Guild Wars 2

I just wanted to shout out to Snowcrash for sitting down with the people of Tarnished Coast and having an enlightening discussion with the community, and answering our questions.

For those who are out of the loop, an ANet Dev came over to Lion’s Arch on TC, and allowed everyone to ask questions and talk about the state of the game. I can’t actually quote him on all of the topics, since everything was tentative, but Guild Halls, Orr event tuning, Dueling, Raids, Weapon Dyes, Cantha, Living Story, and Guild improvements, and much more were among some of the things that were discussed.

The only actual thing I CAN quote for sure is that the ANet Devs are in fact aware of all of the things that the community has discussed, and are working towards those things. While that isn’t much to go on, it’s incredibly reassuring to hear from a game developer in an actual live conversation, and not on a forum or a video. And I can not think of any occasion in my long MMO career where a Game Dev sat down with a community, IN GAME, and talked about the game. So once again, major props to you guys for doing this.

Oh, and side note… First post…. wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee….

So today I was listening to the Mesmerized podcast and heard Pyro, Kylia, and Grimms talking about Phantasmal Haste. I’ve been playing the Mesmer for a long time and I had no idea until then that Phantasmal Haste actually effects the attack rate of the phantasms as opposed to the cooldown of the skills.

So I thought it would be a good idea to compile a list of skills and traits that are either misleading, incorrect, or even have some characteristic that isn’t obvious so that new Mesmers can better understand their skills.

Incorrect/Vague Tooltips:

• Null Field removes boons/conditions one at a time in pulses every second, not all at once.
• Mimic will absorb the first ranged projectile and then reflect all projectiles while blocking melee attacks for the remainder of the channel. If the skill absorbs a projectile 2 seconds into the channel, there will be 2 seconds of block remaining.
• Phantasmal Disenchanter uses a bouncing attack that removes 2 boons/conditions per hit.
• Signet of Illusions provides the health boost in a pulse every 10 seconds. This means it’s possible to summon a phantasm and not have it receive the health for the first 9-10 seconds.
• Confounding Suggestions stuns the enemy, but it replaces the daze. If you apply a 2 second daze, there is a 50% chance the enemy will be stunned for 1 second and not dazed at all.
• Phantasmal Haste decreases the time between the skill uses of your phantasms, it does not decrease the cooldown to cast phantasms. http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Phantasmal_Haste
• All glamour skills show the duration as if you took the 20% longer duration trait.
• Staff #4, upon activation, will instantly give you protection, but cannot reapply it when struck like the other boons listed on the tooltip.
• Phantasmal defender’s defense is a skill applied continuously by the phantasm when he get in melee range. It is not a passive effect always up, there is a gap between spawn and effect.
• Veil is an ethereal combo field, not a light one.
• Phantasmal Warden and Phantasmal Berserker are both whirl finishers.
• Phantasmal Swordsman is a leap finisher on yourself, and it’s attack is a leap finisher on itself.

Good to know:

• Illusionary Leap – You can swap/teleport even after shattering the illusion is shattered.
• Illusionary Swordsman – The swordsman evades attacks while in his attack animation
• Blocks from the Scepter and Sword do a large amount of damage if they block an attack.
• Shatters are instant cast, meaning you can activate them even while in another skill’s animation, this includes stomping an enemy. This same rule applies for all instant skills (Staff #2, mantras, etc).
• Portal range is roughly from the center of your minimap to the left or right side, providing the minimap is fully zoomed in, and you have the horizontal size of it at maximum.
• “When they are killed” traits trigger when a clone is dies or when you summon a 4th clone, causing one to die, NOT when you shatter.
• Using a shatter (without Illusionary Persona) with no illusions will cause a 4 second recharge instead.
• Shattering via Illusionary Persona will activate Illusionary Retribution (all shatters cause confusion), but will not activate Shattered Strength or Confusing Cry (shattering gives a stack of might per illusion).
• Into the Void (focus #4 followup) destroy the curtain effect, but not the combo field. You can still get retaliation/condition cleanse from it.

