Guild Wars 2

It’s Freaking Nothing

So you’re a fanboy at heart and when you accidentally became a rational human being, you realized you’re actually a massive fanboy and backed down from having an opinion.

Yup, sounds like the internet.

1. Not really. Pretty much the same as before, some builds only became easier to execute while others disappeared.
2. PU obviously. And the GS might/cooldown one is also rather nice though it could use a buff. Everything else is frankly somewhat underwhelming. Oh and Deceptive Evasion as always is king.
3. PU is fine as it is. Maybe turn it down a notch to 75% but I think it’s a solid, strong trait.
4. Interrupt/Lockdown builds are gimmicks that make use of specific mechanics with specific timing on a very narrow window of opportunity for little gain. Won’t ever bother with them. The game was not built with this in mind.
5. I run condi shatter/PU and Chaos is pretty good at keeping me alive. Dom is weaker now I feel and Inspiration should be deleted/reworked into something else entirely.
6. Very much so. I love having to manage Chaos Armor and actually getting a benefit from it. It also offsets Chaos Storm’s rather large cooldown and generally makes the staff a better, more fun weapon. Don’t nerf/change it or I will find you and kill your hamster, you hear me devs?
7. No. It’s a great skill but I have little use for it. There isn’t a single utility skill that I feel the need to use twice in succession once every 90 seconds.
8. Time Warp is still the go-to elite for mesmer. Not because it’s good but because it’s the least terrible one we have.
9. Same as always, predict their burst, avoid it and kill them since everyone and their cat is still running power shatter.

Overall the mesmer feels better. Some traits are all over the place and Inspiration is worthless but we’re going in the right direction.

Who the hell even cares? You people have too much time on your hands to actually give a kitten about things like these. People can marry goats for all I care.

Necro is yet another class that gets a rework of their class mechanics AND 5 new weapon skills.

My statement that mesmer got shafted hard still stands.

I don’t know about you guys but I find the idea of a guy with a bow shooting spears of light pretty awesome. Not to mention wings and a rework of all their class mechanics.

I’d take it over “durr I block attack, it’s like offhand sword but better” any day.

Sebrent.3625:

Chaos, there isn’t enough salt here … not salt from tears but salt to really rub in the wound ;-)

Though … they might rub it back in our eyes after tomorrow’s PoI :-p

I’m hoping to see the most come out for Necromancer, Ranger, and Mesmer … Engineer and Thief following behind us … Warrior, Guard, and Ele can give the rest of us a turn.

Reasoning

hide spoiler

Mesmer, Necromancer, and Ranger are not considered “top picks” in any part of the meta except Mesmer for speed run records (thank you, Time Warp) and Necro for GWEN … both of which they are almost an afterthought in the meta.

Engineer and Thief are desirable in sPvP … even sometimes doubled up on there … they are also desired in some PvE speed run metas … in WvW though, they don’t fit into the GWEN meta.

Elementalist … so desireable in all parts of the game that it’s doubled up on in the 5-man content (PvE and sPvP) …
Warrior … also desirable in all parts of the game … just not doubled up on.
Guardian … also desirable in all parts of the game … just not doubled up on.

NOTE 1: the Specialization changes and the nerf to Ele summoned weapons could shake this all up … that’s my hope … though I’d want all classes closer to “in the meta” as opposed to just swapping in/out what’s “meta”.

NOTE 2: I know that “meta” isn’t everything … but there are reasons (many proven via actual math/logic/facts) why certain classes are/aren’t part of a given meta.

NOTE 3: I enjoy the heck out of my Ranger (not really top-dog of any meta) and my Mesmer in all 3 game modes.

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I think people keep forgetting that the devs said they’d be revamping Ranger spirits and traps and other posts have discussed improved AI for HoT … so we might all get blown out of the water by the Ranger love … I wouldn’t mind that … it’s my other GW2 baby

If they make the Druid a nature spellcaster with plant pets and permanent spirits, I’m switching to one faster than you can say Chronomancer. Won’t even be a contest.

Let’s trade, I will gladly take a longbow (or everything else for that matter) over shield.

Carighan.6758:

Chaos Archangel.5071:

to make up for us only receiving an offhand

I’m not sure what something has to be “made up” for this. What’s so bad about that new weapon? It happens to be an offhand, so what? At least we are a class with as somewhat meaningful weapon choice in our offhand slot, that’s more than most can say.

Necromancer gets a GS, most likely a cleaving weapon to fix their lacking skillset. On top of the elite specialization.

Engineer gets a hammer, a melee weapon, exactly what they lacked to complete their skillset and bring variety.

