Guild Wars 2

Morwath.9817:

Covis.6037:

i believe its because of the patch we have decline in solo queue. atleast alot of my ingame friends stopped to queue or play 1-2 matches and rage. its not fun to play broken game :/

I haven’t qued for a week and I refuse to do so, until balance will be restored.

Exact situation here. I haven’t even opened the client in about a week. I think the PvP population took a dive.

Gern.2978:

WhiteCrow.5310:

Really? So you’re saying Engineers are worthless without an objectively bugged trait that is clearly ruining some aspects of the game? This very thread is an insult to competent Engineer players.

I still don’t know what was bugged about it, the dev post never clarified. Are they referring to how overpowered Grenade barrage was? How did grenadier cause that?

Engineer is my favorite class, it always has been, and grenades have always been the backbone of our DPS and the recent major change to traits only made it more so. And the “grenadier” trait was the most important of those traits. Go hit stuff with grenades now, our DPS is much lower.

I definitely agree with you, and again, their communication is utterly inept at pinpointing exactly what was wrong and causing Grenade Barrage to behave the way it was. All we can guess at is that the grenades themselves were piercing targets for damage, exploding for damage, and hitting multiple times where it shouldn’t have. It’s gross speculation, but I know how important the Trait is. Grenades are nearly worthless without it, but there are viable builds that can still perform. I just think a sweeping statement like the entire class is worthless is a bit much.

Jerus.4350:

WhiteCrow.5310:

Nice job Grouch. Maybe next time you might not want to wait a week.

I’m sure it took them time to find out about it, then to investigate it, then probably hoped to have a solution quickly, then didn’t, so disabled it till they can find one.

I’d really like to believe that, and I applaud your good will, but multiple threads were made just a day after the bug was introduced. All they had to do was a little reading, reproduce it, and react accordingly. And by react accordingly, I primarily mean communicate. If an immediate fix wasn’t possible, they could have simply said so. They could have also disabled it much sooner, which I would surmise is much easier than the required fix itself.

I don’t know, it’s just intensely frustrating and borderline depressing to deal with. I love the game, especially its competitive aspect, but to see such a gross mishandling of this situation really brings down my enjoyment of the game. I’m aware, and admit that I have no idea what their internal procedures are for situations like this, but I can’t help but feel like this was handled extremely poorly.

Really? So you’re saying Engineers are worthless without an objectively bugged trait that is clearly ruining some aspects of the game? This very thread is an insult to competent Engineer players.

Nice job Grouch. Maybe next time you might not want to wait a week.

I think conditions are fine, and I like the way they’ve changed up the meta. The problem is Burning, and their respective Runes and Sigils. The coefficient is utterly hilarious and out paces every single other damage condition by light years.

How this made it into live is a billion dollar question. How is it possible that something like this (Grenade barrage included) escaped so many minds and ended up in actual servers? Either some knew and allowed it to happen due to lack of foresight, or we give way too much credit to development on this game where it isn’t due.

Don’t know, but I won’t be touching PvP until this is dealt with. It was kinda’ fun for a while dodging around it, playing more careful with Engineers and still winning occasionally but it’s just a joke now.

SANAFABICH.9342:

Cerbeius.7129:

May Grenth lead you through the shadows.

Ha! Thanks.
I’m also looking for that trait in which after you revived a fallen player or NPC, you also automatically summoned a mark that gave them extra health.

It’s in there, check out Blood Magic. It’s a really good line now.

The developers will tell you that this is a “weakness” of Necro, and is working as intended, but ignore all the other weaknesses we deal with on a daily basis that they refuse to see. Their “thematic” approach to Reaper is already falling apart and the update isn’t even here yet.

Distaste.4801:

ANet needs to get a public test server and a test forum where they actually have a discussion. Time and time again they release buggy content or even worse, horribly implemented mechanics. This patch just shows how clueless they are, how did half of this stuff make it passed initial discussion let alone get through QA? You can’t tell me the burning damage wasn’t noticed in testing. The only explanation is either greediness of the company not wanting to put in the money to release polished patches OR Incompetent managers that think this is balanced. I think it’s a little of both considering this whole new trait system reeks of band-aid design due to them bundling up all the traits they either didn’t know how or want to balance.

I will say that at least Anet is consistent with their level of work…

Sad but true. I really really want to continue playing the PvP in this game, but .. when I compare it to other competitive alternatives it just seems like a joke to stay here. I understand it is an MMO and they develop the PvE side also, but my God man, with the drip feed of content we’ve seen the least you can do is release things that aren’t hilariously broken for a week.

