Guild Wars 2

EasymodeX.4062:

Elsewhere in the thread, proponents of “mesmer is fine” have yet to address the fact that 2.5 seconds (for full illusions) is greater than 0 seconds (the time it takes most other classes with AoE to use it), the travel time which Terrant brings up,

No. IP Shatter is ZERO seconds. True zero, also. The instant you hit the button, you deal damage.

IP shatter requires mesmer travel time, which is not instant. I believe that was Terrant’s message: mesmer running travel time <<< GTAOE travel time. If you know where the spawn will happen and can get there, no big deal. If not… well, that’s why I bring Blink to massive DEs.

In short, its better for the game to feel balanced than to actually be balanced.

Perceptions change and evolve.

That’s the real reason why MMO game balancing never ends, no matter how long a game goes on even without new expansions.

We aren’t talking about concrete variables here, tho. Game balance incorporates a lot – A LOT – of human variables (perception, interface, skill, and even bugs/glitches) that aren’t governed by physical constants. A large part of gaming is opinion and experience, not raw numbers. And these are what will make a game succeed or not. You can have the most rightly balanced by the numbers game in existence, but if the gamers playing it are not having fun b/c they feel they are being treated unfairly (whether they really are or not)), it’s still wrong for the gaming community.

In short, its better for the game to feel balanced than to actually be balanced.

If you are just dodging like a maniac to buy time, then yes, it will take longer. The trick is to make your time work for you instead of just for defense. For example, when I finish my blurred frenzy and need to dive away, I roll through my warden. Anything that follows gets absolutely destroyed, or if they stop to get the warden I don’t waste time letting him die. I blast them with a shatter and jump back in there or roll a berserker over them. Little thing like that add up and save a lot of time when it come to bringing down mobs. I almost never take more than a few seconds per fight unless I’m rolling deep in enemy territory fighting off waves.

BTW, I can take 2 vets and a champ with my mes; I can’t do that with my engine. If you can, you’re a better engi than me. Congrats.

The mesmer is a tricky class to get a handle on. There were times I wondered if I chose the right class, but once I hot the hang of it, it really rocks. You have to master kiting and/or hit and run tactics while managing your illusions, but once you do you are very powerful against just about any foe. Since they lack spammable aoe skills, they do suffer farming end game DEs, but they can do everything else very well if you take the time to learn how.

Godmoney.2048:

Mesmer’s have crappy Aoe.
Ele’s have great Aoe
Mesmer’s have stealth
Ele’s have 20 weapon skills
Mesmer’s have clones
Warrior’s have banners
Mesmer’s have agro drops
Ranger’s have pets.

People want a magical thief/dueling class to also have great AOE?

The elementalist is that way> It has tons of AOE. /threadover

No. Pay attention. Mesmers already have great AOE; it’s just slower than an ele or engi. People want all classes to be able to tag mobs in DE’s because that is where the progression is once you hit levels 70-80. Mesmers don’t need spammable AOE like an engineer or thief (this has been said multiple times throughout the thread and largely acknowledged), we need the DE tagging system to be updated to accommodate support and CC in the same way it does damage. Barring that, mesmer (and some other classes) would need their AOE options to act quicker, or mobs need to live longer in large DEs.

It’s easy to get gold. Anyone can do that, but when an engineer pulls an extra $4k XP than you from kills on top of the event XP, plus loot from all those kills. It adds up. DE’s need to give kill XP and loot from assists (like when your staff bounces and buffs an ally that kills the mob).

Creslin.1758:

Giving the mesmer a spammable AoE to deal with it, would be like a band-aid solution. The mesmer is not what needs fixing, the DE scaling / spawn randomization issues are.

Also…if it really bothers you so much, a quick solution for you would be to just come to a lower pop server…we could use you lol.

I agree messing with mesmer’s playstyle and giving them a spammable AOE is probably not a good solution, but neither is having to go to another server just to compete (at least not long-term). What if I want to play with my guild?

What needs to hapkitten that DE’s, and the game in general, needs to start giving credit for assists. So if your bounce buffs an ally that kills a mob while your buff is active, you get XP and loot for the kill.

