Guild Wars 2

This is my theory as to why condition builds are at such a disadvantage in WvW.

Why? Because everyone can trait for condition removal, they do. Furthermore, group condition removal is also widely available to many classes (frequently overlapping with personal condition removal skills). As a result, large groups can ensure they are almost condition free.

In a trinity system, the average non-healing class would have few ways to remove damage over time (i.e. conditions), just as they have only rudimentary healing skills. Guild Wars 2 is also unique, in my experience, in having a separate category of heals specifically for damage over time (condition removal). Most games just just have general heals that cover everything.

As a result, it is more rational to go to a burst build, as the counters to burst are shared less widely among the classes. Guardians have blocks, and thieves have blind, but beyond that, others don’t have access to it like they do to condition removal. This means classes that don’t spec burst well, like the Necromancer, are at a disadvantage in WvW.

What’s the solution? I don’t think there is one. Reintroducing the trinity, or taking condition removal away from people are probably off the table. Condition builds are always going to be bad in WvW, short of a redesign of the game.

Have you seen a condition mesmer vs hb warrior?

exactly.

I reject the premise based on the my experience with burst builds seeming overwhelmingly popular and effective in every MMORPG I have played including those with the trinity.

I feel there is not enough evidence to support the hypothesis that the lack of the trinity is to blame.

I am also skeptical of the link between the lack of trinity and ubiquitous condition damage removal you are drawing. I feel this was a lower level game design decision and unrelated to the higher level trinity decision.

kuora.5402:

Have you seen a condition mesmer vs hb warrior?

exactly.

Because warriors have the worst condition removal in the game? Condition + Snare > warrior. Thanks for playing.

On the warrior thing, my understanding is that Shouts + Rune of the Soldier setups are pretty widespread, and offer almost continual condition removal.

4 condition’s removed total with shout build, CD’s varying from 25 to 80seconds, far less than can be applied back and takes up every utility slot and rune to do so ^^.

Conditions are not at all ignorable in WvW, they are very painful as the bigger the fight the less adequate your removal becomes. I think burst is favoured more in all games because a dead enemy cannot continue to damage you. However normally Damage over Time abilities do not use a seperate stat, and are not the basis of an entire build (they are just 1-2 abilities in an entire arsenal) so it’s not something I think can be compared.

They are certainly viable however, especially if you have an epidemic necro around.

The general feeling I get is condition builds are tankier than berserker builds.

erm, wel condition removal is al great and stuff, but i am playing a glamour mesmer and destroy entire zergs with confusion…believe me removal wont work fast enough
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTbyG5rHK9k
and yes our guild got destroyed by that too
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEXLb8eiKt8

It’s actually 4 conditions removed via shout every 20s/20s/25s and you can also trait an additional 2 via the Strength tree (Using Adrenal Healing@30s) or by using Mending@25s.

It’s not Ranger, but it’s significantly better than a lot of classes.