Guild Wars 2

Pls balance your game, ty.

Nightshade.2570:

I think some people think that PvP is boring and does not thrive because of these limitations, when in actuallity it is much more balanced than WvW. Any experienced PvPer knows, though we wish we could customize and use certain stat sets that allowing that would severely affect things and in alot of respects destroy PvP. To be competitive PvP must be limited not just in gear but in skills.

It is more balance because anet messed up when they removed the stats from the traitlines – that only affected WvW/PvE. And in PvE it doesn’t matter.
Also the pvp guys tried to balance your game mode wheras pve/wvw got almost no balance for now 2 years.
Before that the game was pretty much balanced, no matter whether you played PvE, WvW or PvP.
I hope I made my point clear. PvP isn’t more balanced because of the amulets, it’s because it has got different traits/stats/damage calculation because it is a separate game mode since june 2015 and the gap has been made bigger. ‘Pvp only’ is the new balance.

Noticed a lot of bugs in wvw lately, again. Missing my CnD although I shouldn’t. Might have to do with the hitboxes as some mobs have a ‘miss without miss’ more frequently.
Haven’t noticed it in wvw so far but the fights there are usually beyond messy.
Just saying: There are a lot of bugs and something seems to be wrong with your game engine, anet – and I can’t highlight all of the bugs on my own. And for each bug recorded there’s another 2 popping up.

And for those who still think I’m telling fairy tales: I know when my internet connection is lagging and I know that I miss more frequently when it is. In most cases my internet connection is fine though and the misses are indeed bugs.

Also the class/class interaction often seems somehow off – some classes seem to be too fast.

Just saying before someone thinks that everything is 100% fine now – unfortunately it isn’t.

Juular.4729:

Yes a amulet system, or amulets in each gear part so u can mix match your build, but i think a amulet system is better for balancing.

Anet haven’t balanced their game for 2 years – what makes you think that with amulets in wvw that would happen? And hey, the next expansion is up and things will only get worse.

In every game I ever played, no matter how bad the graphics were I had a favourite spot. And that spot was usually not one highlighted by the game, like vistas in this game. I’ve had one favourite spot (which is very few, I usually have a bunch in each game) – and you put a mastery point there and ruined it. Kitten. The spot is pretty, but couldn’t you put the mastery point somewhere to the left or right or behind? Really, only one place I really loved in this game and it had to be destroyed. Sigh.
I Know most people won’t get it “but there’s vistas?” – but I had to get my disapointment off my chest,

apharma.3741:

Now you do but before they buffed shortbow, when my quote is from, what did most people do with SB?

I also used 4 mostly – reason: It’s the fastest skill – autotargeting went broken somewhen last fall, I switched to manual targeting which is a pain in zergs (the target just selected is out of range a split second afterwards), but I still mostly used 4 – as a valk/zerker thief with CS, not DA. Reason #2: Poison: 33% less heal and banner (which is rarely used nowadays) doesn’t work in it. Also a visible red circle enemies would probably back off from. Back in the day when people used combos and waterfields and firefields and when not everything was a blob I used mostly 2 which is way too slow now.
I use 5 when I’m traveling, very very rarely in a fight and if I’m using it I’m trying to get out of the fight. I’m not alone with that, btw.

apharma.3741:

Use 4 and 2 on downed or 5 to get around quicker. Occasionally you would use 3 for a quick evade if out of dodges. The fact was most people rarely used shortbow for anything but infiltrators arrow.

That is maybe true for pvp, for wvw it isn’t.

apharma.3741:

Now with the buffs there’s more situations for using cluster bomb for its AoE damage and choking gas as an AoE interrupt and to get a damage increase from the auto while triggering the daze + PI.

They could remove the daze entirely – it won’t get triggered in the scenario they thought it would, so that buff is useless to me, but causes problems in a 1vs1 situation/smallscale/pvp – I wouldn’t miss it.
What I want for SB is an option to make it autotarget while my other set still has manual targeting and a faster cluserbomb.

Your problems don’t stem from SB or SA or CnD – they’re D/P, /P + bound and daredevil – these things need to be nerfed. And some traits need to be looked into.

And as a indirect buff for all thieves I’d like some things to be reversed: the over access to reveal (I’ve got not chance against classes that use it), the over access to group stealth (that is destroying my CnD) and I want to have the stalth attack cooldown to be either scrapped or lowered because I’m basically shut down mid fight for 1,5 seconds.

