Guild Wars 2

People use Arcane Brilliance because it’s a blast finisher, and staff puts down a boatload of fields.

Vas.7306:

My main thought was why didn’t Kasmeer try to intercept Marjory before she saw the corpse rather than stand there like a slack jaw idiot. If you had seen your significant others sister mutilated and crushed, wouldn’t you try and spare them the sight of it until they were sufficiently prepared for some bad news?

If you just saw anybody mutilated and crushed, do you think you’d necessarily be thinking on your feet?

Anmida.4058:

Rainshine.5493:

Anmida.4058:

I would just wish I had the alternative of making my female hold her magical weaponry, or greatswords for that matter, in a fashion that didn’t spell “Halp I am female how do I battle”

Norn females definitely hold staff differently. I’m assuming other weapons too, haven’t really noticed.

And that’s why my only non-asuran female has been a norn, yes. I would’ve hoped the representation of neutrality would have been, however, humans. Since, well. Neutral race, and mostly the race I envision my characters as when it comes to neutral plot lines or designs.
Not to say my preferences aren’t nitpicky and I understand people enjoy their females pretty, I also understand that norn females being accurate to their race and actually playing of their womanliness properly is something to be thankful for. Just, yeah. I wish I could apply to others.

Hey, my staff users I view as either mousy or girly, so it works for me. My norn lady is a big gal with a hammer. … That said I’d kill for a different norn female voice, so I understand how stuff like that can be bothersome.

(And before someone says it, I don’t dislike it because it’s low, I think the femcharr voice is great for instance. I just don’t like the delivery.)

You lose stacks if you swap weapons now.

… I’ll let someone much better at dungeoning than me answer the rest.

DraconicDak.9340:

There are some fascinating ideas here…

I think elements already exist of what you’re thinking, albiet for races, not classes – some skritt will speak to you differently whether you’re an asura or a sylvari, for example

Yes, and you know that Aerin’s note is a Soundless mantra immediately if you’re sylvari, for instance. I like what they’ve done so far, I’d just love to see profession matter the way race does for these little things

Tobias Trueflight.8350:

Difficult jumping puzzles? Mad King’s Clock Tower.

Still the thing I’m proudest of doing in this game. I’m a rotten platformer (though significantly better these days) and I spent my weekend — we’re talking at least 12-14 hours — slooooowly getting better until I finished it.

I could have gotten my spouse to take my character through for me, but it wasn’t about the stupid rare in the chest, it was about doing it, dangit. OP I sympathize with being a crappy platformer, but you CAN get better if you’re willing to put the time in.

So, all this started when I went to check out Foefire’s Heart again as a refresher. Was on a necromancer, decided to see how it looked from Death Shroud for funsies. All I could think was, “Wouldn’t it be super neat if there was something about this ghost-maker that only a necro in death shroud could see?”

Of course, there wasn’t. But I think there should be.

I loved finding the cave in Queensdale that could be opened with an emote. That’s another storytelling device that isn’t done enough imo.

SO, WHAT AM I PROPOSING?
That at least one profession should get extra goodies (in the form of new info/easter egg, nothing gamebreaking) in upcoming LS releases (better yet, shortcut-type-thing in a dungeon if it’s released).

While any profession-exclusive skill could work, I’m focusing on the actual class mechanics skill here.

SPECIFICS, kitten.
OK. Since this is easier said than done, let me spitball.

• Elementalist: Must attune to fire to walk through lava and pull a level to shut off the trap
• Mesmer: Must literally shatter an illusion that’s paralyzing the rest of the team
• Necromancer: Must get info from a ghost that can only be seen/spoken to while in deathshroud
• Ranger: Set a Cerberus-esque baddie to passive so the passage forward is clear
• Engineer: Reconfigure/repair/repurpose ancient technothingie with their toolbelt for a new recording
• Thief: Has to steal a maguffin from somebody
• Warrior: Some herculean feat of adrenaline, like lifting/holding open a closing gate to let the rest of the party through
• Guardian: Prove themselves worthy to some mystical whosit by virtue of their .. um .. virtues

…. OK. So I know those are REALLY rough, and it would be way too much to implement something for every profession in every episode. Sprinkling something like this throughout, though? That shouldn’t be impossible, should it?

