A challenge for the devs. Educate us.

A challenge for the devs. Educate us.

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Posted by: Oldbugga.7029

Oldbugga.7029

Here is the ANet view of the necro:

“Necro

The necro boasts the highest natural health of all the caster classes, and also has death shroud to extend that life total even higher. While they don’t have some of the escape or damage reduction capabilities that other classes boast, they do have a lot of ways to win attrition fights. They have access to poison on multiple weapons, they are able to combine condition damage with raw damage, and they have multiple disables to interrupt enemy skills. Necomancers also have multiple movement disabling abilities, while allows them to chase down enemies who are low on health."

Looks impressive doesn’t it?

IN THE SPIRIT OF EDUCATING THE PLAYERS (not unreasonable thing to ask for any software package) in what is a complex profession, could the devs please show us a build that incorporates at least a good part of that vision an a meaningful way. I keep running in to the either/or choices that leave me only one, at most two, of those aspirations being fulfilled and leaving me with a very narrow pidgeon-holed outcome.
Please avoid using broken traits and abilities like we have to.

(edited by Oldbugga.7029)

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Posted by: Levian.6742

Levian.6742

When they say we are hard to escape from, I have to assume they’re talking about a build that uses Spectral Grasp, dagger MH for the immobilize, Flesh Golem for the knockdown, and making good use of Dark Path.

All of this would be well and good if Spectral Grasp actually worked, if the AI on fleshie worked (currently all he is, is an extra utility for a knockdown), and if the dagger had any sort of AoE damage. I have very rarely encountered 1v1 fights in sPvP. Sometimes it’ll start that way but within 20 seconds an enemy shows up, basically ensuring defeat with no aoe abilities (aside from our easily escapable wells)

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Posted by: XiL.4318

XiL.4318

On the main page of the website under “Professions” Necro is clearly defined.

We are not getting what was sold to us. There is no build.

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Posted by: Knote.2904

Knote.2904

IMO that was a pretty crappy description, the one Jon gave us in a post long ago was better.

This one basically just lists our skills and states the obvious. “Oh necro has high hp and death shroud, and um, a short fear to interupt, and some slows and stuff”.

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Posted by: XiL.4318

XiL.4318

IMO that was a pretty crappy description, the one Jon gave us in a post long ago was better.

This one basically just lists our skills and states the obvious. “Oh necro has high hp and death shroud, and um, a short fear to interupt, and some slows and stuff”.

I don’t care what Jon says. Jon did not sell me this game with his forum post. Anet sold me this game with Necro Trailers featuring minions and the description of Necro on the main page of the website.

I paid, I expect what I paid for. Not excuses.

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Posted by: Bellocchi.4593

Bellocchi.4593

We should ask for a refund.
I’m not being sarcastic.

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Posted by: Oldbugga.7029

Oldbugga.7029

Please don’t turn this thread into another whinefest. I really would like to see how the devs envisage a necro working in practice rather than just relying on the PR blurbs. If we all are missing the mark by so much then we NEED to be shown how it should be done because nothing I can conceivably build looks anything like their vision.

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Posted by: Knote.2904

Knote.2904

We should ask for a refund.
I’m not being sarcastic.

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/suggestions/Please-Give-Us-Class-Swap-Option-in-Store/first#post1009110

Come support this thread lol.

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Posted by: Thresher.3049

Thresher.3049

I agree with what they say as to what a necro is (but not in principle!) except for:
“able to combine condition damage with raw damage”

But maybe that comes down to the definition of ‘Raw Damage’, whacking away with a sceptre for 300-400 a smack + bleed is not very high damage at all. Compared to the ‘raw damage’ that something like a condition-spec thief or warrior pumps out, which is quite a lot of ‘raw damage’ and conditions on top.

