Guild Wars 2

I’ll cut to the chase, there is so much underwhelming ranger traits that they fail to see any action. This is also the reason why build diversity is really minuscule.

MARKSMANSHIP

SKIRMISHING

WILDERNESS SURVIVAL

NATURE MAGIC

BEASTMASTERY

StickerHappy.8052:

Refined Toxins

• Another underwhelming trait for a Master spot. Not only does the 90% threshold hard to maintain in pvp, it only does 1 stack of poison too.

The trait is not that bad. You don’t have to maintain 90% health, you (and your pet) just have to be above the threshold from time to time to apply the poison, since it has a ICD anyways. It is basically poison after every pet swap and often after you healed. It is not so much meant to be a dps trait, but rather helps to deal with all the insane healing arround. I use this trait quite often – in power builds.

StickerHappy.8052:

Bountiful Hunter

• Another trait that is so lackluster just because you need heavy investment on boon application in pvp in order to benefit from this trait. 1% is too low for it, 6 boons (which is rather hard to get solo will only give you 6% damage)

Changes

• You and your pet deal more damage per boon that is on you.

• Damage Damage per Boon: 2%

Reasoning: Making it 2% will be more realistic to get without a party.

You want to give ranger an adept trait that is exactly the same as other classes GM traits? Won’t happen.

StickerHappy.8052:

Companion’s Might

• This is a good trait although it pales in comparison with the other two on the trait line.

Changes

• Your pet’s critical hits heal a portion of their health. Critical strikes from your pet’s basic attack cause bleeding.

• Bleeding (6s): 132 Damage
  Healing: 500

Reasoning: We have so much ways of granting our pet might. Leeching attacks will make them more sustainable especially in boss mob fights in PvE for solo content.

It is a decent PvE trait the way it is.
I would keep the might, because i don’t want to be forced into NM all the time to buff my pet. And if the pet dies in PvE it is usually because of huge dmg at once, in which case a bit healing over time won’t help much.

Check your idea on LoYF. You tilted at the description after presenting your bounce change.

~I like Most Dangerous game change. That is something we really need.
~Invigorating Bond should get 600 range at the utmost minimum. You can’t control the position of your pet. Both 300 and 360 are a laugh.
~Predator’s Instinct would still stay a disappointment with the change you proposed. It needs something more. Cripple doesn’t help in PvE and it poofs away in PvP in no time at all. By presenting “Apply cripple to your enemy and Super Speed to you and your pet for 3 seconds when you hit an enemy below 50%HP; 15 sec ICD” This would catch my attention as a utility trait.

~I’ll add my personal candidate for Zephyr’s Speed. I don’t think you want to strip your pet of all the fury, quickness and might just to get that pitiful 3 second quickness and some random 3 might.
How about moving it to F2 ? Wouldn’t that feel a bazillion times better and more rewarding?

If Shortbow gets a bounce effect, I’d like for them to redesign mainhand Axe with it preferably becoming a condition based melee weapon.

Hell, I’d like for them to add a proper main hand condition based weapon regardless of other changes.

Tragic Positive.9356:

Check your idea on LoYF. You tilted at the description after presenting your bounce change.

~I like Most Dangerous game change. That is something we really need.
~Invigorating Bond should get 600 range at the utmost minimum. You can’t control the position of your pet. Both 300 and 360 are a laugh.
~Predator’s Instinct would still stay a disappointment with the change you proposed. It needs something more. Cripple doesn’t help in PvE and it poofs away in PvP in no time at all. By presenting “Apply cripple to your enemy and Super Speed to you and your pet for 3 seconds when you hit an enemy below 50%HP; 15 sec ICD” This would catch my attention as a utility trait.

~I’ll add my personal candidate for Zephyr’s Speed. I don’t think you want to strip your pet of all the fury, quickness and might just to get that pitiful 3 second quickness and some random 3 might.
How about moving it to F2 ? Wouldn’t that feel a bazillion times better and more rewarding?

Very good changes bro, Ill edit my post if you do not mind.

UmbraNoctis.1907:

StickerHappy.8052:

Refined Toxins

• Another underwhelming trait for a Master spot. Not only does the 90% threshold hard to maintain in pvp, it only does 1 stack of poison too.

The trait is not that bad. You don’t have to maintain 90% health, you (and your pet) just have to be above the threshold from time to time to apply the poison, since it has a ICD anyways. It is basically poison after every pet swap and often after you healed. It is not so much meant to be a dps trait, but rather helps to deal with all the insane healing arround. I use this trait quite often – in power builds.

StickerHappy.8052:

Bountiful Hunter

• Another trait that is so lackluster just because you need heavy investment on boon application in pvp in order to benefit from this trait. 1% is too low for it, 6 boons (which is rather hard to get solo will only give you 6% damage)

Changes

• You and your pet deal more damage per boon that is on you.