>Other profession-specific skills (IE, not general stuff like stealth but specifics like Rocket Boots!) could work too. And of course emotes, but Anet has used them well already, albeit not often. I recall some graves you could cry at for a nifty easter egg as well.

So … whatcha think?

(Human elementalist) : -silently offers Marjory a swig from her flask-

Anmida.4058:

I would just wish I had the alternative of making my female hold her magical weaponry, or greatswords for that matter, in a fashion that didn’t spell “Halp I am female how do I battle”

Norn females definitely hold staff differently. I’m assuming other weapons too, haven’t really noticed.

^I don’t find the naga necessary for my skills (in GW2 anyway, not enough of them) but I do use it for mapping “look behind” which is super important when you’re kiting/running in PvP. Also have weapon swap on mouse but that’s irrelevant for ele.

I don’t actively RP, but I see no reason why the thing should be ignored entirely, just like any of the Living World stuff should not be ignored entirely.

I mean, Lion’s Arch is destroyed. Are people pretending it’s not?

The slippery slope starts happening when YOUR CHARACTER becomes the one to enter the machine, to kill Scarlet, etc. SOMEONE did … this Pact commander and general Tyrian hero … but THAT PERSON ISN’T YOU. Or any of your fellow RPers.

/2 coppers on how I’d handle it.

There’s an in-depth elementalist dungeon/fractal guide here.

As for keybinds … it’s honestly what you’re comfy with. Tons of people hate the default F1-4, but that’s what I’ve always used for my attunements. A gaming mouse (with buttons on the side) does help, but imo isn’t necessary.

I personally use 1-4, Z, C, R, T and G for my other skills. Turn w/ mouse.

Kaiyanwan.8521:

Go Lazy Kai, if you don’t like to shatter take the Phantastic Phantasm variant.

It won’t get any easier than that. You will find them in my signature.

Heh, enjoying this guide.

Killing things in PvE gets old fast anyway, so the faster the mobs die, the better. Now, if the mobs die fast because you use your keybord like a korean StarCraft player, good for you. I am lazy though, so here is my advise:

This sounds like playing my main, lol. And yes, I am 100 percent looking for a more relaxed experience with this alt. Appreciate the guide/tip.

Jink Bonestealer.9274:

That’s where the vines for one of the events stab into the rock, I believe.

HMM. I’ll have to look out for that. Thanks for the response.

If you’re interested in cool elemental interactions (summoning rain puts out fires, oil placed next to candles will catch on fire, lightning on a puddle will stun everyone in the puddle, etc.) then check out Divinity Original Sin. Some of the most fun I’ve had in quite awhile.

These keep bothering me. In Dry Top, near the strange cube as per the title. They look like maybe really big bullet holes, but I haven’t noticed them anywhere else. I feel like they should be significant, because they look artificial rather than naturally worn.

… Probably aren’t significant, lol, but.

ASP.8093:

I hated greatsword at levels 10, 30, and 60, but love it at 80

Heh, I had the same experience with focus on my ele. I will keep that in mind. Thanks again for the tips!

Thanks ASP, that’s very helpful. I have not yet tried greatsword, will do that asap.

Thank you very much for the links. At a glance there’s good explanation but as I read further I may pop back here with any questions I have.

Again, thank you.

Ross Biddle.2367:

For builds the mesmer forum has an extensive list in the sticky section.

Yeah, I saw the list, assuming you mean this one. Unfortunately there isn’t one called “PU PvE” or anything obvious. I see very few builds labeled PvE, and a few offer some odd advice (maybe I’m vastly underestimating a mesmer’s heals, but full cleric gear seems like a waste and I’m seeing builds advocating that).

I feel like this is a situation where you think I’m not trying to help myself at all, but to someone who’s level 7, this stuff is exceptionally confusing. Without a lot more experience I have no idea what’s a “good” build and what isn’t, and most of the PU stuff I’m finding is with WvW only in mind — which might work fine in PvE, but I don’t have the experience to know that.

