Guild Wars 2

The population has been lowered quite a bit by a whole slew of issues. As a result, high level players have to be matched against low level to have matches at all.

Retnab.4123:

Oh :/ So support is really Mesmer’s only role nowadays? Are there any decent Scepter damage builds or should I just go for a different class for damage/soloability?

@ Fay

I carefully re read your post. You kinda sorta said that.. but then went into full raid mode. The OP clearly didn’t get the message that most builds are really OK in most situations. Witness there reply, cited above.

With population low, we really need to nurture new/returning Mesmers. I spent ( literally ) years struggling to learn Mesmer. ( and I’m quite certain picked up a lot of bad habits and a bad attitude along the way ) Good advice was rare to non existent.

We need to be reaching out and we need to talk to the folks who aren’t “plat” level PvPers or raiders.

I’d point out that not many people are actually running high level fractals or raids. That’s particularly true of someone asking a question like this.

For dungeons and most PvE content, any reasonable build will do. I routinely take people through CM ( a dungeon rated level 45) who are in the high 30’s level wise. I don’t ask what build they are running and I don’t care. It’s simply not that critical.

PvE is really not difficult enough to need some super build until you start raiding.

tldr to the OP: Play what you like and enjoy it. Any reasonable build will fly in all but the most overblown PvE situations.

According to Gale’s post in the general discussion section, the devs (balance team) will be live on the forum to explain the balance changes.

That’s astounding. This is potentially a major turning point. GG dev team.

Now please don’t dumpster Mesmer.

Having the devs online to explain it is a great step. Thank you.

ThatNAESLGuard.6238:

oh I bet there will be more DH nerfs that I have to deal with, due to kittens not being able to dodge traps that aren’t viable above gold <8’^-)

If traps are “not viable above gold,” what are you worried about? This should not be relevant to you. Do you actually run traps?

DH needs to be backed off. The near constant presence of DH stacks in matches is testimony to that.

15 forum bugs xoxo

fishball.7204:

Ithilwen.1529:

I want professions locked because that is a prerequisite to stopping class stacking. It’s straight up logic. You cannot cap the number of a given class on a team without locking professions.

As a secondary motive… it might finally force ANET to rethink a couple of the classes that are consistently stacked. I’m looking at you, DH and vault thieves.

ps. nobody stacks classes in plat or above because anything more than 2 is almost an instant loss as all classes have their strengths and weaknesses. * I mean you guys should just learn how to play the game instead of trying to mess the game up for everybody else who isn’t bad.*

The emphasis is mine. I find it insulting that you equate a yes vote with being “bad.”

Leaving that aside for the moment. Locked professions would serve to emphasize some of the gross imbalances and force change.

Frankly, I don’t care what happens in “plat or above.” First, I suspect that many of those in those ranks farmed and / or exploited to get there. Second, I’m not there and will, like as not, not make it there any time soon.

Why should I care what the elites want?

I want professions locked because that is a prerequisite to stopping class stacking. It’s straight up logic. You cannot cap the number of a given class on a team without locking professions.

As a secondary motive… it might finally force ANET to rethink a couple of the classes that are consistently stacked. I’m looking at you, DH and vault thieves.

Now I’m scared Mesmer will be dumpstered and DH buffed.

waiting with baited breath.

dmndbcK.3425:

If it’s so patently false, then why are there so many threads about DH being OP and about class swapping being an issue?

Also, If your so doubtful maybe we should meet ingame. 500G high risk duel since you think I’m not in that top 5% category.

I’ll even go 2 traitlines for you if you would like

On Topic: I happen to agree. You’re either misreading my post or attacking the wrong person.

First, this is a tactic that is overused today. You’re distracting from the issue with a challenge.

Second, OK I accept. Let’s duel! I won’t risk that amount of gold. That would be stupid.

You know why? If I lose to a player claiming to be in the top 5% it’s meaningless ( I was expected to lose). If I win, you’re going to feel like a real kitten.

Lose/Lose for you. I suggest you think more carefully before throwing challenges out there.

The fact that you lost to a Mesmer is not justification for a nerf.

Learn to play folks. Mesmer has already been cut about as far as it can be and still be useful in PvP.

I’m sorry you’re confused… but that is kinda the Mesmer’s MO. Not every class just swings a sword.

dmndbcK.3425:

Wanna know what I find hilarious?

