Guild Wars 2

Come on ANet.

I know some of you are out there reading this.

I’m here to thank you for your changes in the latest update. The changes you made were all a huge help to the community. You hit most of the QoL issues with the weapons we had and I just wanted to say
Thank You.

You always have to get through the hate of the community for giving them something they wanted … and I won’t lie, some of the hate is in place but this time you did a job smooth as f@$ß.
So knowing nobody else is going to say it – I’ll say it again. Thank you. Keep up this kind of good work.

I finally feel like I can pick any weapon I enjoy and make it happen without worrying of being a burden.

Right? I’m not too huge on the sword animations, but they did it. On the other hand, axe aftercasts, off-hand axe buffs, and shortbow buffs are nice. I can only assume the next phase is improving pets or nature aspects.

Cheers, Irenio!

Haven’t had a chance to test out stuff, but yeah, just from reading the build notes this is overall one of the best updates I’ve seen since I started playing this game. Thanks alot ANET!!!

Uh, not so fast please. why dont you test the changes a bit more rigorously before putting up praise threads? are you aware of what other professions are capable of? that being said:

OH axe has been made…viable, or almost viable. it’s a good offensive weapon that pairs well with sword.

MH axe is a fully viable weapon now, on condi and hybrid builds. i only wish aoe #3 was baseline.

sword works better, despite a big damage nerf.

sadly, SB changes were way off the mark. the entire weapon needs either a complete rework or more drastic buffs. i got excited for a split second when i heard about this, then my heart sank upon reading the changes and after i tested. every ability other than #5 is lackluster, and the weapon is still dependent on AA spam that inflicts more damage on the ranger via reflects, retal and confusion, than it does on the target! What gives??

and im still waiting on WH #4 to be buffed. it hasnt been touched since release. it’s a pure garbage skill that makes WH non-viable outside of niche might stacking builds.

some improvements, a lot more needed.

I like the fact that we can freely use sword, despite its overall damage losses. I feel that the weapon is still lost as a hybrid weapon in some senses. Overall I am happy with the changes.

Additionally, Axe got some really nice buffs, and I am really looking forward to axe off hand on the power build and main hand when I play condi. Still disappointed that quick draw does not work with whirling defense!

Shortbow changes were somewhat of an attempt to make the weapon use-able, however, until something is done with crossfire, it will remain near useless. Additionally, I think that poison volley needs to be reworked as it requires you to be in a dangerous position to use it. I think all the buffs we received are welcome, but none of them fix any of the issues that prevent SB from being an option.

All and all a good attempt at making us balanced with the changes rather than OP. Thanks anet.

Eval.2371:

I like the fact that we can freely use sword, despite its overall damage losses. I feel that the weapon is still lost as a hybrid weapon in some senses. Overall I am happy with the changes.

Additionally, Axe got some really nice buffs, and I am really looking forward to axe off hand on the power build and main hand when I play condi. Still disappointed that quick draw does not work with whirling defense!

Shortbow changes were somewhat of an attempt to make the weapon use-able, however, until something is done with crossfire, it will remain near useless. Additionally, I think that poison volley needs to be reworked as it requires you to be in a dangerous position to use it. I think all the buffs we received are welcome, but none of them fix any of the issues that prevent SB from being an option.

All and all a good attempt at making us balanced with the changes rather than OP. Thanks anet.

i say sword is fine as a hybrid weapon , its a not a power or condi weapon its a Beastmastery weapon somthing thats not Defined by its Stat choices, or coefficient levels after all this is the pet class and the AA does that perfectly. (though we could do with a extra poison stack on sword 3 and the obvious aftercast reductions.

we have Axe,GS,LB maybe even staff druid combo as a power weapon set ups .
need to keep 2-3 weapons as Hybrid choices to bridge the gap between Axe,sb,Warhorn,torch

Warhorn can be anything it wants through trait application its got decent damage and boon effects in power builds plsu can be great bleed application in condi boon builds.

To the Op , Over all i give praise for these changes/improvements lost some AA damage but much less Clunky.

happy with the changes so far. kinda sad we lost some dps on sword, axe/axe + sw/a may become the new power ranger setup with the changes to axe skills and aftercasts. also the trait changes weren’t as heavy handed as i’m used to seeing and i’m very happy about that. very few “buffs” but really only 1 painful nerf (SnR) that I can live with.

A slower approach to changes is what has been needed for all classes for some time now. make a small change, see how it affects all aspects of the game, then adjust.

I agree with the positives of seeing changes done.

I’ll will praise the changes to mainhand sword as a step in the right direction. However, I won’t be effusive about it: the work on it cannot be considered finished. If only on account of the animation – this can only be considered a stopgap solution that I hope will be improved upon by the July 2016 quarterly update.

Before, I avoided using it because it was a very double-edged tool… but it did look cool. Now, it’s… plain: I don’t want to use it because it feels boring.

@mistsim

I do agree with you. However, SB became one of the meta weapons for PvE. And no is going to prove this wrong.
About it’s utility… Yea, still feels underwhelming. But now what I feel is that we finally have a choice.

