Showing Posts For Rauderi.8706:

Soft CC and Defiance

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

Soft CC should deal % damage to the defiance bar over time, since it can’t be stacked. Or, they need to make it so it can stack.

I considered percentage/second as well!
But, at lower values of Defiance (rolling devils, etc), soft CC would be devalued. Typically, an enemy “vulnerable to CC” has a small bar, so 1-2 seconds of CC should be enough. If, for example, Cripple did 5% Defiance/second, it would really help against a boss, but those smaller enemies would require 20 seconds to break.

So, a percentage with a minimum value?

I could see base value +5% max or something similar. Probably not even that high.

There are 8 Soft CC statuses listed, and if each got even 1% of max per second, during a typical short period, that would yield probably 24% of the total.

For bosses without a timer on Defiance, that means a full battery of soft CC would kill the bar in 12.5 seconds without hard CC. Probably a little longer, since Defiance does regenerate over time (ludicrously so on some champions I’ve seen), so the soft CC does serve to keep that at bay as well.
Though I do wonder what the impact would be on raids. Hm.

So.. yeah, I could be rather content with that.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

As ranged player i need to be always in melee

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

Solution: since forced “stacking” happens because low buff range – increase buff range to 900.

I would instead want a sensible buff system.

Either make it like in WoW, have actual raid buffs (formalized, too), so that classes can bring various buffs and each buff can be brought by multiple classes and is either “there” or “not there” (no stupid stack radii or anything), or – and I’d prefer this – bring back the concentration buff system from DAoC.

This would in turn enable a “proper” buff role. Those roles have concentration buffs, which last until cancelled, but take from a pool of how many of these buffs you can have enabled at the same time.

I’d have to ask how WoW is doing it post-Legion, since things got really simplified. It used to be you’d cast a buff and, bam, it goes to the entire party for 30-60 minutes. Something like that.

But, as I recall, WoW also scrapped most-to-all of those buffs with its recent expansion. I recall this because Hunters used to have the ability to fill in for just about any missing buff, and that was scrapped entirely. (Totes bitter about that, and one reason I unsubbed.) So while it opened up the playing field for dungeons/raids to bring along their choice of class without worrying about filling in buff slots (not entirely sure that’s a good thing), it also lost a lot of the synergy that GW2 has.

It’s pretty clear that GW2 combat values positioning and compounding boons, but I’m not entirely sure how to keep that while breaking the stack-n-smack tactic.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

Soft CC and Defiance

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

Soft CC should deal % damage to the defiance bar over time, since it can’t be stacked. Or, they need to make it so it can stack.

I considered percentage/second as well!
But, at lower values of Defiance (rolling devils, etc), soft CC would be devalued. Typically, an enemy “vulnerable to CC” has a small bar, so 1-2 seconds of CC should be enough. If, for example, Cripple did 5% Defiance/second, it would really help against a boss, but those smaller enemies would require 20 seconds to break.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

Soft CC and Defiance

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

Furthermore, if it gets exponentially harder (as explained above) instead of linearly as group size increases, isn’t that somewhat contradictory to the point of an mmo? It seems to discourage grouping, and that seems more like an oversight or design defect than intended design. /shrug

Not exponentially, though it might feel like it. I do want to keep that part honest.

Defiance climbs linearly, Base*0.3*players.
The issue I’m identifying is that one source of scaling is zero-order. Flat. Constant.

At a base of 600, Defiance raises by 180 per player. If everyone brought their hard-CC to the fight and executed flawlessly, that’s easily within reach of a few choice skills per profession. The assumption of 100% success, however, is impossibly high. Some can do 200 (about on par), but many do 100-150, which is a false hope when people think they’re bringing their hard-CC, but aren’t doing enough, and for everyone who doesn’t perform or under-performs, that means there needs to be several players with the “right” skills to take up the slack.

Though, the point stands that it does get harder per person added, and there are a lot of time-limited fights that have breaks which make veterans groan when there’s a large crowd doing them. And that is counter to one of GW2’s original philosophies.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

As ranged player i need to be always in melee

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

Thats actually to your benefit. You have weapons that are good in both melee and mid range. Be happy. About staying at range, as I said its absolutely possible in most situations. Its up to you and your team to discuss if you want to use this strategy.
Also, not only mesmer and druid can tank and heal…

Didnt you read me? Ranger dont have good melee weapons.
IF we had, than stacking in melee would made some sence, at least, now there is none.

