Guild Wars 2

Excellent guide. If I may, I’d like to add another vital role that a Thief can perform for their team:

The ‘Defiant’ Eater

So, you’re in CoE and for some reason, your party has failed to push/pull Alpha in to a wall for an easy killing session. He now has stacks of Defiant on him, so you either have to waste all your CCs in trying to move him again, or you fight him where he stands and thus make the fight a bit more risky.

Not to worry! Your party was awesome enough to bring a Thief along, who’s now going to ‘eat’ all those defiant stacks, in mere seconds, with their Initiative system and Pistol #4. Alpha can again be moved in to a corner and basic ‘whack a mole’ can continue.

You’re at the end of a long Dredge fractal, kiting the end boss from one lava vat to another. Oh no! Your super-awesome-amazing GS Banner Warrior didn’t get the ‘range’ memo, and has decided to melee him, thus giving him a few more stacks of Defiant! Oh no – the boss has decided to sit down and heal himself – you need to strip that defiant and interrupt him ASAP or else all your kiting/DPSing ‘leet’ skills will soon be in vain!

Calm down, Warrior! You have a Thief with you….he’s probably sporting Pistol/Pistol as he’s ranging a single enemy…and also because it makes him look awsome. He’ll Pistol #4 those Defiant stacks away and THEN he’ll perform the heal interrupt so that the Boss will get up off his kitten and walk to the next lava vat.

Y’see, Ladies….anything’s possible when you decide to leave out that 3rd Warrior and opt for a class that isn’t hindered by cooldowns and can perform a given task numerous times in succession.

I’m on a horse.

Thanks for all the feedback, folks; it’s certainly food for thought.

Considering what’s been said, I think I’m going to sit on these materials for a while and re-visit the issue once the Ferocity/Rune/Sigil changes are in place.

At the moment I’m leaning slightly towards a Valk Ascended set and keeping my Exotic Berserker, Soldier and Dire sets in store when needed. You never know, I might even have the cash for a 2nd Ascended set while waiting for the changes to settle!

Dear Thieves,

I’ve recently acquired all the materials to craft a full set of Ascended armour. However, I’m holding off on the crafting of it as I’m not 100% sure of which stat-combination to take. Here are the facts as they stand:

1. I partake in all aspects of the game bar sPvP. PvE, Dungeons, Fractals and WvW are all enjoyed on a regular basis.

2. My Ascended weapons and trinkets are already Berserker stats. This isn’t open to change as I’ve 7 other level 80s that need gearing. Needs must an’ all.

3. While I experience success in all aspects of the game, I am by no means a ‘pro’ Thief. I occasionally miss a dodge, miss a CnD or sometimes go ‘full idiot’ and bring the wrong heal skill to the situation. Mistakes do happen and will continue to happen, and I’m cool with that.

In light of the above, and the fact Ascended armour is a large investment that cannot be repeated numerous times, which stat combination would you be most happy with? All advice greatly received and welcome!

Regards,

Phil

I’m also on EE / Orange and I’m having the exact same problem. However, where does the onus lie when you’re experiencing packet loss further down its travel route like in my example below? Is it still our ISP, or do we now need to get in contact with Level3.net?

I really don’t think we as individual players have much ‘clout’ with getting Level3.net to sort the problem; it would be nice if Anet could get involved at this stage as I’m sure they’d be listened to over us.

Does anyone know of one? Having terrible lag and I’m sure the below packet loss might have something to do with it.

Any assistance – much appreciated!

I’m just posting here to let you know that you’re not alone; me and many others are having the exact same issues at the moment.

I have taken to moving all my characters out of Lion’s Arch. On the few occasions that I do manage to get past the loading screen into Lion’s Arch, I’ll get heavy latency followed by the ‘disconnected from server’ error. All of my characters are currently living in EbonHawke until further notice.

I have no concrete solution for you, I’m afraid. The Tech Forum is in a bit of a state at the moment with issues like these, and Anet are saying nothing outside of a support ticket.

HypnotoadProductions.3981:

I have to agree with the issue being the Level3 servers. Especialy the one in Frankfurt is a big culprit for me and others as it’s the main hub.

Today I reported this issue to Level3 who were completely surprised that, as a non customer, I found out about that. So they’re apparently on the issue right now but just in case I’d say that everybody with issues just calls their free support hotline and reports this issue.

It’s funny how before 1CET the servers are fine and afterwards the connection goes down the drain. The same thing happens on Twitch.TV as well by the way, just try streaming on a test account. While the Level3 servers are under heavy load you won’t get anywhere…

Anyway, report the issue to Level3 and that’s about it.

