Guild Wars 2

Fyi, the spear in GW1 is a land weapon, similar to a short bow.

I quote the tool tip directly from my screen:

Empathy 10, 2,10 Hex Spell. ( 5 seconds.) Target foe’s attacks deal 1 less damage and that foe takes 10 damage with each attack. (Attrib: Domination Magic )

(That’s in a build with no points in domination)

As to “Mirage.,” the name hints strongly at Elona. Mirages are associated with heat and the desert.

While hand axes are in use in The Land of the Golden Sun, a spear/staff would interest me a lot more.

Paprikaspice.8462:

The game has become too spammy with power creep. I think the fact that most classes dont have to manage a secondary resource like in many other mmos has since the games release gotten some criticism for making the game spammy (minimal incentive to not use most good skills on cd). At the very least, cc and stun breaks, evades and invulns were carefully considered in pvp. with across the board cd reductions on very powerful defensive skills, even these elements require minimal consideration these days.

The game needs to slow down and become more deliberate. dmg has to be rebalanced so that it is more bursty with significantly lower dps. sustain in the form of heals, invulns and blocks need to be nerfed very hard. timing these defensive skills to counter an opponents burst should be much more important than it currently is.

As I understand it, when City of Heroes ( another NCsoft game ) tried to slow down it’s pvp… it was one of the last straws that broke the game. ( I was a PvE player/Raider ) Perhaps the devs are trying to avoid that.

I agree that PvP in GW2 should have more of a chess game feel than an arcade game. GW1 feels like Chess , coming from GW2. Sadly.. I see the trend going the opposite way.

I asserted that toons should be allowed to dual class. I should have added that I meant core classes. GW1 featured this system.

This would tend to bring core professions roughly to the level of HoT classes. That’s the only practical method I see for making the two equivalent.

As to PvP generally; (without disrespect) My impression is that ANET has followed a kind of Social Darwinist idea. This concept is neatly summed up in the “l2p” culture. Basically, “if you’re having trouble it is because you are lazy and/or lack skill.”

Social Darwinism was popular among the social elite of the late 1800’s. It was not particularly successful. I do not think it will be successful in the context of GW2.

In the first moments of a new Mesmer’s career in Prophecies, ( Guild Wars, ) Sebedoh The Mesmer tells the novice to try to do things “with a bit more panache.”

For me that is a concise statement of how Mesmers can and should be played.

In my opinion, axes do not have panache or style… they are merely brutal. Let the warriors deal with that.

( I might also point out that Sebedoh grants the power of “Empathy” which is in fact retaliation. That ability was largely removed from the gw2 Mesmer. The reason given was that it didn’t fit the theme of our class. )

Again, reduce stealth from upgrades. It’s excessive and annoying. thieves stealth.. or at least that was there province.

Kill trapper runes and perhaps infiltration as well. They contribute an excessive amount of stealth.

Ranger stealths almost as well as thief, and DH has an almost on demand stealth.

I recently had the pleasure of a few rounds with a dev on one of the dueling servers. That was fun but it raised questions. I’ll explain.

To watch some of our matches, you could have made a case that Mesmer is a hard counter to Thief.

The problem with that conclusion would be that I was running a setup expressly designed to counter thief in a 1v1 environment. It’s not a setup I’d run in PvP or really even in PvE.

So here’s my question: Are the devs making balance decisions based on testing on dueling servers? If that is the case, they are getting very biased testing in an isolated environment. Such testing may produce distorted results and distorted balance.

You have a point on the crafting pride.

At this point, I have created the “Perfected Staff.”

For the amount of gold and mats I’ve already spent, ( setting aside the time and effort,) I could already have bought The BiFrost.

Yes, I’ve completed the world multiple times.. so travelling to the various locations isn’t an issue.

Still, I’m unhappy to have spent this much in resources and not even be to the stage of crafting the blasted precursor.

I’m actually pretty depressed, looking forward to another long season of stacked matches.

ANET hasn’t done much that’s convinced me that they are concerned about it.

Let us take a secondary profession, ala’ gw1. It wouldn’t be power creep and potentially a lot of fun.

Here’s a screenshot of an enemy player inside our spawn at Khylo. They’re attacking our respawning Ele. There are any number of snarky things I could say… but it’s just too easy in this case.

I liked the previous system of traits. Still, I’m not confident that ANET could balance that successfully.

As I read the patch notes for the most recent changes and the ensuing developer thread, this song rolled through my head. Enjoy.

I’m seeing a pretty strong trend to homogenize classes in GW2. Most classes can do most everything with a slight repackaging.

That trend does not bode well for the game in my opinion.