Sunshine.5014:

No, don’t change protection. Nerf burning duration runes/sigils instead. Those are the real culprits: 65% damage multiplier.

Pretty much this, but it all goes back to the poor design of the game from a PvP standpoint. They created a balance nightmare for themselves, and show no signs of wanting to fix the core problems. I could only imagine the enormous check list of things they must consider when they change even the smallest thing, if they even bother to do that.

Ricky Rouse.1583:

Mortar kit dealing the same amount of damage as grenade auto attacks? Better gut it by 28% a day after patch release. don’t want the precious grenade kit not being #1.

Grenade Kit piercing and throwing 13 grenades at once? Better let that stew for a couple days, who knows what could happen!

Honestly, it really calls into question their QA process. How do things like this get into the live servers? It’s incredible.

Salamander.2504:

I’m using SoV right now and really enjoying it. I try to keep it on passive most of the time, using it only when I need a burst heal or more DPS (I don’t trait for signets). I’m actually using Life from Death as my burst heal instead, because its an instant 1.5-2k heal with a cele amulet. When I don’t need to stall in DS (my DPS comes from dagger AA), I flash it for the heal (7 s CD), so it ends up being a ton of health over time. This strategy is viable because Unholy Sanctuary will put you in DS even when it’s on cooldown, so you won’t die from flashing at the wrong time.

http://intothemists.com/calc/?build=V54-8c;0o2GF014ZJkJ0;9;489A;0158138246;4JJV7J;17V-17V-10I
(Rune can be any power rune)

That actually looks really interesting. I’m a fan of flashing DS, and kinda’ miss an old build I used to run at times that focused on it. The old trait lines enabled you to effectively cast or buff 3-4 different things on a 6 second CD each time you flashed. This build you have looks like another good use of Celestial so I’ll have to give it a go.

Axe/Focus is interesting; How effective are they? I’m wondering if Axe would be worthwhile with Corrupter’s Fervor for building stacks, unless it only works on different conditions and not applying multiple stacks of the same one. I haven’t messed with it yet.

flow.6043:

WhiteCrow.5310:

I’m running WoB with the Well trait. It’s insanely good right now, and does so many things for being only one skill.

- Stun break? Check.
- Pulsing heal? Check.
- Combo light field? Check.
- Protection? Check.
- Life siphon? Check.
- Condition removal? Check.

When placed at the correct time (Condition burst), you end up coming out of the fight looking like a D/D Ele with all the buffs on you.

Interesting. Apparently there’s a way to combine Well of Blood and Well of Power into one healing skill.

Lol whoops. Sometimes I stack them. Pay no attention to me, I really need to go to bed.

I swap between SoV and WoB depending on my trait tweaks from match to match, but more times than not I’m running WoB with the Well trait. It’s insanely good right now, and does so many things for being only one skill.

- Pulsing heal? Check.
- Combo light field? Check.
- Protection? Check.
- Life siphon? Check.

When placed at the correct time (Condition burst), you end up coming out of the fight looking like a D/D Ele with all the buffs on you. It also turns a mediocre team into a group of beasts during team fights on points, especially if you strategize with them. Not bragging but, it was few and far between that I’d carry games with Necro pre-patch, but the new Powermancer is incredibly potent and it’s just about all I do now.

I can drop people in a few seconds as a Power Necro in this meta, Thieves especially. I even say sorry a few times in say chat after it happens because sometimes it just feels wrong. Or did the enemy horribly misplay? Who knows, the point is, Mesmers aren’t the only Prof right now capable of ending someone in seconds.

All we can really do right now is spec into Vigor/Dodge, Energy sigils and get as much Weakness and blinds as you can rofl. This is sad.

GG Grouch. Well played, you joke of a developer.

They’re still going to do a lot of damage after the fix, but at least the one shots won’t be as prevalent on anything other than glass.

Running something similar, only with a Marauder amulet and Well of Blood. I like Marauder much more than Berserker, especially on Necro since it gives a little more survivability. I might try the D/D setup some have mentioned, as it couldn’t hurt to have another transfer when Staff4 and Well of Power are on CD. Warhorn is just so hard to give up though.

I can see where you’re coming from, but they are by no means “ruined”. I love that it is baseline now. It can be annoying to cast them at your feet, but being able to place them at range for free is a pure win. Also, being able to place them slightly offset where your opponent(s) will most likely go is invaluable. It’s very important while fighting on points.

