Guild Wars 2

Kitty.1502:

You know if you are going to run around as a solo build, it might be worthwhile to take druid for the 33% increase in speed and drop the beastmaster spec line. This will give you survival (which has been hinted at being needed) and also allow you not to have to do the whole set up for WHAO which can be tiring after a while. With this change you can replace warhorn for axe which allows you to do more damage and gives you access to a projectile reflect.

I think the extra damage and stats from the pet is more handy. Also considering lots of mordrem have movement impairing skill loosing every bit of movement increase when you need it most will hurt you more. I would think the warhorn is more for the might

All the effects from skills plus health bars over players heads’ is just more stuff covering up the action. The ui allows you to the health of people in your party regardless of whether they are in front or behind you.

stale.9785:

I love how this still comes up. What I love even more is that some people believe the broken functionality of the sword to be a “feature”.

You’re all aware that at one point, this was a bug we were told would be fixed, right?

Immediately after release, it was noticed that the “leap” animation in the AA made it impossible to dodge. We actually provided video proof that this was the case, and were informed it was a bug and would be addressed.

Like every other ranger bug, it persisted for ages, and now has become so entrenched that it’s no longer a bug, but a feature.

Stockholm syndrome.

People simply amaze me.

This was not a bug but the Dev said they will look into it because of all the complains.
They did look into it and said the changes they try would not improve the issue people had with it and therefore would not be added (referring mainly to latency which can make a ranger leap to his death when a target dies and the chain continues).

Bottom line: Sword is working as intended. The latency is a separate issue.

Saying you have mastered this weapon but don’t want to deal with the workaround is conformation you haven’t mastered this weapon.

Take the training wheels off.

If is a mighty big word.

Wow amazing healing for 1.3 million imagine if you were actually doing something like dealing 1.3 million in damage. The fact you were not shutdown in a beta weekend means nothing.

Just about any class can triple the damage done by a druid. Using this as a scale one can easily out pace a druids healing.

This just illustrates what a druid could do if were given a real aoe weapon set.

Raid being balance around ascended gear doesn’t not mean its incomplete-able in other gear. It is hard core content and more than anything gw2 isn’t about your gear.

While in the current state of the game a class with perma daze would be a problem. In Hot not so much. Just as two Druids could perma daze Two Revs could give perma stability. This sounds balanced to me (not really as the druid is doing very little else and the Revenant could still be jacking stuff up.)

I hate the ideal of Druid its suppose to be a support sec all is does is heal. Don’t get the Druid nerfed because we are look at the game and class with a narrow view.

Two Druid vs Two Rev who do you think will win. I honestly believe Revenant will end up taking the spots that could go to the Druid.

I don’t want Rangers/Druids to be Overpowered but at this rate not only will we not be OP we wont even have a fighting chance.

He have the juvenile stalker as a pet.

People still complain about damage dealt to pets

That is correct, I don’t know why I said CA has a cool down.

ITheNormalPerson.9275:

Not sure if this is the answer you want, but with barrage/rapid fire, i can see it being a valuable second weapon for generating astral force (assuming that they buff gain by damage, which I hope they do)

For a non-dedicated healer I can see lb being of great benefit. As a Dedicated healer Druid not so much as you are needed to heal and anytime not using staff means you are not doing that (for the most part).

If you don’t have to camp staff then it would help but then druid as a whole would be a fail.

CA has a cd, every skill that would proc also have cd this is a non issue.

Ranger can lose 30% of their dps at anytime during a fight. Food and other consumables don’t affect the pet. Most boons don’t affect the 30% damage this is our pet unless we trait it. Pets stats don’t scale up when the player is wearing ascended gear.

But you think ranger down state is broken and unfair. Look at classes as a whole and not just in a vacuum.

Stop trying to dps down and just stomp.

I don’t have to turn auto attack off to use 1h sword. If your still at the level where need to manually use aa the they above macro ideal should suite you.

Manually having to press1 leads to a loss of dps and a lot of hand pain. This is why I never advocated for people to turn off aa. It also hampers your ability to learn the timing.

If you think 1h sword is a pain cant wait to hear what you say about staff. At least with the sword your not spamming 3 skills every second.

Justine.6351:

RANGEr.
Need better ways to contribute to/benefit from groups while playing at range. If I wanted to play double melee I would just play warrior.

