Guild Wars 2

I have been wondering about this for some time now and seeing I have had no real logical explanation in my head, I would hope a dev could reply to my question. I heard somewhere that engineers were meant to have heavy armor at one stage and this could explain why they are so kitten slow on the field. For some reason though, they have medium armor which if you combine it with slow movement, really goes against all principles in survivability. Thieves have light armor but have major damage options and really good evasion skills to combat the lack of protection. So if you have a slow lumbering profession, why give it medium stat armor? That’s like creating a tank and covering it in aluminium foil as armor plating

Speedy kits is not an answer nor is it a solution to the engineers speed issues, as it is an on/off approach to swiftness.
Permanent swiftness it may be but at 5 second bursts ( which if mistimed and not activated in split second timing, will fail and not activate thus losing 2 seconds of lost swift time) and at a 10 point trait cost is not really a good or fair use of important trait points. Swiftness runes can be added sure, but at a cost of losing other useful stats from other runes such as condition damage, toughness etc for a paltry 20% over a 5 second burst is pretty poor especially when many other professions get speed bonuses passive sigils as gratis and as passive traits such as rangers and necros.

As engies have power shoes in trait lines, it’s a nice idea in theory but even that is slow and makes little difference, plus it only works works in combat. As soon as you are out of it, its back to snails pace and as takes a massive 20 points in the Inventions tree, it really is a bad way of spending trait points that could be utilized in other skill trees (and more effectively IMO). I had power shoes for a while and to be honest I found little difference to my speeds in combat, to the point that I thought it was bugged and not working. If it is working, that percentage is clearly not enough to make a dent in the slow motion of movement.

Although armor classes do not really matter that much in the PVE environment, NPC’s are as dumb as watermelons but opposing against real players in combat is different. Speed makes up a lot of difference to survivability in WVW where zergs etc are the norm. So why can’t engineers have their own permanent assisted speeds to at least keep up with the zerg , without having to resort to a clumsy 5 second on and off mechanic such as Speedy kits. Just now I am wondering the feasibility of the engineer, I love the class but the time and gold taken to outfit it and only really gaining marginal increases of damage vs survivability is really draining now. Are engineers going to get a radical overhaul in the upcoming skills updates and will speed issues and more power as standard be a part of that update? I could live with medium armor but we do need a few tweaks (and less clumsy kit activation style skills ones) to get the good out this class.

Is there a question here? I’m not seeing one in that wall of text. Could you edit it down and try to be a little more concise in your inquiry? If you’re going to use the Q/A format, you’re going to need to actually ask a Q.

Speedy kits is the answer. It doesn’t require split second timing because there is a fairly large window to switch kits. You don’t need to switch them exactly when the next switch is available. You have overlap time which negates split second timing. Also, the speedy kits is faster than passive traits so there should be no problem keeping up with any zerg unless that zerg is full of engineers and your the only one who isn’t one.

meanwhile the speed bonus passive trait that other classes get would take 5 skills from your own engineer skill bar.

I think the real issue here is your understanding of just how effective engineers can be. Try to peruse these forums and you’ll see vids of engies wrecking groups of people.

edit: Just realized I have boon duration from my alchemy so you may not have that overlap but since it is fatser than signets, you should still have no trouble keeping up with everyone else.

Speedy kits provides what is probably the easiest access to full uptime swiftness there is. It basically is our passive movement trait. If your only problem is timing it, then either get some boon duration somewhere (Food, Gear, Traits) to give yourself some overlap, or take med kit and drop the stimulant every cooldown to easily stack up a huge duration.

We’re slow because we’re carrying around so much stuff. All those Elixirs, Kits, Gadgets, and Turrets weight us down. The other classes just have to carry around dinky little signets, a vial of Venom, or the occasional Banner.

Speedy kits. Why do we need anything else if we can have perma 33%. Signets with 25% doen’t stack with swiftness.

Speedy kits. Don’t try to time it precisely if you don’t have point in a the traitline with boon duration. Wait until the boon disappears then swap. Depending on your reaction time this may be 0.2 second or half a second. While an hardcore min maxer would notice the half a second I doubt anyone else will.