• Damage Damage per Boon: 2%

Reasoning: Making it 2% will be more realistic to get without a party.

You want to give ranger an adept trait that is exactly the same as other classes GM traits? Won’t happen.

StickerHappy.8052:

Companion’s Might

• This is a good trait although it pales in comparison with the other two on the trait line.

Changes

• Your pet’s critical hits heal a portion of their health. Critical strikes from your pet’s basic attack cause bleeding.

• Bleeding (6s): 132 Damage
  Healing: 500

Reasoning: We have so much ways of granting our pet might. Leeching attacks will make them more sustainable especially in boss mob fights in PvE for solo content.

It is a decent PvE trait the way it is.
I would keep the might, because i don’t want to be forced into NM all the time to buff my pet. And if the pet dies in PvE it is usually because of huge dmg at once, in which case a bit healing over time won’t help much.

Bountiful Hunter

Are you talking bout these?

• Mainly gotten for the virtues, its not even the boon damage, its just the bonus. Also It’s a MINOR trait. No comparison. You do not have any competition when traiting.

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Power_of_the_Virtuous

• Although a bit different, this is actually a NO brainer, this is in all aspects stronger, especially in PvP. 5 boons on an ele (Which 90% OF THE TIME) easy 15% damage modifier

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Destruction_of_the_Empowered

• Master trait, yes the change I am proposing is stronger, But please let us not delude ourselves here, Ranger vs Warrior Damage Coefficients? It might be even in the long run with my changes. + They also have another option from the latter i mentioned.

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Empowered

• Yes GM, but cmon do you think a Full Zerk Ranger can Outdamage a Full Zerk Staff Ele? I do not think so. Even without the traits. No contest.

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Bountiful_Power

You are basing everything on paper and traits alone, Those classes that have those traits have SUPERIOR Damage output compared to ranger, naturally they have to make a big investment.

Companion’s Might

You DO NOT HAVE to go NM to buff your pet. This is such an misinterpretation.

Axe AA? Blast Finishers from Firefields? Clarion Bond? Warhorn? Signet trait? Although to your defense, yes NM is the meta right now and ONLY if you want 20-25 might. But those options I mentioned are other ways of buffing your pet.

I’m always down for Healing Spring receiving a bonus from Trapper’s Expertise. Probably the only thing I’ll chime in on.

Of course a ranger isn’t going to outdamage an ele in PvE, but this isn’t a reason to buff a traitline that is already quite strong in PvP. Boon spamming NM druids doesn’t need more dmg.

And if you are concerned about ranger’s dmg in PvE, why are you suggesting a dmg nerf to BM ranger then?

Axe doesn’t give the pet might without NM (you probably meant sword?), blasts and other aoe buffs prioritize other players over the pet and are limited to certain (not optimal) weapons/builds in a solo setting, signet trait, srlsy? All those options can’t compete with companions might.

The trait is fine as it is, don’t change, what doesn’t need any changes.

UmbraNoctis.1907:

Of course a ranger isn’t going to outdamage an ele in PvE, but this isn’t a reason to buff a traitline that is already quite strong in PvP. Boon spamming NM druids doesn’t need more dmg.

And if you are concerned about ranger’s dmg in PvE, why are you suggesting a dmg nerf to BM ranger then?

Axe doesn’t give the pet might without NM (you probably meant sword?), blasts and other aoe buffs prioritize other players over the pet and are limited to certain (not optimal) weapons/builds in a solo setting, signet trait, srlsy? All those options can’t compete with companions might.

The trait is fine as it is, don’t change, what doesn’t need any changes.

I do get where you are coming from, but when do you exactly get this trait vs the other two in PvP? Never right?

I am just suggesting changes so that we also have competition on our traits.

Also, on a mender’s amulet, instinctive reaction will still outdamage that trait even with my changes, so yea.

It won’t see more use in PvP even with your changes, it would only be a nerf for PvE where it is a decent trait currently.

UmbraNoctis.1907:

It won’t see more use in PvP even with your changes, it would only be a nerf for PvE where it is a decent trait currently.

Why would it be a nerf tho? 2%>1%? I mean to each his own I guess. And please if you can comment on the other traits. Not only the ones you did not like.

I’m talking about Companion’s Might …

I like most of your ideas. The Zephyr’s speed change is something id be interesting in testing before committing to. But thats mostly because I have hte muscle memory for the pet swap heal as one combo down by now. But the ability to control it would be interesting.

Adding more duality (Putting the trigger effect on both ourselves AND our pet like on the predator’s instinct trait) is a good idea. We don’t have things like unblockable attacks because we have two damage sources. Enabling both damage sources to use our trait effects makes it more likely the “proc” wont pop on something like a block. Many of our traits would actually be useful if they were reliable.

