Guild Wars 2

I love the crowd thing. The idea of a coliseum and playing “in public” is awesome. Now, relocate the map to The Queen’s Arena in Divinity’s Reach and let the actual Tyrian public watch the matches.

That could be a huge draw for pvp.

Much better commentary. Please, please,please stop saying “surely” and “boys.” Improved camera.

I was happy to see a couple of the teams be eliminated… the reason? The way some members have acted on forum and in game. Part of being a professional is public relations.

Looking forward to Coliseum.

Thieves have Thieves guild.. which is more or less an elite phantasm. They ( the two thieves) are pretty hard to kill too.

I don’t see you Mesmer couldn’t have such a thing. Hell, it might be a step toward making phantasm builds actually work.

The game is p2w to some extent. It is clearly easier to win on a HoT spec than it is to win on a core spec. I’m willing to bet that’s deliberate.

That being said, I’m successfully running a vanilla PU Mesmer in unranked. I don’t like the melee style of the current meta chrono.

Condi Chronomancers are a tough fight for me, but I win some of them.

I had the same experience. Tutorials would be an amazingly valuable addition.

That was one thing B&S got right. Upon reaching a given level, you would be invited to a “secret” training session. These would teach the use of powers and especially combinations.

I remember wandering in Queensdale one evening. I came upon a low level Guardian who was about to die to a bandit. The bandit was quickly dispatched.

In the conversation that followed I found that this person had no idea that they could dodge or block. I tried to demo. It was very clear that this player was highly frustrated because they didn’t know some of the basics.

Anet has since added “dodge tutorials” in the starting areas. This is a step in the right direction.

I’m sympathetic. I get pretty tired of the farm parties at Capricorn though. I’ll make an effort to pick Capricorn ( I’ve gotten the achievement already. )

Death Match is bad. It favors heavy classes and is a guaranteed way to chase off newcomers when they get farmed.

I’ve been listening to Vivaldi and Handel lately while playing Mesmer. It kinda makes playing PU ( Yes I have HoT on both accounts. I just don’t like the current chrono ) feel like a combat waltz. As if it’s a kind of competitive dance.

I just heard a Dredge leader compare himself and his people to “weebles.” LOL. For you young ‘uns there used to be a toy called a “weeble.” The advertising jingle was "Weebles wobble but they don’t fall down."

The pop culture references in this game are my favorite Easter eggs. They are even cooler than say, the skeletons at there chess game in the hidden room.

The circles are expressly the size of the DH aoe, unless I miss my guess. It’s deliberate.

This map is rapidly devolving to a death match. Here’s why;

The bell is dominant enough in scoring that one can win simply by blobbing from point to point with very little actual possession time. Then the blob goes to the bell.

A secondary effect is that DH is hugely favored by this map. It’s nearly impossible to knock a DH off point fast enough to prevent a bell cap. A light or medium class can’t stand in the traps and any use of invulnerability or invisibility allows the other team to continue to cap.

A typical match is won by the team with the most dh. The ideal team comp seems to be something like 2 dh, (condi) war, necro and druid.

Spirit Watch is much disliked because in it’s last incarnation, the Orbs were too dominant in scoring. Revenge of the Capricorn is going the same way.

TLDR

The scoring dominance of the bell is similar to that of Orbs in Spirit Watch. As a result, Revenge of the Capricorn is becoming a death match map with very little emphasis on conquest. DH have too large an advantage in RotC.

I wasn’t talking about buffs. The power creep is obviously excessive already. What I’m really talking about is forgiving.

Not extremely so. The problem I see is that design and balance decisions are made to serve Pro Players. As such, they don’t really translate well to normal players.

New players can expect to simply be pounded mercilessly. The vast majority will probably quit rather than stick out the learning curve.

Yes, I know GW1 pvp required encyclopekittennowledge of the animations and symbols of every class.

I defy an ESL pro player to go to GW1 and not get hammered into the ground at least at first. Frankly, I couldn’t even get into a game in GW1. It has become so elite that if you don’t have years of experience you are not welcome.

That’s the path I see GW2 going down.

How many play at Helseth’s level, really? Balancing around what a pro might do is not based on the reality of people actually playing PvP.

If some builds are a huge issue in Pro League, they can simply be banned for that game.

To return to my point, each class should have a relatively easy to play build. This would be better than the current system of rotating the easy build from class to class.

Lord Helseth isn’t a normal player. He’s the sort of person balance decisions should NOT be based upon.

Oh and please get over the heavy bias against Mesmer. Clones once did the same damage as the Mesmer… now that might actually work.

Each season, ANET makes one class faceroll. I think this is deliberate and I think it’s for the purpose of giving players with a lower skill level ( me ) a back door to still be able to compete.

The class rotates, perhaps because they don’t want any one profession to have a permanent reputation of being easy mode.

Here’s the rub though, I don’t feel much if any emotional connection to Dragon Hunter. It’s simply not a class that appeals to me. Sure I could play a bunker DH, but that wouldn’t be much fun for me.

Mesmer, Elementalist and Thief appeal to me.

