Guild Wars 2

FYI aggro in this game is random. Any guy doinkittenage can suddenly take aggro from a guy doing the most damage. I’ve seen it. Just look at the plinx end event in the chain. That abom will chose 1 guy to follow for the majority of the fight regardless of how much damage he is doing. Hell the poor guy could run all the time and never hit back and he will still get chased. There are no taunts here. There is no way to control who a target attacks. You pulling aggro has nothing to do with your dps.

This means “pulling aggro” as a role is out the door.

BTW how bout a screenshot of those numbers. Anecdotal evidence is anecdotal.

Oh yeah. A unique role I’ve played (dungeons only) with a crit FT build is being “the wall”. You basically block projectiles (that don’t pierce) using your body because you know you can leech back the life really fast.

I could be wrong but, I believe the FT kit refinement condition removal is for you only. I never really checked.

The more important question is “HOW do you want to support?” People throw the word “support” out left and right without actually defining what it is they want to do. For example, EG.
- You provide 1(2 with kit refinement) aoe condition removals and healing that stacks over the regen boon and itself.
- Then there’s fumigate providing a mobile pulsing condition removal aoe

That’s defensive support. It is also possible to do offensive support (but really only via vulnerability stacks). I think vulnerability is the only way to increase the damage a target takes.

It has been said that spreading vulnerability is a good way to go with the FT. To clarify, FT1 does 5 attacks per sec (10 attacks per breath over 2.25sec).

Consider this, in 1 sec you can provide 5% more damage at 50%x50%x50%x50%x50% (lets assume 100% crit rate to make things simple). That’s roughly 0.2% every sec. You can later multiply that by five in a group of 5 for 1% more damage per sec. It’s something right? IT lasts 3 sec so you can stack it up to 3%.

Now consider that you are doing melee damage that is 1/2 what you should be doing at melee. Your group just lost half of your damage for an increase of less than 3% (since your crit rate will be less than 100%).

Do note that this does not consider bleeds via sharpshooter yet.

Honestly, you relied completely on that thief’s stupidity.

@topic
The iduelist makes a better turret. Sure they attack only 1 target, but they do so relentlessly.

Here’s my suggestion on turrets after playing all but thief and taking note of what anet has managed to “make work”. This does not create new mechanics that anet has to invent code for. They already have it.

Mesmer
Do away with over charge and simply add “charges” to the skill similar to a mesmer’s mantra. Have those charges increase over time when out of combat (as if the engg were building them with his idle time and storing them later for future use). This would also negate the need for a cd on the utility skill.
- build 3 charges at charges = 0 on skill use
- spend 1 charge to drop 1 turret at charges != 0 on skill use

2 option AI targeting
Mesmer illusions
1. Dropping a turret with a target (via tab or clicking) causes dropped turret to only attack that 1 target (becoming useless when the target dies or outranges the turret)
Current turret targeting
2. Dropping a turret without a target uses our current turret AI.

This now becomes a choice. The turret either becomes a short term relentless tool, or a long term kitten tool.

Possible traits
- 50% hance to gain a charge when picking up a turret
- 33% chance on crit with a tool kit to gain a charge on all slotted turrets
- Reduce max charges to 1 and produce more powerful turrets
- Increase max charges to 4 and produce less powerful turrets
- Reduce building time when casting turrets at charges = 0

Here’s something the FT advocates will never tell you.

Untraited
FT treated as a melee kit does roughly 1/4 melee dps
FT treated as a ranged kit does roughly 1/2 range dps
how you consider 425 as range is more a half full or half empty kind of soul searching

Traited (50pts)
FT treated as a melee kit does roughly 1/2 traited (20pts) melee dps
FT treated as a ranged kit does roughly = traited (20pts) range dps

This is a self comparison of the engg’s melee and ranged options, not a comparison of engg and other classes.

As for “gadgets” and life stealing food buffs, I believe anet was referring to turrets (was un aware turrets could life steal to begin with).