Please someone post what the definition of ranger is so I can laugh at trolling you

This is why ranger don’t have a place, too many of us want to fight only at range. You not only don’t benefit you team but your not getting benefits from your team either.

When fighting at range your pet is either not in the action or takes a while from him to get there. You are not giving your team spotter or regen or anything at all even if you had access to all the traits and skill of every other profession.

Get off your perch and get into the fight. There is no point in downing a target and not finishing him. The range on long bow is an advantage but if you don’t use it right its not only a disadvantage to you but your whole team.

Use the range to make them use their dodge.

To soften them up

To keep out of harms way when the point is covered in aoe.

But you have to get in their to finish your target or quickness stealth res you teammate.

Be close enough that your point blank shot and your wolfs fear allow you to dps and down the player that was going to stomp your team mate or allow you enough time to res your team member.

Image if any other class try to do what some of you guys do. Guardian and ele using staff and attacking from max range. Thieves and Mesmer attacking from make range. Warriors using long bow and rifle only. All these classes would be sitting right where rangers are today.

Rangers have some problem but a lot of the bigger problem comes from how we are perceived and we the ranger core have contributed to those perception. By what we do and don’t do, more than anything rangers are unable to do.

Puck.9612:

Serraphin Storm.2369:

Bows are not mandatory and the fact you don’t see Ranger in high tier mean nothing as to how viable it is. Most players that compete at a high level started with that intention. Ranger have been close to the bottom in terms of power for along time.

This means that most player who desired to compete mostly skipped of the ranger in favor of easier classes.

Most rangers don’t use the 1sword to start with and once they decide to play compete
Most haven’t develop the skill to use the sword. To use the sword you have to be very aggressive. This is contrary to how most rangers play ranger.

The problem with the sword is if you are using it to attack outside of a 1v1 it is pretty much a death sentence, you can evade around like a spider monkey on crack but you aren’t keeping pressure on them since you can’t strafe around and attack without gluing yourself to the target, or leaping off point if no one is targeted. Unlike the GS it has no burst damage, and it provides a lot less utility. Sword is fine for dueling but it’s not great for fighting in PvP.

You don’t strafe you kill and you kill quickly don’t try to run away. Even in a 1v3 situation you should be able to put down(kill) your target. You will die but you should have score at least one kill (sword has cleave possible to down two if not all three) and delayed the other two aleast 15 to 30 second enabling your team to have the advantage on the other two points.

Stay alive for the sake of stay alive doesn’t help your team. Seen ranger spend to much time running and not doing anything. 8 time out of 10 running in the 1 v3 situation usually mean they take the point uncontested (1 stays behind and cap) you still die (two chase you) but without fighting back and they are closer now to the next point.

Creating a situation that puts your teammate on the next point at a disadvantage.

With Path of scar, rapid fire, point blank shot, quickening zephyr and k9 kds and wolf fear you have the tools you need to do what you need. Sword with quickness is no joke. Don’t be afraid to die and don’t die needlessly.

You won’t improve if you always play it safe. Yes, there is risk to using 1h sword but the pay off can be huge.

There isn’t a problem with the sword. Working as intended. Take the step to master this weapon as is. Whether there is or isn’t a change to the way this works you will be better for it.

The Druid is in development now if we have any chance of changing the issues with druid then now is the time to speak. One has a better chance to influence change to the core ranger if it relates more to an issue with Druid.

Its easier to get resolution to past issue if they also relate to current ones.

Bows are not mandatory and the fact you don’t see Ranger in high tier mean nothing as to how viable it is. Most players that compete at a high level started with that intention. Ranger have been close to the bottom in terms of power for along time.

This means that most player who desired to compete mostly skipped of the ranger in favor of easier classes.

Most rangers don’t use the 1sword to start with and once they decide to play compete
Most haven’t develop the skill to use the sword. To use the sword you have to be very aggressive. This is contrary to how most rangers play ranger.

Druid as a whole is a disaster but the steal trait is one of the few trait you can use defensively much like thieves do to drop agro and with the super speed you can reposition.

Druid can stay in CA form almost 80% of the time if not more the problem is unless you use staff it will take you forever to get into a CA. Making CA almost inaccessible using any thing other than a healing build.

