Guild Wars 2

Wahoo fellow Engineers!

Today I’d like to talk about The Rifle, since all the time threads pop up, how to improve the weapon and why it’s rather unable to keep up with the hammer in the first place.

I would not only like to see changes for the rifle itself, I also see the problem of this weapon with it’s associated trait:

Skilled Marksman is a trait in Firearms that states:
“You attack faster with a rifle or harpoon gun, and those skills have reduced recharge.”
Attack Speed Increase: 10%
Recharge Reduced: 20%

Now this trait is completly lackluster in my humble opinion. The main issue is the attack speed the trait gives. It is not nearly as good as the +10% damage modifier we’ve had in the old days (long time ago, the previous version of this trait), since attack speed only purely increases the auto attack damage by 10%, but not the other skills. Let me explain:

Net Shot, Blunderbuss and Overcharged Shot all are already almost instant. You’ll barely feel any difference from this trait but the CDR.

For Jump Shot it’s even worse! A long part of this skill is considered a “movement skill” and therefore unaffected by attack speed modifiers including Quickness. Only the windup gets to be 10% faster, the jump itself stays at the same speed.

Where we are at Quickness, this is the next BIG issue.

Quickness increases the speed you performing actions by 50%, wich at the same time is the performing speed cap. Any traits that increase attack speed are rendered useless, while under the effect of Quickness (sorry warrior berserker attack speed buff you’re garbage too).

So how to improve the rifle trait? How do we solve those issues? Here are a few ideas, but ofc not all should be implemented at the same time, but maybe 2 weaker ones? Anyway, just a concept!

Remove the attack speed modifier and then … :

• most simple option is to add a 10% damage modifier instead
• especially for pvp to add “unblockable” to skill 2-5 would be rather nice
• something fancy would be a stacking debuff on rifle auto attack, that stacks up to 10 times, lasting 30s each and getting consumed by skill 3-5, dealing 2% more damage per stack for the consuming skill.
• the trait is called “skilled marksman”, why not add a 1s revealed on auto attack (or even all attacks?)?
• how about a 20% damage modifier against movement impared targets?
• …

How do you guys feel about this trait? If you agree with me, what are your ideas to improve / fix the trait? Lemme hear about your ideas and suggestions!

Greez!
- Ziggs Ironeye

You make some good points, but I’d rather the trait become baseline and be replaced with something better.

• Rifle damage is kinda low right now compared to hammer anyway. It needs a buff.
• Engineers shouldn’t be forced to take a traitline just to play a certain weapon. We already have to dedicate 2 traitlines and 1-2 utility slots to defensive options just to survive. We shouldn’t have to then choose between Firearms and Explosives if playing rifle.

Agree that the trait is lackluster.
Not sure about the changes though.

IMO
Make it Baseline:
- 10% attack speed: It needs to be baseline, The AA is really slow.
- Netshot becomes 100% projectile finisher

The trait:
- add 10% dmg bonus and 20% CD reduction.
- remove the knockback on overcharged shot, replacing it by a roll back (evade instead of self CC, still removes soft CC)
- Jumpshot gains 2 blast finishers (on lunch and on land) becoming a tripple finisher skill (blast, jump, blast)

This way the rifle gets a bit of defense and a lot of synergy with fields.

lLobo.7960:

- Jumpshot gains 2 blast finishers (on lunch and on land) becoming a tripple finisher skill (blast, jump, blast)

What if I’m playing closer to dinnertime?

Eastcorn.5901:

lLobo.7960:

- Jumpshot gains 2 blast finishers (on lunch and on land) becoming a tripple finisher skill (blast, jump, blast)

What if I’m playing closer to dinnertime?

then you get food bonuses??

Sorry, english is not my first language. I’ll not even edit it, just because its kinda funny.

lLobo.7960:

- Jumpshot gains 2 blast finishers (on lunch and on land) becoming a tripple finisher skill (blast, jump, blast)

I don’t think that’s the way to go. For one thing, because it would be OP, but also because leap finishers are more reliable for getting stealth. If you leap through a smoke field now, you gain stealth even if your landing hits. If the landing was a blast finisher, you would get revealed if you were to land inside the smoke field.

Your suggestions do sound good to me. Mainly adding a certain buff for each autoattack which is consumed on other attacks sounds good to me. This adds some cool mechanics to the rifle. However this will cause a grenadier-like situation where you do need a trait do get some viable damage off rifle.

In short: In my opinion the trait can see a rework, however rifle itself needs some fundamental changes too

lLobo.7960:

- remove the knockback on overcharged shot, replacing it by a roll back (evade instead of self CC, still removes soft CC)
- Jumpshot gains 2 blast finishers (on lunch and on land) becoming a tripple finisher skill (blast, jump, blast)

Maybe keep it a knockback, but with an evade frame. Baseline.

And for Jumpshot that’s a bit of an overkill. I’d already be happy with another evade frame here.
Or it could be like the scrap rifle in TD: 2nd activation for a jump back? :O

The problem is not the trait itself.

At the moment Rifle is not at a good spot.

Ii think that therer are two main reason:

1 – Hammer is seriously stronger then Rifle, both in pvp than in pve
2 – The powercreep of HoT brought a lot of extra reflect and projectile blocks

So, without a total overhaul of the skill set of the weapon, rifle won’t see the light nevermore

A solution could be an AA similar to Staff Guardian AA, so as someone suggested in other threads, Rifle will be more similar to a shotgun, then a sniper carabine.

After all, engi as nades and mortar so it’s not necessary to have rifle ranged too

And yes, jump shot should an evade and with a reduced CD, and increased damage

Rifle is still max dps for PvE, but only against meatbag fights where you never have to dodge. Still that’s not because of the rifle, rather because of tools, so I agree – rifle needs love but not the rifle alone, it’s also depending on this trait and how useless it is.