Guild Wars 2

Mechangmenow.9364:

While I agree that holding down the right click button all the time can get tiring, I disagree that GW2 combat is “sloppy.” I think the difference is that you’re looking at Dragon’s Nest and thinking “this is smooth” when it’s really a hack-and-slash type of combat. Hack-and-slash combat is fun but lacks real depth… and that type of combat doesn’t really fit for GW2. How would it work for Wuvwuv?

Isn’t it ironic that in the sense in which you described DN, GW2 could also be looked at as a hack-‘n’-slash game?

Dragon’s Nest PvP:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QorApLb7Ig

I fail to see how their combat system lacks depth. Just like GW2, timing your skills, evades, initiates, and counterattacks is such a big part in DN PvP. The difference is the controls are a lot better for DN.

I felt from the very first day that the controls were sloppy and not best fit for the fast, action-oriented gameplay GW2 offers. If any of you have played Dragon’s Nest, you may know where I am going with this. Dragon’s Nest had the best and the smoothest controls for an action-oriented game. It was simple and intuitive.

Check out this video at 2:45 to see how simple the controls are.

A player could get used to the controls in seconds. Honestly, it took me at least a day to get used to holding the right mouse button forever >_>;. It was not intuitive and it still irritates me to this day.

In Dragon’s Nest, movement of the mouse controls camera and targeting is done through a cursor via the middle of the screen (mouse 1). Then we have the standard WASD movement and Space Bar as Jump.

To be efficient at all in GW2 gameplay, we have to constantly hold down the right mouse button for hours on end. On top of that, in order to switch targets we have to relinquish, even if just for a second (which is extremely important in PvP), camera controls to target. This means trading a second of full character control just to switch targets.

If GW2 had Dragon’s Nest controls, I honestly believe that it would add to the feel and the freedom of action-oriented gameplay. Players would find combat controls to be much faster, easier, and smoother.

Til then,

!http://cdn.memegenerator.net/instances/400x/29599395.jpg!

^ If image doesn’t show up… meh :x

holy kitten i agree. but what kind of skills shall it have?

MysticoN.5068:

Question:
Sigil of superior Fire – 30% chance on crit: Trigger a flame blast for AoE damage

If i have that on my torch, do the Sigil apply on my torch skill only or also scepter?

The flame blast, is that triggerd where my target is or where i stand?

As long as you have the Sigil on hand, it will apply to any hits you dish out (which include skills) and the flame blast will trigger on your target.

This is sure to be a fun topic XD

I use Black Cherry and Celestial for my Guard.

In what ways does the trait “Perfect Inscriptions” improve the passive effects of Signet of Resolve and Signet of Judgement?

Also keep those questions and answers coming guys. We need this to get sticky’d~

Brutaly.6257:

Guys, this thread is a nice initiative but if people will ask questions in it thats more about opinions and personal taste then the thread will lose its value.

There are a million answers to gear/builds/targeting and stuff so there is no quick answer.

May i suggest that the thread just handles mechanic- and factbased questions.

I will edit this into the OP.

Shrug it Off is independent of Shake it Off.

I’ll ask another question. How many conditions does Shrug it Off remove and is it affected by a full set of Soldier runes?

@MysticoN

It’s not needed but it absolutely does wonders for yourself and your allies. I always make sure I have it.

I dig that. Brutaly’s the first to drop some knowledge on us

I’m now confident enough to go on with my build thanks!

@Phantasy

There is no standard trait build as we all have unique playstyles. I myself use 30 points into Honor & Valor. I don’t mind the long killing time but I definitely appreciate the fact I can take on loads of mobs at once without downing.

However to satisfy your question I’ll recommend a build. Definitely use 30 points into Valor making sure you trait Altruistic Healing in Tier 3. Have at least 5 trait points into Virtues to get those extra boons and the rest of the 35 points are subjective. You can put them into Zeal or Radiance and hit like a truck.

I also recommend that you pick up a Hammer :O

Hopefully this thread can demystify questions that a lot of us Guardians have. We can make this a compendium of our knowledge as a whole, but for this to work, we need questions to be asked and answers to be given.