As for targeting, it doesn’t matter if you have auto target or not. Hold the right mouse button to lock your camera to where you are facing and you will be fine.

Easiest change they can do is swap our FT for this FT. The 5s cd leap is awesome.

Except for hitting objects (can’t crit those). You really feel it spending a lot of effort to raise precision, then having to destroy an object.

I’ll copy paste for you.

yes, good players know how to dosge, but the whole point of the ft is to cull the weak, so while good players waste their time avoiding your ft (and not attacking your siege force) thw weak playsrs die.
omg! you can only kill newb!
that should be your next argument, so my counter is. no, i can kill anyone. but my ROLE as a support/tank is to create mayhem that mitigates dmg for thebwhole group. i do that very well WHILE killing people.

Here, you say you CAN kill ANYONE. This however, is placed after saying “but the whole point of the ft is to cull (same as killing them really) the weak, so while good players waste their time avoiding your ft (and not attacking your siege force) thw weak playsrs die.” Is it unrealistic that you can find a group with mostly weak players? No (already encountered waves and waves of “weaks” falling to a party of 5 COMPETENT players). So it is possible you already encounted this. That is what you say your build is for. So it is safe to say that you can and do kill “everyone”.

Then there’s this gem

where did i say im pulling people out of a zerf? i am IN the zerg. hitting people also IN the zerg. those competent players are forced to eat FT ir get out (and get picked off by those fancy 1v1 classes) while the nubs keep eating levitican fury.
i never claimed i kill everyone in fact, im clearly acknowledging that i dont. but i disrupt and interrup them while culling the “weak”

Just because you don’t land the killing bow doesn’t mean you didn’t kill him. So you’re telling my you didn’t kill some guy you brought down to 10% hp cuz some other guy came along and got the killing blow?

If you want the other stuff.
- saying you go against competent player, later saying your job is to cull the weak (not competent players)
- saying a 10k dps skill (that only really hit “weak” players) is significant against competent players
- bringing up the warr, ele, thief as strong 1v1, only to say direct class comparisons are irrelevant later on

nakoda.4213:

where did i say im pulling people out of a zerf? i am IN the zerg. hitting people also IN the zerg.

This is a question, not a statement (indicated by ?). Reading comprehension would imply that someone said you pull people out of zergs/zerfs. Since the discussion is mostly between us, reading comprehension would imply I said you pull people out of zergs/serfs.

Statement 1

i never claimed i kill everyone in fact, im clearly acknowledging that i dont.

Statement 2

no, i can kill anyone.

nakoda.4213:

where did i say im pulling people out of a zerf? i am IN the zerg. hitting people also IN the zerg.

What’s this then?

Actually, your reading comprehension is lacking. Not only did you fail to understand that I was comparing the engg’s weapon options (not other classes), you also started introducing stuff we weren’t talking about to avoid the points that mattered. Then you start contradicting yourself, saying the exact opposite of what you said before.

Please quote me saying you pull people out of zergs. Those competent people will not care since the damage is so weak (thus the complaints about the FT having weak damage).

nakoda.4213:

i never claimed i kill everyone in fact, im clearly acknowledging that i dont. but i disrupt and interrup them while culling the “weak”

nakoda.4213:

that should be your next argument, so my counter is. no, i can kill anyone. but my ROLE as a support/tank is to create mayhem that mitigates dmg for thebwhole group. i do that very well WHILE killing people.

My engg is in fact not a damage build. He is in fact a build that fishes targets out of zergs via magnet, and holds them in place via multiple net skills so that my zerg gets fed. This whole thing with me is not a comparison about FT vs other classes (it was actually you who brought up other classes in our discussion.

if you want to be that strong 1v1 i recommend checking out the more appropriate professions like warrior, thief, and ele.

I was comparing an untraited/unbuffed engg rifle/bomb with an untraited/unbuffed FT. It was untraited/unbuffed to show a control group. It was also to avoid having to talk about how the FT requires more traits spent to bring it on par with the engg’s other melee or range options.