Kreweless.2196:

Jekkt.6045:

battlerite on steam. community isn’t that big but still bigger than gw2. you have to like arena style pvp tho, which i didn’t. afaik, teldo also plays/played it.

Wow thanks for pointing out BattleRite, I might give this a try when I get home from work.

But yes, this exactly.

Could you imagine an arena fighter with dedicated static characters in the Guild Wars 2 engine? I would cry if something like that got announced — and we’ve seen the PvP team make attempts to move away from Conquest (RIP Stronghold 2016-2016).

Champions of the Mists (Let’s call it) wouldn’t need any new assets, could use existing skills, would be immensely easier to balance than Conquest and — with a few minor tweaks to camera and skill effect — could be extremely easy to spectate.

You don’t have to understand frame data to get hype when you’re watching Street Fighter V.

• A camera that dynamically centers on the two players, like in fighting games
• A timer for matches and lifebars that drain towards the center
• Static characters (i.e. builds are set, maybe choose your elite but no more)
• Arena maps from in-game assets (maybe add some line of sight)

I think ANET has been pushing toward streetfighter styled play. I also think that’s a serious mistake.

GW2’s appeal is that it’s NOT just another standard video game.

In the PvE realm, virtually any build will fly. The raiders are a sub group that requires specific builds but I think they will always be a small faction.

So, build diversity does work in PvE.

I honestly think ANET has been pushing toward moba style in PvP. They haven’t convinced me that they are able to balance mmo builds in a PvP/WvW setting.

Actually I never distrusted Caithe. She told me “remember we are on the same side,” and I believed her. Was I happy with her? No. did I distrust her her? No.

If I had to go into battle irl.. Caithe would be one I’d want beside me. Braham? I’d want him as far away as possible.

Using political memes like that is going to stop my attention instantly. I presume that at least some ANET staff may feel the same.

I think a map that included gliding would potentially be a lot of fun.

Near death? Dive off the platform and try to evade while flying! Anywhere but Bloodstone Fen, you’re more or less unarmed while flying.

There would be serious issues though that I’m not sure the devs could solve.

This would largely kill DH super jump/gank and play havoc with a lot of other skills. Not to mention on a small map, anyone with a bow would be top of the food chain. they would be able to control most travel between platforms.

It’d be funny to watch the thief vault off the cliff or the zerker comet charge by , only to fall.

No.. on the whole… while this would be fun ( perhaps as an April Fool map? ) I really don’t see ANET successfully making it a thing.

-edit- Maybe it could be a race, ala’ VB’s “adventure.” That might make an interesting PvP Mode.

Uhm yes a skill being exclusive to my class is a big reason to choose that class.

Otherwise, everyone would simply warrior and choose different dyes. If I wanted to be the same as everyone else.. I’d play streetfighter or OW.

Choosing and customizing your gameplay is integral to GW2 and related games.

This is what Robert Gee said on the official ANET blog:

“Think Fast
Specializing in chronomancy grants mesmers access, through traits and skills, to a new effect called alacrity. Alacrity functions as the inverse of chill by speeding up skill recharges rather than slowing them down. Chronomancy is the only specialization allowed access to this powerful effect, and chronomancers can share alacrity with allies in limited situations, making them an incredibly powerful ally to have in any party."

https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/meet-the-chronomancer-mesmers-elite-specialization/

The bold text is mine. This statement is not true.

I don’t agree that the reasons are clear, effective or thematically appropriate.

More important to me is that ANET expressly made Alacrity unique to Chronomancer. Indeed.. alacrity is time manipulation, chronomancy.

That was ignored. It calls into question any future copy with respect to Mesmer.

Here is the copy from Robert Gee, the bold text is mine.

“Think Fast

Specializing in chronomancy grants mesmers access, through traits and skills, to a new effect called alacrity. Alacrity functions as the inverse of chill by speeding up skill recharges rather than slowing them down. Chronomancy is the only specialization allowed access to this powerful effect, and chronomancers can share alacrity with allies in limited situations, making them an incredibly powerful ally to have in any party."

https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/meet-the-chronomancer-mesmers-elite-specialization/

That is no longer true. FULL STOP

I made a reasoned reply. If you do not wish to make a reasoned reply in return, well.. see you later or not.

OK Alacrity wasn’t “buffed” but it was made more available and for longer. I misspoke.

choovanski.5462:

Ithilwen.1529:

That’s not correct. There used to be team queue and solo queue. They were combined because those who wanted to choose there teams had a hard time getting games.

Solution? Let the teams farm solos. We can all see how well that worked out in S1-S4.