The damage boost in nature magic is interesting. Not something I have really thought about before despite taking that trait often.

The invigorating bond change is nice. Though I would argue to increase the base healing effect instead of swapping the scaling. An alternate healing method for non menders druids makes it possible to focus less on druid itself.

If a base ranger could have another source of self recovery at the cost of a protection proc that seems like a fair trade.

Having more mechanics that only a druid will really benefit from won’t help our build diversity much.

Edit: I don’t use skirmishing enough to have a determined opinion on it. But the most dangerous game change to boons that have instead effect is appealing to me. Typically by the time your might stacks up high enough to be dangerous your pressured enough to be near death.

Shadelang.3012:

I like most of your ideas. The Zephyr’s speed change is something id be interesting in testing before committing to. But thats mostly because I have hte muscle memory for the pet swap heal as one combo down by now. But the ability to control it would be interesting.

Adding more duality (Putting the trigger effect on both ourselves AND our pet like on the predator’s instinct trait) is a good idea. We don’t have things like unblockable attacks because we have two damage sources. Enabling both damage sources to use our trait effects makes it more likely the “proc” wont pop on something like a block. Many of our traits would actually be useful if they were reliable.

The damage boost in nature magic is interesting. Not something I have really thought about before despite taking that trait often.

The invigorating bond change is nice. Though I would argue to increase the base healing effect instead of swapping the scaling. An alternate healing method for non menders druids makes it possible to focus less on druid itself.

If a base ranger could have another source of self recovery at the cost of a protection proc that seems like a fair trade.

Having more mechanics that only a druid will really benefit from won’t help our build diversity much.

Edit: I don’t use skirmishing enough to have a determined opinion on it. But the most dangerous game change to boons that have instead effect is appealing to me. Typically by the time your might stacks up high enough to be dangerous your pressured enough to be near death.

Zephyr’s Speed

Tragic mentioned this earlier and I do realize this a lot. For example, I love the jaguar F2, so a might stacked jaguar at 16 stacks is good but 25 is waay better so I want to add more stacks and quickness but This trait swaps the pet out and that built up buffs do not transfer to the next pet. I think it is such a waste. With the quickness proccing before the f2, all of our pets will have a shot at bursts, namely the drakes making our pets f2 more likely to hit.

Invigorating Bond

This trait has soooo much potential but 300 radius is crap. The reason I would like to scale this with our Healing power because Pets still do not have this stat, If the fern hound had a base healing power (or any pet), then yes let it scale better with it. But as it stands now, I think the easiest fix will just to be make it 1000 radius and scale with our healing power.

MDG

Dude, I completely agree. If you start with 0 might and proc this trait, It would only be dangerous if you reach 15+ stacks, you will be most likely get killed or forced to use a heal in order to make it worthwhile. With my changes, you get dangerous instantly after the proc, Quickness is very strong Fury too esp if you have NM or remorseless.

In 10 seconds, you also get 10 seconds worth of quickness, retal and fury. No ramp up time needed for these 3 buffs. Every moment during that time in those 10 seconds will make you deal more damage.

Another combo I was thinking was Signet of stone when you are low + Glyph of unity + retal.

UmbraNoctis.1907:

I’m talking about Companion’s Might …

Oops sorry, maybe you are right. Maybe we should buff the base might duration tho?

Dude what about the other ideas i posted? no comment?

Invigorating Bond is all right. I’d go as far as increasing the radius to 600 and place 2s of Resistance with it. That’s about it.

As for traits that grant effects on pet swap on F2 instead, I personally would like to see that spread out on the rest of the other pet swap traits.

Attach a bit extra to Zephyr’s Speed to retain some flavor while altering it to give some team utility and reduce its effectiveness to balance it out.

Wondrouswall.7169:

Invigorating Bond is all right. I’d go as far as increasing the radius to 600 and place 2s of Resistance with it. That’s about it.

As for traits that grant effects on pet swap on F2 instead, I personally would like to see that spread out on the rest of the other pet swap traits.

Attach a bit extra to Zephyr’s Speed to retain some flavor while altering it to give some team utility and reduce its effectiveness to balance it out.

Like what extra? can you show some of your ideas regarding the f2s. Would love to see it!

Marksmanship

-Enlargment – make it work like warriro’s last stand, in the sense that if player is CC, it breaks the CC effect, before giving the stability buff .

Reasoning: This twill make the trait much viable. Passive traits like this that give stability on spesifc terms should also break stun or you can just die in stun chain while having 5 stability in you(very annoying).

