Guild Wars 2

Total face palm when I noticed that spirits receive the buffs as well.

By default, a ranger counts as 2 bodies at least (you + pet). That means you can only give out spirit buffs to 3 other targets. Call out 1 spirit then your ranger counts for 3 bodies (you + pet + 1 spirit) with only 2 other targets to buff. Call out another spirit and your ranger now counts for 4 bodies (you + pet + 2 spirits) with only 1 other target to buff. See the pattern?

I read somewhere that spirit users tend to use ax/horn since your job is that of a buffer. Guess what, your spirits will eat up those buffs essentially wasting them.

So what you’re saying is that spirits suck?

Preaching to the choir, man. Preaching to the choir.

Basically a +1 to that sentiment. Here I thought I could at LEAST be a buffer.

Seetoo.9316:

Total face palm when I noticed that spirits receive the buffs as well.

By default, a ranger counts as 2 bodies at least (you + pet). That means you can only give out spirit buffs to 3 other targets. Call out 1 spirit then your ranger counts for 3 bodies (you + pet + 1 spirit) with only 2 other targets to buff. Call out another spirit and your ranger now counts for 4 bodies (you + pet + 2 spirits) with only 1 other target to buff. See the pattern?

I read somewhere that spirit users tend to use ax/horn since your job is that of a buffer. Guess what, your spirits will eat up those buffs essentially wasting them.

So, basically, if I have out three spirits … my pet, 3 spirits, and my character will keep the rest of the group from getting any buffs?

Is this a bug or was it on purpose? Wow, that is so bad it’s almost funny. I hope this gets fixed if it’s a bug.

Are there many lvl 80’s running a spirit build? I would love to but I hear it’s not practical due to their health and so forth … especially if this is true about the buffs.

Pendleton.6385:

Seetoo.9316:

Total face palm when I noticed that spirits receive the buffs as well.

By default, a ranger counts as 2 bodies at least (you + pet). That means you can only give out spirit buffs to 3 other targets. Call out 1 spirit then your ranger counts for 3 bodies (you + pet + 1 spirit) with only 2 other targets to buff. Call out another spirit and your ranger now counts for 4 bodies (you + pet + 2 spirits) with only 1 other target to buff. See the pattern?

I read somewhere that spirit users tend to use ax/horn since your job is that of a buffer. Guess what, your spirits will eat up those buffs essentially wasting them.

So, basically, if I have out three spirits … my pet, 3 spirits, and my character will keep the rest of the group from getting any buffs?

Is this a bug or was it on purpose? Wow, that is so bad it’s almost funny. I hope this gets fixed if it’s a bug.

Are there many lvl 80’s running a spirit build? I would love to but I hear it’s not practical due to their health and so forth … especially if this is true about the buffs.

The elite spirit is the only one I’ve found to have practical applications in PvE – namely for it’s active ally revive. It can allow Ranger players to solo group events that have plentiful npc’s around.

Duke Blackrose.4981:

Pendleton.6385:

Seetoo.9316:

Total face palm when I noticed that spirits receive the buffs as well.

By default, a ranger counts as 2 bodies at least (you + pet). That means you can only give out spirit buffs to 3 other targets. Call out 1 spirit then your ranger counts for 3 bodies (you + pet + 1 spirit) with only 2 other targets to buff. Call out another spirit and your ranger now counts for 4 bodies (you + pet + 2 spirits) with only 1 other target to buff. See the pattern?

I read somewhere that spirit users tend to use ax/horn since your job is that of a buffer. Guess what, your spirits will eat up those buffs essentially wasting them.

So, basically, if I have out three spirits … my pet, 3 spirits, and my character will keep the rest of the group from getting any buffs?

Is this a bug or was it on purpose? Wow, that is so bad it’s almost funny. I hope this gets fixed if it’s a bug.

Are there many lvl 80’s running a spirit build? I would love to but I hear it’s not practical due to their health and so forth … especially if this is true about the buffs.

The elite spirit is the only one I’ve found to have practical applications in PvE – namely for it’s active ally revive. It can allow Ranger players to solo group events that have plentiful npc’s around.

I second this. If you’re lucky enough to keep the bugger alive, he can be quite helpful exclusively in PvE. In PvP it’s pretty garbage.

As for the other spirits, well, they suck at both.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t the effects triggered by attacking for most spirits? Since spirits don’t attack, I don’t think they’re wasting effects.

I know spirits and rangers as a whole are rather lack luster, but I think you guys are over estimating anet’s supposed hate/laziness/incompetence.

ChillyChinaman.6057:

Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t the effects triggered by attacking for most spirits? Since spirits don’t attack, I don’t think they’re wasting effects.