EDIT: OK, Anet. You are getting really ridiculous with your content filters. the end of happen + is, DOES NOT MEAN A PART OF MALE GENITALIA! If you going to screen content instead of giving us an option to turn it on/off, at least get the spelling right!

SilverRule.7426:

Committing sudoku? Lol, I don’t particularly like that game. The term you’re looking for is “Seppuku”, if indeed you were trying to describe the method of samurais committing suicide. Glad to be of help .

No, I think he had it right. Sudoku is probably the worse fate.

Yeah, torch definitely needs some work for PVE. Ending The Prestige early should trigger the burn, so you don’t waste time if not needed in stealth. Further complicating the problem, Prismatic Understanding, a lofty tier 3 trait, actually hurts the skill making it longer until you can burn.

I love how it gives you extra stealth, but unfortunately the pMage is rather lackluster for many builds. Yes, it can be useful for a some builds, but they don’t usually mesh well with stealth. You want enemies attacking when you have retaliation and they are confused; you don’t want to be in stealth and letting the mob take down your mage.

Despite this, there is some synergy for both sword/torch, and scepter/torch. pMage can be put to good use when you are using Blurred Frenzy since you are invulnerable anyway, and then you can stealth to escape. Problem there is you lose the burn. You can also open with the burn, but then you need another egress since the mage does not provide any actual protection. The Mage would be much better with scepter if clone creation was a little faster or the mage provided 2 stacks of confusion per bounce. Would also be nice if the elasticity trait worked for him (may be a bug). Doesn’t help that the burn from The Prestige is melee only, but with the scepter you want to be at range, either. Staff+Scepter/Torch does make a great defensive build, tho.

I like the idea of turning into a phantasm. Would really rock if the type of phantasm was determined by your MH weapon, but that would be like 4 elites.

MLieBennett.9031:

Warden’s CD with Phantasmal Haste Bug Fix was just that, a Bug Fix.

It doesn’t mean that the bug fix didn’t hurt, especially as they fixed the part that was overpowered and left the bug in his AI which makes him think he has “Scepter” like range rather then being a melee.

I think you misunderstand. Posters are saying it’s a nerf instead of a bug fix is because the bug still exists. The bug is that Phantasmal Haste is not reducing phantasm skills’ recharge by the correct amount. The new “fix” does NOT, I repeat NOT, adjust iwarden to the correct timing, AND it fails to address any other phantasms’ skills. FYI, the iwarden’s whirl is now slower than if it got the correct -20% recharge. So it is clearly a nerf until the trait is properly fixed to work as intended. They saw iwarden was clearly OP, threw in a quick “fix” /nerf (which they got wrong, and thus nerfed the skill AND trait) and left the bug in place.

Scepter is a very hard weapon to use unless you are built perfectly for it. If you’re really set on it, consult someone else because I don’t use it. It doesn’t fit my play style, and from your description it doesn’t fit yours either. Using the focus can be tricky, too and requires good placement to be effective. If you want an easier time, I would replace your scepter/focus with a GS. You’ll have great AOE.

Start fights with the GS at max range and get a berzerker out quick. When enemies close pop Mirror Blade and Wave. If they are close to dead, shatter. If not, switch to staff, drop a CS), phase to get a clone and Chaos Armor. By this time they should be close to dead. If it’s a tough mob or you pull several (you can do that easily with these builds) pull out a warlock and shatter whenever your current target gets close to dead or CDs are back up on phantasms. Hints: The elasticity trait in Illusions goes a long way for this build, and use CS on yourself and clones, not the enemy (unless they are close enough).

If you are unwilling to give up your focus (I am too), I’d suggest going with a sword. You can really wreck things with a Warden/Frenzy combo -> shatter. Hardly anything lives through that except vets and dungeon mobs when I set it up right. These are the weapons I use, and I was rolling through Bloodtide Coast (46-47 areas) at levels 39-42 with it.

