Guild Wars 2

I haven’t felt this sense of being the inventive, master of machinery the Engineer is billed as in quite a while. I remember the first time I felt it was using the Rifle Turret for the first time. Then along came the other turrets and the Flamethrower. The Tool Kit and Elixir Gun came later and I really felt like I might have been inventing this equipment as I went along.

But these days, I don’t feel like an Engineer. I feel more like a Commando. My profession isn’t about being inventive and adaptive, it’s about standing at a range as much as possible and providing pressure damage while the Warriors have all the fun with the big, spammable numbers, the Guardians have all the fun actually buffing, the Elementalists have all the fun taking out big groups, the Thieves have all the fun going in and out of spike damage cycles, the Necromancers have all the fun of doing big condition damage, and the Mesmers having all the fun doing what Mesmers do. But not me. I feel like the artillery support in a war against a one-man army.

So when was the last time you felt like you were an Engineer?

Last time I felt like an engineer was unlocking the rocket turret for the first time. For whatever reason the engineer just does not feel like one, its part wanna be alchemist, and part wanna be commando, but refuses to have that engineer feel.
Another thing that adds in for me is that medium armor is lacking in engineer looks and feel, unless you are playing asura.
And the mostly horrible gadgets. So uncreative and straightforward imo. Wheres all the different mine variations? Why does my engie not put on utility goggles when I use them or any visual animation that doesn’t last a quarter of a sec?
I still love my engineer though he has so much potential to unlock

The last time I felt like an engineer was when I started using the Tool Kit, because hitting people with a wrench and using a giant gear to block attacks felt very in theme. However I never really tried to be an engineer. I always aimed for the Alchemist vibe. So, well, if you consider an alchemist an engineer, then last time was yesterday. Using all elixirs and Elixir gun over and over feels really nice for me and this is the first game in which I can be an alchemist and not feel bad for wasting lots of money on potions and being forced to craft them all to be remotely useful.

Last time I felt like an Engineer was when I used the Elite Supplies trait and dropped a ton of turrets and then threw down even more turrets from my utility skills. I love the aesthetic of turrets. I’m mostly a WVW player though, so within 20 seconds of doing that I realized that turrets are almost useless on the battlefield. So it was short lived. Turrets are just FAR too weak to be viable and that utility slot they take up is too valuable to waste. Sometimes while PVE’ing in TA I’ll use a Rocket Turret for its knock down, but that’s about it.

The last time i felt like an engineer was when I discovered how to use combo fields effectively with the use of different kits and turrets. Making 12~15 stacks of might in an instant was really fun and helpful to the team. So is having 10 seconds of invisibility. Sadly, nobody ever cares about combo fields. People are like “Oooh, there’s a circle on the ground. I’ll still use whatever skill is available”. It’s like people treat combo fields just as a bonus and not a real part of the game.

Seriously, I hope they can add something to combo fields so it would be used more often. Maybe they can reinvent the engineer by doing that. Engineers, the master of combo fields.

Kyon.9735:

The last time i felt like an engineer was when I discovered how to use combo fields effectively with the use of different kits and turrets. Making 12~15 stacks of might in an instant was really fun and helpful to the team. So is having 10 seconds of invisibility. Sadly, nobody ever cares about combo fields. People are like “Oooh, there’s a circle on the ground. I’ll still use whatever skill is available”. It’s like people treat combo fields just as a bonus and not a real part of the game.

Seriously, I hope they can add something to combo fields so it would be used more often. Maybe they can reinvent the engineer by doing that. Engineers, the master of combo fields.

How many skills do you end up using just to set those combos up? Don’t remember much about those like 12 stacks of might and what not but it just doesn’t seem like the combos are worth the skills being set on cd

I used to play with the bomb/turret det for might stacking, but I liked the double water det better, I keep my SD burst and tool kit is just too valuable with shield, magnet, and crowbar.

Last time I felt like an Engineer… 3rd day I played this back in August I think, rolled engi right off the bat played with all the utilities and tried rifle/flamethrower build. Pulled out FT popped elixer u and goggles plus TB skill, got 40 hits in 5 seconds, hit #4 flame wall, blew enemy threw flame wall #3, then #2, proceeded to rifle immobi, jump shot blunderbuss, overcharge shot, FT #2 and sooooo on. I like spvp (: WvW mainly now…

Was when I unlocked that last turret or toolkit… Have to agree with above, the alchemist/commando vibe isnt what I signed up for. and the gadgets are mostly terrible. I love my engineer though. dont want to shelf her. One day! Waiting for Anet to do something.

Always waiting….