My point was about the FT being inferior with (not other classes) it’s other options (rifle as a ranged option, bomb as a melee option)

The game where no one COMPETENT leaves their zerg because the one’s that do die. “Culling the weak” is not going against COMPETENT players. It’s the same thing as engaging in small fights that don’t contribute to your server. This role you made for yourself, COMPETENT players will know how to kill you or stop you from doing what you want to do. Also, sweeping your FT in a crowd means you are hitting them for even LESS than 1/4 a regular melee hit. You already do less than half melee damage on a full hit, you really gonna divide that even more?

Here’s a simple example of what a COMPETENT player will do.
Its a know fact to competent players that retaliation is the hard counter to FT’s. Let’s apply retaliation to five other people in my zerg so that engg will melt his own face off. 1 breath is 10 attacks, 30 if you hit 3. You either kill yourself or stop.

Aveneo.2068:

Lastly it’s really odd that our Flamethrower kit is so buggy, when the Flamethrower during the Jormag-event apparently has no issues.

I would trade my FT for that in a sec. The 5sec cd 900 leap alone makes it superior. Add to that the 3 sec block, kitten

It’s not about being strong 1v1. It’s about people defending the FT as a “good strong weapon” when really, it’s not.

Also, my expectation on a damage weapon is that it do the proper amount of damage based on anets philosophy that melee does about 2x the damage of range because of the risk involved with being at melee.

Another point you raise is that FT is a support/aoe weapon. It’s a melee weapon with melee defensive options meant to protect YOU. I see a lot of people throw out the word “support” so easily, it’s sad. Support this, support that, what does it really mean? A pure glass cannon can be support by killing who ever is killing you. On the other hand, you could be support by acting as bait so a glass cannon can go and kill your target.

Air Blast: push back foes and projectiles with a hot air blast – how often have you pushed back a projectile that mattered? 300 range.

Smoke Vent: vent smoke from your FT, blinding nearby foes – you would have to be really close to someone/thing hitting someone else for this to be used to “support/save” someone else. You have no gap closer for this to be effective. 180 range.

Both skills have ranges under 300. You would be in need of saving as well if you are that close to someone you want to save.

Now against competent zerg players you would either be dead or alive not hitting anything. A competent player would know that your 4s cd nuke has a significant dead zone. A competent ranged player would stay at range killing you at range since you have no gap closer. A competent melee player would stay at melee and take only a fraction of that nuke’s damage (even air blast can’t keep a competent melee at range long enough for flame blast to hit). So where are these competent players that are dumb enough to stay at 360 to 840 range of you?

EDIT

How is a warrior’s aoe finite and immobile? How is a warrior’s aoe worse with less conditions?

You are comparing the total damage of a buffed FT 1 to what exactly? You basically advertised these “amazing” numbers the FT(buffed) can do without showing what other (buffed) options can do. That’s also assuming you land ALL 10 HITS.

I compared an unbuffed rifle(range)/bomb(melee) to an unbuffed FT.

With my stats I get this in cursed shore:
FT 1 = 1110 + 403 over 2.25sec = 672 dps ~ 744 with 6might ~ 825 with 15% damage trait (not applying 15% to burn)
rifle 1 = 573 over 0.75sec = 764 dps
bomb 1 = 927 over 0.5sec = 1854 dps

Just wow. I mean cmon!! I just have to take the 10% rifle damage trait and I’m already doing more dps with the rifle with an easier application method. With the rifle I have to stay on my target for 0.75 sec. Can you even understand the effort required to stay within 425 of your target for 2.25 sec?

Blaine Tog.8304:

1 deals a high amount of damage

This right here is the reason you should be ignored (or better yet “muted”) in the engg forums (spreading such horribly wrong information).

FT is practically (understand what “practically” means) a melee weapon that does a little over 1/4 melee damage. If you consider FT ranged, it does about 3/4 range damage (at a really limited range).

