Guild Wars 2

I jumped on my Mesmer for the first time since 9/9, and went to Orr to zap out my Daily Orrian Slayer achievement.

It is NOT my imagination; I stuck around for at least a dozen kills, and every single time the monsters totally ignored my illusions/phantasms/clones and came straight at me. I even attempted to position myself so that the clones were between my enemy and myself, but it made no difference. Every time without fail they pushed past my clone and came right at me.

Don’t my illusions project an odor? Is that how the monsters know who the real Mesmer is? They’re smelling me?

This is REAL annoying. I thought part of the purpose of a clone was to help divert the enemy. Do I need to report this as a bug, or is this the new “working as intended” state?

There’s a pun in here somewhere…

Curunen.8729:

There’s a pun in here somewhere…

Maybe, but if so it probably stinks. I’m totally serious, though. Do clones no longer attract the attention of enemies? ‘Cause they sure weren’t doing their job in Orr tonight.

The trick is have ur illusions hit the monter first then attack.

Hamfast.8719:

Curunen.8729:

There’s a pun in here somewhere…

Maybe, but if so it probably stinks. I’m totally serious, though. Do clones no longer attract the attention of enemies? ‘Cause they sure weren’t doing their job in Orr tonight.

I was thinking more “Eau de Cologne”/“Odour clone”.

But anyway I’m sorry, I can’t help with your problem.

Vieux P.1238:

The trick is have ur illusions hit the monter first then attack.

I’m level 80. I figured that out long ago, thanks. Never had this problem until tonight. Seriously? Nobody else has this issue? Maybe I’ll give her another try after restarting the game. Maybe I had a temporary glitch. But I tell you not ONE of my duplicates so much as made a single monster turn it’s head. Very disturbing.

Curunen.8729:

I was thinking more “Eau de Cologne”/“Odour clone”.

I like that one. People think I’m crazy, but I can appreciate a good pun.

Hamfast.8719:

Vieux P.1238:

The trick is have ur illusions hit the monter first then attack.

I’m level 80. I figured that out long ago, thanks. Never had this problem until tonight. Seriously? Nobody else has this issue? Maybe I’ll give her another try after restarting the game. Maybe I had a temporary glitch. But I tell you not ONE of my duplicates so much as made a single monster turn it’s head. Very disturbing.

Not sure…I’ve never NOT had that problem, or feature depending on how you see it. I would rather monsters attack me…I dodge, I evade, I have hp. I’d rather my phantasms get ignored so that they can happily do damage, and that’s the way it normally is.

It’s specific to Risen (and some other types of enemies). I see this all the time on my Mesmer and MM Necro. Risen seem programmed to specifically target YOU above all else, ignoring the normal threat generated by your illusions and minions.

Zaxares.5419:

It’s specific to Risen (and some other types of enemies). I see this all the time on my Mesmer and MM Necro. Risen seem programmed to specifically target YOU above all else, ignoring the normal threat generated by your illusions and minions.

Okay, I was about to accept this as semi-reasonable. Undead are often depicted as being able to “sense” or “smell” life. I was going to ask how they responded to a Necromancer’s minions (iffy targets) and a Ranger’s pet (probable target).

But then I went back to where I had my problem. Same spot, same monsters. (I had logged out there from last time). Today the bad guys were treating me normally. That is to say, I seemed to have about as much chance of being their target as my clones. No target on just my head. So the problem was either something temporary on my end, or something that got fixed in a new build.

I’m happy. That was a bit disturbing. I’m used to being prime target numero uno in a Personal Story episode, but not in the “real” world. I wouldn’t enjoy seeing that become a trend. (Plus my Warrior sometimes-main character has been taken out of action thanks to the 9/9 Adrenaline nerf. I really didn’t need TWO characters on the sidelines.)

Nope. Busted again.

I went back again this evening. Everyone was totally ignoring my clones/phantasms/etc.

I experimented a little. I had two clones out fighting a guy, and I wasn’t attacking at all. I was running away. The bad guy religiously followed me for well over a full minute (before I put a stop to it), completely ignoring any clones that got in between us. This one is going to the Bugs forum.

Unless I’m mistaken, mob aggro is partly determined by who deals the most damage, and who has the highest value of toughness. A caster outperforms their clones on those factors.

Hamfast.8719:

Nope. Busted again.