If you have a quick question, please post it here and refrain from making a new thread. I am sure many of the Guardian veterans out there will be more than willing to answer them.

EDIT: A word from Brutaly.

“Guys, this thread is a nice initiative but if people will ask questions in it thats more about opinions and personal taste then the thread will lose its value.
There are a million answers to gear/builds/targeting and stuff so there is no quick answer.
May i suggest that the thread just handles mechanic- and factbased questions.”

That being said, I’ll start us off with a question.

Suppose that I have 1 condition applied to me and some allies. I traited for Pure of Voice and I’m using a full set of Superior Runes of the Soldier. What will happen to that 1 condition if I use a shout?

I hold the same theory as Kita as to how Judge’s Intervention works as well as any other blinks in the game.

It would be nice however, if we were able to blink anywhere as long as the target is in range. This would add some nice dynamics in WvW and PvE however I’m sure some would cry OP.

that’s why i never use the kitten skill. it’s so unreliable and it sucks LOL.

i’ve actually ported to a full health player even when i targetted someone who was dying.

Oh definitely kiijj, insta cast would make it so great! I’m not even joking. It just surprises the kitten out of people

@Kiijj
If you read my post, you wouldn’t be mentioning Judge’s Intervention at all. I know the trick exists, I’ve used it and it is nice, but I’d rather not waste a Utility Slot for a mediocre movement skill.

@Ynna
I know how to use it and appreciate it, but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s still lacking. The skill is on a high cooldown, it’s very situational (mostly for PvP), and it’s easily dodgeable.

Anyone find Ring of Warding on the Hammer to be lacking?

It’s easy to dodge and you have to be stationary in order to cast it (which sometimes means missing your target completely) . Some of you may suggest using Judge’s Intervention but why do we have to waste a utility slot just to land a Weapon Skill? I’d rather not.

1) We should be allowed to move while casting.

or

2) Give us stability if we’re inside the Ring.

Makes the skill a lot more useful, just saiyan~

If you’re playing the events for the rewards, you’re doing it wrong. Sorry to say this but you’re not entitled to anything.

I can personally vouch that traits or any passive skills that give speed are not needed. I have done this on both my Warrior and Guardian- both of them not using any traits of the like.

D: but i wan sexy. not awesome face

^
Well said. Adding swiftness to the Broom in town just totally adds to the genuine feeling of the costume. Also is no one else with the witch costume bothered by how your toon looks when riding the broom? XD

It bothers me so much.

1) The facial animation when riding the broom. x.X; My toon looks like a little kid took cocaine. She really looks a little on the slow side, if you catch my meaning.

2) Not really an issue I suppose, but it would be nice if the broom actually gave faster movement speed. :’(

Maybe if Save Yourselves could remove conditions it’d be an okay nerf. Other than that, ANET you need to kiss our kitten

I’ve been in multiple 1v1 encounters where it has happened. Usually if they disappear, it’s because of their Downed skillset. I would wait and see if they used it but to no avail. They’ve literally disappeared without a trace and the only explanation I can find is that they logged out before I had a chance to execute.

I’ve tested this on mobs and sure enough you can log out while downed. You still log in dead but the fact is you just denied someone a kill and a chance for Badges.

This has become an issue that I’ve recently encountered and it should be addressed.

It’s not fair to players and honestly, it’s quite pathetic.

21 and I feel the game could use some work. Don’t get me wrong though, I freaking love GW2!

What makes you unique is your weapon/armor/trinket build, your choice of weapons, your traits, and your playstyle.

Scarlet Six is looking for players who wish to have enjoyable experiences with others while on their adventures. Whether you’re active or casual, it makes no difference to us. We welcome veterans and noobies alike!

As of the moment, S6 is an infant Guild and so we hope that you can help us grow. Our intentions are not to be a big time guild, but rather a small community. We want everyone to be able to forge relationships and connections that will further your own goals. We hope to recruit players from WvW, sPvP, or PvE so that you can always find someone to tag along with.

