Guild Wars 2

Jasher.6580:

https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/introducing-the-new-skyhammer-pvp-map/
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So I found out from this article that Tyler Bearce and Darrin Claypool are not necessarily the ones to be blamed for the atrocity that is skyhammer (even though they designed it)… but the blame falls on the playtesters.
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Apparently…

“We’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from our playtesters,” Bearce says. “Pretty much as soon as we threw this in for testing, our internal playtesters said, ‘This has to go on Live.’”

Claypool adds, “People who have played this map already have been more excited about playing PvP. Skyhammer has a really dynamic, old-school feel; like a Quake map.”
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I shall now begin the witch hunt to find these “playtesters”…
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On a serious note, I got skyhammer tonight. I hate it so much. I hate it so very much. I just bought a new laptop and I felt like punching the screen in every time I got pulled or knocked off the map.

I’d consider the possibility that the playtesters thought it was a fun and cool map, but nobody was asked whether or not it was viable for tournament play.

It’s ok, China has it in Team Q rotation…

Lux.7169:

It’s ok, China has it in Team Q rotation…

Really?

Really sad for them.

MarkPhilips.5169:

Lux.7169:

It’s ok, China has it in Team Q rotation…

Really?

Really sad for them.

Oh, and they don’t have a Solo Q.

However the game is still in pre-launch head start so perhaps when it goes into full release it will add Solo Q.

The issue is two-fold, frankly.

1) Everyone wants this map to be manageable.

2) The creation of this map incorporated ideals from other games to create a different kind of sPvP experience.

For first point: The cannon is a super-treb. This was discussed ad nauseum about how it should be dodgeable and/or deal less damage.

For the second point: Sorry your trainwreck builds don’t work on all the maps.

Unless I see evidence, all of those BS claims are just that, BS.

The verticality of the map and jump-pads are just fine in this map (although they interrupt skills like ether renewal, even with stability, which is annoying but able to dealt with). I also like the layout of the cap points.

The map is TERRIBLE, however, b/c it just emphasizes people spamming pulls/knockbacks, especially from stealth. They also abuse bugs like starting magnet pull obstructed so there is no animation, or casting mesmer focus-pull on the glass panel so the animation appears on the lower side. Instant-cast knockbacks and immobs are also an issue. Engineers especially can build completely tanky, but kill faster than a glass-cannon by abusing their instant-cast control skills and stealth capabilities with no counterplay.

Get rid of the breakable glass panels and make the hammer dodgeable and the map is immediately 1000% better.

Because…. provided you’re solid with positioning/CC, the first 20-30 matches on skyhammer are fun.

Then it becomes very irritating, very very fast.

I want Skyhammer in team queue for NA as well. I would have fun playing it.

Phaeton.9582:

Because…. provided you’re solid with positioning/CC, the first 20-30 matches on skyhammer are fun.

Then it becomes very irritating, very very fast.

This.
Skyhammer is fun in the frist few matches.
Until you encounter horrible Matchmaking and all the skyhammer troll specs.

I’m pretty sure, Hammbow also didn’t rise immediatley after the warrior buffs.

DoYourBestBear.6810:

The issue is two-fold, frankly.

1) Everyone wants this map to be manageable.

2) The creation of this map incorporated ideals from other games to create a different kind of sPvP experience.

For first point: The cannon is a super-treb. This was discussed ad nauseum about how it should be dodgeable and/or deal less damage.

For the second point: Sorry your trainwreck builds don’t work on all the maps.

It’s not about needing “special” builds to fit the map/objectives. It’s that those “special” builds are really lame and everyone feels dirty using them.

Rezz.8019:

I want Skyhammer in team queue for NA as well. I would have fun playing it.

Do not fuel my rage…

CureForLiving.5360:

Oh I’d rather see ANet address some of the balance issues in PvP before they start removing maps from solo queues.

