Guild Wars 2

Barrage isn’t enough…. Hell Ranger in general needs more AOE skills…but Longbow should be our AOE weapon in my mind.

I think it’s in SE story, but can’t remember. Eir is using LB I believe. She has some attack she spams that is like rapid fire, but fires in a frontal cone aoe instead. I’ve always thought it would be cool if our LB did that as well.

Dunno how effective it would be, but still……….

Anyone else remember the skills depicted on the GW2 site prior to release? I remember Serpent’s strike, barrage, and one other. It showed the Ranger wielding a torch, dropping it on the ground to create a fire field, (as torch 5,) then spamming “multi shot”, similar to the SB2, but unleased like 5 of them in 10 seconds. Who’s with me on a spamable multi-shot?

Spectre.6821:

Anyone else remember the skills depicted on the GW2 site prior to release? I remember Serpent’s strike, barrage, and one other. It showed the Ranger wielding a torch, dropping it on the ground to create a fire field, (as torch 5,) then spamming “multi shot”, similar to the SB2, but unleased like 5 of them in 10 seconds. Who’s with me on a spamable multi-shot?

that was the original version of the shortbow skill, also people have suggested before that rangers should be able to use staff (primarily as a walking stick function), have 1 on the staff be a melee hit and have 2-5 be functioning traps, much like necro marks, this would be a high aoe dmging weapon and would still fit in with the rangers description, also would be a call back to gw1 ranger trappers that used stakitten for trapping builds

lol staff(s) is censored…stakitten

Rangers have lots of aoe, bring some traps.

I’d like to see that back. Reminds me of my old Diablo 2 amazon. I had misty eyes watching that. :/

Cone attacks are nightmares in this game for the necessity to basically be point blank for full effectiveness. While that feel works well on the shortbow, the longbow doesn’t really suggest that type of combat, so my preference would be to avoid cones at all costs.

Personally, I think that guild wars 1 Incendiary Arrows and Barrage (gw1) mechanics should be reimplemented. Like changing the autoattack to hit targets adjacent to current target (or something similar on a cooldown).

Spectre.6821:

I’d like to see that back. Reminds me of my old Diablo 2 amazon. I had misty eyes watching that. :/

lol that was why the video was pulled from the site was cause it was not accurate to any ingame skill, also the bonfire in that video was much bigger and had a much better ground effect then the current version as well

traps wouldn’t be that bad for zerging if they had more then 600 range….But good lord, with that range you mine as well just be swinging a great sword at people.

Jcbroe~
I understand where the “full effectiveness” usage requires pointblank range, but I would visualize it more as an aoe mob damage skill. Imagine pumping 5 of these rapid fire into a zerg through a fire/poison/chill field. Or into a mob. You might only get maximum damage on a single person through shotgunning it, but the ability to synergize it into a mob through fields and do a fair bit of power damage to each would be invaluable to me. Are there better potential options out there? Probably. But these “fan” attacks have always seemed to fit the theme of a ranger. It would at least look bad kitten when you did it….

Spectre.6821:

Jcbroe~
I understand where the “full effectiveness” usage requires pointblank range, but I would visualize it more as an aoe mob damage skill. Imagine pumping 5 of these rapid fire into a zerg through a fire/poison/chill field. Or into a mob. You might only get maximum damage on a single person through shotgunning it, but the ability to synergize it into a mob through fields and do a fair bit of power damage to each would be invaluable to me. Are there better potential options out there? Probably. But these “fan” attacks have always seemed to fit the theme of a ranger. It would at least look bad kitten when you did it….

I get it, I just wouldn’t want it to be the only increase to AoE is all, because I’m already imagining being up on a keep wall in WvW wishing I had something more than just a cone AoE and barrage.

Maybe a reinvention of splinter arrow from guild wars 1, that maybe through a new grandmaster trait (goodbye Remorseless), arrows now “splinter” and hit adjacent foes. Just something simple like that.

jcbroe.4329:

Spectre.6821:

Jcbroe~
I understand where the “full effectiveness” usage requires pointblank range, but I would visualize it more as an aoe mob damage skill. Imagine pumping 5 of these rapid fire into a zerg through a fire/poison/chill field. Or into a mob. You might only get maximum damage on a single person through shotgunning it, but the ability to synergize it into a mob through fields and do a fair bit of power damage to each would be invaluable to me. Are there better potential options out there? Probably. But these “fan” attacks have always seemed to fit the theme of a ranger. It would at least look bad kitten when you did it….

