Showing Posts For MaximusAwesomus.1784:
Before I start, I want to pass comment on the amazing work the dev team has done on the whole for this game, and the excellent work they’ve been doing post-launch in responding to the problems that have come up. Thoroughly enjoying the game, especially WvW!
_
So, the Commander.
In short, I think the requisite to have a commander badge and lead a squad being having earned a large sum of gold (usually though PvE) alone is, well, flawed.
Immediately it is becoming obvious that it is being purchased as a status symbol bringing the first problem, commander badges all around LA.
The other more crucial problem is that those who have purchased the Compendium and act as a commander in WvW aren’t necessarily appropriate people for the role. This isn’t just a comment skill which is a potential problem anywhere and one I expect natural equilibrium to filter. This is a comment on certain people who’s attitude is of automatic authority of all those fighting on their map, and the right to talk down to those who’s performance they deem insufficient – not always in the most diplomatic way.
_
An example of this has taken place on my server. In the evening we don’t actually have any formal command going on, but general messages across the map chat gives a lot of information to people and we end up taking significant portions of the maps, naturally splitting up to objectives. No one is told off for their performance, everyone is just having fun but accidentally being good at the same time. It’s a really nice community feel.
Later in the night, a certain Commander comes online, one of the few on the server. The chat suddenly starts to be splattered with insults about people not being able to play properly, defending wrong, attacking wrong. We should all grow a spine, we all need to all learn to play our classes right (he says while returning from base spawn after leading another zerg to death in the ogre camp), and “stop role-play capping” (whatever that referred to).
This attitude is poisonous and brings down the entire community spirit and enjoyment. Many people have complained about him in /say, and a few have made comments directly.
I asked the person to try to be a bit more respectful on /map and reminded them that this is everyone’s game, not just theirs, and we’re all there to do good but not at the expense of fun. This seemed to have made an impact, for about half an hour, where after it started again. I ended up reporting him for verbal abuse, so if any devs are reading this, you know where to get a better look of what I’m talking about.
_
Solution:
I’m certainly not suggesting this is the only solution, but rather the solution I would choose.
I, personally, would be tempted to remove the Commander’s Compendium and refund gold for all those who purchased it. I would probably keep the Commander symbol as it is nice for newer players to easily get involved, and you can check were likely own-team zergs are on the map, but only have it activate when a Squad reaches 20-30 players or so. Now if you’re doing a decent job and people join your Squad, you get the Commander symbol – social dynamics finds the equilibrium.
I would make the Squad system an on-the-fly system that simply allows the linking of Groups, with the same Commander-to-all chat but perhaps also a channel for full-Group leaders to talk with the Commander 2-way to increase communication, coordination, and tactics beyond the zerg. The Commander would be the leader of the Group who started adding another Group.
Thinking about it, with this design there would no reason for the Compendium to be removed, however I do think if left in it should be gained in other ways other than PvE gold-making tactics, perhaps through the guild system.
_
I welcome anyone to make comments on this below, positive or negative. Bear in mind that I’m aware on other servers the system may actually be working very well if the right people have been the ones with the badges, however my topic addresses the situation (which I cannot imagine is unique to my server) where the Commander’s Compendium is potentially doing more harm than good.
Lol at people saying “these 3/4 skills are our only options unfortunately”.
I run around WvW about 2/3 in swiftness. What more do you expect?? Not everyone should have perma swiftness.
1H-Sword:
Quick swipe attacks with Justice activated each cycle.
AoE blind and gap closer.
Big burst damage w/ ranged block at the same time.
Scepter:
Well, this one needs some work on orb speed but the damage is decent.
Ranged AoE good damage, fast recharge.
Immobilise at good range plus vulnerability.
I honestly can’t see how you can complain about these weapons.
They don’t do the same things as mace or as GS or staff, and they shouldn’t. They’re for a particular play style like all weapons. I use them and find them incredibly useful.
My only negative comment is that Aegis should be put back to 30s since once every 20s traited still isn’t exactly OP’ed.
Past that, why are you complaining about free boons and conditions??
One of the best class mechanics there is, and you wouldn’t complain about Virtue of Justice if you had it traited to refresh on kill. Talk about mob-group destroying.
The value of Virtue of Resolve is when you play a class without regen and you start to wonder why your health is staying low while attacking enemies from keep walls because you’re used to it recharging.
If you have this much problem with the mechanic, go play a warrior or something perhaps.
Let me try and reply in a non vague way…
No, the reflect word is wrong and needs fixed.
An accurate description would be “Retaliation deals damage to foes who attack you while active. This damage is independent of incoming damage and is a fixed value that scales with power.”
I can only assume people here haven’t played a THIEF.
They’re basically limited to 900 range. And they seem to understand they knew this before choosing the class and find other ways to play.
We have 1,200 range. If you require the best ranged weapon options to play, perhaps the Guardian isn’t the correct profession for you. I head the Ranger and Warrior are quite good at that.
I use it and really like it. My favorite memory of Save Yourselves was in Ascalon’s Tomb near a bridge and necromancers. Everyone got hit with fear so I used Save Yourselves. I then proceeded to walk right off a cliff…
Oh thank god I’m not the only one!
Thief is short range killer, be glad you have short bow at all.
The problem is keep attack.
What do we do? Wait for that rare silly person to stand right on the edge?
Guardian was pushed up to 1,200 for real reasons. The reasons are the same argued now for thief. We need to be able to help attack people on keep walls.
Right now even the oil is difficult because to get in range you have to be in that danger zone right in front of the gate!
How about we change the damage at least so it does meagre damage at above 50% health, and yes increase the initiative cost.
I actually don’t like it as a thief because it makes me feel forced into using it. I never feel forced to use a particular skill on a guardian because they all balance out. Heartseeker is broken in that regard. Do what you must, even if it’s a bit nerf at the trade off of a 900 range to make it more of a closing kill move than a spam.
Here’s what I was doing as a level 9 thief last night. Using shortbow and stealth to safeley mover from the front to the back of an enemy zerg, then firing poison and cluster bombs into their middle and back.
The confusion broke them up a bit and allowed our team to split them and that caused them to break off and we recapped our supply camp. Not all WvW tactics are based around long range assaults.
However, saying that, my main is a Guardian and despite having a better dps ranged option than the thief, it was boosted up to 1,200 because of keep assaults.
In keep assaults, the thief has little to do unless an enemy is stupid enough to stand right on the edge and you can scorpion wire them down. 900 range is just enough to reach the walls, but it’s almost impossible to aim the targeted AoE attacks with the camera, and anyone not standing on the edge is blocked from direct attacks.
The thief really does need a 1,200 option, even if it’s only the skill-1 of shortbow =/
It’s not right a class has nothing to do in a keep assault when all others do.
I find it hard to not use staff in WvW. Why should I care about putting in a few hits on someone on a wall/from a wall when I can entirely block the path of an enemy zerg.
5-skill alone makes the staff far from unimpressive. Also you may not realise but the 2-skill does some hefty damage fired direct (and it goes through multiple enemies so for enemy groups it’s guaranteed to hit a couple of people). 1-skill does major total damage to groups. 3-skill gets you and as many people stand on it in the time it’s up swiftness to get places quick/escape. 4-skill gives TWELVE stacks of might to your immediate allies.
Unimpressive is kind of the opposite, assuming you understand not all weapons are designed for 1v1 dps encounters.