Guild Wars 2

I’d suggest keeping the way turret detonation and retrieval is currently handled – it keeps a bit of a leash on Turret Engineers, keeping them from just brute-forcing their way through everything by laying down turrets and then just using Toolbelt skills on enemies in the field of fire, while also keeping the UI relatively uncluttered. Kits should stay Utility, if they’re not going to be put in a weapon slot or something, in my opinion.

tigirius.9014:

I’d also like to see the napalm ability from the toolbelt skill for the flame turret turn into a fire zone because if you are using a turret build then you need more combo zones to do more things. I suggested in another thread that our Acidic Elixirs turn thrown elixirs into damaging combo zones and that the randomness from being thrown be fixed so there’s not more confusion. S always gives stability B always giving retaliation for example. These zones would do damage over time but not add condition damage, just ticks if they remain in the area of effect much like what we see with grub poison fields and Skale spit.

I agree that the napalm should generate a fire combo field. I also think the randomness of elixers should be remedied, but I’m not sure that elixers should create combo fields, and do damage. Either or would be nice when thrown though.

Istarien.3147:

I’d like to see a buff to our support capabilities, since that’s where the devs seem to be trying to steer us. Possible options include:

- Stuff all of our elixirs into one kit and make them all throwable rather than drinkable. Anybody in the area of effect gets the entire elixir effect, not some random component thereof. Toolbelt for this kit, however, could be “Throw a random elixir” to grant a weaker version of a random elixir buff.
- Scale our heal-other skills a bit better with Healing Power (self-heals scale pretty well, excluding the turret). For example, we currently get 0.08 points increased heal per point healing power invested on a bomb-heal. That’s ridiculous.
- Make elixir-infused bombs actually infused with elixirs. So Bomb Kit #1 might grant a thrown Elixir H buff when used, in addition to its heal (including HGH and 409 effects if traited). Bomb Kit #2 could grant a thrown Elixir B effect, and so on. Boon durations would have to altered accordingly so we can’t just stack them up to the moon forever and ever.

Engineers wouldn’t have to get all of the above buffs, but the devs clearly think of us as a buff/debuff/support class. It’s impossible to reliably buff a group when your buffs require your team to be both stationary to accommodate thrown elixirs’ flight times and bunched up to accommodate the necessity of ground targeting, to say nothing of the completely random nature of thrown elixir buffs. “Hey guys, stand still and pile up (read: make yourselves into sitting ducks), and I might be able to give you Protection. Oops sorry, you got Swiftness instead.” That’s a really lousy support mechanic. If we’re meant to be a support class, we need more viable tools than just Super Elixir.

? I like the idea of changing our elixers to drinking and tossing at the same time. I would even be okay with when our character drinks it, and then tosses it at their feet (like they already do) then creating the field there where you stand. It would help clean up the tool belt a bit for a bit more versatility. I would obviously prefer that we get to chose where to throw it and everyone in that point of impact gets the buff including yourself, but I would understand why they would make it a ‘where your character stands’ point of impact. Not sure about infusing grenades with elixers, seems like at that point you would roll grenades and just spam where you stand over and over and wait til someone dies.

Agreed on the randomness of elixers already. Needs to go!

Anymras.5729:

It’s my feeling that the Engineer was originally intended to be more similar to the Elementalist, with kits taking the place of attunements, and then was changed to being…well, whatever it is now, leading to the emphasis on Kits throughout the class’s traitlines, etcetera – the Toolbelt isn’t even mentioned in the Class Balance Philosophy. There’s all sorts of little indicators. However, now that the Engineer’s unique thing is the Toolbelt, it’s not been thought out very much at all, especially compared to kits.