For those who don’t know: I’m a D/D power thief with SB. The issues I listed (minus the stealth attack cooldown) are no issues for D/P which is the strongest set by far – even if my wishes were granted I wouldn’t be nearly as annoying as them. That’s why these vague accusations “nerf thief” aren’t doing any good. Really learn the class at least halfway and see yourself what exactly is op and then adress it.

McKenna Berdrow.2759:

The reset times are as follows:
• Killing a Player – 10 minutes
• Killing a Caravan – 2 minutes
• Destroying a fortification – 5 minutes
• Killing a Guard – 2 minutes
• Killing a Lord – 5 minutes
• Killing or reviving a merc npc – 1 minute
• Repairing – 5 minutes
• Siege Damage Wall/Gate/Player – 1 minute
• Destroying Siege – 5 minute
• Killing a Veteran Creature – 5 minutes

These happen on event completion:
• Defending a Caravan – 2 minutes
• Completing a Merc Event – 5 minutes
• Completing a Defend Event – 10 minutes
• Capturing an objective – 10 minutes
• Capturing a Ruin or Shrine – 2 minutes
• Capturing a Sentry – 5 minutes

I think this is pretty fair actually, minus the veteran creatures as they were useless anyway and no one ever got what purpose they have. 5 mins is a bit much in comparison what other stuff gives.
But yes, I can understand that the scenario Deihnyx was talking about can cause problems. But I’m not so sure it didn’t before.

Oh my, people having no idea from thief complaining about thief or explaining how they play.
Well ok.
I’m using SB and I use all skills of it – mainly skill number 4.
Rarely 5 in a fight for that I have 3 which is way more effective and costs less initative.
I really wish it were: “Hey, I’m Jesus from anet – I’m the new thief dev, please shut up and let me do my work”.

Sirbeaumerdier.3740:

If the npc is dead, it is more than an attempt. You have successfully killed the NPC.

That being said, it is rarely a problem to kill a NPC. However, the same can’t be said of players who will come to defend an objective. They will get rewarded for defending (and it is great), but you might not if you don’t kill anyone defending or flip anything despite legitimately trying.

Didn’t you only get participation for a successful event before? Then this system is even fairer.
ETA: And actually: If you can’t even kill an npc you’re doing something really wrong and if it were for only attempting to kill something those who afk would have it even easier and this change was to make it harder for them.

Sirbeaumerdier.3740:

I agree with you that, ideally, the decay should be about you trying something regardless of success.

I guess it is hard for the developers to identify legitimate attempts, hence why they went for successful actions.

You get the kills for the npcs – so the system acknowledges that you tried.

Deihnyx.6318:

The difference is simply that if you go after something and don’t get the kill, you have much higher chances to lose participation now, even though you were actively participating. Try to go flip a camp (including killing its vets/yaks) only to lose it last minute to a zerg passing by. Getting decay happens MUCH faster now, even though you were STILL doing something.
Participating != Succeeding

Not convinced actually, because it didn’t hit me – if it really were set way too low it would hit me first.
Maybe tell them what you want to have adjusted.

Deihnyx.6318:

Tongku.5326:

Out of all these complaint posts in this thread, I’m willing to bet there are maybe 1 or 2 legit scouts, rest of you just troll cause no more AFK farming, which is a good thing.

I’m willing to bet exactly the opposite, there might be one of two leechers, and rest are legit players.
There’s even some people here who were in favor of the current pip system and aren’t ok with this new decay.

It’s weird to be ok with the pip system?
Im a real roamer/scout, although I might run with the zerg here and there.
And there was no difference for me the past 2 days to before.
Just that when the only thing I did so far was repairing walls the decay timer was really short – haven’t had a look, but that might be what gives the least time, and probably rightfully so.

Regarding thieves contesting WPs – (There’s rangers and mesmers doing that as well, btw).
You have to give my first server a lot of credit: They used me as bait – never fails as I’m a thief magnet (as a thief myself – or maybe because my char is so pretty. And huge “you’re a Norn, right?” and the signet of shadows gives extra noob points). I wasn’t able to kill them in a 1o1 back then as I was a really noob (with a 250 ping) but the bait was enough for others to jump on them. So – if you’re not able to kill them you might be doing something wrong.

ETA: I was ok with that, btw. They really knew when and how to use my very special abilities

I have the same issue – noticed it in PvE and it feels as if I pressed the buttons too fast. It might have always been there but since the cooldown it’s more noticable – don’t know.