That’s all I can think of at the moment. If I’ve forgotten something, or if something I said is inaccurate please let me know and I’ll correct it.

Hopefully this helps everyone, I feel like I learn something new about the Mesmer every day!

Teldo won the 1on1 tournament. Didn’t he?

The Empty Suit, in honor of our president!

how about bringing people back into lower level zones so they stay populated? otherwise queensdale would be a ghost town aside from the random dailies requiring 40 krytan kills or 4 events in kryta.

the whole point is to reward players for traveling to all the different zones in the game so not everyone is concentrated in orr, frostgorge or southsun

I think before they add skins and believe me I’m all for new skins for karma (and only karma) they need to go thru every single class forum and address/eliminate each and every bug/design flaw. They need to start in the three weakest classes for PVE and go thru and fix these classes first so they are easily on par with all of the other classes in PVE.

Engineer, Ranger, Necromancer.

Then they can work up from there but only if they are finished with these long lists of bugs in these classes.

Then they need to remove culling from PVE. Then improve drops across the board for events that way people aren’t farming the same ones or trying to exploit because the loot is so terrible in this game. And/or add them to the bags one gets from the trees. (lodestones etc)

Then they need to retro people the laurels they’ve already achieved.

Then they can continue to do more content.

To sum it up, it is a tangent that started when I proposed that the Sclerite Rifle is a rifle and not a shotgun, to which Dustfinger theorized ammunition in the game is cartridges of powder as opposed to metal slugs or pellets. In the same context he mentioned a charr coating her shots with a substance that would stick and burn on contact. From there my curiosity was piqued, and I theorized as to how realistic such an idea was (to which I eventually concluded it wasn’t realistic, but could fall within the suspension of disbelief already required for the game), and Dustfinger provided additional information on the burning substance. Then Seras asked if there was more to learn, and Dustfinger kindly provided a video to the episode in question. Then you asked what it was about, and that’s where we are now.

Being able to save builds & not have to pay to retrait my character when I want to change builds.

Part of me feels with a lot of the Open World raids the mechanics are hidden by the number of people doing them. Take for example Jormag, 2nd part you have to break crystals to let golems through to blow up the walls, while also dealing with Vets. Really cool interesting mechanics. I’ve done Jormag with 10 people and it is an amazingly fun fight.

However what most people experience of the Dragons is standing on a hill auto-attacking (with bad lag), as only a couple of people kite the vets and destroy the crystals. In otherwords the HP of the Dragon Scale, the mechanics don’t well.

I personally would love the option as a Guild to open an instanced version of Jormag, and run it with 20-30 guild mates rather than open world and get the whole experience with mates.

This is what I would love to see as a “Raid”. And I do think there is a place for it in the game.

The horrific misuse of a semicolon from OP annoyed me more than their whining about multiplayer in an MMO.

Probably I’m the only one that has this problem, but i wold like to see a sorting category for armor type, not only boots, glows and other, but medium, light, and heavy, should have they own sorting thing, if this post was made earlier, then I’m sorry for repeating.
If you have the same problem, leave a post, maybe it will be heard

I have no idea what thread I initially said I’d put this in, but someone brought up math and numbers over the effectiveness of the Healing Turret, so I did some math and numbers of my own. Then I realized that just the end solutions doesn’t cut it, I need a full-on graph. So here we go. The charts detail the differences between Elixir H (Untraited and Traited, With and Without Regeneration), Med Kit, and the Healing Turret (Left on Field, Immediately Picked Up, and Immediately Detonated) in Healing over a 60s period with 0 Healing Power at maximum efficiency.

Chart 1: Differences between Elixir H.