Our big problem in wvw I’m finding is that the burst-dps and hybridised specs of other careers do what they do with ease and are easily rewarded with a result of killing someone (or worse, me!) in next to no time at all. Not equipping the necro with the ‘outs’ and ‘damage absorption’ options of say a bunker-elementalist or even a decently specced warrior/guardian is just saying ’you’ve got a massive Achilles heel, but we gave you a lot of hit points to make up for it!’
Reality is, hit points aren’t making up for any of it. The career is mediocre at best, with a pitiful amount of ‘self buffs’, barely any ‘group-friendly buffs’ and of course, if anyone ignores you for long enough and lets you dump stuff on them, of course they will die…

Don’t even start on deathshroud, it is a completely junk, downed state

Pinot Noir (Necromancer) Pinot Blanc (Warrior)
KnT Blackgate

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Posted by: Oldbugga.7029

Oldbugga.7029

The devs must have builds they use for testing and if they have formed the opinion that we are fine (capable of fulfilling that vision) and should just learn how to use DS then I fail to understand why we haven’t found that same character construction. To meet their expectations of what we are capable of we need some guidance so we are not just pigeon-holed into roles better filled by other professions in the first place.

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Posted by: FourTwenty.4268

FourTwenty.4268

and if the dagger had any sort of AoE damage

why should a dagger, that is for single target damage, have any sort of AoE damage? lol

THIS is why the devs can not take these complaints seriously. you have not legitimate reasons to back up your wild, outlandish claims. theres /some/ aoe with the off hand dagger if you want. or switch to the staff which is all AoEs

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Posted by: Knote.2904

Knote.2904

and if the dagger had any sort of AoE damage

why should a dagger, that is for single target damage, have any sort of AoE damage? lol

THIS is why the devs can not take these complaints seriously. you have not legitimate reasons to back up your wild, outlandish claims. theres /some/ aoe with the off hand dagger if you want. or switch to the staff which is all AoEs

A dagger that we use to cast “blood” spells.

Thief has an aoe with daggers.

What sort of logic is that.

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Posted by: Oldbugga.7029

Oldbugga.7029

Please don’t derail the thread. It is about asking ANet for assistance in matching the vision they have for the profession with(a) viable build(s).

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Posted by: GodAtHand.5124

GodAtHand.5124

I would love to have this short description described to us more thoroughly. I think it would be a good start in actually trying to quell the bad vibes around here. Which won’t get better if they ignore it.

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Posted by: Xym.9417

Xym.9417

The devs use spreadsheets and test dummies. That is how they know the necro is fine.

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Posted by: Avigrus.2871

Avigrus.2871

A-net customer service is second to every other company… ever, ie last.

No communication. They ask us to post issues/problems here and there is no acknowledgement whatsoever.

Is anybody home? Helloooooo?

I bet that swaying chicken from the Simpsons is pushing on the keys at A-net.

80 Necro (5), 80 Guard (4), 80 Mesmer (3)
80 Ranger (3), 80 Warrior (3), 80 Thief (3)
80 Ele (2), 80 Engi (3), 80 Rev (2)

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Posted by: Oldbugga.7029

Oldbugga.7029

I really don’t want this thread to degenerate into a bashing exercise, as frustrated and disappointed as we may be.

It is a genuine appeal for help in meeting their vision for the profession.

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Posted by: Drarnor Kunoram.5180

Drarnor Kunoram.5180

A-net customer service is second to every other company… ever, ie last.

This is flat-out wrong. Their customer service is superb and quite likely second to none.

Their PR team, on the other hand…

Dragonbrand |Drarnor Kunoram: Charr Necro
http://www.twitch.tv/reverse830
I’m a Geeleiver

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Posted by: Fazzi.4876

Fazzi.4876

and if the dagger had any sort of AoE damage

why should a dagger, that is for single target damage, have any sort of AoE damage? lol

THIS is why the devs can not take these complaints seriously. you have not legitimate reasons to back up your wild, outlandish claims. theres /some/ aoe with the off hand dagger if you want. or switch to the staff which is all AoEs

thieves have AoE with daggers

you’re argument is instantly invalid

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Posted by: Oldbugga.7029

Oldbugga.7029

@Fazzi I don’t think that the issue you raised fits with this thread…please don’t raise peripheral issues here…there are plenty of other threads or make another one.

I am trying to keep this thread as plain and simple as it can be without “noise”. We NEED help from ANet to show us how to achieve their vision of the necro.

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Posted by: QSpec.4298

QSpec.4298

To keep it on track, I largely agree with OP.

We do have one of the highest natural health of all of the casters and DS, and I think we are fairly strong in attrition fights.

That said, our poison is overstated. We have no more poison than thieves or rangers do. Moreover, our utility poisons are odd skills that don’t seem to fit incredibly well into a lot of builds. I think the more fair thing would have been to point out that we have reliable access to poison on the scepter. Other builds (axe, dagger) are completely without poison.