What helped me was recording the bugs I came across (not that very issue) and taking tons of kitten from my fellow thieves on here calling everything I listed as a bug a L2P issue – but anet were able to see what I meant and fixed a lot of stuff.
Try that.

Then don’t mention it if it isn’t the problem and you know.
I only stress that because anet aren’t the smartest when it comes to their own game and believe the stuff others write – also SA THIEVES ARE STEALTH CAMPING – which you implied.

Jayne.9251:

Yes but server balance is a NA thing. Sure you got steamrolled by SFR or FSP from time to time, but the beauty of EU was that matches naturally changed each week, without manual adjustments or linkings.

Linkings brought the disassociation of server identity to EU, which was difficult to straddle given identity related to language that exists, and continues to exist, in EU. That disassociation, in turn, brought the bandwagon… More than we had ever seen prior. To an almost absurd level now.

What had been a reasonably healthy WvW scene in EU was gutted with the linkings. Sever identity was key to robust gameplay in EU. And a minimal glicko variance augmented changing matchups. It made the game worth playing, even if you were steamrolled some matches.

+1
Not sure if it’d still be like that, though.

SA isn’t the problem, /P offhand is (either coupled with D mainhand or with Bound).
I wish after 4 years you guys would finally get it.

Come to think of it: Did you have a look at the skirmishes won or the score? I think the 1 up 1 down goes for skirmishes won and they don’t always show up in the score as well (strongest server usually has got most points and skirmishes).

Yes, it was the towers which had the WPs – Anet intended us to play like we’re playing now: All 3 fractions are present on all maps. But it did disadvantage the ones who’s borderland it was and the barricades, probably set up to adjust that, disadvantaged single players/small groups because you better have to have supply to get through the barricades/walls.
Whatever they intended it wasn’t smart, sorry.

Sviel.7493:

The towers originally had walls attached that would cut off access to some map routes to those who didn’t own the tower. They were incredibly effective at controlling map access. Some people complained, however, and the walls were downgraded to barricades which did not get stronger as the tower tiered up. People kept complaining and the barricades were removed too.

I had enemies helping me getting down the barricades. I left my chars there auto attacking that thing while I went afk for 5 mins – how much fun is that?
You can just block acess to the map – even better control over who enters the map.
Or you can be smart about it.
On a sidenote: Can we please get rid of the DBL for good?

Swamurabi.7890:

Actually, Alpine SET is the worst tower of any map. You can’t put a treb up and hit a keep and a treb In hills will make swiss cheese of the walls.

No idea what is the worst tower on any map, butI can tell you: You can hit Garri from NE and NW tower, also hit NW and NE tower from Garri, you can hit Hills from SE tower and bay from SW tower. SE can be hit from hills, SW can’t be hit from bay though.
I think that’s pretty okay/more that one could hope for on the DBL.

True that, would be cool though that anet knows that most of what’s said here is as valid as the sighting of a unicorn – and to be taken with a grain of salt. They have a tendency to cripple thief at the exact wrong points and making D/P only stronger.

Turk.5460:

The hero panel comes up, the mouse “teleports” to the traits tab, then “teleports” to the trait – all in less than half a second. It is incredibly unlikely that precision and reaction time if human. Please don’t fanboy White Knight.

I’m not really convinced the mouse is a cheat, that’s all. Her mouse is around the same position but the cursore doesn’t show her moving to the exact traits, yes. But is it that much of an advantage? I don’t think so. A legal thing would be “Allow Skill Retargetting” which I think is a huge advantage. No idea if that’s set for every new player, if not they’re at disadvantage.

Sidenote: It’s one thing if you don’t get that Jana is a female name, another if you can’t distinguish a female from a male voice. Maybe try to have some more respect – I mean that.

DeceiverX.8361:

And well, I can provide insight about D/D power, but let’s be honest: The kit is trash and won’t get you any real results while playing it.

(The other point is listed in my reply above)
I’m doing pretty fine, actually, surprisingly. I just have to fight my allies who call me vanilla trash all the time and who, in a 2 vs 2, run away, because I’m kitten – a 1 vs 2 I can’t survive.
And well, I’d love to have cis in master so I could have some sustain.

Mystogan.4157:

yishis d./d and d/p and some p/d

Well, videos from some years ago..

Djamonja.6453:

Does Anet have any comment on why 1 up 1 down didn’t work correctly for tier 4 —> tier 3 this past reset?