Yes, Know Druid is a healing spec but what if I just hat to use the glyph. Why is acceptable that the Druid can really only work in a healing spec. No other Specailization is so limited.

You literally only spam two skills and a 3rd that has a longer cd (in both forms). Druid is positional because your beam has to past through allies how is this going to happen when everyon is stacked.

This is a real problem if they have to change the way healing power scales for one spec to work. whether the change it just for the ranger or they change it for all classes it doesn’t matter.

Seem like the glyphs, the weapon, skill and the traits were made by three different groups. Its like each group fix sated on the haling aspect but didn’t think about the druid as a whole or how The CA mechanic worked with any other aspect of the ranger.

No other spec limits you the way the druid spec does. One shouldnt have to focus on healing to use the spec. At leas one of the glyph should give the full amount of astral force similar to signet of fury for warriors. This way Druids aren’t shackled to staff and other weapon set and stat will become for viable.

Other classes can go damage (condi and power),support, or control and are not limited the way the druid spec is. This alone should concern all of us.

Guard is a skill that can be used offensive or defensive. Defense because it can stealth your pet giving it protection and allow the mob that was targeting it to change targets.

Stealthing your pet can allow it to get is f2 skill off unseen. People complain pets die to easy yet they don’t use the skill that will help their pets stay alive as well as get a key attack in.

Spirit changes are to strong if you make them unkillable and orbit the caster. (maybe I misunderstood what you meant.)

Druid is just simply filled with flaws. Staff should of been a condi weapon to start with since you already have to spec into Healing power.

I am aware that condi damage doesn’t fill the CA bar, but the condi skills could have been given 1 point of power damage as how much damage is done doesn’t matter.

Druild really only spams like two skill and a 3 skill burst heal the other skill should have bee more support oriented.

The fact that spirits are considered viable over the glyph shows how bad the glyphs are in general. At least one glyph should fill the CA bar like to the limit and signet of fury do for the warrior. This would at least release Druids from the burden of being shackled to the staff.

Druid currently is to one dimensional. Condi damage on the staff should of been the base damage type. Splitting the already underwhelming damage type is just a bad move.

First off you cant use sigil of benevolence and sigil of life together. You can only use one on kill sigil. I would suggest adding sigil of water.

With all the heal you will make your life easier if you added protection (Stone spirit).

I don’t see any advantage going with magi especially at the cost of what little dps you have. Having protection will also help more than the extra vitality.

The Druid is suppose to be support I find it odd that spirits are more useful in this role yet spirits as a whole are really undesired.

I also feel that running a build like this will find Druid out in the cold once people learn the encounters. They will learn to take less damage, so their for need less heals.

I can see druids only really being needed once new raids come out and people need the safety net while they figure out the new wings.

I would like to see Shield /stances specialization.

I don’t find spamming heals and face tanking fun in the least. Taking double and triple the time to do what normally did for less reward ( drop in exp, karma and loots from events).

Keeping pugs alive while they consistently ignore mechanic, realizing that if they knew what they were doing the wouldn’t be taking a lot of the damage you are healing and that you wouldn’t be need by a group that was half competent.

Coming to the forum and seeing people praising almost 1 million hp heal in spvp, Knowing it would be a lot better if Ranger had range aoe damage and was dealing 1 million damage instead. Know that damage is will always be higher than healing.

Feeling as though all the veteran/elite mobs in the beta were knocked down a notch to make us feel like we were doing something or realizing a heal base Druid would get murdered repeatedly.

Was the beta raid hard just a bit but then again AC was hard for a lot of people in the beginning. Druid is new its novel it has to many short coming to make any real changes for the ranger.

I do think the new pets will do a lot for ranger as well as the condi buff on them.

I have played my ranger in the other beta and enjoyed it, except in this one. It has really turned me off on HOT.

Don’t know why you would remove bm resounding timber alone is worth it.

New pet may help in this area Bristleback have a 1200 so they can say well out of range.
Smokescale should have an easier time even though their evade frames don’t remove conditions they have 40k hp.

First off you were not attacking (putting you in combat which would make you run slower).

Secondly if your send all your time running from the pet then you are not dealing with the ranger. The pet isn’t suppose to do all the work. Rangers have tools to aid their pets.