I get it, I just wouldn’t want it to be the only increase to AoE is all, because I’m already imagining being up on a keep wall in WvW wishing I had something more than just a cone AoE and barrage.

Maybe a reinvention of splinter arrow from guild wars 1, that maybe through a new grandmaster trait (goodbye Remorseless), arrows now “splinter” and hit adjacent foes. Just something simple like that.

I would actually like splinter arrows to be a grandmaster trait more than jacking up the utility skills LB currently has, LB needs better survivability and usefulness, butting a bunch of aoes in it’s skills wont make it any better, if you haven’t noticed about ranger aoes is that they do significantly little dmg to a single target that is not an npc that will just stand there. so splinter arrows on shots is something I would like, even if it only procs on crits or past a specific range.

Jcbroe- The only issue I have with things like Splinter arrow etc. Is the requirement for direct target. My number one hang-up on LB is that you only have one functional skill to utilize if you lose target for whatever reason or want to place attacks where your enemy us going to be instead of where it is. Also, target able projectiles can be reflected where most AOE can not.

Barrage covers the circle drop AOE, so I can’t see them adding another. So I’ll take whatever I can get that isn’t a required Target attack…

Spectre.6821:

Jcbroe- The only issue I have with things like Splinter arrow etc. Is the requirement for direct target. My number one hang-up on LB is that you only have one functional skill to utilize if you lose target for whatever reason or want to place attacks where your enemy us going to be instead of where it is. Also, target able projectiles can be reflected where most AOE can not.

Barrage covers the circle drop AOE, so I can’t see them adding another. So I’ll take whatever I can get that isn’t a required Target attack…

Wouldn’t that be an extremely unique mechanic for this game though? I mean, I’m not saying I wouldn’t love it, but we only have ground targeted AoEs, single target AoEs (I’m thinking Dragon’s Tooth), and Point Blank AoEs, on top of any cleaves or bounces we get, and then cones.

Mesmer Greatsword has one, and I think Guardian Staff, in terms of the cone type attack I’m thinking.

I mean, I can start getting really creative with the types of attacks I can come up with, but I seriously have my doubts. Though some of my favorite ideas are:
-Played Green Arrow in Injustice? If not, picture the ranger getting a leap similar to a thieves death blossom, where they leap over the opponent and shoot an exploding (or barrage) of arrows down on them, or as a trap (with the exploding arrow).
-A quick spin that shoots a flurry of arrows in all directions (PBAoE), maybe with an evade (we need more lol).
-Shoots a single arrow for each target in the target area directly up into the sky, lands directly on them. Dazes/Stuns.
-Shoot an arrow that scatters spikes/barbs/poison barbs at target location

That’s all I feel like doing right now lol.

@ Spectre.6821
generally in most situations that you would lose your target are care about which target you hit with an aoe you could use traps to cover it, if you are thinking zerg splinter arrows would actually be much better than a ground targeted aoe since you can keep the pressure even after they shuffle around, generally when you use barrage any player with half a brain will get out of it and doesn’t take more than 1-3 ticks, so ground targeted will only do that get a few hits and nothing that would keep enough pressure to down or kill anyone, a focused aoe like splinter shot, would have the potential to down all of the original targets if they stay close to your personal target that you choose.

Jcbroe~
I do see your point on fan attacks, and won’t refute that it has the potential to being boring/contrary to design in some uses. I just like the option personally lol. I do like the mechanic of splinter shot, but thing it would be more effective as a new grand master trait to tie in to Marksmanship. The concern here would be in the potential to be OP when combined with piercing arrows. No matter where you put splinter shot, it would really affect that trait in an imbalanced way. A whirl finisher on the bow also seems clunky to me, and would most likely root us adding even less mobility on the weapon that needs it most right now. Doing an arcing arrow/ cluster bomb cover would possibly also feel redundant. Again, these are only my personal feelings, but I assume some at least will agree with me. Regardless, I would accept any of the proposed in exchange for hunter’s shot or potentially rapid fire.

Criminal~
The situations that I refer to usually deal with targets lost to stealth, whether it be a single individual, or an entire zerg. I would like to have my bow capable of doing some functional damage to anyone who thinks they’ll shadow refuge out, our to place an aoe/line up a skill that will hit the stealthed zerg knocking on my base door, and prepping for portal bomb. The other location an AOE could be more effective is attacking/defending walls. Perhaps it is just me, but I often have trouble, even with a traited longbow, hitting most people on the walls if they so much as step back. Also even full zerker my single target damage isn’t that great on a enemy in the zerg. So if I had a little bit more AOE of any nature to add to barrage, well that’d be just swell.