Mesmer gets an offhand shield, of which we have 4 offhand weapons to choose from already. It neither complements what we already have, nor does it address the issue of so few main hand weapons.

Specializations and chronomancers aside, mesmer is getting shafted in the weapons department and that is a fact. Your attitude of “get over it” is what’s wrong. You will blindly accept whatever anyone throws at you for no reason. I hope you’re content in your simplicity but I sure as hell am not and I will yell and scream change until I can’t anymore.

For what I play, the Chronomancer trait line will most likely go completely ignored and unused. And I seriously doubt it’s going to be better than core mesmer.

People can use their shields and wells but I most likely won’t touch them. Won’t sacrifice what I already have for a crappy rewind mechanic that a warrior can just cleave his way through.

There is no tradeoff, there are only personal preferences.

Knox.8462:

Ramiel.4931:

Just when I thought this couldn’t get any worse, ANet manages to surprise me. What a disaster. I hope the Druid specialization is a nature spellcaster with plant pets, mesmer got shafted hard.

Giving a powerful skill a counter is being shafted? What? It lets you use your elite skill twice, what more can you ask for?

I don’t want to use the same skill I’ve been using for 3 years twice.

I want to use a new god kitten thing altogether.

Zoser.7245:

Ramiel.4931:

Arshay Duskbrow.1306:

F5 will never be good because, in true ANet fashion, they had to a create a destroyable marker that enemies will make a priority target. Continuum Rifts will be AoE’d to hell the instant they appear, making the whole mechanic pointless. Enjoy your 1.5 minute+ recharge before you can even try again.

Wait, is that how it works?

I was under the impression you pop F5, shatter clones and basically create a window when nothing that happens to you matters. When you use it again during that window, you revert to your original state. Didn’t read anything about creating something that can be destroyed.

It was explained in the Points of Interest – Episode 20: after the minute 35:20

http://www.twitch.tv/guildwars2/b/655187027

And yes, it can be attacked and destroyed. And, of course, once destroyed… watch the video.

Just when I thought this couldn’t get any worse, ANet manages to surprise me. What a disaster. I hope the Druid specialization is a nature spellcaster with plant pets, mesmer got shafted hard.

Arshay Duskbrow.1306:

F5 will never be good because, in true ANet fashion, they had to a create a destroyable marker that enemies will make a priority target. Continuum Rifts will be AoE’d to hell the instant they appear, making the whole mechanic pointless. Enjoy your 1.5 minute+ recharge before you can even try again.

Wait, is that how it works?

I was under the impression you pop F5, shatter clones and basically create a window when nothing that happens to you matters. When you use it again during that window, you revert to your original state. Didn’t read anything about creating something that can be destroyed.

I don’t really know why they didn’t just give us a main hand to go along the shield offhand.

Other classes get a 2 handed weapon with 5 skills. It’s only natural to assume that you’ll give 5 new weapon skills to ALL classes, not just some of them.

I’d rather have a new main hand weapon.

For PvE I won’t use shield since Staff/GS works so well and for PvP I won’t sacrifice either Staff or Torch for the builds that I like to play.

So no, not even close to happy. Other classes will get the “just as good” anyway. We got shafted and everyone will see this once the rest of the classes have been revealed. Mark my words.

Chaos Archangel.5071:

Ramiel.4931:

I still feel like ANet has lost its original vision of the mesmer. That has not changed at all.

They’re going with the flow, patching up the creaks in the class with minor QoL changes in the hopes that it works. The Chronomancer is just their attempt at shaking up the PvP meta and making room for the mesmer.

And the offhand shield is the most kitten ing evidence of the fact that they neither know nor care what we want.

If anything, the Chronomancer reveal is steering me away from the class I’ve been playing exclusively since launch and that makes me sadder than you can imagine.

Out of curiosity, what were you hoping for? (And so far all of the chrono stuff seems legit for PvE too)

Honestly I don’t even know anymore. A class based on deception and manipulation instead of a glorified bomb dispenser. Or a complete rework of the shatter mechanics to suit a character that manipulates time and not minds. They said that classes that received a one handed weapon would be as happy as those that get a 2 handed one and honestly I’m not seeing it.

They’re giving us even more choices for an offhand when we already have more than enough to suit every playstyle while severely lacking main hand options. On top of that, they’re veering away from traits that have to do with effects on clone death. That only serves to promote shatter as the go-to mode of playing mesmer. Even moreso than it already is.

The rewind mechanic will potentially pigeonhole mesmers into burst machines that have to execute a perfect sequence of buttons or they’re sub par. Naturally it can and will be used as a bait for burst or reset on a particularly powerful cooldown but these will be far and in between.