We also have strong movement crippling abilities. I wish I had more to offer than anecdotes, but I have zero idea why other classes can escape me so regularly. I have cripples, chills, and immobilize (depending on spec), and yet most classes get away without much issue. Thoughts?

Anyway, I like the concept for the Necro. Thematically, darting in and out of DS while sticking to our target win or lose sounds kittening awesome. I have zero issues with the Necro being an all-in class. You engage me? Or I get the drop on you? We are going until there is one of us left. Give me this! But, in practice, this isn’t the case.

I feel like I have no real escapes while having many classes just slip through my grasp when the fight goes sour.

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Posted by: OmegaProject.9831

OmegaProject.9831

^^This.
(Note: I’m an average or below-average, casual player. I’m only rank 12 from sPvP, so take what I say with a grain of salt)

With respect to what QSpec has said, I’ve run a dagger power build with Spectral Grasp and the whole “snare” gambit. Thieves could still escape (and they probably “should”), Mesmers could escape (that may say more about me, though), GS warriors could flee quite easily also. Rangers with vigor can easily maintain distance, as well. Not many can deny that we have access to a plethora of movement inhibiting skills (every mainhand has one), but even crippled wild creatures are dangerous if you’re only armed with a spoon (unless it’s an avacado or something). But that’s a whole different topic, entirely and I’d prefer not to continue derailing this thread.

Anywho, thank you Oldbugga for making this thread. I was fairly surprised when I read ANet’s view on all the classes. If you go from top to bottom of their list, the start by sharing their ideals and goals for each individual class and where they “ideally” fit into the scheme of this game. But when you come to the Necromancer, it’s just as Knote said. They listed what ‘abilities’ the Necro has and did some hand waving saying “It works, somehow” and moved on. I would love to see a build from ANet that truly captures their vision of the Necromancer. I have actually worked a bit on a hybrid Dagger/Scepter build, but didn’t have much in terms of Rune/Trait/Utility support. I may return to it with the upgrade to terror and see what comes of it, but I’m still skeptical.

Take care everyone and enjoy the remainder of your weekend!

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Posted by: Gryph.8237

Gryph.8237

You are asking the Dev’s not only to educate us, but to care about the Necromancer class, and to care what the necro community thinks. However, let’s be honest, they don’t. The necro class is an afterthought class, and the classes the devs do play, have steadily been addressed and fine tuned. You can tell mesmers, thieves and warriors are their babies. They nerfed the necro damage and utility so much, and changed some core mechanics so that the class traits don’t synergize; the DS mechanic is slow and generally used as a get out of jail card, etc. etc. I will stop myself from repeating the valid complaints the community has voiced since the 2nd beta stage, including the stupid reanimator. To top things off, they are now going to nerf our AoE damage. Thanks Anet for solidifying my decision to shelf the class; you have successfully alienated your necro community, except for those diehards who likely play memsers or thieves as mains.

They have not fixed issues they EVEN ADMITTED existed in beta, so why do you think they are going to take more time out of their days educating us about a class they dont give crap-all about, when they can’t even use their time to fix the issues with the class. I don’t even know why I keep coming back here. I’ll admit that this is the only game I play right now (mmo wise) because I was just getting back into mmos and i did not want to WoW myself. So, I find a mmo that does the classes right, im audi5000.

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Posted by: sternenstaub.8763

sternenstaub.8763

As I see it right now, there are three options. Anet actually thinks the class is fine atm, and does not want to get into a discussion with us. Or they realy don’t know what to do with us, and of course they would not date to tell us this.
3rd option. They are doing a complete redesign of the class for the February content patch and just don’t tell us. This would explain also why they don’t use resources on the class, as most traits or skills might be completely different in 2 months Anyway.
Whatever is the case, give us a statement! Right now I don’t want to put more time in a class, that might be completely ignored in the next months. For me DS is not a fun mechanic, and a lot of traits are just not viable. If you could just tell us how you want to implement your vision on the class, we would at least be able to have a little faith. If you tell us the class is fine, I could finally let her rest in peace and reroll without looking back.

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Posted by: Ithir Darkleaf.7923

Ithir Darkleaf.7923

3rd option. They are doing a complete redesign of the class for the February content patch and just don’t tell us.