Red line: 30 in Alchemy, Fast Acting Elixirs, Potent Elixirs, Regeneration achieved from Toolbelt and Main Skill 100% of the time

Purple Line: 30 in Alchemy, Fast Acting Elixirs, Potent Elixirs, Never Achieve Regeneration boon.

Blue line: 0 Traits, Regeneration achieved from Toolbelt and Main Skill 100% of the time

Green Line: 0 Traits, Never achieve Regeneration boon

Relationships to consider: Area between Red and Purple or the Blue and Green line can serve to illustrate the range of effective healing that the Elixir can give you depending on your traits, and your ability to rng for Regen. For example, if you are untraited at level 80, you would never heal below the Green line, but would never achieve beyond the Blue states.

Chart 2: Differences between the Healing Turret
Blue: Leaving HT out and overcharging it when possible
Red: Drop, Overcharge, and Immediately pick up the HT
Green: Drop, Overcharge, and Detonate the HT

Chart 3: Traited Elixir Range vs. Leaving out the Healing Turret
This chart is funny to me.

Chart 4: All Healing Turret methods vs Elixir H variations, vs the Med Kit
MED KIT STRONG

Chart 5: Side-by-Side number comparisons

Enjoy. Updated for use of Toolbelt Skills Regenerating Mist and Toss Elixir H, readjusted misconceptions of the Healing Turret,

NickDollahZ.5348:

Agreed. They should take a note from some of league of legends balance change philosophies.

Make the skill easier to use, more responsive at the same time they nerf it. Or the would fix a bug associated with the skill they would nerf. Some sure fire way to counteract the nerf. Although at the end of the day it is still a nerf.

This exactly.

Example: The Healing Turret Nerf/Buff. They fixed the problem of people placing it and detonating it right away by making it more useful to a team, instead of just butchering the heal. They need more changes like this.

In my opinion, the problem is…well, here, I’ll explain it.

They don’t seem to listen when anybody that isn’t on the sPvP forums (or Thief profession board, perhaps, going by a comment in another thread) says anything. They didn’t know Scope was broken, and the only way that could be possible is complete and total ignorance of player response, as well as a lack of testing (which players are now doing for them, due to their ignorance of an issue). They can’t be bothered to so much as know what problems exist, much less acknowledge that they do to the playerbase (or at least our little section of it) and this is frustrating, to say the least. If anyone who was in charge of bugfixes knew about the problem before players threw it in their faces (on the sPvP forum, as opposed to the forum where an Engineer bug actually kittening gets talked about, more often than not, and rightly kitten so) complete with tests encompassing thousands of attacks, they didn’t tell anybody else – and that, if I’m not mistaken, tells me that somebody’s not doing their job, whether it’s the testers, the bugfixers or whoever tells the bugfixers about the bugs.

That paragraph. It’s a few things.

if I had one wish for the engineer it would be that our rifle would actually be a rifle. A long ranged single target high damage weapon (you know like the warrior for some reason have). then have our current rifle skills be shifted to the “shotgun” kit.

especially since our legendary is made to look like a sniper rifle, yet we use it as a shotgun … it doesn’t make a lot of sense heh.

What I dont like about boon hate isnt boon hate on its own. It’s that some classes are forced into proccing boons in order to reach the higher traits in a line, even if they arent interested in the minor mandatory boon traits. Like Elixir B proc at 75% health, at 75% health the enginner suddenly takes 9% more damage from a boon hate warrior, when the trait should really help the engi instead.

This would be a great time for Anet to rework how minor traits work and gives us something like 3 options per minor trait tier. So 9 in total, but they should be unique to the tier, so a t1 minor trait cant go in t2 or t3 and so on. This way we would get options that are free of boons if we want.

Introducing boon hate with mandatory forced boons in the minor traits is not nice.

I guess my issue with this is that, if they’re making gadgets just like signets, then why don’t they just give the engineer signets and be done with it?

I’d rather have something unique to the class instead of a retextured signet.

I actually find myself cursing blizzard, and then having to remind myself that this is an Anet game.

