The Ranger isn’t expected to do burst damage. By sustained, we mean that the Ranger should excel at surviving (resilient) through burst while still doing enough damage over time to take the opponent down.
If we have to trade burst damage for surviving, can we at least get resilient without the need to trait to be tanky? Every other class can do that but better.
Anet nerfed ranger vigor, nerfed pets, nerfed shortbow, but we must excel at surviving……..
they nerfed our vigor…and the vigor of all other classes. so no reason to qq about it.
they nerfed our shortbow range…a shortbow that shoots so wide as a longbow is not logical. sure it sucks when we had more range at release but shortbow is q good weapon.
they nerfed our pets because they did hard crit dmg (stalker and birds) while we were settler tanks. that was unbalanced and needed to be changed. bm was kittening easy mode. yes oh yes imagine beastmaster… were op and the dmg the pet does were strong..we were strong…with our pets…do anyone gets the irony on this old meta regarding many posts here?
Not all vigor/endurance recover (see signet of stamina passive) was adjusted. Not really on topic, but false information gets us no where.
As for the nerf to pet damage that is almost a complete 180 on how the develops describe as one the the strengths of the ranger, being able to build one way and have the pet focused on a different.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8uGM1CGV8g Out of the mouth of Anet.
(edited by Bran.7425)
The behavior is probably part of some anti-botting initiative.
As I stated, if a BM-based ranger is capable of having the pet get such bonuses to remain equal with a non-pet ranger, I don’t see the inherent problem as then the damage values remain approximately the same. Mind you, the pet ranger is also capable of applying more stacks of vulnerability and debuffs to kill the boss faster and soak aggro.
I run signets on my ranger because RoA/Signet of the Wild + QZ and a well-timed Signet of the Hunt maximizes damage potential. And that’s exactly the point I present here: I run no utilities as it stands despite the condi meta in WvW just because that’s the kind of character I want to play. My strategy, even in dungeons, is to not get hit and use heals properly. Why should dedicated BM’s have simply inadequate pets/utility or dedicated archers suffer from ridiculous damage falloff? Simply giving players the option to pick a style is much better than telling them just to play spirit bunker and like it.
Pet can only apply those vul and other stacks if it actually lands the hits… which it frequently doesn’t even against other AI mobs (unless I’m tanking for the pet).
I’ll use s+wh with RoA+QZ since I don’t run the Beastmaster signet.
Against non-moving bosses? I don’t recall my pet ever missing one of those.
Against regular mobs, yea it might miss if you don’t play properly, but is a ranger’s pet’s ability to land opening strike imperative in general PvE mobs? It certainly shouldn’t be when debating dungeon viability. A beastmaster should be utilizing F1 for initating an attack before assigning his attack as well in order to maintain aggro on the pet and not himself, so the mob will not move as pets cannot attract aggro by themselves, thus Opening Strike will always hit. This is only not the case in WvW, and even then I’m not denying that pet AI needs a fix or an increased hitbox, but that simply Jon Peters publicly announced AI will never be fixed/reworked due to software/hardware limitations per the server-client model.
I do not see how this makes beastmaster builds any less viable in dungeons, which are really the only necessary aspects of PvE to consider since rangers are outright overpowered in general PvE due to the pets being able to take so much aggro and the mobs not moving around much.
I can get a video of a Ranger setting the pet on a target and then pulling the target off the pet by walking near-by (no other actions, no attacks, no skill use) and reproduce the effect numerous times.
The result of said discussion have seen just about the same result as if the ‘assumptions’ are accurate.
I think at this point, as I a posted before, they should just tell us what they are planning to (maybe even the why) and let the players make informed choices.
Then a long comes the good ole 50% damage nerf to Barrage just for good measure; absolutely perplexing.
I bet the majority of the devs don’t even know about that nerf, it seems it was either nerfed by accident, or that one of the devs secretly nerfed it and kept quiet about it.
Might have been a misguided attempt to avoiding killing oneself against retaliation (which honestly with the number of reflex/absorbs for projectiles should probably only effect targets within a certain range if it must effect them at all).
In addition I would say the focus on give the pets our conditions as half the cleanses really just sits wrong with me.
Secondary the feel that all the skills/many traits are inferior to parallel designed option leaving ranger (while feeling really good and fun) noticeably less effective at everything (except having fun the whole while).