Have you tried sword?

I’m weirdly fond of greatsword for melee. Probably trash dps, but it has mobility, vuln, block, evade on auto, and stun. Overall useful tool for fights.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

Vinetooth Prime

in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Defiance_Bar#Dynamic_scaling

This is why you’re having a hard time most likely.

Hah, I just brought that up in General not too long ago. Complete with math and a chart (that I can’t load because wonky forums).

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

14:4:5:1733:101 on Disconnect.

in Account & Technical Support

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

That’s the error code I’m getting on disconnect.
This has been a persistent issue for weeks and I really need this resolved.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

Soft CC and Defiance

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

The point is that (a) it’s not worthless, just not fast and (b) soft cc doesn’t need to be scaled since there’s already a solution — use hard CC when there’s little time. Mostly, that means explaining to players before fights what hard CC is, what skills offer it, and why it’s critical to save it for breaking the blue bar.

(a) The math literally proves otherwise.

The impact of static value from soft CC degrades in effectiveness as player size increases. In the very least, I’m asking for some better mathematical parity. Even the 15% scaling I detailed would keep soft CC relevant at higher group sizes.

(b) That’s either a high-concept decision to force “teamwork” or the result of a lapse of consideration on the part of soft CC. The latter is more likely. The result is persistent failures at bosses like Vinetooth or Matriarch taking 12+ minutes. The other result is veterans blaming the people instead of the system, then continuing to be upset when organizing 50 people’s worth of CC doesn’t pan out.

Even removing the conceptual points of who should be doing what (veterans teaching fights, higher burden on players to pick hard-CC, etc), mathematically, the burden on each player increases when there are more players present. That takes the ratio in the wrong direction. It should either be the same, for parity, or slightly lessen to compensate for the lack of large groups to coordinate.

An encounter scaled towards 5 players should inherently be easier than one scaled for 25.

Why should fewer players have an easier time than a large group? A small group might need to have one or two hard CCs (<40%) with or without soft CC (or zero if all of them are there). A large group needs 50%+ to participate, and each is going to need significantly larger individual contributions. That is seriously skewed. Even with high impact CC sufficiently high scaling can make even that impossible.

On the flip side, increasing soft CC damage in scaling situations would be detrimental for players during other encounters, such as the Mouth of Modremoth and the Chak Gerents. It would be much, much harder to control—no pun intended—the timing of Defiance Bar breaks should soft CC scale up.

The Mouth/Gerent statement is sadly valid. It comes from not just an unintuitive design choice, but an anti-intuitive one, instead of a conscious effort to adapt the conditions for what was needed. If MoM took most soft CC as an effect instead of Defiance (not like cripple/immobilize would matter), that would be a wonderful tactical option. A Slow on his bites would give the bombers more time to show up. If the bite had a cooldown, Chill would extend it. But Defiance is so all-or-nothing, there isn’t any give on that in combat design (so far as I know).

Furthermore, 124 Defiance bar damage per player isn’t a lot to ask for. The Ranger’s ever favorite Point Blank Shot does 150, Warrior’s Bull’s Charge is 300, Dragon Hunters’ Hunter’s Verdict is 150, etc. It is therefore up to the players to have some manner of coordination for those fights, and more knowledgeable players to speak up to help newer players understand the encounter they are about to face.

I can empathize with the idea that we as veterans should be contributing to teach newer players, and that as a whole ups our skill level. I’m not saying we shouldn’t try. But this expectation that some commander or group of veterans will always, spontaneously provide a full list of instructions to less experienced players is a pipe dream. And I’ve seen it go both ways and sideways. I’ve seen good commanders really encourage a group, I’ve seen zero people step up, I’ve seen the group flail even though the were instructions, and I’ve seen spiteful players deliberately troll an event for being told what to do.

What is the reasonable expectation of how many people do the event right when, even with instruction, will a newer player, or worse a bullheaded one, refuse to swap and use those skills? How much load is one player supposed to overtake on behalf of another and still feel like he wants to see other people on the map at all?

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

Path of Fire content milestone

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

Trying to maintain my excitement in the face of numerous disconnects.