Penguin.5197:

Kyon.9735:

The last time i felt like an engineer was when I discovered how to use combo fields effectively with the use of different kits and turrets. Making 12~15 stacks of might in an instant was really fun and helpful to the team. So is having 10 seconds of invisibility. Sadly, nobody ever cares about combo fields. People are like “Oooh, there’s a circle on the ground. I’ll still use whatever skill is available”. It’s like people treat combo fields just as a bonus and not a real part of the game.

Seriously, I hope they can add something to combo fields so it would be used more often. Maybe they can reinvent the engineer by doing that. Engineers, the master of combo fields.

How many skills do you end up using just to set those combos up? Don’t remember much about those like 12 stacks of might and what not but it just doesn’t seem like the combos are worth the skills being set on cd

We have 2 fire fields(Napalm from FT and Fire bomb) and TONS of blast finishers for stacking Might. At least 5 skills w/ blast finishers are on CD of 20~30 seconds. I can even do something like 8k+ AoE healing w/ water field and blast finishers. Only thing I hate about water field is that it only appears for a second before it vanishes.

It’s totally worth it especially on dungeons when fighting against bosses. People dislike having Engineers in CoF parties since we’re “useless” according to those bandwagon warriors and mesmers. Though I now found a steady party who’d take me in for my combo fields. I stack 12~15 might or heal for 8k+ in bosses while dealing decent damage w/ my bombs. The good thing about Combo Fields is that you don’t really need to spec your traits to get them.

On another note, I think Engineers deserve to get a Lightning Field. Apparently only Elementalists have access to them.

In case people don’t know, Supply Crate is also a Blast Finisher.

4 warriors can get 12 aoe stacks of might+8 from sigil of rage+some might from GS. Not to mention that aoe quickness from mesmer beats all that might hands down.

Seriously, might stacking is so common in game, you can’t really say it is an advantage. Especially if you need to spend billion seconds to setup combos, while other classes don’t even have a GCD on might abilities and can use them while doing damage.

Isslair.4908:

4 warriors can get 12 aoe stacks of might+8 from sigil of rage+some might from GS. Not to mention that aoe quickness from mesmer beats all that might hands down.

Seriously, might stacking is so common in game, you can’t really say it is an advantage. Especially if you need to spend billion seconds to setup combos, while other classes don’t even have a GCD on might abilities and can use them while doing damage.

Let’s see.

Big ‘Ol Bomb, Fire Bomb, Rifle Turret, Healing Turret, Land Mine, Detonate Rifle and Healing Turret, Magnetic Inversion, Supply Crate. Should take you about 3~5 seconds if you’re used to the sequence. Plus all of them are below 30 seconds cooldown aside from Supply Crate.

But I strongly agree with you, Might stacking is so easy that using combo fields to stack them becomes irrelevant. That’s why I hope ANet would do something to make combo fields and finishers be more relevant. I’ve posted this on another thread, I think it might make people want to use combo fields and finishers.

Kyon.9735:

Engineers as masters of Combo Fields. Yes, I believe that engineers are very well the Masters of Combo Fields. We are the only class able to dish out 6 combo fields and have enough combo finishers to use them well. Yet, combo fields feel a little underutilized in Guild Wars 2, given that this is one of the unique features of the combat system.

Engineers can easily give out 12~15 stacks of might w/ all our blast finishers. We can also do 7k+ AoE heal with water combo field + blast finishers. Yet why is nobody doing it? Simply because the Combo Field feature is overpowered by the basic hack-and-slash and skill-to-kill combos. Let’s face it, although there are people who use combo fields, majority of players would go “Oh, there’s a whatever-it-is-combo-field-circle on the ground! I’ll still use whatever skill I have!”

ANet need to add some goodies so that people won’t ignore Combo Fields. Combo Fields and Finishers are great features but is too underpowered for people to value it. How about this, aside from giving out 3 stacks of might for Fire Field + Blast Finisher, how about dealing damage and some minor burning for your next attack as well? Here’s a rough draft.

Fire Field
Blast Finisher – 3x Might, Bonus Damage, Next attack deals Minor Burning damage(2s).
Leap Finisher – Fire Armor, Bonus Damage, leave a small area for 3 secs which inflicts burn(2s) if people step On it.
Projectile Finisher – Burning, Bonus Damage.
Whirl Finisher – Burning Bolts. Bonus Damage. Nothing much to change.

Water Field
Blast Finisher – Area Heal, Bonus Damage, 30% chance to Heal on your next 3 attacks.
Leap Finisher – Healing, Bonus Damage. Leave an area which heals 140 per pulse for 3 seconds. Area Heal stacks in duration.
Projectile Finisher – Regeneration, Minor Damage.
Whirl Finisher – Healing Bolts, Minor Damage.

Poison Field
Blast Finisher – Area Weakness, Bonus Damage, 30% chance to poison(3s) on your next attack.
Leap Finisher – Weakness(5 secs), Bonus Damage.
Projectile Finisher – Poison, Bonus Damage.
Whirl Finisher – Poison Bolts, Bonus Damage.