The fault isn’t all Anets. Rangers let the player base shun them for using bear bow. Taking the glassiest pet and then complaining they die to easy is just bad form. Not using skills and trait to help is not owning your contribution to the problem.One if you want your pet to stay alive help them by not sending them into the middle of a zerg.

Yes, the pet could follow the ranger a bit closer but, pet swapping is key to keeping them alive or not swapping say during the aoe phase of Mai Trin.

Also HOT is a new expansion they are using it as an opportunity to try now things I sure once they see how things work out with the new pet they will add new things for the exsisting pet why spend the time to add something to all 42 pet then find out its not good enough or its to OP.

The smoke scale has been given the ability to evade while in smoke they will need to see how well it works are the fields too long too short to frequent ect.

The Bristle back has been give 1200 range they need to see if this keeps the ranger in combat to long or if the ai bugs out in room that are to small because its trying to create to much distance all the time.

wyvern have been given skill this more range which may address the issue with moving targets.

Don’t get me wrong I really hate the notion of a healing druid with no other real group support. I really dislike how they handle the WHAO debacle.

However I am not bling to the fact the are taking step to make something’s better, even if they are moving at an extremely slow pace and make some choices I just flat out disagree with.

Let me start by staying I don’t think Anet hates rangers.

They have put more work into the ranger than any other class. Let consider all the work that went into making skill for each of the pet.
Celestial avatar is a cool looking transformation skill.

Ranger new elite specialization is bringing 10 new weapon skill and 2 new heal skill 8 new utility skills and 2 new elite skill plus 5 new pet skill.

Then there is the luna wolf that you can summon if 3 ranger use their war horns at the same time. The Icon for MDG is the top part of Gw2 dragon logo. Maybe the are so kitten the ranger because deep down its the favor and in try not to play favorites the go to the extreme ( we can only hope). It doesn’t make sense that they put so much work in to this class for it to be where it in now.

I mean Healing elite I don’t know the scaling but Heal as one has more healing then the druid heal when traited with resounding timber.

With so many working part I just think anet has lost focus when it comes to the ranger. It’s not all bad.

With the introduction of the new pets the smokescale and the bristleback pet survivability should go up. More pet control would be affected more by skill lag and would still be affect by the moving target issue (Bristleback should have fewer issues here).

One of the biggest problem with ranger is the pet. Anet wants to treat rangers and pets as one but they don’t. Any food buffs a ranger uses doesn’t apply to the pet any might stacks a ranger receives doesn’t get added to the pet. Running ascended gear doesn’t give my pet ascended stats (offence or defense).

Rangers boons should always affect the pet.

Skill that give pets boons should give them to the ranger instead(with the exception of maybe guard) and, the numbers should be adjusted accordingly.

Pets stat should be calculated based on the combine rarity of the items wore and wielded by the ranger: example If a ranger has full ascend gear his pet should be given stats as though he were an ascended pet.

With removal of the need for fortifying bond a group trait come be added and the traits rearranged accordingly.

We heal as one isn’t op for one reason: The pet can be killed.
The pet was always meant to be both offensive and defensive. Now there is an incentive to target the pet.

To make the most of WHAO you give up a lot of stats and in the end you are actually weaker if you try to make it permanent (especial if your in a group situation . Seems balanced to me.

The real question is could ranger fill a dedicated healer role now. Rangers can already have prema regen for the group and if runes of the trooper worked a good amount of aoe condi clear.

Most of what a healing ranger would bring a Druid could have as well ,but how much of a difference would there be?

Good question. There is nothing wrong with Healers, there is a problem with Druids being the healer class. First off if anet want to change the way content is handled you don’t take an existing class an force it into a role you use the new incoming class.

Purity of purpose: While Druid has some good things, If you spec Just to be a druid you will have trouble. Staff is a power weapon Ranger scaling is terrible for power and then you have healing that just plan scales poorly for everyone. Then you add the fact that the staff is a long range weapon but the glyphs are mid and close range skills.

Healing is retro active gw2 is more about being pro-active preventing the damage or evading it. Druids skills should have more skill like Sublime Conversion. Rather than all this heal, Druids should have more skills that convert the damage or prevent the damage. Group protection skills, or a buff or effect that heal you if you take x damage.