Epic post!
Seriously, how do you manage to have such a faith in ArenaNet?

~ The light of a new day

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Posted by: Visionary.5681

Visionary.5681

4th Option. They need the weaker classs, so that in pvp, people can play Thief, Mesmer, Warrior. Then come on the forums and tell all Necros and Rangers they need to l2p?

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Posted by: Oldbugga.7029

Oldbugga.7029

Seeing many other professions have had responses to issues arising from the patch and all we hear is the sound of “crickets chirping” I have my concerns about getting a meaningful response to this plea…and that is what it is…an honest plea for their guidance to meet their vision.

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Posted by: VileAndVicious.3219

VileAndVicious.3219

Bump

In hopes that a Dev might actually read this thread. I agree 100% with the OP. As I’ve stated in another thread the thing I want most from them at this point is for them to clearly state/define how they view this class and how we as Necro players should attempt to fill this role. Not to argue, not be hostile, not to troll. Just guidance, because at this point this seems to be the only option we have to possibly meet on some sort of common ground about the state of the Necromancer.

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Posted by: chaos hammer.4936

chaos hammer.4936

and if the dagger had any sort of AoE damage

why should a dagger, that is for single target damage, have any sort of AoE damage? lol

THIS is why the devs can not take these complaints seriously. you have not legitimate reasons to back up your wild, outlandish claims. theres /some/ aoe with the off hand dagger if you want. or switch to the staff which is all AoEs

thieves have AoE with daggers

you’re argument is instantly invalid

Not that it changes the argument any, but a thief with two daggers gets one AOE and one bounce. Necros with two daggers get…one AOE and one bounce.

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Posted by: Amorlaliance.9156

Amorlaliance.9156

Bump

Dev went into mesmer forum. Necros’ one is not that far, is it ?

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Posted by: Allen.1620

Allen.1620

and pls show us how u hit a thief running with 50% speed cleansing in stealth every 3 sec how u hit him with staff auto attack ? I WUD LOVE To see that happening
else
1. refund us
2. let us change with lvl 80 other profession

_end _

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Posted by: gamefreak.5673

gamefreak.5673

Allen, last i heard the 50% still is not working yet, its bugged it seems. Secondly i dont think any necro can make staff 1 hit players on a regular basis since it takes 3-4 seconds to get to the 1200 range and as long as they move left or right for strafing it will miss. Its like how ranger arrows often missed so much because of travel time.

(edited by gamefreak.5673)

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Posted by: Allen.1620

Allen.1620

so they sold the game to us saying the game has no healer no dd no tank rite ?
now obviously if we cant hit a thief we cant kill it, teach me how to fight thieves now ……. btw i have 14k kills in wvw hav world completion 3k + achievements, and i used to win 90% times against thives

I only playing this game for necro as i did at gw1 …….. i paid i want services thats been promised pre purchase

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Posted by: gamefreak.5673

gamefreak.5673

i am just saying hitting players with staff 1, not everything else. I fight/fought thieves often, i seldom lost nor did i win because over 90% of the fights they already escaped.

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Posted by: Allen.1620

Allen.1620

yea my mistake 90% time they escape am not able to kill em, thats true but i assume thats a win, i totally wrote wrong am a lil kitten /p>

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Posted by: gamefreak.5673

gamefreak.5673

I dont consider it a win unless the corpse of the player is at my feet, but thats me. Now back to the treads purpose. I would love to see build’s that works the way the devs vision they want for the necro. Not one but multiple ways it can be done, i am having a hard time thinking of even one that works the way they think.

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Posted by: Allen.1620

Allen.1620

yea thats why i said i wrote it wrong……. my mistake, but i ask devs to show us least 2 types of builds that works

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Posted by: TheSaint.8072

TheSaint.8072

Here is the ANet view of the necro:

“Necro

The necro boasts the highest natural health of all the caster classes, and also has death shroud to extend that life total even higher. While they don’t have some of the escape or damage reduction capabilities that other classes boast, they do have a lot of ways to win attrition fights. They have access to poison on multiple weapons, they are able to combine condition damage with raw damage, and they have multiple disables to interrupt enemy skills. Necomancers also have multiple movement disabling abilities, while allows them to chase down enemies who are low on health."

Looks impressive doesn’t it?

