Guild Wars 2

Disclaimer: I know we have a lot of threads suggesting about the changes but please bear (no pun intended) with me. These feedback and suggested changes revolve around PvP mostly. But please, other people who have suggestions feel free to do so.

I play PvP extensively, currently with 6.7k games. I face top tier players most of the time so some of the stuff I noticed revolve around this.

Feedback:

• If pet is on passive, exiting BM would require you to press F1 again. Although not much to do, but believe it or not, Soulbeast is a mechanically tiring spec that involves a lot of pet micromanagement to be successful (Unless you camp BM form and pew-pew away). Maybe It’s just me but sometimes I forget to press f1 again and pet will be idle.

Worldly Impact

• A very good skill, sadly against competent opponents, this skill is very hard to land. The Smokescale BM KD will not be enough to do it. They would have to have 0 dodges or stun breakers. This skill is also easily interruptible.
  Another thing is that it is a leap finisher. We have so much leap finishers and with this skill being stationary, it just doesn’t make any sense.

Suggestion: Make it ground targeted like engie rifle. This way, we have better chances of hitting with it, can be used as a gap closer or disengage. Making it a blast finisher would be better, but having it as a leap finisher with ground targeted is also okay.

Smoke Assault (BM mode)

• With the amount of CC in PvP right now, this skills is easily negated with by a single random AoE CC.

Suggestion: Make it an evade, like the tooltip says. Not only that this would increase our sustain but also our dps making sure it would hit. Another little thing they could do is fix the pathing.

Dagger Mainhand

• The problem with this is that 1st: The damage is really low. Yes, people would say it is a condi weapon but even with that, it scales very poorly with the power stat. 2nd. There is nothing happening much with this weapon aside from poison and bleeds. The AA should be enough for condi application. #2 Should offer something different. 3rd. Instinctive Engage needs to be an evade, if Not, there is no reason not to use sword. The only thing its missing is bleeding.

Suggestion: Make it scale with power a little bit better. Make the 2nd attack do something else like torment, rip or steal a 2 boons when it hits or something. There is just too much poison and bleeds, very unoriginal. Make #3 an evade, this would boost our sustain a bit more.

Stout Pets

• Stout pets have the best f3 especially combined with the black bear. Well here is the issue, Pet Selection. Other than the BM, un-melded versions of this pet are all useless in pvp. This is like gimping yourself outside of BM with only 1/2 of your pets being competent.

Suggestion: Make the pet selection a little bit more useful. I would personally move Electric Wyvern here so I could use the CC and Cleaves outside of BM. Electric Drake is another, its F2 is years better than the Ice Drake.

One Wolf Pack

• Two issues with this. 1st. Effect is meh at best. 2nd which is the biggest offender: Global ICD.

Suggestion: Other than damage, successful hits should proc another effect like maybe cleanse a condition, rip a boon, heal. etc. Then, Change global ICD to per Target ICD <—- With this change, the elite can also be used with our AoE like traps, bonfires, etc. Which help really well in node fights, cleaving downed, etc.

Leader of the Pack

• Main issue here is that you have to slot in a GM trait just to share the stances, this might be good elsewhere but in PvP, not so much. The trait by itself is too much an investment for a mediocre effect considering only 2 of our stances are worth taking at the moment.

Suggestion: Either make it “Initial effects of stances affect your allies too for half the duration (i.e. Dolyak also breaks their stuns and grant boons)” or “Activating a stance converts 2 conditions to boons. Radius 360” This way it would really be a support-centric GM and will help manage conditions on the Soulbeast line.

Oppressive Superiority

• Absolutely horrible PvP trait. Especially if you can compare it to these traits.

