Guild Wars 2

I think it would be neat if sentries fired a warning flare when they spotted enemies (line of sight within a certain generous range). It would place a temporary mark on the map to show that there’d been activity there, perhaps color coded or with an approximate number of players spotted, such as 5/10/25, etc. The sentries could randomly “patrol” an area very near their sentry point to ensure they covered all the directions at intervals.

This would give sentries more value. Perhaps they could also be capable of stopping dolyaks with some efficiency, increasing the importance of keeping the routes friendly.

Other ideas for sentries

• Add the ability to upgrade sentries with an additional ranged guard, or perhaps add an additional guard if the point is held for a certain amount of time
• Sentries could lay down random traps near their location
• Have sentries provide a lasting buff to dolyaks passing near them
• The ability for sentries to call a few temporary NPC reinforcements if a larger group approaches
• Make sentries more varied; sometimes they have high health and crowd control, and other times less control and more damage
• Have sentries grant swiftness or a morale boost of some kind to friendly players passing by them. Perhaps if you fight near them, you gain a buff of some kind

Right now they don’t contribute much to making the map feel like a battle zone.

Since they don’t even kill the dolyaks that pass them I don’t see much use for them as they are now other than some bonus w/exp/karma

They serve as a rally point for your Zerg. A sentry is the perfect place to gather everyone.

Except if you don’t zerg, have a zerg, want to zerg, etc

Kosmo.5187:

I think it would be neat if sentries fired a warning flare when they spotted enemies (line of sight within a certain generous range). It would place a temporary mark on the map to show that there’d been activity there, perhaps color coded or with an approximate number of players spotted, such as 5/10/25, etc. The sentries could randomly “patrol” an area very near their sentry point to ensure they covered all the directions at intervals.

This would give sentries more value. Perhaps they could also be capable of stopping dolyaks with some efficiency, increasing the importance of keeping the routes friendly.

Other ideas for sentries

• Add the ability to upgrade sentries with an additional ranged guard, or perhaps add an additional guard if the point is held for a certain amount of time
• Sentries could lay down random traps near their location
• Have sentries provide a lasting buff to dolyaks passing near them
• The ability for sentries to call a few temporary NPC reinforcements if a larger group approaches
• Make sentries more varied; sometimes they have high health and crowd control, and other times less control and more damage
• Have sentries grant swiftness or a morale boost of some kind to friendly players passing by them. Perhaps if you fight near them, you gain a buff of some kind

Right now they don’t contribute much to making the map feel like a battle zone.

These are really great suggestions and I hope a dev takes interest in your thread.

It could be taken a step further. I’m not sure if the following is a bit much, but here goes:

A tier 1 sentry could be as described above with the flare and other basic functionality. Then upgrades could be available, perhaps based on the other suggestions, such as an additional guard or whatever seems appropriate.

The final tier would be an “outpost” where there’s a few guards, some traps, and perhaps an arrow cart or ballista manned by an NPC.

It would be interesting if there were more choices to make. Since objectives change hands rather frequently, it wouldn’t lock you down eternally. I’m thinking of having to make a choice which type of guard to hire, which siege to build, what traps the guards should utilize and so on. It shouldn’t be a system where you eventually build everything; you’d set specific sentry outposts up with different tasks in mind.

From an owner perspective, the benefits of the suggested changes should be rather obvious. From an attackers point of view, I’d reckon that an upgraded outpost should still very much be fit for soloing or very small groups. Upgraded outposts could provide additional points as an incentive, but mostly I’m thinking it’s a way of adding some variety for the offense in addition to benefits for the defense.

Really agree with the purpose of the post, sentries serve no realistic use whatsoever at the moment. They aren’t a threat to doylaks, they aren’t rally points since they just give away your position if used as a rally, really they’re just good for making little flags change to your team’s color and building an easy stack.

I feel like a quick solution would be making them into champs, possibly a champ with two vets by their side. This would make them a little tougher on supplies, and I like the OPs point on keeping routes friendly for caravans. Also they wouldn’t be so quick to kill solo, leaving more room for contested sentry points.

BUT what if after you capture one of these more difficult sentry points, something like 2 superior AC’s and 2 superior bastillas spawn. Maybe pop a barrier with them. This would encourage smaller 4/5 man groups and give a strategic advantage to capturing sentry points. Sure, if a Zerg wants to steam roll your small group they wont have too much trouble… But at least now they’d have to put up with a barrage of siege and a champ with some muscle. Also, in big fights it would really give some purpose to both sides for controlling these points, help them to be the choke points that ANet clearly intended them to be.

I’m really tired and idk if that all came out right, but essentially I completely agree that sentries are useless atm and need some sort of change. There’s my input, I hope everyone else gives theirs and ANet notices this is something that’s an easy fix which could add another aspect to a game mode which really needs some meat on its bones.

I would love to see the ranger guards around keep get the “sic em” skill. Put an end to those annoying thieves who do nothing but tag keep gates 24/7 :/

omfg….noob zerg running on the map flipping sentrys with orange swords u know after that – where noob zerg is. Done.

Don’t waste your time on this guys.

Maybe when a server’s score is 50% the next server’s score they could get a roaming band of champion guards that would be dispatched to stressed sentry points…..

With defense against guards and guard killer these are even easier to wipe out. I think the sentry points and the entry to north supply camp on borderlands should be buffed up. Yes they are an indicator of enemy force movement if you don’t have scouts and not much else right now. I would like to see them as a momentum changer at least as strong as a supply camp. If you choose to engage them you commit to some time where the enemy can locate you and fix your position. I like the idea of selecting trap types and siege types on upgrade. Pushing a 10-15 man force off ne tower from garri and having a few folks working from the improved sentry to slow the enemy retreat would be fun.

sentries are there to alert you of enemy activity when they get attacked. If i see swords on a sentry i assume the closest supply camp is about to get swords as well.

You can also attack enemy sentries solo to feign what could be perceived as a larger attack.

Not saying they shouldn’t do more, but they also don’t do nothing.