Guild Wars 2

I’ve been noticing that when I have my pet on avoid combat (in dungeons with mass aoe) and I tell it to use its F2 skill (primarily brown bear and the fern hound) it runs toward my target before activating the skill, like its trying to get in range of the enemy to use an allied condition removal skill on it.

This is really annoying because most of the time I use the skill, the pet runs out of range of me and I do not get the benefit. I assume this happens with all pets that do not have an attack skill for their F2.

The pet is supposed to be MY companion, I shouldn’t have to miss out on effects that others get from MY pet simply because I am at max range and my pet decides to try and buff the enemy.

Sorry, but I disagree with your thinking. The skill should execute at your target. It is a skill intended to affect allies as well as you. Having it execute at your target gives you much more control. For instance, suppose you are doing okay, but you want it to heal/cure an ally a distance away from you. How do you send it over to him? You can’t use the basic attack command. He is an ally, and since there is no “Go help my friend” command, you have no way to have him go near your ally to heal/cure him.

Conversely, in your example, there may be allies that is near your targeted enemy. By having the skill execute at your target, you can stay targeted on the enemy you already have targeted and send him over to heal/cure allies nearby. If F2 for that skill only ever executed wherever the pet currently is, the only way you could accomplish this is to send him to your target with the attack command, then wait until he got to your target before firing off the skill. It is much simpler to have him run up to your current target and execute the skill when he is in range. Since it is a PBAoE (Point Blank Area of Effect) skill, it is not saying heal or cure the enemy but, rather, heal or cure allies near this target.

Frankly, I wish the wolf’s F2 ability (a Howl that causes an AoE fear) would work consistently that way, which is the way it works in most games. Executing the skill is saying to go execute it at that target. Unfortunately, he will frequently only run a few steps then howl well out of range of the target or, worse, howl then run. I assume this is the dreaded obstructed bug making it think it is as close to the target as it can get. But sometimes it works the way you would expect and sometimes it does not.

I disagree. F2 should cause the pet’s skill to go off, wherever it happens to be when you press F2 – period. This is how it has always worked, and this is exactly how it should be. It should not cause the pet to run off and attack your target – there is another method of sending your pet to your target…that being F1.

I am sorry, but I disagree with your thinking, and your logic. If nothing else, the fact that it worked otherwise in the past would seem to suggest the current functionality is….questionable. In practice, this running to the target has gotten me killed more times than I can count…and I know I’m not alone. I agree with the OP – it should be addressed.

Seemingly, it can.

I’m more in the business of using my pet as a distraction tactic in dungeons, so be forewarned I can’t actually speak from experience, only experimentation. But as far as I can figure, if you first clear your target and then use an F2 skill while the pet is set to ‘Avoid Combat’ it will simply use the skill whereever it’s standing and in whatever direction it’s facing. However, if you are struck by something while it’s in the process of casting, suddenly all bets are off and your pet will go tearing after the first non-ally thing it personally sees. (including, say, rabbit NPCs serenely nibbling away at a blade of grass 50 feet away, if the pathing just so happens to have it pointed away from your battle).

It’s easiest to see when you don’t have aggro, while making an effort to kite or dodge during the F2 casting, or right after the swap if you have quickening zephyr to minimize the casting time-slash-window of irrational revenge seeking.

The pets should use the skill wherever they are when you use the command. It would give more freedom to its use and the ability to use the skill more tactically based on placement of your pet.

Having them pretty much run halfway across the map to some random enemy, when you wanted them to use their skill right next to you to fear enemies away while you help an ally, or to give your group some more breathing room, etc. etc. is just a pain the kitten Might as well not even have pets 50% of the time in this game… (especially since my wolves miss 90% of their take downs… not to mention their other attacks)

i disagree with the OP. IF i have a target selected it should always go to attack the target when i press F2. if i want the ability to fire off next to me instead of running to the target then all i need to do is deselect a target, it takes less than a second to do it . the fact that half the abilities(F2) do not make it run towards the target is frustrating and annoying . it should always get within range before executing the ability. as far as the buff options deselcting the target is so easy and i think that if you do not have a target selected then the pet should use its ability where ever it is currently.

What the pet does when the F2 skill is activated should depend on what type of skill it is. For skills like the Fern Hound or Brown Bear, the skill should activate immediately wherever the pet happens to be. For attack skills, the pet should get in range to make the attack successful. For example if it is a melee attack, then the pet should run to the target to initiate the attack. If it is AoE attack like Alpine Wolf’s howl, it likely could go either way, but I’d vote to have it activate where the pet is at. This gives the player more control to see where the pet is at on the battlefield and activate at the best time.

I essentially agree with the OP but can see some problems as others have mentioned. The best way to get around many of the issues others have brought up is to have any buff F2 ability apply to the ranger regardless of range.

