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Posted by: Treeline.3865

Treeline.3865

I’d just like to see how rangers in general feel about some things, and maybe if you have some ideas on how to work around some of these problems.

Shortbow. Do you ever use this weapon since they changed the range from 1200 -> 900? I think 900 range is horrible, but I hate the longbow with a passion, so I’m sticking to it. I feel like I can’t place myself tactically with the shortbow any longer.

“Search And Rescue” – Does anyone really use this skill? I used to love it because it could resurrect a dead player while the rest kept fighting some boss. It made me feel unieue as a ranger. Reviving a downed player only, is too little to spend a skill slot on for me, and I might as well do it myself since it doesn’t take long.

Warhorn skill #5 – Is anyone else frustrated that using this skill makes your pet aggro the nearest enemy, unless set on passive? As a part PvE player I find it incredibly annoying when for example running to a boss, popping skill #5, that the pet gets me in combat with some random mob. (Since we run slower in combat).

Old classics – Pet. I’m decent at microing my pet but some encounters are just not made for it. Old news, not going to elaborate, but is there anyone who actually finds that microing is always possible?

Pet skill #2 – Too slow, doesn’t go off, you know this one as well. I’m aware that you can cancel a pets current actions to make the #F2 skill go off faster, but it still fails from time to time. Does any of you use a build that actually relies on a #F2 skill? How often does that work out for you?

Pet does not stay directly on the ranger – And it would look dumb. But you have all tried navigating through for example a huge field of AoE damages. Your pet won’t make it through, as it keeps running beside you.

Unable to stow pet in combat – Well, ok, this is not a must have. But there’s certainly fights that call for it, for example Risen Abominations. It can hit your pet even when it is on passive, making it much worse to take down. For example in the Eye of Zhaitan boss event, there’s a champion Risen Abomination. With skill it can be soloed, but as a Ranger I can’t, because the pet will take 6 hits before dying, and well, then the Risen Abomination hurts as soon as it manages to hit me. The Jade Maw fight is another example. The fight simply takes longer with rangers in the party because pets are targets as well. This is just a few examples, but is anyone able to actually play in a way that this is not annoying at the least? Can you work around it?

Shortbow #3 – Well. It makes you dodge, but often it still fails to push you backwards. More of a statement than a question, I really don’t think there is any solution here, is there?

Autoattacks does not work if nearing the range limit. Why? Is there any way to make this work? For example, you can hit the Golem Mk II boss from the edge of the platform, not risking the lethal energy fields. It is juuuust within range for the shortbow. But effectively I also have to spam the “1” button for the 8-10 minutes the boss is up. Is there any way of getting rid of this?

I was going to mention horrible trait descriptions, but I think that’s being worked on.

The pet is too dumb – Pathing- Ever tried standing on a plateau while hitting your enemy? We are rangers after all. For example you can outsmart the Dredge Commisar in Dredgehaunt Cliffs by using the tribulation jumping puzzle as a platform. It works excellent. Then there is the matter of the pet. Since you’re on the platform it does not know how to get down. It can’t do anything. It has to idle the entire fight because a pet can’t drop down like we can. Even if getting to that platform did not require a few jumps, the pet would run down to the ground, around the southern path and back up to the Dredge Commisar, a path of nearly 30 seconds before it reaches its target. (Extreme case, but just to explain the problem). Is there anyway we can work around this problem? Can we somehow stay on our elevated ground and still have our pet go right for the target? Or can you really outsmart any pet by being on a different platform?

(Cont.)

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(edited by Treeline.3865)

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Posted by: Treeline.3865

Treeline.3865

Invulnerable, invulnerable, invulnerable.. Well, I feel like the game punishes me for outsmarting my enemies. But even when I’m not this happens a lot. And once it’s invulnerable I can sometimes go melee it for some hits before it gets that i’m not trying to cheat it. With the example being Uncategorized Fractal (The harpy one), does anyone have suggestions as how to avoid this pesky thing while on a bow? I’d include obstructed to this one, but I actually don’t find that to be too unreasonable.

I like to maintain an overview, holding my camera so I’m looking at the ground often, watching out for AoE’s and the like. This however comes with the side effect of my bow aiming into the ground if I have not picked a target. This sucks! I like to play PvP from time to time, and while I have no personal problem with thieves – Well everyone else can melee into the air and hit them when invisible. I’m good at predicting, but I have to change my camera so that I’m looking at my butt in order to do the same. Did anyone find a way to work around that?

