Guild Wars 2

This is not a flame. This is a legit question. I’m a lvl 31 mesmer and loving the profession but don’t understand all the GS love. It’s single target, has a range requisite or the auto gets weaker, #3 is useless in open world, and its phantasm seems lackluster.

I’m no mesmer pro, so explain to me why GS is a better ranged option than staff or scepter/x.

I’m 31 & I’ve been doing what the leveling guide says before even reading it. Which means I am either intuitive and am grasping the mesmer concepts….or I’m a lazy sob.

However, I just can’t get behind the GS. It feels lackluster in so many ways (single target damage, wasted #3 skill, long CD pushback). I’ve been using staff instead and it’s amazing for my purposes (large aoe ethereal field, bouncing auto, short CD escape/clone, chaos armor). Just seems to work better at spamming illusions than GS too. I know that staff is a condition weapon, but at this level it’s getting the job done.

I also rock sword/focus with great recklessness and can get away with it thanks to the staff’s esape & chaos armor.

Haette.2701:

The engineer’s secret strength is having an obscene amount of CC. I still haven’t figured out how they have that and still aren’t OP.

Because 1/3 their CC is also a self-CC. Also, damage generally isn’t as high due to all the utility Engi bring (at least that’s Anet’s idea anyway). Might stacking grenades pack a serious punch, but every other kit/weapon can control and support like crazy.

Out of curiosity, why does everyone say Mesmers are bad till 40? What happens at 40 that suddenly makes em EZ? I just hit 31 and I haven’t had any troubles yet. Hardest part was 2-8 when I was still unlocking skills and weapon abilities.

ok, that’s what I thought but it just seemed impossible to spam an accurate reflect like that so many times. Were you colluding with the mesmer?

I’m so confused. What is happening here?!?!?

Nope. Never based on profession.

I’m thinking a 5x thief group might be a bit problematic, but hey, it’s a fun challenge.

Only reason I’d exclude someone is if they’re rude or completely stupid & not listening. By that I mean intentionally just being bad to the detrement of the group and not listening or communicating in any way. As bizarre and obscure as that sounds, I’m sure everyone here has partied with at least one at some point.

I was so let down too that I walked in and was suddenly just fighting him. I mean, realisticly it makes sense that Canach sees an intruder and just attacks, but it’s contrary to the whole GW2 theme. Where’s the monologuing? Where’s the “surrender or die” dialogue? Where’s the Canach voice saying “give up!!”

It felt very anti-climactic.

And why am I supposed to read the chat to know that he’s arming his mines? Shouldn’t that blink on screen or have an audible cue? Couldn’t Khiel be behind me screaming “look out, it’s gonna blow!”?

I’ll be hitting you up just as soon as I manage to beat Canach solo…..grrr……….

Doggie.3184:

They float using static electricity.

My Engi Static Discharge then should….make em float higher?

I got it! Spam SD 4x and let the Reef Rider float high into the thinner air where it eventually suffocates and dies.

Looting becomes a problem.

Phineas Poe.3018:

…Isn’t the Rifle best used at close range?…

I find the rifle is best used as a control weapon. Its autoattack lets you sit back for a long range option and netshot lets you keep that range. Otherwise, swap back to your kit. Rifle deals more damage at closer range yes, but you’ll deal more damage in your kits. It’s how I’ve always felt most effective: rifle for control, pistol for conditions, back to kit for majority of your time. That’s obviously a very rudimentry explanation but you get the idea.

Gaiawolf.8261:

Seras.5702:

I thought clones didn’t overwrite phantasms. I’m new to mesmer but I thought I read that. If that is in fact the case, am I supposed to shatter then use Staff#2 so that I can at least get some benefit from my illusion before I overwrite him?

Clones can only overwrite a 3rd phantasm. If you only have 1-2 phants up, a new clone will overwrite your oldest clone instead.

So I drop a Phantasm, Clone, Phantasm. Then I pop another Phantasm, it’ll replace the clone?

I’m for any reason to give enviro weps a purpose. Why on earth would I pick up a plank of wood over my traited sword? Some are ok, like boulders, which are fun to open with.

