Guild Wars 2

It is common knowledge that because of PvP potential of mesmers (overrated – judging by their presence in high tier), PvE mesmers suffer a lot. The utility which is said to be their selling point is more or less useless in smaller groups where, say, an extra ele’s damage burst does way, way more for a smoother run than some extra reflections and CCs.

Here are several ideas on specialisations and GM traits which could help mesmers become something more than portal bots:

1) Illusion Mancer (sounds like a specialisation)

• Illusions follow you around similar to necro minions (and engineer drones from the trailer).
• Pre-casting can remove the damage backloading which doesn’t really let mesmer contribute in high-DPS groups where mobs die faster than phantasms do their job.
• Like always, this will get PvP hate and a stamp of “cheesy braindead AI build”.

2) Lingering Phantasma (sounds like a GM trait)

• Phantasms stick around for N seconds and target nearby mobs when the original target is dead. This is a lighter version of Illusion Mancer.
• This helps dealing with large groups of (trash)mobs: once that single target dies, you’re ripped off the offence which caused the removal of your personal DPS during class “balancing” in the first place.

3) Phatasmal Stances (sounds like a specialisation)

• Instead of casting a phantasm, you’re activating a stance that performs 2 phantasm’s attacks at your location: one immediately, and one more after the usual phantasm skill CD.
• Think of ranger’s Maul to get the idea of how it looks.
• You receive a stance buff icon when activating a stance.
• These attacks are more powerful and scale with your % damage modifiers since you become their source.
• This is a specialisation for illusion/pet unfriendly encounters.
• Stances can be
  • traited for extra attacks
  • traited to allow for manual execution of extra attacks (similar to mantras)

• This can be made more interesting by applying effects to all attacks while the stance is active; however, the whole concept can be ruined and rendered useless once it becomes another “just apply another stack of bleeding ‘cause that’s what Duelists do!” awesome idea.

4) Mind Trapper (sounds like a specialisation)

• Instead of casting a phantasm, you’re putting an AoE targeted trap which performs the phantasm’s attack (with minor changes to allow for AoE effect) when triggered.
• Think of necro’s Marks to get the idea of how it works and looks.
• This deals with lack of AoE attacks.
• Mind Traps can be
  • traited to be larger
  • traited to become invisible to foes (like ranger traps)

I must say I love the way you envision the Mind Trapper mechanic wise. I wish I had something to add to it but if this replaced Phantasms but kept the visual effect or something or rather, ah, I would be very happy.

It’s interesting to see that you came up with idea that are somewhat similar to mine. In another thread, I tried to expect how Specializations could end up. I restricted myself to the fact that these specializations would be tied to a weapon (if the weapon is unequiped or switched Specialization effects disapear) and that they would keep the current traits and utility. While maintaining these rules I still allowed me to slightly modify current mechanisms. All in all, I came up with this for mesmers :

1- the Specialization that would look like your Illusion mancer
Mesmer :
Specialization name : Dreamer
Weapon : shield

Granted what we saw on the video when they anounced the XPAC, we can expect :
- an aoe skill (with probably slow/chill and a damaging condition)
- if we follow weapon logic, we can expect a new fantasm on the other skill.

Tied to this, i think we could imagine that illusion linger while wielding the shield. This could bring some love to some traits and mesmer’s 2 fantasms utilities. The shield would act like a mirror allowing the mesmer to cast illusion on him.

2- the specialization that would look like Phantasmal stance (except that i keep mesmer reliance on illusion)
Mesmer
Specialization name : Singer
weapon : Warhorn

While using warhorn, the singer can’t use any phantasm (this is a phantasmless weapon) but each time the singer charge a mantra, it’s clones will resonate dealing [small to medium value] aoe damage. And each time the singer consume one mantra charge, the clones will inflict around then a condition (cripple, bleed or vulnerability).

- WH #4 : would be a blast finisher as well as an aoe fear.
- WH #5 : would be a channeled dealing damage and inflicting confusion to nearby foe.

I think with the restrictions I set up, the 2 of these specialization would still be balanced and would keep the “mesmer” theme alive.

as Overjoyed as I would be to have a DPS or CC option that completely removed Janky AI and programming from the equation of my worth in an encounter..

I doubt it’ll ever happen :\

I’ve been suggesting it for years now too..

I don’t think the Mesmer’s theme is Clones and Phantasms, or rather that it shouldnt be.. IT should be about domination and deception through any means given or available. Yes yes Gw1 isnt Gw2 but go look at the old Gw1 mesmer builds for PvP.

Caster Lock outs
Melee Lock outs
Hex Spam lock outs
Hex Degen
Condition/Hex overwhelming
Interrupt for Spells or Actions
Anti “zerg” Builds
Anti “Non-zerg”builds..

The options were all there and no one needed a clone that stood still using an AA to do it, just a sharp mind, quick reflexes and practice.

Was it possible to bring the completely wrong build? yes, it was and it sucked when it happened but in PvP you were still an unknown threat that could still cow a team into losing if you played right. Thats where the Mind games need to come from, not from Particles and Stealth + Punching bags that look like you.

kylwilson.9137:

I must say I love the way you envision the Mind Trapper mechanic wise. I wish I had something to add to it but if this replaced Phantasms but kept the visual effect or something or rather, ah, I would be very happy.

I’m now thinking about those as “domains” though, not “traps”

Dadnir.5038:

I restricted myself to the fact that these specializations would be tied to a weapon (if the weapon is unequiped or switched Specialization effects disapear) and that they would keep the current traits and utility. While maintaining these rules I still allowed me to slightly modify current mechanisms.

I would say it is too strict to be interesting enough; with dual weapon sets, that will also lead to a lot of confusion and programming issues.

Dadnir.5038:

While using warhorn, the singer can’t use any phantasm (this is a phantasmless weapon) but each time the singer charge a mantra, it’s clones will resonate dealing [small to medium value] aoe damage. And each time the singer consume one mantra charge, the clones will inflict around then a condition (cripple, bleed or vulnerability).

The “resonating at clone location” sounds fresh and interesting. That pushes us from the canon fodder clones to valuable half-independent AoE source.

Swish.2463:

The options were all there and no one needed a clone that stood still using an AA to do it, just a sharp mind, quick reflexes and practice.

I guess they want to make the class cooler, but it turned out that AI makes it both overpowered and subpar at the same time.