Pet is too dumb, version 2 – This is also no news, but honestly. Try surviving for a day without dodging. I’d argue there are no tips for this one either, except microing as well as possible, but come on. Shockwaves. How are you going to micro your way out of that one.

Pet F2 is stationary – Chasing something? Ever tried using your pets special skills? The pet will run until it’s within range, then stop to cast the skill. When it’s done casting the target is long gone. I’m not sure if this can be manipulated somehow. I guess you can have the pet attack the target if it is melee, then cast the spell. Then it would at least be closer to the target. But for ranged pets I see no workaround here. Do you?

Sword skill #1 – Well there’s the rooting/leaping which makes it very easy to stick to people. Got to love that. But unfortunately it comes with the cost of being unable to dodge, unless you turn auto-attacking off. But that should honestly not be neccessary. I believe there is no workaround while maintaining auto-attack functionality?

Sword skill #1, 2nd edition – It’s nice to be able to keep jumping on to your target – Right until it for some obscure reason that I haven’t found does not hit the target. If you have used sword much you will have tried suddenly leaping ~600 range away from your target, often also jumping back onto the target with another hit. But wow is that a problem. Hey, I fell down a ledge, hey I fell down again. Is there any reason for this sudden jump? Any way to see it coming?

After 2.000 hours+ playing ranger as a main. Well I love the class, it’s the best. But wow. There is a horrible amount of problems, and much of the time I’m trying to figure how to work around them.

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(edited by Treeline.3865)

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Posted by: Solid Gold.9310

Solid Gold.9310

Good post……………

Used to love the shortbow, rarely use it now.

Search and what now ?

Warhorn…. no.

Pet, totally useless, will never be fixed or viable, ArenaNet please give us the option.

Invulnerable, invulnerable, invulnerable…. obstructed, obstructed, obstructed…. get it all the time, usually just as I use barrage, so I get a screenfull of invulnerable, if it’s not that it’s immune or something like that.

Did I mention the rubbish pet ?

Jumping puzzles, love them or hate them, I hate them. Thread killer.

(edited by Solid Gold.9310)

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Posted by: Warzaw.2708

Warzaw.2708

My (personal) gripes with my ranger.

Sword Auto-Chain: That kitten ed root. I can’t move mid-chain, which is bad news when I’m flanking and spamming the 1 key and the boss turns around because someone who can use his auto-attack while moving had to get out of the way. I’d love for this to be gone so I can situate myself better on a moving target, seeing as how Serpent Strike has an average CD, and it’s not always the most effective maneuver.

Sword’s Pounce: I hate when I target an enemy, start my chain, then I suddenly Pounce through them, either A. flinging myself off a ledge, or B. Jumping all around the room because I lost the target mid-pounce, or I hit 1 again and Pounce back to the enemy.
That’s pretty annoying as well and has cost me more than once.

Warhorn 5: I agree with what you said about Warhorn 5. I have to make sure I’m not targeting anything when my party blasts might, or the boss is on it’s way over after being pulled.

Warhorn 4: Why does it matter if we’re not on the same side of the wall? I can SEE the birds attacking the enemy, but does it really need to go invulnerable every time?

Pet AI: That’s a given for any Ranger. Although my dungeon comps are usually super organized, so my pet rarely dies now since the bosses or enemies are burst down so fast.

Stalk & Sic’ Em Canceling: I don’t know if there’s a reason for it, but I don’t see why they have to cancel the effect of each other.

That’s all I can think of or remember.

Oh, two more, sword related.

Closer melee: I’m not sure if it’s ranger only, I haven’t noticed on my guard, but that sword chain forces you into a much closer melee range, which isn’t always for the better.

Push-back: The Kick in the chain pushing the enemies back constantly is pretty annoying in it’s own right. I know other classes can push in melee, but it seems easier on a ranger.

BREAK YOURSELVES UPON MY BODY
FEEL THE STRENGTH OF THE EARTH
Vicodium – Ranger (IX) Coldsnap

(edited by Warzaw.2708)

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Posted by: Treeline.3865

Treeline.3865

Oh gawd, I’m not sure how I forgot about sword. Hope you don’t mind me reposting these in the original.