That there are so many whiteknights on this forum thread saying “I’ve NEVER seen a game have a competitive scene without profession locking”

Well there are a few actually that are HIGHLY competitive. You are just to close-minded.

Overwatch has the ability to swap “Heroes” mid-comp and in Diamond+ that is integral to the overall environment of the game because you don’t know what heroes will work if the other team is just simply BETTER then you.

CSGO despite being a FPS, you can think of professions such as which weapon you can use at which time. Example: If your enemies have 2 snipers, 3 rifles you will want to obviously match them, unless you have no economy. So if you are working on no economy, you pull out a kitten shotgun and kill them. EZ 1 shot.

The more I look at the PvP in GW2, the more I realize that the issue is not with “Profession stacking” or “People swapping mid-game”

These changes are being made based on YOUR thoughts and opinions that ANet is listening to.

ArenaNet does not listen to the top 5% of PvP player’s anymore, because our opinions do no matter. We can literally win a 5dh v real comp game in a clean sweep.

The problem is simply that new player’s cannot get into PvP easily with the current meta, thus the only alternative is to keep progressing instead of degressing back into a prior state of the game to keep the flow going. Hence why they arent choosing to bring back team-queue or nerf DH.

The only solution for my new player’s is to sadly, Get Good at the game by learning from people. Ask people for help, duel them, learn each and every class along with all skills for that class. This includes animations, sounds, etc.

Nothing ANET does will help 50% of the playerbase of PvP, because they aren’t willing to learn to become better at the game. They rather cry on the forums about nerfing and fixing “bugs” that are not actually a problem.

This is now Casual Wars 2 boys. I’m riding this train till the next expansion so I can knock Bubbles teeth out as a naked asura under the water with my Kraitkin.

I’m a little leery of your claim to be in the “top 5%” of PvP players. I’ll accept it for the sake of argument.
Sorry, but the top 5% aren’t what supports and moves the game. Catering to the elites is a serious mistake as has been demonstrated over and over in the real world.
The idea that players, “aren’t willing to learn to become better at the game,” is patently false. This is, I know, a trendy attitude for millenials to take. It’s false though. I heard similar arguments for why it was really OK to stack matches with predetermined outcomes in S3. It didn’t work then and it won’t work now.

Except that for some of the classes there really is only one build. So, custom switchable templates would be an advantage to war and DH and (yet another) nerf to Mesmer and ele and to a lesser extent thief.

ANET needs to do a better job of looking at the secondary consequences of decisions.

Crinn.7864:

Ithilwen.1529:

To remove class stacking, You would logically have to lock professions. I’m not sure why people are not seeing that.

Now, I realize that anet may not yet perceive the need to remove stacking. A couple of weeks of solid DH matches might make that clear to them though.

I’m not sure why you think people where swapping to stack. People use it to unstack bad comps. I’ve never seen people stack a comp intentionally.

People in this thread are trying to fix a problem that literally doesn’t exist.

Ya’lls solution to stacked warriors and DH is to incentivize playing warriors and DH. Brilliant.

If professions were locked, the matchmaker would be able to enforce team comps. Again.. I’m not sure that ANET perceives the need to remove class stacking yet. Still, locking professions would be a prerequisite.

A reputation system would be instantly abused. Just keep reporting people you don’t like or don’t wish to be matched against.

Want to fix the raging? Make even matches. ANET chose to run deliberately unfair matches for the better part of the year. They also encouraged and sponsored Pro Players who raged. There’s no surprise in the result.

To remove class stacking, You would logically have to lock professions. I’m not sure why people are not seeing that.

Now, I realize that anet may not yet perceive the need to remove stacking. A couple of weeks of solid DH matches might make that clear to them though.

You forgot to mention that HoT maps were nerfed again after the herds left.

So-called “hardcore” pve maps haven’t been successful for ANET.

The only practicable method for removing stupidly stacked hard counter teams is to LOCK PROFESSIONS.

It is patently false that locking professions would fix game results, unless anet neglected to lock that out of the matchmaker.

I’m 40% confident that they would not miss for such a thing.

The reality is that people use swapping to stack dh and war. It’s been a plague for a couple of seasons now and it’s an exploit.

It makes me truly sad to see so many people voting to KEEP exploiting and team stacking. It shows a real lack of sportsmanship in my opinion.

Zlater.6789:

I want to have control over the outcome of a match, I want my side to have the advantage and I don’t ever want to lose.

