Guild Wars 2

What really bothers me is the fact that, even though a large portion of the playerbase is suffering from severe latency, there’s no reply from Anet whatsoever acknowledging this issue (nor suggesting that some kind of fix is on the way).

Galogon Fireborn – Male Charr Elementalist

«Copy-pasted from another post of mine»

I, for one, enjoyed the overall revamp of the AC dungeon. What used to be, at the very least, a mediocre dungeon, is now a more challenging, compelling and fun experience.
That said, I think it invalidates the idea of it being an entry dungeon for either new players or lower level characters, especially considering the “recommended level” is 35 (an easy fix would be to make all explorable modes level 80-bound).

So, even if I like the added complexity and difficulty, there are a few key exceptions. Here’s what I think it worked great, and what simply didn’t work:

- Nerfing all trash mobs’ health (and damage?) was the right call. Some of those always felt too overpowered, or simply took too long to kill, being either tedious or overly punishing fights. Now, everything’s more fast-paced, with emphasis on the boss fights.

- Overall, all gauntlet-styled events seem more polished, which is nice.

- All the stun-locks, knockdowns, cripples and bleeds seem overly excessive. It indeed presents some sort of challenge, although a very annoying one, to the point of being a fun wrecking experience. There are other ways of making things interestingly difficult and challenging without such degrees of irritation.

- The Spider Boss had some welcomed changes. As a tanky elementalist, I used to simply stand in front of her while attacking, ignoring whatever mechanics there were. As it is, I now have to actually pay attention to the fight, and really move around.

- Kholer, albeit an interesting fight, is simply too easy – what once used to be a feared boss fight, mainly because it required a lot of observation and attention, is now a very toned down version of it, with lower health/damage and fewer grabs. Not even the added spawns during the fight make up for that, people simply focus on Kholer and they eventually die with all the AoE. Heck, even the Spider is actually a tougher challenge to overcome, and it probably should be the other way around.

- The bonus Troll boss, although fairly easy once you know his attacks, is now more challenging and fun, a welcomed change. Still, should it spawn near Kholer, it is still possible to make them attack each other, and some people will simply avoid attacking it normally, making him and Kholer walking lootable trophies that require no effort or skill.

- The final boss in P1 is a really fun and challenging fight – be it in melee or ranged. It actually requires positional movement and awareness of the overall surroundings – from the fire circles and the gravelings, to all the running around for escaping his screeches and kamehameha-styled beams.

- The final boss in P2, although I find the ghost-busters theme interesting, seems unnecessarily too gimmicky, PUG-unfriendly, and slightly buggy. Don’t get me wrong, I like the whole coordination idea, but it just takes too long and, by the time you kill it, you’re tired of it. Maybe reducing the number of oozes required to activate the traps would help make it better.

- The final boss in P3, even though buggy and unnecessarily punishing, if fixed, probably has some potential to it. Still, I’m not much of a fan of “hidden” mechanics, like getting rid of the Defiant stacks to make interrupting his rumbling AoE possible (which, as it stands, it doesn’t work). Also, I find it annoying having to rely on NPC skills to avoid certain-death situations, like the Warmaster’s protective bubble, especially NPCs that like to Leeroy-Jenkins-run to the boss and get stupidly and constantly killed.

- Lastly, a technical thingy. Just wanted to point out that there seems to be something in the dungeon that causes really awful FPS drops and lag spikes. In the runs that I’ve done, mostly everyone complained of these same issues, and I myself noticed it too. It was certainly a challenge to overcome, albeit an unwelcome one

On a more personal, final note, there’s something I’d like to add.
Even if the dungeon is now more challenging, compelling and interesting to run, I still feel like it’s not rewarding enough (as is the case with most of the dungeons).
Even if I enjoy doing dungeons just for the sake of doing it, I still need something more to fuel my interest for it. That’s simply not the case with AC (or, for that matter, most of the dungeons) because:
a) both bosses and treasure chests keep dropping worthless loot, with the occasional rares and the mostly nonexistent exotics; b) the AC armor sets are terribly bad looking, and the weapons, glowyness asside, are nothing but rusty pieces of metal; c) the gold one can get for a full run is simply not enough for all the trouble of doing it; d) tokens serve little purpose with very limited spending options e) even if I’m lucky enough to gather some greens to use with the mystic forge, seeing as the RNG gods probably hate me, I barely manage to get any rare items out of it, making it a royal waste of time and money.