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Posted by: Warzaw.2708

Warzaw.2708

Oh gawd, I’m not sure how I forgot about sword. Hope you don’t mind me reposting these in the original.

Haha, no worries man.

BREAK YOURSELVES UPON MY BODY
FEEL THE STRENGTH OF THE EARTH
Vicodium – Ranger (IX) Coldsnap

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Posted by: Bash.7291

Bash.7291

Autoattacks does not work if nearing the range limit. Why? Is there any way to make this work? For example, you can hit the Golem Mk II boss from the edge of the platform, not risking the lethal energy fields. It is juuuust within range for the shortbow. But effectively I also have to spam the “1” button for the 8-10 minutes the boss is up. Is there any way of getting rid of this?

There actually is a reason for this. You are actually beyond the listed range limit for your bow. if you notice, bow shots arc, and actually travel slightly further than the 900 range, hence you still hit because the rest of the arc finishes just at the target, however since it is out of 900 range the game doesnt seem to pick up on completing the attack from the auto attack side of it. You can test it with SB #2, since that is a straight line, it fades out at exactly 900, so it will not actually hit the enemy, while any attacks you have that the arrow arcs in, will. I found out this little fact when trying to figure out how my ranger friend could hit further away from me with my scepter despite having the same range weapons.

Living Dead Girl ~ Necro
[Rev]

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Posted by: Holland.9351

Holland.9351

Shortbow. I haven’t used it since the nerf from 1200 to 900 range.

“Search And Rescue” – I haven’t used it since the nerf to it reviving defeated players. It used to be useful in fractals. There is simply too much that can go wrong with it. For example, if there is nothing to revive (or out of range) it will go on full cooldown. The pet can also be too slow or can die trying.

Consider Spirit of Nature our only revive skill.

Unable to stow pet in combat – Two bear pets on passive with the “Protect Me” utility works. It’s one of the things that allows me to go full berserker and not die too much. Pets are useless in WvW zerg and wall fights anyway.

Autoattacks does not work if nearing the range limit. Our arrows don’t stop flying after getting to the max range of the weapon. So, if you have to press 1 over and over again, it means you are actually beyond the max range of the weapon.

I don’t see it being changed either. If they increase the range of the traited bow to 1800, the arrows would hit for up to a range of 2100 and we would be complaining again about having to press 1.

Invulnerable, invulnerable, invulnerable.. Yes very immersion-breaking. If something else is attacking your target it will never go invulnerable. A pet is a valid option. So first send in the pet and then get on the ledge afterwards.

(edited by Holland.9351)

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Posted by: Troopa.6179

Troopa.6179

Shortbow. I haven’t used it since the nerf from 1200 to 900 range.

did i miss something? was it not always on lower range than longbow?

pets and shouts. that’s it for me, those 2 need improvements

veteran ranger (main)- Troopa The Hawk – tyrian survivalist
veteran engineer – Whiteclaw Pete – flaming bastard
veteran guardian – Wolfborn Troopa – healing eagle

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Posted by: Holland.9351

Holland.9351

Shortbow. I haven’t used it since the nerf from 1200 to 900 range.

did i miss something? was it not always on lower range than longbow?

They were both 1200 range, but you could trait the longbow to have 1500 range.

The shortbow was basically superior to the longbow in most ways.

We were expecting them to give the longbow 1500 range by default to make it more attractive to use, but instead they reduced shortbow range from 1200 to 900 in order to “buff” the longbow. Yes it’s the official reason given.

This happened not too long ago.

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Posted by: NargofWoV.4267

NargofWoV.4267

*
Pets are useless in WvW zerg and wall fights anyway.

That is a sad fact and that sums up a lot of my wvwvw experience and why I’m rolling another class. We are kitten 30+ % damage in wall fights and zerg fights because pets are useless. Which is probably 50% of my time in wvwvw.

I don’t see a way around it, sure putting a pet on guard or “protect me” is handy for a little bit, but our damage is low because of the lack of added pet damage.

AND why I can’t recommend the class to anyone who likes to WvWvW.

Narg, Ranger JQ
Heavy Halo, Warrior JQ

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Posted by: Quarktastic.1027

Quarktastic.1027

My opinion?