If your Engineer is slow you have no one to blame but yourself. Want an option to maintain swiftness with mind numbing ease?
- Superior Runes of The Centaur
- Speedy Kits
- Equip Med Kit
- Drop Stimulant
- Rinse & Repeat.

Still having a problem? Perhaps something that doesn’t require skill and only calls for a basic functional knowledge of the game mechanics is better suited for your particular play-style. Have you tried rolling a Thief?

Obscure One.4357:

If your Engineer is slow you have no one to blame but yourself. Want an option to maintain swiftness with mind numbing ease?
- Superior Runes of The Centaur
- Speedy Kits
- Equip Med Kit
- Drop Stimulant
- Rinse & Repeat.

Still having a problem? Perhaps something that doesn’t require skill and only calls for a basic functional knowledge of the game mechanics is better suited for your particular play-style. Have you tried rolling a Thief?

But… he wants a movement buff without doing anything – better waste an utility slot for a weak 25% signet.

@OP: for engineers, every utility slot is so extremly worthful .Wasting an utility slot with a signet for engineers? God thanks we don’T have signets- some people really would waste it therefor it seems.

Speedy Kits. Also @OP: Thieves don’t wear light armor.

Speedy kits is the answer. Another item you may want to consider: Rocket Boots. You can get pretty insane mobility out of those + swiftness. Use them while under the influence of a speed buff for maximum effectiveness.

Sylentir.8913:

Speedy kits is the answer. Another item you may want to consider: Rocket Boots. You can get pretty insane mobility out of those + swiftness. Use them while under the influence of a speed buff for maximum effectiveness.

rocket boots is where its at bruh. Nothing beats em in mobility. As for all engi traits, its kinda the unspoken design philosophy that all ours traits are weaker versions of other professions. (I.E. the new implementation of Leg Mods vs Dogged March

Linc.6834:

Sylentir.8913:

Speedy kits is the answer. Another item you may want to consider: Rocket Boots. You can get pretty insane mobility out of those + swiftness. Use them while under the influence of a speed buff for maximum effectiveness.

rocket boots is where its at bruh. Nothing beats em in mobility. As for all engi traits, its kinda the unspoken design philosophy that all ours traits are weaker versions of other professions. (I.E. the new implementation of Leg Mods vs Dogged March

Agreed, Rocket boots is soooo FTW.

That being said some of our traits are identical to traits of other classes, I.E. Reinforced Shield & Honorable Shield, and some are actually better, I.E. Sitting Duck vs Binding Jeopardy.
Its a mixed bag of less than, equal to, and better than.

You can also maintain permanent swiftness with hgh builds

Umm speedy kits + rocket boots + riffle 5. I have no problems to keep up with most classes, only few specific builds of thief/warrior/ele can outrun me if they really burn their cd’s. You can easily have perma swiftness, there is no 2 sec break.

The 10 trait points are a bit much, but it’s perma swiftness.. and perma vigour if you trait for that. And after the fix, rocket boots are just must-have. Too awesome for mobility and shortcuts, escape is better than elixir S, and you can chase people with it pretty easily.

ukuni.8745:

You can also maintain permanent swiftness with hgh builds

If you trait for Speedy Kits and/or get lucky with RNG.

Drakkon.4782:

Is there a question here? I’m not seeing one in that wall of text. Could you edit it down and try to be a little more concise in your inquiry? If you’re going to use the Q/A format, you’re going to need to actually ask a Q.

The question is very clear and concise, I am asking why we are slow as well has having a poor health pool and medium armor.

Two things that has failed to be mentioned thus far, which I find shocking, is infused precision (tier 1 trait in firearms) and invigorating speed (tier 1 trait in alchemy) which together means that even with a dinky 30% crit chance (which can be augumented by drop stimulants, which, as has been mentioned, is in itself crucial for speed) you will constantly have swiftness and vigor in battle, making escape and just surviving easier. Especially is you sport the flamethrower,

The second is the rocket boots. These little goodies have been tweaked to propel you forward instead of backward. Not only is the speed and distance travelled nothing to sneeze at, it also removes effects that would impair your movement and ends with a free dodge roll. And giving someone a flaming kick to the face is a lot of fun and pretty effective if you want to make people burn.