My suggestions on fixing the Toolbelt skills primarily revolve around making them more predictable (Mine Field’s mines are placed randomly; this can make it difficult to make proper use of, just as the Elixirs, with their RNG effects, are difficult to properly capitalize on; I would fix Mine Field by making it fall in a particular pattern around the Engineer, and the Elixirs by making their effects 1) not rips of other class’s abilities and 2) not RNG, but context-sensitive to things like health, stats, and profession), faster to cool down (except for Surprise Shot, ten seconds is quite fast enough), and more powerful (with some exceptions).

I’m sure there’s some broken thing we’d be able to manage – but that’d get fixed. Maybe it’d involve a bit of see-sawing, but if we want improvements, we can’t be afraid of getting nerfed if the improvements accidentally go too far. My best example of a broken combination (Analyze+Grenade Barrage+Steel-Packed Power+Rocket/Rifle/Flame Turrets) is something that’s easy to accomplish now, with the proper traits; it’s entirely possible that I’m not seeing the possibilities inherent in the idea.

Yeah, that’s why it’s marked as ‘probably absolutely terrible – ’ it’s just not a very good idea.

Okay, uh, explanation of edit. Wow, I worded that badly, originally. Here we go. Currently, Engineer can only equip Kits in Utility slots, and cannot equip a second weapon due to this. The idea of the edit is to make it so that, while we still would not be able to equip a second weapon set, we’d be able to equip a kit without using any of our Utility slots, by equipping the Kit into the second weapon set slot. In this way, an Engineer – let’s say a Turret Engineer, for convenience – could have two Pistols for main weapons, a Toolkit as his secondary, Healing, Rifle, Rocket and Flame Turrets, and Supply Crate. For those Engineers who prefer kits, it would allow them to have yet another kit available. It would not, however, give a toolbelt skill.

Also: As far as making the Engineer a support profession goes…I’m against it. It feels like that would be resigning ourselves to being sidekicks.

Ahh, I get it. I like that idea. Would you limit the number of kits you can equip in your ‘secondary weapon slot’ to one? But I really like this idea as well. When I get home from work later tonight I’ll edit my top post to try and compress these ideas in to one post. If you really like someone elses idea, please say so so we can get some idea of whats popular and viable as opposed to what is not.

I would limit it to one, yes – otherwise, that’s five or more utilities available to any given Engineer, and I’m trying not to break anything.

I’m totally against limiting kits to one

My engineer is build upon using kits for versatility.
But the suggestion of having kits in the utility slots, without tool belts (in the given system, NOT in the current one) would be a good compromise of course.

Only suggesting limiting the kits in the proposed Free Kit (Secondary Weapon for Engineers Only) slot to one, and otherwise leaving them unlimited, as normal – it may have gotten garbled, I ’unno.

It’s basically just an idea so that every Engineer will be able to carry a Kit, regardless of their Utility skills (which may include, if they want, nothing but kits, it’s up to them), and without having to sacrifice their other skill slots for it.

Kimbald.2697:

I’m totally against limiting kits to one

My engineer is build upon using kits for versatility.
But the suggestion of having kits in the utility slots, without tool belts (in the given system, NOT in the current one) would be a good compromise of course.

What do you mean without tool belts? Like having a kit in the utility slot, but it would not be tied to a specific ability on the toolbelt?

Anymras.5729:

Only suggesting limiting the kits in the proposed Free Kit (Secondary Weapon for Engineers Only) slot to one, and otherwise leaving them unlimited, as normal – it may have gotten garbled, I ’unno.

It’s basically just an idea so that every Engineer will be able to carry a Kit, regardless of their Utility skills (which may include, if they want, nothing but kits, it’s up to them), and without having to sacrifice their other skill slots for it.

Hmm, so basically you are giving them another slot (doesnt matter where, utility slot, toolbelt slot, or just in the equipment window secondary weapon) that could equip kits only?

I like the idea of having a kit in the secondary weapon slot. Being able to put kits in the utility slots as well feels like were just adding more slots.