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Close_to_Death
https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Swift_Termination
https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Executioner
https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Bolt_to_the_Heart

Suggestion: Make it better. Condition duration is absolutely useless. This trait is just the same as Light on your feet with a different trigger. Possibly make it like “Increase Condition Damage and Damage by 15% when target is below the threshold” or “Increase Damage and Condition Damage by 10% if target is below the treshold and Pulse Fury every 2 seconds” This way it can synergize with both condition and remorseless builds. Synergizes with Furious Strength too.

Eternal Bond

• This trait is on such a high CD to make it worthwhile and protection is too dull on the proc. Dead or alive is simply a much superior trait considering it’s a master and only on 30 seconds CD!

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Dead_or_Alive

Suggestion: Reduce the CD to at least 60 seconds and make it “Give you and your allies protection every time you go out of beast mode”. That way the trait is still useful outside of the 60 seconds.

It’s similar to this one: https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Beyond_the_Veil

More to come

Moa Stance

• The thing with this one is that, Fury and Swiftness are boons that we sooo much of. You can get perma fury via Skirmishing Line, Tiger pet more fury from Wilderness Knowledge, Strength of the pack, Soulbeast line, etc. Swiftness is the same with shouts, Skirmishing line, WH has both fury and swiftness. The effect is not very good as well. The Soulbeast line has similar boon effects like Essence of speed.

Suggestion: Change fury to Resistance and Swiftness to maybe Quickness That way we can gain boons that we don’t normally get, After all, You have to trait into the tree anyway. Then maybe have a mini effect that is Gain barrier for 4 seconds which again we have no access to.

Predator’s Cunning

• This is an okay trait but to weak imo for a master slot.

Suggestion: In addition to the primary effect, maybe give “Allies siphon health from hitting a poisoned foe” Aura effect.

Similar to:

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Vampiric_Presence

But again the target has to be poisoned.

Thoughts?

Bump.. Really no feedback? does anyone in play PvP on this forum?

StickerHappy.8052:

Bump.. Really no feedback? does anyone in play PvP on this forum?

I guess everyone is just a little “suggestioned out” currently. We make so many suggestions and come up with improvements for the class and give very detailed feedback, but nobody knows if ANet are reading this stuff, it may be all for nought.

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

nobody knows if ANet are reading this stuff, it may be all for nought.

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/Feedback-Path-of-Fire-Elite-Specialization-Preview-August-18-20

They made a feedback thread in the general page, someone already called them out for not just posting in each classes existing feedback threads.

psizone.8437:

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

nobody knows if ANet are reading this stuff, it may be all for nought.

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/Feedback-Path-of-Fire-Elite-Specialization-Preview-August-18-20

They made a feedback thread in the general page, someone already called them out for not just posting in each classes existing feedback threads.

Good to know, cheers.

For a dedicated PvPer the suggestions seem surprisingly on the moderate side. I would welcome these reasonable changes since they directly impact our PvP performance. I feel that even with your suggested tweaks, Soulbeast is still going to be comparatively… plain, modest… in function compared to other specializations like Holo, Firebrand, Scourge, and Spellbreaker.

This really has to do with the pet type division restricting the choices on our mostly underpowered pets, and Beastmode skills themselves not worth the double lockout mechanic on pet swap and pet meld. Indeed we should try to first fix reliable pets like Smokescale to establish options that work.

Right now Soulbeast is just a clunky all in, full burst option for Ranger. It has increased stats, the Maul effect, and Sic ‘Em + (any skill) damage spike going for it, and some team-value-wise underwhelming but potentially great pet-class abilities in Beastmode, but the way we achieve the damage spikes doesn’t feel like an intended effect. I didn’t know GW2 was a hidden-combo sort of game like BDO?

psizone.8437:

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

nobody knows if ANet are reading this stuff, it may be all for nought.

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/Feedback-Path-of-Fire-Elite-Specialization-Preview-August-18-20

They made a feedback thread in the general page, someone already called them out for not just posting in each classes existing feedback threads.

Thanks BUT they expect you to say it in 100 words or fewer? What would that help?

