Guild Wars 2

Well, it’s hard to make a suggestion without knowing a bit more about what you’re doing.

Weapons and kits are… well, the relationship is complicated. Ideally, you’ll be swapping back and forth between weapon and kit(s) to make the most of both; that is, neither has primacy, but when used together they are complements.

Things will pick up a bit with your traits, particularly once you hit 20. Can’t really say much more without knowing what approach you’re taking.

Casia.4281:

have you tried rocket boots instead of googles?

Force sigil should also be more damage then sigil of air as well.

I’ve been running with a very similar build in sPvP lately, and I have tried rocket boots. I dropped it in favor of the goggles because the toolbelt for the boots is only 300 range, and I’d much rather have that extra punch at a distance.

When you say more damage (for the Force sigil), do you mean sustained damage? I imagine the Force sigil would provide more damage over time, but Air, despite the RNG of it, would yield higher burst.

No. No!

No more mesmers. sPvP is already like Mesmer/Thief Wars 2.

A little communication would go a long way.

I understand your point; I’m afraid that I just don’t agree. Also, your customer argument… is a joke? This isn’t a subscription game, so it’s already quite a bit weaker than it would be under a different model. Furthermore, I’m also a customer, and since we seem to disagree our positions would appear to cancel each other out.

And, again, I wasn’t trolling you. I was simply saying that the complexity isn’t necessarily a bad thing—some people rather like it. It reminds me a bit of stance-dancing warriors from way back in early WoW. Sure, a warrior could sit in one stance and do whatever… but an exceptional warrior would dance between all three to make the most of them. Engineers aren’t in an ideal place right now because to be even marginally effective they typically have to kit-swap, but I’d hate to see them throw that out entirely.

tigirius.9014:

If you play this class like you are playing a piano sure we have the same versatility

(/sarcasm off)

Seriously there’s too many skills and way too much switching involved.

Woa there. Rein it in.

“There are too many things!” isn’t really a valid complaint. There are plenty of other classes that don’t have as many skills or the complexity of the engineer—but that complexity is not, itself, a bad thing. In fact, I’d wager that of the people still playing engineer, that complexity is a big part of the appeal. Also, there are builds that don’t require substantial kit swapping. (One could argue about the ‘viability’ of such builds, but that opens the door for a discussion about the ‘relative viability’ of any engineer build compared to other classes, so let’s… not.)

My point is, if the complexity of the class is an object of complaint, play another class. I’m not saying that in a snide way; there are other classes where that complaint would not be an issue.

What is a fair complaint is that the reward should be commensurate with the effort. That is, in the recent class descriptions specific reference was made to the Elementalist’s “skill ceiling” being “exceptional.” The implication being this: they are hard to play well, so in exchange they get to be king of versatility, have good support, control, and damage.

But that same logic applies to the Engineer. I sincerely hope that ANet doesn’t dumb the class down but, instead, accepts that Engi is also an exceptional skill ceiling class, and treats them accordingly.

tigirius.9014:

I found yet another bug this evening, when using static discharge and hgh build with FT the discharges go everywhere BUT at the enemy. Seriously they were flying up in the air and down into the ground never hitting anything.

Yea. Were you throwing elixirs for your toolbelt/static discharge? Static discharge acts really weird for ground-targeted abilities.

No, it’s definitely not capped. At 80 it takes about 21 precision to gain 1% crit; base precision is 916 with a 4% chance to crit. If you have a total of 2000 precision that would be approximately 51. 619 additional crit, landing you squarely at about 55%. That’s not the 54% you stated, but it’s close.

So, no, not hard capped. Just… limited by stat budget.

Yamsandjams.3267:

I wouldn’t read THAT much into it. It doesn’t really say much other than an overall idea. I’m more interested in the actual tweaks they’ll make rather than some execu-speak type announcement. Although I will agree that it made us sound second-rate…

I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss it. If it was just a class description on the “Profession” page I’d write it off as flashy text that doesn’t have much bearing on the game. However, these descriptions were provided with the intent of providing a snapshot of where ANet wants each class to be. In Mr. Sharp’s own words:

JonathanSharp

When designing and balancing the classes, we try to make sure that class roles and identities stay intact. So, in doing so, we make sure that there are rules and boundaries outlining the capabilities and weaknesses of each class.

I suggest we take these descriptions very seriously, because they are—nearly—the only communication we have had about the direction and goals of balancing. With that in mind, the OP raises, again, a very good point:

Engineer

The Engineer is a highly versatile class. While it doesn’t have the long range capabilities of the Ranger, or the melee capabilities of the Warrior or Guardian, they are comfortable at medium ranges in most fights. They have a lot of control, and use their boons to keep themselves (and allies) alive in a fight. They can use different kits based on the situation, but this extreme versatility comes at a cost in damage on their main hand weapons.