At this point each weapon has it’s rightful place in the game. Weapons are no longer the problem. (at least for PvE, but few classes have all weapons usable in PvP anyway)

If our traits get addressed – We have the potential to become a rightful DPS class.
(we should be able to achieve that if we ditch Druid for … let’s say BM or NM, either should work)

fair enough, im just talking about pvp.

Wondrouswall.7169:

Right? I’m not too huge on the sword animations, but they did it. On the other hand, axe aftercasts, off-hand axe buffs, and shortbow buffs are nice. I can only assume the next phase is improving pets or nature aspects.

Cheers, Irenio!

The sword animations arent as jumpy or animated but I really like the new one its still stylish and in theme with a ranger if you ask me, just more subtle.

Nice post Tragic Positive.

These kind of posts seem to few. Yes I also feel there’s things that can be improved, doesn’t mean a post like this is very welcome once in a while, thanks for reminding me.

Same goes for me, thank you Anet.

Ryou.2398:

The sword animations arent as jumpy or animated but I really like the new one its still stylish and in theme with a ranger if you ask me, just more subtle.

Good that you like them. Of the 3 Rangers I had, I deleted my Asura as the new sword animations for them don’t even compare to the old ones they had. Other races are all right… I guess.

Wondrouswall.7169:

Ryou.2398:

The sword animations arent as jumpy or animated but I really like the new one its still stylish and in theme with a ranger if you ask me, just more subtle.

Good that you like them. Of the 3 Rangers I had, I deleted my Asura as the new sword animations for them don’t even compare to the old ones they had. Other races are all right… I guess.

Well I didnt play asura ranger but I can imagine it might look worse, but look at it this way do you really think a ranger would be crouched down like a thief doing near jumping attacks in the same spot or do you think he should be using his sword in a more agile and quicker form distracting his opponents?

I don’t care about how a ranger is supposed to look wielding a sword. New animations aren’t my thing; take it and leave it as that.

Thanks for the post Tragic Positiv.
I was afraid that some irony would come along, but it didn’t (did it?).

Edit: I just wanted to add here, that I am rather happy with the changes as well!

Aside from the Search & Rescue nerf being overdone, everything else was golden. It was a great balance run for rangers.

Thank you.

This profession has a long way to go.

mistsim.2748:

Uh, not so fast please. why dont you test the changes a bit more rigorously before putting up praise threads? are you aware of what other professions are capable of? that being said:

OH axe has been made…viable, or almost viable. it’s a good offensive weapon that pairs well with sword.

MH axe is a fully viable weapon now, on condi and hybrid builds. i only wish aoe #3 was baseline.

sword works better, despite a big damage nerf.

sadly, SB changes were way off the mark. the entire weapon needs either a complete rework or more drastic buffs. i got excited for a split second when i heard about this, then my heart sank upon reading the changes and after i tested. every ability other than #5 is lackluster, and the weapon is still dependent on AA spam that inflicts more damage on the ranger via reflects, retal and confusion, than it does on the target! What gives??

and im still waiting on WH #4 to be buffed. it hasnt been touched since release. it’s a pure garbage skill that makes WH non-viable outside of niche might stacking builds.

some improvements, a lot more needed.

Agreeing with this post.
They made a good first step with polishing some ranger weapons, but there is still a pretty long way to go. Especially the shortbow needs more attention. Some Shortbow skills need a total rework, not just a bit longer condi duration or something like that.

Now all they have to do is give the sword auto attack swing sounds.

Gaile Gray.6029:

Thanks for the positive words. And thanks, too, for the ideas about areas in which we can make future improvements. Nothing is 100% perfect, for everyone, all the time. But we’re working on it, and feedback in this forum plays a significant role in the direction we take.

So thanks to all of you, and keep the ideas coming in this and the other threads in this sub-forum. While we don’t post here often, you can be sure the feedback you share is noted!

While we appreciate your response, Rangers need your love. Things like SnR were literally destroyed in the latest patch. With a 600 range and stomps with a range of 400, nearly every stomp in competitive pvp continues to finish a downed ally. Such a short range barely is able to get your allies out of cleave and massive elementalist aoes.
Thanks.

Well, this is a nice change of pace from the usual griping.

>Sword
I’m very glad Anet decided to tweak it. While I understand that some liked the kick/leap, I’m glad that we’re free to move about with it. I just hope that the aftercasts are addressed next time to get the DPS back, but I can live with it for the most part.

>Axes
Also some good changes here. Path of Scars can be controlled without worrying about obstructions so much and WD is a lot more potent (though I wish we could still move with this, I can accept it in current form). MH Axe is a lot better off as a proper condition weapon also. Overall, good changes for that weapon.

>Shortbow
Agreeing with the others that its a step in the right direction, but it needs more dynamic effects than flanking bleeds. There’s plenty ideas among the threads discussing the topic, so I hope someone picks up a few to consider.

>SnR
Please, PLEASE put this back to at least 900 range. The Cooldown nerf was warranted, but its range reduction is a bit too much. Its almost not worth using in its current form.

Sword waa basically unplayable as an Aussie player with high ping, and now it’s usable. Very happy.

I’d love it if the leaps forwards and back could be on separate skills and the current #3 could be second in a chain after the forward leap.