TP is shared by both NA and EU.
This is correct.
The trading post is currently global, There is only one trading post.
As for China we don’t know yet,
That the ranger shouts were (probably) not originally designed as shouts, but as the Pet Skill category and sometime during the development they shift them to shouts without any adaptation at all.
Maybe they should just lock it out soon as the weekend will probably have it reach 40-50 pages (not a fun prospect to play catch up on)
That way that Monday or Tuesday they could open with a new thread discussion what idea were liked/dislike/not fitting the design they are going for. Maybe give the rangers some heads up on where the profession is heading so the player can make informed choices (on gear reselection, pets to use on content mode of choice, or simply that it is time to re-roll/leave)
The Active (F2) Pet skills
PvE
Proposal Overview
Lower (or in some cases removing) the activation time on the Active Pet Skills
Goal of Proposal
Mostly a quality of life improvement
Proposal Functionality
The are numerous active pet skills (mostly the group buffs) that have (when compared to similar functioning skill of other profession) long activation time/or are coupled with a long animation. Mighty roar is good example, why would what is basically the pet “shout”ing take a 3 second activation time.
Associated Risks
Loss of the ability to counter the pet skills effected by this change. (should be a minimal issue as the pet active have a much longer cool down and lower duration in the case of boons granted by active pet skills)
(edited by Bran.7425)
I like the general feel of the profession. A lot of the skills feel really fun to use (even if impractical or inefficient in PvE).
You have just found the next focus of designer/development focus for the ranger now. That will have to be fixed and will push all other ranger related project down.
I guess “enjoy” it while it is still here.
Perhaps you could collectively start posting using that CDI proposal template on how/why/what on the whole chill thing.
Best case: They see something they like and you gets some feedback. Worst case: they announce “working as intended”.
First they have to decide which profession are burst profession and which are sustained (as we have statements that some profession will never be burster) and work to bring the weapons/skill in-line with their decision.
Unless they balance it correctly we will see profession pigeonholed into only only a one role in their PvP, and in the PvE profession grow further and further apart (potentially creating player not wanting to play with each other). Worst case they create the profession who would be king that can (depending on build) fulfill any role and exceed the performance of professions that have been place into their new set vision.
In what mode of play? I have a hunch that it plays differently in the different modes.
Sorry for not being more helpful.
So basically It could very well be for the best for us to allow the ranger CDI (class definition initiative, as factoring out most of the post that would be most of what was talked about) to be buried by the various “Warrior OP”, :“Mesmer too weak/PU too X” and the “Elementalist: Whine like Mesmer” threads.
I for one would rather not have this farce continue much longer, let it play out through the weekend if they must, but just flat-out outline what they are going to do with the profession and allow the rangers time to make informed decisions on how to adapt to the change with which as a community has no way of changing. Possible accompanied with a statement of what game mode really matter to their vision as the ranger has been getting mixed messages for quite sometime now.
Weapons I see that fit for the Ranger are:
Daggers, Swords, Axes, Maces, Torchs, Shortbows, Longbows, Recurvebows, Crossbows, Quarterstaffs, Staffs, Halberds, Warhorns, Whips, Flails, Shields, Greatswords, Hammers, Halberds, Claws
No Rifles, no Pistols!! These should be the only exception, because they simply don’t fit to the natural design of the Ranger.
If one wants these weapons, he/she should go play Warrior,Thief/Engineer, because thats the classes, where Pistols and Rifles partwise do fit or fully fit.
If it would go after me, in my opnion should be at all only the Engineer the only clas,s that should be able to wield these 2 weapons, because for me it makes absolutely 0 sense that thiefs wield loud pistols and warriors wield rifles, where I just think, thats there just so that the Warrior has more options than only the longbow for ranged combat >.>This makes absolutely no sense. The Ranger is the one class where a Rifle fits in perfectly. Every single aspect of their design cries out “Hunter.” They have a pet as a hunting partner, they sets traps and use poison to catch their prey, and they use natural springs for healing (basically living off the land). How people feel that a great sword or staff fits into that mechanic, but a Rifle doesn’t, I have no idea.
Basically the firearms represent the shift from a natural world to a industrial world and that kind of shift is antagonist to nature.
You aren’t suppose to talk about that….