Ether Clone definately need some work. Personally, my preferred solution might not be favored by some others, but it would add a very interesting dynamic to the weapon: Make the clone generation an 80% blast finisher. Giving Ether Bolt confusion would be helpful, too.

Prismatic Understanding is very underwhelming for a tier 3 trait. I’d like to see it add 2s of stealth. But, the biggest problem with it right now is that it actually hurts The Prestige. Longer stealth means longer until you burn the target. The Prestige really needs to be changed to burn immediately and then blind when stealth ends (and apply the blind even if you cancel it early). These 2 fixes would make the torch useful. Helping iMage wouldn’t hurt either.

Ryuujin.8236:

Warden.

Throw down that temporal curtain, slam those mobs into a crumpled heap on a wall with into the void, drop a warden as you run into the dazed pile and start hacking away like a 2 man whirlwind of knives.

Whoever said Mesmers can’t AoE farm

Yup. And in the few places where that doesn’t kill em right there, like in dungeons, throw down some staff clones (Mirror Images) and CS on the whole lot and it’s pure sick destruction. Mind Wrack and repeat until everything is dead, and there’s a pile of mobs at your feet.

So to fully answer the topic question: Warden and Berzerker for trash mobs, Warlock for bosses.

Wulfrim.4793:

If he searched online then he’s either kitten or just plain lying. Its LITERALLY the first link. Literally. Everything he asked can be found by typing exactly his words in google and clicking the FIRST link. There is something wrong with asking the community and I can’t believe I’m the only one who sees it. He’s becoming completely reliant on people for help.

You do realize that the only reason you can find things through google is because somebody else published it on a website, right? You are still relying on others to gain the info for you. It does not matter whether you do it here or through another forum or a google search. Besides, here he can get a more personalized, and possibly consice gathering of information.

Of course he can also get trolls that want to badger him for using the forums for their intended purpose: for players to converse, discuss, and get help from others about the game.

NoizeMaker.8367:

instead of worrying about the gem shop. How about get the alliance system finished and get rid of multi guilding.

Different deartments. One does not preclude the other.

I’d probably pay dollars for an expansion, but mostly gold for everything else. Possibly a few bucks here and there for new skill animations and a reasonable sum for a custom emblem. Would be nice if we could develop personal emblems, too, not just guild emblems.

Hmm. I guess my problems stemmed from the fact that I am too low level to start seeing these drops. And they are more commonly called hoods. My search on the market wielded no cowls of any level (except the acolyte cowl which looks nothing like a cowl), but when I thought to search for “hoods,” they started popping up from level mid-50ish to 80. So thanks to transmutation stones I am now the proud owner of a hood.

Too bad it takes something like buying a level 60 hood and using transmutation stones to get the look of a simple hood (something any poverty-stricken road-weary traveler often uses to protect from rain and wind) for my character’s concept. Sheesh, I couldn’t just buy one from a taveling merch at level 1-10?

Is it just me or are cowls/hoods not too common for armor options in this game? I am looking for a hood or cowl for my mesmer. I had an Ascalonian Clergy Cowl from AC story, but it got lost somehow. Are there any options for a level 40-50ish scholar?

Like many cases of game imbalance, the answer can be found in RL. There is a reason why medieval archers were so fragile and did not engage in close combat; their weapons (bows) were not designed for defense. A sword (and shield perhaps?) however were often designed to block/parry blows as well as strike. Give melee weapons an innate chance to block an enemy’s attack while wielding them.

Simply giving melee weapons more damage kind of makes ranged options feel too limited. I feel the better answer is to give melee weapons the necessary utilities for wielders to survive the dangers of close comabt rather than making the primary focus of ranged weapons inferior. This way everyone wins. Ranged and melee DPS are equally validated and valuable, but melee has some bonus tools to compensate for the extra danger.

I like the idea of any class using any armor from a concept POV, but I do not think there is so much of a balance issue. Yeah, eles might have a survival issue in melee at the moment, but don’t try and tell me a defensive specced necro or mes can’t hold his own in close combat. Engineers have some decent specs for close combat, especially since nothing tends to live long against them at such short range, and rangers and thieves are not meant to sustain hits; they skirmish with melee weapons just fine, tho.