I went back again this evening. Everyone was totally ignoring my clones/phantasms/etc.

I experimented a little. I had two clones out fighting a guy, and I wasn’t attacking at all. I was running away. The bad guy religiously followed me for well over a full minute (before I put a stop to it), completely ignoring any clones that got in between us. This one is going to the Bugs forum.

I still don’t understand why you want monsters to attack your illusions. If they attack your illusions, your illusions die and do no damage. It’s better to have monsters attacking you, because then you can avoid their damage by using the massive amounts of active defense that mesmers have and kill them quicker that way.

Monsters attacking you is better, this is the way it should be.

Edit: Also, this is hilarious:

Plus my Warrior sometimes-main character has been taken out of action thanks to the 9/9 Adrenaline nerf.

Fay.2357:

Hamfast.8719:

Nope. Busted again.

I went back again this evening. Everyone was totally ignoring my clones/phantasms/etc.

I experimented a little. I had two clones out fighting a guy, and I wasn’t attacking at all. I was running away. The bad guy religiously followed me for well over a full minute (before I put a stop to it), completely ignoring any clones that got in between us. This one is going to the Bugs forum.

I still don’t understand why you want monsters to attack your illusions. If they attack your illusions, your illusions die and do no damage. It’s better to have monsters attacking you, because then you can avoid their damage by using the massive amounts of active defense that mesmers have and kill them quicker that way.

Monsters attacking you is better, this is the way it should be.

Edit: Also, this is hilarious:

Plus my Warrior sometimes-main character has been taken out of action thanks to the 9/9 Adrenaline nerf.

Idk, maybe just one of those situations where you run out of endurance, health and heal so you want your illusions to delay time for you. The adrenaline cool off right after taking out the mob is a bit similar to mesmer illusions now, so if warriors are accustomed to carry adrenaline damage multiplier to the next battle (which was there for quite a long time) they might find it annoying.

Back to OP, maybe this will help, but its hard to predict with all those factors influencing aggro
http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Aggro

NICENIKESHOE.7128:

Fay.2357:

Hamfast.8719:

Nope. Busted again.

I went back again this evening. Everyone was totally ignoring my clones/phantasms/etc.

I experimented a little. I had two clones out fighting a guy, and I wasn’t attacking at all. I was running away. The bad guy religiously followed me for well over a full minute (before I put a stop to it), completely ignoring any clones that got in between us. This one is going to the Bugs forum.

I still don’t understand why you want monsters to attack your illusions. If they attack your illusions, your illusions die and do no damage. It’s better to have monsters attacking you, because then you can avoid their damage by using the massive amounts of active defense that mesmers have and kill them quicker that way.

Monsters attacking you is better, this is the way it should be.

Edit: Also, this is hilarious:

Plus my Warrior sometimes-main character has been taken out of action thanks to the 9/9 Adrenaline nerf.

Idk, maybe just one of those situations where you run out of endurance, health and heal so you want your illusions to delay time for you.

That shouldn’t really ever happen though…especially in the open world. You can always run with decoy to just get away if things go bad.

I do generally want monsters to attack my clones (but not my phantasms) instead of me. I even traited myself and pack Signet of Illusions to ensure they stay alive for a good bit of time until the time is right to shatter them.

Probably intended, it also affect ennemies in the new living story (my guess is that it works with every high level mobs). If you go into stealth, you will reset the aggro, and the mob will start attacking the clones/phantasms until all of them died. But they will probably get killed in two hits at best, and the moment there is no illusion, the mob will target you again until you go into stealth again.
Kinda like a bad player, actually…

Generally I prefer mobs attacking my clones.

In most of my experience so far levelling, I can always produce clones faster than a mob will kill them (even phantasms too!).

It makes taking debilitating dissipation etc. Worth it.

A lot of mobs die within a few seconds, so I’d rather the mob get distracted with clones than attack me.

In boss fights though, I’d prefer the boss attack me, but usually in that situation I’m not alone and usually not a target anyway.

Way way back, I had fun soloing difficult bosses/events, and I would want enemies to focus my clones instead of on me. (I soloed the fire shaman in the Iron Marshes, honest) Sadly with the megaservers, it’s next to impossible to find solo opportunities out in the open world nowadays…

Hamfast, if you really want enemies to get your clones instead of you, stealth away and they’ll drop aggro from you.