:P
Sorry could not help myself.
I still think that power base sustain is possible. As of yet they have not said that sustained damage is only limited to conditions.
I kind of wonder what it would have looked like if the Elementalist had won the vote?
Shadow’s could have helped us once, but the ranger is already archetypally similar to the thief, so stealth (or its weaker ranger version (we get a lot of those) camouflage was mostly removed from the game).
The thread was dead to me at about the point where I was clicking on the names of 90% of those posters in that thread, and realizing that most of them have never made a Ranger related post before.
I’m not saying thats bad, I’m just asking, “why did 50 + of you suddenly and finally pick this week to voice your concerns for the Ranger profession and finally post ideas?”
Were this people that post a lot elsewhere or brand new? If new then maybe lurkers, if not maybe people hoping to catch the next flavor of the quarter (year, with the major changes being spaced out so much).
That is why I suggested a small break. I think both the developers and the rangers have yet to come to an understanding.
After the whole Aquaman patch, it really soured the well and it doesn’t take much to bring out the worst in the community right now.
And overwhelmed that person/people stuck read/review/relaying the information to the designers.
So I propose we give them a bit of time to get caught up and see what is still able to be talked about.
So this thread is basically an overflow where we can vent a bit, bounce thought around etc.
At least they didn’t mention shaving again as this is all I can think of with what as happened this past year.
I think that it may be for the best if we keep posts here down to a minimum for a little while (spend more time refining ideas or talking among ourselves in a thread in the ranger sub-forum) to give them the chance to catch-up, form a PR statement, or whatever. The weekend is coming and the continued flooding will just be more deterrent to getting anywhere is discussion.
The Ranger isn’t expected to do burst damage. By sustained, we mean that the Ranger should excel at surviving (resilient) through burst while still doing enough damage over time to take the opponent down.
This is literally saying a Ranger cannot nor ever will be proficient with power based builds.
On top of this you say that we must be forced to have a profession mechanic that is literally a complete liability (even at it’s core concept) in multiple situations…How do you expect to improve the class while so vehemently sticking to the exact same tried and failed ideology?
Not necessarily. Sustain does not just mean conditions, sustained means that the one missed/avoided/block/etc attack does not really stop the ranger momentum. This does mean that in WvW (the mode most focused on kills) this give the opponent time to run/or get help.
The problem with that sustain model is that the burst cool-downs are too short and the auto attacks on the burst heavy builds are additionally too strong as well. So combine that with a general method of PvE being kill it so we don’t have deal with as many dodge-or-die mechanics
The problem is that they are asking the rangers basically to wait until they have time to slowly re-balance everything else (which is unacceptable).
On our side there is also a resistance to the idea of sustain as burst is perceived as more fun (not to mention without a certain amount of damage/time the a player is basically not getting any rewards in the large group content).
Hopefully they will at least work with community on some (even if only temporary) solution to make the transitions in the game style not as painful as leaving the profession to wait until the rest of the game in the place where sustain ranger is welcome and maybe even desired.
Here we go again on profession name meaning.
Kyon, I won’t comment on your friends situation, but I know the devs certainly are busy with ranger stuff. My only beef is the question “who needs help most” was answered with rangers, and eles were a close second. So don’t ignore us, help us, too…
You really don’t want the kind of help that thread has been giving.
The whole CDI is pointless as we do not know what is their official stance on the class in detail. It feels as if shooting in the dark at best. We have the rather ironic citation of the ranger mantra that is very different from the description that made me purchase GW2 and roll a ranger in the first place.
We were brought to hope by the discussion of stowing pets in combat only to be told that its not a change that will be done any time soon if ever, because they want to exhaust all other changes to pet first (which will never happen btw, they had 2 years to do this).
I fear that, as someone else has said in this topic, the CDI is only a PR stunt and that nothing significant will change. The Ranger is not working properly. Most other classes do what they are designed to do, even if their balance is off. Ranger suffers core design problems and we are not seeing any indication of this being corrected any time soon.
Might be best to just stick about this sub-forum let the CDI bury itself and see what that statement says.
Not to nitpick, but I can no longer restrain myself. Damage Output is two words.
That also brings up the tenancy to over-tune for the sake of ‘we need to see X in the upcoming event/at all’
Would have been nice to be on that over-tune for once those as oppose those nerf’s for nerf’s sake that seems to be the norm.