I got a lot angrier about this today because I recently did the jormag event and picked up the event FT. How is it possible that event weapon MISSES LESS on stationary targets (ice pillars you need to destroy so golems can get to claw of jormag) while our own FT still misses so often. That really kitten me off when I tried both FT’s out.

I read the wiki, I know the weaknesses. I’ve also pulled enough people to know how they react. It amazes me how people don’t actually use the counters to things like this.

You say it like stability is available at all times.

For a couple of days now, I have been looking at the different classes in search of role that are unique to that class (which means damage is out since any class can do that).

I started out with a fisherman engg with the sole purpose of pulling 1 target via magnet and keeping him close with a multitude of net skills. What annoyed me the most wast pulling targets off walls and they manage to somehow get back inside their keep. All of a sudden, this guardian comes along and uses Line of Warding to block the portal to safety. I was blown away and though “Can you build on this?”

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fUIQJAWSlUgKDHHyLEf4ES2jRSkUQMFaUGdpAiUIA;TcAg2UNZaS0ktJXTymA

And so a Warder is born. How would you guys improve on this?

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fcIQFAUl0pyV37SyF17IxIFAQ0hKMYQFyLA;TEADQA
This is the skeleton for my Fisherman build. The build exists to pull and immobilize/cripple/chill for an easy party kill. I run full pvt gear so damage isn’t really my thing.

Right now my options for runes are centaur set or grenth set.
Centaur (currently in use)
This lets me choose static discharge for a little bit of damage instead of speedy kits. How ever, this forces me to go 30 in alchemy for 100% uptime on the swiftness (3sec downtime without it) but I don’t “really” use any of the traits. I currently use invigorating speed, self-regulating defense, and protection injection because “I have to”

Grenth (still thinking about it… really hard)
This lets me have 100% uptime on vigor since I have to take speedy kits. This also free’s up 30 pts in alchemy (well 15 since I still use invigorating speed and transmute).

I got to thinking more. I freed up 15 pts which I could place in tools for a constant 50% “vigor” and turn invigorating speed into protection injection.

Heal as One

Is this right? The coef for healing power on this is 100%?

Just to clarify since the choice is between spending g or spending ac tokens, isn’t healing only good if you have multiple sources of heal?

Any reason in particular that you prefer power toughness healing over power toughness vitality?

Do I really want damage as live bait?

Live bait it is then. So pvt gear?

Jazenn.7526:

Seetoo.9316:

I have just about finished fine tuning my fisherman engg (magnet net chill chill net net … repeat). I have come back to my ranger because I still want a GS using class (that was different: you expect to see wars and guards swing a GS, but not a ranger).

I look at the ranger utilities in wvw and here is what I see:
- trap cd’s are too long and do too little to be noticed in zergs
- signets and shouts don’t do anything because the pet dies too fast
- survival keeps you alive but then what?

With my fisherman I have a clear goal. I pull and immobilize while my team kills. What specific goal can I aim for with a GS ranger?

GS ranger is fun as a chaser/roamer, which is what I mostly use it for. Signet of the hunt with swoop makes you pretty fast around the map, even without swiftness. Also running a high toughness build when I use GS, I often lead the charge for my group and pop entangle, and then me and my pet play a little whack a mole (I try to find synergy with my pet). GS ranger can be pretty mobile, and can solo camps/ lead charges in a survival build. I usually do small scale combat and roaming with it, but if I do find a big battle, I usually try to head a flank. You kinda have to be on the front line to do damage with GS. This is all just me though.

So basically you simply take up a wvw slot? Seriously, small scale battles do nothing but waste time (in wvw). Combat only matters if it happens on an important location (places that contribute points). Taking a camp by yourself is not ranger specific. Any one can do this.

I can understand “being the bait” though. But, it was pretty easy to get a ranger killed after fishing him out of a crowd (all bow users though so maybe it will be diff with a GS).

Jazenn.7526:

Honestly everyone has a play-style that fits them the best, you should explore and try to find yours, once you find it the game becomes that much more fun.

