Guild Wars 2

Thanks again to all the new and insightful posts. Learned a lot there, and I’m starting to understand that I often don’t know when and how to engage or disengage.

Very appreciative of the straight up no-nonsense coaching from fellow Warriors.

Thank you all sincerely for the tips! I will keep your pointers in mind and practice some more.

I use a longbow as the second set by manually swap to sword and warhorn for squad roaming.

Hey all.

Transitioned from PvE to WvW a lot more these days, and it’s clear that my Warrior is just terrible at WvW 1v1. I run a Hammer CC build 10/0/20/10/30 and I just can’t do anything meaningful unless I have an ally.

After reading a post here about how worthless hammer is against decent players because of how slow and telegraphed it is, I’m losing a lot of faith and interest in the game since I’m sick of PvE and I don’t really care to go back to that.

I’m also learning the meaning of “no sustain”. Rocking a tanky setup doesn’t work either as I have no DPS and they just run away or eventually more opponents show up.

Any helpful tips? Please spare the trendy troll messages—I’m too old for that sort juvenile realm of CoD-ness. Appreciate any frank and straightforward help.

I’m close to finishing The Juggernaut and I don’t really want to waste it. :/

Hi all,

I’m sure all the seasoned players by now have realized that due to the way the gaming community as a whole regard viability of a build by how optimal it is, the system of traits and builds is now more or less a farce.

Let’s take the PvE Warrior for example, which I main. Sure, you can support or control somewhat “decently”, but you pale in comparison to what other professions can offer to in that role. You shine in melee DPS (Greastsword or Axe). Going anything other than a GS Zerk Warrior is pretty much being suboptimal in the eyes of the hardcore/veteran players.

It is as if the professions already have pre-determined functions in the game, to heck with the traits and possible build set-up. What’s worse, support and control in PvE isn’t important enough at the moment for the players to value such builds or professions that excel in those aspects. Well, not unless they can reflect or absorb projectiles for a long duration for the party.

Where can we go from here? If the game starts requiring a dedicated control or support person in the party in PvE, there’s gonna be a backlash. But if we don’t, then it just makes a lot of traits and builds in the game a joke or just “for fun”, and incapable of meaningful contribution to anything harder than SE path 1 or CoF 1.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. I’m a big fan of the game, but very burnt out on go-go-DPS-only.

Activation of the Warrior’s Signet of Might also grants Unblockable to his next three attacks.

It sucks to get ganked, but believe it or not, WvW jumping puzzles are intended by design. I have been trolled by invaders pulling the switch on the lovely swinging logs on me plenty. And had allies troll their own server by activating flame traps and releasing the drakes. Just try to not take it personally and have a laugh about it.

You can always gank people back.

Star Ace.5207:

snip

You misunderstand me to be one of those Zerk elitists and I think you’re missing the point. I runa balanced build leaning towards DPS, focusing on cleansing and CC. None of the support my build is contributing can be made better by throwing out all DPS.

I make no apologies for wanting a smooth fast run. I don’t have time to carry people and I don’t want the dungeon to go on too long. I don’t take some moral high ground with regards to what you consider to be the right attitude to have in PUGs so please don’t do that either. When I look for PUGs I actually just post “looking for friendly players”. You can stalk me on gw2lfg if you don’t believe me.

Support is weak right now. DPS is strong. By going full support you give up DPS (real DPS comes from crit/crit damage, which Cleric and Soldier lack) so that to me is running a weak build.

A few months ago here in the official forums I used to be you and this other guy was me. Try a DPS support build for a week. Try it. Until then, peace and all the best.

RTL abuse needed a counter or a nerf. Personally I’d start the balancing by nerfing.

Star Ace.5207:

molepunch.5673:

I’ve played full support for the longest time since beta and launch. These days, I run a support build but with Zerk gear all across.

I won’t try to convince you, but in our guild’s experience of tank and healer players from WoW and whatnot, I will tell you that a high DPS build contributes more in the current “meta” of GW2.

It isn’t that support is not “effective”, but there isn’t any content that requires those roles of support or control. There are dungeon events that are DPS checks, so by contributing mediocre DPS a full support character is a liability.

You don’t need to build full support to provide enough support to make a difference (eg, my build can pump out 25 Might and sustain it around 22ish on the party), and I still hit for 3k average.

Until the meta changes, going full support is not something I would recommend anyone.

What if you don’t care about a meta? Just play anyway you want I guess? That’s my point. There’s no need to always go for what’s supposedly more effective, especially if that most effective build/spec is not fun for you.

That said, I have no qualms about people going for metas, as long as they don’t tell people that don’t that “they are playing it wrong” just because they go for what’s more “effective.” In short, never call what others use “worthless” even if it’s “worthless” personally to you (this isn’t referring to yourself, though.)