Fluff
I would respectfully disagree with you there on the ‘comparing’ on professions as the professional developers over the year and half have made numerous parallel design change regardless of the difference of those profession. And on the same line they make mechanic changes (quickness for one) across many profession seemingly without examining their differences.
Specific Game Mode
PvXProposal Overview
Give rangers a way to remove boons from foes.Goal of Proposal
One of the defining ways the GW1 ranger played was the ‘interupt’ functionality. Through interrupting they denied casters and melee skill execution. Now I am somewhat glad that interruption seems to be largely gone, and that without any skill-bars on opponents it is a lot harder to interrupt. BUT.GW2 offers a way to still ‘deny’ any class the option of at least part of their effectiveness. Mainly by the removal of boons.
Proposal Functionality
Weapon hits or critical hits could remove one ‘tick’ or a whole stack of boons from the foes hit. This could be integrated in the skill or integrated in the trait system.Barrage: “Removes one stack of a random boon from foes hit by this attack”
Associated Risks
Not to sure there are any. I mean, rangers shared ‘interupts’ with the Mesmer in GW1 why shouldn’t the ranger in GW2 share a bit of ‘boon manipulation’ with the Necro.Added Benefit
This could actually make for interesting strategies in WvW, with more boon removal it pays off less to ‘boon up’ before fights. Making boon spreading a more viable way to go about your fighting, or if you boon up, it might be wiser to ‘spread out’.Hmm I am not sure how this would pan out, especially since I am fairly unfamiliar with the Necro WvW-meta. But this could be interesting to broaden the capabilities of the ranger.
Frost trap might also be a good place to put some boon striping as it isn’t a condition damage trap and other than the elementalist bugg-out about chill it isn’t all that great. May have to do a some trap or weapon skill proposal with that in mind.
I think barrage was designed with range cap pressure in mind and to make it a bit easier for a melee pet to engage the target. Not sure what else they had in mind for it except maybe getting tags in AoE situations.
How about we just get a trait that strips a boon on cripple????
:D
Where would it be place? There are numerous lack luster traits.
There is the almost a perverse joy in the fact that everyone else may be on the receiving end of the nerf focus balance as they tone down the other professions. Though it is kind of sad that they always take the moderate path with ranger as they take longer and longer between major balance patches the over-tuned get to enjoy it for quite a while.
Specific Game Mode
PvXProposal Overview
Give rangers a way to remove boons from foes.Goal of Proposal
One of the defining ways the GW1 ranger played was the ‘interupt’ functionality. Through interrupting they denied casters and melee skill execution. Now I am somewhat glad that interruption seems to be largely gone, and that without any skill-bars on opponents it is a lot harder to interrupt. BUT.GW2 offers a way to still ‘deny’ any class the option of at least part of their effectiveness. Mainly by the removal of boons.
Proposal Functionality
Weapon hits or critical hits could remove one ‘tick’ or a whole stack of boons from the foes hit. This could be integrated in the skill or integrated in the trait system.Barrage: “Removes one stack of a random boon from foes hit by this attack”
Associated Risks
Not to sure there are any. I mean, rangers shared ‘interupts’ with the Mesmer in GW1 why shouldn’t the ranger in GW2 share a bit of ‘boon manipulation’ with the Necro.Added Benefit
This could actually make for interesting strategies in WvW, with more boon removal it pays off less to ‘boon up’ before fights. Making boon spreading a more viable way to go about your fighting, or if you boon up, it might be wiser to ‘spread out’.Hmm I am not sure how this would pan out, especially since I am fairly unfamiliar with the Necro WvW-meta. But this could be interesting to broaden the capabilities of the ranger.
Frost trap might also be a good place to put some boon striping as it isn’t a condition damage trap and other than the elementalist bugg-out about chill it isn’t all that great. May have to do a some trap or weapon skill proposal with that in mind.
I think barrage was designed with range cap pressure in mind and to make it a bit easier for a melee pet to engage the target. Not sure what else they had in mind for it except maybe getting tags in AoE situations.
I doubt there will be too much real discussion until the shock of “no burst” for ranger and “no substantial buffs as everyone is is over-tuned” power creep so scary.
That and most of the consistent conversations were just round and round about ‘why isn’t ranger an archer’ like the flavor text said.
