Tea Time, I’d like to add that I agree with your points wholeheartedly, and I dissent from Mister Kitty and don’t understand what his perspective is, nor what his argument is.
There is a severe lack of compelling combat. The Warrior’s arsenal is limited to his weapons; his talents give almost no variety. Signets, Shouts, Banners, Summoning & Transforming add almost nothing to combat.
Shouts, Banners and Summoning specifically are terrible. You activate them pre-engagement or during a specific need, but they do not improve the “combat” mechanics whatsoever.
One would assume that Transforming would modify combat; in the case of my Norn Warrior, taking the form of a Werewolf, Werebear, Wereraven, Were-Snow Leopard or a Juggernaut should reward me with 30 seconds of awesomeness. Instead, I take on one of 5 very similar forms, all of which remove my other traits from use, and give me mediocre (at best!) abilities that sometimes don’t even do as much damage as my primary weapon. Why even bother?
Signets can be used in specific times of need to bolster combat, so to be fair, they do contribute a small amount. Other abilities, like Fury and Ignore Pain, do indeed add to combat—giving the player the ability to ignore damage for 4 seconds, attack twice as fast for 4 seconds, etc.
The primary issue is that there is far too few abilities like Fury and Ignore Pain.
Players want to engage combat and have situational abilities to make combat fun. Circle-strafing the target (while using dodge every once in a while when necessary) and using one of 4 abilities (maybe!) is NOT fun.
Let’s use the Greatsword as an example.
F1. Charge up for a slow (but powerful) attack
1. Autoattack
2. Fast slashing combo attack
3. Propel yourself forward a short distance, doing AOE damage
4. Throw your weapon at the target, hitting on the way out & back in
5. Charge the target, and strike when you arrive for greater damage
6. Heal
7. Signet/Banner/Shout/Summon/Fury
8. Signet/Banner/Shout/Summon/Ignore Pain
9. Signet/Banner/Shout/Summon
10. Signet/Banner/Shout/Transform/Summon
Assuming you charge in (5), you can now whirl/AOE (3), throw your weapon (4), and begin circle strafing. At some point you can perform the fast slashing combo (2), but if you move while it’s executing, it cancels—so you’re locked in place.
You want variety? Use all of your shouts first. Summon a frost wyrm. Blow Fury & Ignore Pain at the same time. Transform into a Juggernaut.
Ultimately, you end up with 4 (or fewer) actively useable abilities in combat—and regardless of what approach you take, by 80, you’ll be tired of doing the same old thing over and over again.
I do not want GW2 to be WoW, but I think an example here is pertinent: WoW’s combat, although static and much simpler in terms of hitting, dodging, etc. as compared to GW2, includes mini-game(s) as well as metagame(s). Warriors in WoW managed Rage, and abilities were based on that. Rage generation, maintenance, use, damage output, weapon choosing, attack speed, crit and other factors tied back into the Rage minigame, which made combat feel “alive.” Even though we mostly attack static targets (or chase them), balancing that mini-game made combat frenetic and kept players worried about their stats and maximizing their output.
In GW2, there’s no such thing. :\
I feel your pain, Tea Time. I’ve stopped playing my Warrior, and I hope AN makes broad, sweeping changes.
I’ve considered writing an asking for an exchange to something else, but my interest has significantly waned.
(edited by Shidell.5362)