And as have been said, don’t underestimate engineer. I think the big advantage is that the way they fight is almost impossible to predict – The style is unlike any other, and it’s hard for non engineers to keep track of your constant change of weapons.

mzt.3270:

The question is very clear and concise, I am asking why we are slow as well has having a poor health pool and medium armor.

It’s not that the question isn’t clear, but the presumption that the question is valid that is the issue.

Engineers are not slow unless you build them that way. Engineers are not squishy unless you build them that way.

The answer to your question is the question itself: Why the !@#% is your Engineer slow and squishy?! You’re doing it wrong!

mzt.3270:

Drakkon.4782:

Is there a question here? I’m not seeing one in that wall of text. Could you edit it down and try to be a little more concise in your inquiry? If you’re going to use the Q/A format, you’re going to need to actually ask a Q.

The question is very clear and concise, I am asking why we are slow as well has having a poor health pool and medium armor.

easy to answer: you are wrong

First of all , thief use medium armor.
And speedy kits are in the alchemy tree, which gives u boon duration that increase ur Swiftness buff.
Maybe 0.5 isnt much, but i never miss even half a second of swiftness.
If you said that when you fail (which u shouldnt) u have 2sec w/o swiftness, that is Entireley ur problem.
Btw, rocket boots.

Engineers with movement issues? Laughable.

Speedy Kits is the obvious answer (just look at all the times it is mentioned above).
Can’t seem to get the timing down? Use runes to increase duration.
Oh, don’t want to waste runes huh? I understand. Funny thing is that the med kit has a stimulant that grants speed and is a kit. Amazing!

But my trait points are precious! you say. Very well, Met Kit + Elixer B = kitten near 100% uptime. Such a shame you have to have all that extra might and precision to go with it.

But I want to go Faster! 33% movement speed is not enough! I don’t care if it is 8% faster than classes with sigils!

Fair enough, add in some Rocket Boots for fling you forward.

No! FASTER!
Fine, add in Elixir Gun (hey, look at that, another kit) and 180 around before you Acid Bomb for another super blast ahead.

YOU DON’T GET IT!! I MUST MOVE LIKE THE FLASH!!!!!
Speedy Kits, Med Kit Stimulant, Elixir B, Elixir Gun for permanent 33% increased movement speed, Rocket Boots to shoot forward, Acid Bomb to shoot forward some more and Rifle to keep the boosts going.

So much movement, that even Warriors will be jealous of you.

itamar.4690:

First of all , thief use medium armor.
And speedy kits are in the alchemy tree, which gives u boon duration that increase ur Swiftness buff.
Maybe 0.5 isnt much, but i never miss even half a second of swiftness.
If you said that when you fail (which u shouldnt) u have 2sec w/o swiftness, that is Entireley ur problem.
Btw, rocket boots.

Incorrect on Speedy Kits, it’s in the Tools line. What you’re thinking of is the trait that synergies with it Invigorating Speed, that gives you vigor whenever you gain swiftness. Also the 10% boon increase from 10 points in Alchemy provides the half second required to manage the kit rotation your using. Personally for such builds I prefer Med Kit, since it will also give you might if you’re using Enhance Performance, a random boon if your using Runes of Lyssa, and cure a condition if your using Saffron-Scented Poultry Soup. That’s swiftness, vigor, might (3 stacks), a random boon, and a condition removal every 10 seconds, with a refresh of swiftness and vigor every 5 seconds to allow for a permanent upkeep. If your more the support type, try Runes of Altruism instead, they’ll give you three more stacks of might and also fury, allowing you to now add fury to swiftness and vigor as boons you can maintain a permanent upkeep on with Drop Stimulant.

@ OP. L2P bro.