IN THE SPIRIT OF EDUCATING THE PLAYERS (not unreasonable thing to ask for any software package) in what is a complex profession, could the devs please show us a build that incorporates at least a good part of that vision an a meaningful way. I keep running in to the either/or choices that leave me only one, at most two, of those aspirations being fulfilled and leaving me with a very narrow pidgeon-holed outcome.
Please avoid using broken traits and abilities like we have to.

Honestly that description apply well to sPVP… while I do not see any use to chase or immobilize a fractal boss that hit for 7-20k of damage with a cloth user….even with DS.
Also..in PVE high end (read fractals) dagger- axe and horn are pretty useless.

All Life end in Death, and Death…is only the beginning…

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Posted by: sternenstaub.8763

sternenstaub.8763

Bump

I expect an answer from Anet on this one…

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Posted by: Aralon.7501

Aralon.7501

ArenaNet,
If you think the Necromancer is fine and in line with the other classes. Prove that WE are wrong and why YOU think we are a good class. Show a good build, calculations, whatever.

Aralon Mors – Norn Hybrid Necro
Aralon Scutum – Charr Healing Guardian
Far Shiverpeaks! – Guild of Tweakers [GoT]

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Posted by: XiL.4318

XiL.4318

ArenaNet,
If you think the Necromancer is fine and in line with the other classes. Prove that WE are wrong and why YOU think we are a good class. Show a good build, calculations, whatever.

Bud, you don’t get it. NO ONE AT ARENA NET PLAYS A NECRO. No one. There is not a single person in the entire company that could put together a functional Necro build let alone show it to the playerbase and explain its uses.

They stare at useless metrics all day and make decisions based on statistical nonsense. There is literally no possible way your request could be granted.

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Posted by: Aralon.7501

Aralon.7501

I think you’re right, so the class changes are random. Buff this, nerf that.

A day at the ANets office:
Hmmpf we have to do the Necro changes
Lets buff Signit of Spite
Great idea, I’ll add 10% and put +50% in the notes, no one will use this useless skill. And IF they find out “it’s a bug” (and never fix it)
Ok, done with the buffs, let’s nerf some stuff.
Staff is clearly OP! It even does AOE damage.
-30 % staff damage.

Add some water changes so the patch notes look like alot of changes.
Done

Aralon Mors – Norn Hybrid Necro
Aralon Scutum – Charr Healing Guardian
Far Shiverpeaks! – Guild of Tweakers [GoT]

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Posted by: XiL.4318

XiL.4318

I think you’re right, so the class changes are random. Buff this, nerf that.

A day at the ANets office:
Hmmpf we have to do the Necro changes
Lets buff Signit of Spite
Great idea, I’ll add 10% and put +50% in the notes, no one will use this useless skill. And IF they find out “it’s a bug” (and never fix it)
Ok, done with the buffs, let’s nerf some stuff.
Staff is clearly OP! It even does AOE damage.
-30 % staff damage.

Add some water changes so the patch notes look like alot of changes.
Done

I have a feeling since this is such a high scale project that it is probably a little more innocuous than all that. Like perhaps since all design decisions are made in voluntary meetings where each person chooses to be there based on its relevance to what they are passionate about working on, it is very possible that not a single person within the company is passionate about Necromancer, and as such Necromancer itself (being imaginary IP in a video game) has no literal voice nor a champion to broadcast it.

Aka: Nobody plays Necro so Necro problems are quickly turned through the machine to get them out of the Queue to make room for other things that people have a vested interest it.

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Posted by: glock.2089

glock.2089

Oldbugga:

Thank you for offering up this challenge. The onus is on Anet developers to provide more detail in how they expect Necromancers to be successful in an extremely competitive environment (WvW and sPVP).

From extensive conversations in-game and on the forums with other competent Necros it is nearly UNANIMOUS that the current state of Necro is unsatisfactory in its current permutation. To say it mildly, we have problematic mechanics and the most unsynergistic trait lines of any class (hey lets throw this in this line even though it makes no sense here).

Despite my reservations, I will continue to play this fun class even though my biggest gripe is that we are unable to run down an opponent who is intent on escaping in many situations.

In a party setting, it is almost guaranteed that Necros are running in the rear. Everyone laughs at Necros lack of movement advancing skills (no skill like Warrior sword leap) in addition to our lackluster/mediocre swiftness skills.

