Guild Wars 2

I hope A-Net will hear this out. I’ve been playing this game for about a year now and from the get-go I have been playing Ranger class as a main. This past year it’s become so pointless to play a ranger that it’s just unbearably disappointing.

I’m going to bullet all of my opinions/concerns so that they are easier to read.
I would love opinions from fellow players. Feel free to call me a kitten as well. Seeing as I am probably not as experienced as a lot of you, you COULD have better reasoning than I. If that’s the case, I would love to be humbled and hear an address.

Speaking from an spvp perspective….

- The only viable builds in this past year has been the spirits build, beastmaster build, trap build.
- How many threads have been posted in the last few months about new builds/theorycrafting/ideas concerning how a ranger should be played? None, why? Because with the traits, skills, and weapon combination Rangers grant NO options.
- You guys want diverse builds and weapons being used? There are NONE
- With the recent nerfs to spirits and bm builds…what exactly would people play in this/the next meta?
- Honestly the only thing rangers HAD was spirits and bm…even if you DIDN’T nerf them….still…more diversity would be nice. Oh and traps were decent. But whats the point in condition pressure thru ranger when necro can do it way better?
- What team would want a ranger on their 5 man comp?
- Even with other game modes, what build does the ranger have that would actually be any good? None, every build rangers have is outdone by another profession
- Many people want power builds….our pure damage output is horrible and isn’t even close to being able to burst (unless you go full glass canon with longbow…which pretty much makes you worthless)
- Ranger power burst damage: Not even that high and extremely hard to land anyway if you traited for it. Even if you did…your worthless…this is why no one plays power rangers
- Ranger condition damage: Why play a trap ranger when….you can play necro?
- Rangers are FORCED into condition/toughness or condition/regen. This is because we have no solid power traits or skills. GS and LB don’t dish out damage! Well LB does but it’s slow and worthless. This is why EVERY ranger uses either shorbow, axe, sword. This is also why EVERY ranger uses a condition amulet.
- EVERY build uses the wilderness line….every single one
- a passive trait is a ranger’s best source of condition removal <—-this is a problem

Weapons:
- Many people want to use GS….nope, the changes you’ve made still make this weapon UNVIABLE. What the heck does a GS bring to the table? This weapon has even sniffed being used in competitive play
- Many people want to use LB…nope, the changes you’ve made still make this weapon UNVAIBLE. What the heck does LB bring to the table? Slow burst from range that can easily be negated. Granted for it to actually BE a burst you have to fully trait for it which again…makes you worthless in any scenario.
- Damage on shortbow sucks…I understand it’s a condition weapon. Necro’s attack 1 can stack bleeds face on…any angle, rangers have to do it from the side/behind? The other conditions on shortbow aren’t even really that good, the dps on a shortbow isn’t even that great…and it’s one of the best weapons rangers have. Isn’t that a statement?
- Axe(main and off): Axe 1…i mean really? Horrible damage so even though it reflects it’s like throwing pebbles at people (especially since NO ONE runs power builds). Axe 2 and 3 are really the only decent skills…and Axe 2 is only good if you are point blank range! Axe 5…i mean when’s the last time you saw THIS skill used in a game? It’s good to self immobilize you to take a burst, that’s what it’s good for. Yeah, can’t say i’ve EVER seen an offhand axe used in spvp.
- Sword: billions of players from the community complain about sword 1 root, i even refuse to use this stupid weapon because of that. Sword, btw, is used only for evades and added conditions…maybe even mobility with monarchs. Again…rangers forced into a certain spec (condition). And the conditions you get OUT of sword is just one decent poison attack! (not counting cripple).

Please, please, open up some new potential builds. Shortbow and Axe are just…..cmon! I’m not going to even include sword b/c most rangers only use it for evades anyway!

If you want rangers to stay a condition damage class, change the skills on LB and GS.
If you DO want people using power builds as rangers…well, your not even close to making that happen.
If you want to give us less survivability (nerf to spirts, endurance), give us some kind of dps/boons/conditions in return….Rangers have NOTHING that is actually significant enough to stand out
If you want to give us MORE survivability…well, start with active condition removal..maybe some stability outside of RAO.

i may have repeated some facts, and they ARE in erroneous order due to typing them out as they crossed my mind.
Sorry for any typo/grammar errors. I refuse to proofread internet forum posts dealing with video games.

If you don’t even bother making a nice and clean forum post by proofreading it then how do you expect anyone to take it seriously?

I play 6 different builds in WvW, and they are all very viable.

1. Regen condi bunker(S/T+SB) —> strongest one in 1vsX
2. Evasive power ranger (S/D+SB) —> very strong in 1vsX
2. Spike power ranger (LB+S/W) —> very very strong for hunting down any type of build in 1vs1 or small group
3. Shout supporter + heals condi/power(A/T+S/W) —> very good for group or zerg
4. Bunker power ranger (GS+LB) —> good in zergs
5. Spirit condi bunker ranger (S/T+SB) —> good in small groups
6 Trap condi ranger (S/D+A/T) —> very good in 1vsX

Imo we have many more options than most classes do, the only real problem is our pet and some bugs ( sword root for example )

The weapons that really need some love are GS and Axe, the damage is not that good, but they provide CC and escape.

Another big probem is that I need 90 bag slots for my equippements ( not joking ) !! I need a closet asap.