There are a lot of ways to encourage the community to embrace a team queue. I think it could be really successful. Because most of the community hates solo queue, they hate bad teammates, bad comps, no one listening, having duos stacked against them, having a bad comp, & so many other things. team queue solves so many of people’s frustrations with pvp, i think it’s got a chance. hey, all you gotta do is be social in an mmo.

also, do you not know what the word ‘separate’ means? do you read my posts? i dont want a mixed queue.

Clipped for brevity and clarity. The emphasis is mine.

There’s a large part of the problem in a nutshell. What is a “bad” player? They don’t listen and obey YOU and are therefore bad?

This isn’t The Army.. where I obeyed reflexively. It’s a game for recreation. By the way, what makes you qualified to give orders? I didn’t raise my right hand and swear to obey here in Tyria. Here, you need to lead by merit.

However it is explained and justified… 5 man groups are by there nature exclusionary. They give an obvious advantage in mixed queue and they divide the community.

It’s been shown that population doesn’t support separate queues which is why we have a mixed queue now.

That’s not correct. There used to be team queue and solo queue. They were combined because those who wanted to choose there teams had a hard time getting games.

Solution? Let the teams farm solos. We can all see how well that worked out in S1-S4.

I wonder why I should buy the next expac.

In my opinion, ANET doesn’t respect it’s own language in presenting content. The next specializations will soon be generalizations as well.

Justifications aside. they took a specialization and distributed it. Now I might have been able to live with a chronomancer legend. Lady Althea might have been a good choice.

When the next expac rolls around, why should I buy the “exclusive” new stuff when I know it won’t be exclusive?

On top of that: The reason given for nerfing Mesmer alacrity in raids was that it was too strong. Yet, now ANET gives alacrity to a completely different class ( a free specialization.) Alacrity is increased even though it was nerfed for being too strong. That calls into question the reasoning for nerfing Mesmer in the first place.

Azukas.1426:

Why are you kittening? We got buffs….so kittening what if they gave Alacrity to a Legend no rev in this game will ever use.

Why is this sub forum so full of self entitled players who refuse to actually see the bigger picture of this game? Keep quiet before Anet hot fixes our buffs away. The players who know the big picture know that we should ALL keep mum…..we got away with one here fellas.

So, I should be happy to have ‘paid for’ a specialization that is no longer a specialization? I should be willing to give up anything for the good of the game?

It doesn’t matter.. Mesmer got buffs right? I suppose you’d be happy swinging a sword like a warrior, yes?

It doesn’t matter that Mesmer is a unique profession with it’s own identity. We should be willing to hand that to revenant because…. reasons… right?

That sounds a bit too close to religion or some segments of current politics for me.

I was kicked and blocked on the first encounter when I did not understand what to do.

In point of fact, I told the group I was new coming in.. though I came with full ascended armor and weapons.

Sorry, I don’t understand.

Shaogin.2679:

Azoqu.8917:

If Anet ever made ranked PvP 5-mans only, PvP would die instantly that day and queues would be hours long (yes I’m exaggerating a bit, but it would make it so no PvEer comes out in numbers).

Please, PvE players know how to use the lfg tool better than anyone else. PvP would be just fine if it was 5-man queue only. Only the anti-social players and really bad players that no one wants would have issues.

(the emphasis is mine ) And there is the central issue and reason why this idea will never work.

Players don’t want the “freedom” to queue as a team. They want the “freedom” to exclude. Raids are proof enough of that.

Pretty soon we’d have dps trials to get on a PvP team. NO THANKS. Go exclude somewhere else.

Only Chronomancer was ever supposed to bring it. That ‘was’ the whole defining characteristic of the Chronomancer.

ANET casually took the central theme of an entire specialization and handed it to another class like candy. The explanation? “The game evolves.”

This is an example of a lack of consistency I’ve seen often. Chronomancer is no longer a specialization.

One poster compared this to the fact that many classes now have stealth. Thief did not have a ‘Ninja’ specialization or some such that was sold on the ability to provide stealth.

Icetea.3204:

Ithilwen.1529:

I don’t even bother to ask any more for a group,. It’s a waste of my time and somebody gets to tell me I’m not worthy. Kitten that.

Well, if you dont know the mechanics you are a waste of time for 9 other players.

Do you realize that you just more or less told me I’m not worthy? That, sir, ended my attention.

I’d join a training run. Hell, I might even attend classes.

With attitudes like the one you just displayed, however, it really doesn’t seem worth it.

Yes, please do keep raiders and casuals separate. Do you think I enjoy listening to some “commander” tell me I’m not worthy?

