Guild Wars 2

If the class balance Devs eyes haven’t glazed over by now, I have a suggestion for Ranger Pet AI that would GREATLY enhance their performance in WvW and some boss fights.

Where Rangers currently have a toggle choice of Passive (pet does noting, lingers in immediate vicinity of Ranger) and Aggressive (pet changes targets to follow the target of the ranger’s attack unless commanded otherwise with f1) I would like to put a third mode into the rotation: Ward.

Ward: Pet remains at your side until you attack or you or the pet are attacked (the same trigger conditions as aggressive). It then attacks the red nameplate closest to you within a maximum range of your current weapon(s) [or a fixed value of 1,000 if this is not possible with current technology]. After each action/attack, it again checks for the closest enemy/red nampeplate to you and focuses its attack on that target. This behavior is overridden by a direct command to focus target via f1 until the focus target is dead or beyond pet leash range from the ranger.

Essentially the pet focuses on harassing and repelling enemies closest to you, working outwards, allowing you to attack enemies at range without your pet immediately launching itself deep into enemy territory. This logic would allow better pet behavior in complex multi-target boss fights and be an enormous boon to managing your pet in zerg vs. zerg encounters making the pet is more likely to join the line and switch intuitively to dedicated bodyguard action when opponents break through.

To keep up with the current blue & red color coding for passive/aggressive I would give ward a yellow or black/yellow (hazard warning colors) icon.

Topic about this are that way >>>>>>>
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<<<<<<< and there
>>>> there
<<<<< and over there
>>>>>>>>>>> and also that way
(>")> and there is one too

Zero Day.2594:

Kind of curious as to what happened to a post on the thief forum requesting for a live stream of a dev playing a thief (the way a thief is meant to be played).

You missed it?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z-d9vGO52E&feature=youtu.be

Phenn.5167:

Chris Whiteside.6102:

I agree Talissa. The topic discussion is going very well and we will have time to discuss enhancing the process for the initiative at the end of every topic phase and in so doing we will get better and better as we move forward.

My only concern thus far is that this hasn’t been a discussion. It’s fourteen pages of player comments and suggestions, with a few insertions of “we’ve thought about that,” or “don’t worry—we know and we have a reason for doing ______.”

There have been a lot of phenomenal points brought up, and I think the majority of the voices here would like some substantive interaction on the ideas. After all, that’s what collaboration is about. At least, that’s how this initiative was sold, and the impression I was under.

I dunno. Maybe I misunderstood. Either way, some concrete interaction would go a long way to making this initiative actually do what it was billed to do.

I have to generally agree with this. I can understand that the higher ups in ANet are likely busy, but the responses we have received so far do read like the above poster says. I can only hope that once the time for responses is found, we’ll get more actual answers and more actual communication.

Just one question: Why did the armor pieces that had less than 4 color slots not all get an additional color slot added to manage the intended new flexibility?

I saw the “emulate expansions” in the epic post above. I believe this captures my take on evolving a LW/LS. In an expansion you typically have new territory, an expansion of characters new and old, perhaps a complete story told. Evolving a LW should do this step-wise. You could do this step-wise in GW by marching slowly to Cantha, opening up new territory, participating in new story that built on old story, with beginnings and endings, rescue a queen, slay a dragon, whatever.

I like the idea of emulating an expansion in a step-wise manner much more than emulating an episodic TV show. (Like I said above, if we’re talking Breaking Bad, I’m flexible.) What this would require, I believe, is to lose the value proposition of a two week dev cycle and move to a longer cycle that would allow for reasonable steps in delivering an expansion over time. It might be a safer model than simply telling a story, epic or otherwise.

Greatsword already has plenty of profession distribution. I’d rather not see it become even more prevalent, regardless of how many “Necro-friendly” Greatsword skins there are.

I’d say Battleaxe would be the best possible Necro 2H addition, but since those don’t exist in the game just yet, I suppose Hammer would be the next best thing. I’m fond of the idea I saw in another threat where the weapon would be based around downward strikes which would draw up dark forces from the earth. Grasping hands, bursts of necrotic energy, perhaps an immobilize which drops the opponent into a glowing hole, that sort of thing.

Gandarel.5091:

Casters with hammer is just lol. Will never happen and I’m glad.

http://images.wikia.com/darksiders/images/b/b3/Darksiders-2-death-hammer.jpg
Do i have to constantly remind you people of there are no weapon limitations?

Glad to see I’m not the only one who thinks hammer for necro is a good idea. Here are my ideas:

Auto-attack sequence:

1. Deathly Strike: Single target physical damage.
2. Necrotic Swing: Sweep the hammer in a circle, inflicting vulnerability to multiple foes.
3. Pestilent Strike: Strike the ground, raising a cloud of poison in a circle around the caster. Poison stacks.

Skills 2 – 5:

Deathly Ward: Strike the ground, leaving a mark/well that immobilizes foes who cross its line and inflicts vulnerability.

Chilling Blow: Strike the ground, chilling foes in a circle.

Peal of Doom: Raise the hammer high up over the caster’s head and sound the Peal of Doom (a really deep, ominous bell sound). Knockback in a circle around the caster.

Bone Field: Slam the hammer vertically, head-down on the ground in front of the caster. Can be traited to have ground targeting but otherwise is a circle around caster. A spiky field of sharp ribs and bones shoots up from the ground, causing cripple and torment.

None of these are meant to inflict heavy damage except Field of Bones. Most are control abilities. I feel these are at least a step in the right direction for what hammer could be for necromancer.

Despite what most people say and what most testing reveals, mobs aggro on the best-looking person of the group.

You have got to be kittening joking.

I’ll file this under “More Evidence That This Playerbase Will Whine About Anything.”

Every single time people bring this up I go into pvp and prove this again. What ever crazy stuff is going on or whatever effectively the LF pool was previously 60%, and is currently 100%.

Everyone makes all these complex tests that involve timing, or jumping off cliffs, when just taking a single, large hit from another player makes for the most accurate possible test, and is also extremely simple to do.

But yeah, no clue what’s going on, on the Anet side, and it’s pretty disappointing to get zero response back from them.

Adapt and make them cry again.
Let’s show that it is us the players that makes the necro class “OP”

Gir Dhuumsong. Dunno if it’s taken and I don’t really care.

+1 internetz if you understand the reference

ArchonWing.9480:

It’s for convenience. That’s what the internet is for.

And cats. Don’t forget the cats! ^^,

OMG JOYGASM…. a 3 second fear…. I have it…. its instant cast….

This is going to take so much time to process all this.

Go away.

Anet, I love you.

Sarrs.4831:

Rok.5260:

Would be funny if all they fixed was the health bug in downed mode :P

Yes.

Funny.

/sharpens axe

(seriously though high hopes low expectations)

If that’s a Necro axe it won’t help

War Mourner.5168:

Good to see it getting worked on I suppose.
Jon could you say anything about the spiteful talisman bug? It’s been in the game since before release, and reported as such.

BEHOLD, the post that fixed spiteful talisman!

If you weren’t aware—The Jagged Horror doesn’t even contribute to “Protection of the Horde” trait. Why is this minor even in the game? I mean 20 Toughness is nothing but it doesn’t even do that. Why?

Rok.5260:

We can level from 1-80 naked just by using minions I hear.

Only if minions want to.
They usually prefer watch you being beaten hard with a pop-corn bucket and tortillas.