Converting and preventing would have felt more in line with Melandru. Even making Druid a tank class would have been better there would still be complains but it would make more sense.

Druid itself does address any of the problems that rangers have. So Druid feels like a double slap in the face for a lot of us.

Again if they really had to add a healing class that should have been the Revenant elite and given Rangers more group support in ways of what was given to the Herald.

Its not just the Druid that’s incoming you have the Revenant and Mesmer, ele, warriors, engi with their elite specs. In the grand scheme of thing when compare to all the protection and stability plus the dps that these classes will have Ranger/druid will not be in the top 6 profession for raids.

Druid gives us a new way to play and some of us will find it fun. Druid isn’t just heals and there are a lot of nice things in it, but 80% of the specialization is and that’s the problem.

Its too soon to decide we need to see the content. I can’t see how healing will be useful, unless there are phase where mobs cant be damaged while they are out putting lots of damage.

The gear would depend on the type of damage. We may get a new stat set again its too soon to tell.

I’m not concerned to much about the Bristle back. The low health pool doesn’t matter much it is attack at 1200 range . The mid range attack my be a problem but if its like most pets and does Its big attack on swap, then hopefully it will use it when summoned as first or second attack and then move to 1200 range.

Its sad that most of us are more excited about the new pets than the new specialization.

We are suppose to be proactive not reactive. While the condi cleanse is nice some of the heal could have been tone down and given us tools to mitigate both physical and condi damage ,so resistance and protection should have been in there somewhere.

Druid isn’t all bad there are some nice skills. I didn’t expect a damage spec. I figured that Druid would be support and there is nothing wrong with support.

The problem is it focuses to much on healing. Gw2 has always been about being pro-active not retro-active. Even if HOT changes this aspect, it is far more beneficial to spec into toughness. Now HOT may have a lot of conditions and toughness does nothing against condition healing isn’t to much better. I’m all for the condition clear the focus on healing is just a bad direction choice.

This is just too much healing. The healing is in the way of all the things we could of gained.

Pets

While Druid doesn’t specifically fix pets the new pets are great. Adding condition damage was a great move.

The smokescale pet addresses the problem with pets dying to easy in condi spam. (maybe have to see how it actually works).

The bristleback has a 1200 range this should allow the pet to stay out of range of bosses that one shot. (ai maybe be an issue but guard for positioning maybe a work around (really wish guard was a f-skill)).

In the grand scheme of things the druid has no place. Even if healing becomes needed why take a druid over a Revenant or ele (pve).

The Druid as a complete class doesn’t work. what I mean is people will pick and choose traits and skill they like. Condi healing torch wielding ranger maybe ,but a power based staff wielding glyph spamming healing druid isn’t going to be good. Power rangers require so much to work (being part of the damage come from the pet).
With out a trait that give Druid 25% or 50% damage will wielding a staff or while in astral form I don’t see who a power based druid hopes to compete.

I do however see Druid as being viable in wvw at least for a ranger commanders where its more important they stay alive than doing damage.

Druid isn’t all bad I just feel its more of the same and nothing is dong to change as other classes have gotten a lot better for the most part and at the very least a real effective change.

I am not feeling the druid at all. I don’t what to be the designated healer. This may work for a wvw commander.

With that said he did an execellent job on the Druid. I have very high hopes for what he will do in the future with tweaks on the ranger as a whole.

Thanks Irenio for all of your hard work.

mistsim.2748:

Archon.6480:

This is a strange thread. Please see the Heim’s 50 build list thread. Settler is arguably one of the best amulets for PvP Rangers now. I can’t remember the last time I lost a 1v1 or 2v2 with it, and I queue Ranked every day.

Rangers have no evasion? I don’t understand. Maybe you should elaborate?

sure let me explain. we play the game at completely different levels. at my level, I am not able to make low HP amulets work, and no other ranger is. any build with less than 20K HP will get you instagibbed. when my queue pops after 7-10mins, I play against/with the top players in the game. at least this was the case a month ago when I last logged in. I didn’t ask for it, and I’m not bragging, but this is where I’m coming from. I’m not interested in arguing about hotjoin builds and low MMR antics.

settler build(s) were gutted on June 23rd. we lost about 2k HP from NM, so at 16k HP and 3k armor, the ranger can almost get one-shot by a good Mesmer. also with 16K HP, youre shredded by condis. a few stray burn stacks, and youre done. competitively, settler, knights, cavalier and any other ammies without vit are completely useless. in WvW, this is less of an issue as you can mix stats. only marauder, and to a lesser extent valk and celestial, are viable stat choices for spvp.

increasing ranger’s base HP would open up a lot of builds, and make the current marauder builds competitive (which they aren’t currently, despite the best rangers in the game using them). of course, this is assuming our bad weapons stay bad. I doubt we will see any revamps for HoT as they’ve got their hands full. so I’m not taking weapon buffs into consideration.