What didn’t work?
We were 5 and predicted our next matchup correctly, so I guess everything went down as planned.
ETA: Or maybe you’re talking about NA – no clue about their MU’s.

Wasn’t Yishi D/D? That wouldn’t help much nowadays.
Had a 1vs1 with a dragonhunter yesterday – he was a mithril rank, yes (likely gained in EotM) – my commentary would’ve been something like this:

Opened with CnD and steal to.. umm.. bait his trap, got a backstab in, switched to SB to apply pressure (and spam 3), then I created a gap (by running into the other direction in panic), I baited something, I notice I have very low health, but no dodge or withdraw availlable, I pray to god that my CnD+steal combo would work backwards, it did – got a nice backstab in, but am still low on health, switch back to SB to apply pressure.. I baited whatever, interrupt him and he’s down.

I’d go with Tassimos wvw montages actually, (or if Sinderer has any) – you might see a downed red haired thief in her videos – that’s me.

ETA: Just because someone tried to teach me how to tell what the other will do next and that’s also in videos with commentary: I doubt that anyone can really bait anything from people who have got their rotations (= anyone but thieves). You might bait a dodge but that means that the other has to know your moves and what you might do next. So I was having a giggle when listening to all this “I baited” talk.
D/D is a melee class and a real fight means that I don’t see the other most of the time, unlike D/P with is pretty much ranged.

Turk.5460:

Does anyone know how to go directly to the trait panel with one key like this person does at 9:13?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saSCzUS_hHI

I couldn’t find a bind for it in the key bindings, so for years I’ve just been pressing h, then having to manually click the tab.

Edit: Oh, after looking at the video some more, it looks like he is using a macro, the mouse just appears in the correct locations… Is that even allowed?

No idea about the hero panel – but the mouse always being in teh right spot is something you get used to. I guess mine’s always where I need it as well – well almost always.
The person in the video is a ‘she’ btw.

And there’s a lot of good thieves in this game and according to what Deceiver told us how he’s playing (never saw it) – he should be the best – by far!

Good luck – and please don’t randomly accuse people to cheat or anything.

Sesbog.8705:

Why all the servers have a predictable color in the new match?

Server, that drop from tier, will get a green color in the new match.

Server, rising to a new tier, in a new match will get a red color.

And blue color for who remains in tier.

Yes, so I will be stuck with the DBL for another few weeks – great.

Let me afk my 15 mins and just live with it – and don’t make this another “crafting station” situation. Wvw has got 99 problems but this ain’t one.

I didn’t transfer to and stayed on EU for no reason – being latency. And I want to keep it like that. So no to your idea that EU and NA should be combined.
I don’t really care with whom we’re linked, actually – but that is again a bigge rproblem which is again coupled with other bigger problems and so on. Wvw just hasn’t got any identity anymore, it’s that unbalanced that the bigger group almost always wins, so I’d work on that before scrapping links for good.

Please don’t forget that there’s NA and EU – the two always had different problems and having only one tier turned into links worked pretty fine for us.
Granted we’ve now had the influx of PvE player or players stay longer to get more pips – but no idea how long that will last.

CnD is fine – no idea what more you guys want, especially since CiS is ‘OP’ according to some of you.
They could reverse the boonsteal nerf and that would actually help.
But in the end: I don’t think it will happen.
Nothing ever happens, nothing happens at all, the needle returns to the start of the song and we all sing along like before…

Hey maybe with the next expansion we get pogo sticks!

Because you people always whine about thieves: Try one herald, the other GS necro – they’re unkillable.
This game never was balanced – the effects of the ferocity patch was a complete coincidence and the only time the game was halfway balanced was after that to June 2015. Minus the condis which weren’t as bad as they’re now though. Tanky armor and Zerker (e.g.) made more sense before the ferocity patch, though.
So, I guess it’s safe to say that this game was never intended to be balanced and never will be balanced. Which is a shame actually because the base mechanics of it are really great – would just be fun to actually be awarded for skill. But alas.
Yeah, D/P is OP
Yeah, DrD is OP
Yeah, all other elites in this game are OP.

Guess you all can have my tickets and whatnot – I so don’t care about the backpiece and armor.
I wanted to have the alpine borderland this week grrr!

