Guild Wars 2

bearshaman.3421:

Snip.

Thanks for the clarification. Interesting to read. It’s a good explanation. It still doesn’t match how I feel about it and what think that fits. A matter of taste?
Also I got used to all the ‘not realistic’ things pretty quickly and it doesn’t bother. But it is the reason I can’t relate to the engineer-archetype, if you could call it like that, and I am fond of the ranger-archetype, and I can relate to all others too.

Mainhand Dagger is probably the most boring new weapon I could think of for Rangers, personally. There are already plenty of classes who can dual-wield Daggers as it is, and if the rumors are actually true then not only is Ranger going to be added to that list but Warrior as well (though I can’t see any elite spec getting two weapons, so Warrior having double daggers is probably one of the things about the leak I find the most dubious). Plus, Ranger sword already feels pretty “dagger-like” with all the movement involved with the skills.

For that reason as well as the fact that I already struggle to find decent dagger skins for my Ranger just with offhands, I’m hoping this ends up being either fake or something that’s preliminary and gets changed before release.

But I already like most of the Ranger weapons we currently have, so the new profession mechanics matter to me more than the weapon anyway, I suppose.

Electro.4173:

But I already like most of the Ranger weapons we currently have, so the new profession mechanics matter to me more than the weapon anyway, I suppose.

Like I’ve said before, the Devs have told us before (a while before HoT launched) that classes getting lackluster weapons as part of their elite spec are the ones looking at wider changes to their profession mechanics and utilities.

Personally, I really hope this means that we’ll finally be getting a beast mastery setup that actually makes the pet worthwhile. Pets are currently doing about 20% or less of the overall damage a ranger deals (sometimes as low as 5%) and this is a problem because Rangers are balanced against the idea that their pet is doing 40% of their damage, according to the devs. It’s the reason why DPS tests for all the professions showed that Ranger is waaaaay below par, sharing space at the bottom with the likes of the mesmer. Where most classes are putting out 22k+ DPS, A well made druid is putting out 15k, or even as low as 13k. That hurts.

Getting a spec that does better with pets, though, would be an opportunity to make said pets awesome. It’s a longshot, but it could result in some really nice changes, and improve the overall power of the class.

OGDeadHead.8326:

CETheLucid.3964:

Dadnir.5038:

anduriell.6280:

Who in their sane mind would go to HoT with a carrion devourer as pets.. WHO!!!!

I’d do it… to be honest I have done it… the carrion devourer is one of my favourit pet… Sorry…

Devourers used to be one of the best pets pre-HoT for PvE. They’re still alright. Not the best, but the judgey ones would still have hated you either way.

If there’s ever an update that normalizes pets and legitimately fixes the powercreep from HoT pets (Bristleback and Smokescale), the sheer variety of pets we’d see used would be awesome.

(And by fix, I mean make all pets as viable as these two.

Plz do not nerf Smokescale and Bristleback. This would result in a profound sadness and the primordial anger of many rangers.)

Best pets for PvE? Best in what way?

DPS. The ranged pets (Devourers, Spiders, Bristleback) tended to be able to hit moving targets more reliably.

Spiders have a poison field they use in their basic rotation. Carrion devourer has it on F2, giving you control over when it’s used.

Lashtail devourer before bristlebacks had the ranged rapid fire market cornered. It can still be argued it brings it in the form of bleed VS sheer DPS.

Devourers were great pets and they’re still not a ‘bad’ choice. But yeah, most if not all pets need to be reworked post-HoT. Including a few of the HoT pets (Wyverns).

There’s a far more elaborate post about these things around here somewhere. Don’t want to get too far off-topic.

CETheLucid.3964:

DPS. The ranged pets (Devourers, Spiders, Bristleback) tended to be able to hit moving targets more reliably.

For mobile targets I agree with you. Also, in pve, there’s hardly any down time in regards to dps since ranged pets can start to attack sooner. But, this is mostly only of interest vs distant trash mobs. As soon as you go against a veteran or higher, birds or felines are way better.

http://guildwarshub.com/ranger-pet-dps-comparison/#Test_Golems

Anyway, back on topic then!

