Guild Wars 2

I spent much of last season playing an Auramancer Ele,(with some success.).

Mesmer is my first love though and I’d like to have the ability to play it such that people on my team don’t cry when they see me on the roster.

Is there a workable Phantasm build? Or any build that doesn’t require complex combos?

My mistake, thank you.

-edit- ANET needs to pay better attention to naming things.

Calling the top PvP division “Legendary” and offering a “legendary” reward created the perception that the reward should only be for top players. At the same time ANET tried to promote it as a reward for “everyone.” This conflict has caused endless misery for 3 seasons now.

Duplicate naming is clearly an issue because it creates the illusion of connection.

I have been grinding GW1 on my main account here in GW2 for the express purpose of getting the various unique skins.

Does this reward track contain the same skins? If so, I find them now debased and devalued. That is a truly sad decision.

Most puzzling is “why?” Why debase a coin that people will grind literally years for? There’s no real gain here, a reward track that few will even notice? Why?

I really like the idea of banning premades. It would reduce some of the extreme imbalances in matchmaking. An all solo queue would be a much better test of individual player skill as well.

I’d ban Engis for ridiculous sustain and constant interrupt with no real effort. Did I mention OP stomps?

Seriously though, this idea would narrow an already small slice of players willing to pvp regularly. The community needs to encourage and not discourage players.

I was expressing frustration and anger over 3 seasons of stompings. I apologize if it was offensive.

On Topic; I think match quality is far and away the biggest issue. Perhaps any team should be counted as higher MMR because it is a team.

He did say that. I hope it manifests in the game.

The current Auramancer Ele is balanced because it hits like a wet noodle. I love being in the team medic role. There’s not a need for nerfs there.

I don’t understand why players don’t “get” that a combination of healer ele, “zerk” war and perhaps vanilla guard could be absolutely deadly.

I’d like to see some reduction of Engi interrupts. It’s already been done once by toning down [Slick Shoes] and it needs some more.

The calls for Mesmer nerfs are unjustified. Mesmer, as usual, has already been lamed by multiple heavy hits.

Thieves… well, I can beat a thief by timing a punishing block or aoe. I don’t think they are as big an issue as they are made out to be.

Ross Biddle.2367:

Don’t really care about wings or divisions, so this season I set out to play “counter meta builds” or just whatever. Everything went fine, pretty much as expected. Pretty much all matches were either a dominant team of good players, or an inferior team of weak players. The matchmaker was clearly at play this season.

I did some matches with Ithilwen, in those matches in particular I experienced the worst of the worst players compiled onto my team almost bar none. After that I noticed it had a dramatic impact on my MMR, the teams that I got, and the effect it had on my matches thereafter. Quite interesting stuff!

As far as I’m concerned, GW2 PvP is pretty much broken, unfun, and though I want it to be a cool player experience, it’s probably done for from this point onwards. Who knows what the future might hold! (Actually: For Honor, when that comes out )

@Ross Biddle

I’m a little hurt at the implication that I am among “the worst of the worst.” Nevertheless, thank you for seeing and acknowledging that the teams I’ve been matched into have been consistently very bad.

I couldn’t carry them and neither could you. The notion that one can resolve MMR by “getting gud” didn’t work out in reality, Did it?

You’d still have the issue of f2p accounts queue’ing up for the new mode and finding themselves helpless on the map. Or you’d still need to code to differentiate f2p vs. b2p. ANET hasn’t shown willingness to work code.

Maybe a better notion would be this;

A pvp race, something similar to Sanctum Sprinting in the old Zephyrite festival. Enable all accounts to glide while on the map. I envision racing through the canyons like a certain young Sci Fi character named Anakin.

This would be a different mode and possibly encourage f2p accounts to switch to b2p by letting them sample gliding.

No, I’m dreading it. Most of all, I am afraid ANET is going to say that matchmaking went well in S3 and just needs a few tweeks. The level of exploiting by teams was awful.

I have 3 divisions to cross for the kittening wings. Then I can leave “leagues” to the voice enabled teams and let them use someone else for a whipping girl.

I honestly think this would be very cool. ANET won’t do it though. It would exclude f2p players.

In turn that would require coding for the matchmaker to differentiate f2p vs. HoT accounts.

This would short circuit neo-smurfing, (the practice of playing on a secondary f2p account for quicker matches or simply to stomp people by being matched under one’s skill level. )

I’ve found that ANET generally avoids any change that would require coding or displease a particular sub group of players.

This, publish the results please.

Personally, I’ve come to dread “balance” patches. It will be interesting to see which class is the golden child for season 4.

I love the idea of “clinics.” I have benefited some from private instruction. This is a great idea.

I suggested banning f2p accounts from ranked seasons. This is a remedy for the “neo-smurfing”, my term, that is happening.

I’ve said multiple times now, the MMR reset would need to be accompanied by even matchmaking.