Wvw is so stupid because the profession balance has been left alone for now 2 years (with some tweaks here and there), because it was simplified, because there’s almost always blobs taking all the stuff, because everybody does too much damage.
Others have already explained why people hold on to their ‘stupid’ sides – it’s because they’re the easiest to defend, because the way is the shortest (minus NC on the DBL). We’re in wvw for the fights – and you get better fights if you can reach the blob that’s attacking your keep/tower in time and if that structure is T3 – so there is a reason why people hold onto it. If you don’t want to do that there’s EotM. Anet tried to make us play like you suggested and failed.

I do hope you guys will get my point some day. I can’t say more than I’ve already said, just that I suspected some servers/colours being faster/slower than others for 2 years now but it’s really obvious with the resurrected servers right now.

Again in short: GH comes back from the ashes has got a K/D ratio around 2+ for 5-6 weeks straight, then falls to 0.9 and now with the nearly same linking Vabbi (and GH and UW) is back at 2+ again. And the fights definitively were different as well – and that’s not because the servers fought that much better – because no one really can and all servers had an influx of PvE players.

In even shorter: Anet, please use maths when adjusting server latency.

I mean the best example is: We won a 2 vs 5 yesterday with me being a kittenty vanilla signet thief. That certainly can’t be right and you’d agree.

Rayya.2591:

don’t get me wrong i just tried to explain the linking :
https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/wuv/World-Linking-Beta/first
About the k/d ratio , the server with hightest activity, will have usualy the highest k/d ratio , because they will be able to outnumber the enemy for 20 hours /day , except the prime time . As you saw 2 weeks ago GH had 1.40 k/d ratio on EBG as the hightest among all servers , while they had 0.5 on home border , because nobody bothered to move over there : as an example Screen bellow when in 2 diferent days Gunnar had hightest k/d ratio arround prime time but suffer on late night till mid day.
Also last matchup you had aginast FSP before was in 2015 november
http://mos.millenium.org/servers/view/23/338
before k/d was implemented

I can also give you the recipe for my apple-mint jelly – just because. I can also stay on topic though.
And we probably had FSP against GH/vabbi once the past 2 months, but twice against Gandara.
There were next to no queues, except to mostly EB in the first 5-6 weeks as that was before we’ve had the PvE players hoping for the backpiece. We’ve been against all tiers during that time, so having the highest K/D ratio of all servers doesn’t seem right, especially since we now again have the highest K/D ratio, albeit we were really baad the past 2 weeks, while we were the nearly same players. And there isn’t much difference between the servers since HoT anymore. Back in the day you could say that some servers were better than others – that’s long gone. Your theory doesn’t really fit, sorry.
And you vabbi guys are ok, but certainly not that great and 2.3 throughout a week is the absolut highest I’ve ever seen and it was the norm the first 5-6 weeks since Gunnar’s became a Mainserver again and I guess it will stay that high for Vabbi now again.
I don’t know if you finally got my point. You CJ someone and they whisper you “Well, you’re on the faster server – such skill much wow” – do you really want that? I don’t. Even if the profession balance is utter kitten and even if the translation of armorstats didn’t work out and even if all elites carry themselves, I still want some vitual reality that isn’t hampered with. And the current K/D makes it look as if all ressurected servers (GH and Vabbi are the first 2 that ever came back from being links) have got an advantage. And if they have and if that is then adjusted, are there used any metrics at all or is it just someone who thinks this and that server isn’t right? And that is my point.

Ulion.5476:

Well less people are getting stupid deaths. More guilds groups enabling you team to survive big fights better, or player have just improved their overall skill level in fights. Also, your enemies could just be better than your previous opponents. Their are a lot of reasons why your servers k/d has changed.

It’s a bit weird to always have the highest K/D ratio of all servers, isn’t it? Right now we’re at 2,3 which was usual the past 2 months, minus the past 2 weeks in which we fell to 0,9.
To make it clear: GH rose from the ashes, has got the highest K/D ratio of all servers, by far for, 6 weeks, stamps FSP and Gandara into the ground with again a very high K/D and then when facing them again the last week, they have a K/D ratio of 0,9 – looks to me as if GH had some huge advantage which was then adjusted and now Vabbi has got the same advantage. Nothing against Vabbi, just that: CAN THIS GAME PLEASE HAVE ANY REAL BALANCE AT ALL; YES?!