@Spectre;

I actually preemptively though of a response to Splinter Shot being OP, and so I figured that the way it would function, it would only “splinter” when it hits its final target. Kind of makes sense too that while the arrow is piercing, the momentum is keeping the arrow intact, but as soon as it stops, it shatters and hits surrounding targets.

Jcbroe~
Very well designed, but what determines it’s final target? The game mechanics I think would have trouble with this. Also most effects trigger on first contact. I never really tested, but don’t things like bleed from sharpening stone apply to all targets it passes through? If it does, it shows the game engine is designed to treat that one shot as an attack, instead of each hit as an attack, and thus the game engine itself would limit this. If it only applies to first target then it would work more efficiently, but could negate it’s effect if one straggler body blocks the zerg. This wouldn’t be unfair, but would be aggravating. I also note that the long bow still gets “obstructed” a lot, which would severely enrage me when it “obstructs” my splinter. AOE attacks don’t seem to encounter this problem.

A suggestion that may be disliked and probably not well thought out. What if piercing arrows trait was just rewritten/altered to Marksman’s Arrows. Short bow arrows pierce. Longbow arrows Splinter.

This would also add a distinguishing feature for the dual bow runners…

IDK.

Spectre.6821:

A suggestion that may be disliked and probably not well thought out. What if piercing arrows trait was just rewritten/altered to Marksman’s Arrows. Short bow arrows pierce. Longbow arrows Splinter.

This would also add a distinguishing feature for the dual bow runners…

IDK.

that is actually pretty cool cause it would do what it needs too still, one of the main reasons to use piecing arrows is on targets that have a lot of fodder around them and splinter on LB would still take care of fodder while impacting the target, this is the same as piercing arrows they still go through and take care of fodder while impacting target. I actually like this one very much and I would be happy with this change. both pve and pvp wise this would work in the game and also not be incredibly horrible granted that the splinter hits enough targets to actually make up for the lack of piercing, if it would be only 3 targets it would not be worth the change.

I’d say splinter should then create a 360 aoe blast of up to 5 targets… that’d be my personal happy spot.

I think ranger needs some specific role, that will make him wanted in some groups. Incoming (hopefully…) change to LB is good chance to make it. Considering LB “feeling” and what other classes already do, I think it should go into high single target burst. I’d love LB ranger to be known as a build that is meant to burst down enemy casters or commanders
In most games I played (and I always play archers :p ) bows are mostly single target weapons. They have some AoE options, but that’s not what they are for. I hope Devs think same about rangers bows.

Solution: Get piercing arrows trait, get the enemies on line with simple & smart movement, then fire your skills up to 10 enemy in line.
This is the only way you can achieve ~40k separated dmg as a ranger with a single skill.

Xsorus.2507:

Barrage isn’t enough…. Hell Ranger in general needs more AOE skills…but Longbow should be our AOE weapon in my mind.

No. It’s quite the opposite…other classes should have way less aoe skills.

I kind of had that opinion too, Xsorsus. Let’s see what the wizards at ANET can brew.

longbow become a rework.

i hope for some more aoe and one blast finisher…

should be something like this:
arrows should have 100% projectile finisher

longbow:
1: same but always full dmg.
2: same and should also fire multishoot ~5 arrows
3: this one should also have a side dodge (not back jump), give the swiftness to the
ranger and immobilize the enemy (the 10 vulnerability goes to skill 4)
4: this one is ok, but should have the 10 vulnerability (maybe this can be the blast finisher)
5: this one should be useable when running and fire only one times with high dmg and cripple (like in the game smite if someone know the archer there). maybe this should be the blast finisher

generaly. a dps ranger should have much much more dmg. they should do something, that give all the pet dmg to dps rangers and pet is only for support in such builds…

just dreaming around:

for pvp whould be nice to have a grandmaster trait in skirmishing which give the ranger invis when he is not moving and dont get dmg, cast time 3 sec.
the next attack out of be invis make much much more dmg (and daze?).
whould give some nice teamplay with thiefs and ranger, dont know.

in most books i read the rangers prefer fights from places nobody can see fast or use some surprise moments…
with this trait a full dps ranger, which die rly fast whould be able to join a fight in invis, but dont leave it easy