Guild Wars 2

My… disappointment with ascended gear (can’t honestly use the word anger) has to deal entirely with feeling manipulated by the early marketing of this game. Coming from all the other ‘typical’ mmo’s, I had always thought of chasing gear as the norm. I never really cared much about horizontal progression until this game convinced me it was a better way.

And after seeing how it worked initially, I actually bought into it. My own fault really; I do tend to take early marketing with a grain of salt, but I truly thought these people might mean it. There could/should have been much more openness and honesty regarding the change in philosophy, like admitting such a change had even occurred.

I’m sure there are still loyal fans that honestly believe the game always intended for this gear to be in place, but that it simply wasn’t ready in time for release. It’s because this has been heavily implied, if not directly stated, by the designers themselves. Then recently we get comments from lead designers like:

“As we were looking at the play patterns of players, we noticed they were getting through the last step of progression in our game faster than we wanted them to. That would lead them to run out of things to accomplish. We didn’t want to get into a gear-grind scenario, so what we did was add a new tier rarity called “Ascended items.”

I saw this particular quote in the huge ‘guild missions’ thread, and had to go find it because I thought surely it couldn’t be accurate. This just seemed contrary to what I’d seen before, and was a bit of a head-scratcher. They didn’t want a gear grind…. so they introduced a higher tier of gear?

In my opinion, it was never as much about the gear, the method for obtaining it, nor the gating mechanisms. It was simply a matter of trust, and being convinced that gear grind/progression was unnecessary by the same folks who then introduced vertical progression into their game.

Interesting interview by the way if you haven’t seen it:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/carolpinchefsky/2013/03/12/has-guild-wars-2-become-too-complicated/

Glad this has been brought back up, as it drives me nuts and I don’t think the issue has gotten enough attention. While it’s been mentioned, I’d like to stress something regarding the cursor: it’s not that you just lose it, it often is not there. That’s why it’s so hard to find when you need it, it’s invisible. Easy way to see what I’m talking about in-game— put your cursor in the center of your screen, then move/look around using your mouse (keeping an eye on the cursor). I’m amazed that my cursor is invisible more than it’s visible. In combat, I move and look around using the mouse A LOT, meaning my cursor is not on the screen.

Also, sometimes I can click on friendlies/enemies/whatever and they will be selected as a target. Sometimes I can’t. It’s as if some days clicking to target works, others it doesn’t work at all. So essentially, given that my cursor probably isn’t there and/or I am unable to click-to-target, the awful, horrendous, mind-blowingly unintuitive tab targeting system is all I have left.

Whoops, just wasted another AoE cooldown….

And all this time I thought it was just me. I never click the action bar, as in never, ever, but this still gets me killed or nearly killed all the time. Whether its my inability to click on that bad guy in the back tearing me to pieces because I don’t know where I’m pointing (then there’s the issue of sometimes being able to click-target, sometimes not, even if you happen to know where the pointer is, possibly worthy of another thread), or being unable to lay down ground aoes on time, this is annoying as all get-out.

I don’t even think its the cursor color/graphic anymore. I’m convinced the cursor simply vanishes all together during combat on many, many occasions. Glad I’m not alone at least, misery loves company.

I’ve been following this thread closely, but not gotten involved as I felt my views were being pretty fairly expressed. After so many legitimate concerns, over such a long time period, this response could hardly be more off-putting. Could it be a poor translation? A cultural difference of which I am unaware? Is this how French customers are commonly treated? I’m grasping at straws, because at face value, this response we’ve been given is simply insulting.

Initially, I guess I was “questioning the randomness of the drop mechanisms in GW2,” but it now seems to be much more than that. I’m beginning to question this company’s competence. Possibly even their integrity. This should be given a high priority by those who are paid to investigate such matters, not the paying customers who cared enough to bring it to your attention.