It takes 0 resources to remove a map from the queue. Also this map is hella buggy half the time I try enter the cannon room it ports me back out. When people get knocked off they survive somehow, you can get stuck in the glass as it respawns the map is garbage plus it’s buggy but we esports right?

EverythingEnds.4261:

Phaeton.9582:

Because…. provided you’re solid with positioning/CC, the first 20-30 matches on skyhammer are fun.

Then it becomes very irritating, very very fast.

This.
Skyhammer is fun in the frist few matches.
Until you encounter horrible Matchmaking and all the skyhammer troll specs.

I’m pretty sure, Hammbow also didn’t rise immediatley after the warrior buffs.

Don’t get me wrong – I can play any skyhammer troll build under the sun.

Eventually you get bored of it though. Or you’re trying to practice something with actual tpvp application. That’s when that irritating hammer guard or bunker engi goes from being a nuisance to preventing you from trampling players at any point on the map besides skyhammer.

You may as well be bursting players 1v2.. if you don’t control hammer it doesn’t mean kitten.

DoYourBestBear.6810:

For the second point: Sorry your trainwreck builds don’t work on all the maps.

Bear, do not force me Murdock you.

I was just playing my Guardian, ended up in Skyhammer. I banished some charr warrior through the air at point C, he ended up falling down. So I look at my targets status to find out he’s at half health. Except he’s nowhere to be found. I walk to the edge, look down, and wonder what the hell is going on. That friggin hero is just walking around way down there as if he’d only just tripped off his stool, and proceeded to fight some wurm.

How the hell is this possible?

Mainly sPvP maps about bunkers capped their points.
Skyhammer is about controls, stability and personal skill. 1 wrong positioning = death, make combo of good positioning&knocbacks = win. All criers probably used to play faceroll bunkers with cup of tea in another hand and wine about 1sec dies. Or maybe to lazy to reequip some skills and weapons. If not – fight at mid without risk.
To all people will say smthg like: “I die in 1 sec when comming to point/laser”: You must know people want knocback you in those places! Use stabilities, invices to safe walk throw such places.Don’t stay between enemie and abyss etc,etc. All classes can play this map and have skills for it.
/Cheers

One problem: I always play as tanky as possible on skyhammer. Why? Because I know good and well I don’t need to damage people.

Sure you need skill for Skyhammer. The problem is that playing on skyhammer is a completely different game than playing any other map, and you have to change your build just for this map. I often find myself laughing my kitten off in Skyhammer, but yet I never look forward to it. If Skyhammer would be taken seriously in any kind of way, profession balance is completely destroyed. Skyhammer should leave rotation, and have their own server for people who want some laughs on this absurd battle ground.

Zero.6592:

I was just playing my Guardian, ended up in Skyhammer. I banished some charr warrior through the air at point C, he ended up falling down. So I look at my targets status to find out he’s at half health. Except he’s nowhere to be found. I walk to the edge, look down, and wonder what the hell is going on. That friggin hero is just walking around way down there as if he’d only just tripped off his stool, and proceeded to fight some wurm.

How the hell is this possible?

It happens sometimes. He could maybe have had the reduced fall damage trait equipped, although I believe it bugs out and keeps you alive by mistake sometimes even without it.

It’s really bad when it happens. There’s no way back up so you have to let the wurm kill you slowly, and then bleed out, before you can respawn on the real map. In all you’ll be out of the fight for over a minute if this happens to you.

I am pretty sure these topics are by other dev accounts, to somehow justify the failure of skyham.

They did remove the map that everyone hated – Raid of the Capricorn! The cannon was too op in that map. And the sharks.

Indeed not for faceroll people, but for trolls and engineers it’s the perfect map.

And that cannon one shotting elementalists and thieves.

I guess it was just a matter of time before they shoved the skyhammer poll thread and it’s link to the poll under the rug along with every other skyhammer thread.

Vote or die

http://strawpoll.me/1666010

NevirSayDie.6235:

It’s not about needing “special” builds to fit the map/objectives. It’s that those “special” builds are really lame and everyone feels dirty using them.

