Guild Wars 2

What I mean by the title is that the builds that take the least effort are more effective than builds requiring more effort to play well.

For example, I play a condi-regen-toughness ranger in WvW and I feel amazingly powerful in 1vX and small groups. The odd part is that it is very easy to do damage—just press my attacks. Sure, timing and good sequencing of attacks produces optimal damage, but this doesn’t matter much except in rare fights. Basically spam your condition applicators, throw in a few evades, let your toughness and high healing soak up the damage and profit.

I’ve also been playing power-based LB-S/D build. To get even marginal levels of damage, I sacrifice toughness (though it remains good) and healing relative to the condition build. I do WAAY less damage with this build, can’t clear camps effectively, and have to work my kitten off in fights against other players for attaining any results. Doing effective damage requires careful sequencing of long-bow attacks, timely weapon swapping, timing RAO with rapid fire/barrage to get 25 might stacks on pet, etc. Even when it all goes perfectly, I still don’t drop people as fast as I do with the easier to play condi-regen build. The only advantage this build has is great mobility and evades. But it is FUN…just wish it was more effective.

I wish the harder to play builds were more effective (if played well) than the easy to play ones.

This post is spot on. I ran the same two builds (same first, a little different second) and I thought I was the best player in the game roaming WvWvW with the regen build. Then I realized it was just the build and I slap 1-5 without thought and still win most of the time.

Direct damage builds have become better, but they aren’t quite there yet. It’s the same for support builds. Condition damage builds and bunker builds, are still what the Ranger does best.

Agree 100%.

It’s something ANET needs to keep working on.

Part of the problem is how easy it is to stack defensive and offensive stats for condi builds (condition damage, toughness, healing power) compared to direct damage builds (power, precsion, crit damage, toughness, healing power).

I have more fun with my direct damage builds but its disappointing I can’t use them as well in small group combat

Good post. I pretty much agree with most of it. The supply camp success with condition build though is a product of the AOE. Single target like 1 guard or 1 yak the power build will kill it faster. I do know when I am power build I won’t attempt supply camps during a busy time. Takes too long.

GUFF.5692:

Agree 100%.

It’s something ANET needs to keep working on.

Part of the problem is how easy it is to stack defensive and offensive stats for condi builds (condition damage, toughness, healing power) compared to direct damage builds (power, precsion, crit damage, toughness, healing power).

I have more fun with my direct damage builds but its disappointing I can’t use them as well in small group combat

Well that should be the thing. It takes time to deal damage with condi builds so they need the sustain. If you’re running full power dealing direct damage should, by normal standards, be faster.
Risk vs Reward.
The problem is that Ranger cannot apply the amounts of damage needed to maintain such a trade off due to our profession mechanic and the way all of our weapon skills are designed.
That is sadly why they are seen as much inferior in that category while seen as above average in other category because we can spec for that sustain while simultaneously specing pets for DPS.
This leads to problems in group play and challenging content as we cannot bring the DPS without the pet specifically for it. Pets are drastically limited to an AI which obviously cannot react as a human as well as never being able to deal any sorts of AoE.

The entire class is a mess and almost every single aspect needs a major overhual.

While I think you’re overstating the skill level in longbow/s+d a bit, you’re pretty much right in general. This class simply has a very low skill floor and a very low skill ceiling. The reason for this is the class lacks complexity and depth. This is why I find the class so boring to play. Even when roaming and playing against good players, I find all I do is run around in circles with auto-attack on 90% of the time.

Some things that can be done to resolve this?

For starters, make it so we don’t need 30 points in a tree for a skill to be useful. This is a problem with both signets and spirits.

Secondly, make pet F2 abilities fire off instantly when you push the F2 button. They shouldn’t need to wait for an attack chain to finish, to stop moving etc. If they want to play their obscenely long animation after the skill is used, I couldn’t care less. But the majority of pet F2 abilities are 100% useless because they’ll never hit anyone. This is why players use dogs (for passive RNG auto downs) and drakes (passive blast finishers).

Third, give up with needing every weapon requiring 3 or 4 utility spells leaving only auto attack to deal damage. This class has such low burst and AE (noncondi) potential it’s pitiful. I’m fine with tying the class’ burst to the pet F2 abilities… but see above on how that’s simply not working right now.

Castaliea.3156:

GUFF.5692:

Agree 100%.

It’s something ANET needs to keep working on.

Part of the problem is how easy it is to stack defensive and offensive stats for condi builds (condition damage, toughness, healing power) compared to direct damage builds (power, precsion, crit damage, toughness, healing power).

I have more fun with my direct damage builds but its disappointing I can’t use them as well in small group combat

Well that should be the thing. It takes time to deal damage with condi builds so they need the sustain. If you’re running full power dealing direct damage should, by normal standards, be faster.
Risk vs Reward.
The problem is that Ranger cannot apply the amounts of damage needed to maintain such a trade off due to our profession mechanic and the way all of our weapon skills are designed.
That is sadly why they are seen as much inferior in that category while seen as above average in other category because we can spec for that sustain while simultaneously specing pets for DPS.
This leads to problems in group play and challenging content as we cannot bring the DPS without the pet specifically for it. Pets are drastically limited to an AI which obviously cannot react as a human as well as never being able to deal any sorts of AoE.

The entire class is a mess and almost every single aspect needs a major overhual.

what game are you playing?

Prysin.8542:

Castaliea.3156:

GUFF.5692:

Agree 100%.

It’s something ANET needs to keep working on.

Part of the problem is how easy it is to stack defensive and offensive stats for condi builds (condition damage, toughness, healing power) compared to direct damage builds (power, precsion, crit damage, toughness, healing power).

I have more fun with my direct damage builds but its disappointing I can’t use them as well in small group combat

Well that should be the thing. It takes time to deal damage with condi builds so they need the sustain. If you’re running full power dealing direct damage should, by normal standards, be faster.
Risk vs Reward.
The problem is that Ranger cannot apply the amounts of damage needed to maintain such a trade off due to our profession mechanic and the way all of our weapon skills are designed.
That is sadly why they are seen as much inferior in that category while seen as above average in other category because we can spec for that sustain while simultaneously specing pets for DPS.
This leads to problems in group play and challenging content as we cannot bring the DPS without the pet specifically for it. Pets are drastically limited to an AI which obviously cannot react as a human as well as never being able to deal any sorts of AoE.

The entire class is a mess and almost every single aspect needs a major overhual.

what game are you playing?

I feel I should ask you the same thing if you feel we are not inferior group members in large fights, do not lack faster front loaded power DPS options, are not becoming a liability the more challenging content is designed, and are not seen as above average skirmishers due to being able to tank while DPSing with a third party.