Moment of clarity – Give the 100% duration back,

Reasoning :
the change was questionable in the first place, nerfing vanila synergies lke Hit bash", it was rumored that this change was due to lunar impact synegie potencial, but after so many nefs to lunar impact daze duration, it makes 0 sence.

StickerHappy.8052:

UmbraNoctis.1907:

I’m talking about Companion’s Might …

Oops sorry, maybe you are right. Maybe we should buff the base might duration tho?

Dude what about the other ideas i posted? no comment?

I believe he meant you replaced might with pet heals. That is a DPS loss for PvE since you usually don’t take both BM and NM. You always take spotter.

Tragic Positive.9356:

~I’ll add my personal candidate for Zephyr’s Speed. I don’t think you want to strip your pet of all the fury, quickness and might just to get that pitiful 3 second quickness and some random 3 might.
How about moving it to F2 ? Wouldn’t that feel a bazillion times better and more rewarding?

Such a weird logic. The actual ZS actually help you to reapply boons on the new pet, to begin a new rotation. With your change, you strip all the boons AND get nothing on pet swapping unless you use Clarion Bond. Plus i don’t want a radius on this trait, and you seems to forgot that pets have very differents CD on their F2. The pitiful 3 sec of quickness when swapping pet is primary made to buff you rather than your pet and proc the boon to land a Rapide Fire as an example. Swapping pet while the one you actually use have a lots of boon, to land a burst with ZS is a strategic choice. You have an active trait 100 % on control that you want to move in a radius with the F2 and all the pets issues we all know ?

StickerHappy.8052:

Like what extra? can you show some of your ideas regarding the f2s. Would love to see it!

I would but then Borya brought up a valid point. Something to think about imo

More damage on weapon skills would be appreciated because ranger dps is disgustingly low. Yes druid is a healer/support but other classes bring support and still 50-250% more dps.

Erzian.5218:

More damage on weapon skills would be appreciated because ranger dps is disgustingly low. Yes druid is a healer/support but other classes bring support and still 50-250% more dps.

by that logic the nimbus we gor as a weapon should be the only one with low damage (thou not that low).

no, ranger has such a low damage because of the pet. get rid of the pet and give the ranger all the dps back!!

borya.2964:

Tragic Positive.9356:

~I’ll add my personal candidate for Zephyr’s Speed. I don’t think you want to strip your pet of all the fury, quickness and might just to get that pitiful 3 second quickness and some random 3 might.
How about moving it to F2 ? Wouldn’t that feel a bazillion times better and more rewarding?

Such a weird logic. The actual ZS actually help you to reapply boons on the new pet, to begin a new rotation. With your change, you strip all the boons AND get nothing on pet swapping unless you use Clarion Bond. Plus i don’t want a radius on this trait, and you seems to forgot that pets have very differents CD on their F2. The pitiful 3 sec of quickness when swapping pet is primary made to buff you rather than your pet and proc the boon to land a Rapide Fire as an example. Swapping pet while the one you actually use have a lots of boon, to land a burst with ZS is a strategic choice. You have an active trait 100 % on control that you want to move in a radius with the F2 and all the pets issues we all know ?

Good point. so why not we all agree to make our pets f2 more reliable to hit so we won’t have to rely on this trait?

anduriell.6280:

Erzian.5218:

More damage on weapon skills would be appreciated because ranger dps is disgustingly low. Yes druid is a healer/support but other classes bring support and still 50-250% more dps.

by that logic the nimbus we gor as a weapon should be the only one with low damage (thou not that low).

no, ranger has such a low damage because of the pet. get rid of the pet and give the ranger all the dps back!!

The damage I was referring to was ranger+pet not only the ranger. I said weapon skills because it is not fun to play against a pet as main damage source in pvp/wvw but for all I care they could put the damage on the pet, too. Just put it somewhere instead of nowhere.

borya.2964:

Tragic Positive.9356:

~I’ll add my personal candidate for Zephyr’s Speed. I don’t think you want to strip your pet of all the fury, quickness and might just to get that pitiful 3 second quickness and some random 3 might.
How about moving it to F2 ? Wouldn’t that feel a bazillion times better and more rewarding?

Such a weird logic. The actual ZS actually help you to reapply boons on the new pet, to begin a new rotation. With your change, you strip all the boons AND get nothing on pet swapping unless you use Clarion Bond. Plus i don’t want a radius on this trait, and you seems to forgot that pets have very differents CD on their F2. The pitiful 3 sec of quickness when swapping pet is primary made to buff you rather than your pet and proc the boon to land a Rapide Fire as an example. Swapping pet while the one you actually use have a lots of boon, to land a burst with ZS is a strategic choice. You have an active trait 100 % on control that you want to move in a radius with the F2 and all the pets issues we all know ?