As for PvE, I’m not seeing it at all. We get a weapon clearly aimed at support and control and wells on a not very generous cooldown, as stated by ANet. Sure, wells are a nice addition to our lacking aoe options but depending on the cooldown, it may or may not be worth taking them. PvE is a zerkfest rush to deal the most dmg possible while mashing the most buttons available and while Alacrity can facilitate more spam, I doubt it will make much difference.

I love Mesmer. It’s the only class I can play without getting bored to tears within 10 minutes and it’s the only thing keeping me in the game. I just think it could have been so much more than it is. I currently view it as a glorified bomb dispenser. We get our bombs out and blow them. Stuff happens, people die and if they don’t, we die.

Rant aside though, I do see some nice potential for new PU builds and condi shatter seems to be getting somewhat better.

I just hate that kitten offhand shield so much god kitten it who thought this was a good idea should aaaaargh so much wasted potential. So kitten much.

I figured the answer to that a long time ago.

You can put anything in the main hand since the shield goes in the backpack.

I still feel like ANet has lost its original vision of the mesmer. That has not changed at all.

They’re going with the flow, patching up the creaks in the class with minor QoL changes in the hopes that it works. The Chronomancer is just their attempt at shaking up the PvP meta and making room for the mesmer.

And the offhand shield is the most kitten ing evidence of the fact that they neither know nor care what we want.

If anything, the Chronomancer reveal is steering me away from the class I’ve been playing exclusively since launch and that makes me sadder than you can imagine.

It is useful. I’m not happy about it at all. I probably won’t use the shield at all.

I am firmly in the camp of people that wanted main hand pistol and as far as I’m concerned, ANet just gave me the middle finger.

All I read was gimmick, gimmick, gimmick, overpowered, gimmick, gimmick, offhand shield, gimmick, recycled abilities, gimmick, long cooldowns and more gimmicks.

The focus point of everything is that kitten shield and ANet can go stick it where the sun occasionally shines. Yes I am mad.

Didn’t they say professions that got a one handed weapon would be as happy as those that got a 2 handed one? Well one rewind mechanic doesn’t cut it, I’m sorry.

misterdevious.6482:

Ramiel.4931:

Illusionary Elasticity says hi.

Bad example there.

Illusionary elasticity actually adds one extra hit to Winds of Chaos on your skill and when staff clones use it. (I actually run this trait myself.) Illusionary elasticity is not 100% non-functional.

Well yeah but it illustrates the point that ANet don’t actually care at all.

Illusionary Elasticity says hi.

choucs.4507:

You guys really lacks in imagination.

mesmer shoot lazer out of a greatsword, and stealth using a kitten torch

shield can be a lot of crazy stuff

like wall of illusions, send out illusions
or act like a clock and slow time
or create multiple self to self defense

We’ve already seen a spell that resembles Chaos Storm. And let’s face it, the second spell will summon a phantasm that uses taunt.

denis.9487:

So if I take all the downed traits can I still win? I am just saying during this play time we have hit a wall. We need fixes not people saying l2p. Why I hope hot breathes fresh air into our class.

I am quite anxious to see how the offhand shield will contribute to our PvE experience, given the fact that no other class uses shields in PvE. I get the feeling ANet didn’t think this through much.

What I feel happened is that ANet lost its original vision of the Mesmer shortly after release and they’re just going with the flow now.

I want a rework but that will never happen. Or maybe I’m just the only one that thinks shatters as a mechanic are completely opposed to a class that relies on deception and manipulation.

Nobody cares anyway, we’ll get our offhand shield and we’ll love it!

I have always been and will forever be a mesmer player but I see no future in the class. We’re a gimmick and that won’t change.

We asked for bug fixes and we get them 2 years later. Illusionary Elasticity I’m look at you here.

We asked for good utilities and we got the new Mimic.

We asked for a movement speed trait/signet and we got the middle finger.

We asked for main hand pistol for the longest time and we get an offhand shield that NOBODY wants. And I’m fairly confident in that statement.

I suggest we ask for nerfs and more offhands next cause what we’ve been doing sure as hell doesn’t work.

I’ve said it a long time ago. ANet has lost its original focus. They have no idea what to do with this game and are just going with the flow.

They abandoned PvE almost completely, they abandoned dungeons completely, balance is all over the place, they promised us new skills so long ago I don’t think anyone even remembers anymore. Suggestions are left unanswered completely on the forums. Legitimate complaints such as the whole Watchwork Mining Pick debacle are completely ignored.

I’ve seen this happen before with League of Legends and I’m seeing it happen here too. The community finally reached the breaking point and are venting. And what’s going to happen? As always, “We know about it”, “We’re on it” , “We’re totally reading all suggestions but we can’t answer to all of them. Or any of them.”.