I also want to clarify I’m talking about health pool, not healing power or heals per second (HPS). I thought this would be obvious.

This must be why there aren’t many ranger at a high lvl. It seems to be rangers at that level are more concern with stay alive with no skill on their part. Anyone can be insta- downed if they are not paying attention.

So all the other classes must be doing the same thing but, they’re not. So what is it that these other classes have or that the ranger lack that is the source of problem.

Or is simply the way we play the class. I think it’s a combination of a 3.

Nier.8741:

Sorry bro, Ranger never did take any skill even today.

Nothing hard about instant cast taunt or baiting cool downs and dodges with your pet.

Ranger is THE beginner class until they change how braindead evading while spamming attacks and getting carried by AI works.

Rangers are so easy the top spvp teams run 5 rangers. In wvw commanders insist on having no less than 20 Rangers.

Yes ranger are capable of spamming evade; stay alive isn’t killing and its isn’t winning. Its just prolonging your defeat.

Durzlla.6295:

Serraphin Storm.2369:

18 seconds from where.

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/%22Protect_Me!%22

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Signet_of_Stone

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Forage_

Factor in all the evasion and blocks we have too and it’ll get much higher, not to mention we have what is probably the highest HPS in the game, and it’s far from bad even without healing power and the amount of CC our pets can pump out even while we’re downed/CCed is ridiculous.

NOTE the tooltip for elixir of heroes is wrong, it has been since beta, it lasts 6s not 3s.

The problem is items forage by your pet can be used by your enemy. The other problem with this is its to rng you don’t know what your going to get.

Like so many things with the ranger it looks good on paper but, in game not so much.

Bark skin in its current form is pretty sad one hit and its gone. So I have to use my defenses to keep my defense trait active. The trait may as well be: first hit is reduce by 33% if you have full life.

Protective warden is like warrior spiked armor but ours is a gm master. Its also in Nm so if we wanted to use it with bark skin we have to make sacrifices because they are in two different lines.

18 seconds from where.

Every fight in conquest isn’t a team fight. You also have a second weapon set. It is more how you use it than what you use.

Sure you can use a 1h sword in a power build. 1h sword with quickness can destroy someone quickly add that with path of scar and its good game. Unless their are saved by a passive.

While people focus on damage it defense that makes the difference.

Another 4k hp would be gone in one crit. Ranger have lot of evades but while your evading your not dealing damage (unless your condi).

We don’t need more damage. Even without stacking might like some of the other classes our damage is good. When up against anyone it isn’t the damage that decides the fight but the actives and passive defences.

Rapid fire can do 10k damage and path of scar another 8k. This does include the damage our pet can do with open strike. The problem is that passive defense makes a big difference. While active evading is fine you are also not dealing damage in that moment.

Passive effect like defy pain allows a warrior to not take physical damage while at the same time allowing him to unleash everything he has (negating 100% physical damage and not limiting his damage output). A defensive passive is what we need ( not bark skin in its current form).

The ability to dance around and not deal damage and running away isn’t a play style we should be proud of. Some think rangers should stand off point and rapid fire all day this isn’t good either. With the influx of reflect and block skill it isn’t the brightest idea.

Nothing wrong with softening your target get up and then going in for the kill.

This highlights a problem we cant agree on what we need. Yes there are thing we all what but what do we really need.

Even if it’s not mountable it would be nice to have a pet that has ascended stats and that could fly for when we are gliding. We can only hope.

The real question is what would a rifle bring to the class. We already have 3 ranged weapons two of which are completely overshadowed by the long bow.

A rifle wouldn’t enhance the class it would either be sub par or overshadow what we now have.

You don’t have to get rid of shading or lower character models. Simple fix turn post processing off.