I, for one, enjoyed the overall revamp of the AC dungeon. What used to be, at the very least, a mediocre dungeon, is now a more challenging, compelling and fun experience.
That said, I think it invalidates the idea of it being an entry dungeon for either new players or lower level characters, especially considering the “recommended level” is 35 (an easy fix would be to make all explorable modes level 80-bound).

So, even if I like the added complexity and difficulty, there are a few key exceptions. Here’s what I think it worked great, and what simply didn’t work:

- Nerfing all trash mobs’ health (and damage?) was the right call. Some of those always felt too overpowered, or simply took too long to kill, being either tedious or overly punishing fights. Now, everything’s more fast-paced, with emphasis on the boss fights.

- Overall, all gauntlet-styled events seem more polished, which is nice.

- All the stun-locks, knockdowns, cripples and bleeds seem overly excessive. It indeed presents some sort of challenge, although a very annoying one, to the point of being a fun wrecking experience. There are other ways of making things interestingly difficult and challenging without such degrees of irritation.

- The Spider Boss had some welcomed changes. As a tanky elementalist, I used to simply stand in front of her while attacking, ignoring whatever mechanics there were. As it is, I now have to actually pay attention to the fight, and really move around.

- Kholer, albeit an interesting fight, is simply too easy – what once used to be a feared boss fight, mainly because it required a lot of observation and attention, is now a very toned down version of it, with lower health/damage and fewer grabs. Not even the added spawns during the fight make up for that, people simply focus on Kholer and they eventually die with all the AoE. Heck, even the Spider is actually a tougher challenge to overcome, and it probably should be the other way around.

- The bonus Troll boss, although fairly easy once you know his attacks, is now more challenging and fun, a welcomed change. Still, should it spawn near Kholer, it is still possible to make them attack each other, and some people will simply avoid attacking it normally, making him and Kholer walking lootable trophies that require no effort or skill.

- The final boss in P1 is a really fun and challenging fight – be it in melee or ranged. It actually requires positional movement and awareness of the overall surroundings – from the fire circles and the gravelings, to all the running around for escaping his screeches and kamehameha-styled beams.

- The final boss in P2, although I find the ghost-busters theme interesting, seems unnecessarily too gimmicky, PUG-unfriendly, and slightly buggy. Don’t get me wrong, I like the whole coordination idea, but it just takes too long and, by the time you kill it, you’re tired of it. Maybe reducing the number of oozes required to activate the traps would help make it better.

- The final boss in P3, even though buggy and unnecessarily punishing, if fixed, probably has some potential to it. Still, I’m not much of a fan of “hidden” mechanics, like getting rid of the Defiant stacks to make interrupting his rumbling AoE possible (which, as it stands, it doesn’t work). Also, I find it annoying having to rely on NPC skills to avoid certain-death situations, like the Warmaster’s protective bubble, especially NPCs that like to Leeroy-Jenkins-run to the boss and get stupidly and constantly killed.

- Lastly, a technical thingy. Just wanted to point out that there seems to be something in the dungeon that causes really awful FPS drops and lag spikes. In the runs that I’ve done, mostly everyone complained of these same issues, and I myself noticed it too. It was certainly a challenge to overcome, albeit an unwelcome one

On a more personal, final note, there’s something I’d like to add.
Even if the dungeon is now more challenging, compelling and interesting to run, I still feel like it’s not rewarding enough (as is the case with most of the dungeons).
Even if I enjoy doing dungeons just for the sake of doing it, I still need something more to fuel my interest for it. That’s simply not the case with AC (or, for that matter, most of the dungeons) because:
a) both bosses and treasure chests keep dropping worthless loot, with the occasional rares and the mostly nonexistent exotics; b) the AC armor sets are terribly bad looking, and the weapons, glowyness asside, are nothing but rusty pieces of metal; c) the gold one can get for a full run is simply not enough for all the trouble of doing it; d) tokens serve little purpose with very limited spending options e) even if I’m lucky enough to gather some greens to use with the mystic forge, seeing as the RNG gods probably hate me, I barely manage to get any rare items out of it, making it a royal waste of time and money.

There’s a (most certainly not intended) safe spot in which the falling rocks simply won’t hit anyone.

In the upper part of the boss room, right before reaching the area in which he’s walking around and where there used to be some gravelings to kill, people used to run inside a smaller room (like a hole in the wall) to reset aggro from them. If you pull the boss all the way up there and into that same room, just climb the rocks on the ground and stay above the ground level, his rumbling AoE simply won’t fall in there (at the very least, the red circles won’t pass the entrance).