Dunno for Spvp, I don’t take it seriously, but I manage to have fun while I wait in queue

sminkiottone.6972:

I play 6 different builds in WvW, and they are all very viable.

1. Regen condi bunker(S/T+SB) —> strongest one in 1vsX
2. Evasive power ranger (S/D+SB) --> very strong in 1vsX
2. Spike power ranger (LB+S/W) —> very very strong for hunting down any type of build in 1vs1 or small group
3. Shout supporter + heals condi/power(A/T+S/W) --> very good for group or zerg
4. Bunker power ranger (GS+LB) —> good in zergs
5. Spirit condi bunker ranger (S/T+SB) --> good in small groups
6 Trap condi ranger (S/D+A/T) —> very good in 1vsX

Imo we have many more options than most classes do, the only real problem is our pet and some bugs ( sword root for example )

The weapons that really need some love are GS and Axe, the damage is not that good, but they provide CC and escape.

Another big probem is that I need 90 bag slots for my equippements ( not joking ) !! I need a closet asap.

Dunno for Spvp, I don’t take it seriously, but I manage to have fun while I wait in queue

Dont mistake living longer as stronger… if youre doing less damage and just soaking more/taking more time to die. This has its place in spvp and while it does seem like you are doing more when fighting because it lasts longer. At no point in time was your opponent pressured and worried about dying.

I dont see how anyone would die to a bunker/condi ranger unless they let burning kill them.

Dead Muppet.9718:

Dont mistake living longer as stronger… if youre doing less damage and just soaking more/taking more time to die. This has its place in spvp and while it does seem like you are doing more when fighting because it lasts longer. At no point in time was your opponent pressured and worried about dying.

I dont see how anyone would die to a bunker/condi ranger unless they let burning kill them.

You need to learn the basics, how to use combo fields, positioning, pet management, when to burst and so on… Ranger is very strong, but it takes skill to play it.

Ranger is a mess? You obviosly have not played elementalist.

Power is definitely viable:
Top tourney: I played a power ranger. I decided to do it last minute so I wasn’t even playing it the best I could have (because I had planned on playing spirit ranger and had been using that for a couple weeks prior). Also, in retrospect I shouldn’t have been using hyenas but instead the immob spider. Anyway, http://www.twitch.tv/livevvvgaming/b/471591056 3 hours 40 minutes in. Check it out.

I only play power ranger in WvW and PvP with Greatsword Sword/Axe (WvW) and Shortbow Sword/Axe PvP. I just want to point out that the sword is an amazing weapon, and I wouldn’t trade it for any other sword (except mesmer sword 2, give me something like that on an OH sword anet!). The auto chain is unforgiving for some people, but you can turn the auto attack off until you get used to it, but combined with quickening zephyr it provides some of the best dps in game, and the hornets sting/monarchs leap combo has saved my kitten many times.

Axe 4 in my opinion is brutal;
-In Dungeons it can hit 3 times for 18k damage total
-In PvP and WvW I can pull people into a QZ auto burst chain w/ immobilize from pet
Axe 5 does have some problems that I wont argue with, however it blocks projectiles so for WvW or Dungeon runs you can pop it on a healing spring and stack the group to mitigate them for 5 seconds and proc healing. Personally I’d like either a damage increase for it, or the ability to move while using it like warrior axes.

Give power builds a shot, GS and Sword can escape any fight in WvW, and they aren’t as boring as throwing traps and torches in an attrition fight.

I want to main a bow while being of some other use to a group than a slightly more safe loss of dps.

For a class all about bows, most PvE builds shy away from them entirely and we are WAY too dependent on MM line bow traits to make them even baseline viable.

I WANT to use greatbow, but what’s so great about it? Uninspired stealth changes and a still dps crippled auto-attack?

I made two prediction during beta, and I’ve been right about both:

The Ranger and the Thief would be the worst classes, Ranger because pet AI stinks, and Thief because Steal is stupid (and Rogues are always the hardest to balance class in an MMO).

Right on both counts.

ipan.4356:

I made two prediction during beta, and I’ve been right about both:

The Ranger and the Thief would be the worst classes, Ranger because pet AI stinks, and Thief because Steal is stupid (and Rogues are always the hardest to balance class in an MMO).

Right on both counts.

Two of the hardest mechanics to balance in game, so we over nerf to be safe rather than sorry. Also, when it comes to balance around these parts, the squeeky wheel placed over the fence on the PvP side of things gets the oil, while the PvE wheel just falls off entirely.

Gonna have to agree with eura. Power ranger is very strong in many ways, and if it lacks anything it’s not damage. I still think it could be a little stronger, but with other classes getting weaker in comparison, I think it could see a place in the new meta.

However, I also feel that some of the strength of a power ranger is due to it being so rare… Some things counter it pretty well, such as projectile soaking/reflecting.

I find with high crit and crit damage we do a boat load of damage, the issue is that it’s fast burst damage and then after that it’s slow going till CD’s are back up. I’m hping the damage increase in DEC to LB auto will fix that issue and we’ll have better sustained dps.

I’m going 30/30/10/0/0 with S/W and LB and so far, having a great time.

I largely ignore the fact that I have a pet (I treat them more like minis).

For utilities – I use Viper’s Nest, Call Owl, and a Signet (either regen or speed).

It would be cool if there were more bird oriented utilities and an elite – so we could play a Hawker Ranger.