So here’s my suggestion; make one relatively easy to play build on each class rather than asking players to chase the bandwagon.

I’m very close to losing hope after 17+ stompings tonight. I’m tired of logging off physically sick. There doesn’t seem to be any plan on the horizon to make pvp fun for non super gamers.

try hitting tab. I find this faster than clicking anyway when I remember to do it.

And it has a strong tendency to suddenly recharge right after a team fight, which is the point of my post. It gives a free win because the winning team gets bell and then almost immediately gets it again.

That would be a good thing. The Orb in Spirit Watch takes considerably more effort to carry to a point.

The mechanic of ringing the bell almost hands the win to the team with the most DH or war. Then, If the fight lasts too long, the bell comes up for free, while one team is recovering from the wipe or near wipe.

I think the timer on the bell should start WHEN THE BELL IS RUNG. This would prevent the problem that I am pointing out.

@Chaith

I find your comments about helping the casual player base interesting. I’ve been arguing this general idea for some time.

Nevertheless, I agree mostly.

The reality is that stacked matchmaking and farming bear a lot of the blame for toxic conditions. That and the un-lamented “l2p” era when players responded to every complaint or request for help with some variation of “l2p.”

Deliberately unfair matchmaking predictably created a bully culture. It will take significant time to turn that around. It will also take a noticeable reduction in farming and exploiting. Solo queue would go a long way toward that.

That might be the case, but a second instant bonus hit of points is still a bad situation.

Perhaps bell should only be claimable for a fairly short time. Say 20 seconds.

The way it’s working now awards easy wins too often.

No, I’ve seen it reset within seconds after ringing. It is possible that it was because of an extended team fight. Either way the effect is the same.

This needs to be fixed

The bell should not recharge quicker in the final phase of the game.

Several games now I’ve had a situation where my team wiped (usually to 2 or 3 dh standing on the bell). Then before we could regroup the bell was ready again, instant loss.

That’s a bad mechanic. Just keep the bell running on a stable schedule. It shouldn’t be possible for a team to get 150+ points in the space of a few seconds.

Pro League only interests me insofar as it affects pvp balance in the “real” Tyria. It doesn’t seem to be returning much on the investment.

I do watch Helseth’s stream now and again to look for game play tips.

I don’t agree. Two seasons of stacked matches distorted MMR, sometimes wildly. No, the system doesn’t try to push a 50/50 win loss.

At present it ( finally ) tries to set up each match with each side having an equal chance. So this idea of “anyone can grind to the top” is 100% false.

So no, being in Legend doesn’t imply belonging there. Realistically it implies farming stronghold with a premade and/or riding a win streak through stacked matches. Being given a series of “gimmee” matches hardly qualifies anyone as “Legendary.”

I agree with the OP many players were lifted far above there true skill level. That, if anything, removed any “prestige” from Legend division.

Love the idea of a coliseum. Let’s play in divinity’s reach where the general public can watch.

This might even draw some of them to come try.

Treb on Kyhlo seems fine to me. The only issue I have is that it’s not affected by conditions.

Truthfully though, this is micromanaging. There are a number of other issues that need attention more than this does.

I don’t agree.

First, yes I stupidly posted a video.. at the request of an ESL pro player. He and others mocked me for it. That was seasons ago. I’ve since carefully trained and added a Razer Tartarus to my quiver. both have improved my game play considerably.

As evidence, I did win my Gift of the Competitor and finished the “Ascension” ( Though I find that name a denigration of gw1 )

Second, clone death builds did not win an excessive number of matches. They weren’t a feature of high level games as Chronomancer certainly is.

If anything Chronomancer is significantly more powerful and easier to play. Just spam buttons in a given order, over and over.

Yet clone death is called “cancer.” Why? It punishes mindless button spamming and requires that the opponent think.

Then, a clone death Mesmer killed a staffer of ANET.

He said so, on the official stream. Citing that 1v1 he went on to say the build would be removed. It was within 2 weeks.

My first “Hearts and Minds” took more than 9 hours to complete as I kept getting cast back and having to start over on phases of the fight.

It’s gotten better since. Each phase has a mechanic that makes it ( relatively ) easy if you catch on. Pay close attention to the patterns and work around them.

-edit- Small logical error in the story. The Skald states that Knut Whitebear banished Eir from Hoelbrak. She goes on to say that Eir returned to Hoelbrack with Destiny’s Edge before defeating the Lieutenant of Jormag.

She could not have done this if she were banished.

I’m successfully running vanilla condi PU in unranked. Yes, I have HoT on both accounts but I’m not liking sword/shield. I didn’t sign up to be a jock (warrior.)

Clone death was removed because a ranking ANET staffer died to a clone death build. He said as much on stream.

His complaint was that dodging allowed aoe damage. Now some classes get advantages on dodging so I don’t see the issue with that.

Still, it should not be difficult to code so that if a clone is destroyed because of a dodge, it does not apply aoe.

I continue to contend that:

1) Killing a dev is no reason to destroy a build.