Wake up Anet: Access to swiftness alone isn’t enough to be competitive in WvW (and as for our most commonly cited/used movement skill, spectral walk, the secondary feature of spectral walk is a retreat skill not helpful for running down a wounded opponent). We play like a disproportionately slow caster tank in WvW.

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Posted by: Oldbugga.7029

Oldbugga.7029

I wouldn’t hold your breath for any response at all…they are stonewalling hoping it will all go away.

We compile a list of bugs as asked to and we get nothing from Anet.
We offer fixes and suggestions to fix issues and we get nothing Anet.
We whine and complain and we get (obviously) nothing from Anet.
We actually plead for help (this thread) and we get nothing from Anet.

The silence on this issue is as I expected because there is no such viable build. I was trying to get them to focus on an actual build rather than a metadata list of abilities which cannot be synchronised or achieved. The tools they have given us to meet the vision of the necro fall far short of what is needed. Lists of abilities they keep trotting out are not a build and they don’t realize (or intentionally chose to ignore) that. We cannot achieve anything like their vision with the current trait structures and skill sets.

I absolutely fail to see how they can just ignore this and ignore us as players who only want the best possible outcome for the game.

I have shelved my necro and the game until something changes. I could continue to play in the same mini-viable narrow support role but that is just plain boring and not consistent with their stated vision of allowing us freedom to chose…we can chose but only for inferior outcomes.

My reason for shelving the game is more the arrogant neglect of us as paying customers…typical of the “god syndrome” usually evident in closed shop IT provider environments. And as an ex-systems analyst and systems auditor I have seen it many times.

I won’t now be buying the 4 or 5 copies of this game as gifts for my teenage grandkids purely because of this sort of treatment…I do not want to be responsible for exposing them to such blatant abuse of the provider/customer pact that is entered into when you buy this game. And I will not hesitate to relate this treatment to anyone who asks me about Anet products. (sheesh now I have to find another gift for them…and that’s hard to do for teenagers)

I sincerely hope that Anet get their act together on this…..it may be internally seen as being tough and in control but it is misguided. All it is doing is alienating their paying customers. And it is a downward spiral unless they change it.

(edited by Oldbugga.7029)

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Posted by: QSpec.4128

QSpec.4128

To keep it on track, I largely agree with OP.

We do have one of the highest natural health of all of the casters and DS, and I think we are fairly strong in attrition fights.

That said, our poison is overstated. We have no more poison than thieves or rangers do. Moreover, our utility poisons are odd skills that don’t seem to fit incredibly well into a lot of builds. I think the more fair thing would have been to point out that we have reliable access to poison on the scepter. Other builds (axe, dagger) are completely without poison.

We also have strong movement crippling abilities. I wish I had more to offer than anecdotes, but I have zero idea why other classes can escape me so regularly. I have cripples, chills, and immobilize (depending on spec), and yet most classes get away without much issue. Thoughts?

Anyway, I like the concept for the Necro. Thematically, darting in and out of DS while sticking to our target win or lose sounds kittening awesome. I have zero issues with the Necro being an all-in class. You engage me? Or I get the drop on you? We are going until there is one of us left. Give me this! But, in practice, this isn’t the case.

I feel like I have no real escapes while having many classes just slip through my grasp when the fight goes sour.

Just popping in to say hi!

Ontopic: I started leveling a Necro as I wanted to run a caster class but I’ve been reading your forums and I’m rather dissapointed. I loved beeing a Minion Master in GW1 but I understand that it’s not really viable here. I guess I’ll have to play a mesmer…

A challenge for the devs. Educate us.

in Necromancer

Posted by: glock.2089

glock.2089

“The silence on this issue is as I expected because there is no such viable build.”

Oldbugga I think you honed in on the seminal issue. It’s crickets cause they have no response either willfully or out of sheer ignorance from no one on the staff playing Necro on any sort of routine basis. It is their loss as we all know that Necro attracts some of the most ardent, passionate and dedicated players in the game. It is easier to cater to the masses (Warriors etc.).

Still the figures don’t lie, Necro is one of the least played classes (in particular in sPVP /tPVP) for a reason (metrics validate this) and it’s a shame for many of us who have invested hundreds of hours into this class to be willfully stonewalled by Anet.