It’s not about finding a play style. It’s about finding your role so you don’t feel like getting carried. And even more specific, its about finding a role as a ranger.

I have just about finished fine tuning my fisherman engg (magnet net chill chill net net … repeat). I have come back to my ranger because I still want a GS using class (that was different: you expect to see wars and guards swing a GS, but not a ranger).

I look at the ranger utilities in wvw and here is what I see:
- trap cd’s are too long and do too little to be noticed in zergs
- signets and shouts don’t do anything because the pet dies too fast
- survival keeps you alive but then what?

With my fisherman I have a clear goal. I pull and immobilize while my team kills. What specific goal can I aim for with a GS ranger?

I was planning to get 190% more endurance regen from:
Bowl of Orrian Truffle and Meat Stew for 40%
Adrenal Implant for 50%
And Vigor for 100%

Then I read somewhere that they don’t stack ~_~. Does it?

Since ax is pretty redundant I would like to have it redesigned to a “burst condition” weapon for uniqueness’s sake. Scepter 1 applies 1 stack of bleed for 4 sec. Have ax 1 apply 4 stacks of bleed for 1 sec.

@coglin
How is the tool belt “inventive”? All they are, are 4 extra utility slots.
@Gurl
How is that different really? Your changes just change positions for key strokes. Removing the link from tool belt and utility slots still means tool belt slots are nothing more than extra utility slots.

@rifle
My problem with this is it’s half range half melee. 1-2 says range while 2-5 says melee (2 to keep them away or close). Pick a range and stick with it

@turrets
I feel should be redesigned from the ground up with mortar in mind.
- no more auto targeting (AI is crap anyway) and they just fire at a fixed interval (like the thumper turret) in the direction they are deployed to fire at
- turrets deployed in the same way the warrior whirlwind attack such that turrets appear at your feet and are pointed in the direction of your mouse. So aim is on you as the player and not on some really stupid AI.
- turrets can be mounted like the current mortar for additional skills like aiming and pick up.
- instead of life they could have charges (tool kit would replenish charges instead of hp) making them unkillable but have a “duration”.

If they’re not allowed to move, could they at least be ground targeted?

I would like to see condition durations and stacks on our skills/utilities swapped.
Example:
Scepter applies 1 stack of bleed for 4 sec. I would like to see that changed to 4stacks of bleed for 1 sec.

Shout warriors and guardians come closer.

I’ll give it a go.

1. Banners require player targeting instead of ground targeting. Target a player to apply a banner on their back (120sec cd) giving their weapon skill 1 additional (not new) abilities.
- strenght adds aoe stack of might (5sec) on a 10sec icd
- defense adds aoe protection (3sec) on a 10sec icd
- tactics adds an aoe heal + aoe regen (5sec) on a 10sec icd
- discipline adds an aoe stack of fury (8sec) on a 10sec icd
- battle standard adds an aoe stability (3sec) on a 10sec icd

2. When summoned the banner skill itself changes function (like how an engg’s kit changes to “stow kit” if the kit is active) to (lets call it) Battle Cry on a 10sec cd.
- apply swiftness (3sec)
- blast finisher
- shares a cd with all other Battle Cry utility skills.

So what do you do usually when recasting any mantra in combat (or you don’t)?

People are justifying the other “on shatter” traits by saying “you” are the illu via IP. They are saying “I become an illusion when I take IP”. If that were true then I would also die when I shatter. But since I don’t die, then I must not actually be an illusion. Instead f1-f4 just happen on my location.

Triggering Mind Wrack causes the mesmer to deal an additional packet of AoE damage around the mesmer’s current location [verification requested], while Cry of Frustration deals additional stacks of confusion to foes near the mesmer.
Diversion applies Daze to the foe closest to the mesmer.
Distortion lasts an additional second.

On traits like inspiration III happening on mesmer locations, I’m calling those unintended because of

Shatter skills can be used even when no illusions are up. Thus, a mesmer without any illusions can still get a one second Distortion, a single Daze or some small PBAoE damage.

saying no illusion was actually shattered. SS kinda adds to that. Anet must be going in “that” direction.