That’s why I vote no, because I want freedom and control and I want to be able to manipulate the match in my favour. Anyone who says my way of thinking is wrong,
doesn’t play pvp to win.

I think matches should be locked after the warming up phase, but I don’t think we should be stuck during the warming up phase. Because THAT time is the time you are supposed spend preparing and getting ready for a match, including getting your team ready. If you lock it, get rid of the warm up time or allow premade teams, and stop wasting my time.

And this is an example of why PvP is in it’s current state.

The counter to that is simple: Too many warriors or DH will mean they get fewer matches and/or get divided across the teams. This may actually reduce some of the overplayed classes. (Without a nuke nerf)

Hopefully, the matchmaker will disallow that. The whole notion here is to reduce the stacked teams.

Yes, yes.. a thousand times yes!

Warriors are the fastest profession on the map. DH has more mobility than Mesmer and a significantly bigger burst.

War has a huge window of damage immunity. And now War jumps like a freaking Mesmer.

I have myself advocated for a relatively easy class for new people to play. The thing of it is: It looks like favoritism. That’s especially true when the Khylo map was recently modified to make things even easier for the heavy classes.

Does ANET honestly want a pure sword swinging game?

In Star Trek Online ( a sister game to GW2 ) The “Nakhul” have an armor set that more or less projects a clone. They are invulnerable until the clone is destroyed.

That armor is available to players through a moderately tough grind. (one of my henchies wears my set ) So the idea is not entirely out of line. I will say that PvP in STO is pretty small time. The reputation of p2w destroyed it.

I’d love to be able to use a portal I could initiate rather than having to preset. That would break a lot of dungeons and PvE scenarios though. Maybe it could be an unlockable skill. Say 100% world completion? (yes I have that already, multiple times )

There could be something like a flying camera (leaving the Mesmer basically helpless) that you direct to a landing spot within range.

Still, I’d rather be Kasmeer and be able to have a crowd of clones to hide in.

Courtyard, (the “death match” style mode,) failed miserably. It failed because it allowed people to be kittens and stomp all over someone.

That’s fun for one side of the equation.. but it drives away the other half. Sadly, the culture in GW2 PvP is largely about exploiting and talking kitten.

To make such a game mode work, you’d need sportsmanship and a sense of fair play.

Dueling works. That’s largely because it’s played with a certain honor. We bow to show respect, or at least to ensure both sides are ready. We do not interfere in another’s match. We do not stomp.

In the larger game , this kind of restrained conduct is mostly non existent. That’s why “death match” style won’t fly.

If you consistently play N/Rt then I’d think you’d go for Revenant. That’s similar to a combination of both old classes.

The play style is different, true, but the same can be said of gw1 Necro and Mesmer as opposed to the gw2 versions.

MailMail.6534:

I’m liking the new map so far. The visibility is so much better, and I love the extra exit near camp. It’s definitely less frustrating to fight on mid.

That’s one of the main detractions for the new map. I makes sniping far too easy. It also removes many safety and mobility options for Thief and Mesmer.

The map itself selectively nerfs Thief and Mesmer while buffing ranger and war.

I have to admit, I hope not. Pro league is expensive and I don’t see that it adds a lot of value to the game.

Beside that, the players haven’t had much of a track record in terms of getting along with the vast majority of players.

It’s very situational. I’ll trash a DH fast if the situation is in my favor. If it suits the DH, I can die equally fast.

“If the Charr think they can come here,me and my meat cleaver will show them
otherwise .”

It’s humorous to hear the Blood Legion advocating making the Lake Doric area “Safe Again.” This on the other side of a wall with a flood of newcomers, ( and, arguably, “terrorists”,) trying to get it.

It does grate on the ears, but I’m trying to see it as funny coming from the Charr.

Sambuca is a bit sweet for my taste… but to the subject.

A new game mode, Stronghold, was tried. Unfortunately it was exploited heavily. It was removed from the ranked rotation as a result.

Before a new mode is going to work, I propose that we need a culture change. We need people to play for the sake of the game. Exploiting and snarking ultimately hurt the game. To wit: last season’s leaderboard.

I’m not clear on that. Does off-season not affect mmr?.

We’re right back to farming in ranked. I just went against a trio that easily commanded the map against 5 solos.

We had a teammate that I knew was weak going in. That could have been overcome, but when a couple of the solos on my team over extended, the trio snowballed the map easily.

ANET, allowing one faction to farm another is not good from any angle I can see. It pleases a small faction that think it’s fun to farm. The cost is more frustration and ultimately fewer players.