But I can’t let even that get me down when I’m so close to having my riding lizardpuppy and bouncy mountain-ignorer.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

Cannot upload pictures to the forum

in Bugs: Game, Forum, Website

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

So I wasn’t the only one that happened to. Hm.
That’s kinda sad.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

As ranged player i need to be always in melee

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

Yeah range really sucks compared to melee. All other MMOs I’ve played have both equally viable and there’s a healthy balance between both playstyles, but here, no, range must suck because reasons. I understand that it’s hard to develop challenging encounters for both roles but it is doable as long as it’s not just lazy circular AoEs spamming centered on characters.

And even if there must be a risk/reward balance, it shouldn’t be 60-70% extra dps for melee like now but 10-15%, it would be more than enough to be attractive and I would surely not quit playing my melee character if range was viable.

To be honest, in other MMOs, one of the main benefits of range compared to melee, and why melee characters get more damage, is that ranged characters require little to zero time to refocus a target. Melee have to chase targets. Range sees the whole battlefield. Melee has to swivel cameras and position more carefully. So in that, the ranged/melee disparity doesn’t really bother me.

OP’s specific reason was more linked to boon sharing and needing to be with the stack to get all the buffs (or else be called lousy names and kicked). That.. I’m a little on the fence about. The range on those boons isn’t so much that a ranged character should be sharing pixels with his teammates, but it is possible to back away or flank without completely leaving the team’s sphere of influence.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

Soft CC and Defiance

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

I disagree. Soft CC, is as the nomination implies, soft. If the group needs to break a specific Defiance Bar, then players should be equipping hard CC, e.g. stuns, launches, etc. Furthermore, in encounters like Vinetooth Prime and Wyvern Matriarchs, the Defiance Bar window is far too short to rely on defiance-over-time effects, which again prompts the use of faster, harder CC.

. . Which is exactly the point I’m making. It doesn’t do anything to a Defiance bar, and the more players, the more worthless Soft CC becomes. Thus, soft CC needs scaling to keep up.

To spitball the number for Vinetooth/Matriarch, assume a 3-second window where soft CC can affect Defiance. A full stack of soft in a 5-man group does 1089 Defiance damage, out of 600. Not a single hard CC is necessary in that small group.

For the typical 25(ish) cluster, in that same 3-second window, that 1089 Defiance doesn’t even do 25% of the damage. That leaves every player responsible for 124 damage each. Pretty much everyone has to hard CC at that point, unless there’s a very prepared Mesmer, and even then, one Humiliation isn’t going to clear the buffer.

Even if Soft CC scaled with Defiance (30% per player above 5), Defiance scales at 900 per 5, where Soft CC scales at 544 per 5 players. A gap would exist that must be filled by Hard CC in larger groups.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

As ranged player i need to be always in melee

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

Went through the entire thread. You still can go ranged. Even in raids. Get a ranged only squad and ask chrono to drop wells on your ranged group.

It’s also possible to be “ranged”, just not max range, by staying within about 240-300 of the main cluster. It might not be optimal boon sharing, but it should still put you outside the usual cleaves and PBAoE that’s problematic for some people.

Think “mid-range” instead of long range.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

Soft CC and Defiance

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

Conversation about Vinetooth Prime got me thinking about the Defiance Bar and how it works. Especially in regards to large, scaled-up bosses. It’s understandable that more Defiance would be added to compensate for more people able to use Hard CC.

Where I see things falling apart is in how Soft CC damages the bar. It ends up being fairly negligible in larger battles. It’s more noticeable in time-limited Defiance like Vinetooth or Matriarch.

Assuming a full complement of soft effects, that’s 363 Defiance/second.
In a 10-man group, that’s a hefty 24% per second.
In a 25-man group, that’s a paltry 8% per second.
And that’s under the best circumstances.

Fear, Taunt, and Slow aren’t the most readily-available statuses, so it’s more expected to be 138 Defiance/second.
10-man: 9%/sec
25-man: 3%/sec
Fairly dependent on group composition and player organization.

But for something like Vinetooth or Matriarch, that huge defiance/second change is painful to larger groups that already have to work harder per person. In the example above, a full battery of statuses in a 10-man would probably do 72% of the necessary Defiance damage for Vinetooth/Matriarch. In a 25-man group, it would only do 24%.
In a large group without the less common CC, and it’s down to maybe 9%.

It’s kind of a forehead slapping moment of “no wonder large group bosses are harder!” While, yes, the potential for inexperienced players unfamiliar with Defiance also rises at larger populations, it’s very hard not to apply a basic set of conditions, but those conditions don’t keep up.