This seems encouraging. Over the last couple of weeks I’ve ran numerous PingPlotter tests in different areas of the game and the Level 3 Frankfurt server always seemed to be the source of my latency and packet loss. Indeed, I even got Anet to admit that my connection was “good” (a feat in itself, considering they’re always so eager to point the finger at your connection and ISP) and that the problem lay in the route the information travelled from my computer to their servers.

May I ask how you’ve gone about notifying them [Level 3, Frankfurt] of their problem? I’d also like to get in contact with them and corroborate your issues with the ones I too have been having. An e-mail address so that I could attach a number of reports would be ideal.

It seems that it we all shout loud enough, we may get something moving at the Level 3 end of things, ‘cause this forum seems dead of Dev comments/advice as of late.

Regards.

Double Helix.2179:

Same problem, keeps getting stuck on loading screens, people say they can see my character in the game though, it is like the loading screen is stuck there, stopping us from playing. I can also hear sounds

I’ve been living with the exact same problem since the Clockwork Chaos update. My character fails to fully load in to busy areas such as Lion’s Arch or The Crown Pavilion. I can hear the sounds of the map, such as characters talking and the ‘hum’ of the Asuran waypoint, but the screen won’t change from the area map screen.

This continues for about 5-10 minutes, where I’ll eventually lose connection to the GW2 server, or I’ll get fed up and manually close the programme and re-start.

Also – and this seems to only happen in dungeon instances – I’ll get severe lag followed by a disconnect as soon as we enter the first fight and people start activating skills.

I’ve submitted a load of diagnostic information to Anet support, but so far no solution has been found, and no problem admitted to either!

At the moment I’ve migrated all my characters over to Ebonhawke ‘cause I can rarely ever get in to Lion’s Arch. That, and I’m extremely cautious about entering dungeons with friends at the moment due to sudden latency issues.

It’s all making for a very uninspiring and frustrating gameplay experience. I really wish someone from their Support Team would open a dialogue with us about all of this. Maybe they’re lurking on the forums, but just saying they’re lurking would be something at this point!

Disclaimer: The following may or may not be the source of the problem. It’s intention is to highlight a commonality I’ve experienced through raising a support ticket through Anet.

I’ve had a ticket open with Anet Support for near enough a week now concerning all the latency and disconnects many of us keep experiencing in the game at the moment. I’ve submitted as much information as I could to them, including:

•4 x PingPlotter reports, taken when playing in different areas of the game during primetime
•2 x Game Adviser reports, one with all my background processes running, one without
•1 x HiJackThis report, again, without any background processes running

Throughout this rather lengthy dialogue, the only commonality was that the following ‘hop’ was continually experiencing some packet loss:

edge6.Frankfurt1.Level3.net

The problem is, we as the player exist in a bit of a ‘no man’s land’ where these issues are concerned. I’ve established that it’s not my connection or my ISP; Anet have established that it’s not their servers. The problem exists in the ‘route’ information is taking from point A to point B.

Now, your ISP may not want to get involved with this issue. It’s not their network, so they may wash their hands of the problem. Until then, we’ll have to sit tight and hope the owners of the Frankfurt Level 3 hop fix the problem. However, it might be worth just contacting your ISP and letting them know you use them to play an online game, and that there’s a problem along the route that’s being taken. Perhaps they can redirect the route? Perhaps they can contact the owners of this dodgy ‘hop’ and prompt a fix? Who knows.

Anyway, I just wanted to leave this information here as it might prove useful to someone in getting the issue fixed. I think I’m going to at least e-mail my ISP and alert them to the issue and see what comes of it.

I main a Mesmer, but I thought it was time I gave my Necromancer some love. Not the most ‘original’ Necro look, of course, but I’m very happy with the way he’s turned out.

I give you Bramble Blackthorn: Sylvari Necromancer, Cycle of Dusk.

I won’t lie – I think it’s rather disgusting the way you’re treating your player base at the moment. Aside from constantly asking for reports from us, and the extremely rare “we’re looking in to this”, there’s just no dialogue being opened up about this rather long-term issue.

Sure, you can push out your fabulous monthly content, but if there’s no poor sod able to play the kitten content due to constant disconnects and server lag, it doesn’t exactly mean much now, does it?

As someone who’s been with the Guild Wars series for nigh on 8 years now, I have never felt so discontent and removed from what’s going on in the game as I do these days. I mean, really, what on earth is going on? What have you found out with regards to this issue? Are we getting closer to a solution?

I suppose I’d better attach my 3rd set of reports for you, for what it’s worth…

My Sylvari Mesmer is called ‘Delirium Dreamfever’.

‘Delirium’ comes from Neil Gaiman’s ‘The Sandman’ series. She is one of The Endless and is the embodiment of Mania – a state that fits very well with the theme of the Mesmer.