Also, that is not the gw2 definition for illusion. I’m simply looking/interpreting in terms of the game’s foundation (not real life, like you’re trying to do).

Uh no. If that were the case you could only summon 2 more illu’s since you can only have 3 at a time out in the world. The wiki only lists the 4 effects happen at your location , but no illusion is actually shattered.

Shatter skills can be used even when no illusions are up. Thus, a mesmer without any illusions can still get a one second Distortion, a single Daze or some small PBAoE damage.

Could be bugs that the mesmer community doesn’t want fixed. IP only lists f1-f4 effects. Then again only SS states that it doesn’t work with IP.

My point is shattering kills illus. If you really want all the effects of becoming an illu, then that should include death. Talk about double standards. “I want all the good effect of being an illu, but non of the bad.”

So why don’t you die after shattering then? It’s like you’re an illu and not at the same time.

SS gives you might per shattered ILLUSION. Persona shatters yourself. You however are not an illu so why would you get might from it?

Suppose instead of dueling, I go for illusions for phantasm damage during the mantra down times? I’m still 34 so I can’t try it out for myself.

skinnyb.5920:

No, not exactly. The thing is, Warriors have one of the largest base HP pools in the game along with wearing heavy armor. Thieves either get extra dodges or can heal themselves in stealth constantly, while still hitting hard.

These classes can usually kill the enemy before it kills them, elementalists aren’t usually as fortunate. They have one of the lowest base HP pools and wear the lowest tier of gear. Without specing for survivability, you won’t be alive to do your damage.

There is nothing wrong with specing into damage if you can survive to do so. The problem is sitting in 1 attunement and ignoring 15 other skills.

This is really the reason (stupid reason at that) why they hate fire mages. Why would any dps purposely lower his dps by locking himself out of his heaviest hitters? It’s such a simple concept I can not even imagine how stupid someone has to be to not get it. Those 15 other skills they value so much do nothing but lower DPS.

Bump.

But to add. If they don’t intend to change ax, they could change 1 trait Unyielding Blast. Change it so that instead of piercing (already have staff and the staff projectile is a lot fatter in terms of aoe), it would bounce.

Does LF gowing down to 25% trigger Decaying Swarm. Also, what is the icd on Decaying Swarm?

I did. I got the might stacks when I swapped to fire attunement.

It clearly says “each fire spell you cast grants you might for 10sec” and not “each fire spell you cast in fire attunement grants you might for 10sec”

I tried using flame ax / FGS while in non fire attunes and I did not get a might stack.

Don’t forget that picking up a banner reduces your stats because it is counted as “un armed” (your weapon’s stats don’t count).

1 thing I hate is that picking up banners is the last priority for “f” interactions when multiple interactions are available.

Imagine some lootable corpse is under your banner with an npc standing right next to it. Picking up the banner is the last thing you get to do.

Talk to npc → loot → pick up banner

It’s worse if the npc is some random guy that does absolutely nothing for when you talk to them.

@Ney of the Ether
How exactly are supposed to help when old known issues aren’t resolved? All your points have been done.

1 “the squeaky wheel gets the grease”. Silence gets translated as “contentment” with things like this. It gets translated to “everything is ok”.
2 as Luke has said, the work has been done (for free too). no amount of brainstorming can help if it doesn’t get implemented.
3 it’s been done. some of the drastic work arounds is to ignore mechanics completely. “minions not working? don’t take minions” just as an example
4 but the blame does lie with anet. they took money for releasing an incomplete game and now their customers are looking for the missing pieces.

I would like for anet to move towards balancing necro’s around having really high life pools and punishing/rewarding enemies/us when our conditions get cleansed.

Examples for life balancing.
- Increase condition damage by x% per y% of missing hp
- Increase condition duration by x% per y% of current hp

Examples of condition reward/punishment
- Gain 1 stack of might for 10sec when conditions you apply get cleansed (per condition)