Perhaps it’s just me, but after reading that I have to wonder if the person that wrote it has played an Engineer. Regardless, the part that is really frustrating is this:

The Engineer is a highly versatile class. … They can use different kits based on the situation, but this extreme versatility comes at a cost in damage on their main hand weapons.

If we did have “extreme versatility,” and, as a consequence, were levied a hybrid-tax to balance it…well, so be it. As it stands, that isn’t the case. What makes this all the more frustrating is the Elementalist description:

Elementalist

We see the elementalist as the king of versatility. The skill ceiling for the Ele is exceptional, as the ability to leverage all four attunements at the right time is crucial for understanding the elemetnalist. The Ele boasts some of the best team support and control abilities in the game, as well as some great area of effect damage.

So, they have:

• King of versatility (That is, better than engineer.)
• (Some of the) best support
• (Some of the) best control
• Great AoE damage.

There is a serious disconnect between the given description of engineer (versatility at the cost of… everything?) versus that of the elementalist (versatility, with a healthy dose of everything).

To be honest, I’m tired of coming to the engineer forum and seeing the flood of complaints and whining. I’d like to see a lot more constructive threads. But don’t lose the signal because of all the noise: there is an issue, and these complaints are just the symptoms of some underlying problems.

Weeee. Sigils and kits. Post-patch, I’ve been trying to decide what sigils to use, but I’m not certain how they interact with one another when using P/P or P/S… not to mention with kits.

So, genius that I am, I thought I’d throw a Bloodlust and Corruption on my P/P lower level engineer that is still leveling, and when those stacked up I’d swap to Air and Earth. kitten Apparently one can have either Bloodlust or Corruption, but not both.

Anyway, anyone else have interesting or useful sigils/sigil combinations? Don’t be shy.

Casia.4281:

A. grenades are crazy op. Their ratios are out of control compared to everything else. they needed a nerf. or grenadier and steel packed did.
B. adding damage to blind and poison is nice buff.
“pvp and pve” are the same, could be a buff or nerf. well see.
30% of pve or pvps values?

Grenades without grenadier is now unplayable probably..

Would have it been possible to have grenadier be +1 grenade, grenades do 30% less damage each?

I find your particular brand of imperturbable objectivity to be a refreshing balm for the hyperbolic wailing that constantly threatens to overrun this forum.

Rifle, flame, net, thumper;
Kittening gadgets, how do they work?

Absolution.2851:

1) You’ll get plenty of skill points in the game. After you hit 80, instead of levels, you get skill points everytime you “level up”. Don’t worry, when leveling, there really isnt a “wrong” choice.

This is technically correct, but I’d still caution against throwing points into stuff without some forethought. Like someone else said, hop into the Mists and try the skills out.

I would suggest getting, early on: Healing turret, grenade kit, and elixir B. Once you get to the 2nd tier, grab thumper turret, whatever elixirs there are. Kits are usually good. I’d also suggest you wait on most of the gadgets until later on. It depends on your build, but I think these are some good general guidelines.

As someone said, eventually you can get all of the skills. You’ll have more than enough skill points. Until then, picking the “wrong” skill (that is, a skill that doesn’t really help too much) can be a pain in the butt while leveling.

2) Stats in general: I’d say go Power until you start to find gear that has 2 stats on it. Then go Power/vitality. Use the Black Lion Trading Company to keep your gear current; at least every ten levels.

Weapon sigil: Minor rune of bloodlust.

Armor runes: Eh… I like power. If you go that route, you can grab 1 minor rune of Strength, Balthazar, Ogre, Hoelbrak… anything that has (1): 10 Power. Only do this if you can get them cheap on the BLTC, otherwise it’ll really start to hit your funds.

One final comment about Engineer: It’s a tough class to really get your head around as your first character. It benefits very much from a firm grasp of the game mechanics; if you find yourself having trouble, pick up something with a more straightforward gameplay (warrior or guardian would be decent options). Play one of them for a while. When you come back to the engineer, you might find that a better understanding of the game translates into a greater enjoyment of the complexity of this class.

I’m seeing a few mixed replies about this build with respect to sPvP. How does it fare with the lower Confusion damage?

I can’t speak to your question, but if you want to go bunker with a bomb kit, you might also consider using a tool kit. Then, if you’ve got P/S, you’ve got the following options:

Toolkit 5: Pull the target to you. Cooldown: 25s
Shield 4: Reflect projectiles. Duration: 3s Cooldown: 30s
Toolkit 4: Block attacks. Duration: 2s. Cooldown: 20s

So, drop bomb -> magnet pull -> box of nails -> PRYBARTOTHEFACE -> bombbombomb. If they get out of range and try to kite you, block. Swap to P/S and poison/confuse/reflect.