Im still stuck on:

1: Utilities and Toolbelt are not linked. Kits go in the utility slots like they currently do, but you can modify the Toolbelt to use any gadget you want that is currently in existence for example: you can have the Flamethrower in slot 7, but that does not make F1 incidiary ammo, you can substitute in the Utility Goggles Analyze

or

2: The Toolbelt becomes a Kits and gadgets area only. This frees up the Utility slots to use more turrets, or potions, etc. All gadgets that are currently available to be used in the Toolbelt become freely selectable, along with kits in the Toolbelt. You would lose the Gadget associated with kits, as in they would not be in game. for example: you can now equip the Flamethrower in F1, and is not tied or relevant to your Utility bar. You can put Rocket Boots in Utility slot 7 and this will not change anything to the Flamethrower. You do not receive the Incendiary Ammo gadget as they have been bumped out of the game to free room for Kits up top.

or

3: (basically a slightly modified #1) Kits are removed as selectable in the Utility slots, and are instead treated as your secondary weapon. A button can be put in the Character Panel, or just a ‘Kits’ button put up near the Gadgets Bar. We still would not get an official secondary weapon, and this would free up a slot in the Utility bar, and consequently in the Gadgets Bar, but you would be restricted to one Kit at a time. The Utility Bar and Gadgets Bar are not linked.

Even though it was mentioned that having several kits are what some people rely on in their builds, I think that this is a nice enough compromise. You give up the ability to switch between several kits, but you still have Your Primary weapon(s), your Kit, and unlinked Utilities and Gadgets.

Pretty much – it’d be a slot that could only be used for Kits, as opposed to literally anything else. Don’t want to obliterate an entire playstyle by removing the ability to have a lot of kits, but it would improve the diversity of builds and overall versatility without overly affecting balance (in my opinion – I might be entirely wrong) if the Engineer could choose to have one kit in addition to whatever else they had.

Turn Engineer elites into normal utility skills. Change the elite skill slot to a utility skill slot (or a slot that can only accept kits, no big difference). Wouldn’t even need a toolbelt skill for that slot.

Suggestion on turrets that would increase their versatility a lot, even without buffing their damage or health:

Group them into a Turret Kit.

This adds versatility to the Engineer, as it frees up utility slots so you can have more options to integrate with turrets. Tool kit would no longer feel like a waste—it would truly be the companion of the turret kit. As for the F skill… I don’t know if this is overpowered, but what about something that say, gives back a third of deployed turrets health remotely?

Panzen.4625:

Turn Engineer elites into normal utility skills. Change the elite skill slot to a utility skill slot (or a slot that can only accept kits, no big difference). Wouldn’t even need a toolbelt skill for that slot.

Yep – that would give us the versatility we need. Although, I do advocate having an extra tool belt slot [F1-F5].

To bring in more ideas, I also posted to Reddit. I will seperate each post so that their ideas can be shared individually.

by miltek on reddit

Decrease “Jump Shot” cast time and skill should be more fluid , its to clunky.
Increase bomb kit “physical” damage.
Rework Elite Elixir it’s useless. Other class elites and you can’t even trait them like “orginal classes”
Tool kit is to weak, granades deals way more damage from 1600 range.
Buff basic weapon auto atacks. Both pistol and rifle auto atack are to weak.
Elixirs are to random. You never know what you get.
Most important. Increase turrets surviability and damage , single atack and our little mechanical puppies are destroyed. Additionaly turrets should atack our actual target.
Add cooldown on kit swaping but buff em.

benjamin.5346:

Vekthor.8914:

- Remove random effects from Elixirs (the elite one can keep it since it’s a gimmick anyway).
- Apply weapon stats to our kits.

I do believe that applying the weapon stats to our kits without any nerf for “balance” would actually be enough to make the engineer viable as a DPS, ending most of the complaints that the class gets.