‘Dreamfever’ comes from one of my all-time favourite Guild Wars 1 Mesmer elites: Fevered Dreams. Ironically, I used it more on my Ranger than I ever did my Mesmer.

So yeah…a combination of literature and GW nostalgia.

Location: Manchester, United Kingdom
ISP: Orange Home Broadband

I’d also like to add that, over the last two evenings since the patch, these problems have largely ceased for me. However, I’m sure every little bit of information helps.

UK player here using Orange Home Broadband. Having the same experience as the rest of you. I’ve seen numerous Ping Plotter results now, and it seems we’re all experiencing some packet loss when going through the following exchange server:

ae-0-11.edge4.london2.level3.net

I don’t know where this places the problem – with Anet or our ISPs – but it looks at though this exchange server needs a good looking at!

Unfortunately, there are quite a lot of us who have been having similar issues over the last couple of weeks.

With me, it initially started out with a bit of skill lag during busy periods. It’s progressively gotten worse and now I cannot activate any skill in the game; just roam around for 5-10 minutes before I get disconnected from their server.

Guild Wars 2 is nothing but a fancy chat programme for me at the moment. I have zero latency while chatting to my Guildies or roaming about the map is concerned.

I’ve submitted a ticket, but their support team aren’t giving me much information outside of wanting to point the finger at my ISP. I’ve had the same ISP for over 7 years and have never had a problem with them. Apparently it’s not so far-fetched that my ISP would be giving me packet loss during the very same period that everyone else’s ISP decides to do the same.

Currently, I’m having to play another online MMO (with zero skill latency, would you believe?!) and wait to see if this issue get resolved. Whether it will or not I have no idea as they seem to have gone quiet regarding the issue as of late. Sincerely hope that this issue is still on their radar…

Still experiencing the following:

- Pockets of severe skill lag. Usually reduced for a period of time by changing character or restarting my client.
- Cannot get past the loading screen when a character is ‘parked’ in Lion’s Arch.
- Cannot get past the loading screen when a character is ‘parked’ in The Mists.

This game has run perfectly smoothly for me for the last 6 months. These issues started in line with the latest game update. I have submitted a few diagnostic reports via Support Reference # 130417-000796.

I’ve also been experiencing pockets of severe skill lag this past week or so. It alleviates itself for short periods when I log out and log back in, or change character, but it does come back once I’ve been playing for a short while.

Server: EU / Far Shiverpeaks

Yorric Hunt.8214:

[Xaoc] confirmed it last night that they will be moving to FSP.

Oh dear. There goes the neighbourhood. Really hope I’m proven wrong, though.

All of the above are great ways to utilise Portal. I’d like to add another:

Portal is a Glamour. Providing that one doesn’t use the ‘Exeunt’ part of it, it’s a Glamour that you can place for 60 seconds (or more if you use the Temporal Enchanter trait.)

Now, if you also trait for Confusing Enchantments / Dazzling Glamours, and just stand in the Portal, you can confuse/blind anyone that comes towards you or your group. Great if you want to go melee and like that added survivability.

You can also place a Portal at choke points and pull enemies through it, confusing and blinding them on the way. Really wrecks their opening salvo.

You can do all this for 60 seconds and – providing you didn’t use the ‘Exeunt’ part of the skill – you can start it all again 30 seconds later (earlier if traited with Glamour Mastery!)

Delirium Dreamfever, Mesmer of the Cycle of Dusk.

Ok, this is a pretty ‘random’ bug I’m experiencing, so I’m just going to come out and say it:

Do any other Mesmers occasionally start to run REALLY slow when they receive or have the Protection boon ‘proc’ on them?

Running around the other night with the Signet of Inspiration on me to try it out, and Protection proc’d. Afterwards? I’m running really, really slow like some extra in the Chariots of Fire video! I had to leave the instance for it to reset.

Same has just happened in Tixx: a Guardian is giving out Protection all over the place and suddenly I get one and I’m running really slow again.

I’ve submitted a bug report, but as this is so very bizarre, I thought I’d also ask here, too.

My Mesmer confessions:

1. I have recently come to the realisation that my “snobbish elitism” about the Mesmer profession has been carried over to GW2 from GW1. I have no regrets about this.

2. Whenever I play my Mesmer, my song of choice is ‘This Charming Man’ by The Smiths. I see my Mesmer as a dandy vagabond.

3. Countess Anise is my fashion icon and attitude guru. That woman is a diva and one of the few portrayals we have of Mesmers that harken back to GW1. Queen Jennah has no business calling herself a Mesmer; she has neither the style or panache to pull it off. Fact.

4. Whenever I see a Necromancer or an Elementalist in Masquerade armour, I secretly pity them. You’re not us. You can’t sit with us. On Fridays, we wear pink (or fuchsia!).