So you options you dislike are complete off the table and do not exist then? No, you just choose not to use them.
I don’t really know what you want to say with this sentence.
However, yes I don’t like the bowskills of th other classes from an archer point of view.
And yes, there are ranged pets who don’t have to close the distance. However those pets are far from daling good damage. Furthermore, they neither get effected by the gear I’m wearing nor the traits I’m using. They have their own stats which I can’t change. This undermines any attempt to squeeze the maximum damage out of the ranger as archer.
Let me explain my thoughts:
I want to play an archer, relies not only on effective bows, but also on good melee combat. The archer could also have a pet, but not for beeing responsible for 1/3 of my overall damageoutput but scouting or distracting the enemy, giving utility or providing support. I don’t like no pet because of the pet itself but beeing just another, yet unreliable way of dealing damage. I rather want to deal the damage myself than rely on an AI to deal the damage.
However I don’t want to take away the possibilty for other players to use the pet also as a source of damage. Yet I don’t want to be forced to use it if I don’t want to.
So you just aren’t ever going to be happy with this profession then.
Ranger Traits Series 5/5
PvX
Proposal Overview
The ranger traits are in fact a mess, I can only infer that the profession was one of the few cases where the traits were mostly balanced in the not tier system from the first couple of beta weekends.
Goal of Proposal
To bring the traits up to a more acceptable level of effect and to instill that the ranger and pet are one working unit.
Proposal Functionality
Minor Traits
Adept – Instinctual Bond: ad Pet swap recharges 20% faster.
Master – Beastmaster’s Training: Pets heal for more; X% of the pet’s focus converted to healing power.
Major Traits
Speed Training: Pets recharge all skills, including f2 skills, 20% faster.
Master’s Bond: Your pet has a bond with you that increases the longer it goes undefeated or deactivated. This should be based on TIME, not KILLS. Perhaps it should only stack in combat as a means of balance. And of course you should keep it when going underwater with an amphibious pet.
Enlargement: Moved from Nature Magic
Thrill of the Hunt: Activating the f2 skill gives allies near the pet fury, might, and swiftness for 10 seconds.
Companion’s Frenzy: Recharges the f2 skill when the pet reaches 50% health. 90 second cool down.
The Master tier of Major Traits should remain as is, with one major change: The family restriction should be removed. This allows for some customization of what your pet can do, and allows for swapping out-of-combat based on the situation.
Zephyr’s Speed: You and your allies gain ~6 seconds of Quickness when you swap pets.
Associated Risks
Could produce a bit of a relearning curve (minimal risk). Time to get the numbers correct and balanced.
Ranger Traits Series 4/5
PvX
Proposal Overview
The ranger traits are in fact a mess, I can only infer that the profession was one of the few cases where the traits were mostly balanced in the not tier system from the first couple of beta weekends.
Goal of Proposal
To bring the traits up to a more aceptable level of effect and to instill that the ranger and pet are one working unit.
Proposal Functionality
I would like to see Fortify bond made baseline, but if not then go with the new Concentration training
Nature Magic
Adept – Rejuvenation: Gain Rejuvenation when you reach 75% health. (Flat hp recovery, can stack with regeneration)
Master – Concentration Training: Boons applied by your pet last 50% longer; any boon you get is shared with your pet.
Majors
Circle of Life: You create a Healing Spring when you are downed; Your pet creates one when it is defeated. [Can only happen once every 30 seconds; the pet and the ranger are on seperate cooldowns].
Shout Mastery: Shouts recharge 20% faster. Yes, we moved the shout traits to be in the same tree.
Evasive Purity: Dodging removes some comination of blind, poison, or torment (10 second cooldown). Would having a way to remove the new condition be out of line?
Two-handed Training: add Spear and Greatsword skills recharge 20% faster
Bountiful Harvest: You gain a random boon every X seconds in combat. (limiting the list according to balance/flavor of the ranger)
Associated Risks
Could produce a bit of a relearning curve (minimal risk). Time to get the numbers correct and balanced.
Please note my spirit proposal: https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/balance/Collaborative-Development-Ranger-Profession/page/13#post3690224
Ranger Traits Series 3/5
PvX
Proposal Overview
The ranger traits are in fact a mess, I can only infer that the profession was one of the few cases where the traits were mostly balanced in the not tier system from the first couple of beta weekends.