OGDeadHead.8326:

CETheLucid.3964:

Dadnir.5038:

anduriell.6280:

Who in their sane mind would go to HoT with a carrion devourer as pets.. WHO!!!!

I’d do it… to be honest I have done it… the carrion devourer is one of my favourit pet… Sorry…

Devourers used to be one of the best pets pre-HoT for PvE. They’re still alright. Not the best, but the judgey ones would still have hated you either way.

If there’s ever an update that normalizes pets and legitimately fixes the powercreep from HoT pets (Bristleback and Smokescale), the sheer variety of pets we’d see used would be awesome.

(And by fix, I mean make all pets as viable as these two.

Plz do not nerf Smokescale and Bristleback. This would result in a profound sadness and the primordial anger of many rangers.)

Best pets for PvE? Best in what way?

A ranger with a devoured was capable of soloing literally any and all content in the game (including dungeons) eventually though they dropped the nerf hammer upon the devourer and left it in a sorta useless Smiters Boon state

OGDeadHead.8326:

CETheLucid.3964:

DPS. The ranged pets (Devourers, Spiders, Bristleback) tended to be able to hit moving targets more reliably.

For mobile targets I agree with you. Also, in pve, there’s hardly any down time in regards to dps since ranged pets can start to attack sooner. But, this is mostly only of interest vs distant trash mobs. As soon as you go against a veteran or higher, birds or felines are way better.

http://guildwarshub.com/ranger-pet-dps-comparison/#Test_Golems

Sure, but I also do PvP and WvW so my opinion is a wee bit skewed on that. Birds and cats are very squishy, and most cats don’t appeal to me. Birds are pretty great.

Don’t often take them into PvP/WvW though.

OGDeadHead.8326:

Anyway, back on topic then!

Aye.

Harnel.6810:

Like I’ve said before, the Devs have told us before (a while before HoT launched) that classes getting lackluster weapons as part of their elite spec are the ones looking at wider changes to their profession mechanics and utilities.

Personally, I really hope this means that we’ll finally be getting a beast mastery setup that actually makes the pet worthwhile. Pets are currently doing about 20% or less of the overall damage a ranger deals (sometimes as low as 5%) and this is a problem because Rangers are balanced against the idea that their pet is doing 40% of their damage, according to the devs. It’s the reason why DPS tests for all the professions showed that Ranger is waaaaay below par, sharing space at the bottom with the likes of the mesmer. Where most classes are putting out 22k+ DPS, A well made druid is putting out 15k, or even as low as 13k. That hurts.

Getting a spec that does better with pets, though, would be an opportunity to make said pets awesome. It’s a longshot, but it could result in some really nice changes, and improve the overall power of the class.

I can agree with this in general, not in the application to elite specs though.

It’s why the Smokescale and Bristleback are meta (in addition to being cool pets in their own right). More than the other pets they deliver more of their portion of the DPS.

If all pets can be reworked to reliably deliver their part of the damage as intended, or if that 60/40 ratio could be skewed more to the ranger side of things based on how reliably pets can realistically deliver their DPS between all the modes, everything would be peachy keen.

I imagine it’s not as easy as it sounds from a balance perspective.

Further, that’s a long overdue base class ranger change I’d like to see, not something for the elite spec to fix.

That would be power creep and make the elite spec pretty much mandatory. Rather, I wanna see the elite spec add new functionality like hammer or main-hand dagger.

Electro.4173:

Mainhand Dagger is probably the most boring new weapon I could think of for Rangers, personally. There are already plenty of classes who can dual-wield Daggers as it is, and if the rumors are actually true then not only is Ranger going to be added to that list but Warrior as well (though I can’t see any elite spec getting two weapons, so Warrior having double daggers is probably one of the things about the leak I find the most dubious). Plus, Ranger sword already feels pretty “dagger-like” with all the movement involved with the skills.

For that reason as well as the fact that I already struggle to find decent dagger skins for my Ranger just with offhands, I’m hoping this ends up being either fake or something that’s preliminary and gets changed before release.

But I already like most of the Ranger weapons we currently have, so the new profession mechanics matter to me more than the weapon anyway, I suppose.

I’m assuming, if we do get a dagger, it will be condition damage oriented, since we don’t have any true melee condition weapons.

