Guild Wars 2

I am fine with the nerf to take root but only if they look at class elites to make sure their are viable alternatives. Classes almost always have good options for dps elites when running power, but most classes have terrible elites for condi specs.

At least rangers and necros have condi elites they can use, even if the dps is not great, many classes don’t even have those. Currently playing a sylvari is the only ways to get a dps elite on a condi mesmer for example.

Condi ele really does needs better ultimates to be viable compared to the t1 dps specs.

My ideal would be to give our glyph elemental a condition on their auto attack, rather than just on their activated ability (either a bleed on earth elemental or burn on fire depending on how the dps would work out). Either that or make it so fire elemental’s active put a lot more burns or longer duration burns.

As for what to pick out of the current elites:
Right now FGS can do well, but you need to time it to take advantage of the boost to condi damage it provides as a passive, and to use it place of the earth auto which is not great dps. So this means going to earth, using your active skills (rock barrier/hurl and dust storm), then picking up FGS doing eruption, firestorm, then overloading earth without dropping the sword, after overload hit eruption again and any signets that are up. After this attack drop the sword and if you have the rotation right you should be switching back to fire at that point.

Take root does really high burst damage on a condi build, but the dps decreases a lot over a long fight since the cool down is so long. It is still good damage but the burst means some people think the dps is way higher than it actually is.

Overall the damage is close if you are doing a fight against: a stationary target, with a larger hitbox, and over a longer fight (approximately 2 minutes). However since this only really happens on a few fights take root will generally be the better pick.

Skyy.5380:

Thanks for the advices

But there again i have the problem that i need a full new ascended set -.-
I guess condi with berserker gear isnt that good

Just as a suggestion, if you want to be ranged and keep most of your current, power guardian is a really good build that you can play at ranged with scepter. Ascended is all account bound so you would really only need to replace the weapons.

I don’t get what Anet is thinking, apparently they agreed with the people who thought retaliate and confusion interfered with their button spaming.

rush in man.4506:

After playing 4 different classes I figured though that guardian and engineers elite skills are much less useful then all other classes.
In guardian proportion.

I don’t agree about engineer, supply drop rocks. But the others are useless.

rush in man.4506:

Most of guardians use renewed focus because it is least cool down skill and it get you out of bad situations instead of putting you into one. This skill dose work well ounly if you have AH and enspire virtue other without these traits it is as useful as warriors endure pain and elementalists mist form.

You are right, but I prefer to look at it as us getting endure pain or mist form without taking up a utility slot. Because endure pain and mist form are awesome, and having them without losing a good utility is even better (even if unlike endure pain and mist form we can’t use other abilities, which is unfortunate).

Although I wish it gave the full 3 of invulnerability the tool tip says, rather than the 2 seconds it actually gives.

rush in man.4506:

TOMES: they are bad that’s all I have to say!

Not a huge fan of tomes personally, too long of recast and they don’t seem to do enough to make up for it especially with the long cast times. But that is just my experience/opinion.

Also why didn’t our quickness get a duration buff like everyone else when they lowered quickness?

In terms of base heals per second it is:
203.75/s, or 6112.5/30 seconds for signet (base with 0 healing)
151.83/s or 4555/30 seconds for shelter (base with 0 healing)

So if you are stopping over 1557 damage with your block shelter is better, if you take less damage then signet is better. Altruistic healing gives you 70 extra hp per block, so that is 1487 difference if you block one hit, 1417 you need to stop if you block twice. So basically fights where you take a lot of damage quickly shelter is better, if you are taking less damage altruistic healing will not make up for the difference in heals.

If you have healing power the ratio changes because signet scales better with healing power but you can easily calculate how much you have to block for shelter to be better than signet.

For example: with 1000 healing power
235/s or 7050/30 seconds
175/s or 5255/30 seconds

So 1795 damage needs to be blocked – each block healing an additional 70hp if you have altruistic healing.

Personally I prefer shelter.

I thought renewed focus was still only 2 seconds untraited when ever I timed it (even though the tool tip says 3). I know other reported this as well, did they fix it to match the tool tip?