However, sometimes the squeaky wheel does get the grease so if we make our displeasure heard in a reasonable but strident manner they may have no choice but to revisit our obvious and glaring shortcomings (surely someone on staff is monitoring this thread?). We can only hope.

A challenge for the devs. Educate us.

in Necromancer

Posted by: Andlat Helsonr.1284

Andlat Helsonr.1284

To be entirely honest – I think that the necromancer is in a better shape than this forum makes it out to be.

In PvP I am more than able to both play as a teamfight-centric AoE condition spread necromancer, as a semi-tank and as a point holder. And I am not even good at PvP since my time is severely limited by my university schedule. I am sure that high-tier PvP players can come up with all kind of crazy builds that are viable as well.

I also think that the claim that nobody at A-net plays necromancer is vastly exaggerated. Ever since the betas they have been telling us that they playtest all the classes internally so that they can come up with and nerf overpowered builds before they came into play in the lives servers (acting proactively).

I assume that in their point of view, the necromancer has large base health + death shroud. Because of this our dmg and escape mechanisms are seemingly lackluster. While it is true that the warrior also has large HP pool + heavy armor, he need to go in melee to deal most of his dmg and does not have nearly as much condition control as we do.

What I agree with, however, is that our bugged skills need fixing asap. It is unreasonable to have skill and trait pools effectively smaller than the ones of other classes. Axe damage also needs some love – currently, I can not even outdamage the healing of some of the classes with the axe if I am power-specced, and they just remove the conditions or keep up with huge HP regen if I am condition-specced, making the necomancer’s envisioned role of an attrition fighter seem lacking compared to what other classes get.

Just my 2 cents.

A challenge for the devs. Educate us.

in Necromancer

Posted by: glock.2089

glock.2089

“I am sure that high-tier PvP players can come up with all kind of crazy builds that are viable as well.”

Andlat you sound like an optimist and I respect that but the reality is that NO top drawer, competitive tPVP teams use Necro as it is simply less effective in comparison at that level (sure their are some rare exceptions by some extremely gifted players; these are isolated cases). 1. anecdotal evidence 2. first person experience and 3. gathered metrics indicate that Necro in its present state is simply inferior/less used especially when compared on an apples to apples basis with mesmer/guardian/thief in terms of competitive play team abilities:

Poll of over 5,000 GW2 players indicating Necromancer is the least played class in general (and as one MBA professor drilled into me “the market never lies”).

http://imgur.com/a/O2e9X

Corroborative evidence consisting of multiple threads backing up the fact that Necromancer is extremely unpopular across the board (for instance):

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/pvp/pvp/Necromancer-least-desired-class-in-spvp/first#post72967

This rings true no matter how many times one is given “l2p” responses by other classes who are laughing all the way to the bank.

Even John Peters the lead game designer himself admitted THREE MORTHS AGO that:

“The problem this is causing for Necromancers is that they do not have a lot of build diversity in this meta, because they don’t have any great power builds they can turn to. What I would like to try and do is increase build diversity…I don’t believe we have really seen what strong Necromancers can do yet.”

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/pvp/pvp/I-play-a-necro-but-I-traid-a-warrior-for-one-play-session/page/2#post116878

Mr. Peters has yet to make good on these assurances and we seek to provide a helpful reminder that this and other tweaks still need to be executed. We are dutifully waiting.

A challenge for the devs. Educate us.

in Necromancer

Posted by: Andlat Helsonr.1284

Andlat Helsonr.1284

If indeed the necromancer is ignored by the vast majority of high-ranked PvP-ers ,then perhaps there indeed is a problem. I have no observations so I have to ask – is it the only class in that condition ? And if the Necro is so underplayed compared to everyth else, then perhaps the incoming AoE nerf will not hit us (hard). If there are at least 2 or 4 other classes which are not-so-favoured in high-end-pvp, then perhaps it is the current meta that is causing the issues.

What irritates me the most is that even the most obvious of bugs are not fixed yet. I understand their babysteps philosophy, but even if they ignore the community’s plea for buffs, they should at least fix the things that do not work correctly to begin with.

I remember how awesome the necro was back in BWE 1 and 2, before both our damage and survivability got nerfed into the ground. I still hope that we will see improvements sooner or later (being a GW1 vet, I assume later), and hope that we will not end up like the poor poor Paragons.