Rayya.2591:

offtopic

Ok, Rav. Please try to get the point of this thread, ok?
ETA: To help you: I didn’t complain about being turned into a link – just that we have the same matchup like the past 2 months, plus UW, granted. So, our K/D should kind of be the same as well and should have also been the past 2 weeks which it wasn’t. It’d be easy to say that all of this is coincidence if it were a whole new link but alas, thanks to the irony of the maths that is sometimes used, we’re still in the very same linking. And I don’t think the 5 PvE players who quit whatever server make any difference.

You guys did something funny, probably unintentional. Just when I grew sick of our link and was glad they’d be gone the next day you turned us into their link.
Anyway: I’m on GH and we’ve been a link and then became an independent server again (and now are a link once again).
Our K/D ratio the past nearly 2 months was over the top and we’ve had the highest K/D ratio of all servers until about 2 weeks ago – all of the sudden we were average. The same is happening now – the nearly same links, just that now Vabbi became independent. What is happening? Are servers that become independent again being pushed to have a better chance? Is this a bug? Do you manually adjust the latency of servers?
I’m no computer geek, I’m simply a gamer but this looks kind of weird.

Edit: Spelling

And to add: At least the servers we lost miserably against we won against earlier. So it can’t be that we were just too bad for them.

I eat guardians for breakfast (as a vanilla signet of shadows thief) – can’t touch DH though.
And for once I agree with swagger: It’s not just one particular class that’s overpowered; all elites are and then also some vanilla specs – balance left GW2 2 years ago. Which is pretty sad, but alas. They could’ve closed wvw and pvp with HoT and announced that this game is now solely a pve game – would’ve spared them a lot of hassle.
And btw: My server had the highest K/D ratio of all servers for the past nearly 2 months, even with the PvE player influx it was the highest, now all of the sudden we’re average, which further cements my assumption that servers itself are faster/slower than others and I guess they slowed us down. Thought it depended on the colours, but it’s probably both. And that alone is ‘balance’. And if you think of all of these tiny things that make combat in this game: can it ever be fair?! It might be that we were ‘too fast’, but I know that a lot of really good players are currently linked with us, so a high K/D ratio isn’t that surprising.

Chaba.5410:

Jana.6831:

Fatalyz.7168:

There was only one WvW tournament that awarded tickets

No, there were two, spring and fall 2014, but also stuff to spend them on, which I did.

Lies! There were three! Clearly this is all a conspiracy against new accounts!

There were three tournaments but only two that gave these tickets. The first of those killed my server because everybody and their mother bandwagoned to us – so getting the mistforged dagger was bittersweet and I never liked the skin as I wanted to have my server back. The tickets I got in the third tournament I spent on ascended earrings.
Yeah, every newer wvw player deserves the badkitten first server I had – I demand to bring these players back!!!111!!

Jayne.9251:

I’m about to send you all to your rooms without dinner.

Ok, I usually forget to eat anyway.

ETA: Btw, Jayne, I’m a bit sad that we rushed past Piken. But I guess we will fall soon enough and meet you on the way to the bottom. (I’m back on GH for the moment).

Fatalyz.7168:

There was only one WvW tournament that awarded tickets

No, there were two, spring and fall 2014, but also stuff to spend them on, which I did.

The problem with the forums in general is that it’s all theorycrafting.
By just looking at a build you can roughly estimate what might happen in a 1 vs 1, small scale and up until zergs, but in a blob all of that disappears. It’s that fast and has got that many variables that you can’t really estimate what will happen. I never really used BV, but I can tell you that in a 5 min long blobfight I might use it maybe twice as I really don’t have time for it. Also, I said in another thread – they nerfed choking gas (SB #4) for PvP because it was too strong there: From estimated 100 zerg and blob fights, and I usually only use CG because everything else is too slow/unreliable, I saw maybe 5-10 stuns.
And I’m actually fine with that, I’d just like the targeting mechanics to be a lot more reliable and SB2 to be faster. I have no idea how many thieves are running with a blob. It either seems to be not that easy or people think it’s useless, but I can assure you that I’m pulling my weight.

ArchonWing.9480:

I never actually said getting killed was the reason though. Retaliation is more common than stability and thus harder to counter. I wanted to point out that it would be hard to hit them when they don’t have it.

It is being compared to alternatives with half the cooldown, and also affects your party. It is also safe.

Besides, we are talking about a clusterbomb build.