That was the season before this. I’ve spent considerable time and some formal training getting better since then.

Players “staying where they belong” isn’t the issue.

To be honest, I don’t care a whit what division anyone is in. With deliberately unfair matchmaking, division difference is meaningless. I don’t have any real respect for “Legendary” players as such.

I’d be happy as a clam to be an a lower division and getting fun matches, if the shiny didn’t require advancing in divisions.

The issue is that the shiny ( the backpack ) requires advancing through divisions. That reward was intended to attract players to PvP.

Because ANET has made it difficult or impossible to advance, the reward is denied to the very players it was intended to attract. It will alienate them instead.

At the same time, the system isn’t truly competitive either. It more or less failed on all counts.

@ zynt No I have two paid HoT enabled accounts. I have teamed with diamond and legendary players and held my own in there matches.

Again, back to the point. Any matchmaking system that is put in place will be crippled by the already huge MMR differences. The MMR needs reset.

Solo queue would be a big help in addition to a reset of MMR.

@trevor boyer

It goes without saying that a system designed to create fair matches is a prerequisite. I cannot fathom why anyone thought that deliberately unfair matchmaking was competitive or fair.

All of those changes need to be made.

The matchmaking is at fault. People know that one team is set up to lose. When that’s the case and you’re on the losing side… what’s the point in getting beat up? To make the other team feel good?

The issue is simple. Despite all the talk of reaching your skill level, the shiny requires advancement. That basic conflict destroys the value of the shiny for attracting new players and it will result in a lower overall population.

Again, my point is that because of the past 2 and arguably 3 seasons, the MMR range is very large. There are also probably a majority concentrated at the extremes.

For that reason, any mmr based match making system is going to have a very difficult time. Therefore, ANET should reset MMR, game -wide.

You are missing a point. Many players’ MMRs, ( including mine,) have been unfairly tanked by matchmaking.

The margins are so large now, I doubt any matchmaking system can make fair matches if it relies on MMR. The means to solve this is to reset MMR.

I realize that a portion of the players are enjoying long win streaks and believe that it is due to “skill.” The reality is though that competition needs to be fair or it is not competition.

I posted multiple screenshots of an ESL player doing just that, in a prior season. I don’t think there’s really any question that this is happening.

In fact, quite a few posters on this forum have talked about doing exactly what I describe.

Ok, the idea of MMR reset AND starting f2p accounts at a low MMR might be a compromise. I don’t trust that this would be well executed. Still, done right, it might work.

ANET needs to reset MMR, game-wide.

The past three seasons of smurfing and deliberately unequal matches have created very large MMR differences. This has more-or-less created a caste system and predestined matches. Players realize this and many have stopped playing.

As a result, I don’t believe that any matchmaking system will be capable of avoiding streaks. The streaks will increase the differences and the issue will continue to snowball.

In addition; ANET needs to forbid f2p accounts in ranked.

They are used too often as a neosmurfing method. Players laugh as they farm and “Noob stomp.” The problem is that this is very detrimental to the game.

Good idea. Another game that came out recently actually calls players to a tutorial mission from time to time as they advance. The player practices using a particular skill at first. Later tutorials advance to advantageous combinations.

This would have made my first couple of years of GW2 a lot easier and more fun.

As evidence of the need for this; I was wandering through Queensdale when I encountered a newly created guardian ( about lvl 8 ) being killed by an npc bandit.
I jumped in and quickly disposed of the bandit and talked with the player. At level 8, they had no idea they should dodge or use defensive skills. They also had no notion of attack facing ANET has put out dodge tutorials in the starting areas. This is a step in the right direction.

The “Feeders” are placed on teams by ANET in two ways;

First, one team is being chosen to lose. Ergo, it will have losing players.

Second, the matchmaking has driven away enough players that people have to be drawn from wherever they are available.

This season, I have finally begun AFK ing some matches. I see no reason to run out there and be a punching bag for an enemy team that is clearly superior. I’ve also run into obvious deathtraps, just to get the kittened match over with. I suppose some would call me a feeder.

Competition is well and good. Unbalanced and predetermined matches are another matter.

Some posters on this forum keep arguing for tougher and tougher rules and matches. I’m mystified as to why those poster don’t recognize that;

Those “feeders” represent possible future players. They need to be cultivated if pvp is to prosper.

Harder matches and advancement will lead to further decreases in PvP population. That in turn makes matches worse. This is a vicious cycle.

TLDR

Those “feeders” represent new blood. New players are exactly what PvP needs at this point. Denigrate them and drive them off at your peril.

I agree, hp unlocks in pvp is a great idea.

I remember the days of attack/stealth/attack/stealth. That was some time ago though.

No, I find thieves one of the less problematic classes.

@style

Sadly, I think you are probably right.