For instance, if I fall off a cliff and die, while trying to get to somewhere, along what should be a path… “f-ing blizzard, is that supposed to be ‘fun’… oh wait.. STUPID ANET!”

But yeah… being a dev must lead to having a MASSIVE ego. The mountains of games on the scrap heap is a testament to it.

Devs need to understand that if they say a class can do XYZ, then the players will expect the class to actually do XYZ viably.

..but instead we get car dealers trying to tell us that the Rav4 makes an excellent tank.

“Really? I kinda think a ‘tank’ makes a good tank”
“Oh yeah, it might not be the most ‘viable’ tank on the road, but it’s more than capable of filling the role.”

…and then it’s like, “did you hear about Bob? he got killed trying to tank a moose with his Prius”

And that’s how you end up with Necros in your group saying “I can tank, any class can tank” and “Can my engineer friend come too? He’s a great healer”

…and the devs see them say it, and walk off muttering “engineers are fine”

So whenever I see people use medkits, its hardly based around support for other players.

You can make it so you can deploy the things a medkit can do from a range, but the fact it takes up a trait, and the long CDs and small pickup range, it doesn’t seem viable at all.

I was thinking they could make it so that bandages would heal in an aoe for like 50% when you get the trait that allows you to throw them. I would just love to see medkit used in a more support way instead of throwing bandages in front of the player and speed kits.

Thoughts?

kokiman.2364:

- entitled Player leaves the game because he doesn’t like it
- decided to come back to the game because he thinks that he will like it now
- other people have to write down the patchnotes for him because he is too lazy to check them himself

As I’ve already asked in an other thread. Is this a new thing? Are we some kind of marketing department from A.Net that needs to sell you the game again? And why not use the well documented update pages to inform yourself about updates?

here here and cheers to you

Maskaganda.2043:

I air dodge alot. they never knew what didn’t hit me.

The great tactics of air dodging as told in the age ole tale,

The Engineer and The Enemy.

They Enemy lines up a shot, so confindant in the Engineer’s coming destruction.
The seconds tick by as the Enemy basks in the glory of the skills that are about to open up on the small statured foe.
Then all of a sudden a dodge flip.
WTF the Enemy cries, was that a mistake? did the Engineer dodge too early?
The Enemy’s heart beats quicker, the adrenaline rushing to the brain. and certain other places.
Its getting harder to control the excitement of the soon to be victory.
Then another dodge flip.
A small tickle of nervousness comes over the Enemy.
Did the Engineer make another mistake? Dodging invisible enemies? maybe we are not alone?
Panic begins to build, the Enemy begins to sweat, excitement is slowly morphing into fear, fear of the unknown.
The Enemy takes a few breathes, trying to remain calm, reassuring thoughts begin to emerge.
I have got this! This little Engineer is Toast! Dodging too earlier! I will be the winner!
Just as the Enemy is about to reach the level of confidence needed to take that final plunge and unleash vicious attack the Enemy sees a small bottle fly from the Engineers hand and go crashing to the ground.
What did the Engineer just drink? Was that purple liquid?
Then it happens, the actions that send the Enemy into such a great spiral of uncertainty the Enemy would be lost in a dizzy fog of confusion.
A Double-Dodge roll!
The panic and fear that was once so small inside the Enemy grow into a loud roaring monster.
Its deafening roar from inside the Enemy chases away all confindence and thoughts of glory.
The Enemy is now a bastion for dread, the Enemy’s legs begin to liquify, hands shaking, mouth frozen in a gruesome parody of a smirk.
It is only in these final moments that the Enemy realizes, he was dead after the first dodge.
When the Enemy believed that the Engineer was fighting nothing the Enemy failed to see the truth.
The truth that the Engineer was really fighting the air that was between them.
A battle that would ensure the victor of all future victories, for by defeating air you have already defeated everything else.
With this realization burning in the Enemy’s mind, the Enemy is stuck frozen amonst the air that is now the Engineers beatch.
The Enemy stands and awaits fate, fate that will surely spell defeat.
The Enemy feels the Engineers attention turn, feels the Engineers keen focus shift.
In this last second its as if Death himself has come to show the Enemy’s fate, a small glimpse into the immediate future shows the inevitable outcome.
The Enemy sees two futures side by side like some strange spilt-screen video game demo of what is to come.
One future shows the Enemy release an attack in a fit of panic but just as all thh fury is about to strike the Engineer, the Engineer disappears?
No.
Looking down, down among the daisies, down among the weed, down among the pebbels he sees the now tiny Engineer laughing in glee before advancing to end the Enemy.
The second future shows the Enemy manage a great feat of restraint and holds back attacking, once again in anticipation the Engineer “drinks me” and advances through the weeds, pebbles and daisies toward the Enemy.
Not fully lost yet the Enemy has a moment of clarity, I shall wait untill the Engineer is tiny no more! Then strike! A small bead of confindence releases itself from the Enemy’s forehead and trickles down, eventually falling to the dirt.
The enemy starts to count 1……2……..just as the Enemy is about to get to 3 and unleash his attack on the newly right sized Engineer he sees a small flash of metal.
NOOOO is the last thought to go through the enemies head before the Engineer’s Prybar does.