2) The issue that anet staffer had could have been resolved by not having clones apply aoe if destroyed by a dodge.

3) A clone death build would discourage mindless aoe spam.

4) Clone death traits have the potential of making Phantasm builds work again

How about a parafoil glider? With a choice of logo.

From the conversations after “Hearts and Minds,” I gathered that Majory and Kasmeer were having difficulty.

Here’s what I’d love to see happen in the story:

It’s not uncommon to see nobility awarded for deeds. Sir Paul McCartney is an example. Kasmeer can and should regain her nobility.

Majory has always sneered at the upper classes. This may be the cause of there troubles, especially since she might find herself given a noble title and charter.

I hope to attend there wedding in Divinity’s Reach and help them come to terms with there new status.

I’ve just come from Eir’s memorial in Hoelbrak. Tears still drying. Well done ANET.

I just finished cleansing Orr for the first time on my second account. As always, there are tears in my eyes. Great storytelling ANET. I’m reminded why I love this game.

I compliment you on trying to educate. I wasn’t aware of why the shield phantasm failed to spawn sometimes.

There needs to be more information and in more detail.

I contend that clone death would provide a means to make Phantasm builds ( which I like ) potentially useful in PvP and elsewhere. It would also help shatter build which suffer from the fact that the clones seldom survive to be shattered.

1) Clone death punishes mindless spam and aoe.

2) Clone death gives some value when our soap bubble clones are slaughtered as a by product of auto attacks.

3) Clone death can be used to build damage over time without shattering. It’s a kind of non-shatter. That’s the reason it’s so good in a phantasm build.

From GW1 onward, Mesmer has been alleged to be a punishment class. Clone death is a perfect example of this mode.

Ranger pets are quite tough and are persistent attackers. There’s only one pet you say? then make each phantasm 1/3 as tough as a ranger pet.

Yes, in GW2 we call that “Legacy of the Foefire.”

The guild wars were before GW1. Traherne goes over the story during the Pale Tree’s vision trip to Orr.

In GW1 one of the early missions mentions that King Adelburn helped stop the Guild Wars.

So, it does not follow that Guilds fight in Guild Wars 2. We are in the aftermath of that war. (Which set the stage for the Charr destruction of Ascalon) I might mention that it also does not follow that legendary items require legendary rank.

Yes the clones would make aoe condies. So yes , there would be a penalty for killing them.

Shatter Mesmer would benefit either by getting something out of the wasted clones or from players avoiding killing them.

In both cases it would make Shatter more viable. It would also make Phantasm builds a bit better.

I considered Napalm Cat a Phantasm build. The condie clone death was support. If you watch Osicat play, he puts out what he calls the “damage phantasm” then kites and distracts while the clone deaths and the phant wreck the enemy.

Though yes, he went through various phases and styles.

I misread Supcutie, my mistake.

As to bad mechanics that are “uncontrollable”; First we both know that clones can be placed. So you’re not being straightforward.

Second, Mesmer is all about randomness and Chaos. The class is also alleged to be about punishment.

Yes a prominent anet staffer died to the build. That does not make it a bad build.

I’d like you to address the idea of a selective shatter, clones only. That would permit phantasms to be used longer. The clone shatters would build vulnerability or stun or conditions.

That’s debatable Cynz, considering the hours I put into these seasons. It’s also irrelevant.

I was simply sharing something that gave me a bit of boost to make the last push and finish the ascension.

It really is about the person themselves, not the critics and the mockers. What one sees in the mirror is vastly more important than the number of likes on fb.

There is another point that’s being overlooked here.

Clones don’t last long enough to be used in shatters because there is no penalty for killing them. They blow like soap bubbles, just cleave them away and the Shatter Mesmer is kittened.

With clone death traits, there would be a penalty.

@Fay

It’s apparent to me that you’re not interested in listening to what I have to say. Your replies show that you didn’t check the builds I referenced. I’m sorry you dislike clone death so much.

Here’s an alternative that would support Phantasm builds: Allow us to selectively shatter clones only. This would allow the same build up of vulnerability and conditions that clone death did.

Hence, Phantasms would be a serious threat, assuming they were buffed a bit to allow them to survive.

I’m laughing in rl over my celebratory Chinese takeout. Thanks Chaith, though I suspect you’re being sarcastic.

Y’all missed a basic point, well actually 2 points.

First, a system like the one you propose would not have attracted casuals to come try pvp. That was a major reason for the backpack or it was made a major reason.

Two, yes I just finished my Gift of the Competitor. No, I’ve never made “Legendary” rank. Still I put in insane hours, played classes I was uncomfortable with and won and improved my game from a 16% win rate at a low point in Season 2.

I earned the wings as much as or more than the people who rode stacked matches and win streaks to Legendary.

I think that part of the point is that it’s about oneself. It’s not about the critics.

I won my Gift of the Competitor today. Thanks to the many people who helped along the way. I bid defiance to the naysayers.

I’m ready to scream at the moment, having been stomped the past six matches. Browsing a whip forum I found this quote:

’It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.
’

-Theodore Roosevelt