The system overall is fine, but does begin to get somewhat bland after extended use. I think the main problem here is that most traits are rather weak so we have limited methods to customize how we play. I was hoping to see traits have a larger impact on gameplay, but currently most have a minor one (if they even work at all)
The reason the materials from salvaging are worth so much more is because everyone is trying to level their tradeskills. The items they make are unloaded on the TP to try to make some of the cost back. In many (if not most) cases the final item is worth less than the materials used to craft it. This may change over the coming weeks, but for now at least get used to salvaging.
I’m fine with them from the standpoint of having something else to work towards to obtain and the “bling” factor. I am, however, 100% against them providing any tangible benefits.
Probably not. GW2 has done so many revolutionary things. I really only miss a couple of things…
1) DPS rotations while soloing. In GW2 you get so much damage from autoattack you barely do any more damage (and often times less damage) by using your other weapon skills. I miss weaving between skills to do higher damage. It’s much more interesting than standing there watching autoattack and sometimes dodging or using a defensive skill.
2) Casting while stationary. In most regards I don’t miss this as it’s really much more convenient to cast on the move, but I do very much miss the risk/reward factor that immobile casting presented. Cast-time spells were always much stronger than instant spells and it actually created interesting risk/reward choiced. Do I stand here and finish my spell or do I run while casting weaker spells on the move? It added a little something into pre-planning where you stand, how you start a fight, etc.
As a prelude to a possible suggestion thread I thought I’d bring this topic up for suggestion. I’ve always enjoyed playing archetypes with a high level of sustainability, I’m currently playing a Blood/Soul Reaping build with a solid amount of toughness/healing, and I feel like when I’m not in a dungeon there’s not much point to playing how I enjoy. In past games when playing sustainable characters you had the unique perk of not having to stop between fights while others had to stop to regen or eat/drink (depending on the game) Now that being said I don’t necessarily feel this a fun mechanic for those playing more damage focused builds, but it’s certainly disheartening for those who play sturdier characters.
Whether you end a fight at 90% health or 10% health you’ll be ready to go again in a few seconds. One option could be to simply fight more enemies at once, but this doesn’t necessarily let you kill them all that much faster and increases the risk many magnitudes more than the benefit.
How would you feel about being able to turn off out of combat health regen (for some other benefit like magic find, etc.) to incentivize doing something other than stacking damage stats with a touch of vitality as most players seem to be doing. Where you end a fight at would actually impact how you start the next. Playing smartly, avoiding damage or mitigating damage would have a much larger focus. This would be very welcome considering maximizing damage is rather simplistic in this game, so why not emphasize further the defensive part of the game?
Combining the life drain and the immob would make the power far too strong I think. A better solution would be to, say, make every tick cripple for 1s. Still useful for kiting, but not as powerful.
As for what ability would fit the dagger? Either some AoE, but mostly what I’d want is a leap/gap closer of some sort.
Oh, I absolutely agree. I’m certainly not commenting on the dagger’s effectiveness (it works fine for now), but rather am looking at the design of the weapon and how it flows in combat. There’s a certain blandness to the skills. It’s important first to look at how you want something to function and then iron out the duration/damage/cooldown numbers after.
This isn’t just the case with Dagger or even with Necro. Lots of skills need work across all professions and that’s not knocking the developers as this has been an amazingly successful game launch, but I’m sure they’ll be tweaking skills heavily going forward at least a few months until they can get everything exactly where they want it from both a functionality and balance perspective.
Overall it’s pretty great, but I do have two gripes.
1) Lifesteal and heals don’t work on you while in DS. It feels pretty crappy when using a full blood build where a large focus for you is to steal health. It makes you not want to use DS.
2) The cast and travel time on Dark Path. By the time you’re in range and cast it and it reaches the target you’re pretty well there already. I understand it’s useful if you’re slowed, but I’d love to actually get to my target quicker. Either increase the range, speed up the animation of the hand, or cut the cast time.
Dagger. I find it to be effective, albeit somewhat dull. Rather than address the design behind the weapon I feel like in the last BWE they simply overbuffed the damage to compensate as a stop-gap. Personally, I would like to see…
1) Lower MH dagger damage. Axe seems clearly designed to be more of the direct damage weapon with dagger being maybe more of a tank/control option. Further differentiate the two as they’re quite similar at this point. I’m certainly not against dagger doing decent damage as there is an inherently higher risk due to being in such close range, but axe should IMO do more damage from a weapon role perspective.
2) Life Siphon and Dark Pact combined into one skill due to the inherent synergy with the skills anyway. Dark Pact in particular is very, very generic. Long cooldown with an effective if boring usage. Lower the range, drop the immobilize duration if necessary and just combine these skills.
3) Add something else to round the weapon out. Maybe a short range frontal cleave lifesteal that regens allies? Would round the weapon out well with some added lifesteal, some area damage, and a little group support with regen.
Overall I am liking dagger so don’t get me wrong. I just feel it’s role would do well to be revisited slightly.