My ranger is inferior to my guardian in every way, shape, and form. The only advantage my ranger can claim is access to more snares, which are arguably useless in PvE -the only format I play these days.

Those armadillos would be a lot cooler if they looked more like real armadillos. mmm armadillos
-BnooMaGoo.5690

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Posted by: Soilder.3607

Soilder.3607

The only thing ranger can do best imo is spam evade with s/d and then regen for insane health from TU, SoW, regeneration, and natural healing and mango pie consumables if you have them.

Stormbluff Isle

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Posted by: Amethyst Lure.5624

Amethyst Lure.5624

Some good things; dunno if anybody else has this gripe but I think Longbow #5 ability is pretty silly on its own on this weapon. It’s nice but as is it should either have a supplementary skill or do a lot more damage than it does, because it feels a bit lost in its purpose to me…

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Posted by: Fordel.3208

Fordel.3208

I kinda want barrage to have like, half the cool down… but then I’m like… ehhhhh I dunno.

I basically find myself frustrated in keep assaults, when it feels like everyone else is tossing AE’s onto walls and junk, where I get to dump mine every 25-30 seconds then try to camera aim arrows over the obstructed lip.

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Posted by: Treeline.3865

Treeline.3865

There actually is a reason for this. You are actually beyond the listed range limit for your bow. if you notice, bow shots arc, and actually travel slightly further than the 900 range, hence you still hit because the rest of the arc finishes just at the target, however since it is out of 900 range the game doesnt seem to pick up on completing the attack from the auto attack side of it. You can test it with SB #2, since that is a straight line, it fades out at exactly 900, so it will not actually hit the enemy, while any attacks you have that the arrow arcs in, will. I found out this little fact when trying to figure out how my ranger friend could hit further away from me with my scepter despite having the same range weapons.

I didn’t know this! But now that you mentioned it I have noticed that if something is far away, I find that #2 misses more often. So it actually makes a lot of sense! – But wow. That makes 900 range even shorter than I thought!

Unable to stow pet in combat – Two bear pets on passive with the “Protect Me” utility works. It’s one of the things that allows me to go full berserker and not die too much. Pets are useless in WvW zerg and wall fights anyway.

Invulnerable, invulnerable, invulnerable.. Yes very immersion-breaking. If something else is attacking your target it will never go invulnerable. A pet is a valid option. So first send in the pet and then get on the ledge afterwards.

I used to run with 2 bears and Protect Me as well, but I found it to be too much of a waste. What I ended up doing instead was running a traited Signet of Stone for a better version of Protect Me, and change the bears with Wolf/Dog to have the pets do a little damage and not dying instantly in.. Non-instant-pet-kill combat.

And thanks, I actually didn’t know that sending in the pet first could solve the invulnerability either! I’m actually getting something ^^

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Posted by: sanictoofast.9317

sanictoofast.9317

My main issue with huntards is the pet won’t chase after something if its like 1200+ range away which doesnt feel far when that’s how far longbow untraited reaches. I hadn’t played huntard in a long time so I don’t remember it always being this way.

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Posted by: Yasha.5963

Yasha.5963

My main issue with huntards is the pet won’t chase after something if its like 1200+ range away which doesnt feel far when that’s how far longbow untraited reaches. I hadn’t played huntard in a long time so I don’t remember it always being this way.

I think it was nerfed.

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Posted by: Setun.4368

Setun.4368

Unable to stow pet in combat – Two bear pets on passive with the “Protect Me” utility works. It’s one of the things that allows me to go full berserker and not die too much. Pets are useless in WvW zerg and wall fights anyway.

I typically use my pet to pop necro marks and other traps on the floor in zerg fights, then recall them back before they die. Usually works out, but yeah, most of the time they’re deadski fairly often.

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Posted by: Bast Bow.2958

Bast Bow.2958

my feels about the ranger

Ranger is my main since head-start.
I’ll make it short.

pve Good

dungeons Average

pvp Not very experienced, but I think it’s average.

wvw roaming Good
wvw zerging Below average or bad

You could replace words like bad with ‘a big challenge to come up with good, working build and provide something for your team’ and good with ‘easy to come up with a good, working build and provide something for your team’ if you like. Just the way you look at it.