Goal of Proposal
To bring the traits up to a more aceptable level of effect and to instill that the ranger and pet are one working unit.
Proposal Functionality
Wilderness Survival
Minors
Master – Expertise Training: Pets do additional condition damage; The ranger recieves X% of the pet’s toughness (or focus stat) as condition damage.
Grandmaster – Peak Strength: add to normal efffect 10% of your toughness is converted to pet’s focus stat
Major
Healer’s Celerity: Increases revive speed by 10%; grants you and your ally 2 seconds of Quickness. Imagine being able to get you heal off just that much faster after being revived by a ranger.
Shared Anguish: Pet removes incoming disables from you and allies near it. Only triggers once per person per 60 seconds.
Vigourous Renewal: You and allies near you gain vigor for 5 seconds when you use a heal skill.
Companion’s Defense: You and allies near you gain two seconds of protection after you dodge. Your pet gains [1-2] seconds of distortion when you dodge.
Wilderness Knowledge: Survival skills remove a condition from allies near you; Survival skills recharge 20% faster.
Oakheart Salve: You or allies near you gain regeneration when you or they are poisoned, bleeding, or burning. Once per person per 20 seconds.
Hide in Plain Sight: You and allies near you gain camoflage when you are disabled. 30 second cooldown.
Sword Mastery: Sword skills recharge 20% faster. You gain increase toughness while wielding a sword (that secondary could use some work, but…)
Empathic Bond: Your pet removes three conditions from you and you remove one condition from your pet every 10 seconds the pet is alive. I don’t understand why we are harming our pets as a grandmaster condition cleanse, it already has counter play focus down the pets.
Associated Risks
Could produce a bit of a relearning curve (minimal risk). Time to get the numbers correct and balanced.
Ranger Traits Series 2/5
PvX
Proposal Overview
The ranger traits are in fact a mess, I can only infer that the profession was one of the few cases where the traits were mostly balanced in the not tier system from the first couple of beta weekends.
Goal of Proposal
To bring the traits up to a more aceptable level of effect and to instill that the ranger and pet are one working unit.
Proposal Functionality
Skirmishing
Minor Traits
Adept – Furious Grip: As is.
Master – Pet’s Prowess: Pets do more critical damage; Critical hits landed by the pet heal the ranger.
Major Traits
Tailwind: Gain Swiftness [15 seconds] when swapping weapons in combat. Traiting for permanent swiftness is not unheard of.
Sharpened Edges: You have a 66% chance to cause bleeding [1 stack, for 3 seconds].
Trapper’s Defense: Create a Potent trap when reviving an ally. It could be snake or spike, either would serve the purpose; Potent Spike immobilizes for a second, Potent Snake would blind under changes to Trap Potency.
Primal Reflexes: Release a crack of lightning and gain vigor for 5 seconds upon recieving a critical hit. Cannot trigger more than once every 15 seconds.
Companion’s Might: add in a pet critical hit grant the ranger might (may have to work on it’s interaction with fortified bonds (trait or if it becomes baseline)
Agility Training: Your pet moves faster/ignores the combat speed reduction.
Bloodthirsty: Your critical hits heal your pet. Look, synergy!
Honed Axes: You do 10% more critical damage when weilding an axe in your main hand; Main-hand axe skills recharge 20% faster.
Quick Draw: Shortbow skills recharge 20% faster and have a 33% chance to fire an additional shot. So how would that function with the skills? Crossfire’s second arrow would follow the same rules as a normal crossfire arrow – it bleeds and does piddly damage, or bleeds and does some damage when flanking. Poison Volley’s additional arrow would be fired right behind the center shot, cause poison, and pierce. Quickshot’s second arrow hits for damage and extends the duration of the swiftness. Crippling Shot’s second arrow hits for damage and extends the duration of the cripple and the number of pet attacks that cause bleeding. Concussion Shot’s second arrow does damage and increases the duration of the daze/stun; if the target is stunned by the first shot and turns before the second arrow hits, it will cause stun instead of extending the daze.
Trap Potency: Traps gain additional effects (Fire does more raw damage, frost does damage, spike immobilizes for one second, snake blinds on the first pulse); Conditions caused by traps last twice as long and traps recharge 20% faster.