Anyway, just some options.

“Best” is very subjective—at least, it is if we don’t pin down what we mean when we use the word.

Above, several people were advocating builds with Warhorn for speed and vigor. Those are both appealing, but I don’t recommend leveling with anything+warhorn, as you can always swap to warhorn when you’re out of combat for the convenience.

I’ve leveled two warriors to 55-ish so far, and I’ve got a couple more on the rise. With each warrior I was trying different builds, including traits, skills, and weapon sets. The conclusion I reached was this:

For efficient solo leveling you will be hard pressed to top a standard signet build, wielding either a GS or dual-axes as your primary weapon, keeping a rifle in your off-set, and swapping to Warhorn if you really can’t stand running slow. I recommend dual-axe and rifle; GS is fun for open-world stuff, but it’s a chore in dungeons.

The reason I say this is because the damage of this build is so high that in most circumstances it more than compensates for the undeniable fragility. The rifle is important because 1) having a ranged attack is important and, at times, necessary, and 2) Rifle 5 and Rifle 2 let you keep that distance when it matters the most.

Start with 10 points in Arms and take Deep Strike (I); that’s the foundation of a signet build. After that, I’d say 10 points in Strength with Berserker’s Power (V). Run with Healing Signet, Might, Fury, Rage, and the last one is your choice: Dolyak gives just a bit of badly needed durability and some emergency stability if you need to activate it. You may prefer Stamina, as it improves our endurance regen and, on activation, removes all conditions.

Gear for Power until you can gear for Power/Vitality, and then eventually Power/Vitality/Toughness. Use the trading house to keep your gear up to date; upgrade everything you own at least every 10 levels, though every five levels would probably be wiser.

I know you asked for a tougher build and I gave you the typical glass cannon. If you want a “tough” build, just dump all your traits into Defense and Tactics, gear for Vitality and Toughness, run with a 1H/shield or 1H/warhorn, use Shake it Off, Endure Pain, and Dolyak Signet. You’ll be tougher, without a doubt, but your kill-speed will be so much slower… if that’s ok with you, go for it. I found it incredibly tedious, even though I really like playing tougher characters in most games. Trying to find a middle-ground between offense and defense isn’t ideal; you really end up being kind of lackluster in both areas.

Thanks very much for the replies. I’m going to try to follow your advice, Playtpus, and go for a DD build with a focus on PVT. I was using daphoenix’s guide as a template; think that’s wise for leveling?

We’re about level 15 and having a lot of fun. I’m having kind of mixed results, but I think that’s mostly because I’m trying to learn how to use DD most effectively. For example:

Usually, I’ll Ride the Lightning into a group, throw up Shocking Aura, switch to Fire and use Ring of Fire or Blazing Speed to a) set up a Fire Field, and b) get some of them burning. Then I’ll use Arcane Wave for Area Might and decent AoE damage, followed by Fire Grab. If stuff is nearly dead, I’ll finish them off with Dragon’s Claw and/or Drake’s Breath. If we’ve still got a few live ones, I’ll swap to Earth and lay down some more AoE and Knockdowns.

1) Does this sound like a good approach?
2) I still find myself walking a razor’s edge. When this works, it is beautiful. I mean, a hell of a lot of fun. When it doesn’t work (very well), I find myself downed or nearly downed from just a few hits. Thoughts on how I could improve?

Once again, thanks for all the help.

Edit: I forgot to mention, I’m using Arcane Wave and Signet of Earth as my utility skills right now, and the standard Glyph of Elemental Harmony as my heal. I’ve put all my traits into Air so far.

Greetings,

My wife and I have decided to roll up a pair of Elementalists together; she is pretty set on the ranged dps aspect of the class, so I expect she’ll be trying to use a staff or whatever allows her to concentrate on that. (I realize this may not be “the best”—something about the EA nerf?—but that’s what she’s running with, so we’ll try to make it work.)

With that in mind, I’m looking for advice on how to build my Elementalist in the most complementary way possible. I am entirely open to suggestions, as my time and experience with Elementalist has been limited. I am not daunted by a complex build, nor am I attached to a particular element, weapon set, or trait-line. (I’ve heard the claim that “it’s PvE, anything works.” That’s not entirely true, and it’s certainly not true in light of the “complementary” constraint.)

In other words, I would greatly appreciate any helpful suggestions from the experienced members of this class.

Oh, I should specify, we’re talking almost exclusively PvE here: dynamic events, open world pve, and dungeons.

Many thanks.

No, warriors are not boring.

