Guild Wars 2

First let me say that I am not the most skilled player in the game, but to me engineer is my favorite class by far.
I’d like to start with the good, I believe we are by far the most versatile class. We can do many things that other classes can’t do. We can heal, dps, and our conditions are amazing among other things.. Though each class can do one of these things better. We can do it all.

I think Engineer’s versitility makes it one of the more fun class, I’ve played them all and I always go back to engi.

The bad

I could make this list long of all the things that bother me but the thing that annoys me the most is we have to give up a slot skill for a good weapon set. I don’t see pistol or rifle being anything special, and don’t see any other class with a weapon set so pathetic, which leads to us using kits. In the healing kit this isn’t anything bad, it’s actually quite sweet, but if we want to use bombs or grenades or flame thrower we have to give up a condition removal, or something else. I know we have our f1-f4 skills but they don’t seem to make up for it. (except for med kit) I would love to see us have a weapon switch where we could put a kit. Don’t see it happening but would be really nice.

The ugly

Of course it’s the hobo sack. come on ANET, I want to make my engi look good, but no matter what I do, I have to look at that ugly brown thing the entire time. Please do something about that. We’ve been complaining about it since day one, and we get nothing. Is it any wonder we feel that engineer is an after thought to you?

I don’t disagree; however, keep in mind that engineers are already in the mid- to top-tier of balance for PvP.

In other words, a very large buff like giving engineers a kit as a weapon swap in addition to our normal utility slots and toolbelt skills would require a very large nerf in return. I also can’t really agree that our weapons are so much worse than other professions—I would expect that a lot of professions would take our rifle in a heartbeat, and condi specs would love to have our p/p on swap. I agree that they’re not great as stand-alone skillsets, but they’re very good as part of any larger set of skills.

The hobo sacks I can agree with. It’s really a non-issue to me since I don’t RP or really even look at my character in combat, but I know that for some people, watching their character fight is a big deal.

As NevirSayDie said, I shudder to think about the toiling, mind numbing process that balancing the Engineer would require if given a weapon/Kit slot. Not to mention the enormous player backlash.

My opinion is that they need to make specific Utility Skills/Traits more versatile as to make up for our lack of Weapon options, More Specifically Gadgets and Turrets. Currently you lose to much utility when not taking a Kit into PvP. Perhaps if they made synergistic traits with unused Utility skills, while giving these skills multiple applications for example: The trait Cleansing Formula 409 makes Elixirs cure conditions, this gives a simple skill like Elixir B even more functionality! This coupled with a Tool Belt skill can help justify the lack of an alternative weapon. Because essentially by taking that one trait you turned one Skill into a Swiss Army knife with multiple applications!

This is why I feel the answer lies not in additional weapon/Kit bar but within the Skills and traits that pale in comparison to the versatility and multi-purposes of Kits.

Giving these lacking mechanics a make over is what, in my opinion would create some incentive for playing a strait Turret Engineer or a Gadget Engineer which is what I would desperately like to do! Instead of having the feeling of being required to use a Kit

I also agree with the comments made about adjusting the underused and lacking utility skills.

The gadgets are what actually original drew me to the engineer in the betas. The have such great potential, but they are not meeting that potential. They did really good work with rocket boots and PBR for the most part, but slick shoes is so easily countered, that the loooong CD is so painful. Personally, I find utility goggles to be very situation. Neither of the latter 2 are very appealing at all in their current with the exception of the stun breakers that were added to them.

It was the same for me, I loved the very concept of an actual “Engineer” in a fight with such opponents as a Necromancer and a Warrior, I envisioned so many devices and gizmos and… Well gadgets that would be required to ‘realistically’ contend with such opponents. Combo’s like covering someone with oil then burning them, or deploying multiple explosives around the field then attaching a magnet to your opponent as to pull all the small bombs inwards towards them!…sigh I apologize! I’m dreaming yet again.

but slick shoes is so easily countered

Sorry, what? Slick shoes are the best gadget for focusing target as its not a single control but a continuos one. And in combo with other skills they are very good. The PBR is still lacking, actually. And while power shoes are very good now, its toolbelt counterpart still lacking in a sense of OP thought. Its just a damage addition and its good for only half of builds by design.

And i agree that glasses are the worst gadget for now. Hope they’ll make something, i’m thriving for full gadget build – it would be like ok, i have only 1 weapon, but i have 6 good utilities, try to get me.

You do not feel slick shoes are easily countered?

I had another engineer use SS when I was attacking with bombs the other day, I literally had to do nothing but step back. If you do not physically move across the path of someone oil slick, it is counters. Stun breaker, they are countered. Stability, countered. SS are very easy to counter. I am not saying they are a bad skill. but for having a 60s cool down and taking up a full utility slot, and having no more control then other skills on a much lower cool down is where it is an issue.

In my eyes,

PBR is pretty solid in value in relation to its CD.

Throw mine is in a good place with is function and CD.

Slick Shoe’s has a solid tool belt skill with a stun breaker on a comparable CD to other stun breaker skills. The utility skill though, is too easily countered for a 60s CD. I personally feel it should be halved to 30s.

Utility goggles, well, I don’t care much for it. The stun breaker is okay, but we already have a gadget stun breaker in slick shoes. The blind immunity seems pointless to me because I do not see anyone wanting to burn a stun breaker just for blind immunity. Personally, I feel this is where gadgets could use a cleanse. I suggest a removal of the stun breaker, while moving the vulnerability from the tool belt(analyze) to the utility ability slot so that it offers furry as it does now plus the vulnerability. I feel the 40s cool down will then be justified with 10s of fury and vulnerability. The I would propose changing analyze to a skill called “gas mask” on the tool belt. Give it a 25s cool down to remove 3 conditions similar to elementalist magnetic wave skill (also on a 25s CD).

I agree Slick Shoes sucks. Just compare it to Ele’s Static Field which provides the same CC for 4 times the duration, about twice the area covered, can be used at range, and is a weapon skill instead of a utility slot