I thought I saw this happening as well, but it doesn’t seem to happen regularly. Not sure what the exact scenario is, but it’s pretty kitten annoying.

Great video, some nice production at work. Definitely an interesting build and seems solid in paper, but it looked like you were mostly 2v1’ing, however it was enough combat footage to see that the build can work. I’m gonna’ have to give this a shot. I’ve always wanted Celestial to be viable on Necro, so perhaps with the Blood Magic rework this might be a possibility.

Again, great video.

leman.7682:

Have been playing in soloq for three days now on my remorseless power ranger (inb4 Bhawb calls me a moron for stacking conditions against necros) and necro definitely seems absurdly op in 1v1s. The baseline marks combined with all the passive traitworks are just putting it way over the top.

I can outplay the necro on many levels and even then they will just get into plague form and get out of it with DS cooldown gone and full life force.

The damage is too high for the amount of survi, condi manipulation and cc that the profession can make.

And before someone calls me out with ‘l2p’, I have 5000 ranked matches played on necro in a rather high MMR, so I know what I’m talking about.

Honestly, it doesn’t matter how many matches or how long you’ve played to make a claim that you know what you’re talking about. What matters is how much you’ve paid attention during that time. You mention the baseline Mark traits and passives rework, but do you not recall how many useless traits the Necro had? Have you forgotten how Blood Magic was absolutely worthless, and conflicted with the profession’s own mechanic (Death Shroud)? Pre-Patch Necro was anything but streamlined, they had no diversity outside of two builds (Arguably one), and its trait lines worked against eachother.

I’m honestly a little shocked you would come to such a conclusion. If anything, the current Necros don’t have to sacrifice as much in their builds and no longer carry as much dead weight (Pun intended?) in their traits.

Kharr.5746:

Spamming condis against necros has always been a no-no since they could transfer them back to you or consume them for big heals. I haven’t run into any necros that put up a fight since the patch landed.

End of thread.

Try thinking a little bit more when you’re matched up against a Necro. People have been saying it since Day 1 of the patch; with the new proliferation of conditions and their respective builds, it indirectly buffed Necromancers due to their consuming and transferring of them.

I really don’t want to say “L2P”, but it honestly fits here.

Don’t mind Laraley guys. She’s a salty Ele who has an axe to grind against Necros; maybe from stripping all her boons. :P

Laraley.7695:

Atherakhia.4086:

Laraley.7695:

Atherakhia.4086:

Laraley.7695:

Shadow.1345:

Did hell just freeze over? Someone actually asked for a nerf to necromancer?

Necromancers should stop crying about being so bad and unviable, but rather go figure out a build that would work. Having passive stuff like this is not good for the game, that’s just a pure fact.

Oh, get gud? Just get gud?

Why don’t we strap on our get gud helmet, and squeeze down into a get gud cannon and fire off into get gud land, where get guds grow on guddies!

Funny. Last few days I see nothing but necros crying everywhere, then I turn on stream night before patch and I see Nos wrecking 5g over and over. Necros cannot be that bad, huh.

I don’t know… can you name one other Necromancer?

Yep.

But I get it now. Some people just want to cry, go on.

And you’re one of them. Your post history makes it quite clear. It’s one thing to act like you’re on a soapbox, but to stand on the paper mache one you do is something else.

On topic: I knew there’d be a thread(s) about the passive condition transfer, but you know what? Everyone is going nuts over condition builds right now. It’s off the handle. When things settle down, and people realize they need to think a little bit before unloading on a class with a lot of transfers people will see it isn’t a big deal.

Like Laraley says, “get gud”.

Drennon.7190:

Almost forgot
Engineer: “Josh, can I spit it out this time?”

Absolute win.

Looks like dusting off my Engineer is proving to be a better idea. Thanks Anet.

Necro Axe reporting for duty.

Gonna’ be a mess, that’s for sure, but a fun one hopefully. The mods will have their work cut out for them, but nothing they can’t handle I think. Each infraction I got, I tipped my fedora with a M’mod.

ronpierce.2760:

quBit.6437:

New Spite master trait:

• Unholy Fervor: Reduces recharge of axe skills by 20% and deal 10% more damage to vulnerable foes.

---

How exactly will the 10% dmg bonus only apply?