You are kinda off-track, here. With F2 proposal not only you’d make pets F2 more appealing (Drakes, Bristle, other pets…) but you wouldn’t have to sacrifice any buff from pet at all.
Go through it again.

Tragic Positive.9356:

borya.2964:

Tragic Positive.9356:

~I’ll add my personal candidate for Zephyr’s Speed. I don’t think you want to strip your pet of all the fury, quickness and might just to get that pitiful 3 second quickness and some random 3 might.
How about moving it to F2 ? Wouldn’t that feel a bazillion times better and more rewarding?

Such a weird logic. The actual ZS actually help you to reapply boons on the new pet, to begin a new rotation. With your change, you strip all the boons AND get nothing on pet swapping unless you use Clarion Bond. Plus i don’t want a radius on this trait, and you seems to forgot that pets have very differents CD on their F2. The pitiful 3 sec of quickness when swapping pet is primary made to buff you rather than your pet and proc the boon to land a Rapide Fire as an example. Swapping pet while the one you actually use have a lots of boon, to land a burst with ZS is a strategic choice. You have an active trait 100 % on control that you want to move in a radius with the F2 and all the pets issues we all know ?

You are kinda off-track, here. With F2 proposal not only you’d make pets F2 more appealing (Drakes, Bristle, other pets…) but you wouldn’t have to sacrifice any buff from pet at all.
Go through it again.

I think he meant is when you actually swap pets, so if you have a boosted boon infused pet 1, when you swap to pet 2, pet 2 will start with 0 buffs vs The current Zephyr grants 2 boons to pet 2 when you swap and not with 0. I think that’s what he meant.

StickerHappy.8052:

I think he meant is when you actually swap pets, so if you have a boosted boon infused pet 1, when you swap to pet 2, pet 2 will start with 0 buffs vs The current Zephyr grants 2 boons to pet 2 when you swap and not with 0. I think that’s what he meant.

But why would he want to swap pets as a beast-master, in the first place…?
He could just as well swap pets + F2 for the very same result – thus having the boons after swapping. His statement has no logic if what you say is the case.

Borya meant ZS on F2 would mean 1 less option to boost a newly swapped out pet aside from Clarion Bond. He is also mentioning a potential drawback such as ZS being placed on the F2 command could be twisted in a way in which the player would have to be within a certain radius of the pet in order to receive the boons.

It’s an interesting and realistic way to think of it (imo) as Anet has “twisted” suggestions before. Granted, there is currently no trait in which a Pet will grant a boon or buff to only the Ranger and pet on F2.

All traits so far have a radius attached which can affect multiple allies, leaving the pet without said benefits if the target cap is reached. That being said, Clarion Bond can also suffer from this (without Fortifying Bond). A pretty fair concern & perspective, at least to me.

Tragic Positive.9356:

But why would he want to swap pets as a beast-master, in the first place…?
He could just as well swap pets + F2 for the very same result – thus having the boons after swapping. His statement has no logic if what you say is the case.

The idea behing the change you would make, is to buff a pet wich is already, as you said, pretty much well buffed with a lot of boons. So, you think that a pet with regen, mights, siwftness, fury ect really need on the top of that, the actual ZS on his f2 to be effective ? Leaving the second pet you need with nothing (outside Clarion Bond) ?

Because you need to swap pet, at a certain point, no matter what. And pet swapping is instant, so i don’t actually need to worry about any radius (or an f2 bug) when i need for ZS to land. I am sorry, but i can’t see any improvement with your change vs the actual skill.

Wondrouswall.7169:

[…]

Yes, thank you. You explained it way better than i did.

I still think that I do not want to blow my quickness for a newly spawned pet (and if I do I might him up with 25 with WHaO anyway – so that argument on newly spawned pet becomes useless, CDs are the same). I want to hit it off at it’s prime, which is usually it’s F2 (Tiger, Bristle, Jaguar, Drake…) and for that I want to have it at 25 mighted occasion. And if it’s a utility like Wolf, Smokescale or w/e I want to pressure at exactly that moment.

The only aspect I can really rely to is that ANet will make a horrible design of it and code it horribly – that I can agree is an extremely solid point on why not to change anything at all.
But with all due respect. Is here anyone who thinks the current form of Zephyr’s Speed is a worthy Grandmaster Tier trait?

(Edit: @Borya – you keep ignoring the fact that you could Swap + F2 your pet – which most of us do anyway – for the same effect, but you could proc it to gain Personal quickness without sacrificing buffs on your pet)

ZS on F2 does offer some options for older pets.

I personally dislike the idea of it being some radius based skill. If it procs in a radius it is technically a support capable skill and will be balanced accordingly. Something I want to avoid in this case.