… and obviously, I will use swiftness/portal for JPs. I just don’t know what to do for everything else.

ALL that said. Would something like Hidden Cat or Shatter Cat work OK, assuming I went with less defensive gear for open PvE? I looked at those before posting actually but wasn’t sure how it’d translate.

frifox.5283:

For jps get a set of centaur runes and drop all points into boon duration line and equip Mantra cd reduction trait. Then, set your Mantra heal on autocast and have fun. This will provide you and everyone in 1,200 radius with permanent swiftness. Very handy for doing jps.

Unexpectedly getting swiftness screws me up. I personally would not appreciate a mesmer forcing swiftness on me — I try to avoid doing it to others on my ele.

GOSU.9574:

Gobhoblin.7582:

Here is my necro – Dr Formel De Hyde.

https://dviw3bl0enbyw.cloudfront.net/uploads/forum_attachment/file/158184/Formel.png

Just because you spend every day up to your elbows in corpses, doesn’t mean you can’t be dapper!

I have to ask…what is this? It looks like some variation on town clothes?

Pretty cool but I have no idea how you pulled that together.

Aetherblade chest from the cash shop.

Ross Biddle.2367:

You know, Mes isn’t a casual class. But heres a breakdown for you.

Dungeons full zerk, sword/pistol sword/sword.

WvW, for roaming anything PU. Condi is most forgiving due to high armor and/or vit depending on your armor choice (rabid or dire).

Or just go greatsword with a group or zerg and pew pew from range.

I realize mes isn’t really as casual, which is why I ask for the most straightforward build.

For dungeons I already have the guide on Dulfy’s site, so I’m OK there once I get to that stage.

Just saying “PU build” doesn’t help me a whole lot as I’ve only recently returned and I’m not savvy at all on the current meta. I’m assuming a power variant. Googling gave me this? But that doesn’t really suggest traits or even weapons beyond torch. I’m assuming I want as much stealth as possible based on Prismatic Understanding itself.

I’m … not trying to kitten all over somebody offering help, but did you actually read my OP? As I said, this is mostly a “help people with JPs” character so focus on PvE without wearing a huge “kick me” sign in WvW.

I’m slowly leveling a mesmer, largely for being able to help others w/ JPs. That said I’d like to not be a total drag, and maybe even do a dungeon occasionally at 80 (though that’s not an immediate priority). Functioning well in open PvE/WvW for those JPs is my priority.

I ask for easy because I know I won’t have time to devote to really learning all the class ins and outs. This is a character I will only pull out occasionally most likely, so I’m trying to be realistic, here.

Any links would be appreciated. I saw the mes guide on Dulfy but that’s aimed only at dungeons so less useful for me.

Nanyetah Elohi.4852:

I’m guessing eles are using healing runes because they don’t understand the scaling coefficient any better than I did when I asked this question.

I am thinking I will make soldier’s for my first set of ascended armor. Thanks again for the input. I really appreciate the good advice, after all the time and gold it has taken me to gather materials for my ascended gear.

I use cleric for healing small-scale WvW stuff, like a small roaming group — because there, sure, others are blasting my fields but I’m always blasting my own fields too on top of all of us. I tried it out after reading another person’s positive experiences with this + aquatic benevolence and I loved it.

So, I think cleric has its place. I do think soldiers might be a little more universally useful to start out with, though.

Xillllix.3485:

Use a pure DPS build and wreck all the low level people.

2 (10% fire dmg boost)
6 (20% dmg boost when enemy is under 33% HP, Fresh air+20% recharge)
2 (10% dmg boostwhen in 600 range)
2 (10% dmg boost when HP above 90%)
2 (Larger staff radius)

Farm the bags with 10k+ meteor-tornados!

Lol I usually avoid EotM for the real maps but I needed a few easy tokens so I did this the other day (slightly different build, but). Full zerker. Funny as hell.

Slither Shade.4782:

my character’s appearances are finished and i have littleninterest in changing them … is this the case with anyone else?