The escapist one basically says they are not working on an expansion, they just plan to update the game. Basically an expansion without buying anything, which sounds good to me. There probably will eventually be an expansion but I would doubt it will be any time soon.

And of course they aren’t planning GW3, this game is not even a year old.

It isn’t necessarily the trinity, but the trinity was a way to ensure interdependence, since groups had to work together to accomplish something none of them could individually. DPS, healers and tanks all needed each other because they all lacked in things the others were good at. This interdependence is further seen when you add in the need for support (debuff and buff classes) and CC (like the tank ensuring survival).

GW2 is a system built on being independent. You are responsible for keeping yourself alive and doing damage with very little interacting in a group. Most classes only have 1 or 2 abilities that help increase the damage of the group, so there is a little support. Debuffs are not really in this game other than poison, and bosses are immune/resistant to CC. GW2 has a system that is basically two roles, DPS and DPS with some buffs.

Better dungeon design could help, for example the suit in the dredge fractal requires people have someone working well with the switches and the group people positioning the boss. So it is possible to design around the roles by making the roles specific to the encounter. But no matter what happens this is still a game designed on independence, because if you were interdependent you would have to have required roles filled, which they said they don’t want.

But I also want to say the dungeon design also fails to provide fun mechanics and things like phases to keep the fight from being repetitive, but everyone knows GW2 has very poor boss designs.

Confusion should never lock you out of dodge or else it is the ultimate CC, locking you out of abilities, heals and dodging. If you are fighting a few people this means you instantly lost.

Other than it hitting on dodge, confusion is fine in WvW. It does more damage than sPvP but unless you are nerfing crit damage to sPvP levels, it is fine.

I miss being in a group and feeling like I was working with people and coming together to be stronger. GW2 I usually feel like I am DPSing next to people. As one person put it in defense of the system, everyone is responsible for themselves. To me everyone being responsible for themselves means you don’t have a team where you work together.

Personally I like the trinity or having roles outside of just DPS (EQ and DAOC had some really good classes based on buffs and CC for example. Which is what I thought GW2 would be when they said they wanted a DPS/CC/support version of the trinity.). I don’t for a second recommend the trinity be introduced in GW2 because that is not how the game was designed or sold. But I do miss the idea of having roles and group based combat, not just being a DPS or a DPS with 1 or 2 support skills I use once a minute so we can burn a boss down.

I loved the final boss of COF story mode because he seemed like a boss for a change, not just a larger mob or humanoid (big fire demon coming out of a char). He also had a really neat mechanic if you did it the way the fight was designed, where you are running boulders up the hill while lava balls were coming down. He also had phases so later in the fight he would send more rocks and walls would pop up to block your both. This was until I learned all ground attacks hurt him and there is a safe space where you can stand the whole fight and be safe. Still my favorite boss fight in terms of design if you do it the intended way.

I also loved the eye of zhaitan fight from the personal story quest. Again the boss felt unique because I hadn’t run into one of the eyes before and it seemed like it was a unique fight and had a fun mechanic how it would teleport to different places and use different attacks that you had to dodge to get close to him.

Outside of those, there are some fractal bosses that aren’t too bad, but again could really use some more active mechanics and phases. Also really hate that almost every boss in fractals is just a large regular mob or humanoid (I know it takes resources but a boss needs to feel unique and special not just a re-skinned and/or bigger mob). Overall not impressed at all with the bosses in the game.

Eliyahu.1467:

Complaining about confusion damage at 12+ stacks is just as bad as calling 100 Blades OP. L2Dodge

One of the biggest issues people keep bringing up is dodging with confusion can do a significant amount of damage, if you have an on dodge trait. This prevents you from avoiding even more confusion.

The biggest thing that will address this issue is if Anet puts an in game LFG system. The elitist speed runners can still use third party sites to find each other but the average person will just use in game LFG and get paired with random people.

There is a big problem with simple buffs though. Even if they buffed the less desired classes, a warrior/mesmer/possibly guard group will still be standard. If the lesser classes were buffed above one of those three then replace that one with the new class.