Ralkuth.1456:

For a dedicated PvPer the suggestions seem surprisingly on the moderate side. I would welcome these reasonable changes since they directly impact our PvP performance. I feel that even with your suggested tweaks, Soulbeast is still going to be comparatively… plain, modest… in function compared to other specializations like Holo, Firebrand, Scourge, and Spellbreaker.

This really has to do with the pet type division restricting the choices on our mostly underpowered pets, and Beastmode skills themselves not worth the double lockout mechanic on pet swap and pet meld. Indeed we should try to first fix reliable pets like Smokescale to establish options that work.

Right now Soulbeast is just a clunky all in, full burst option for Ranger. It has increased stats, the Maul effect, and Sic ‘Em + (any skill) damage spike going for it, and some team-value-wise underwhelming but potentially great pet-class abilities in Beastmode, but the way we achieve the damage spikes doesn’t feel like an intended effect. I didn’t know GW2 was a hidden-combo sort of game like BDO?

Unfortunately, the design of Soulbeast’s design was plain to begin with. There is nothing we can do about that.

The pet division choices are terrible. I for one wanted to try a stout pet family but couldn’t for one reason: Camping a very good pet in Beast mode does not work In PvP. although it might for WvW. So for example I got the alpine wolf or Ice drake, so what will they do when they are unmelded? A chill F2 that barely hits? Now this is one of the major problems. Stout pets are useless outside of the Beastmode.

The only way to do it right now is PewPew Ranger with added stats from Beastmode, but it plays exactly the same.

My opinion:
beast form is fine but being able to change pets would be cool
most traits are useless/worse than core ranger traits in all game modes
soulbeast suffers from underperforming core ranger weapons (Druid staff having 1 good mobility skill and a reliable auto attack is already better than all of the other ranger weapons)
dagger is trash
It´s good at killing people who never dodge maul. You can play some bunker builds which are essentially selfish druid builds that are worse at disengaging due to no stealth.

StickerHappy.8052:

Predator’s Cunning

• This is an okay trait but to weak imo for a master slot.

Suggestion: In addition to the primary effect, maybe give “Allies siphon health from hitting a poisoned foe” Aura effect.

Similar to:

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Vampiric_Presence

But again the target has to be poisoned.

Thoughts?

With this trait, I don’t think it should be geared towards group support. That should be the job of Essence of Speed. Instead, this should bump up our personal dps. Thus, I think it should change from:

“When you apply poison to a foe, steal some health from them.”

to

“When you apply poison or vulnerability to a foe, steal some health from them.”

That way, the trait will work with both condi and power builds, as well as most of Ranger’s kit. Honestly, I wish it would proc off bleed instead of poison (would make sense thematically), but perhaps that would be too strong.

I agree exactly with what Erzian said.

At the end of the day, I felt like I was playing a Berserker specialization on Ranger with less sustain and fluidity.

So adding to what was said;

• Traits need to incentize/augment entering and leaving Beastmode. Stability please. Cleanse please. Protection please (if only to synergize with a master trait, could tak it on to Eternal Bond).
• Core traits and utilities need to ALL work with Soulbeast.
• Remove the cooldown for entering Soulbeast, add ICDs to traits that proc on enter/exit
• Make dagger auto 3 attacks, remove aftercast delay on dagger 3, make dagger 2 a lunge.
• Give master traits synergy/use, make GM traits useable, make Fresh Reinforcement give boons to the pet on exiting Beastmode, make Fresh Reinforcement a minor trait, roll the fury trait into the quickness on Beastskill trait and make that trait work with pet F2 skills.
• Make Soulbeast F1 and F2 skills actually match their description and also not suck.

I could probably keep going but I’m at work so I’m not focused on thinking of more lol.

StickerHappy.8052:

Thanks BUT they expect you to say it in 100 words or fewer? What would that help?