No, I’ve been waiting for a true earth-themed skin for my ele (not plant-ish) so I was very excited these came out. Since I run different armor sets for different things, and need multiples of some weapons (cleric staff for healbotting in WvW, zerker staff for when I’m the staff ele in dungeons etc.) I have plenty of use for more skins

Nobody fights each other in EoTM, so build really doesn’t matter. Slap on whatever weapon you feel you can get the most tags with and call it a day.

Hmm, I never really noticed because the only other cash shop set I looked at was Dreamthistle, which had them.

I too would have liked to see underwater ambrite weapons.

Heh, I hadn’t seen this discussion but I thought if bloodstones as well. Especially because of the image below, of the one from Bloodstone Fen.

Anyway, I put together an overview of them here and a map here for my own edification.

I haven’t finished going through this thread, but if I’ve got something incorrect or you think I left something important out, I’d love to know.

EDIT: Seems I at least need to add krait obelisk similarity in there. Will credit ya Shiren

Well … this is awkward. We’re out of things to disagree about. :B lol

For the record, this will help you with gearing options (including exactly how much stuff costs badge-wise).

Wiki is a great resource in general.

True, I would like to see fewer buyable rewards. I’d like to see more equivalent of the star for map completion — nifty symbols beside your name for different accomplishments.

Fawx.9064:

My point is simply that its nice to have some stuff that is not readily available to everyone, all the time.

You will also notice that I did say “Minus the lucky few that got a fossil very quickly”. That’d be you.

While I don’t disagree, I’d prefer it required something actually difficult (with seasonal a second choice) than RNG.

Mad King’s Clocktower is still one of the hardest things I’ve done in any game, for someone like me who’s not an awesome platformer. That’s something you can’t outgear, can’t be carried through, you have to just plain get better. THAT’S the kind of gating mechanism I’d like to see for special items. THAT’S worthy of bragging rights. As it is these skins mean nothing because of the luck factor.

I honestly don’t care whether something is rare or common if I like it, but I know I’m in the minority.

Fawx.9064:

I love the fact that everyone that has crafted one of these weapons has worked for it. (Minus perhaps the lucky few that got a fossil very quickly).

I didn’t work for jack, got it in the first 3-4 I opened. RNG =/= “work” it equals luck. Wish people would get out of that mindset.

sorudo.9054:

SnowHawk.3615:

Vexander.9850:

A Kimono/Yukata would be sweet. Though I’d kill for actual robes for a change, rather than all these open dress skirts we get.

A full length one wouldn’t be possible since generally all types of kimono are tightly bound and allow little movement. The stretching would be weird too.
Unless it was a Hakama type.

uhmm, are we seriously forgetting the robed samurai….?
http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/scale_small/4/45471/1080009-samurai_shodown_edge_of_destiny_xbox_360_017.jpg

That’s a hakama …

FallinDevast.5364:

My asura ele, going for the fantasy wizard style. Her look is well received by lots of people.

Hah, adorable.

I made my asura an engi and I kinda regret it because I like the light armor looks better for ’em. Ah well, too late now.

I bought it for the animation. I wouldn’t care 2 cents if they took the sprocket function away, personally.

Just saying. Love the design, not crazy about my ele’s current trident, would have loved to be able to grab a ley line trident skin.

Please include all weapons in your future cash shop sets!

I was more disappointed I didn’t get pretty flowers for my female asura … she’s still a girl even though she doesn’t have bewbs dangit.

Love the female version, bought it for that version. I do agree some parity in designs would be nice (why is the genie pant cloth set not a little Aladdin-esque vest on the guys??) but that doesn’t make me dislike the female version of this item.

VOLKON.1290:

Tybalt.

Definitely Tybalt.

Yeah I remember thinking the charr backpacks were ugly. Then I got a Tybalt one … and built an entire armor look around it.

He was that awesome.

For me, Belinda’s was more impactful. I thought Anet did a good job portraying Marjory as a private griever … I really related to that. Lost my dad early this year, and maybe that made me appreciate how they have her trying to keep it together. Not everyone is about public displays of grief, and not everybody easily cries in front of others.