Although, it might be better to say: If you usually play melee warrior-type characters in other games, then you will not find the warrior of GW2 boring.

That being said, you won’t find it without flaw, either. Putting all forms of PvP to the side for now, I find it very frustrating that the most efficient approach to many difficult fights is simply to swap to a ranged weapon and let loose. It seems to run counter to the melee-centric focus of the class.

I hate to resort to obvious truisms, but try to identify which GW2 class best corresponds to what you usually like to play, then choose accordingly. Even in the absence of clearly defined roles that’s a good place to start.

I submitted a Support ticket through the GW2 website and, until this morning, was waiting in the hopes that they would be able to help. After reading the stock non-reply to my ticket, I’ve accepted that no help or fix will be forthcoming. That my level 49 warrior is ruined, and that I’ll either have to delete and reroll him or simply move on.

Since I have no interest or investment in the Order of Whispers story—in fact, I haven’t seen the story that precedes the part I am now on—that leaves me with the option of continuing a story I’m not at all familiar with, or rerolling the character from scratch.

If I choose to reroll, I lose:

• 49 levels
• 41 common dyes, 18 uncommon dyes, 8 rare dyes
• The soulbound book from Halloween
• All crafting progress
• Most importantly: All the time—the real currency of the adult gamer—that was invested in this character.

That sucks. It really does, and I think most people would agree. However, it’s not the end of the world. I would like to see a response from ANet that was less cavalier and apathetic—the current response is roughly equivalent to a shrug and a half-hearted “Sorry. Tough luck.”—but even that would just be… nice, not necessary.

Here’s where I object:

It’s been more than a month, at least, since ANet was officially made aware of this bug. A bug that they cannot or will not fix for the people already affected. Why has ANet not done their due diligence as far as making sure that this 100% preventable bug has not been better publicized? Why is the only place to find information about this bug in a vaguely titled sticky in the Game Bug subforum? That is kind of like putting the “WARNING: COMBUSTIBLE” label on the inside of the can; by the time you see it’s, it’s probably too late.

The post immediately before this one is yet another player, level 51, who has had their character ruined. That post is about 1 day old. I encountered the bug about 4 days ago, and the first post I can find in this thread about the issue is about a month old.

One month of apathy and neglect. So, you can’t fix us, and I can deal with that. Bugs happen. But would someone from ANet please be so kind as to offer an explanation as to why those of us now afflicted were not given a fair warning so that we could have avoided the issue entirely?

I can’t speak for anyone else, but I would appreciate some kind of dialogue, instead of the brush off and silence we’re getting now. Are there any plans being discussed to address this?

So, am I correctly reading this thread when it says these bugs were fixed with the 10/22 patch? Does that include being reassigned to a different faction? (i.e., From Priory to Vigil, etc.) Because, if so, then I’m afraid you are very much mistaken, as this happened to me not 10 minutes ago.

My wife and I play our main characters together. She went Order of Whispers, I went Vigil. We completed “Lost Chieftain’s Return” together, and after the quest was concluded I noticed that I was given the quest “Suspicious Activity” and told to return to the Chantry of Secrets.

So, the nontrivial amount of time I spent on this character, and the much touted Personal Story (it’s all about me—except when it’s not) is ruined, and no fix or correction is forthcoming?

Just want to make sure that I have the facts straight.

So, uh, any ideas or suggestions here? I’ve no idea how to proceed.

Edit: Oh, I see. There is even a sticky about this, from two months ago. So… it looks like my main character, level 50, is now stuck with an Order and quest line that I didn’t choose or want. Awesome.

Upvote. That is all kinds of awesome.

Not much to add that hasn’t already been said, but I’ll echo some of the sentiment:

When I first picked up a GS, I didn’t like Whirlwind. Once I got the hang of it, however, it became an essential ability in my repertoire. The mobility and damage it provides are obvious, but it also serves as a nice little defensive skill.

I’ve had the stuck on loading screen bug happen to me about 6 times over the past three days of sPvP. The most recent time was just a few minutes ago. To be clear, I had already downloaded the patch before experiencing the issue during a match.

So, perhaps it’s not entirely fixed?

So… am I the only one with this problem?

Hello there,

My mouse wheel isn’t actually working zoom the camera in and out. It’s peculiar; the wheel works perfectly fine outside of the game, and it does allow me to zoom in on the map if I hover over it and scroll. However, using the wheel otherwise doesn’t do a thing. I tried re-binding the mouse wheel to zoom-in/zoom-out to no effect. Any help would be appreciated.

Having a flashback to Crushbone….

Merch. Time to roll it out.

Blood Legion T-Shirts, Asura plushies, Class Icon Stickers. Let’s make this happen.