Proposal!
The simplest and best answer: Scale soft CC damage with player group size.
If the wiki has it right, Defiance scales 30% per additional player above 5. Soft CC damage should scale similarly. Image link below shows a some different scaling values, and all look like drastic improvements above the baseline.

Citing:
https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Defiance_Bar#Soft_control_effects
https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Defiance_Bar#Dynamic_scaling

And because the forums are being weird about pictures today:
https://imgur.com/oMOZsCK

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

Veteran players are too hostile to newbies

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

Of course always remember:
One of the best ways to get accurate information is to BS something. The OCD and general kittens out there will reflexively correct you to make a point.

That’s fantastic!
Harnessing the power of “Um, Actually” for the sake of knowledge. I never thought of that.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

Constantly getting disconnected

in Account & Technical Support

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

Consistent DC’s here as well, east coast USA.

Same here. Happens at different times of day, no consistent hour during my evening play, but it will be a bout of disconnects within the span of an hour.

Buzzwords from what I’ve seen in ping/packet traces: Telia, Level3, and some transfer step around Richmond that’s being a butt. Not sure how much ANet can do about it, or if I need to raise hell with my ISP about it.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

constant disconnections.

in Account & Technical Support

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

problem seem to be with the telia backbone. it sucks, dunno if anet can do much about it since i assume the connection has to do with ncsoft. but anet should really address this to whoever is in charge.

i thought about not buying the expansion because of the unreliablility, even if it is only for a couple of hours, it is terrible that telia is dropping 50% of the packet and it is a hit or miss as to whether u can connect or not.

I’d been hearing rumors about that, and a ping trace shows Telia contributing 80+ms ping just for that, which is 5-10x my other steps.

But seriously, this needs to be resolved. It’s extremely frustrating to get dropped 2 or 3 times in an hour just because some uppity server can’t handle its job.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

GW2 lacks basic RP tools

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

Incoming gemstore chair mounts.

I’m going to be outrageous.

Mix of Asura, Charr, and Sylvari technology has brought you this new technology! In specific areas, like your favorite drinking hole, or gathering places, you can now grow your own personalized chair! It only costs 600 gems in order to get your own chair tailored to you! Watch it grow right in front of your eyes, for your maximum comfort, while pleasing your aesthetic senses!

What if the chair were a toy item, like the broom? You carry around a folding chair, and when you activate it, the character snaps it open, sets it down, and sits on it.

And then we can start selling profession-custom chairs:
Elementalists summon an earthen seat
Necros summon a bone throne
Warriors, um, take a bunch of swords and stick them in the ground to make a chair? I’unno. I’m just trying to make ANet some gem sales.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

As ranged player i need to be always in melee

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

It’s bad game design. Ranged classes are viable in other MMOs. In GW2, melee is preferred because of the short range on boons and heals. This is one of the reasons why I only do open world content where I can play whatever I want (I also prefer ranged combat and I’m anti-meta).

I don’t know if I’d call it bad design, but it does encourage a style of play that not everyone is comfortable with, and it definitely favors organized play.

The 5-person limit on those effects imposes some strange dynamics. For Fractals/dungeons, there will be more encouragement to stack, because there’s only 5 people. In a raid, depending on complications, it might be acceptable to have a second, ranged strike team with its own set of buffs that doesn’t need as much healing due to the safety of ranged combat. Same goes for open world. If you organize a ranged party, commit to sticking together to share those boons as much as a melee team would.

But overall, ranged combat is significantly easier than melee, and that requires something of a trade-off.

Side note RE: cleave on ranged Ranger: Lead the Wind and the shortbow trait both give piercing to their arrows. It’s not the sweeping cleave one might get from melee, but it allows a mobile, ranged unit to flank and attack lines of enemies. I’ve got a quasi-support build that focuses on dropping spirits and stacking vulnerability so the party doesn’t have to, so even if my dps isn’t fantastic, they’re still doing +20% from vuln stacks and another +10% from frost spirit and some extra bonus Might.

With solo play being such a huge part of the GW2 experience, I think a lot of people forget to ask what they can tweak on their builds to help out a group, which is why I detailed the above. Even if it’s not meta, I have a character I’m comfy with because it supports group efforts.
..of course, that’s just another tick on the Build Templates Wishlist. I’d love to have my solo build and my group support build more easily accessible.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

Veteran players are too hostile to newbies

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

I feel for you, OP. 3-4 years later, and I’m still bitter about when the same thing happened to me in FF14. It’s probably the one thing (besides lack of time) that keeps me from going back.