I, for one, always try to respect and play accordingly to the intended mechanics of any boss fight but, as it is, it’s too buggy and simply impossible to accomplish – especially with PUGs – making this a feasible alternative until it gets properly fixed.

Severely injured, Galogon survived but was captured and taken into the Black Citadel. In a twist of fate, a major concussion ended with him losing his memory, leaving him completely clueless, knowing nothing but his first name – written in a necklace he carried. Because intel-gathering from him wasn’t possible, he no longer served any purpose as a prisoner of war, he was deemed worthless by the Ash Legion, and sentenced to death.
In the night before his execution, on a whim, Rytlock took a walk to the depths of the Citadel Stockade to check on the prisoners. Walking by Galogon’s jail, he stopped, and peaked inside. In the back, he saw but a shadowy figure, sitting. Raising his hand, a small flame erupted, illuminating the once darkened prison. Then, looking right back at Rytlock, Galogon whispered: “Whoever I once was, nothing but a glimpse of it remains. I yield the power of the flame, but the flame owns me no more. A past best left forgotten. I won’t beg for my life, it is yours to control. But I don’t want to forfeit it either. If you’re willing, give me the opportunity and I’ll fight for you, for your legion and your cause, even if it means butchering every single one of my kin. I’ll prove myself, not as a burden, but as a valuable asset.”
Rytlock, aware of Galogon’s condition, gazed into his eyes as if looking into his soul, searching for evidence. He saw no fear, no shame, no helplessness, and certainly, no evil. All he ever saw was burning determination, and a strong desire to live. Then, Rytlock said to him, chuckling: “Well well, who would’ve thought? You’re a brave and lively one, kiddo. That attitude of yours, I like it! Well then, what should I do with you? Hmmrrr…”

Decided to give him a chance, Rytlock consulted with the other tribunes and the imperator of the Blood Legion, merely to let them know of his decision: to take Galogon under his care as a trainee, raising him as one of his own – a warrior of the Blood Legion.
Galogon’s friendship with Rytlock grew stronger over the years, and he eventually started looking up to him as this brave, fearless hero, a role model he wished to follow.

But life wasn’t easy for Galogon. Even though he was given a place among the Blood Legion, he wasn’t readily accepted, and never really fit within – at first, fellow legionnaires always saw him as nothing but Rytlock’s protégée, or as spoilage of war, completely ignoring him. To make things worse, Galogon wasn’t very skilled with heavy weapons and artillery, and instead dwelled in magic, training to achieve mastery of the elements, making him even more of an outcast.

A few years later, they started calling him “the Fireborn”, as if alluding to his dreadful past and his affinity for fire. Still, he never really faltered, and eventually adopted the name Fireborn as a form of acknowledgement, and a reminder of the past he pledged never to go back to. In time, though, he and his magic proved to be very valuable assets in the front-lines. From the heavy support and tanking capabilities, to his intellectual prowess and deadly offensive skills, his burning spirit and fierceness was infectious. Even if some legionnaires still wouldn’t accept him as one of their own, nevertheless, he was now mostly respected.

In time, certain events were set in motion. From Galogon joining a warband of loyal warriors, to his own father, a former Flame Legion shaman, making contact with him, all part of an effort to fight head-on the Flame Legion. Eventually, bigger life-threatening issues appeared, and Galogon Fireborn saw himself having to rise and be the Hero that everyone needed him to be, fulfilling his one and true destiny.

8/10 for Charrolus Magnus, overall it’s a nice name and I like the latin-esque vibe to it, and it fits rather well on a Charr, be it Warrior or not.

So, my Charr’s name is Galogon Fireborn, a Charr Elementalist. The name Galogon is pretty much a play on my name’s letters. I’ll also share with you my version of his personal (albeit very extensive) story. If by any chance someone manages to read it all the way to the end, well, I hope it is, at the very least, entertaining

Born in Hrangmer, even as a cub, Galogon was very prone to magic.
Living within the walls of the citadel, he was raised as an acolyte amongst the most powerful and influential zealots, instructed in that of the ancient rituals and forbidden ways, following their ideals, values and beliefs, in pursuit of mastering the flames of darkness. Very early, Galogon’s hatred was strong towards all those who opposed the Flame Legion. As such, his destiny seemed sealed right from the very beginning – to become a murderous, shaman outcast of the Flame Legion.

