…as well as build diversity across all game modes.
- The new Stronghold game mode, while put into the Conquest queue, is highly advertised by ANet and is getting a lot of attention from players.
- Meta builds for Stronghold will be different from Conquest builds.
Assaulter —This player clears the way of enemy players, trebuchets, and NPC guards, giving doorbreakers a clear shot at the gate. A high-damage build for bursting down NPCs being healed by defending players and the ability to go one-on-one are a must. Smuggler —Smugglers gather supply and spend it at the barracks. They keep an eye on which unit best suits the current situation and then send that unit down the offense lane. Swiftness, stability, and evasion are a big help when gathering and running supply, but be prepared for a team fight at the supply depot when being quick and sneaky isn’t enough. Smugglers will also be well positioned to compete against enemy players to channel mist essence and call forth a hero, thus possibly turning the tide of a battle. Shepherd —The shepherd meets up with units spawned by the smuggler and shepherds them up the lane to where the assaulters are keeping the lane clear. This is a role perfectly suited for players who love to play support. They keep their doorbreakers moving, buffed, and—most importantly—alive as they protect them in face-to-face confrontations against enemy defenses. Defender —The defender’s job is to stop the enemy and their doorbreakers from breaking down their gate and advancing. You can play a high-damage dueling build to kill the enemy assaulters and shepherds in order to pick off doorbreakers as they come through, or you can take a more defensive approach and focus on keeping your guards alive so they can stop doorbreakers in their tracks. Trebuchet Master —The trebuchet master operates their team’s trebuchet in order to rain fiery death on assaulters, shepherds, troops, and anyone else who dares approach their stronghold. They also exert control on distant parts of the map, such as the strategically important supply depot. An effective trebuchet master must be prepared to fight duels to maintain area control and prevent opposing players from summoning a hero to gain the upper hand. Roamer —The roamer is a jack-of-all-trades. This role is for the generalist who fills in wherever needed, in any number of situations, by bouncing constantly between lanes, the supply depot, and hero channels to fight enemy players all over the map. Slayer —This player tries to break apart and destroy other player roles. They hunt down players who are smuggling, shepherding, defending, or manning trebuchets to wipe them out while mostly ignoring NPCs.
- ANet insists on balancing PvE, WvW and PvP together.
- Builds which are too good get continuous attention from the PvP community, resulting in balance changes across the whole game.
- Example problem: a certain amulet is “too good” on two certain classes in Conquest. Example solution: nerf Might across the whole game and all 3 game modes, along with runes and sigils, affecting all players and discouraging highly organised synergetic play.
- Example problem: mesmers are “too good” in confusing low-skill players in skirmish scenarios. Example solution: nerf all potential damage output on mesmers and render them next to useless or easily replaceable in all 3 game modes.
- Users are already discussing nerfs to stealth because of Stronghold, and the same will happen with stability/immunity and heavy CC builds.
- This will result in all game modes getting a very limited set of efficient builds, with all previously marginally efficient builds getting nerfed because of their over-efficiency in a certain niche situation which was destined to have more public attention at the moment, with PvE – the major part of the game – obviously drawing the short straw.