But GW2 folks really are a good bunch, I promise. I won’t deny that there’s a few salts and tryhards, but do your best to let that wash off. You’ll mostly experience this kind of toxin when loot is involved, or if an event like Vinetooth Prime requires a bit more precision than a new player might be aware of. That doesn’t excuse the salty behavior, obviously, just something to be aware of. It’s not you, it’s them and not getting their piece of candy.

I encourage you to keep at it. Ask questions. Of us on the forums if you have to. Heck, whisper me in game (usually between 8-11pm Eastern) and I’ll drop a book-ton of know-how. Some of us love that sort of thing and prop our new players up so one day they’ll run Tier 4 Fractals with us.
(Been playing since headstart, I’ll let you know when I bother to climb out of Tier 2. XD)

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

Obvious prediction for Mad King

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

Giant grinning moon glider akin to the meteor?

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

Tempest overload range.

in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

This is a good example of how opportunity cost works in game skill design. The opportunity cost for being able to move the skill throughout its duration (as your target moves) is that the skill is PBAoE. The opportunity cost for being usable at range would be that the skill, once cast, would be locked at that location, as is Lava Font.

Ele has plenty of options for cast-at-range AoE. I suggest leaving Overload as is.

It’s also much riskier to perform an Overload, coming from a clothy. Additional Risk/Reward balance. It also permits a counter to the overload: getting whacked in the head by a hammer.
Overload is fine as it is.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

Siren's Landing Makes Me Hate Other Players

in Living World

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

I can add to this.

While doing the Reclaim the undead thing, I’d take down some bodies, then go in search of a ley organ. Well, during that time, I’ll see another player just sweep in and Reclaim it. Pretty rude, honestly.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

Story missions too unfair for solo players

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

I’m assuming the people complaining about the difficulty of solo instances never played video games in the 80’s and 90’s…

Up the hill, in the snow, both ways.

Born in the dark ages of game design theory, a wild west of anything-goes pixels.

Yeah, I remember that time. I’ve also grown along with the game industry, and it comes with the realization that games can be better than they were.

..then again, I’m also not overgeneralizing a complaint about the difficulty, so maybe that doesn’t apply to me. :P

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

Town Clothes

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

I would love to see more casual looking clothes. My absolute favorite is the outfit that looks like a rockabilly suit. So bored of bulky armor and spaceman/robocop outfits in the gemsore. Players would love this.

And we’ve said it quite often. I have to wonder what the sales stats are, but I’d be willing to gamble that the Monk’s outfit is close to the top. It’s a simple, nostalgic design, and I swap to it frequently.

It’s unfortunate that many of the armors/outfits/skins in GW2 suffer from over-design. I’m still needled by that ohgodwhy baby face on the Champion of Tyria armor shoulder. Everything else was on point, and I totally would have bought it otherwise. Give us some simple elegance, and we’ll go to it.

And pants. We like pants. I actually don’t mind as much that the hoodie came with the riding pants, it’s kind of an adventurous look, though I would have preferred hoodie/shorts.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

Your aims before PoF?

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

Cause these maps will probably be a desert then…

That’s funny, because new maps are going to be a desert too!

Hm, main goal is to finish, and sell, Meteorlogicus and pick up a Contract item before I dive into the new content.

And to figure out why my connection to GW2 is so spotty. :\ But I’ve got a support ticket out for that one. Fingers crossed.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

Super Mario World Cape Glider??

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

I will only support this if I can tilt all the way forward and dive to the ground at a comet’s pace, crashing into enemies and blowing them back while I remain unharmed.

Otherwise, maybe a dyeable “guild” cape for those Superman fantasies? I’unno.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

Invisible Glider Proposal

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

I saw some complaints about glider skins.

I’d like to propose an invisible glider so it looks like my toon just supermanned themselves off a cliff.

+1 if you think it would be hilarious.

I love the idea of an invisible glider. /signed

Additional +1 combo.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

Story missions too unfair for solo players

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

So those ‘12 guys’ will be the people that do stick around and just raise this concern. It is a valid issue for the more casual players. How would you feel if the situation would have been reversed: the new PvE content really easy and the forums response will be to play PvP/WvW for difficult content or just move one to another game.

But we do see that on the forums.