Ranger HAS support builds and skills. What we don’t have is a single viable self focused build in any game mode. Every build we currently run is based on its team utility for atleast 30-40% of its in combat effectiveness. In the case of PvE and WvW our support becomes over 60-70% of our combat effectiveness.

I would prefer the ZS to still trigger on the ranger and his pet only. No radius whatsoever. When you press f2 it pops on the ranger and his pet.

And in return it keeps the duration and effectiveness it currently has. If I had my dream trait it would also give the pet super speed. Why? Becuase many f2s force the pet to stand still for a moment or two due to the animation. Even with quickness. There are also cases where the pet has to move into range. With super speed it would enable the pet to more easily enter combat range which I feel would do more to assist old pets then say pets like smoke scale who don’t NEED that kind of bonus to land there burst. It would be a buff to nearly every base pet however.

It is true that a beast mastery focused ranger does not want to swap pets. Mostly as a BM build I used to run dual wolves before HoT due to the balance of damage vs cooldowns vs surivability of the pet.

This is especially true in the case of a shout ranger. Who often has various unique effects active on there pet which are canceled by swapping.

However the current ZS isn’t a bad trait. Infact its quite useful as far as reducing the dps loss for swapping pets.

The proposed version if ZS isn’t bad either. The difference being is that both would be useful in different situations.

One thing to consider is that pets don’t have there damage loaded onto there F2.

Lets take wolves for example whos damage is based on its two abilities that it casts itself. Or cats who do loads of damage with there auto attack.

Instead of trying to rework the damage on ZS. I would focus on the ability to increase the reliability of the pets damage. In this case the super speed on the pet we recieve before.

Sic Em gives the same effect and it does wonders at making a pet more ability to fight a moving target depending on the pets attack animation. A second source (Super Speed + Quickness + Might (Super Speed only on the Pet not the ranger)) might go a surprising difference towards improving pet reliability.

But heres the crux of my issue here. A: Zephyr’s Speed as it currently is. B: Zephyr’s Speed as you propose it to be.

Both would still be decent traits.

Which I would argue means it shouldn’t be the focus of rework when there are other traits that need so much more focus.

Traits like Predator’s Instinct need the kind of attention people in this thread are giving traits that are more likely to be taken.

If both A and B work. Lets mention the two concepts but FOCUS on the traits both majors and minors that need proper reworks to function in the current game.

Anyways, to address some other valid points – I believe Steady Focus should not only affect our pet, but should work at more than just 1% range of our endurance bar.
I’d like to see it buffed to something like
~ You and your pet deal 1% more damage for every 10% of your Endurance.
(0% for 0 endurance, 5% for Half Endurance and 10% for Full Endurance respectively)

Reasoning: Our version of +10% damage trait is massively underpowered in comparison to other classes. Warriors can just dodge into their rotation to proc the damage to keep a practical 100% uptime. Once we dodge (and we have to) there’s no way we can get back to that bonus instantly. We are penalized unlike other classes.

Keep the ideas and conversations flowing guys.

PLEASE LOOK AT THE OTHER PROPOSED TRAITS TOO.

You guys are looking at the traits that are still currently taken right now. It is much better to focus on underpowered ones so we open more build diversity

Please and Thank you~

I’d personally throw a complete rewamp of Marksmanship minors.
They are completely useless in combat (require a grandmaster one to function there), and bring very little contribution overall… Fully buffed – Rangers are already on a 100% crit chance in PvE.

That change has been proposed a lot of times.
1) You and your pet have opening strikes (5 vuln on hit); 10 sec ICD; out of combat
2) Your opening strikes always critically hit
3) You and your pet gain opening strikes whenever you receive Fury
~Remorseless: Your opening Strikes no longer have an Internal Cooldown; Your opening Strikes deal 30% more damage.

Something like that. Since you mentioned underpowered ones, these are not to be overlooked.

Honestly I still wish remorseless made opening strikes unblockable. It would give us FINALLY an option to deal with all the rampant projecting reflection/destruction HoT introduced and would give the longbow its purpose again as a pressure weapon. Where as now its only a POTENTIAL burst weapon. Something you use to force someone to pop a cooldown so you can kill them with more reliable means.

Well, HERE is always a decent start. Fits more into the “tweaks” bit of the thread, at least.

Wondrouswall.7169:

Well, HERE is always a decent start. Fits more into the “tweaks” bit of the thread, at least.

Is it okay to fuse your ideas here on one thread?

StickerHappy.8052:

Wondrouswall.7169:

Well, HERE is always a decent start. Fits more into the “tweaks” bit of the thread, at least.

Is it okay to fuse your ideas here on one thread?

The more attention we get the better.
Always leave the link to the original thread, though.

*Merge ‘Poison Master’ with ‘Refined Toxins’ since they’re rather similar traits and neither screams “GM” to me.