- on axe skills to vulnerable foes
- or while wielding an axe so also to offhand weapon and possibly shroud vs vulnerable foes
- or always and to all skills while the foe is vulnerable

Based on the wording, it has no axe restrictions anymore. If that’s the case, and now that it’s against Vulnerable targets instead of Crippled, it’s not too bad.

Does make me wonder though, consider thieve’s minor is 10% against a target with any condition on them. I feel like theirs should be limited to poison, which reflects well in the tree and isn’t such a free-be, but of course, you could never tell a thief that lol.

That would make too much sense for the overall balance of the game. Won’t happen.

I really miss being able to watch right within the client too.

I said the same thing in another thread days ago. Weakness makes more sense, and would be more reasonable, but we already have a utility that applies self-weakness, so I don’t know what they could do.

The only thing that sticks in my mind.

Would definitely be great to see the professions shine for themselves, rather than over the top RNG procs mucking everything up.

BrotherBelial.3094:

WhiteCrow.5310:

You should watch this before making a decision: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Am9gVQB8gss

I have not lol’ed so hard in awhile. the guys laugh is just amazing.

Hahaha. It truly is something special.

Joseph.9853:

Thanks for clarification on this change.

Now we just need a comment on the Consume Conditions change… If that would happen, that would be great.

Probably something like this.

This is all I got.

Alright, I can’t stand Thieves just as much as the next guy, wait .. It’s more like a love/hate thing I guess. The bad Thieves are free kills, the good ones are a total nightmare.

But I will say this. The game could use more stealth counter-play (Aside from blowing AoEs and attacking the air), but I’m not sure traits like this one and the Ranger skill are the way to go.

The reason why Thieves seem so OP, so annoying, yet so attractive to play for many is because of this issue. GW2 is the only competitive game I can think of where there doesn’t exist an intuitive, streamlined and reasonable approach to anti-stealth.

It just isn’t there. Take OP’s quote for example:

Zephyr.6475:

I actually don’t mind the fact that stealth mechanics will see some counter-play,

Some counter-play. Because we pretty much have none now. It’s a glaring issue that’s gone on way too long, but the way they’re attempting it doesn’t make any sense. By giving certain classes access to it, you’re creating hard counters, which the Devs themselves said they never wanted to do.

The development of this game is both amazing, and depressing to watch honestly. They’re either at war with eachother and can’t agree on how to implement things, or they’re all just … Nevermind.

Absolutely worth it, at least for me, but I think most will agree. You get sprockets a little too often … If that says anything.

Anzriel.1398:

It’ll depend on the pre-purchase numbers as well. If they’re coming in fast enough that they feel confident in meeting whatever arbitrary projections they had for the expansion they’ll probably do little, if it looks like sells will fall short, or future player retention will be adversely effected they may do something, who knows?

Pretty much this. It was a nice gesture by Gaile, but profit numbers and projections far outweigh negative opinion. If the number of sales are where they want them to be, or even contradict the dissent, they will have no reason to change anything. We’ll see what happens.

Kageseigi.2150:

WhiteCrow.5310:

You should watch this before making a decision: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Am9gVQB8gss

Ok, haven’t even thought about getting a sig until this. Thank you! :-D

Hahaha. I follow your lead good sir.

I could die happy if there were a video in the style of this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Am9gVQB8gss

Only based around the Necro changes. It’d help ease the pain a little at least ..

The answer is, none of us won the balance changes. I’ll cite my source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Am9gVQB8gss

You should watch this before making a decision: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Am9gVQB8gss

nexxe.7081:

Smitten.3076:

Some GW2 players are the most entitled I’ve seen in the industry, not because they want everything given to them … but because they honestly think they are being rational about this.

What’s irrational about wanting the full information of what you are purchasing? The secrecy surrounding HoT is giving players pause before they make their decision. I don’t think you know what entitlement means.

There is no more secrecy. There is only this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Am9gVQB8gss

This is the only video you need to see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Am9gVQB8gss

The only reality of this situation is that years from now, no one can really say how many, but when the game’s population has dwindled, and maintaining it becomes a loss, the pricing scheme of this expansion won’t be remembered in a positive light.

They should at least rename it to save some face. “Consume conditions … but apply some to yourself.” Where are their heads? Somewhere below the waist obviously.

I’d rather deal with self-weakness than Vulnerability. At least then you know the heal you just used won’t be instantly negated. For the claim of transferring it, by the time you do it becomes worthless to have on the enemy and you’re probably better off saving the transfer.