“Weh, content is too easy!”
. . .
“If you’re so good, go play the game in white gear!”
“This isn’t Dark Souls!”
“Well, if you didn’t no-life it…”
“Maybe GW2 just isn’t for you.”

It’s just that this thread got piled on by the less-than-kind veteran players, so that’s what you’re seeing.

Personally, while I found some of the story instances kind of obnoxious, it doesn’t mean we as players should be able to roll them without defeat. It’s possible to respawn and dive back into a fight until it’s over. It’s uncomfortable, and it sucks, but there shouldn’t be a situation where a player can’t complete the story at all.
Hopefully. My memory’s a bit spotty on that.

I’m not a great player; I’m pretty strictly in the realm of “decent” and not much more, but I’ve been able to plow/muddle through all the story instances. My warrior’s set-up is a bit more defensive, so maybe that’s part of it. I can’t imagine doing some of these on a thief. But it’s certainly possible to do, even if the game’s encounters knock you down sometimes.

Unfortunately, a thread like this is also too general to be of much use. It’s too broad and casts accusation too widely. But I do understand where it comes from, because I’ve waded into the individual complaint threads and agreed with a good portion of them. And most of it boils down to some repeated and very annoying combat designs on the part of the boss encounters.

  • Overly high damage that increased Toughness does not mitigate
  • As above, but a blatant One Hit KO
  • Defiance bars make most CC border on useless for blinds, kiting, or other active defense tactics
  • Excessive reliance on stun/knockdown/knockback as a punishment mechanic, to the point that Stun Breaks and Stability become worthless. Durations on those effects are frustratingly long.
  • Some say that specific fight mechanics are unclear. (While, I agree that conveyance isn’t always GW2’s strong suit, the fight mechanics were manageable.)

The above is more valuable as feedback, with additional (non-hyperbole) evidence as necessary.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

Town Clothes

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

I will always support this.

And I’ve supported it for a long time.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

Vinetooth Prime

in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

I will have to keep trying, but given the scaling problem this may be a catch 22 since activating the beacons to start the Vinetooth Prime require a group.

That seems to be the biggest problem. Getting past that first event borders on impossible with how quickly the healers/tenders respawn. So it takes a small group just to do that, and then the meta line progresses upward, gaining visibility by roamers. There’s enough time delay that by the time that meta string is done, 20+ players have tagged along.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

Large Vessels [suggestion]

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

It’s not ArcheAge. :\

Though, I’m curious if we’ll see big boats shipped (lol) with the inevitable water expansion. We’re coming for you, Bubblesteve! Maybe.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

Please communicate about changes for PoF

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

I think most of what you’re looking for falls under Gaile’s department. From the past I can tell you this:
When she gets the information and is allowed to share, she will post. Otherwise be patient, lol.

Bolded for importance.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

So I replayed the HoT story....

in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

But seriously, I feel that many epic hanging threads were pulled into LS3, got rather superficial treatment and then they grabbed something else from the “hanging threads”-bag just to try to outdo the previous reveal (Omg, White Mantle! Omg, Lazarus! Omg, Caudecus!, Omg, Balthazar! Omg, Livia!). I really hope this isn’t going to be a continuing trend and that the story gets some room to breathe in LS4 (and PoF, of course, but I’m slightly less worried about an expansion than the episodic nature of the Living World).

As someone who didn’t play Guild Wars, it feels like the constant reveals were a checklist titled:

How Many Plot Points Can We Kill/“Resolve” In One Season?

I didn’t know who these characters were, except Caudacus, and his resolution came with the death of another loose end that felt really ungratifying.

So maybe that’s part of it. The deaths feel cheap. Belinda, Demmi, Lazarus . . These “surprise” deaths are just narratively unnecessary, meant to provoke angst or tie up loose plot threads that don’t need resolution, rather than taking a single plotline to completion.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

GIFT OF BATTLE

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

Yeah, it sucks, OP, but there are things you can do to minimize the pain.

Use your WvW boosters. Celebration boosters and others can give you XP which might lead to reward chests. Get the guild hall bonus for reward tracks.

Follow a commander. Find a flag, zip to the closest waypoint, and find ’em. Problem is, commanders are very flighty, and when threatened or intensely bored, they will disappear, often appearing back at a castle or other spawn.

Play “just enough” Don’t go for short sessions with just doing a daily or two. You won’t get much participation, and it’ll make the whole thing seem longer. But also don’t waste time if you’re not getting participation. Retreat to some PvE when things get obnoxious (#1 server rolling your team again, commander not communicating, etc).