Both builds wouldn’t work – I can tell you that much. Sinderer made staff thief work and I can too but only up until large zergs, no chance in blobs – I’d need to practise a lot more to do that but I can’t make a build for D/D and staff, D/D being my main set and I want to keep it like that.
I have no idea what “it’s hard to hit them if they don’t have retaliation” means.
I have no party in a blobfight, I can buff some randoms around me if I’ve got the time.
The cooldown.. yes only reason not to use a skill, right? (I had a really huge fight with some chick who wouldn’t accept that I have my reasons to use DS and her argument against the skill was THE COOLDOWN – and she wouldn’t let go) Yes, right now I’m having a problem with the cooldown because I switched from trickster to boonstrip as that’s better for roaming – and also fun to boonstrip the commanders.
Other than that: DS has got stability, it hits as many people as possible, those right next to you 8 times. It’s a reflect and swirl finisher. That’s a lot more than BV.

ArchonWing.9480:

use it when they don’t have retal up

That is the issue. There are many, many sources of retaliation. It is literally crapped out.

On the other hand, they’re more likely to run out of stability or have it removed and not as easily reapplied.

Stunning people with Basilisk also has more synergy with your shortbow 4 and the fact you’re already taking the poison venom. You and your friends can literally stunlock people into oblivion.

I’m using DS for 4 years now. I haven’t been killed by retatliation once. DS is a really nice and useful skill, which unfortunately was indirectly dumbed down by lesser combos being used. You’re wrong on your assumption that DS gets me killed – it doesn’t.

I already wrote it – but yes, it was a misunderstanding on my part.
The wonky targeting of GW2 makes SB1 pretty useless unless you like to spam ‘target change’ and might yet hit everything else than you want.
SB2 is too slow – the enemies are long gone before the projectile hits the ground. ETA: And clusterbomb is too unpredictably and hit’s mostly my own party and not the enemies.
SB3 would be nice if my thief would always jump towards me like they used to do.
SB4 is really nice, it’s fast, destroys some healing with a chance and the buff is appreciated by me.
SB5 works pretty good – no complaints from me.

Thing is: in theory SB can do this and that – in reality it can’t. You don’t know what red circle you’re just stepping in when in a blob/zergfight and either you’re one of the squishies who’s trained to dodge out of every red circle, or it will be cleansed off immediately because you’re the melee train.
So: In reality none of the SB changes other than the 200% direct damage buff on CG did anything.

babazhook.6805:

Jana.6831:

I don’t care about your further explanations: The buff didn’t buff the condi portion of choking gas, it buffed the direct damage portion which you condi players always forget about.

The buff that made CG work is the daze component that is added. No thief will use this for direct damage as cluster bomb is a better choice.

Direct damage of CG is 220(.6) which is significantly less than Cluster bomb 532(1.45).
The direct damage portion of the CG is not any better then the AA. If all that was done was an add to the damage of the initial impact Thieves would not suddenly be rushing to use it because if they want more direct damage they get it from cluster bomb.

The real damage is coming from people staying in the field and being DAZED wherein torment stacks added (if traited) and PI can kick in (if traited) and on interrupt sigils can kick in along with poison piling on. If you really think the buff to direct damage is what makes this thing tick you really do not have any idea of what you are talking about.

Have you ever played SB in a zerg/blob?
You might be able to use clusterbomb in a zerg – forget it in a blob unless you’re cleaning out some downed.
The groups I hit usually cleanse the poison right away, there’s no time for them to stack, unless, of course, more people spam poison.

But yeah, whatever.

I don’t care about your further explanations: The buff didn’t buff the condi portion of choking gas, it buffed the direct damage portion which you condi players always forget about.

babazhook.6805:

Jana.6831:

babazhook.6805:

SB changes are fine. All it means is people can no longer just sit in the AOE field and ignore SB damage as they used to do.

The direct damage, not condition damage was buffed. The condition damage ticks, the direct damage does damage on impact.

The damage inflicted by the direct portion hits only once and is minimal damage. It still not as high as a cluster bomb. The condition damage that ticks only happens if you stay in the field. if you get out of the fied in one second you will take all of 2 poison stacks,

Just saying that you can still stay in the field as you wish as nothing changed. Only if you stay in it when you’re hit you’re getting 200% more damage than before.

It’s up from ~350 to ~1k for me, btw. (valk/zerker (no, not marauder), so every hit is a crit)

babazhook.6805:

SB changes are fine. All it means is people can no longer just sit in the AOE field and ignore SB damage as they used to do.

The direct damage, not condition damage was buffed. The condition damage ticks, the direct damage does damage on impact.