I do hope, though doubt, that we receive another off-hand weapon as well, preferably one with a leap skill or other sort of mobility.

Well i dont want to be pessimistic but i take that with not a grain but with chunk of salt.
This leaks only shows that ANet is working on elite specs on everything else i keep being sceptical.

Well it’s difficult to imagine what role Mainhand Dagger would cover? Condi’s are already covered more than enough by axe/Torch plus SB. Power covered by Mainhand sword AND GS. Thematically an offhand power based Sword would perhaps be more appropriate.

Personally for me, I think a Rifle would be cool for a “Hunter” style Elite or perhaps a Focus for a shapeshifting Elite Spec. Druids/Rangers have often had the ability to do this in other games.

I had an idea for a MH Dagger Ranger/Thiefy type specialization a long while ago:

Shadowstalker : Replaces pet with a shadow clone. You can swap positions with your clone with the pet swap function, and instead of two pets it has two modes: ranged and melee.

Dagger/Dagger gameplay would basically be kind of like S/D Thief gameplay, shadow-swapping in and out of melee range (only very little, if any stealth since that should be a Thief thing).

The utility skills would be either deception or clone (temporarily summoning additional clones, or transforming your existing clone to an animal or something)

I wish they moved mh sword skills to mh dagger, and they gave us dual swords with decent skills, both for the core profession.

I believe this article also posited ideas about added elite specs. Something about becoming one with our pets. I ran with this idea. I would love to be my cat. But, then again, I was a feral druid in WoW. I would like them to take bears, cats, and moas. Let us turn into them. Give us new moves as the animal. Bears can be the tank, cats the dps, and moas the heal spec. Perhaps it is too Wow like, but I miss that part. I spent 90% of my time in cat form. I just think it would mesh well with the Druid, really becoming part of nature.

A future elite spec wouldn’t be able to take Druid, so there’s that.

I also played Druid in WoW, but its an empty endeavor to try and mix two different lore together and have it be officially supported. Such an idea doesn’t mesh with GW2 design.

I am hoping for offhand sword. Ranger, even more than warrior, should be able to use two swords.

Levetty.1279:

Mainhand condi dagger with the spec being based around mobility and stealth named Nomad to go with the desert theme.

^ this. I have an image coming up of a desert based ranger with sand/ dusttraps and a pretty swift playing style with MH dagger. Would really enjoy that!

Nefarius.9702:

^ this. I have an image coming up of a desert based ranger with sand/ dusttraps and a pretty swift playing style with MH dagger. Would really enjoy that!

Alright, stupid idea, but hear me out on this one. What if the ranger elite spec got Deception skills?

Not necessarily shadowstepping like a thief would, but Deceptions are characterized by their evasive maneuvers and stealth effects, which fits the Ranger as a “skirmisher” class to a T. A bit of stealth, some evasions, and you’re good. Condition damage on the mainhand dagger (maybe bleeding and torment with a little poison and weakness) since we lack a condition damage melee weapon right now.

Trick is, nothing here is really that spectacular. nothing that really sells the elite spec. Because every elite spec has at least one BIG selling point and one or two things you’re meh about. For instance, Berserker’s meh thing was torch, but rage skills and primal burst are awesome. Daredevil’s physical skills are pretty meh, but the staff weapon and the third dodge are extremely useful to that class. Reaper got Reaper Shroud, and while the greatsword isn’t bad most people don’t care at all about the shouts it got.

so what’s the big flashy selling point for this one? Yeah, deception skills would be useful, but I can’t see them being more amazing than most of what Rangers already have. Besides spirits, Rangers already have a ton of good utility skills, and a one-handed weapon is unlikely to get the attention of players. so… the change has to be to the profession mechanic. Buffs to the pet perhaps? I still like my idea of a more powerful pet taking up both slots, with the F4 being a heal and condi cleanse rather than swap. It could work, and would make it more of a beast mastery and skirmishing setup, rather than just one or the other. Given the fact that mounts were in the leak (wonder how likely that is) there’s even a chance that if the rangers gets large pets, they could even mount up on them, but I find that rather unlikely.

I think if we go to the desert dagger would feel more thematic. If we go to the north than a frontiers man rifle spec would be dope