As for opening up armor classes to all profs, I say just let it affect your endurance regen. Light armor = fastest regen, heavy = slowest. That way you can be more evasive in lighter armor and sustain more damage in heavier armor. Not sure how tough this would be for Anet to balance armor and traits across all classes, but I love the concept.

Light armor will be tailored for mesmers, necros, and elementalists. Look around the net for some images of those classes. You can get any armor those guys wear in addition to the dungeon and race armors. I play a mesmer, but prefer the early armor and necro armor, so I tend to build my appearance around those peices. Some (usually the early armor) I need to transmute, but I can usually find some current necro armor I like to complete my look.

^ Exactly what I did before I got a new GS to try out. Those who say mesmers don’t have enough AOE just don’t know how to use a staff properly. I’d throw a shatter in there from time to time on bosses, too, because I had Mirror Images on the bar and could get 3 staff clones up again instantly.

My 2nd set was sword/focus mostly for the speed boost and pWarden -> Swap -> Blurred Frenzy is a sick burst when needed and CS is still on CD. Helps to level when you can get around quicker, too.

Searched for this but came up with no answers, but is there a way to turn on/off the language filter for the forums? They have one in game, but I cannot seem to find one for the forums here. It’s really rather annoying to see the word “kitten” awkwardly interjected and grossly misused in just about every thread I read, and sometimes it even creates a confusing context.

Pfft. Charr have a death star. Now I just have to find the NPC that will tell me how it is fully armed and operational.

Endolex.8327:

While I certainly like the idea of summoning illusions at will and independently from enemies, I’m not sure many players would like having to run around with three fellows + having to trait for faster movement. Also, being able to summon-at-will would touch many balancing issues (for example, being able to prepare a shatter ahead of combat might be a very tough nuke in PvP).

Not sure how that would work. Illusions summoned before combat would not have targets, so you couldn’t direct the nuke at anyone. It would just be 1-3 illusions shattering where they stand. Distortion could be primed effectively, though, if you time it right.

Endolex.8327:

Maybe I should make a concrete suggestion. These two changes to Signet of Inspiration would make me happy:

1) I’d readily give up the swiftness buff in the “random” list of buffs in combat if
2) a passive (always active) movement bonus of at least 10% was added.

Anyone opposed?

I have a better idea. Allow illusions to exist outside of combat and then you can use Compounding Celerity. It would also get rid of those annoying “you must have a target” messages.

Lumines.3916:

I really do not understand your allergic reaction to Focus. Most swiftness relative to their cool downs give you a 33-50% uptime. Warhorn for warriors being pretty beast at 10/20s. Ranger warhorn is 15/35s, Necros with theirs get 10/30s. Temporal Certain granting 10/25s is actually pretty good.

Also, the Phantasm you get from it is pretty fantastic, the AoE pull Into the Void is one of the best skills Mesmers have for control, PvE or WvW.

Necromancers have pretty kitten for mobility, they do get Spectral Walk but that is a terrible skill and there is no reason to grab it other than for the Swiftness buff. Mesmers can trait their blink to be 24s, 1200 range AND have a decent off-hand to use for swiftness. You’re not a thief but you’re far from the worst off in terms of mobility.

Everyone else is fine with keeping another set just for the speed buff, not all weapons that grant swiftness across all classes are appealing as an in-combat set. But I amkittensure Focus for Mesmers sure is a solid one.

Mesmers already have everything jesus, if this is the biggest complaint you have about the class, first world problem to the max.

Warriors also have a beast of a swiftness elite in SoR (30s/60s). A warrior with a warhorn and that can be very mobile (+33% for 40/60s), plus SoR is awesome in combat, too.

Necros also have Hungering Thirst and Speed of Shadows and can be quite fast if they want. True Thirst requires at least one dagger, and SoS requires lifeforce, but don’t assume they will always be slow. I agree, though, I prefer the mesmers mobility over the necro’s because it does require some other resources from the necro.