I suppose if you can’t even see the problem then expecting a solution is probably asking too much. So, here’s the ticket I plan on submitting after every champ and vet fight (I would say “every champ or vet that doesn’t drop loot,” but frankly that last part is now redundant):

""…every champion should be guaranteed to drop loot."
- Studio Design Director, AMA, November, 2012
Champ Abomination, Cursed Shores, Friday 12/21/2012 6:15 p.m. No Loot (for example)

If we can’t help you nail down even this simple example, the more complex issues will truly be hopeless. We deserve better.

That is actually a pretty handy place to start. Thanks!

So you’re saying that bullets, bombs, grenades, etc. do more damage than magic in real life? Ok, I’ll give you that one. But, I’m pretty sure the same medical professionals would tell you they have no idea how hard it would be to treat the victims of magical elf fireballs.

Further, I don’t really see these magical attacks particularly OP at the moment in-game. Maybe some of them here or there, but no more than some other classes more physical attacks.

I think class balance is paramount, and rangers and engineers certainly need some dev attention. Thieves – not so much, but that’s just personal opinion. I also don’t see ele’s as an uber-OP class right now, but that might just be me.

In short, I think all classes should be on a more-or-less equal footing. Still a lot of room for improvement on that score.

I just wanted to add that I… uh… hate being so obvious while bumping my own thread.

The way they bob around waiting to jump into a fight when their weaps are drawn, the little grunts when they’re jumping or dancing, the ear perk in combat (on further reflection i may ditch my hood so i can see that again), the clever sayings, the death scream (though very, very sad), but most of all…. They’re so very, very sassy.!

Can I get any better? Indeed, i can!

I’m trying to gear up my new 80, and finding the sheer number of variables is hurting my noggin and filling up my notepad. Is there a good resource available to see the effects of different gear types on my stats? I’ve found some that do this for pvp sets, but i’m trying to work out a good pve/dungeon build.

For example: If i have berserker’s armor, runes of the soldier, cleric accessories, carrion weap, w/ sigil of whatever my stats are X. if i switch berserkers to rampager armor and use carrion accessories my stats change to Y. (purely hypothetical btw, just in case the ‘whatever’ sigil didn’t give me away).

Thanks for any assistance.

Excellent tips. Thank you both.

Regarding Zephyr’s Boon, I have to admit I always found the wording a little confusing. Let’s say some guy finishes off one of my fields (I’m thinking fire aura since it happens so often). Did I apply it? In other words, who gets the swiftness and fury: me, him, or neither since it’s only for those auras that I apply to myself?

Just hit 80, and i’m trying to gear up w/ exotics. Looks to cost around 50-60g, which is a lot for me, so i’ll have to pick up a few pieces at a time w/ a long-term gameplan. I mostly dungeon w/ d/d (staff when needed). Build is at least 10 earth/30 water/20 arcane (other 10 wherever fits my mood on a given day). Here’s what i’ve got so far (any insight would be appreciated):

Power – don’t see a downside w/ it. I intend to get this on everything.

Vitality – I think 15-16k hp is my ‘comfort zone’. w/ 30 water, i’d need 165 added vit for around 16k. weapons alone can give me 128 (about 15.5k hp). close enough, moving on….

Toughness – I LOVE toughness. seems i can actually ‘feel’ the difference when i have too little. still, i don’t rlly have a target in mind here, so i’ll just try to get about the same amount as vitality. cleric accessories seem to fit the bill (w/ 10 in earth), plus around 800 healing w/ traits. ok, next….

Now, defense is done, and i have my entire armor set for whatever offense i want. i’ve been reading the various discussions on condition damage, and given my typical group makeup i have to say it doesn’t rlly impress me. wish i could afford a solo set w/ it though. been noodling around w/ berserker’s for direct damage. full set w/ crit runes using above scenario (plus 10 in air) only gives me 27% crit (34% crit damage). seems underwhelming given the investment. add food and it’s about 32% crit chance (+44% damage). does this seem like a reasonable investment? otherwise i guess i punt and go w/ cond damage (prec. + cond. maybe?), the attribute i was just criticizing a few lines up?

If you see anything wrong with my thought process (it happens), please let me know. Thank you for your time.

tl;dr – berserker or rampager armor for ‘balanced’ dungeon build (w/ lots of conditions already flying around)?