Different enemy types have different behaviors with regards to summons / pets.

Risen in particular are VERY keen on attacking players and ignoring almost all pets or summons. Happens with every pet in the game, clones and phantasms included. Risen just give zero craps about pets, they want players and only players.

Someone on the Ranger forum once stated that its because Risen, being zombies, are only interested in braaaiiinnns. And pets don’t have any :p

Electro.4173:

Someone on the Ranger forum once stated that its because Risen, being zombies, are only interested in braaaiiinnns. And pets don’t have any :p

So harsh. Dem pets has no brain.

Attack Of The Clones

Risen, “smarter” mobs, bosses and bears, of all things, seem to be the ones who most consistently ignore my clones when I open with them, all other things remaining equal.

There are definitely differences in how “gullible” some mobs are versus others, and I assume there are different tables for each mob type that determine their aggro mechanics and targeting priorities.

I prefer it when they attack my clones (I have four lvl 80 mezzies whom are all clone spammers of some sort), and really get a kick out of it when they never go after me personally.

However, when they do, they leave themselves wide open to my clones, who pound them without mercy (my clones are all about doing damage) and take them down while I dodge, phase retreat, block, knock back, kite or just banzai charge them, depending on what I’m fighting and what weapons I’m rocking at the time.

Though mobs who always beeline past my clones for me can be annoying, any mob that is consistent makes itself predictable.

And any mob that makes itself predictable makes itself my inevitable victim.

.

P.S. I predict “Eau de Clone” will become a very popular perfume among Mesmers.

Hamfast.8719:

Curunen.8729:

There’s a pun in here somewhere…

Maybe, but if so it probably stinks.

Well done good sir, well done.

Regardless of how different people play their Mesmers – whether or not they want monsters to attack their clones/phantasms/dopplegangers/twin brothers – mine are acting DIFFERENTLY from one day to the next. One day they get attacked by monsters. The next day they are all but invisible. No change in location or circumstances. This is a bug.

For you to engage in a fight with the exact same variables one day and the next is highly unlikely.

Without a change in location there are still other factors.

Who hits first, who hits more, who is closer, who crowd controls more (soft and hard), what crowd controls are applied, and more.

Esplen.3940:

For you to engage in a fight with the exact same variables one day and the next is highly unlikely.

Without a change in location there are still other factors.

Who hits first, who hits more, who is closer, who crowd controls more (soft and hard), what crowd controls are applied, and more.

Sure, if you want to get technical. Fine. Not EXACTLY the same. I begin in the same place. ROUGHLY the same time. My opening attack sequence is always the same. Then things can vary.

But please LISTEN to me. Some days no matter what I do my clones/phantasms (whatever) never ever attract any aggro in any fight I get into! It’s as if they don’t exist to the monsters. I could start the fight at maximum range by launching a clone, teleport out of maximum range immediately and STILL those bad guys would give my holograms no attention. This will go on from one fight to the next until I get disgusted and quit that character for the day. Next day everything’s back to normal.

If they stayed this way, I could work with it and alter my strategy to fit. But they don’t. My issue is that monsters change their behavior towards my duplicates from one day to the next. That is the bug I am experiencing.

Majic.4801:

I predict “Eau de Clone” will become a very popular perfume among Mesmers.

Avoid the Greatsword skill #4 “Phantasmal Berserker” at all costs. It’s whirling attack throws off the cologne, making it distinguishable from the caster. Then you’re really in the toilet.

Electro.4173:

Risen in particular are VERY keen on attacking players and ignoring almost all pets or summons. Happens with every pet in the game, clones and phantasms included. Risen just give zero craps about pets, they want players and only players.

I think this is related to how Orr used to function when the mob density was higher. Risen send out large-radius calls for help, which specifically target that player who the mob noticed. As the player is targeted, all extra mobs will just beeline for the player, ignoring pets.

This was 90% or so of what made Orr so dangerous that you actually wanted to group in the zones, back in the days. Stuff just kept coming from everywhere and kept ganging up on you.

Been a problem since release pretty much. Can’t remember if it was like that in the beta. It happens to anything that has “pets”. Ranger, Necromancer, Mesmer. Risen especially, will simply ignore in a lot of cases the pet and go straight for the owner. Can be annoying.