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

Salvaging LS3 currencies

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

It’d be really nice to have a vendor option that turns, say, 10 LS3 currencies (and 30 copper for the “salvage” cost) into “edible magic” items. Those items would have the “consume all” function and gives equivalently random Unbound Magic.

Or if ANet were being really nice, just give Rubies, Wood, and Jade a Consume All button and not worry about the salvaging part.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

Why Map Content Doesn't Last...

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

I would suggest exploring the core areas more. For some reason it feels to me like replayability has gone down over time, even though things like quality have gone up. We have had the core maps since the beginning but I can never fail to find something to do there. Meanwhile, by the time I got to LS3 the new maps were ‘wow, gee’ and for most of them only visit a few times. Between Siren’s Landing and Draconis Mons I probably made a dozen trips combined and did not even bother to do the story after I got to the new zones.

I’m not 100% sure what it is, but my pattern has been:

  • Finish story
  • Finish zone completion on my main
  • Finish buying up the cosmetics I want
  • Do only fast dailies, get bored of that every day, leave map forever.

The only reason I go to Lake Doric is because I’m cheap and it’s a fast way to get to a capital city for bank access without having to pay for it. >.>

But why? I’m not sure.
Bloodstone Fen events don’t happen frequently enough. Or it’s the stupidly frustrating Cleric event. It’s just not worth the bother.
Ember Bay events are also fairly sparse. If I stick around, it’s to do the two daily heart quests right off the leyline. Jade anything mobs can get kittened, and so can Chalice of Tears. There’s nothing fun to do there.
Bitterfrost is just a blegh zone. No reason to stay there, only farm. And the farming is annoying from the constant transformation freeze (transfreezmation?) and chill. I occasionally do a torch defense or two.
Lake Doric has a decent amount of activity, but it’s so spread out, and a lot of the events are just kind of bland, with irritating White Mantle mobs willing to chain-aggro. Or the goofed up leather arm, which is more ‘farming over fun’.
Draconis Mons is convoluted to the point where trying to reach an event just takes too long. It’s over by the time you realize how to get there.
Siren’s Landing is . . honestly, it’s just more of the same. The shrines are fantastic for getting around, but hiding an event over the Dwayna shrine and playing the Disappearing Blocks Trope makes the area exceedingly frustrating. I keep meaning to do more in the area, but . . I just have better things to do.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

Things I would change

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

1. Melee is too punishing. This is more in monster ability/AI design than in the mechanics. Build better encounters. Trying to finagle ‘melee viability’ through stat manipulation isn’t the way to go.

2. Vitality could use a buff. Wouldn’t be amiss to have 1% increased Stamina recovery per 100. As for condition mitigation, that ought to be handled more through skills. And I don’t mean generic “Removes Condition” stuff, but more targeted kinds of condi clears sprinkled rather liberally through utilities. One could be used to break stuns/movement effects, another could remove damaging conditions, etc. We have examples in some skills, but there ought to be a pass to filter that in more.

3. It really seems like Black Lion skins are moving away from the ticket model and into the more exploitative RNG-chest model. That ought to be the more infuriating thing here. But if we’re talking fashion, then the skins should be aligning with armor skins or outfits that are released, to let those match better. The set approach is fine, since the unique skins are available via the Mystic Forge or randomly attained as loot.

4. Fractals. Thing is, FotM isn’t getting enough new content. Some, but not enough. And the way it’s filtered in, if the number of fractals exceeds 25 . . there’s a problem in the UI and organizaton. Otherwise, Fractals are Dungeons, but faster and with less need to shoehorn lore.

5. As someone with a ton of alts, I’d like to be able to work through LS2+ content without having to plow through previous entries, but . . it’s not a “need” kind of thing.

6. They almost tried to fix this issue in HoT. Since vanilla Tyria is pretty easy, one can world-explore their way to almost full viability into an elite spec. And Verdant Brink / Auric Basin / Dragon Stand have some fairly easy commune points to get to, which is also a huge boost. And now, there are so many loose points that a fully explored character could just outright buy the next elite spec to completion (probably). Might have been nice to have that build flexibility in HoT, but past is past.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

Please remove annoying Soulbeast FX

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

Agreed. The green viney graphics don’t fit the nature of the spec. It should be yellow to red in color, and more “animal-ish” than “plantish.”