5. When in WvW and not caring about whether I die, I occasionally run in to the middle of the enemy zerg and put down a portal. I have no intention of putting down the other half; I just like you to think you’re about to be portal bombed.

6. It’s not pink or purple. It’s fuchsia. Yes, I’m fully aware that it’s easier to spell pink or purple when trying to insult me in chat. But really…it’s fuchsia.

7. Whenever I’ve got 3 Clones up, I’ll rarely shatter them. When there’s more of me on the screen, the screen looks better. No one likes an ugly battle.

8. Chaos Storm and Feedback WILL be used whenever they’re off cooldown, whether required or not. More fuchsia on the screen = more win.

9. I secretly think that Lyssa hasn’t abandoned us, she’s just walked off in disgust when she saw the abomination that are Charr Mesmers. Please see points 1, 3 and 7 for my rational regarding this matter.

Hi,

I’d just like to give this thread a ‘bump’ and attest to how great these profession-events can become. I was one of those Mesmers who, back in 2005 onwards would occasionally meet others in DWC for Slavers runs and other missions. This was back when the Mesmer profession was in dire need of some support and acceptance from the GW community. If you think the GW2 Mesmer is a bit rough-around-the-edges then no doubt you’d gasp in horror at the initial incarnation of the GW1 Mesmer.

Meeting up with others of a similar persuasion bolstered profession morale and hints, tips, tricks and builds were shared for the betterment of the whole Mesmer community. It was certainly the place to be whenever you were a bit unsure of what your profession was capable of. THK HM/bonus with 8 IW Mesmers?! Yes please!

So please – if you can attend this event show up and give your support. The Mesmer community in GW1 was a complete gem and if only a fraction of that can be brought back for GW2, the profession as a whole will be in a great position, regardless of future changes to it. I’m very happy on my current server (Far Shiverpeaks), but as soon as this guesting feature becomes available, I’ll be over there in a flash.

Oh Anet, I really must protest!

Now, I don’t usually post on the forums and I am, by and large, a huge proponent of Guild Wars in general. Like many on here, I’ve been with you since 2005 and I’ve enjoyed the ride. Guild Wars ‘fanboy’ I guess I am.

But this ‘one-time’ event on the 28th – why?! What’s the logic and rational here? As someone so used to playing ‘Mad King Says’ every 3 hours in Lion’s Arch, to hear that the finale on the 28th won’t be repeated comes as quite a surprise. It’s due to commence at around 20.00 where I live; I’ll be in the car travelling on mid-term break by then. Now, if it was to have repeated itself just a couple of times prior to that a la GW1, I’d be off on my mid-term break a happy Gamer.

Am I completely jumping the gun here? Have you completely abandoned the GW1 festival model that worked so well for us casual gamers whose time can sometimes be so precious?

Don’t your dragon champions spawn every 3 hours from the time they were last killed? Is it such a stretch to have the same system for festival finales? Or does it HAVE to happen just the once because it would be silly to have a ‘spectral gauge’ re-fill for the next event to happen?

I cannot help but feel like the ‘I am disappoint’ meme right now.

To end on a positive note – well done on your first festival event! I always brag to my friends about how Anet/Guild Wars knows how to treat Halloween and keep it in the spirit it was intended. This year I can again hold claim to such bragging rights.

Yours,

An appreciative (yet concerned) Gamer.

So bemused was I at Deceptive Evasion’s behaviour, it inspired me to write a short poem…and then submit it as a bug report

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/support/bugs/Deceptive-Evasion-A-Poem-and-bug-report/first#post235480

My Sylvari Mesmer, Delirium Dreamfever:

When my Mesmer hit 40, he cried with delight,
“Deceptive Evasion, I have you in sight!”
Twenty points in Dueling from the Master’s own book,
To create Clones whilst dodging and running amuck.

Out in to the world my Mesmer did go,
To faceroll the world, and to gloat “u mad, bro?”
But what’s this I see, as I dodge and evade?
DEs Clones and the way they behave!

They’re unlike their brethren on the Staff and the Sword,
Who target your foe when you give them the word.
These critters they aggro the closest to them,
It’s sometimes a pig, a cow or a hen!

So hear us, dear Anet, and add to your list,
A fix to this trait with a flick of your wrist,
Make these Clones now behave and attack with the rest,
And not over-aggro and become such a pest!

tl;dr – The Clones that I spawn from the trait ‘Deceptive Evasion’ behave slightly differently from Clones spawned from weapons and utilities in that they attack the closest thing to them, not what you currently have targeted. Whilst this isn’t a huge problem because I’m usually near to my enemy, it has, on occasion, caused me to get attacked by the local wildlife…..and sometimes a Veteran

Apologies if it’s already been reported/noted.