Hmm, I have heard this one as well, at least the ‘Apply Weapon stats to our kits.’ part. I’m interested to see how this would change our damage output. Is there any data regarding how MUCH it would increase or decrease the damage of each kits auto-attack?
(I feel the special abilities can be tweaked to bring them in-line if they are too powerful/not powerful enough)

I admit I have no math to back up my claims, just good old intuition.
However, having someone do the math on that would be very helpfull indeed.

by bladearrowney on reddit

I think that gadgets need a solid buff, same with pistol and shield abilities. I really tried to like engineer, but wanted to do something out of the norm of spam turrets or spam grenades, but just couldn’t get comfortable with it. I really did enjoy the play style with the gadgets, and pistol shield really gave me a captain america feel (block projetiles then throw the shield, that was always friggin awesome) but it just felt weak. Gadgets really have that batman feel to them as well, give yourself boons, have a knock back/knock down, and rocket boots to flee the scene

• Effectively give Engineers an extra kit only skill slot. This could be done by having the second weapon slot that other classes get be assignable to one of your unlocked kits. This provides some extra utility by putting less pressure on the 3 utility slots to have a kit. Would get the associated toolbelt skill as F5. Admittedly would involve some extra programming.

• Redeployable turrets. Instead of a turret skill going into short cooldown when a turrent is picked up, the skill goes into a third state. You have some period of time (20 sec?) to use this skill to instantly redeploy the turret (as if it wasn’t on cooldown you usually get for picking it up). Or, more simply, no cooldown on turret pickup.

• As mentioned in other posts, less randomness in elixir effects.

Here is my suggestion for turrets. I also personally think that all turrets except for maybe the net turret should have like 5-10x more health, so they don’t die in a single attack or aoe:

Rifle/Flame/Rocket Turrets:
Either:
1.) Increase their damage by around 10x (maybe less for the rocket turret since it already has halfway decent damage). I know that some people might think that’s too high, but since they’re fixed to a single point and don’t have the best AI, I personally don’t think it’s asking too much for them to pack a sizable punch and actually survive a hit or two.

2.) Keep the damage of turrets as they are, but make them invulnerable and on a fixed timer (20-30s) when placed. Make the cooldown start when the turret is dropped.

Healing Turret:
I think that the regen from the healing turret should be increased to heal 5k over 15 seconds (since currently you heal much more from getting the initial heal and destroying the turret, rather than actually leaving it out). Remove or lower the initial turret heal to accommodate for the increased regen. As it is now it almost feels like you’re penalized for actually leaving the turret out!

Net Turret:
I actually think it is perfectly fine as-is

Thumper Turret:
I don’t even really see a point to this turret…the only decent thing it has is the knockback, but with such a small range and the fact that it’s fixed at a single point, it isn’t all that useful. I think that if the range stays constant, then the normal hits should do both a knockdown and damage. However, I personally would like to see it’s range increased to maybe 400/500, and maybe 3-4x more damage. Because let’s face it, a 300-damage aoe with practically no range, fixed to a single point, that only goes off every 3 seconds, isn’t doing anyone any good lol.

Id start making traits better, stronger and less specialized. I see a Warrior pick up 20% cd reduction AND piercing on Rifle in one trait. Why do we need 2 traits to get range increase and 20% cd reduction. And then we still dont have piercing for pistols.

And what about these super-specialized traits like Juggernaut or Grenadier? Insanely buff a single weaponkit, and do nothing for the other 3 weapons and 4 weapon kits. Nice versatility right there. Not!

And lets make some stuff baseline. So we dont have to deal with these no-brainer traits. Improved explosive radius on bombs for example, you MUST have this, mostly because apparently a freaking barrel of gunpowder has a smaller effective range then a sword.
In the place of these traits, some actual interesting choices that arent mandatory, so you have some real variation in your playstyle.

Then start buffing stuff, thats right, flat out buffing. There are some stupidly underpowerd abilities and traits around. Which again, dont help a lot with our choice in spec and ahem… “versatility”.

And honestly, id really spice up Grenade kit and Bomb kit. They are basicly the same thing x 5, with a different cooldown and different condition.