In fast paced pvp this notion of only taking a second to deselect a target etc. is not really viable. Its not as simple as it sounds. Remember that ranger skills are adjusted to account for pet skills. Rangers have to go through the process of making sure pet is alive, the one you want is out, it is within range, deselect target, activate pet skill-compensating for movement of target (perhaps by appling cc), then find target again (good luck if mesmer), and click on it to return to attacking or whatever. Other classes just press the button and it works!

Ranger pets could learn a lot from mesmer phantasms/illusions. That is the kind of efficiency and ease of use that makes all the difference in pvp (and its not like ranger pets bring more to the table in pvp despite being more complex to control).

Psychrome.9281:

i disagree with the OP. IF i have a target selected it should always go to attack the target when i press F2. if i want the ability to fire off next to me instead of running to the target then all i need to do is deselect a target, it takes less than a second to do it . the fact that half the abilities(F2) do not make it run towards the target is frustrating and annoying . it should always get within range before executing the ability. as far as the buff options deselcting the target is so easy and i think that if you do not have a target selected then the pet should use its ability where ever it is currently.

Deselecting doesn’t always work nor does having a target always work. It’s a frustration that’s built into the pet AI. The condition removal from the bear, whether you delselect a target or have one will always try to run to a target if you’ve been fighting someone. Trying to get a full stack of bleeds off of you and missing with such a long duration on the removal is annoying and ends up costing you skirmishes.

To everyone who is saying that the f2 skill should activate where the pet is, either I wasn’t clear, or you just read what you wanted to read.

I said my pet is on avoid combat. as in should be standing next to me. When I press a skill, it then runs a mile before actually using the skill. It should just use the skill, but it doesn’t.

Please read next time.

When i just hit F2 on my fernhound (when he feels like actually using it instead of interrupting himself to follow me) he just activates it by my side like i want him to, i have yet to have any pet, EXCLUDING the ones who have an offensive F2 that applies an effect to the enemy and not allies IE drake F2, run up to the target to use their F2.

@OP: After reading a bit more i know what your problem is, you have your pet on passive, so by hitting the F2 skill you are essentially telling your pet “Go on Guard until the targets dead” if you have your pet on guard and simply hit F3 (which will make him walk besides you until you tell him otherwise) and THEN hit F2 then he wont get the command of “Hey switch to guard, which means start attacking” and they’ll just cast the skill…

Granted, as i said sometimes the pet (only the ones that use a buff skill actually) will occasionally decide finishing a cast is for kittens and will just interrupt themself and follow you, this happens about 20% of the time (IE to much)

@shin, this is what I was describing as to the bear cleanse. My pets are on passive and if I send him to attack and then put him on passive to come near me and cleanse he runs off to who ever.

We seem to be having contradictory experiences.

I wonder if there aren’t other options that factor into it? For one, I’m playing without autotarget on. I wonder if that’s making a difference?

Vox Hollow.2736:

We seem to be having contradictory experiences.

I wonder if there aren’t other options that factor into it? For one, I’m playing without autotarget on. I wonder if that’s making a difference?

Ah… yeah i do the same thing, maybe that is what’s going on here…

Well I am not sure where to post this because there are quite a few issues people seem to have with pets AI abilities etc. They want this added this taken away all kinds of things they think their pet is weak or the ranger is weak because of the pet. Well I am not goin to tell you any kind of build yes the ranger is a bit weak on damage one thing people are not getting is your pet is a weapon. A very controllable weapon that people are not utilizing very well. I use birds (not moas) a white raven and snow owl for land and a shark and ice drake for underwater. Believe it or not there are things a shark cannot attack but the drake can so watch what your pet does. There is also a trait that gives your pets attacks more power over time until downed then that starts again.

As for holding aggro pets are not suppose to hold aggro like a warrior was suppose to they are there for damage. There is so much a pet can do that people do not know much about they are way better in gw2 than they ever were in gw I had a ranger in gw that used a pet sparingly and a beastmaster. If anyone remembers Urgoz I took my beastmaster in there but all pet skills no bow skills at all so I was just that a bm not a true ranger. Anyway I had an advantage when it came to the exhaustion thing that plagues everyone on that part of the mission. Beastmasters do not use spells they use pet attacks so I had full energy and kept on fighting.

Anyway lets get back to gw2 and how pets are. In gw2 I can be a ranger/beastmaster because my attacks count and I am not hindered by having all beastmaster skills I actually have ranger skills to use. The F1 key is the reason I think pets are awesome figure it out.

Having your pet execute the command at your target offer more control. Like Sotaudi said, there aren’t micro-managing tools to contrl your pet, so this would allow you to indirectly control where healing howls or fears or condition removal occur. It’d be nice if we deselected a target then the pet would execute the F2 skill where it is. Unfortunately, this means we have to stop attacking. it also would mean that your pet won’t use an attacking F2 skill on its current target but instead the player’s

Seras.5702:

Having your pet execute the command at your target offer more control.

How is that true?

If you can execute F2 commands the moment you press them, wherever the pet in, then if you:

Need to howl at an enemy, you simply set it to attack, then press F2.