Do people feel dirty using MM necros, spirit rangers, hambows?

There is nothing more satisfying in this game than firing the skyhammer at a point with a MM necro on it. Watching those pets melt away in one shot is beautiful.
And you can almost hear the reality slapping that necro in the face when he realizes that drooling on the keyboard while the pets do all the work is not possible on this map.

Or the mighty hambow, coming to the skyham platform, doing his little CC combo that works so well everywhere else, only to be blown away with a nice timed push.

Skyhammer. Is. Glorious.

Remove it.

Now.

Please.

Darko.5873:

NevirSayDie.6235:

It’s not about needing “special” builds to fit the map/objectives. It’s that those “special” builds are really lame and everyone feels dirty using them.

Do people feel dirty using MM necros, spirit rangers, hambows?

There is nothing more satisfying in this game than firing the skyhammer at a point with a MM necro on it. Watching those pets melt away in one shot is beautiful.
And you can almost hear the reality slapping that necro in the face when he realizes that drooling on the keyboard while the pets do all the work is not possible on this map.

Or the mighty hambow, coming to the skyham platform, doing his little CC combo that works so well everywhere else, only to be blown away with a nice timed push.

Skyhammer. Is. Glorious.

Yup. I agree, builds that are OP on other maps don’t stand a chance on skyhammer.

But notice why you still enjoy the map: because other people are playing their normal builds. Your enjoyment would be gone if those builds that you hate so much stopped joining, and were replaced by a flood to stealth pull builds from the three professions that have stealth and pulls.

In other words, the better players are at the map, the less fun it becomes.

Anet should simply give us the ability to ban 1 or 2 maps out of our mappool when starting soloq … people who enjoy skyhammer can do their 5 on 5 s with the 3 classes that work on the map than and the rest of us who wants to play normal pvp can avoid it …

This map is buggy as hell too. Two times in the same match today I spawned on the bottom by the wurms, having to let them down me, kill me etc taking about 1 minute each time.

Over 500 posts in this collection of threads on a very hot topic yet still not 1 response from a red. Typical.

Go here and vote if you haven’t already
http://strawpoll.me/1666010

Apparently the original topic was removed somehow.

I guess it was a little mistake by some forum admin because I cannot see any other reason. I mean, we are trying to improve the game right?

Anyway, here’s the poll:

http://strawpoll.me/1666010

Currently there are over 2k responses and 70% of the people ask for the removal of this map.

Sadly, we both know the real reason why the thread was removed.

Not even 10k negative votes will change the devs’ minds, it’s become very clear that it isn’t a matter of numbers or legitimate arguments, there simply is something else preventing them from giving players what they want.

Whether that something is pride, stubbornness, fear, or misplaced priorities, it’s anyone’s guess.

It wasn’t removed, it was merged into the Skyhammer thread where the poll will get lost and we can all pretend that it never existed.

Problem is the guys who designed it claimed testers were hugely happy with it, and since went on to design eotm (another pvp fail). So not much chance of it being scrapped, too much potential ego bruising at anet.

EotM is an entirely different type of combat, though - most battles take place away from edges, and if you build just to stealthpull people you’re not going to get much out of it.

By now I’d be happy with a redpost dev response saying "we’ve brought this up in meetings, and been told the map has to stay forever. Also **** you."
Then I could stop hoping for something as daft as a reasonable response to community opinion, and just give up on soloq altogether.

these topics won’t change a thing

skyhammer just promotes cheap gameplay… if you play engineer it is probably your favourite map seeing as you can just shoot people off the edge or pull them into the stupid portals -.-. the map is entirely class dependant…

Over 2000 votes by now.

69% asking for the removal of the map.

Waiting for anet opinion on this

You’re not going to get a response. You see, they’ve spent so much time and effort into this map that they’ll never admit it blows and they’ll never get rid of it. Ever. It sucks and for some reason I get this map more than 50% of the time in solo que, so load up your troll build and knock people off the map for the win. GG.