Except, with the long loss and win streaks, ( one reported 44 straight wins, I personally suffered through 38 straight losses, ) the game isn’t forcing any 50/50 ratio on anyone.

Perhaps, it’s the player involved.

ANET attempted contradictory goals.

The legendary reward was intended to bring in new blood. Not a bad idea at all. The reward was set up to require multiple seasons of participation. Also, good idea.

The counter idea was “competitive” matchmaking. Without getting into that too far, it created something like a Ponzi scheme. One section of the population was more or less “fed” and advanced rapidly by the rest. When the supply of feeders dried up, the system showed it’s flaws.

I understand the desire for “hard core” pvp. This game doesn’t have the player base to support that.

If I were in charge at ANET; There’d be a public “Mea Culpa” on stream and in the forums. Then matchmaking would be reset to create as close to even matches as reasonably possible. Solo queue would return to the game. Any shiny would be purely reward track. Finally there’d be a game – wide MMR reset.

Yes, even matches would result in complaints that players have teammates they regard as unskilled or opponents they regard as too skilled. That’s happening now, so there’d be no net loss.

Queue times might be high, but they are high now. Again, no net loss.

There would be complaints that people who “earned” high mmr were more-or-less ripped off by a reset. I think at least a slight majority would benefit, so this is an acceptable decision.

It would be said that there was no prestige to a reward track item. Well, honestly there’s not much prestige to Legendary rank or the wings now. It’s very well known that people were carried by MMR and/or teams. Here, again, no net loss.

Take care of the “filthy casuals” and they will come and support the game. Trounce them repeatedly and they will go find something else to do… simple.

It won’t be, this season. The matchmaking has driven away too many people.

Yes, but division crossings are required for the shiny. So, preventing crossings counters the value of the shiny.

In addition there have been avalanches of complaints that fellow players are too weak and opposition players too strong.

ANET was clearly trying to get a separation so that super teams didn’t go around noob stomping/farming for fun.

Safe pips are the crutch that was meant to counterbalance uneven matches and speed players apart. Unfortunately, that’s been circumvented by two things; The matchmaking is creating matches so extreme that the separation never happens and people are subverting the system by re rolling to new accounts.

The “safe pips” prop up an uneven matchmaking. Without that, players would be quickly forced out of the mid range. Intuition says that with current matchmaking, the vast majority would be in Amber/Emerald.

You really can’t have it both ways. Speedy separation of the “skill” levels or no safety nets.

Also, ANET chose to make the shiny dependent on wins. A lack of safe pips would make the prize near unobtanium.

Since the player base is so small, ANET needs to attract new blood. There chosen method of doing that was a “legendary” shiny. Unfortunately, ANET chose to alienate the same new blood by exposing them to murderous odds with the matchmaking.

It will be interesting to see which way the season 4 matchmaking goes.

I would expect people to immediately start throwing games. That’s just too big an invitation.

The staff thief sucks to fight.. but aoe condi will get them, because it’s there to hit in the small gaps of there evade.

It’s not quite perma evade, there are small gaps. The trick is to lay down aoe and wait for it to hit the thief in those gaps. If you can stun, for example with [Shocking Aura,] you can hammer them.

To summarize so far:

There is some agreement that splitting the queue would be ideal, with some provisos;

Any “shiny” reward should be on a reward track and not tied to win/loss.

Team queue would need additional rewards to promote it. Personally I’m not sure on this, but it seems to be a popular idea.

Unbalanced matchmaking is not working and should be scrapped.

Does this sound accurate?

Now, the thread is being derailed to a personal argument.

I think that splitting the queue to solo and team again would be ideal.

Making evenly stacked teams and the 50/50 system are imperative in my view.

Further, the back pack and any future “shiny” should be on a reward track, unrelated to win/loss.

This thread started with some of my suggestions on how to fix the current matchmaking. There is, I believe, general agreement that the current system isn’t working.

Along the way, and on topic, I’ve tried to explain why I believe it is critical that “everyone” be able to compete successfully.

Several posters have tried to make it about me, which I have actively discouraged.

The personal attacks don’t take anything from the relevance of this thread. The fact that I express opinions some do not agree with is not a reason to claim that I harm the pvp community or that I need to be silenced.

ANET said that everyone could win the back piece. The matchmaking and the farming by teams have made it doubtful that casuals or pve players can get it. Many pvp players seem to believe that’s “how it should be.”

The irony and tragedy is that the back piece was meant to attract those very “filthy casual” players. Instead, those players have been exposed to murderous odds and matches that they were deliberately stacked to lose. To top that off.. most will never see the reward.

I understand the position of players who want to be “hard core.” The reality is that the resources (viz. playerbase ) aren’t there to support “hard core” competition.

So, no.. ANET did not state that everyone would win the backpiece. They did state that everyone could. In my considered opinion, that promise has not been fulfilled yet.