Moment of Clarity: Change it to allow stacking with other Attack of Opportunity effect.
Associated Risks
Could produce a bit of a relearning curve (minimal risk). Time to get the numbers correct and balanced.
Ranger Traits Series 1/5
PvX
Proposal Overview
The ranger traits are in fact a mess, I can only infer that the profession was one of the few cases where the traits were mostly balanced in the not tier system from the first couple of beta weekends.
Goal of Proposal
To bring the traits up to a more aceptable level of effect and to instill that the ranger and pet are one working unit.
Proposal Functionality
Marksmanship
Minors
Adept – Targeted Strikes: The first strike in combat and every 30 seconds thereafter causes vulnerability [5 stacks for 5 seconds]. Note Hunter’s shot could have a recharge built in.
Master – Malicious Training: Increases the duration of conditions caused by your pets [x%]; You and your pet do more damage to foes with a condition [5% for you, 10% for pet].
Grandmaster – Precise Strikes: Targeted Strike always critically hits; Targeted Strikes recharges lowered.
Major
Steady Focus: Grant an increase on the pets damage as well (~5%)
Alpha Training: Your pet gains Targeted Strikes. Targets Strikes recharges [x%] faster.
Keen Edge: Procs on both the ranger and the pet
Signet Mastery: Let’s bring it in line with other professions. Signets recharge 20% faster; Activating a signet grants you and your pet 3 stacks of might for 15 seconds. Or could be an active condition cleanse instead.
Predatory Instinct: Give the pet the similiar chance for proc
Spotter: If it isn’t too difficult to program allow the pet to be an radius point as well. So if the ranger wants to fight at a distance a melee pet can benift the ranger’s allies.
Eagle Eye: Longbow and Harpoon Gun shots pierce and have greater range.
Marksman’s Prowess: Increases Longbow and Harpoon Gun damage by [10-20%] and reduces their cooldowns by 20%.
Signets of the Beastmaster Dropped to master tier, if th signets can not acted like everyone else’s s signets then at least make it a little bit easier on build diveristy/use.
Peerless Archer: Gain additional critical hit damage against foes more than 800 units away. (Potentially have the chance scale with longer range.)
Remorseless: You do more damage against vulnerable targets. Vulnerability applyed by you and your pet last longer.
Associated Risks
Could produce a bit of a relearning curve (minimal risk). Time to get the numbers correct and balanced.
General Changes to the ranger pets.
PvE (would have effect on WvW and could also effect PvP)
Proposal Overview
As the pets are part of the ranger their lack of gear and traits of their own are taxing the ranger’s effectiveness. So I propose we redesign pets (and traits) to have increase the synergy of Ranger and pet.
Goal of Proposal
To (along with other changes) bring more functionality of the ranger and the pet as a unit.
Proposal Functionality
The current pets would be redesign to have their normal Primary stats (Power, Precision, Vitality and toughness) and then would differ on secondary stats based on individual pet. Example a jaguar would have more critical damage than a lynx while the lynx would have increased condition damage. The pet would then scale within their normal stat array with the base set around the idea that a ranger in masterworks equipment pet is not as strong as rare geared ranger’s pet, and so on.
Pets or Pet families would have a focus stat that would interact with some trait changes detailed in a following proposal.
Associated Risks
Would require some numbers work to get it correct and perhaps a bit of trait redesign to fully get the pet-and-ranger-as-one feel that the profession really needs.
I think Beastmastery and Bows are contradictory gameplays. The bow is tied to the archer, providing great ranged combat. The Pet on the other hand both offering and taking buffs in close range and depends on someone crippling the target.
Furthermore, if you’re playing with a longbow, your pet will waste a remarkable time closing the gab and staying on the target. The only reason to use a pet with a longbow is to keep the target on range, so you can deal max. damage.
The only bow that could be a beastmastery weapon would be the shortbow, since you can still be near your pet.
However, you can make the longbow also viable as beastmaster, but the main playstyle of the longbow should be the art of archery.
One you argument not going so well:
Long ranged shot (http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Long_Range_Shot) best damage at+1000
Spider pet (http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Juvenile_Jungle_Spider) Attacks at 900 units.