The DE forum thread is generally pretty accurate. It worked for me. You just have to watch & wait.

Consequently, what it the point of the Balth vendor? What does he offer that nobody else does? I looked and I guess I just didn’t get it.

The only thing I can think of is that if you activate a Shatter skill, those active illusions now don’t count toward the max 3. So while they are chasing you around, the mesmer can spawn another couple illusions. The mesmer can then shatter the new illusions. If those original illusions are still alive and chasing you, they are joined by the newer illusions. All I can think of.

This mechanic shouldn’t be changed either. Illusions are easy to kill and a mesmer shouldn’t be kitten and not able to create more just because of endless kiting.

Don’t ignore the strength of the Flamethrower. Traiting out for FT you also get boosts for EG so running a FT/EG setup with Zerker gear (I throw in a couple pieces of Rampager) and 6x Altruism runes nets you easy stacks of might, and might/fury spreading to your party by swapping in & out of MedKit every 10 secs. Or take the HT with P/S and you can drop the turret, overcharge it, shield blast it, detonate it for 2x aoe healing + regen & condition removal. Not to mention EG’s #5. This setup gives you a lot of utility and group support, all the while allowing you to dps at medium range so your HT/Altruism hits all your party. All this without carpal tunnel or elixir spamming.

I thought clones didn’t overwrite phantasms. I’m new to mesmer but I thought I read that. If that is in fact the case, am I supposed to shatter then use Staff#2 so that I can at least get some benefit from my illusion before I overwrite him?

They have already stated that they will never allow profession changes from the gem store.

As an aside, will Phantasmal Defender and SoI work for every racial summon? For instance, my Sylvari hound?

Yes, Engi will get easier the more you play and get familiar with the mechanics. Instead of the stealth to drop aggro like you’ve gotten spoiled using, Engi have a ton of knockbacks, blinds, retreats, & immobilizes. So rather than dropping aggro, you maintain the fight but control it better. The nature of the Engi kits allows you to bring a multitude of tools. Engis are quite fantastic in PvP if you take the time to learn them and gain the familiarity you have with your mesmer. As well, they can bring some excellent team healing and utility, which is useful in PvE & WvW.

Playing an Engi has spoiled me. I miss my perma-swiftness, my blast finishers, my multiple heals, my no-CD kit swapping, and my control.

Thanks all. I’m still getting used to the mesmer shatter mechanics so this is all good stuff. At first I felt like shattering was dumb; why would I want to get rid of my illusions? They deal damage and distract. But as I leveled I realized how easy it is to create illusions and how hard Mind Wrack can hit. I’m trying to work the shatters in.

Is there a general rule/guideline for how/when to shatter mid-fight? I’m only 25 and running Sw/Sw & Staff and having a ball but I don’t know when the best time to shatter is and when I should just let em fight for me.

I think Anet has made “gold farming” more fun by negating the ability to do the same thing over & over & over & over & over & over….

Hit SSC for a bit, run some events, then bounce into CoF, then hit up Orr for some DEs, then run CoE, then back to SSC, then a fractal…you’re mitigating the grindy boredom by being forced to change things up. I get that it doesn’t let you “play how you wanna” but it’s Anet’s way of reducing grind by making it less appealing.

kiba.2768:

how about bringing people back into lower level zones so they stay populated? otherwise queensdale would be a ghost town aside from the random dailies requiring 40 krytan kills or 4 events in kryta.

the whole point is to reward players for traveling to all the different zones in the game so not everyone is concentrated in orr, frostgorge or southsun

^this exactly. Loot scales so those fights benefit level 15s just as much as level 80s.

Invoker.5462:

Perma death -OR- the dropping of all loot on death, i dont know why, but i feel like this makes MMO’s so much fun for so much longer! Can you imagine how many more guilds would work together so much more seriously, how many people would travel in massive groups, how much RP….

Nobody would run in groups. Zerg meets zerg (WvW anyone?) and people die and your “allies” would scoop up your gear before ever thinking of rezzing you. People would play with all green gear, being too afraid of losing what was worked so hard for. Never understood this…it’s like having a glitchy Nintendo that randomly resets at any point in your game (no save points here). World 8 finally! <reset> Nooooo!!!! [Luigi picks up your tanooki suit] hey man!!!!