(edited by Bast Bow.2958)

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Posted by: Phoebe Ascension.8437

Phoebe Ascension.8437

Bows = To single target. In wvw zergs, our bows if they did 5k damage per shot, (no piercing), would still be lame cause it takes ages to kill the whole zerg then. This is a bit exaggerated, but that’s a big problem. Secondly we don’t (really) have access to sturdy stability skills, and ranger needs it imo. A stunlock + highest melee damage in game (warrior) and highest sustain (warrior/guard), a ranger is kitten.

First solution stability (elite is to long cd, and the cast time makes you must precast it and loose a lot of it’s usefullness), on utility skill (or pet F2 giving stability to pet and you, bear could have this imo).

Second solution increase aoe’s, SB 2 must be improve to be a proper aoe skill, and barrage is ok but to long cd. Perhaps skill 4 of LB should explode on impact (not pushing extra enemies back, but damaging, them near impact of the pushback on targetted player).

Utility skills are crap.

Traps: ok, but needs trait to work really well some of them have to small/short effect. Look at necro wells. I’m not saying to copy them, but at least give traps equal viability, they are ofc on shorter cd, but 1 sec chilling on frost trap per tick is to few.

Survival skills: don’t make enough diff. Like lightning reflect is great on paper, but in the end only buys time. With another profession this skill would be op (like on necro) the profession must be improved so that a 32 sec cd, retreat skill like LR, actually feels like it really can safe your kitten (not only with bunker build).

Quickness skill, great on paper, crappy in reality. I rather have this skill removed atm tbh. Cause Survival skills have a lot of potential (like big aoe control skills, or another survival skill (protection or so), and still a stunbreaker, could make it VERY interesting. Mesmer dont have stability, but still are (sort of) viable, cause they have two short cd stunbreakers (blink, decoy). Making a build with RL and quickness skill could give access to two nice stunbreakers, however, quickness is offensive, not defensive, and it nerfs healing, right at the moment you need it (after stunlock). I never missed quickness on necro, engie, ele, etc. And on ranger it takes the slot of a potentially way more viable skill/stunbreaker.

Spirits die to fast. Sorry to come again with necro as example but wells dont die. They fully deploy for 5 secs, no matter what. Spirits should not be immortal, but not be ‘instant killable’ either. Imo make them resistant to auto attacks. (only damage from 2-10 hotkeys on your skillbar), they can still die if enemy wants to but it will come down to strategy ‘burst ranger or focus pets’. now he doenst have to make a choice ‘spam superior aoe, and settled). Also -50% condition duration, default. This may sound op, but skills like necro scepter auto do like 1500 damage if all the ticks work out, and that’s a very cheap way to do so much damage, spirits have very few ways (as ranger) to get their conditions removed. Just stack a few long lasting conditions on them, hide behind wall, come back, boom, all spirits gone. This involves no strategy. If you can’t make spirits work like in gw1, replace them if you please. The enemy must be more punished imo, while having them on your bar. they dont do damage like minions, unless with special 2nd skill, their passives are ‘just’ ok, nothing more then that, and you sacrafice the survivability/offence of traps/stunbreakers/survival skills.

Simply put, if every single utility skill on ranger was as viable as say necro ones, ranger complaints would be a lot smaller, and build variety would suddenly grow a lot. No i don’t want to make ranger a necro. But when balancing utility skills, keep the strength of necro ones in mind, to balance them.

FAST HANDS 5 sec weapon swap cd. Omg, rangers needs this SOOOO much more then warrior, yet warrior, with their almost op stability, zerker stance, healing signet, get it for free. it’s so easy to kite as warrior with GS/LB (or S/S/LB). They run? insta swap to bow, and keep damaging them. They come close? insta swap to melee. Our melee got evasive skills, But i rarely can use them in time, because of 10 sec weapon swapping.

Legendary weapons can be hidden now!
No excuse anymore for not giving ‘hide mounts’-option
No thanks to unidentified weapons.

(edited by Phoebe Ascension.8437)

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Posted by: Treeline.3865

Treeline.3865

My main issue with huntards is the pet won’t chase after something if its like 1200+ range away which doesnt feel far when that’s how far longbow untraited reaches. I hadn’t played huntard in a long time so I don’t remember it always being this way.

This was changed, and.. Well I understand why, but of course it stinks.
Let’s just say I ran a bunker ranger build in PvP, and I could stand on mansion or windmill while my pet was roughing up the clocktower

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