Saw a few comments pointing that out and almost every post just ignored the 100 word limit.

really good feedback, sounds reasonable and I agree with all of it (in the OP anyway).

on a side note, I generally take zero stock in any “feedback” threads posted on these forums, especially as they relate to pvp. I never had problems reaching and competing at the highest mmr, even on core ranger before HoT when whining was at its worst. and I did it with non-meta builds. Druid was top dog for two years, and still whining persisted. I can count on one hand how many players’ opinions I respected two years ago, and now I don’t even recognize anyone.

the other thing I’ve observed is that too many people demand big, sweeping changes or total revamps of weapons, traits and utilities. This is completely unreasonable.

so to all the newer players reading “feedback” threads, take everything (especially whining and complaining) with a grain of salt. feedback is important for sure, but judging things too early and without proper understanding has been the key feature of the ranger subforum.

mistsim.2748:

really good feedback, sounds reasonable and I agree with all of it (in the OP anyway).

on a side note, I generally take zero stock in any “feedback” threads posted on these forums, especially as they relate to pvp. I never had problems reaching and competing at the highest mmr, even on core ranger before HoT when whining was at its worst. and I did it with non-meta builds. Druid was top dog for two years, and still whining persisted. I can count on one hand how many players’ opinions I respected two years ago, and now I don’t even recognize anyone.

the other thing I’ve observed is that too many people demand big, sweeping changes or total revamps of weapons, traits and utilities. This is completely unreasonable.

so to all the newer players reading “feedback” threads, take everything (especially whining and complaining) with a grain of salt. feedback is important for sure, but judging things too early and without proper understanding has been the key feature of the ranger subforum.

I appreciate the comment misty. Yes I kinda agree, a lot of the stuff here on the forums focuses on the PvE crowd, hence, you get the outrageous feedback/rework threads.

A lot of traits require a lot of testing that is the reason why even without extensive testing, I just gave common traits that are similar in other classes just to have a fair rework on ours.

For example. Oppressive Superiority vs any other trait of the same kind that I linked. It is a no brainer that our trait is rather kitten/gimmicky with a lower coefficient value.

This is such a good post.

It highlights every flaws I found from Soulbeast in general.
Soulbeast currently is more like a one-trick pony which relies on buggy Maul to do anything meaningful, otherwise is inferior than core ranger or Druid in every way.

Most of the traits do half of the things other traits in other trait line does.

I really wish Dev can read this post and make some changes before the release, otherwise I have no excitement in using this spec AT ALL.

Nature Magic, Beastmaster, Wilderness Survival and Skirmishing are all better than this crappy trait line.

Yeah, spec is underwhelming as it isn’t really giving anything new in a sense. It’s simultaneously giving up on making pet AI better and giving us a QOL improvement not to rely on said AI.

Problem is, it adds even more micromanagement, which is the last thing we need.

Gotejjeken.1267:

Yeah, spec is underwhelming as it isn’t really giving anything new in a sense. It’s simultaneously giving up on making pet AI better and giving us a QOL improvement not to rely on said AI.

Problem is, it adds even more micromanagement, which is the last thing we need.

For the underwhelming part, I disagree. But if we rephrase it to “underwhelming compared to other elite specs” Then I will agree.

I feel like our traits were half hazardly thought of.

Anyway stick to the topic guys and share your feedbacks!

Aomine.5012:

This is such a good post.

It highlights every flaws I found from Soulbeast in general.
Soulbeast currently is more like a one-trick pony which relies on buggy Maul to do anything meaningful, otherwise is inferior than core ranger or Druid in every way.

Most of the traits do half of the things other traits in other trait line does.

I really wish Dev can read this post and make some changes before the release, otherwise I have no excitement in using this spec AT ALL.

Nature Magic, Beastmaster, Wilderness Survival and Skirmishing are all better than this crappy trait line.

Thank you so much. That’s the problem. As I’ve said, I feel like our traits are very supbar and uninspired vs other elite specs. That’s why I shared my tweaks, not to the point of overbuffing.