@Punjoke:

Just curious. What setup were you using for your ranger? I specced for precision and vigor and had no probs running a melee ranger. With a vigor build I was able to swoop in, deal great damage with Maul, and keep myself alive with the daze and block skills. When the danger got hot, I had plenty of vigor to dodge out and swoop back in repeatedly. MH sword was just as easy thanks to the #2 skills, Serpent’s, and the evasion and cripple skills on my OH dagger. Low CDs, too.

I am not the topic creator. I never said I was unhappy with it, I just think it would be more fair if was worth a player’s time as much as other activities in the game, like crafting. Crafting is a bonus to the main elements of the game, too, but it gives much more XP than exploring.

Anet made a thing for those of us that genuinely like doing it and said hey here’s a little something for your trouble. Nothing requires you to craft items. You aren’t killing zhaitan by crafting Orr, last bosses of dungeons don’t die after you figured out a way to manufacture a jute headstrap. It’s extra fluff that just doing it is it’s own reward Anet was kind enough to toss you some coin while doing it and, unlike exploring, a buttload of XP.

Still imbalanced.

Swagman.9013:

Sharkmaw caverns in LA like the ogre cave and trolls end are for achievements only they are for people who solely like exploring. If you want xp and loot don’t do jumping puzzles. Those are there for people who like that sort of thing.

And if you dont think all the POI’s and vistas + the xp you get from the completion is a lot then go level a character and only do hearts and skill points in each map and one that you 100% each one.

Yes, but Anet’s philosophy for the game is that anyone can play the way they like and progress in levels doing what they like. That is true for hack ’n slashers, true for crafters, true for RPGers (personal story), true for PVPers (tho different kind of XP; glory), but false for exploring. Why should explorers be handicapped when every other type of player is justly rewarded with good XP for their efforts?

Did you not read the post? I did do all the vista, POI, and even hearts, and the XP was away lower (i.e. slower) than when I did events, crafting, and daily goals. I spent almost 4 hours doing all the explorables in Diessa Plateau (including a few events) and got 1.5 levels. Then when I completed that, I did a personal story mission and events for 1.5 hours and picked up another level, plus an equivalent amount of achievement points due to daily goals and kill tiers. That’s almost twice as fast for the same achievement points! Imbalanced much?

Amiron.1067:

100 times this. I play a mesmer as well, Greatsword and Sword/Sword. In melee range I have distortion effects, blocks, dodge rolls, and even feedback for ranged enemies to mitigate damage.

The key to playing this game right is to 1: own a melee AND a ranged weapon. and 2: Learn when to melee and when to range. You have the ability to swap weapons. Why the hell aren’t you utilizing it? If you’re fighting a big boss with tons of melee damage, wait for an opening whilst shooting him with whatever ranged weapon you have, leap in with your melee weapon, do some great melee damage, and then gtfo and continue using your ranged weapon.

TL;DR – Learn to swap weapons as necessary and things will become much easier, I promise.

I play a mesmer the same way (except I use a focus instead of a OH sword most times), and have the same experience. Hit and run is so much fun and being in melee can be a thrill due to the danger, but I must admit I do find it easier to be at range. Generally I jump into melee for high damage burst and then drop back when my controls are weening thin.

Also, a tip for other mesmers using Feedback in melee. It seems the bubble works both ways. I use it on my melee target and the field seems to repel all ranged attacks against me from outside the bubble, so I don’t have to worry about getting shot in the back by minions.

I’m OK with the monetary rewards, but I’d hardly call it buttloads of XP for exploring. Sure when going to a new area on a new day you get a ton of XP traveling around doing hearts and events, but most of that XP comes from other stuff you do while there (events, daily goals, and killing stuff), not from actual exploring (POI, vistas, mining, etc). I’d like to see a more even distribution of XP so that explorers can effectively level by finding out of the way places giving great XP just for getting yourself there, just like killers and crafters can do.

Example: finding the end of Sharkmaw Caverns in LA for the first time requires some jumping skill, time figuring out the maze, and trap avoiding skills, and is a really fun experience with great visuals, but I easily get could x5 the XP in the same amount of time doing events and hearts.