All of those “DPS check events” on Dungeons, etc. should be changed, quite honestly. And at this point, I really doubt that even improving CC, etc. will change people’s minds that GW2 is about DPS-it’s too ingrained on the masses by now.

Carry on with “the meta”, though, it is not my intention to say that “you are wrong”, but more that I wish people’s desire to play whichever way they please is respected, as was the original plan (I honestly doubt ANet wanted everybody to use-or “graduate to”-Berserker’s gear, for instance, but more that people chose builds tailored to their playstyle, therefore the variety of gear available)

I’m not sure I personally find it fun to play a “tanky” character when it clearly isn’t contributing as much as my other DPS focused build. You can’t heal lag-downs and you can’t heal someone who is out of endurance and just ate a one-shot. I have stacked Toughness up the wazoo and I still get ignored on a lot of fights. As far as I can see, party healing is to counter auto-attacks and uncleansed condition damage, or to help someone who messed up a little, and nothing more. Trying to stick to a Trinity ideal of gameplay in GW2 group dynamics is futile.

Some people find it fun to be tanky or healy. I get it. I love it, too. But I love being useful much more. DPS is currently more useful. I like that ANet’s big plan was to make sure every build was viable. But this has failed as far I’m concerned. You can’t heal or try to control/support a mob to death.

The Trinity exists in your character. Failing to provide DPS is, in my current opinion, a bad build. DPS focused builds can provide support and control. Bunker builds cannot provide DPS.

I can respect that people wish to play whatever builds they want to, but I don’t think I will voluntarily take a bunker build in my dungeon runs. As long as such players can also respect that some people just prefer efficiency and it’s nothing personal, I think it’s fine either way.

I’ve played full support for the longest time since beta and launch. These days, I run a support build but with Zerk gear all across.

I won’t try to convince you, but in our guild’s experience of tank and healer players from WoW and whatnot, I will tell you that a high DPS build contributes more in the current “meta” of GW2.

It isn’t that support is not “effective”, but there isn’t any content that requires those roles of support or control. There are dungeon events that are DPS checks, so by contributing mediocre DPS a full support character is a liability.

You don’t need to build full support to provide enough support to make a difference (eg, my build can pump out 25 Might and sustain it around 22ish on the party), and I still hit for 3k average.

Until the meta changes, going full support is not something I would recommend anyone.

Ranger. They can snare and punt and can use both types of bows. Learning how to keep your pet alive takes a bit of skill and babying but it’s not a bad class like everyone says.

They should let mobs have permanent Retaliation that scales with incoming (crit) damage. This makes Condition DPS more attractive or support builds a welcome for helping counter such unavoidable damage.

Make mob auto attacks hurt way more.

Make conditions by mobs much more debilitating.

Make bosses gain a big buff for defeating a player if he doesn’t get rezzed in time?

Make CC much more rewarding.

Make DPS pull aggro much much more.

Introduce a mechanic that messes with endurance. Weakness is way too tame. Make it deplete endurance on top of slowing regen.

Try this: “looking for fun, friendly people to run ____”

Don’t use mmo acronyms like LF2M. Add “experienced” if you prefer a run where everyone’s done it once

This actively filters out elitist jerks and you always get whispers of friendly hellos and requests to join. It always works for me.

Toughness is really there to just soak up mob autoattacks. So as long as you can survive the hits normally, and dodge the big attacks, you’re more or less good to go. I can’t say I’m a fan of this all-DPS-trinity but I guess it sure beats having to “LF1M Healer/Bunker” all day long.

I think conditions on PCs in PvE should be more punishing, and I think autoattacks should hit harder or something. Right now, this meta, while straightforward, leaves little depth to group play dynamics.

darkace.8925:

As someone who loathes that other game’s overuse of particle effects, glowing eyes, etc, I hope ANet doesn’t overdo things here.

Same. I can’t help thinking that overdone gear just look absolutely foolish and juvenile. It’s especially silly when in spite of all the godlike glow and sparkles a little (pre-nerf) Graveling can end it all.

I hope to see more normal weapons that are a cut above the norm but without particle overload. Perhaps some Canthan or more Sylvari or even dye-able weapons?

Milennin.4825:

molepunch.5673:

LOL had a good laugh about the spinning spikes. I guess I kinda agree. Weapons being flashy is OK. The crazy shoulder armor is kinda not. Well, for me. Those ginormous blades on the Medium Armor Human T3? SMH …Words fail me.

I guess I’m just hoping for more down-to-earth looking skins and I think there’s definitely an audience for that sort of style. More LotRO and less Pand-o.

It’s not like there’s not an option to turn off shoulder armour…
It’s not like there’s plenty of other, smaller shoulder armour available…

Some people just see 1 thing they don’t like, and then go on a complaining rampage that the whole game is a fail, and that there is no variety and that every player is a walking Christmas tree.

