa being OP or not, it simply isn’t a skill that should exist in PvP. It’s a PvE skill, not a PvP skill.

Shukran.4851:

assuming you can switch weapons, every single skill has his own cd, as i explained, so you can cycle 10 skills. thief can’t. do you want me to spam HS or PW?ok, then?what if i have to use something else during combat and i finish my initiative? i cannot use my skills anymore. it means that if u have a long cd power skill, u use it and then u have another 9 skills available(7 if ii don’t count autoattack). if thief uses a high initiative skill like black powder, CnD, #5 shortbow, we have about half initiative pool used, so we don’t have 7 skills available, but less and probably after another skill used, we will have only autoattack available.
it should be one answer at all the HS, PW haters.

Sure, you would be right if the most powerful skills of the Thief doesn’t costs 3-5 initiative, thief doesn’t regen 1 initiative point per one second and an half, there wasn’t skills like Roll for Initiative which recharges 6 initiative points, excluding all the traits the thief has to regain initiative, you can’t trait to have 15 base initiative and the most powerful thief skill (Backstab) costs initiative.
If you also consider that one single pool of initiative is more than enough to burst someone down in a bit more than a second and than vanishing in stealth, you will start to notice the picture of the thief’s opness.

I don’t think you have tried another profession seriously.

sorrow.2364:

Shukran.4851:

assuming you can switch weapons, every single skill has his own cd, as i explained, so you can cycle 10 skills. thief can’t. do you want me to spam HS or PW?ok, then?what if i have to use something else during combat and i finish my initiative? i cannot use my skills anymore. it means that if u have a long cd power skill, u use it and then u have another 9 skills available(7 if ii don’t count autoattack). if thief uses a high initiative skill like black powder, CnD, #5 shortbow, we have about half initiative pool used, so we don’t have 7 skills available, but less and probably after another skill used, we will have only autoattack available.
it should be one answer at all the HS, PW haters.

Sure, you would be right if the most powerful skills of the Thief doesn’t costs 3-5 initiative, thief doesn’t regen 1 initiative point per one second and an half, there wasn’t skills like Roll for Initiative which recharges 6 initiative points, excluding all the traits the thief has to regain initiative, you can’t trait to have 15 base initiative and the most powerful thief skill (Backstab) costs initiative.
If you also consider that one single pool of initiative is more than enough to burst someone down in a bit more than a second and than vanishing in stealth, you will start to notice the picture of the thief’s opness.

I don’t think you have tried another profession seriously.

how come i talked oly about weapon sets differences and you put some utility in the conversation?
and as i wrote, maybe in a bad english , sorry, because it seems to be not read or forgotten, what if i have to use something else during the fight instead of 2,2,2,2,2 or 3,3,3,3,3?maybe i want to blind the warrior i have in front because assuming we both start the combo his HB will kill me in a sec? maybe i have to use twice infiltrator’s because opponent dodged or because i was in a bad position after landing my first infiltrator’s and PW?
how come all these bad manners are so common in this forum? helping other players who are not flaming nor whining is so wrong?sad

Shukran.4851:

how come i talked oly about weapon sets differences and you put some utility in the conversation?
and as i wrote, maybe in a bad english , sorry, because it seems to be not read or forgotten, what if i have to use something else during the fight instead of 2,2,2,2,2 or 3,3,3,3,3?maybe i want to blind the warrior i have in front because assuming we both start the combo his HB will kill me in a sec? maybe i have to use twice infiltrator’s because opponent dodged or because i was in a bad position after landing my first infiltrator’s and PW?
how come all these bad manners are so common in this forum? helping other players who are not flaming nor whining is so wrong?sad

I don’t think I had bad manners, if I had, I’m sorry.
The point is the thief doesn’t need to use other skills to kill someone and then vanish in stealth. 2 and 3 are enough. Boring? Yes, but effective.

In regards to Raid on the Capricorn’s Sharks,
I have another suggestion that I think is the heart of the problem.

The aggro range of the sharks. The sharks smell you as soon as you set foot in the water.
That’s gotta stop.