Guild Wars 2

As a support/healing weapon staff does a great job. It has consistent healing, mobility, and some CC; however as the title states, it just feels “clunky”. What I mean by this is that the abilities and animations are not fluid or intuitive to the user. Skill 1 and 2 are barred behind having a target, which makes little sense seeing that many other weapons skills with similar effects do not (mesmer greatsword 1 for example). Additionally skill 3 has some issues with line of sight and ground targeting not working even if the desired location is well within reach. And lastly skill 4 has a “bugged?” ground target animation where a circle appears instead of the straight “vine line”.

TL:DR Druid staff is a great support weapon but is riddled with frustrating complications to the user.

Can’t imagine you do much healing with CA outside of stationary encounters if you think staff is “clunky” compared.

I personally don’t see any issue with skill 1 and 2 needing a target. Certain movement based skills have issues with terrain, but it’s mostly fine. I’ve never seen a “circle” indicator bug for skill 4 so not sure, but I’d rather have it a circular patch as opposed to the vine line that misses moving targets.

jwaz.1908:

And lastly skill 4 has a “bugged?” ground target animation where a circle appears instead of the straight “vine line”.

I have the same issue. On first boot up and occasionally after a map change the first casting of staff 4 gives me a circle instead of the vine live.
But no matter – it’s so dang slow it never hits anything that’s not stationary.

Swagger.1459:

I personally don’t see any issue with skill 1 and 2 needing a target.

Skill 2, whatever, but the 1 needing a target is a major hindrance in large wvw fights.

cafard.8953:

Swagger.1459:

I personally don’t see any issue with skill 1 and 2 needing a target.

Skill 2, whatever, but the 1 needing a target is a major hindrance in large wvw fights.

Iirc, it was changed to prevent exploiting astral force generation.

What is the issue you are having?

Swagger.1459:

Iirc, it was changed to prevent exploiting astral force generation due to bad design choices.

FTFY

Wondrouswall.7169:

Swagger.1459:

Iirc, it was changed to prevent exploiting astral force generation due to bad design choices.

FTFY

Lol haha

I often have the bug of the vine line for skill 4 showing up for a few seconds when trying to do skill 5. The need to have a target thing for 1 is a bit annoying in some cases.

Swagger.1459:

cafard.8953:

Swagger.1459:

I personally don’t see any issue with skill 1 and 2 needing a target.

Skill 2, whatever, but the 1 needing a target is a major hindrance in large wvw fights.

Iirc, it was changed to prevent exploiting astral force generation.

What is the issue you are having?

Of course, they have fixed AF generation since. The issue was with generating it from healing targets on full health.

Without that, we could shoot straight with a 1200 units long piercing beam. The current implementation forces one to pick a specific potentially moving target, and reduces the beam to the distance between ranger and foe. Shorter beam, less directional control. Bit like if we were not allowed to shoot LB/SB without a target.

It also prevents you from firing at a presumed stealthed foe’s position.

I haven’t seen any issues with the 4 grount targeting showign wrong stuff, neither I had any issues with 3 not going to any places recently

and then as I’d love to be able to fire off beam without target I do realise how much it could trivialise one dungeon path I used to be running……

Lord Trejgon.2809:

I haven’t seen any issues with the 4 grount targeting showign wrong stuff, neither I had any issues with 3 not going to any places recently

Do I really need to say this? Just because YOU don’t experience these issues doesn’t mean other people don’t. What’s point of anyone listing things that DO work as intended for them? Not trying to be a kitten but it’s like – “Hey guys! Look at all the problems I’m NOT having!”. Not very useful.

The Targeting Shadow is game wide and a non issue. It’s not as if it literally changes the skill’s area. Even someone brand new to the game should be using the skills often enough that they can visualize their proper area of effect even if the game hasn’t updated the shadow yet

I don’t find it clunky, but I do find it less useful. I find I am using 1, then an occasional 2, with a 4 if a breakbar is up. That’s it. Never use 3 and 5 rarely.
However, I don’t use my staff in WvW, so perhaps those would be more useful there.
For the most part, it’s just a disappointing weapon.

Ramoth.5162:

I don’t find it clunky, but I do find it less useful. I find I am using 1, then an occasional 2, with a 4 if a breakbar is up. That’s it. Never use 3 and 5 rarely.
However, I don’t use my staff in WvW, so perhaps those would be more useful there.
For the most part, it’s just a disappointing weapon.

You’re not using 3? Hmm. I use it a lot to blast a field.

So Fuzzy Pop.1384:

Lord Trejgon.2809:

I haven’t seen any issues with the 4 grount targeting showign wrong stuff, neither I had any issues with 3 not going to any places recently

Do I really need to say this? Just because YOU don’t experience these issues doesn’t mean other people don’t. What’s point of anyone listing things that DO work as intended for them? Not trying to be a kitten but it’s like – “Hey guys! Look at all the problems I’m NOT having!”. Not very useful.

DO I really need to say you this?

when you claim you have an issue with something, people can be constructively saying that they do not have issue with it, because it emphasises that issue is not a 100% global thing but something not working for specific people for specific reason and bradening the information on “for whom it does work and for whom it does not” will make pinpointing the reason easier

on the other hand
should path of scars [axe ofhand] ground targeting also use circle or have it got at some point that “linear” kind of ground targeting scheme?

answer for that question could throw more information on the nature of bug into the pot

EDIT:

Ramoth.5162:

Ramoth.5162:

I don’t find it clunky, but I do find it less useful. I find I am using 1, then an occasional 2, with a 4 if a breakbar is up. That’s it. Never use 3 and 5 rarely.
However, I don’t use my staff in WvW, so perhaps those would be more useful there.
For the most part, it’s just a disappointing weapon.

You’re not using 3? Hmm. I use it a lot to blast a field.

personally I use 3 as a mobility tool with recently also in WvW using it for more heals to my squadmates – it has been a surprise for me to find out after so long that it is also a blast combo finisher….

as fro 5th skill – in PvE I use it extremely rarely – in most cases I forget I have it in 75% of cases when it could be usefull and throw it ocasionally in front of a mob that makes one of those telegraphes projectile spikes [bristlebacks anyone? :P]

although on WvW I was trying to use it more ofen in blob engagements at the phase of blobs grouping and firing ranged attacks on themselves – which does not always do its job because of some guardian reflective walls being put in front of it…..

as for usefullness – it’s support weapon – not everyone will find it as usefull as DPS-y weapon or even CC weapon….