*Move ‘Honed Axes’ to the Wilderness Survival line to replace ‘Poison Master’ and maybe give it a 5-10% damage bonus to Axe to buff its damage a bit. (moved since the trait didn’t have much synergy with the BM traitline)

*In the Beastmastery line, add a GM trait that provides a few seconds of Resistance on pet swap or pet F2, whichever seems more balanced. This would let us choose between condition defense, buffing you and your pets damage or a CC trait in that traitline.

*Make the damage bonus from ‘Two-handed Training’ baseline and add a modifier that gives your pet a small damage increase on a target you hit with a greatsword critical hit or the ‘Maul’ skill, whichever seems fairer.

*Make ’Pet’s Prowess’ baseline and replace it with ‘Fortifying Bond’. Make a new trait to replace the now empty Minor in Nature Magic

psizone.8437:

*Merge ‘Poison Master’ with ‘Refined Toxins’ since they’re rather similar traits and neither screams “GM” to me.

*Move ‘Honed Axes’ to the Wilderness Survival line to replace ‘Poison Master’ and maybe give it a 5-10% damage bonus to Axe to buff its damage a bit. (moved since the trait didn’t have much synergy with the BM traitline)

*In the Beastmastery line, add a GM trait that provides a few seconds of Resistance on pet swap or pet F2, whichever seems more balanced. This would let us choose between condition defense, buffing you and your pets damage or a CC trait in that traitline.

*Make the damage bonus from ‘Two-handed Training’ baseline and add a modifier that gives your pet a small damage increase on a target you hit with a greatsword critical hit or the ‘Maul’ skill, whichever seems fairer.

*Make ’Pet’s Prowess’ baseline and replace it with ‘Fortifying Bond’. Make a new trait to replace the now empty Minor in Nature Magic

Although your changes intrigue me, it is really unrealistic to implement atleast now (speaking about Anet here) That’s why the changes I proposed are really so similar to what we have now, maybe just a change of line or letter in the code.

Having newer traits will be super hard to implement, they can’t even release LS3 for so long, and even cancelled the development of more than half of the new legendaries.

Not trying to be pessimistic, just being a little realistic here.

Since pets and Beastmastery was mentioned, I would like to see that 10% pet damage while the player is above 90% health become replaced entirely with “pets attack 15% faster” on the Loud Whistle minor.

Small change with large impact since pets would be able to hit more reliably due to shorter cast times. In my opinion, I would rather my pets be able to hit a target and hit a target more times within a certain period than hitting harder because I’m at/near full health – only to miss a moving target.

That would also, to some degree, improve Wyverns’ slow attacks.

Wondrouswall.7169:

Since pets and Beastmastery was mentioned, I would like to see that 10% pet damage while the player is above 90% health become replaced entirely with “pets attack 15% faster” on the Loud Whistle minor.

Small change with large impact since pets would be able to hit more reliably due to shorter cast times. In my opinion, I would rather my pets be able to hit a target and hit a target more times within a certain period than hitting harder because I’m at/near full health – only to miss a moving target.

That would also, to some degree, improve Wyverns’ slow attacks.

Another very good idea.

Tbh, I see so much 90% health thresholds for ranger, 90% is very hard to maintain esp in pvp vs decent opponents. Our pets too don’t dodge, do not have decreased AoE damage.

So I guess this only active if you choose to only use your pet for the f2 then recall it back again.

Only gripe about this is that it will be most likely required to go BM just to make pets halfway decent.

I had a weird dream the other night… Lightning Reflexes had a 32second cooldown base and 24 when traited (I did say it was a weird dream, lol).

If the damage were removed (since it’s pretty much pointless + can cause you to get stunned a second time in some situations. Looking at you Shocking Aura) and the Vigor were reduced maybe to 6 or 8seconds? I think this would be a reasonable change.

Considering Thieves have Withdraw, although yes a different profession, I can’t see why Lightning Reflexes should be left with such a long cooldown on a profession with less dodges and a similar health pool. I mean Withdraw can; Remove conditions + evade + Vigor (with trait) + other nifty things with other traits like laying Needle Trap or granting more Initiative.

Lightning Reflexes is an amazing utility and I have a hard time not taking it. That said, the cooldown always turns me off regardless of whether I’m taking Wilderness Knowledge or not. It just seems a bit long for Vigor and a stunbreak/evade.

Well, it’s a stun break. Usually those are around 40-45 seconds. Not all, just usually. Granted, you make a case on one point. I’d like to see that damage component removed so there could be an avoidance of being stunning when using LR because you struck someone with a shock aura.