Light Field
Blast Finisher – Area Retaliation, Bonus Damage, Protection(2s).
Leap Finisher – Retaliation, Bonus Damage. Leave an area(4s) which grants protection. Does not stack in duration.
Projectile Finisher – Remove Condition, Bonus Damage.
Whirl Finisher – Cleansing Bolts, Bonus Damage.

Lightning – Note: I believe Engineers should get access to this Combo Field as well. As of now, only elementalists can.
Blast Finisher – Area Swiftness, Bonus Damage, 3x Area Vulnerability(4s).
Leap Finisher – Dazing Strike, Bonus Damage, 3x Vulnerability(4s).
Projectile Finisher – Vulnerability, Bonus Damage.
Whirl Finisher – Brutal Bolts, Bonus Damage.

These are just examples of what Anet can do to these Combo Fields and Finishers. I think a lot more people will value Combo Fields and actually plan on how to use their skills effectively, not just unleash their skills as soon as it finishes cooldown.

Kyon.9735:

That’s why I hope ANet would do something to make combo fields and finishers be more relevant. I’ve posted this on another thread, I think it might make people want to use combo fields and finishers.

Yeah, that would be a curious turn of events.

I’ll be blunt. GW2 Engineer != Real Engineer.

Last time I felt like Engineer was in LoL. Look at Heimerdinger if you wanna know how to make/handle an Engineer.

Unless they bugfix/Buff/remake us, it is going to stay Like that…

I’m hearing that people are saying that alchemy doesn’t make someone feel like an engineer.

Alchemist = Chemical Engineer

’Nuff said.

Enough of me being an kitten, I’ll post IAW the OP’s request.

Last time I felt like an Engineer was when . . . Well, I really felt like an engineer when I got my first turret. It was helpful and it let me go about setting up fights.

Probably the last time I felt like a classic version of an “Engineer” was while leveling at lower levels, trying to use turrets. After I switched to bombs/grenades, I really didn’t feel like I was putting any cool inventions into play anymore.

Maybe if I had a little screen where I had to “craft” my explosives and elixirs, like WoW Rogues craft poisons, that might help. I’d then be periodically reminded that these are “my” explosives and elixirs, made by my own hand.

It might also help if we could see the kits/gadgets we have on us, even when we aren’t in that kit (IE., seeing the flamethrower or EG strapped to your back, always having grenades hanging off your backpack even when you’re not actually in the grenade kit, actually wearing goggles when we take the Utility Goggles, etc.) as opposed to the Hammerspace effect we have now where we just pull anything we need from behind our back.

-Travail.

Last time I felt like an engineer was in real life, and that’s saying something, because I’m an architect… -__-

Travail.7390:

Maybe if I had a little screen where I had to “craft” my explosives and elixirs, like WoW Rogues craft poisons, that might help. I’d then be periodically reminded that these are “my” explosives and elixirs, made by my own hand.

I like that idea. I admit the first thing I thought of was that our ammo/grenades/bombs/elixirs would have to be limited but with the plus side of being more potent.

So I thought I’d put my two cents and tweak that feature exlusive to the toolbelt skills. To expand on my concerns, in a long-drawn fight like a WvW, we’d be the only class that says “hold up guys, I’m stocking up” resulting in unwanted stares from other people.

Making this revolve around toolbelt lets you still unload a bunch of grenades without worries about your ammo stores. You’d still be effective as such in terms of weapon skills, and it would in turn make people invest in toolbelt skills that are now more potent since YOU made them yourself.

Well, that’s just me.

Sporadicus.1028:

I’m hearing that people are saying that alchemy doesn’t make someone feel like an engineer.

Alchemist = Chemical Engineer

’Nuff said.

I hope that’s not the case and Anet adds a new alchemy themed class later on down the road. One of my favorite things to do in a different MMO was to play it’s alchemist class. You made potions by spending mana and using ingredients you’d gathered and then once you had a surplus you’d go hunting. Using different ingredients gave potions different effects, some good, some bad. It’s so satisfying to custom make an attack potion and lob it at something.

But I digress. I, too, last felt like an engineer when I unlocked my elixir gun and flamethrower. It really felt like I was taking the next logical step from throwing elixirs at people – build a device to do that part!

Travail.7390:

Maybe if I had a little screen where I had to “craft” my explosives and elixirs, like WoW Rogues craft poisons, that might help. I’d then be periodically reminded that these are “my” explosives and elixirs, made by my own hand.

Ah, that’s a nice idea. It’s strange that the same profession that can mix and match literally two dozen skills has potions that are pre-set and mostly random. If there was a way to “customize” your elixirs, I might actually use them.

When i discovered the discharge trait for toolbelt.