This is just something that is a result from having two ideals being no trinity and no required classes/specs. Because nothing is required DPS will always be king and so the groups best at DPS will be on top.

I think the only things we can expect are the supplies and color change you mentioned, and possibly a fix for the AC leg specialist issue. Changes are slow and if Anet has proven anything, it is that WvW changes are even slower.

As much as I would love a bow, I think it is better to focus on the more realistic goal of scepter auto attack being fixed.

I don’t get why it can’t be given a better attack, it’s not like giving it a fast projectile or beam will turn guards to the best ranged class. We would still have worse range than every other profession but our only ranged option would be significantly better.

Yes please Anet give us a dueling ring for WvW. We have asked for it since the game came out.

If you nerfed warriors the #2 dps would be the new warrior.

The game is designed around no trinity and no required classes. This philosophy ensures DPS > all. Even if you wanted a support class you still are encouraged to make them as dps oriented as possible.

The classes that are generally considered to be the best roamers are the ele and the thief. The engineer and the mesmer also get an honorable mention in my opinion since these two are can be very good at 1vX fights vs players, but they lack the easy escape skills if you have too many show up or a raid comes by.

covenn.7165:

As I said, I love the meta it introduces and I am even ok with the damage. I just think a couple of minor things need to be tweaked.

Completely agree with you. I like confusion and the strategy it introduces but the hitting on dodge for example is something I really think needs to be changed.

I have a mesmer (and used to run a confusion build), and I think the biggest thing that needs to be changed it confusion hitting when dodging. Hitting people for dodging is not how the ability is described and it unfairly locks down people with on dodge traits, even if they were minor traits. Which I believe is unfair.

But people mentioned bringing numbers rather than exaggeration. So lets do that and people can judge based on that.

- Feedback and null field 2 confusion for 5 seconds
-Leaving the fields since they destroy boons, prevent conditions on mesmer and prevent ranged means 2 confusion for 5 seconds
-If you run mirror as a utility that is another 4-6 confusion from cry of frustration for 5-6 seconds.
-Then use scepter three for 5 stacks, less (2-3) if you dodge but dodging with 8-10 confusion is usually a very bad idea if you have an on dodge trait. For 7-8 seconds
-Follow by scepter 2 causing another 1 confusion from blind. 5 seconds.

That is my opening when I used to run my glamor build. Most of these abilities on are relatively long cool downs (30-40 seconds) although the scepter attacks are on short cool downs (12 seconds for the blind and 15 for the 5 stacks). It applied usually about 13-15 confusion each hitting for around 400-430ish damage depending on how many stacks of corruption if you are a pure condition build.

This opening has the potential to hit up to 5200-6450 damage if you hit any ability or if you dodge with an on dodge trait. At most I usually only ever got 1-3 procs of that before the confusion started to wear off. So if you, for example if you use a cleanse and it doesn’t get the confusion (it got a bleed, burn or vulnerability from staff for example) and then you dodge that is 10400 – 12900 damage. When it starts to wear off it was still hitting for thousands because even 5 stacks (which was usually the amount I maintained on people using scepter, the odd mind wrack and chaos armor while I waited for cool downs) is over 2k damage. So you are either doing that damage or locking someone out of all abilities and dodge roll.

I will also add in my experience fighting1v1 a confusion mesmer is a terrible spec (I say this both playing with and against confusion builds on my other classes).

Bananasmile.4126:

With my guardian’s dual sigil of energy, plus a vigor trait, I’m literally a dodging machine with tons of healing and 100% up on retal. So this means, that confusion you’re afraid of, won’t even dent me, and even if I make a mistake and it does eat a chunk of my HP, my HP goes right back up in a single dodge or two,

I play both a mesmer and a guard, and if you actually did use this tactic on you guard you would die. Currently confusion hits if you dodge, if you have any on dodge traits. And there is no way your dodge heal will out heal a tic of confusion unless you have less then 3-5 stacks (depending on your healing power, since each stack hits for about 400-420 damage); so if you had low HP and dodged you would either really hurt yourself or kill yourself.