My 2 cents on “skill”:

Some games require a deeper understanding of combat mechanics & ability synergy. These games require more knowledge, but not necessarily skill. Once the theorycrafters crunch the numbers and find the optimal sweet spot, everyone is onto it and there goes the need for a deeper understanding.

Combat mechanics can be discussed and bosses analyzed so that a player can win on the first attempt simply by reading and studying what others have observed & written.

Skill however, is something that can’t be read or studied, so much as perfected. I may have a complete understanding of the Engineer (skills, traits, synergies, weaknesses, etc) and still get completely rolled by a player with more skill. Anyone can stand at 1200 range and spam grenades for high damage. But to effectively pull off the 100 ’nades burst required movement, aoe targeting, quick reflexes, intuitive reaction, situation analysis, etc. The difference between a high level PvPer and a low level one is all skill. Same build, same understanding, but the one who can more effectively execute the mechanics and react quicker and size up a situation on the fly is the more skillful player.

/My opinion

Engineer – 80
Ranger – 70
Guardian – 46
Necromancer – 45

Phineas Poe.3018:

I also disagree with Seras’ statement about the Elixir Gun: It is great for support, yes. But Acid Bomb does a lot of damage. With Deadly Mixture and Fireforged Trigger, you get free 2K damage per second for six seconds every twelve seconds. That’s a flat 1K added DPS that can additionally be used as a Blast finisher in your Napalm or Healing Turret for Area Might or Area Heals.

Actively integrating Acid Bomb into your rotation boosts your DPS by 20-25%. Easily. All the while buffing your allies. Use it every time it is available.

This is true. As a point of reference, my quote dealt with broad strokes for a new Engi. I think it’s fair to say that you won’t be running around with EG as your primary damage weapon. It’s primarily a support weapon. However, i did mention thakittens auto deals pretty great damage and bleed stacking for not being a kit designed around straight damage output. I omitted Acid Bomb for the sake of simplicity. It is a great skill, scaling well with power, being a blast finisher, and an escape tool all in one. I think too many Engis overlook the damage portion of the skill, focusing instead only on the blast finisher & escape. I personally bring EG with me into every dungeon no matter my spec because it’s just that good. Tons of conditions, escape, light field, aoe healing, blast finisher in 1 util slot is too good to pass up. Plus the toolbelt skill is 1 more heal and off the GCD.

Noince.7364:

And the award for longest, unfixed and ignored bug goes to the Mesmers! Over 300replies, 21k views and lasting 1month (actual bug over 3months). Comes with a “hit-n-run” red post by yours truly, JP.

Engineer Scope Trait wins. since launch.

Can we tie this in to gadgets somehow instead to make them more appealing? Maybe something like: goggles leak oil upon use, creating an oil covered area for burn boost or bits of PBR fall off it, leaving a slag covered area for cripple/bleed boost?

I know…another thread about this…but I saw an idea by Numot.3965 and I liked it but with some tweaks, so this is my (with Numot’s inspiration) idea:

Numot’s initial idea:
Short duration but potent – The turret you plop down doesn’t last long, maybe only 5s, using its skill, but then falling apart afterwards…

My tweaks:
For this to work I think turrets would have to be ground targeted deployable as baseline. No point in dropping something that does 1-and-done actions right on top of you.

I’d like to have them deployable with a charge. That means you can pre-drop turrets for point defense and they’ll stay (5 min max) until they do their action, then die. Then we can trait em for an extra charge: 2 actions (with ICD of x seconds), then crumble.

Won’t be any more powerful than they are now, but they’ll have reduced cooldowns that will let us drop them more often, not have to worry about picking them up just so we can use them in a reasonable amount of time, and will make them more “mobile” by design.

No detonating, since they fall apart. Toolbelt will need to be adjusted to just keep the non-deployed skill active always.

I will say though that I don’t see this change being beneficial for Healing Turret. HT’s mechanics would have to remain as-is, but I think that’s doable.