That, and maybe some synergy with survival skills without being specifically for survival skills as part of a current existing trait in another traitline outside of WS * cough-cough * “…when you break a stun, you gain, cast or activate X…”

LoYF

I’d much rather have piercing arrows than random bounces. We already have a weapon that randomly bounces, I don’t think all showrtbow arrows should. Plus, piercing arrows promotes the positional play that shortbow is targetted towards.

Swapping the proc from dodge to evade would actually make it harder to proc the LoYF effect. Evade only procs things when you succeed in evading something, unlike dodge which triggers regardless. So yes there would be scenarios where the trait procs off of evasive skills, but in turn it will no longer proc from a sacrifised dodge.

IMO it would be better if the trait was primarily updated so that the LoYF effect stacks duration. That way a double dodge produces an effect that lasts twice as long, rather than the second casting overwriting the first, something that I find particularly irritating about the trait.

Durational stacking would also open up the effect to having two different procs, one from a dodge the other from an evade.

e.g.

Dodge – 4s of LoYF
Evade – 1s of LoYF (per attack evaded)

Opening Strike

Instead of merging Alpha Training into OS (As suggested in the linked threrad), I think that OS and Alpha training should be slightly improved in line with what they currently do.

e.g.

Opening Strike – Cause Vulnerability with your first strike when entering combat, or swapping weapons (dodge too??).

Alpha Training – Regain Opening Strike when swapping pets (and also on F2??). Pets also have Opening Strike

Kaz.5430:

Opening Strike

Instead of merging Alpha Training into OS (As suggested in the linked threrad), I think that OS and Alpha training should be slightly improved in line with what they currently do.

e.g.

Opening Strike – Cause Vulnerability with your first strike when entering combat, or swapping weapons (dodge too??).

Alpha Training – Regain Opening Strike when swapping pets (and also on F2??). Pets also have Opening Strike

This doesn’t work.
Why? Because remorseless build already provides everything you suggested as a rework. So you’d literally kill every and any reason to pick remorseless in the 1st place.

(You get Fury when swapping weapons; You get Fury when swapping pets from Clarion Bond).
And while the one on dodge sounds very reasonable – I don’t think that would promote any out of game-play. Because it’s counter-productive to Steady Focus from the very same traitline.

You only get Fury on weapon swap in you trait into Skirmishing, and you only get Fury on pet swap once every 30 seconds, and only if you’ve traited into Clarion Bond.

IMO it wouldn’t actually ‘kill’ Remorseless at all, so saying it doesn’t work isn’t really accurate, it would work just fine.

There would still be plenty of reason to trait Remorseless for the other Trait-based sources of Fury (e.g. Wilderness Knowledge, Two-Handed Training) which are more accessible sources of Fury anyway.

That said, I hadn’t considered those traits, which would make it a slightly superflous upgrade.

Kaz.5430:

You only get Fury on weapon swap in you trait into Skirmishing, and you only get Fury on pet swap once every 30 seconds, and only if you’ve traited into Clarion Bond.

IMO it wouldn’t actually ‘kill’ Remorseless at all, so saying it doesn’t work isn’t really accurate, it would work just fine.

There would still be plenty of reason to trait Remorseless for the other Trait-based sources of Fury (e.g. Wilderness Knowledge, Two-Handed Training) which are more accessible sources of Fury anyway.

That said, I hadn’t considered those traits, which would make it a slightly superflous upgrade.

The only viable way to play remorseless was to go MM/SK/BM.
… As far as I know.

It’s not like your idea would hurt anyone …
… But it’s design feels wrong. It’s exactly the one that says “We buffed builds that no one played (outside of hotjoin and open world) while we ignored everything else that was important.”

But if we polished your idea a bit, by changing remorseless in one go – that would make sense. Something like:

• ~Remorseless: Gain 20% additional crit chance from Fury. Opening Strikes deal 30% more damage and can no longer be blocked.
  (no longer procs on fury)

And you could keep weapon swaps, pet swaps , pet F2 and what not as you suggested. Having Remorseless on Fury procs feels uncontrollable(group)/underpowered(solo) anyway. The idea feels out of logic in the 1st place
(If you increase your Crit Chance by 20% – you never needed those 20% because your next attack will crit – wasting the 20% you gained).

One way or another, these are already suggestions that most likely wouldn’t pass even the 1st round of approval at a development section of the company. Too much work and no logical explanation behind it.

While you both go at it on Opening Strike minors, I’ll bring up Empathic Bond. There has been numerous suggestions before for this like the Pet just cleansing conditions from the Ranger, transferring conditions onto foes through various means, or even lowering the interval.

I’ll pitch this weird suggestion which takes elements from Scrapper’s Adaptive Armor trait and Necromancer’s Corrupter’s Fervor, but with a twist that play off the aspects of using the Pet as a condition meat-bag.

Just tossin’ that out there.