I don’t think we were supposed to care about Belinda for ourselves … we were supposed to care for Marjory’s sake. At least for me, it worked.

Naus the Gobbo.5172:

I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but Marjory’s voice acting is absolutely terrible. She is just as bad as Trahearne, there is zero emotion or change of pitch in her voice, and as a result of that it completely broke my immersion.

Heh, different tastes I guess. I thought it was really well done.

Marcus Greythorne.6843:

got mine in the 7th chest, I had no idea how bad rng is for these O__O

Yeah I have bought zero keys and only done a few of the achievements. I got one right after they were added and assumed they were common. Thing is, I’m only mildly interested in the skin — I think they’re really well done, I’m just not sure if they match my characters’ colours n designs that well.

I’d love to be able to give it to someone who really wanted it.

Excell.1042:

Why do you rush getting the insect? Its not like they will dissapear, so you might aswell play dry top an hour a day untill you get your insect!

Well, it makes sense to do this while the content is super popular. Events yield more geodes when you’re at a higher tier, and if you’re buying keys with geodes it’ll take a lot more effort to earn keys if the zone sits at tier 1 or 2 as opposed to 3 or 4.

Have any of you run the numbers taking Sigil of Renewal over Life (with Energy as the second)? Apparently it has a .4 healing modifier and 9-second internal cooldown.

My line of thinking is a) stacks suck if you get downed but more importantly b) this will affect your heals when you’re NOT in water. IE if I need to swap to another element, I am still potentially healing my team.

I was thinking the other day that I missed the HoM. I mean yeah, we’ve got achievements, but that’s a panel in our character sheet. I miss a place to see visual representations of our accomplishments.

Filaha.1678:

There is no value on a bound item except that which you choose to apply to it, and it’s silly to claim that it has less value if more people can have it. Are you suggesting it’s only worth having if it’s rare? Then do you really like the skin?

How does it hurt you if more people have it, exactly?

Heh, I agree with you on this (I use the pearl skin on my ele, because I think it’s pretty and I don’t care that it’s not rare) but I think we may be in the minority with that attitude. A lot of gamers seem to have the “Fissure of Woe armor dyed all black” syndrome (if you ever played GW1).

Shockingly, I got one (normally have hellish RNG luck), but I think it would be nice to give a bug as a reward for, say, completing all the achievements — either for Entanglement and/or Dry Top or something. Let people have a guaranteed way to work for it.

RNG-fests always drive me nuts. I feel like there should always be a slower, “guaranteed” method to get anything.

Wanderer.3248:

In Scarlets room there is a reference to the Dragons being a part of something bigger.

Which could possibly refer to the centre sphere. Or not.

Was it added with Entanglement? I put together everything in the room from Gates of Maguuma and I’m not seeing anything like that.

The big thing for me with Salma was miss the circles (duh) and bring condi clear for when I messed up. I wasn’t really specced properly but woulda been much easier with more condi clear. I wasn’t using a big hard hitter class (lightning whip on an ele) and retal wasn’t crippling. I also was NOT specced into heals on water attune so.

I’m not sold on Kas’s safety field. I did much better ignoring it and just being evasive.

Aaron Ansari.1604:

BrunoBRS.5178:

and we saw the same thing scarlet saw. you grab her diary and compare her notes with the cutscene, it’s about right. you compare the “what scarlet saw” story with what we saw, it’s about right.

Mostly, but I find it interesting that we didn’t see the thorn vine.

I wondered if you would if you did it on a sylvari. I don’t have one of appropriate level to try it.

EDIT:

The NPC’s told me, I was a sylvari, that I started screaming and they pulled me out off the machine. So it could be very possible that our character would’ve been corrupted if the NPC’s wouldn’t have dragged us out.

Dangit, I need to replay. I think they just mentioned my (human) character’s hair standing up.

All my alts were created long before this so I had no idea.

I play offpeak, but if anyone needs help getting traits, feel free to friend me and send me a message if you’re online and need help. I have map completion so I can pop over wherever.