S6 works off the notion that you do as you please. We do not require anything of you as long as you do not cause drama and aren’t complete arses. If you decide to join, I hope it is because you’ve chosen to make S6 your home.

We are the few, but we make a difference. If you share the same vision that Scarlet Six has, we’ll be glad to welcome you in. You can drop your info on this thread or mail me in-game on Lady Isadora or Yulier.

Sincerely,
Endu.

I’m not gonna lie, that sounds pretty kitten funny!! XD

Post a video

YPC, how the hell did “dictatorship” and “idolization” come into discussion? What I’ve proposed merely gives recognition to guilds and guild leaders who are doing their part to win objectives. As a result, maybe players would want to join their guilds or players would simply follow them because they knew the guild had what it takes to win.

I’m speaking on behalf of a system that works. If you’ve played SCO, AR, or AO, you would feel the same way. Not once in my 3 year career in those games have I felt that someone we voted for was being idolized or being a dictator. There was a reason we voted for someone and that was because his/her talent to lead and his/her brigade were the best chance we had at winning objectives.

GW2 Commanders lack a very important aspect for success and that’s an established central command. Any rich fool could fork out 100g for the title, hop in to WvW, and start barking out commands. Prove me wrong. With a voting system in place, those who want to be a Commander had to have proved their worth in the battlefield and that is where recognition is important. Recognition is NOT idolization.

I can list so many reasons why 100g is NOT a brilliant design. I would like to have a leader based on merit and not someone who just happened to gather money.

100g Commander allows for multiple leaders, as long as they have the money, on a map. They’ll be shouting out commands and just maybe they’re not cooperating with eachother. Who do you follow?

If we had 1 respectable leader that we all voted for, we know how clean plans will be. If the leader turned out to be a dope, then we’ll learn to vote for someone else.

Splintrr, I see what you’re getting at but you’re thinking small scale. BF2’s system is fine because it has no more than 64 on a team?

Here’s a video of SCO click me. This is a perfect example of how powerful it is to have 1 man, distinguishable above the rest, make a zerg. As you can see in the beginning chat, he is labeled as “Vice Chairman”. He had THAT many people move together as one because he made clear directions to zerg by counting down. A leader in WvW must be able to have his followers move as one.

The changes aren’t as complicated as you think it is. My plan essentially says to vote for one person worthy to lead, and then follow his directions.

As we all know, the Commander system for WvW is a joke and not taken seriously by many players. We’ve all heard the cries and the putdowns about Commanders only forking out the gold just for the title. This is my suggestion to change the way the system works. For those who have played Space Cowboy Online, Air Rivals, or even Ace Online (ewwww non-first gen pilots >_>;) you will be familiar with the system already. For those who aren’t familiar with these game, I will explain how their Commander system worked.

SCO was indeed a game focused on mass PvP where two nations opposing eachother would be constantly duking it out with airships. Objectives would spawn in maps and the two nations would fight to secure them. In these dogfights, people could easily tell who were the most skilled pilots and who were the strongest brigades (GW2’s guilds). They would dominate the airspace. Because of this, individual players were well distinguished as well as brigade prestige firmly established. Now, here is where the recognition is important.

Every month, each nation had to vote for their Nation Leader. Only Brigade Leaders could nominate themselves to be voted for. Naturally, Nations voted for the Brigade leaders who showed talent and commanded strong brigades.

Once a Nation Leader was established, he/she got to appoint his left and right hand men,regardless of brigade affiliations, who equally have the power to command a nation if the Nation Leader was not online. This ensured that timezones were less of a problem as you’d have someone leading you at most times of the day.

Each leader had their own unique chat title and unique text color (something that GW2’s Commanders do not have). So why is this important? The answer is simple.

You stand out.

It was easy for the whole player base to recognize who is leading and what the plans were. From there, it was up to the player base to follow directions and make the plans succeed. Nations would rise or fall according to how well the Nation Leader led or how well the player base trusted him/her.

Solution

GW2 should implement a similar command system for WvW, just as SCO had. But how do we make it work?