Need to howl at an ally that isn’t near an enemy, set it to follow, run to the ally and hit F2.

Need to howl at an ally that is between yourself an enemy, set it to attack the enemy, wait for it to reach the ally, and then hit F2.

How is this not more control than:

Having your bear tank a boss, his adds are chasing you as you run circles around the boss, so you switch to wolf thinking you pull out a quick fear howl, but instead of howling he runs away and howls at something else?

Clutch manoeuvres like that are impossible with the current state of pets. And it’s not entirely because of what’s being discussed here. Hell, you can’t even stop your pet from un-prompted skills that end up screwing you over in a tight match.

We have the tools to get the pet from point A to point B. Why should we limit ourselves to casting F2’s at A (when it works) or B, when we could do it from A, B and anywhere in between? How is the former MORE control over the latter?

I’ve been having this issue as well. It is very annoying. In my opinion, the F2 skill should activate instantly at the location the pet is at.

The F2 skill will not work until the pet actually gets to target so it does not make a difference when u use f2 unless it is an aoe spell. Believe it or not that F2 attack is great. And from the comment from Aerthersong when you use the F2 skill it just does not seem to respond. Your right and it looks like it should be annoying but when the pet reaches it responds and does not have to be reclicked it is just a delay until the pet gets to target.

I send my pet out to kill and destroy without my help all the time. It is wonderful against equipment, and hard to get to foes. All I have to do is if it starts losing health is use troll unguent it gives another generation on health my pet also has better regen health than I do due to the traits. Also use signet of the wild again for regeneration of health.
The ranger has the best range even past longbow range using a pet do not discount them they also protect the ranger very well if your not payin attention lol.

Yes. I would love for F2 to work WHEN I say it should work. Many a times I have been frustrated because my pet will run towards target to use F2 when I wanted the skill to activate by me.

Agree the skill should fire immediately where the pet’s standing. I hate it when I’m in a dungeon and In have a brown bear with me (not to attack… for the Condition removal ) or the Wolf (for the on-demand Fear howl), set to Passive and I hit F2, expecting that it will fire the skill and affect ME (either to remove condition or to Fear away mobs trying to bash in my face and give me breathing room).

Instead, more often than not, the pet runs away up to my (usually distant) target, THEN fires the skill (which usually doesn’t even affect or help me), and THEN starts attacking! In both those examples (brown bear Shake It Off and wolf Fear), neither skill is what I’d consider an “attack” skill, so why does invoking them not only cause the pet to run to my target and then switch to Attack mode??

OK, that’s a rhetorical question; I know the answer is “because the devs haven’t gotten around to fixing pet skills so they trigger differently, based on what kind of skill it is (attack- or environment-based)”, but it does point out, I think, the need to ENHANCE pet F2 skills so that they work properly. Obviously some skills are “target” based (Moa dazzle scream… etc.) but others are simple AOEs (like the wolf Fear howl) or are designed to assist teammates (like the blue Moa’s defensive scream), and so should be configured so that if the pet is on Passive and sticking close to my side I, as the Ranger, can place the point of origin of the effect by moving MYSELF to the triggering location.

Chyanne Waters.8719:

The F2 skill will not work until the pet actually gets to target so it does not make a difference when u use f2 unless it is an aoe spell. Believe it or not that F2 attack is great. And from the comment from Aerthersong when you use the F2 skill it just does not seem to respond. Your right and it looks like it should be annoying but when the pet reaches it responds and does not have to be reclicked it is just a delay until the pet gets to target.

I send my pet out to kill and destroy without my help all the time. It is wonderful against equipment, and hard to get to foes. All I have to do is if it starts losing health is use troll unguent it gives another generation on health my pet also has better regen health than I do due to the traits. Also use signet of the wild again for regeneration of health.
The ranger has the best range even past longbow range using a pet do not discount them they also protect the ranger very well if your not payin attention lol.

The issue is as ImagoX pointed out. Not all pet skills should require a target to function. Things like aoe condition removal and buffs should trigger instantly at the pets current location. There is no reason why the pet should require a target for these. If you want your pet to use skills at your targets location, there is a F1 button for that. As it stands now, the way pets use their F2 skills is flawed.

Why is this the case!?? This is the most frustrating thing I’ve ever experienced in an mmo. I use my pets as primarily support in wvw. I do not want them to go running into a zerg and die. I have them on avoid combat at all times and only use support pets: brown bear and red moa. So example: I’m at 1500 range with my long bow and firing arrows into a zerg when I want to use my F2 remove condition function. My pet is beside me this whole time not attacking. As soon as I press F2 he rushes into the zerg in order to be able to use his F2 SUPPORT ability but dies because of it. Why is this the case?? Makes absolutely no sense and is extremely aggravating.

I can, and will, post videos showing that the pet will leave your side and run off when you press F2 – even for skills which are obviously intended to be applied to you, and not the enemy. This is clearly wrong, and I have nothing good to say about anyone who thinks otherwise.

It should be changed, it should be fixed, end of story.