Ya see, now we’re getting somewhere. Because of a supposed problem with retaliation, possibly ‘made worse’ by the virtue traitline, they annihilated the zeal line for those using the greatsword (you know, the traitline where every single minor has to do w/ symbols and has the only major traits that deal specifically w/ gs), and seriously hampered the use of honor, for the those gs users who might have traited into symbols.

In other words, to fix retaliation for all guardians, they effectively neutered the use of symbols by those using greatswords. Still plenty of retaliation out there, it’s still pretty easy to keep up.

They could have changed retaliation, or it’s durations. They could have changed the way it is applied via symbols. What they did was beat the ever living kitten out of symbol builds for gs guardians while leaving retaliation only slightly (if any) worse than it was before. They nerfed the weapon, not retaliation, but apparently didn’t feel they could be honest with us about it. I expect more.

Add one more to the list of customers a little dismayed by both what the change did vs. the stated goal of the change, but also their complete silence about the matter for so long after the effects have become known.

Just out of curiosity, I decided to check their past participation in this forum, and can only say their seeming disinterest in engaging their player base (specifically guardian, but it may extend to other profs as well) is…. disheartening. (A reply to a thread about a month ago re: shield of absorption, currently on page 14, if anyone’s interested)

Not counting locked threads of course. they’re pretty good about staying on top of those.

Yeah, there are quite a few similar threads going around in the ele forum, and at some point you just have to wonder why. But I have a few thoughts as a former elementalist that checks in frequently hoping I can go back to my favorite class that I set aside due to frustration.

There are definitely three camps. One says we’re fine, they can pwn any other class at will. Those who disagree are just whiners. The second says they’ve tried their best, looked up all the relevant info and just simply cannot make it work. Too squishy, not enough damage, what have you. Yet a third says with all the bugs still present how the kitty-cat can you even tell at this stage. If everything worked….. new ballgame.

As someone from the second group (I did run away screaming waving my arms in the air after all), the elementalist support group mentality has set in i think. “Hi, my name’s Funk. It’s been 2 weeks since I last played my ele… and… sniff… I miss it soooooo much!!!”

I’m starting to think all three groups might actually be right. A tiny fraction of the population can play ele to it’s full potential. They actually can kill and not be killed. They can make use of all the tools and feel good about it. We mere common folk must accept that we’re not all elite gamers with superhuman twitch skills/muscle memory/reaction time.

How can you balance a class when the top few % will simply melt faces with it? If we’re buffed they’d be nigh unstoppable. They already defy common wisdom with there feats of magic/skill, or, less common I think, they just act like it on the forums.

I’m now thinking group three has the right idea. Fix the puppy kitten bugs already! If what we had worked as it should, we might actually know where we stand. Instead of nerfing underwater abilities, fix some of our air ones. Not complicated, but Anet seems to have gotten distracted along the way. 2 second cast spells that take 6 seconds to land isn’t gonna work. Oh, and the downed state. Oh yeah, and the trait (lack of) synergy). Oh…..

Rambling now…. good luck to you. Stay strong. Or give up (sounds bad at first, but you do play this game for fun I assume). More discussion is needed, it should not be discouraged. Sure wish someone with the power to fix this mess was listening though, and would even pop-in occasionally. The community that chose this profession is (by-and-large) not happy. That should be addressed.

As a new’ish Guardian, I always enjoy reading these kind of threads, but I’ve noticed that players’ builds are rarely mentioned, which leads me to kind of a fundametal question: Do you guys gear to compensate for weaknesses in you trait selection, or do you go for flat out stacking?

I’ve been trying to go for kind of a balanced approach. 30 in both valor and honor seems pretty defensive (but I like the traits), but I was considering going bereserker’s or something to make up for the lack of offensive firepower on my armor, and maybe some healing on accessories to make some of the passive heals (direct too I suppose) at least somewhat effective.

Does this work? Or am I kittening myself by spreading stuff around too much?