1a) The whole foundation for finding a worthy Commander is to distinguish the strongest guilds in WvW. In order to do this, guild symbols, as well as their guild names, must be shown on flags of keeps/towers/supplies that they own. This must also be displayed on icons when a player brings up the map. To combat the random no-name guild from claiming a position, a guild must have a certain level of architecture and players. This ensures that you actually have a coordinated player base willing to defend the position. Maybe reworking the 100g fee for commander to instead be a 100g fee for the guild to be allowed to claim positions.

OR

[NOTE: I forgot to mention earlier when explain SCO, but they had brigade leader boards that showed which brigades were helping out the most as well]

1b) A guild leaderboard is implemented in the citadel showing how many points a guild has secured during and at the conclusion of, the 2 week WvW showdown. This too will help players distinguish the strongest guilds.

2) Every WvW reset, the players will vote on a guild leader to become a Commander. The prestige and recognition brought from step #1 will help players distinguish which guilds are best fit to lead the server. Guild leaders only, will nominate themselves for the position of Commander and we, the players, will vote for them.

3) Give Commanders the ability to choose 2 or 3 others as their right hand men, regardless of guild affiliation, to ensure timezones are properly covered if at all possible.

4) Give all server leaders a unique chat title and unique text color.

I hope you guys find this a sensible plan to make WvW a more interactive and coordinated environment as I have personally known this system to work. There may have been small details that I’ve missed but this is the gist of what the solution needs.

[Shout outs to BCU/ANI HOV and BCU/ANI Orion!!!]

Orders for items should be placed at a 1% higher price than the current highest offer. Maybe even more than 1%.

It really gets annoying when for high price items, you get out bidded by 1 copper. It just becomes a game when you keep retracting your bids and outbidding by 1 copper again.

@Pimpslapper: To some extent, all classes are “e z mode” with “e z 2 use skills”. If you hadn’t noticed, Guardians are lacking utility in the ranged department and we are easily kited. Guardians are also not the best DPS’ers around. I’ve always thought as retaliation as a way to even the playing fields with other classes. Just because you killed yourself when hitting someone with retaliation on, it doesn’t mean it’s OP. Have you seen a thief OHKO a warrior for 25k health in sPvP? What is a few seconds of retaliation compared to that?

I still have not seen any replies with sensible reasons to justify ANET’s actions. As of now, we’re left with a broken version of our beloved Greatsword and a boon specific to PvP.

@Tobeyeus

I couldn’t agree more. You’ve put my exact thoughts into sensible words.

Is there anybody out there that can justify ANET’s actions? Or did they just decide to kitten us over because it’s funny?

As a boon, I find retaliation invaluable and I find absolutely no reason to change any of the ways we receive it through skills/traits.

But of course, I am no expert in “game balance” so please forgive my noobness for asking.

Although I do see the shield’s uses (I am a heavy shield user), I still do find it lacking. The cooldowns, even with traits, are far too long for the few seconds of breathing room you buy. I may have to wait for the “right” time to use it but usually, the “right” time is when someone messes up or when things get too messy too fast (aka waiting til’ the last second). We are punished with long cooldowns if we decide to use it constantly as a means to keep the team up and we are punished if we decide to hold it until the right moment. The point is that the mechanics of Shield of Absorption now only reward you in very specific instances. We, as Guardians, should work to prevent messy situations rather than react to them.

It is true that I am biased by the notion of the Shield. If used, it should protect you from melee / ranged projectiles (inside and outside the bubble) as does Warrior’s shields. The fact that you can still get hit if anything is inside your bubble when you’re rooted just doesn’t make sense to me. Anyways /endrant

I thank everyone for posting their comments so far. It has been insightful and I will continue learning how to use these weapons, as they are now, for maximum potential. Cheers.

The Shield

Shield of Absorption/ Skill 5: Another skill that looks great on description but again, not practical. The mechanics of the skill as of now presents many problems which are all interconnected to eachother. I like to think of the shield as giving your team/self a bit of breathing room, but the mechanics of it all barely gives us a gasp.