TL;DR: short duration, ground targeted deployment turrets with 1-2 charges, do action, crumble. Shorter cooldowns. No detonating.

Discuss…

After playing more I’ve decided I hate the new aoe circles. Their pulse is distracting and too slow. It makes me think the circle is disappearing and then suddenly it’s back. I’d love an option to make the old ones available.

Haette.2701:

I’ve been away from the game a while, did I miss out on something? Or have I just not figured it out yet?

Only “insane” thing I remember doing was being able to perma-net a few bosses.

Actually, Engis are much better nowadays than most players give em credit. They can deal very high ranged damage with their grenades and have access to a lot of support, especially group healing/cleansing. (And they’re no slouch in PvP either, but that’s for another thread)

The reason I recently rolled a Mesmer is because I main an Engi and was looking for another profession that played similarly: dynamic, multiple rolls (support & damage), build versatility.

So the bonus each illusion gets from Compounding Power does not apply from the shattered illusion, only the bonus from the other remaining illusions. Gotcha.

Which means if they all shatter simultaneosly…all 3 get a 6% boost from the other 2 illusions?

Compounding Power (Illusions trait): 3% more damage for each active illusion.

Does this work with Mind Wrack? The damage each illusion deals from MW is calculated before they shatter, since it’s dependent on how many illusions are active at the time. Does this mean that damage takes Compounding Power into account as well and boosts the damage 4% for each one, or does the act of shattering them negate the trait bonus? (new mesmer here)

MH Pistol auto should be a fast attacking, low impact shot. This way, mesmers have an attack that could proc often yet be fodder for retaliation/confusion, much like Engi FT (but not quite that fast). It would be a power weapon. #2 can fire an ethereal bullet that explodes on contact, increasing the explosion range for each illusion out. #3 can fire an smoke cloud that deploys a clone and deals damage.

As NevirSayDie mentioned, combat doesn’t end till the golems are dead. And if you kill the heavy but some aoe hits the medium golem, you’re still in combat till the medium dies too. Haven’t tested distance from target til I’m out of combat; it’s faster to just nuke the golem down than run.

I’ve been having a ball with staff+sw/sw (lvl 18). Any tweaks to the above for that? I like the block & phantasm of OH sword & staff really gives me defense + lotsa illusions.

Downscaling means your armor & life will be the same as if you really were level 5. So you need to play smart, regardless of your actual level because in Metrica you’re level 5 baby. As a downscaled 80 you get the benefit of being fully traited, having 3 utilities, an elite, and 3-attribute exotic gear to start with. Which means you are stronger than a real level 5 because you have more weapons and wider stat allocation.

Now, if I understand you right, you want to be able to face tank a champion when downleveled right? So basically, you want to be able to fight them exactly the same as a non-champion/non-veteran mob? Shouldn’t there be some sort of challenge involved in fighting a vet or champ? I think so.

Also, downscaling opens all of Tyria to you, allowing you to play everywhere without feeling bored or like the content is irrelevant. That’s a good thing imo.

As an Engi who changes builds often, Celestial Stat accessories are great. I can benefit from all of the stats so I find they add to my versatility. Plus, I like to add some group support into my play so extra healing power is a good thing, not to mention a bit of survivability. My armor/weapons are all Berserker/Rampager so having that extra vit/tough boost is nice.

sirsquishy.8531:

This is not a community driven game, and the community shouldn’t be responsible for finding and fixing bugs PRIOR to Anet rolling out patches. It just wastes everyone’s time.

Instead, it seems to be the job of the community to find the bugs after patches. Each patch seems to cause more & more ridiculous bugs than the last. Now Engineer’s entire Throw Mine skill is broken. The whole thing. How is that missed?? There are traits that don’t and have never worked, yet Anet doesn’t even know months later, despite countless forum posts. Then it seems they rely only on their debugger and not actual game-play testing because they’ve argued with the community saying something works, only to be shown screenshots of community testing proving it’s broken. The community payed Anet to play a game, not to be employees without pay. Why are we doing all the bug testing?