I’d listen and learn, but I won’t be abused. If raids die out by attrition, well… /shrug.

In City of Heroes(CoH). For those who might be unfamiliar, it was a sister game to GW2 and was in the NC soft family. I played a mentalist there, akin to a gw1 Mesmer.

The difference was that in CoH, raids welcomed pretty much anyone strong enough to participate. There would be a leader who would call out needed moves in text.

I even went on some rather esoteric ones, earning the “Protector of Kindness” title along with “Master of Olympus” among others.

In GW2 I was grudgingly allowed on one raid, “allowed”… Then was kicked without notice for an error that I still don’t know the nature of.

The elitism I perceive among raiders will ultimately be self destructive.

I don’t even bother to ask any more for a group,. It’s a waste of my time and somebody gets to tell me I’m not worthy. Kitten that.

A couple years back it was the same with dungeons. I endured the hazing, learned the paths. Now, it’s hard to get a group and I mostly do teaching runs.

Raids will be the same.

So awesome that Revs are now chronomancers, even though that was the “unique” specialization of Mesmer.

I suspect that the primary motive was to increase rev presence in raids and to reduce that of Mesmer.

There has been an ongoing trend in the game to reduce the effectiveness of special gameplay… basically the trend has been to buff face-to-face melee and to encourage “group content.”

In simpler to terms, to remove anything that is not sword swinging.

I formerly thought that the ANET crew was as passionate as I was about Tyria.

That lead me to unrealistic expectations. This is entertainment business.

If you’ve ever hung around with a “carny” after the show or been involved in a stage production. You know what I mean.

I suspect you missed my point.

I’ve learned that getting angry, frustrated or even caring merely serves the pleasure of some who can jeer and chortle from the safety of the internet.

Lyssa forgive me, I made the mistake no Mesmer should; I got caught up in the illusion. I was taken in by the lore, the art, the music…

Now I see scripts interacting in a sandbox viewer.. not unlike that of OpenSim. I see the flaws in the mesh.. the places where the alpha shows through or the clipping. I hear the same voice in male and female NPC’s remixed…

The truth hurts.

I’m in despair over the patch.

The Chronomancer “specialization” no longer really exists. Been depressed since yesterday afternoon.

I’m certain that the other unique Mesmer skills will be parsed out to the other classes soon as well.

I’m 100% cerain that broad access to quickness and portal are soon forthcoming… oh and moa for everyone.

I love the changes to phantasms but it’s really hard to see them at the moment, past the glare of my specialization no longer being a specialization.

Irenio CalmonHuang.2048:

XeonJab.7529:

“Specializing in chronomancy grants mesmers access, through traits and skills, to a new effect called alacrity. " Chronomancers. “Chronomancy is the only specialization allowed access to this powerful effect.” Chronomancers. So why do revs have alacrity now?

Chronomancer was given Alacrity because it was incredibly thematic and felt within its kit.

From a group content perspective, alacrity is so strong that if no other profession gains access to it then Chronomancers would push others out of groups because it feels necessary. As is, they are likely to remain the best ways to grant alacrity to others.

The game evolves and we decided that keeping this feature exclusive may not be in the best interest of the game as a whole. From a general game perspective, specializations are places where a profession may gain access to features from a different profession.

So when are you planning to give engineers portal? Moa for DH perhaps.

The professions need to be unique. ANET, I feel, is really blinded by this group content thing. Raids are a tiny elite.. as are high level fractals. WvW is dead because anet refused to balance population. Group content really is not where you should be concentrating your energies.

I wonder how long it will be before guardians are casting Moa and ele’s are running ports.

I’d like the devs to reply to first: Why did you advertise that alacrity would be unique to chronomancers then take it back?

More generally: why are you so qucik to slap down Mesmer? After the huge glamour nerf, we lanquished in trash tier for a solid year.

Yet youi allowed hambow, and pettting zoo ranger to roll over the landscape for months or years.

It’s not OK for bunker chrono.. but it is OK for dh to have essentially the same power levels.

What did Mesmer do that offended anet so much?

I really believe that ANET is respondidng to people simply not wanting to learn to respond to a Mesmer rather than taking an objective approach.

Several of my toons discarded the sword as a yellow quality weapon and useless.

Does this mean I’m locked out of continuing the story?

It was in fact the primary selling point and unique ability of the profession. I say “was.” now Revenants are chronomancers too.

Pretty soon the will be casting portals and Moa too.

ANET sold Chronomancer on it’s unique ability, Alacrity. Now that ability isn’t unique. In doing so, they invalidated an entire HoT specialization. That’s not cool, no matter how you spin it.