Problems

- Check this. Are you ready? This is going to kittening blow your kitten!! I don’t think you’re ready for this dawg but Ima go ahead and tell you anyways!

“SHIELDS DO NOT BLOCK ANYTHING!!1!!one!1” *le gasp

Now you must be thinking “dis n1g cray” but hear me out first. In a sense YES, they do block ranged attacks but that’s the work of the safety bubble, NOT the shield. Any melee or ranged hits coming from inside the bubble after the initial cast can and will hit (test this on mobs invulnerable to knockbacks). This brings up another issue which I will list next.

-Why can enemies enter our safety bubble? Is it only solid for that fraction of a second when you knock enemies back? This causes a HUGE issue because we must stay rooted to our spot in order to actually protect others. Initial mobs/players may have been pushed away but the ones not affected by the knockback or not in knockback range will enter in and f**k your kitten up if you stay rooted. We have to either risk our skins for the sake of the team or jeopardize them and save yourself. Why can’t we protect both ourselves and others? We could do both if our bubble was solid.

-Moving after casting the Shield of Absorption will dissipate your safety bubble almost immediately, giving you only fractions of a second of protection from projectiles and a wasted skill.

Solutions

1) Make our bubble shield solid throughout the duration of the cast. We will truly then be invulnerable both to projectiles and melee hits, fulfilling the purpose of a shield. However, we must stay rooted in order for the bubble shield to be solid. If we move during cast time, the bubble shield loses its ability to be solid but retains its power to absorb projectiles.

Also for kitten, this isn’t much of a problem to me, but replace Shield of Judgements offensive portion with the ability to inflict Weakness for 3 seconds or Daze for a second.

The Hammer

This weapon is a bit touchy as there are a fair amount of lovers and haters of it. Worry not, I will recommend only a slight tweak to the combo chain. I believe the 2 second casting time of the third hit in the combo chain is REASONABLE. However, I believe it is also far too easily interrupted. Let’s keep that 2 second cast time on the third hit but also give us Stability for 2 seconds. This adds to the power/feel of striking someone with a hammer and it appeases hammer haters who do not like the long casting time.

NOTES: If the context of my post is wrong or a bit radical and makes me sound like a nab, forgive me LOL. These are simply my opinions.

TLDR:
-Scepter. You already know.
-1h Sword/ Zealot’s Defense sucks. Change it.
-Shield: Doesn’t actually protect you worth kitten.
-Hammer: Add Stability to the 2 second cast on the third hit in chain combo.

Before you start reading, I wish for you to keep in mind that these statements are purely my opinions. Should you have anything to say on how I can use these weapons better or point out something I’ve looked over, please comment but do keep the flames out.

TLDR for those who do not like walls of text are at the very bottom of second post.

The Scepter

-LOL okay we’re done here. ANNNDDD to the next one.

The 1h Sword

Zealot’s Defense/ Skill 3: As wonderful as the skill description and the damage looks down on paper, I begun to notice it wasn’t very practical at all.

Problems

-In order to maximize potential damage with this skill, we must stay rooted for the full duration of casting (making us vulnerable to other threats OR losing ground on targets as they run away) and our target must be standing in place or moving slowly within a very close range. In PvE, of course, it is very easy to maximize your damage. However PvP tells a very different story. If our target banks left, right, or away; they have just successfully mitigated some, if not all, of the damage without having to roll-dodge.

-The blocking of ranged attacks for the skill duration are nice yes, but at what distance do most ranged characters start hitting at? If we decide to try and block any ranged attacks, we’ve just blown our most damaging skill with only minimal benefits. Any ranged player with half a brain will try their best to stay out of melee zone. The projectiles you shoot go out 600 units max and at that range, we’re better off trying to catch flies with chopsticks.

Solutions

1) Increase the range of the projectiles to 900 and give us the ability to aim the projectiles. Similar to this skill in Dragon’s Nest. Giving us the ability to aim the projectiles at range allow us to compensate for enemy movements.