I like your suggestions and I would also add some more:

1. Remove redundant archetype pets and spread them to cover more archetypes:
Juvenile Pink Moa and Juvenile Black Moa – both versatile, no supportive moa available
Juvenile Raven and Juvenile White Raven – both versatile, no stout bird available
Juvenile Jungle Spider and Juvenile Black Widow Spider – both versatile, no stout or supportive spider available

2. Add more archetypes for “new” pets (with a different skin, like change colors or something): Smokescales, Wiverns, Iboga, Jacaranda, Rock Gazelle, Bristleback

3. Make bears do something useful when not merged

4. Improve vanilla pet damage, attack ranges and skills

5. Leader of the Pack – Make old effect baseline and add something more useful: like all stancess also also grant stability and remove a condition, reduce stances CD

6. Predator’s Cunning – when you apply any condition, steal some health from them, add some ICD

7. Unstoppable Union – Entering or leaving beastmode breaks stun and causes your attacks to be temporarily unblockable, add 10s ICD

8. Pet’s Prowess – change to give 30% when in BM instead of 25%

9. Increase GS auto attack speed or damage or both

10. Remove the bear animation from Maul attack

11. Add possibilities to dye pets (reuse same concept of mounts)

mistsim.2748:

I generally take zero stock in any “feedback” threads posted on these forums, especially as they relate to pvp.

Why is that?

mistsim.2748:

I never had problems reaching and competing at the highest mmr.

Oh, ok, amazing.

even on core ranger before HoT when whining was at its worst. and I did it with non-meta builds.

Very impressive.
Periods aren’t commas but I digress, please continue.

Druid was top dog for two years, and still whining persisted.

If there is a legitimate issue with the Ranger and someone mentions that issue with a hint of emotion, is that whining?

mistsim.2748:

the other thing I’ve observed is that too many people demand big, sweeping changes or total revamps of weapons, traits and utilities. This is completely unreasonable.

The thing I’ve observed is that some people are sadists and never have an issue with anything. Good for those people. They enjoy the Ranger the way it is.

Maybe you can help me, why would people like that even come to the forums?

It warms my heart to know one of us will always be content and remind the community at every turn.

EnderzShadow.2506:

mistsim.2748:

I generally take zero stock in any “feedback” threads posted on these forums, especially as they relate to pvp.

Why is that?

mistsim.2748:

I never had problems reaching and competing at the highest mmr.

Oh, ok, amazing.

even on core ranger before HoT when whining was at its worst. and I did it with non-meta builds.

Very impressive.
Periods aren’t commas but I digress, please continue.

Druid was top dog for two years, and still whining persisted.

If there is a legitimate issue with the Ranger and someone mentions that issue with a hint of emotion, is that whining?

mistsim.2748:

the other thing I’ve observed is that too many people demand big, sweeping changes or total revamps of weapons, traits and utilities. This is completely unreasonable.

The thing I’ve observed is that some people are sadists and never have an issue with anything. Good for those people. They enjoy the Ranger the way it is.

Maybe you can help me, why would people like that even come to the forums?

It warms my heart to know one of us will always be content and remind the community at every turn.

Not to be mean but mistism speaks the truth, Druid has been top tier for ranger, even in tournies. Don’t you watch those?

Condi ranger has been great for PvE too..

BUT Rangers do need improvements but I don’t know about you, a lot of the people go overboard with their suggestions.

StickerHappy.8052:

Not to be mean but mistism speaks the truth, Druid has been top tier for ranger, even in tournies. Don’t you watch those?

Condi ranger has been great for PvE too..

BUT Rangers do need improvements but I don’t know about you, a lot of the people go overboard with their suggestions.

Of course a lot of people go overboard.

And then there are other people that think everything is fine and call everyone whiners. That’s not the truth.
Enter Mistism “Mainhand dagger is fine.” That’s not the truth either.