Don’t jump to conclusions. You are kinda projecting.

Congrats! All the best to you both.

Siphaed.9235:

1st thing: SAB weapons are related to the holiday event (i.e. April Fools). They’ll be outplayed by other weapon skins down the line.

2nd thing: Legendary weapons are the flashiest, showiest weapons around for good reason. They’re meant to be prestige things of status nature.

3rd thing: Most importantly, it’s best to have super cool looking, flashy weapons instead of gaudy over-the-top shoulders like there are in some other games. Weapons are important, having 5million spikes spinning circles on your shoulders are not important.

LOL had a good laugh about the spinning spikes. I guess I kinda agree. Weapons being flashy is OK. The crazy shoulder armor is kinda not. Well, for me. Those ginormous blades on the Medium Armor Human T3? SMH …Words fail me.

I guess I’m just hoping for more down-to-earth looking skins and I think there’s definitely an audience for that sort of style. More LotRO and less Pand-o.

Hi all. I can’t help feeling that the game and its art department is regressing a lot what with more and more flashy, glowy or plain over-the-top skins being introduced. I guess I really prefer the “sophisticated flashy” that most PCs had a few months ago.

How do you guys feel? Or are most of you cool with the walking Xmas Tree look like in that other MMO with Pandas?

I find the no-trinity combat in GW2 much more dynamic. I think the trinity somewhat exists in each character and you are given the freedom to tweak it to whichever bias you desire.

I do PUGs and I do guild runs. I’m also the one who leads newbies through dungeons. I gotta say that once they start understanding group play styles and dynamics the runs get faster and better. YMMV

Brangien.7462:

Oglaf, yes.

Structures are immune to condition damage and hurt the condition builds the most.

Burrows, Ice pillars, breakable traps etc.

I don’t think you can Crit them either, IIRC. It’s down to Power and attack speed.

Happened to me too. Got the sound error and then I got punted.

I advise you to research the math behind your build. It’s great for fire-and-forget style of solo play but I think it’s quite terrible on most accounts. That said, if you’re having fun, that’s fine. I will be honest: I don’t immediately think highly of a level 80 signet warrior.

If I’m not wrong you cannot crit objects either. Only raw Power has effect.

Turkman.1089:

@Fiontar:

It’s really all about teamwork and talking to each other via TS/any other voicechat.
The paramount thing to do is to find all targets before you trigger the event. (If somebody has no waypoint in certain areas, like I do, that’s not really the game’s fault) Then you have to look at the targets (All are immediately visible(something which wasn’t known to me and the members of the guild I’m in previously)) and then you have to make a decision: On what character can I reach at least one of the mobs. You have plenty of time to get there if you talk to your guild and say, “Hey guys, Boss xy is the only one I’ve got a waypoint in the vicinity. Kill the others first. I’ll wait there for you.”
That’s pretty much the way the game is meant to be played. Getting a hin on it might seem harsh to some, but otherwise there would be a lot of monster guilds flourishing to exploit these new features.

I didn’t know you are told the zones before the mission is activated. I could only view the bounties after it was triggered. If you are suggesting that the guild send scouts to every single zone in question first then I really pity the smaller guilds. They have no shot at even tier 1.

I honestly think a good compromise would be that only those of a given rank permission can attack the NPC or basically start the fight. Much like how non-guildies cannot attack it until it becomes hostile from any attacks by the guild with the mission active.

GrandmaFunk.3052:

molepunch.5673:

Point taken. But why not just auto-reward those who are there? If you spot someone not helping and being a mooch it’s better for the officers to kick the leech than it is for this feeling of being left behind even though you contributed.

But in your example you weren’t there, you didn’t contribute.

I combed the map with my GF. I wasn’t given the chance to contribute to the fight. Sheesh

Point taken. But why not just auto-reward those who are there? If you spot someone not helping and being a mooch it’s better for the officers to kick the leech than it is for this feeling of being left behind even though you contributed.

Turkman imagine that you are in a Guild Bounty alliance. You know, bunch of small guilds.

This other guild group finds it first and starts the fight. Posting the closest way point. Maybe you DC and the countdown clock is ticking. Something.

And you get there or back online too late. This other Guild in the alliance gets the reward but you didn’t.

Who do you blame then? I honestly am over the matter but as a long time Guild leader in WoW I can spot potential guild-sundering mechanics a mile away.

Hey all!

Just participated in my WvW guild’s Bounty Mission. We had to track down and kill two characters in two different zones.

I was really disappointed. You only get the reward if you get to attack the mob. Because it was timed we were told to split up and find the NPCs. On both times the mob died even before I got there. I somewhat blame the guild management for not even waiting but I also understand that it was a timed event. But shouldn’t everyone in the guild in the zone be automatically rewarded if the bounty is completed? This feels like a mad dash for personal gain in spite of being a guild activity.