I know spirits and rangers as a whole are rather lack luster, but I think you guys are over estimating anet’s supposed hate/laziness/incompetence.

Spirits dont actually apply the proc itself, they apply a buff that allows the wearer of that buff to proc on attack.
If their buff is limited to 5 allies (and I’m not sure it is), then they do indeed absorb their own buffs, even if they are not attacking to actually trigger them.

I think it needs testing, but perhaps you are overestimating anets understanding of their own game mechanics when it comes to balancing their classes.

Banners don’t have this issue becuase they are treated as objects rather than npc’s.

Code here is bang on. with a small difference, the buff goes to all friendly’s. while it does nothing it can affect everyone. but then when allies start causing the buff to proc thats where 5 targets who are actively attacking are receiving the buff. while they can overlap i have no complaints from my dungeon group for having almost perma +50% DPS with no downtime. i cant argue with that.

Drasleona.5049:

Code here is bang on. with a small difference, the buff goes to all friendly’s. while it does nothing it can affect everyone. but then when allies start causing the buff to proc thats where 5 targets who are actively attacking are receiving the buff. while they can overlap i have no complaints from my dungeon group for having almost perma +50% DPS with no downtime. i cant argue with that.

You can’t seriously be claiming with a straight face that ranger spirits increase a group’s DPS by 50%.

I’m a ranger and I think Spirits are kind of dumb considering Warriors can do the same thing with banners only banners have no health and cannot get damage in addition to anyone being able to pick them up and move them. For Ranger spirits you have to invest in the trait and then you still have to deal with keeping it alive.

It seems to apply the passive spirit buff by radius. So if you seperate your spirits and create a ven diagram using 3 or double sides using 2 you can band aid the negative impact by keeping the pets two far apart to steal each others passive while creating a multi buff window between them.

Annoying bugging it whenever I log on in game.

Im a support Ranger in PvP and i must say i find spirits to be extremely frustrating. Out of all the proffesions we are the only one that instead of having boons on demand, we have a proc based system and if we want to make it more reliable we need to invest on a Trait to increase the proc chance!!!
Also Spirits can be countered by collateral aoe dmg in teamfights, they have extremely low health and even with the double health Trait they still go down extremenly fast. You dont even have to focus them, just spam away some aoe/cleave attack and they will go down while you focus on your main target.
Another strikingly stupid fact is that I need to spent another Trait to make them move and follow me instead of just sitting in place while the battlefield shifts away from them.
Last but not least their active spell system is a bad joke. The animation time ruins the activation speed thus making it extremely hard to use them properly. I want an instant cast spell to act like an instead cast spell for Charr Shake! Also the activited field effects dont last long, so you cant actually preset them like you can with traps.
The only exclusion to this rule is the Spirit of Nature, in which the delay in activation gives you the nice trick of ressing yourself while you have been downed.
So in conclusion our buffing mechanics are terrible at best compared to any other proffesion. You can invest all the Traits in the world to try and make Spirits better and they will still be bad. Spirits need an immediate and total rework in order to be actually useful.

Agadar.4931:

Drasleona.5049:

Code here is bang on. with a small difference, the buff goes to all friendly’s. while it does nothing it can affect everyone. but then when allies start causing the buff to proc thats where 5 targets who are actively attacking are receiving the buff. while they can overlap i have no complaints from my dungeon group for having almost perma +50% DPS with no downtime. i cant argue with that.

You can’t seriously be claiming with a straight face that ranger spirits increase a group’s DPS by 50%.

Just read it, moved on, saw your comment, looked again, laughed.

+50% DPS with no down time? Till it gets one shot in FotM, unless your specced for spirits, then LOL!

Oh so really instead of buffing spirits they actually nerfed them? that’s just lovely.

Is there actual testing to support this, or is it just assumption?

I was under the impression that spirits were exempt from the buff limit.

Electro.4173:

Is there actual testing to support this, or is it just assumption?

I was under the impression that spirits were exempt from the buff limit.

I tested in HOTM by the portal so I could have a mass of player bodies. All you have to do is check the passive buffs. Move to the far side of the clump of players but well within range and watch your buffs drop click aorund notice a buff here or there and if you stack the pets on top of themselves on them.

Agadar.4931:

I second this. If you’re lucky enough to keep the bugger alive, he can be quite helpful exclusively in PvE. In PvP it’s pretty garbage.

As for the other spirits, well, they suck at both.

I run it in PvP, aoe rezzing, even yourself is extremely powerful.
Short of enemies interupting the spirit’s rez action…it rarely ever can be spiked down in the 2s it takes to rez).