Guild Wars 2

For the most part I understand and agree with a good chunk of the changes. However, I really don’t see how they addressed build diversity. It’s still a Fast Hands, Cleansing Ire, Healing Signet always passive warrior build world. I’ll leave the fair/unfair discussion to other threads and just comment on diversity:
- Adrenaline nerf: Favors AoE F1 skills and makes Burst Mastery more important. Hey! What d’ya know? Hambow features all the above qualities.
- Healing: Where’s the Mending buff? The Healing Signet Active? A rework of Healing Surge? (And as a bonus, if Mending or activating HS became tempting, Restorative Strength would also become relevant)
- Condi Removal: Indirectly nerfing CI doesn’t really increase diversity. Brawler’s Recovery is a step in the right direction, but also competes with Burst Mastery. “Shake It Off” has been the same over time, even tho condis have gotten stronger. I think that utility could use a small improvement.
- Traits: They missed a chance on making the Arms line more appealing or getting something other than the minimally useful “while reviving” minor traits in the Tactics line.
- Elites: Proof of “be careful what you asked for” : ) The unnecessary nerf to Signet of Rage and the irrelevant buff to Rampage is at least an attempt by ANet to do something diversity-wise, but ends up as a total disaster.
- Weapons: At least the Great Sword changes shift an emphasis on actually using the F1 skill and is probably a small net buff (Good job ANet!). But the small mace buff won’t even compensate for it having the hardest to land F1 (and therefore hardest hit by the Adrenaline nerf). I’ll pass on discussing rifle ’cause I dislike the clunkiness and am probably biased. The Axe Off-hand is a step in the right direction, but not enough to make it a tempting choice. The Sword 4 nerf is probably justified.

Overall, ANet missed some good opportunities. Disappointing.

Keep in mind it’s just a preview of some selling points.

100% not everything you’ll see in balance patch (and no, not talking about tooltips ).

I agree I also feel like the changes punishes you for not being a hambow or condi war by making it insanely punishing to miss your eviscerate or skull crack and even arcing slice while hammer and bow that use massive aoe are only got a minor nerf because they are much easier to hit. I am very disappointed at anet for making the more fun and harder to use builds insanely weaker and turning a blind eye to the unbalanced things like bow that is NOT EVEN EFFECT BY ANY OF THIS. Also healing surge in its current form is so bad now you could never never use it, cheers to another 6 months of never pressing your healing skill and 4 points in defense.

Anet is saying “play hambow”, yes.

Either play hambow or have a useless F1 skill against players with eyes, unless Greatsword, where your burst will be AMAZING but outside of that you will do relatively nothing.

Healing surge is now “Telegraph that you want to burst by shouting and gaining HP. Or don’t, use the burst anyway and not heal at all.”

All that has to happen now is another healing signet nerf.

At least they mentioned build diversity as a goal for other classes in their description of upcoming changes. Maybe – just maybe – there’s an undisclosed nugget somewhere for us, too. Top of the list: I’d love to have a reason to actually activate my heal.

I cant really see any new builds either.

Rampage could be used but as a defensive measure, it really needs new ability’s, been testing it and I do smaller total damage in rampage than with normal weapons, think its because most the time its single target damage.

The new GS burst skill was a nice change that was needed.