OR

2) Decrease the number of projectiles to 1 blade while it retains the same amount of damage. Increase the projectile range to 900. The skill will have to charge the same amount of time and while charging, instead of blocking ranged attacks, we reflect them back to source.

Having either change will actually give Guardians better utility in the ranged fields.

OP got the whole shabam down. I agree 100%

I’ve always wondered why our spinny skill slows us down while warriors/thieves’ spinny skills do not.

Also why do warriors have a 5 second invulnerable utility skill where they can move/act on a 90s cooldown whereas Guardians have a 3 second invulnerable elite skill where they cannot move/act with mediocre benefits [renewing virtues].

/mad Guardian

I sit with 13k HP with full exo Cleric armor set/ trinkets and I feel just fine. I could possibly switch out my trinkets for ones with vitality but I just love the ridiculousness of high healing power [also the fact that most every skill I use heals me LOL]

My philosophy banks on the fact that Guardians have the best way of mitigating damage and flat out denying it with certain skills. If you find yourself NEEDING more than 15k health, you need to work on dodging / timing skills. This isn’t to say that more than 15k health is a bad/nooby thing. It’s a kittening GREAT thing. Just don’t rely on your health pool as a means of survival.

Scarlet Six is looking for players who wish to have enjoyable experiences with others while on their adventures. Whether you’re active or casual, it makes no difference to us. We welcome veterans and noobies alike!

As of the moment, S6 is an infant Guild and so we hope that you can help us grow. Our intentions are not to be a big time guild, but rather a small community. We want everyone to be able to forge relationships and connections that will further your own goals. We hope to recruit players from WvW, sPvP, or PvE so that you can always find someone to tag along with.

S6 works off the notion that you do as you please. We do not require anything of you as long as you do not cause drama and aren’t complete arses. If you decide to join, I hope it is because you’ve chosen to make S6 your home.

We are the few, but we make a difference. If you share the same vision that Scarlet Six has, please drop your info on this thread and I’ll try to get at you as soon as possible.

Sincerely,
Endu.

No ways man! Javelins!!

Skills should include:

1) Some kind of basic auto attack that bleeds.

2) Spin Javelin in hands, deflecting any projectiles coming your way.

3) Go into a defensive stance for X amount of time. Any melee characters that hit you will be countered and stunned for 1 second.

4) Knockback!!!

5) Uber powerful javelin throw!!!

LLOLOLOL. forgive my OP imagination

Before you post, please refrain from posting comments about how Guardians should and shouldn’t be played. Keep it clean and simply provide your opinions/answers.

As in the title, which prefix do you believe gives Guardians the most DPS?

+9001

This is the last skill point I need for 100% world completion and the frog’s dead >_>;

Legendaries have better stats. What you are referring to is the Exotics which craft the legendaries- they are no different to level 80 exotics.

I’ve put a Superior Sigil of Doom on my torch, which supposedly applies poison for 5 seconds on the first hit after swapping weapons while in battle, but it absolutely does not work.

I have done extensive testing and kept swapping weapons during battle but it never proc’d at all. Is this a bug?

^ The last statement you say is true. If they somehow buff Ring of Warding, it has really GREAT potential as cc. At the moment, it really is too easy to dodge plus the fact there is a short casting time.

Hopefully they realize that the Hammer is still greatly inferior to the GS. Given a choice of 1 weapon, I would use GS for PvP 100% of the time and PvE 100% of the time.

The damage is worth the 2 second wait, you are right, but it is more for PvE. The Hammer skill set is catered more for use as a PvP weapon and those 2 seconds, are a complete hazard if you want to even try and get it off.

I honestly think it could use a bit more tweaking to be honest.

-Hammer Swing: 3rd swing is WAY too slow.

-Ring of Warding: Change skill type to be a Symbol and it should do some damage OR actually make it’s warding range bigger.

-Mighty Blow: Put the passive of Glacial Heart as an inherent passive to this skill with maybe a 10s cooldown. We all know the Glacial Heart trait is far too useless to be even considered so why not put it on Mighty Blow?

I really love the hammer, don’t get me wrong, but I would really like to see these tweaks happen. What do you guys think?