I am attempting to suggest ways to repair that.

BlaqueFyre.5678

No, it was set out as You can work on the path of Ascension to get the rewards. Not that it is guaranteed that you will get it. You haven’t met the requirements so far so you haven’t received it, everyone was allowed multiple months to achieve the item. If you started late that’s not Anets fault or anyone else’s. There is one more month to try to achieve the legendary, you do show entitlement, I have offered to queue with you as have others you have never pm’d us in game and I have been on everyday almost these last few weeks you are always offline. You haven’t put forth the full effort to achieve what you want but want it given to you.

First, it doesn’t make sense to assert that ANET only promised that everyone could “work toward” the legendary backpack. All of the prerequisite pieces expire at the end of season 4 and there are no real rewards along the way.

Why would anyone “work toward” a reward, if they aren’t going to get it and there’s no real incentive for partial completion? That’s illogical.

Second, I have been PvP’ing on my alt. So if you have in fact called, I didn’t get it. I have teamed and in so doing made it to Ruby.. This keeps me just barely in the running to get the wings next season. I’d be very pleased to duo or team if you are willing.

I started in the first season and have put in more hours than most. The matchmaking and exploitation by teams have made it extremely difficult.

I have suggested solutions. Further, I’d assert that the current system will result in a net decrease in pvp population. The prize was meant to attract new players. In the event, it ended up alienating more than it attracted.

Recriminations against me are off-topic. This thread is about suggested solutions to the current issues, especially matchmaking. There is , I think, general agreement that the current system is not working.

It really has nothing to do with “entitlement” on my part. The prize was set out as available to everyone. It follows that it should in fact be available to everyone.

As to the argument of “you need to progress your skills and be deserving” I have two responses; First the prize is time sensitive. So, there’s no time to spend months or years trying to have parity. Second, competition requires a level playing field. This is a game, not the social darwinist 1920’s or some sections of the current political arena. An unfair game is not a game at all.

I sincerely hope not. I agree, it would be one of the last nails in the coffin. I enjoy PvP as much as I kitten about it.

I agree. The best solution would be to split the queues again. Solo and team. Unfortunately I suspect ANET will not consider that option. They are stubbornly pushing for group content and Esports.

The reality is that players in this game exclude wherever the game allows them to. This is why high level fractals and raids will always be smallish clubs.

If anet went all team in pvp, it would quickly be off-limits to me and to many others. I’m sure that would please some, but it would make PvP even less relevant than it is now.

@Pyriall and Ruru

You both missed my point completely. I’m a pretty proficient dungeon runner. On a good day, I can dodge Alpha indefinitely and one-shot Lupi. ( To “one shot” in this case means to defeat her without a team wipe.)

Despite that, showing up on my alt, I couldn’t even get on a party. She was deemed unworthy .

Fractals and raids have similar issues. Elitist groups will kick without any notice or explanation.

If ANET chose to make PvP team only, the elitism would quickly exclude most players.

As to grinding versus skill. I have my dungeon master. I’ve successfully completed every path in every dungeon. At times, I have even taken very low level party members through dungeons as a challenge to myself.

No I am not asking for a handout. In raids, I don’t even get the chance to try. In high level fractals the story is the same.

I can see it now: "What? You can’t get on a PvP party? Well git gud! "

You can’t “git gud” without practice and you can’t practice without convincing someone that your are “gud.” CATCH 22 Team only would cause severe damage to pvp which is already tottering.

The choice of “hardcore” style pvp players would have to be team queue. That group is too small to support pvp on it’s own.

GW2 is a casual game. Witness ANET’s effort to attract pve players to pvp. No, if one could choose only team or solo, then solo would be the logical choice.

@ROC I’ve been an avid dungeon runner for a long time. When I first started, I’d often find myself kicked from a party without explanation.

Later I learned that I had been rejected because it was considered my gear wasn’t adequate or I had made some mistake. Or I simply wasn’t a geared out 80.

I have Dungeon Master and know a couple of the runs like the back of my hand. Still, on my alt account thief I couldn’t get into a party. She hadn’t made 80 yet.

For this reason, I am careful to make my lfg “all welcome” When I lead groups. Countless times I’ve heard players wonder why they couldn’t get on a party or got kicked. It still happens in places like Arah.

There are few if any randoms running raids. I tried but was kicked after I made some error that was never explained. This was on one of my main account Mesmers, in full ascended gear, ( including Wings of Dwayna, ironically.)

With the attitude in pvp, it would very quickly become a situation of only select players ever getting on a team.

What would the rejected players do? They’d leave. All team is a disastrous scheme and I fervently hope anet is clearsighted enough to see that.

I agree. I think removing solo queue was a huge error.

There’s no way I know of to convince anet of that though. They are apparently intent on creating “group” content. I think that too is a mistake.

My perception is that what is said in forums, stays in forums.