1) Anet is already considering how people feel about skyhammer

2) They know its just the same people posting here again

3) People who are indifferent about skyhammer, or in their satisfaction see no reason to visit the forums won’t vote

4) I voted remove, and this thread annoys me anyway.

pavo.4371:

hey guys i found some useful tips for you. also, perhaps you could try not stand on the edge of the map

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Stability
http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Stun_break

No class has enough stability or stunbreaks to counter all the CC being thrown around on that map.

Yep. This map is not balanced at all.

Most of the time the team with more engis&mesmers will just win.

edit: We are now at 70%-30%

Julie Yann.5379:

No class has enough stability or stunbreaks to counter all the CC being thrown around on that map.

Well Pavo plays hotjoins only. Ppl in hotjoins barely know how to turn their character around. Let alone pull and push ppl down consistantly.

Julie Yann.5379:

pavo.4371:

hey guys i found some useful tips for you. also, perhaps you could try not stand on the edge of the map

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Stability
http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Stun_break

No class has enough stability or stunbreaks to counter all the CC being thrown around on that map.

The best Defense is a good offense; you have to kill the bunker with CC while mitigating their CC.

That’s all there is to it, if there was a class that had enough stability and stunbreaks to counter all the CC it would be the only class played on skyhammer.
Lets call it 5 Guardian or 5 Mesmer team for fun.

Marcos.3690:

Over 2000 votes by now.

69% asking for the removal of the map.

Waiting for anet opinion on this

They have already given you their opinion. The map is still in rotation, that’s why they think. These are those classical moments where a company is being told, by its consumers, their likes and dislikes. The laugh comes in play when people don’t continue playing and the developers have to answer the question, of why did people drop the game…

Hello frands! Vee Wee here retired #1 Engi NA and world first rank 80!

Skyhammer made me quit this game!

JK buying a moxf8 for my home studio made me quit this game but remove Skyhammer anyway!

Wahoo! Bye frands!

ellesee.8297:

.

Skyhammer made me quit this game!

JK buying a moxf8 for my home studio made me quit this game but remove Skyhammer anyway!

Wahoo! Bye frands!

The only way I could enjoy Vee Wee’s posts more is by knowing he rocks out on a Keytar between solo q matches.

But yeah I don’t have an issue with skyhammer in solo q, but maybe give it less weight in team and solo q rotation since people can’t/don’t want to handle the shift in tactics. Hopefully Anet is building another fun map to replace it, but I like it in hotjoin at least. I enjoy it immensely as an engineer, but I liked it before the 4/15 patch. Even when I get owned, I learn better ways to thread the needle from different classes.

And it’s kind of neat since whoever in the control room is out of capping rotation. You can harass them to no end and keep them from firing so that a smart team can back cap. No one build of one class can hold control room solo indefinitely if 2 or more push for the sky hammer, but you can’t run in there without a game plan or you’ll be spending time with the wurms.

But I don’t know, I have a different outlook than yelling on the forum for nerfs or to take something out. I’d rather master it. I do little things like walk over the glass from time to time when I’m capping a far or home point so if anyone runs up without thought, that’s one less fight I have to deal with while points accrue. I dunno though, maybe I should just shut up since I’m an engineer, though I have seen neat tactics out of each class that built for skyhammer.

http://strawpoll.me/1666010

So yeah, we’ve got 70% of 2048 respondents against having this completely unsuitable map in the random teamcomp, ranked arena that is soloq.

Has anyone not yet voted? Does anyone have anything positive to say about the map better than "I love it" (with no further explanation) or "lol l2p reroll engi when it pops"? Does anyone have some kind of justification for keeping such a buggy mess in the ranked rotation?

I didn’t vote on that straw poll and I won’t vote since only people mostly dissatisfied with skyhammer will read this thread will even know to go to that poll to vote. It would be different if there was an in game poll or an official ArenaNet poll, but there isn’t.