Frost Spirit (http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Frost_Spirit) radius 1000 units
Healing Spring (http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Healing_Spring) 240 unit radius
Fortifying Bond(http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Fortifying_Bond) no max distance listed.
So by staying ~100 units away from a pet (any spider or devourer) you are still adding to the pet, and the pet to your ‘archer’ focused combat preference.
So Not really a beast master weapon.
We’ve all seen your post you don’t like pets and you don’t like the bow skills of the other classes that can equip them. So you options you dislike are complete off the table and do not exist then? No, you just choose not to use them.
And then the standard ranger protocol will be start: Adapt with what is left,
There have been ideas presented that make the pet virtually not there.
ie a trait or option to switch pet to an impervious passive buff machine that just follows you around.
I think this is the closest to stowing we could hope for because they’ve said pets are here to stay. I would push this idea if stowing is what you want because its basically the same effect.
I don’t care what they do with the pet, as long as I get the damage back.
do you really want to play a ranger? or would you prefer a different class with bows, and burst dps?
pets is really the defining charachteristic of ranger. I really think the devs for ranger should be improving pet response, pet combo/interplay and pet control, rather than negating the pet.
I cant help feeling some of the people play ranger because it has a bow, and they always play the ranged class, rather than because they actually want to play a class whose main mechanic is using various pets to good effect.
The defining characteristic of a ranger is not a pet. Maybe for you it is but in the big picture a ranger is a mashup.
rang·er (r?n?j?r)
n.
1. A wanderer; a rover.
2. A member of an armed troop employed in patrolling a specific region.
3. Ranger A member of a group of U.S. soldiers specially trained for making raids either on foot, in ground vehicles, or by airlift.
4.
a. A warden employed to maintain and protect a natural area, such as a forest or park.
b. Chiefly British The keeper of a royal forest or park.People really need to stop with this… they use the same logic to try and argue against bows being viable.
Simple fact is that bows are supposed to be a vital part of this class.
Simple fact is that pets are supposed to be a vital part of this class.
The only role ANet has ever said this class is supposed to fill is that of a pet class.Now I’m all for a passive option for the pet. I’d much prefer an active option. If given a choice for both, the active should give higher benefit to the class. This is the direction the CDI is going it appears so try and work within the framework ANet is currently using.
No that is not the universal case, the game itself and it’s mechanics are what is reducing the “viability” of all long-to-mid ranged combat. Your issue with the dictionary definition argument is just as bad as the endless "unparalleled archer, " quoting which you can see is not mentioned in the Design Philosophy.
I have no issue with bows or ranged combat existing, but the community going round and round with the same skritty argument is not helping the matter. You want bows “viable” make suggestion to help counter the overall design that lead to melee superiority.
I think they are trying to green line removing the pet in lieu of that aspect idea.
Basically test the waters with the stow and a few patches later…pets gone. Though that would be trading time spent on reworking the AI on pet to time redesigning most of the trait lines, the signets, the shouts and so on. Kind of scary that that might just be less work.Perhaps, but I don’t think so.
Because despite the forum outrage, the Ranger is still one of the top most popular and played classes. And trust me, among those thousands and thousands of Ranger players, the overwhelming vast majority rolled a Ranger specifically in order to have a strong aggro-ing pet. I doubt they will risk alienating all those folks just because me and a few hundred WvWers are razing cain in the forums.
Won’t be your WvWer’s that get that change through it will be the esport crowd, as they can’t get spirit destroyed they might settle for the pet.
We were not told how they came across those number, (characters created, hours played, dart on a dartboard) so the popularity is debatable, and with so many adverse changes/fixes (balanced or otherwise) there still will be rangers that stick with it. I could counter the ‘aggro-ing pet’ appeal with archer-fanboys, the flavor of sword, animations, the list goes on.
I think they are trying to green line removing the pet in lieu of that aspect idea.
Basically test the waters with the stow and a few patches later…pets gone. Though that would be trading time spent on reworking the AI on pet to time redesigning most of the trait lines, the signets, the shouts and so on. Kind of scary that that might just be less work.
Sorry for the thread necromancy, but I would like to see one as a guild mate and I have been discussing what the numbers would look like for attempt to try the explorable modes of dungeons with characters of the suggested/minimum level to see what kind of difference the access of traits/addition stat (admittedly scaled down) would have to the run (beside assume great increase of difficulty)