When did this start? I don’t see it in patch notes & I’ve only just noticed it. It really threw me off when I first saw it, thought maybe it was something different than the old red circles.

At launch I noticed a lot of Engis running around with turrets everywhere. And then, they all just disappeared. Probably because they realized that turrets were rubbish.

Now however, I’m seeing more engineers both in open world and in dungeons (I don’t PvP). I think word has gotten out that we’re quite good both in PvP & PvE. Those who are getting torched by Engis are starting to wonder what’s happening and roll one in an effort to find out. They soon discover how much fun we are. Also, Engis have a lot of versatility so they offer a lot of experimentation, which is appealing (at least to me).

It seems that Anet always references their debugger, but never actual in-game play tests. I wonder if all they do is debug it with their software tools but never actually play-test this stuff. They’ve sworn a couple times that various bugs were not present, only to be shown in-game proof that they are. Only then do they mention that their debugger didn’t pick up on this and they’ll look into it.

I have the Karka Shell and Szyzgy. Since I bounce around from spec to spec quite often there’s really no downside to having all those stats. For engis, I think all stats are beneficial. And I can run full Zerker gear and still have a bit of survivability and cond damage built in. They’re versatile for a versatile profession.

Is the Sylvari Hound a fair substitute for HoB? Does the same hold true for Sylvari?

At first I thought it’s absolutely not more advantageous to play human or sylvari because no matter your race, you still have healing skills in slot #6. If you choose to use the racial heal, which is generally weaker than profession-based heals, you simply get the benefit of your trait, which you should. It’s just logical. Because whether you take the racial skill is dependent on its viability vs the profession-based heals, not because of trait exclusion.

However, as I thought about it more, I started to see the potential on a larger scale. For instance…

should Sylvari “Seed Turret” benefit from Engi’s “Metal Plating” trait?
should Sylvari “Summon Druid Spirit” beneift from Ranger’s “Vigorous Spirits” trait?
should Charr “Battle Roar” benefit from Guardian’s “Pure of Voice” trait?
should Charr “Shrapnel Mine” benefit from Engi’s “Forceful Explosions” trait?
(I’m sure I missed some, this was done quickly)

If they are affected by traits, it makes them much more viable skills, but only for specific professions. And it gives these profession/race combos more options. Some racial skills are pretty lackluster, and that’s the way Anet wanted them. But if they benefit from traits, does it make certain races, not mandatory, but more appealing? Does it make a Sylvari Ranger that much better at group support over another race? Are Charr Guardians better at support than any other race? Does it make Sylvari and Charr OP compared to other races that don’t have skills that could benefit from traits as much?

1. Increase Turret survivability (more hp / aoe dmg reduction) – and make em smarter
2. Rework Gadgets. Right now, they’re not worth taking over kits or elixirs. Give passive effects like signets or “charge” them like mantras or something.
3. Make FT#2 a blast finisher or FT#5 a smoke field

Nikked.7365:

EDIT: Ah, I should have read the full thread. Looks like I also misinterpreted what you were looking for in relaxed play. Hope you’re enjoying the class!

Yea I really shouln’t have included the word “relaxed” in my initial post. It’s ironic that I’m looking for a dynamic profession that requires some effort & creativity while maintaining versatility….and calling it relaxed play.

As you noticed, by relaxed I only mean that I don’t have the pressure that an 80 brings. Namely, gearing exotics, being 100% perfect in dungeons, bouncing from world boss to world boss, etc. A more relaxed pace.

Haven’t had much time to play my new mesmer; American holiday weekend + Living Story = not a lot of alt time. I look forward to June lol.

It’s mostly a WvW and Living Story update. Don’t expect any decent profession-specific changes other than a couple bug fixes. Overall, I’m excited for the new content.

Do whichever is more fun. Or both. Do your dailies on your alts for laurels and XP boosts. Then run a couple fractals with your main. Swap as fun level diminishes.

I’m not grinding ascendeds, but I’m splitting my time between my main and an alt that I’d eventually like to get to 80 & geared. Dailies for my alt, world bosses for my main, dungeons as applicable (as of yet, no dungeons accessible with my alt).