Guild Wars 2

My biggest gripe with the changes to all of the classes from launch is the addition of so many passive effects that take 0 skill and change the dynamic of a fight entirely.

Specifically as a thief, someone who is there to burst classes down quickly with little sustain or defensive capabilities, this is the most frustrating.

Anything that triggers an instant Endure Pain at X health threshold or activates Death Shroud on finishing blow should be reworked to something like:

At X% health the cooldown on Y skill is refreshed.

This way, intelligent players can use the skill back to back, while unsuspecting unaware fools don’t get an automated “Duhhh…oh I’m almost dead.” reaction time to have all of their utilities come off cooldown and force a retreat from the player who had the advantage of a surprise engagement.

Even as a thief, I would never expect nor want a passive (despite our need for more sustain), at 25% health evade all attacks for 6 seconds. It is just boring, uninspired, would be necessary for PvP and would promote 0 skillful play.

Those of course aren’t the only two skills, but mere examples.

Anyone else agree? Are there any other passive skills and traits that are mindless and don’t promote skillful play you’d like to see adjusted or removed? I can’t be alone here.

Not really. Traits that proc a limited duration effect at certain health thresholds are predictable and thus can be played around by both parties in a fight.

True, Unholy Sanctuary is quite variable in how long it lasts, but it’s rare they have much life force left at that point in the fight.

So I predict that the passive invulnerability is going to happen. What do I do next? I should at least have someway to counter the invuln, prevent it before hand, remove the buff. None of that is possible. Just pummel more damage into them or evade until it expires, allowing heals to come off cooldown and extending a fight which required 0 key presses from the enemy.

I’m not saying I can’t beat this mechanic. I know it’s coming and play accordingly and despite thief’s current issues, I still find myself rather successful. I’m simply stating that this type of mechanic is unhealthy for PvP and the skill ceiling on these classes could be much higher.

My problem is when it plays for you. If you are attacking, an attack passive is alright. When you are tanking, a tank passive is ok. When you are stunned, a stun DENIAL passive is fine.

I hate Shocking Aura on stun, Eye for an Eye, Fear on stun, stun on stun. This ticks me off. “Oh hey, I can’t play on my own so uh. Trait, do it for me.”

Funny how several months ago I tried to reduce passives with something more interesting and people shot it down. Now here we are and finally everyone realizes what I was saying was right. Strange, strange world.

Serious Thought.5394:

My problem is when it plays for you. If you are attacking, an attack passive is alright. When you are tanking, a tank passive is ok. When you are stunned, a stun DENIAL passive is fine.

I hate Shocking Aura on stun, Eye for an Eye, Fear on stun, stun on stun. This ticks me off. “Oh hey, I can’t play on my own so uh. Trait, do it for me.”

Funny how several months ago I tried to reduce passives with something more interesting and people shot it down. Now here we are and finally everyone realizes what I was saying was right. Strange, strange world.

See, I prefer the Shocking Aura, Fear, and Taunt on stun traits because they don’t negate the stun. Other people can capatalize on the fact you stunned somebody, even if their trait prevents you personally from following up.

What I personally don’t like are the “automatic stunbreak when you’re disabled” traits. Those, you just used a hard CC…for absolutely no effect. They make you completely waste your effort instead of preventing follow-up.

But drar, see the problem? We have too much cc. I wouldn’t mind the stun reflects if right after it ended I didn’t get stunned again and again and again and again and again. Reduce cc gamewide (for the love of god JUST DO IT) then relook at stun reflects. I think Thief’s “welp got stunned, heres some endurance” is just bad btw, but thats me. I’d love a reflect damage.

I am actually more annoyed by whole passives that come in effect when character is CCd or automatically convert conditions etc.

As someone who frequently plays with Mace on Warrior, there is now an insane amount of CC hate in the game. Most meta builds laugh at CC. Hell, Rev can totally counter me because of the Stability on dodge. Skull Crack is hard enough to land without that.

War is guilty of this too, but the class as a whole is weak now wo complaining about Defy Pain is a bit odd. I would LOVE for more active traits, but ANet is convinced that War has to be the noob class, kitten anyone that wants to main it.

I agree that if you allow yourself to eat that big CC the game should not correct your screwup for you.