As a young legionnaire, Galogon was sent to work with the Flame Legion forces in the front, at the Flame Citadel. One day, a small army of charrs in allegiance with the Blood Legion, commanded by Rytlock Brimstone – a very prominent charr, tribune of the Black Citadel – reached the surroundings of the citadel, and an intense battle erupted. A large platoon of legionnaires was abruptly assembled – mostly composed of younger ones, Galogon among them – and even though they outnumbered the enemy invaders, the lack of skill and experience was obvious, and fatal. Brutal and fearsome, the Blood Legion’s prowess in combat proved too much. They were completely overrun.

Hello.

Not sure this is the right place to post this but, I’ve recently been having some disconnecting issues during all the final boss encounters in every single Fractal.

I never had this issue before, it simply started happening, and it’s really frustrating, as right after I get back online and when I rejoin the Fractal, I appear dead. As we all know, I can’t really revive with people on combat, and then, when the fight ends, I can’t get up before being teleported to the next one, which means, I lose the rewards and the chest.

Just another quick question.

Since gear with power/vit/tough only exists in karma and dungeon sets, in the meantime, what gear should I be using? Berserker’s ? Or maybe a mix of power/tough/healing + power/vit/precis ?

Thanks a bunch! That was really helpful.

DaRKJaGGeReD.5630:

Well here is a build for traits that I saw that can be changed to D/D or Staff
0
10 – 6
0
30 – 5, 6, 11
30 – 5, 8, 11
for staff then
0
10-1
0
30 – 5, 3, 11 or 12
30 – 5, 4, 11
for D/D

I figured the gear was like power/vit/tough…. beyond that I have no idea…
Hope it helps

Indeed, the 0-10-0-30-30 seems to be the build that fits what I was looking for. I found two great guides right here in the forums that explain it more extensively, both for the Staff and the D/D playstyles:

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/elementalist/Guide-Mastering-the-Staff-Ele-1-18-13/first
https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/elementalist/Guide-Mastering-the-D-D-ele-12-20-12/first

However, I’m still a little bit confused about gear and stats priorities, so if someone could explain it a little bit more, it would be great.

Some people also recommended me that I should start by doing world pve and running dungeons while also having magic find sigils and gems on both the armor and accessories, as well as the sigil of luck for one of the weapons (also using the omnomberries bars whenever possible). I understand the logic behind this – to find better loot (especially to farm Globs of Ectoplasm) – but how far would it cripple my build’s performance, especially in dungeons? Is stacking magic find really that great?

Once again, thanks for taking the time to answer me.

Hello there.

I’ve been away from the game since September or so, and just got back into it. I’ve been playing with a Ranger but decided to get back to my Elementalist, which I had then leveled up to 80 right before I took a break from the game. I’m mostly looking forward to doing dungeons and world pve, but I have no idea on how the profession is at the moment, what build and gear should I go for, and so, I need some help.

I really enjoy the playstyle of both D/D in melee and the Staff, so I was preferably looking for a balanced build that would allow me to easily switch between the two (with just some trait tweaking) and still be effective. I also want some useful group support for dungeons, but not so much about healing and more about boons and such.

To be clear, I don’t want anything like a Glass Canon build; I’d rather do reasonable damage but have great survivability and nice group support. I also don’t want a full support build with mediocre damage.

So, can anyone help me out with this? I’d very much appreciate it.

After updating to the latest nvidia driver (release, not beta), flashing of some objects’ textures, from normal to mostly white, have indeed started to happen.

Though to be fair, before updating my graphic card’s driver, I’ve only played a couple of times – took some time off the game since right after the Halloween event. Also, the rather old driver I was using before the update was the 307-something.

Just for clarity’s sake, I run the game with everything maxed out. Also, tweaking the Render Sampling option, from Supersample to Default/Subsample, seems to have fixed this issue for me.

I believe it’s intentional. Still, other MMO experiences tell me that saving all the pets’ names (and other data) ain’t that easy as it sounds, which usually results in limited slots for them. So, it might be somewhat of a technical difficulty, not just a design decision.

Hello there.

I just wanted to know if there’s a known, usual bug, for Male Norns to have a lot of Shoulders not fitting properly with Chest Armor pieces, or if it might be a problem with my game? (ie: the Chest Armor always pierces the Shoulder Armor’s model, never blending properly, it’s like it sinks under the body).

Thanks.