All is lost according to the vision. The Enemy is petrified with defeat. The Enemy’s weapon lowers and all but falls.
The Enemy is finally resigned to accept fate and patiently awaits the coming destruction.
The Engineer begins his advance, starting with a few posion darts that zing past either side of the Enemy, just a poke and sample of what is to come.
Its as if time slows down and the Enemy sees that small red and yellow vial rise up to the Engineers lips, once drank, it is all over.
The vial tips and down goes the Engineer, down into the daisies, down into the weeds, down into the pebbles.
All that is left is for the tiny Engineer to deliver his pintsized smack of doom.
But……..whats this……the Engineer seems stuck…..running and drastically lower speeds…..the Engineer’s face shows a utter look of confusion that is only matched by the confusion written on the Enemy’s own mug.
Before the enemy can react the Engineer is whole-sized again but only half the distance to the Enemy.
A small fraction of time passes as the two stare at eachother.
Then before the Engineer can raise a gear shield the Enemy lets loose of all that was held back.
The Engineer is downed and the Enemy strolls up to the Engineer brimming with confidence, for the Enemy, like most, know that once you get an Engineer down victory is all but certain.
Almost casually the Enemy pops stability to avoid the Engineers last meager attempt at prolonging life and as if an afterthought plants a spike right through the Engineers heart.

All the swirling rush of emotions that once consumed the Enemy give way to a singular feeling, complete and utter wonderment.
For the rest of days the Enemy remembers this duel, sometimes in the sweet thoughts of glory but mostly in dissapointment.
Dissapointment that the Enemy’s greatest victory will be forever marred because the Engineer, the Great Adversary, the Insurer of Doom was hindered by a small oversight that was left unchecked for far too long.
And for the rest of days the Enemy visits the sight of the great clash.
And each time the Enemy visits, out of unwavering respect, down among the daises, the weeds and the pebbles, the Enemy scratches these words;

“FIX THE kitten CAMERA BUG ALREADY PLEASE”

The End.

I’m sorry but I cannot get behind this. They are working in the correct direction.

Also I do note the thinly veiled social engineering. You echo the sentiment of the loud forum goers and then follow it with vague points which identify with the reader regardless of their precise opinions.

Also point 7 is flat out wrong. People, in general, are always happy to get more buffs and always unhappy to get more nerfs. This is why you err on the side of under-buffing and over-nerfing. Psychologically people react far better to this overall and this is proven by over a decade of MMORPG history. You are just attempting to appeal to people’s desire for a buff, nothing more.

This is not a helpful thread.