Agreed.

Didn’t try the spec during the weekend/stress test, but the OP’s picture says it all.

Nothing about that twisting green blob says “beast” or “aesthetic” to me.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

Can we name the mounts? PLEEASE?

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

We can’t even report bad ranger pet names in any swift capacity. Definitely wouldn’t be able to report bad mount pet names if they were visible to players. So that’d be a No for me, unless reporting is updated.

As a personal item though, sure. It could display the “skill” name as the mount’s name, instead of just “raptor” or whatev.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

Why are melee players punished?

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

I’ve had at least one friend quit due to the rather persistent melee-hate in GW2. And I definitely see it: mobs with AoEs that linger way too long, “charging” enemies with one attack and don’t sit still while having unstoppable knockdowns, or otherwise critters that simply do too much damage too quickly to be mitigated.

I get it. And I also play my melee characters partially out of spite for that opinion and that reality. I will say that it’s upped my skill game a bit. I can find spots in the over-wrought AoE damage pools, I’m almost a passable chrono/guard tank, stuff like that.

So, while I feel that GW2 is probably over-punishing to melee, I’ve also been able to make it work.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

How do I get to Maguuma Wastes?

in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

When you get to the Jungle… what ever you do… do NOT FEED THE MOTHA KITTEN POCKET RAPTORS

Seriously, they’re like the pigeons of the heart of Maguuma.

I can’t remember the last time a bunch of pigeons kept up with me running at full sprint while pecking at me from 20-feet away. (Really though, fix their attack range, ANet, plox)

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

Most wanted new stats

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

I’d love to see Celestial get true all stats.

We you mind if they reduced the other stats to make room for concentration and expertise?

I expect them to have lower stats. Celestial already gets a higher point budget than any other combination. It would drop another 23% or so, or just 20% if ANet’s feeling slightly generous.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

Most wanted new stats

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

Also wouldn’t mind (High) Power/Precision; (Low) HealPow/Concentration.
Or vice-versa for a decent support set that still has some offense to it.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

Please let us skip Living Story Dialogue

in Living World

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

It does no favors to your argument to be so dismissive of the admittedly less than impressive writing.

Personally, I think the issue is that we need less achievements in story instances. Period.

And those that ARE in story instances should not count toward the meta achievement.

Mockery of the storyline aside, not having the story be skippable while there are achievements in the instance is a sign of inhumane design.

Good design would follow “fail faster,” by having motes and a reset option.

I’m not against having achievements in story instances, but maybe you’re right. If the dev team can’t program restart motes near achievements, then maybe they should stop putting them in story instances.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

HoT Finished- Unbiased Review

in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

What I didn’t like was the mobs density, their number of CC skills with low cooldown and really confusing map layout.

Sums up about 80% of my frustrations with HoT.

I saw some good enemy designs.

I saw some very bad enemy designs. I had to put up with one of those bad designs not too long ago (specifically of the “attack lasts longer than two dodge rolls” variety…).

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

Most wanted new stats

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

Major Concentration+Power, Minor Precision+Ferocity.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

Please let us skip Living Story Dialogue

in Living World

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

Signed everyone. Some achievements I don’t have the heart purely because any fail is another 10 min if dialogue.

. . .after making one simple mistake like “getting hit”. Such BS. :\

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

I despise what GW2 has become visually

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

Don’t fret too much, OP. There’s a chunk of the forum community that still appreciates simpler designs, and they’re occasionally vocal about it.

I personally don’t need my character to have a cartoonish profile with gigantic shoulders and overcompensated ego gear. I had enough of that in WoW, where the character proportions were more toony anyway, and pauldrons were huge in order to be noticeably different.

It’s not a “stop doing this ANet” statement, just a call to mix in some designs that aren’t WoW-rejects and fit nicely. Like some of the civilian clothes (which we totally should be turning tonics into outfits for!).

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632

Can we have "PvP" "WvW" & "PvE" Tag in Forum?

in Guild Wars 2 Discussion

Posted by: Rauderi.8706

Rauderi.8706

PvP and WvW have their own forums here. If someone posts something in “general” that belongs elsewhere, then it is up to the mods to move it — which they do.

And if it’s related to builds or specific professions, there are the profession forums.

No tags are necessary, just put the topic where it belongs.

Many alts; handle it!
“I’m finding companies should sell access to forums,
it seems many like them better than the games they comment on.” -Horrorscope.7632