Note the reaction when a player learned that teams are once more allowed in ranked:

There was no camera issue… you just roll your freaking mouse wheel to change the zoom level.

I see no justification at all for this change except that it’s a hit to Mesmer and Thief.

Great storytelling as always.

I had hoped to see Kasmeer earn her family’s pardon and regain her noble status in this battle.

Queen Jenna was awesome. would that real world leaders showed such integrity. It was interesting to see Logan realize she didn’t need his protection.

I went through the final battle , pre – nerf. That was unpleasant but then again I never expected it to be easy.

I’d call it a home run. The story continues to be the highlight of the game.

I’m paging through the “Guild Wars 2 Official Strategy Guide.” It looked lonely at my local friends of the library shop.

It seems to have been released a bit prior to the game itself. Awesome art as always and good commentary.

I’m struck though by how different this vision of the game is to the current game. This is especially true post-HoT.

I humbly suggest that a “back to the roots” trend would be very welcome. Tyria’s story has given me ( literally ) more than a year of online fascination. That’s more than a year, actually playing the game. I find it a bit adrift though.

I’m seeing too much power creep and too much steam punky magi-tech. Thoughts?

That would be awesome, here’s hoping.

25 stacks of confusion? Please tell me how that works. I’ve never managed such a thing.

Dead in 10 seconds? Apparently you’ve never had a DH insta drop a kitten load of traps in your lap or any of several warrior bursts. 10 seconds is a very slow death in GW2.

I get that you’re unhappy you got downed. The claim you’re making doesn’t make sense though. Condi cleanse and dodge the shatters.

I’ve just returned from Elona, ( in GW 1.) Wow, what a cool story line. I very much hope ANET will return there in a future expansion.

Why does The Durmand Priory keep a large statue of Abaddon in it’s private archives?

Cantha would also be cool. I’m guessing that would be a bit fraught, since China is part of the ANET family. Politics could be an obstacle.

You actually can run there solo. Climb the rock pile behind the centaur camp and run like hell to a secondary opening in the tower ( counter clockwise round the tower ). I did it on Mesmer and (barely) survived. Then jump off the cliff and glide away.

If memory serves, it was to reduce queue times. Team queue was particularly long. This is a big reason I claim that the current population isn’t going to support such a move.

What we need is well balanced solo matches for a while, until the reputation of matchmaking improves.

When matches are seen to be good for a period of time, we may get back some of those PvE people who were driven away by deliberately tilted matches.

Julius Seizure.4985:

This issue is that Blinks are still useful as a net speed buff, and more limited Z access mobility. They just aren’t insanely OP. Regarding ranged advantage… there is still so much projectile hate that I just have to wonder what people are doing wrong.

A “net speed buff?” Blink is seldom used simply to increase speed. It’s CD is too long to waste in that way.

Even if it were, War is probably actually faster. The heavy armor, heavy dps class that can out run the light armored mobility fighter… it makes no sense. The “z” mobility offset that partially.

The larger issue is that the restrictions to field of fire have been largely removed. It makes bows very powerful.

As to projectile hate… Where? Every utility slot I have on Mesmer is needed and precious. I can’t afford to switch out to a reflect that really isn’t all that effective anyway.

That’s largely the case on thief as well. I’ll run [Smoke Screen] in dungeons but it’s been quite a while since I’ve seen it used in PvP.

Necro has… well I don’t think they have anything for dealing with missle attacks.

Rev seldom runs Ventari in PvP, so that’s out…

That leaves the three classes that have long range missle attacks. All of them just got a big buff on this map.

There were separate queues for solo and team, back in the day.

That got removed even though the change was protested at the time. I’d love to see a return to that system. I still claim population won’t support it.

Fay.2357:

Aerlen.5326:

Challenging isn’t massive damage, knockback, painful visual effects, requiring massive CC, or artificial difficulty like immunity unless CCed, immunity unless bloodstone magic zapped, one death = try again from the start, or massive hordes of ememies.

So what exactly does challenging content mean to you? You’ve pretty much nixed everything that can be used to make challenging content there. Would you rather just having to press F to complete story?

I would point out, Fay, that according to another post you made you Duo’d this fight.

I got through on Mesmer, using a HoT chronophantasma condi build. It was doable, just pretty unpleasant to be constantly slammed around the room. I died several times.

I think ANET was wise to ease up on that a bit.