Confusion hitting classes with on dodge traits is the thing I support being changed. Confusion should only hit if you hit an ability, it shouldn’t also lock you out of dodging.

Even if they made the auto attack hit reliably (say a beam or speed up the projectile) the guardian would still be bad at range compared to every other class, but the people who play it would be a lot happier.

So you still hold true to the design of us being bad at range but make it a lot more tolerable when we need said range.

I really like the idea that you get gear based on meta events like all jumping puzzles or world explorer.

Personally one of the biggest issue I see with gear is they based the game around cosmetic gear (which was awesome). But when asked about adding new armor they said it is a lot of work so they like to stick with weapons and back items.

I get that it is a lot of work, but a game based on cosmetic gear progression can’t just say it’s too much work so no or few new gear skins.

The biggest issue with gear is still ascended, I hate it and how grindy it feels.

I would love some new borderlands maps. The current maps I like but the fact that there are only 2 different maps (1 being used 3 times) seems really dull and it would be very nice to have some variety.

Doesn’t affect thieves, just like it (and cripple) doesn’t affect the speed of ride the lightening on eles. Thieves also get to backstab repeatedly even if they miss, are blocked or hit an invulnerable target without getting revealed.

The confusion nerf I support is it not hurting people with on dodge roll traits. If you push a button it should hurt but classes who have on dodge roll traits, even if they are minor traits are additionally punished because now they can’t dodge either. This is unfair and should be changed.

I stand by, switch the attack for wrath (downed state skill) with scepter 1.

Dristig.9678:

yLoon.5289:

Solo without warrior =((

What is your build? How did you get 12 stacks of vulnerability solo?

I would assume the blind causing 3 vulnerability trait (blind exposure). Sword2, focus 4 (bounces so you can get 6 if the mob attacks fast), blind on virtue of justice, and sword 3 <- 12-15 vulnerability.

Faux Sheaux.6179:

Catisa.6507:

hard revives should be out of combat only (WvW only).

This. I like this.

/signed

Please Anet, make this happen.

Is this for Pve, spvp or WvW?

Personally I am a big fan of 2 superior water, 2 superior monk and 2 major water/monk since it would result in you getting 40% boon duration. But forge has it’s uses as well. Never liked earth, too random for me.

For dungeons: mesmers are wanted a little more because of things like portal, time warp and better single target damage.
For dynamic events: Necro. Mesmers are terrible at tagging AOE and probably one of the worst for DE’s.
For WvW: Both have their place. Necro does amazing AOE damage and are great in a raid and especially if they have another condition person to work with (they spread conditions). Mesmers have their support spells which are very powerful and ironically work really well with a necro partner.

Fuzzion.2504:

Aside from defensive, how about

The perfect escape artist

Burning Speed ~ 400 units
RTL ~ 1500 units
Lightning Flash ~ 600

How about Combo fields, DPS, cleansing, great heals, fiery greatsword elite skill(hits 2k to 8k)etc.

You forgot to add the mobility fiery greatsword adds in addition to the above. Plus the high uptime on swiftness.

And the fact that ride the lightening is the only charge attack in the game unaffected by cripples and chill.

I agree please put in some unique bosses. COF path 1 fight an add that looks exactly like the final boss, kinda takes away from the epic feel.

But to be honest I disagree that just an increase in model size ect would matter much, this largely is what their bosses are now, slightly bigger versions of mobs. Please can we get some unique bosses.

Ele is the best solo class, rivaling the thief.

But if you want something a bit different I would say eng, there are quite a few videos of them soloing that are very impressive. They are fast, and easily able to 1vX but no quick ways to escape a zerg though.

Is anyone else having a problem with the toad’s amulet dying and him becoming unhittable?

Happening to my group right now.

This is amazing!

Please stop killing everyone, and kill Trahearne instead

There, fixed your title.