In the end people will calm down and give up. And there’s always more people to replace the disgruntled ones.

I stopped caring some time ago. About at the same time ANet did.

I played a condi mesmer for around 1.5 years, from day 1.

How should I feel about this? How did I feel when some time ago, I had to swap to zerk shatter because condi just wasn’t rewarding, due to nerfs? Feels like justice to me.

You either deal with it or cry in your corner.

And another one bites the dust.

To be honest, I feel kinda good about this. And Chaos, you have my thanks.

The more people that abandon the Mesmer, the more likely ANet is to take notice. Hah, as if.

Working as intended. – ANet

ZudetGambeous.9573:

Anet is systematically removing all underwater areas from the game until they can ultimately remove underwater combat entirely. So this has about 0.00000000001% chance of happening.

First they removed 90% of the water from WvW. Then they removed 100% of the water from sPvP. It is only a matter of time before the LS introduces something that drains the water from PvE.

This. Underwater was a failed experiment. They won’t touch it anymore.

Even so, we got greens for keeping all those blade shards. I wouldn’t bother keeping any of those.

Quick, start speculating on materials.

Tanith.5264:

I’m hoping for that rumored blade shard vendor…anyone hear anything about that?

Rumored is the operative word here. It’s all a rumor.

FlamingFoxx.1305:

It isn’t possible and it will never happen. It would render the personal story and character creation personality options completely redundant.

Wait a minute, the personal story and personality options are relevant in some way, shape or form? Since when? They, along with the personal instance are relics of ANet’s initial design philosophy, the one they abandoned some time ago.

Everything that has to do with your character being the hero can be taken out and there would be no change in how the game plays/who plays it.

The real reason class/race changes will never happen is because then people would quit playing earlier. Making another character, getting max lvl, getting map completion, these are all time sinks.

The more time a player sinks into the game, the more likely he is to buy gems.

It’s a business decision, not a gameplay related one. And it is very much possible. Even possible to integrate it within the story/world. But it would require too much work for too little gain on ANet’s part.

We already censor way too much. Carebear Wars, sure, but there should be a limit.

I love Blink like it is now. Don’t give them “balancing” ideas. Please. We might see a cooldown increase or something.

Gyler.8150:

Brother Grimm.5176:

Lilith Ajit.6173:

Mystic.5934:

play the game to play the game; don’t play it to get drops, or you will always be disappointed.
this concept is part of Basic Gambling 101

Disagree. We play this game to play, sure, but there is nothing fun about busting your rear in a level 49 fractal and getting nothing, over and over and over again. The drop rates are broken. They need to be fixed. Or even acknowledged.

Is there a reason this isn’t in the Dungeon forums? (In before move).

The devs never read the dungeon forums, if there is a chance of this ever getting fixed, it must be elsewhere.

And you think they read these ones? Really? And you’re expecting a response too?

I’m sorry but I have bad news for you. Maybe try Tech Support or Account Issues. You know, the problems that prohibit players from buying/using their bought gems.

Even worse, when you get booted out of the last fractal right before the boss dies by a guild group.

I suppose it’s working as intended since ANet clearly don’t give a kitten about PvE.

Just buy another sigil. You can’t tell me you can’t afford one more sigil. Come on.

Remember to name your character XxXSpykeK1ll3r69XxX too.

Yeah. Sure. Why not. Might as well fly the carrot even further away at this point.

I do have a few ideas about the personal instance and spending karma to upgrade it. Because, ya know, karma is utterly useless and all that.

But we all know ANet are anti-fun. Ain’t gonna happen.

Asura.

/15char

I like iMage. It’s an extra shatter fodder that MAYBE does something useful before being shattered.

I don’t want them to look at it. I want ANet to stay far far away from it. iWarden still has nightmares after they mutilated him. No wonder the poor guy just runs in circles.

Only thing I would absolutely love to see is traits that have to do with clone death be switched to shatter.

So Confusing Combatants and DD and the likes, make them proc on shatter.

That way you fix the OH MA GAWD PU OP!!!11! problem and you make condi shatter really viable.

I will call it Zerk until I stop playing. Never saw anyone say Zerger so far.

Up until ANet intervenes. And they most likely will in this case. It’s bad for their image when new players start playing and see that they have to get a gorrillion gold in order to get a precursor.

And karma is useful for what exactly? By the time you get all what you need for your legendary, you have enough karma to paint the walls with it.

I’d take and extra 0.1% chance to get an item over 20% karma any day.

Zerk. Full zerk. MF infusion.