This is a recipe for a lot of guild drama. I suggest to the development team to reconsider the current set up.

Thanks.

Just to add: Mace #2 triggers Unsuspecting Foe as well (bug? ). Sigil of Impact on my hammer also seems to be working out.

I was told Toughness is not as good as Vitality unless you have some Healing Power. Would Valkyrie be a better choice then?

Does it work with Karma jugs?

I remember my banner used to rez defeated allies. Had to use it for Hodgins once lol. I don’t often carry that utility skill anymore for the above mentioned reasons in the first reply.

Guys she’s wearing glass slippers. Turn down your gamma settings.

/trollface

It is a consistent combo field generator and will increase party DPS; you can also complete your own combo with Longbow 3’s Blast Finisher for AoE Might x 3, as well as through your autoattack (20% chance).

When traited in Tactics the auto attacks guarantees a combo finisher instead of only with a 20% chance.

Make sure to use Longbow #2 in melee range.

Iothefallen how about a god honest critique on yourself. I’m frankly tired of seeing your negative posts when you really can just let it go and find a different game. No one owes you anything. When I got disillusioned with other mmos I just left. No need to hang around some forum going on and on and yoinking out glutton-for-sympathy words like “disappointed” and “betrayed”.

Don’t kid yourself if you think you offer unbiased critiques to hopefully get the dev team back on track. You’re frankly bashing and raining on every parade. Why don’t you apply for a position at ANet. Clearly they are missing out on your counsel.

I ran full bunker support since beta. I came to finally accept that the Holy Trinity is compressed into each player: bunkers are not optimal. While I genuinely understand where you’re coming from, I think groups benefit more from balanced builds than extreme ones like bunker or glass. Bunkers make the run safer, glass make em faster.

That said, I think Anet designed it so that just flipping major traits and gear you can shift the focus of your own Trinity.

NP! I actually had the same exact confusion months ago lol

The entire trait line wasn’t nerfed, just Brawn.

Esoteric.5490:

Someone made the argument to nerf an entire trait line to justify the damage base on certain weapons… If kill shot was not meant to do as much damage or eviscerate was not meant to do as much with the burst damage % boost, then nerf the base and allow people to spec so that their burst skills can do a lot more damage. As it is, other professions get full 1:1 scaling for their class-based trait while warriors get 1:10. The only class to be nerfed as such. When I first started playing at head start, I reported it as a bug because I put 10 points in and only got 1% of a bonus…

It isn’t really a “burst” skill if you are using it solely for utility and it’s damage is outdone by normal weapon skills…

WvW bonuses affect healing.

I think you had to be in beta to understand why it was done. Right now it’s a bit too low and almost insulting but it’s probably a lot easier to balance across the board around a trait line that not everyone will spec. Make it any better and then it becomes a trait point tax—“go Disc or go home” FTL. Everyone loves to play I’m A Game Designer and I Know Better.

Also:
Some of the comments here are downright disrespectful and ridiculous. Why would they hate on their own game and take joy in nerfing their own game. Why would anyone. That makes no sense and it’s scary how much video game rage can make one come to such a far fetched conclusion.

Perhaps support builds or gear should grant stronger (numerically and not just boon duration) boons to other allies (not to self even if it’s from the same source like For Great Justice)?

Come on now. The ridiculous skimpy armors for female humans and now Norns…

I find it hard to believe that only one such bot is in existence. I mean, wouldn’t the bots trigger one another in that short time frame?

I think dueling should only be an option in the Mists.

I play a tanky support warrior and I gotta agree. A lot of dps minded and “selfish” personalities there in my sub forum. I just don’t fit in and worse, the support play style is either discouraged or ridiculed.

I tried playing Guardian but the flavor is just not me.

Good luck with your new Guardian!

I like it. It indirectly vindicates support builds and gear set ups. Rez utilities and related traits have more weight. I don’t want the dynamic to tip so far as to require a support build in the party but I think for every party member swinging an extreme build (glass cannon or pure tanky/healy) there should be a sense of needing another to balance it back out to a certain degree.

Right now a team of glass cannons is better than a team of support builds. I’m not sure if this is by design. Perhaps they should look into making boons affect allies in a greater magnitude?

Just some ideas.

Maybe in the big picture there has to be constant demand for rare and exotic crafted weapons in some form, as heavy handed as it may be. Careful what you wish for.

I think this is in Metrica Province. Two Asuran kids are reviewing the types of Hyleks. Red are “meanies”, yellows are sometimes nice and green and blue ones are fine. Something along those lines.

Reference to mob behaviors in GW2. Red will aggro, yellow are neutral, etc.

I’m a Warrior myself. Don’t worry the down scaling is in full effect in CoF. Just last night all the rest of the glass cannon warriors and so on couldn’t even stay up past the first wave of charrs in that event. I had to solo it for them!