Lordrosicky.5813:

Funny how they kitten over epidemic by making it blockable and dodgable whilst leaving the way too long cast time AND YET they wont fix rtl (which effects games way more) by making it consistent with other movement skills and slowing it down due to chills and cripples.

It MUST be a technical issue surely.

This needs to happen, bring eles in line with other charge attacks. They would still be very mobile, but it would be a bit more balanced.

digiowl.9620:

Elementalists and guardians have a trait that heal using the full healing power on dodge. In the elementalist case, it happens to be the dagger #5 skill, one of 3 non-#6 skills i know that fully utilize healing power.

Out of curiosity what is the third that uses a 1:1 healing power ratio other than guards and eles? I thought it was only those two.

Edit: or are you referring to water trident on the ele?

I think these should be account bound already:
-Explorer icon
-Blue prints for WvW
-Gold (just makes things easier)

Would be nice, but I doubt we would get it:
-Story unlocks (or at least make it rewarding to run at the one time per character)
-Fractal level

Would love but I know it wont happen:
-Dyes
-Legendary

Danicco.3568:

That said, think of the great things that no one else can match Guardians: Projectile Protection and Melee AoE damage.

I enjoy my guard but a focus mesmer who specs for focus reflect and/or glamors is by far better at projectile protection. And we are good at melee AOE damage, but I wouldn’t say we are better than a warriors.

We have our uses of course, we make great operators of rams, we bring buffs/heals, we help with projectile reflect even if we aren’t the best and are useful in open fields.

I really like the new system but I think it is a really neat idea to give better rewards for defending structures rather than capping them.

Ideally I would say switch wrath (downed state skill) and scepter 1.

I used to be very patient, and I used to believe whole heatedly that Anet would improve this game. I have played a lot of MMO’s starting with UO when it was released and Anet seemed to really care about this game. I even posted comments similar to yours, saying the game would get better and I thought the devs were doing a great job.

But after being here for a while now, I keep seeing the patches and changes and my faith in the devs has been going down. This is the first game where I ever looked at the devs decisions and I just could not understand what they were thinking or why they would implement things the way they did. I am not talking about speed of changes, things take a while to do, and I prefer slower changes done well but most changes don’t seem very well thought out. I am not talking about balance issues, like the ICD on food, or quickness changes, those I get and agree with.

The issue is the larger design directions they are taking with new content. This started with ascended. I hate ascended and I think it is against the philosophy of the game, but more importantly I am amazed at the poor implementation of it. Anet had a great design where you could acquire gear in a variety of ways, but ascended they forced you to do a very select few, and they offer very little in the way of variety of gear. Even the variety of ways of obtaining has been poorly done in my opinion, they have one way that is efficient and one alternative way that takes a very long time. This doesn’t make me feel like I can play the content I enjoy, it makes it feel like I do it their way or I have to do a grind and be penalized because my play style is different.

It is the poor implementation that I don’t like most and what makes me lose faith. It has been months and there are some improvements, but the improvements themselves seem very poorly thought out and implemented. To an extent I get some of their reasoning, they want to force people to do their new content, but people like new content, just look at halloween or wintersday.

The guild missions are another great example, they could have easily made the tiers of missions go from very easy to much harder and scaled the level of rewards. That way big guilds would still get the best rewards and fastest but small guilds could still participate and get rewards even if it was slower. This is how they built the initial game, catering to multiple play styles, but now they just focus on one they see as the proper way and stick with it. Their solution to the problem did not address the issue, small guilds can’t even get the same type of rewards.

I loved the initial design of the game, and it clearly has a lot of potential. But it is hard to stay positive or trust the developers reasoning when you keep seeing very poorly thought out decisions and they keep taking the game in a direction you don’t agree with.

Please also be fair to Tome of Wrath, and increase the duration like all other quickness skills.

If we have to live with ascended would you consider making them more like exotics? So we have the option to change the secondary. It would make your lives easier since you don’t need to build new combinations and make our lives easier since we could get the same primary and secondary stats we are used to.

Love the quickness nerf! Wish they reduced the cool down on TW to compensate though. But still very happy