Guild Wars 2

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Desert_Borderlands#Shrines

I’m not sure if there already is a thread for this since the forum search is still broken. The shrines are a nice feature on the desert borderlands giving roamers something extra to do. However I am not very happy with the effects.

Blessing of Elements

• This effect is worth having active when roaming in the desert borderlands.
• It feels borderline overpowered. I gave up using Traveler runes partly because of this effect.
• Zergs generally ignore the shrines due their remote locations and the fact zergs have permanent Swiftness anyway.
• The 5 minute duration seems spot on.
  • As roamer I cannot capture all 3 south camps within the time nor do full Oasis event.
  • In the north I can easily keep it up by planning the route ahead (shrine-camp-shrine-camp…).
  • When I get the buff I can go on playing without constantly checking the remaining duration.

Air-1 – Actives jump pads

• The jump pads are useful/neccessary for moving around all the ridges and gorges near the keep.
• I just hate jumping puzzles. All those should be moved into Obsidian Sanctum.

Air-2 – Activates wind turrets

• Sure, it was funny to see that one poor soul get blown down from bridge for the 5th time in row. Until I had to offer him a portal.
  • But the joke wears out fast. This is the kind of thing you’d put in seasonal events in Lions Arch.

Air-3 – Activates the Windfall effect

• I still have no idea how much damage this does. Never had a situation where to use it yet.
• The no damage from falling part is too situational. I have used it once to escape enemies in the SE camp.

Earth-1 – Actives hidden rock walls

• The walls are seriously annoying.

Earth-2 – Activates earth turrets

• They are annoying, nothing else.

Earth-3 – Activates Shifting Sands effect

• Stealth in general is broken in WvW context. Just say no to Stealth.
• If the target re-acquiring was ensured in WvW environment, I’d be more well-disposed.

Fire-1 – Actives Inferno Hound transformation

• Now this is fun and useful effect.
• Well balanced, too. Thumbs up.

Fire-2 – Activates fire turrets

• How unimaginative.
• I never had a fight turned around because of the turret fire – the damage is just too low to make any difference.
• The turrets are just annoying putting me in combat when I roam around the keep.

Fire-3 – Activates the Flame’s Embrace effect

• The lava portals are situational but I have seen them used for great success moving entire zerg behind the enemy.
• The inner lava portal is also nice shortcut to the lord room.
• The lava swiftness is very useful for slow professions like mine.
• The lava damage immunity turns any fights within the keep to favor defenders.
  • This effect is well worth stripping when attacking the keep.
  • This immunity to high lava damage effect feels overpowered compared to any other shrine effects.

So I didn’t like 7 out of 10 shrine effects.

Few suggestions for replacing those 7 bad effects:

• Earth – Sedimentation – Automatically repair walls and gates of the keep and the northern towers. Uses up supplies from the objective at slow pace. Only repairs when the objective is not contested.
  • I’d have this effect only for the north part of the map. It would benefit defending home border on low tiers where Oasis event damage easily goes unrepaired.
  • Maybe extend this to repair oil/cannons/mortars after the walls and gates are topped.

• Earth/Fire/Air – Quicksand/Ignite/Erode – Causes damage over time to enemy siege near the keep. 1% damage every second when the siege is not used. No damage on build sites.
  • Then you dont have to worry about finding all the enemy siege.
  • Usually the guards destroy the siege, but they sometimes have path finding issues and fail to attack rams at gate. I have a feeling some commanders place rams intentionally in mid air/inside walls to reduce damage but that’s another discussion.

What shrine effects you find good/bad/bland?
What would you change/tweak/replace?