Guild Wars 2

Yes, I would like that too.

Who knows, maybe lava axe is the new imba weapon

rapthorne.7345:

lol, the twitch chat explosion when they said ice bow and lightning hammer are getting nerfed.

Then they just need to make mobs move so that staff is useless, and then DF takes over MUHAHAHA

Yeah but necro can’t PvE :>

Ok fine, you win this one

Wear this bug with pride, gentlemen, we are the old guard!

I created a guard and I tried to equip a dagger and a focus, but I couldn’t.
I created a mesmer and I tried to equip a dagger and a focus, but I couldn’t.
Etc.

Only the ele can play DF, only the ele is godly.
All hail the one class that rules them all, one class to find them, one class to bring them all and in elements bind them.

Specialisation tempest: “Gain stability and shape-shift into a tornado that damages and launches foes.”

Just kidding, I really like the sound of this

Also keep in mind that they have increased the base stats of all classes (916->926) and they will raise them again (926->1000), this means that the differences in base health and class armor will be relatively less stringent, which is a good thing for us

Edit: the downside of this is that healing will be relatively less effective (there is no base healing power), but maybe they will adjust the magnitude healing skills accordingly.

8.7s, so 0.3s less than the cd of on-swap sigils, just to jumble things up a bit

Kodiak.3281:

The only point I’ve gotten is before I call you out on something I should probably make sure it is there first.

This sentence alone clearly defines the issue we have in this “discussion”.

You do not read my posts.
You interpret my posts with unfettered imagination.
You confuse precise vocabulary.
You rush to label things “bad”, which is a good indicator of lack of discernment.
You are not rational.

With all this in mind, how can we ever hope to solve your problem: the fact that you perceive there is “hate” for anything not “meta” ?

I do not think we can solve this issue of yours, not until you can discuss constructively.
The fact that you think it is “fun” that this discussion has no end in sight is a clear sign that you discuss not to solve your problem but for some other goal that I cannot begin to comprehend.

Kodiak.3281:

I’ve sufficiently proved your bias against me

No. I have stated that I do not like you. Any alleged bias is still to be proved.

it’s perfectly in the realm of reason to think you’re capable of pre-judging anything that comes from me. You’re simply incapable of being objective when it’s anything I’m talking about.

Prove it.

Kodiak.3281:

Okay so you state that offensive gear teaches you the right input compared to defensive gear. What exactly do stats teach you?

We explained this extensively in the beginning of this discussion.

Kodiak.3281:

What’s alien to me is that you really think there’s more to achieve beyond doing dungeons faster.

I know ^^ That’s ok though, I understand that it is not your goal to improve and I accept that.

Kodiak.3281:

Seems like you were discouraged by a bunch of people swooping in and nit picking and trashing your post unnecessarily

It is true that your posts were completely unnecessary, but I would not say that you trashed nor nit picked since you did not even read the thread in the first place. If you had then you would understand that I only compare two builds as an example to see how we could evaluate Dapheonix’s gear evolution. As you can see Daphoenix read the thread, understood it, and expressed his appreciation.

Kodiak.3281:

Then again it’s a lot easier to sit back and claim I don’t understand than have to explain something that doesn’t exist.

You do not understand. That is fine though, everything is explained in my guide

Kodiak.3281:

Your “contributions” towards speed running was the entire point, you are wholly dedicated to it regardless if you play it or not.

Prove it. In the meantime I can prove the contrary: DF. The very existence of this build, and my passion for it show that you are wrong.

Kodiak.3281:

because you’ve repeatedly fail to show what else offensive gear or build provides other than speed.

Actually you tell me: you have repeatedly stated that speed does not matter for you (although I do not believe it) and you are using a “hybrid” gear, therefore around half of your gear is offensive. So tell me, why someone who does not care about speed would use gear he thinks is only useful for speed? Either you are a living paradox, or there is something more to offensive gear than just speed.

Kodiak.3281:

It’s not a stretch when you describe your guild leader with the qualities of an elitist

It is a stretch since you defined elitists as people incapable of discernment. My description does not use the word elitist and it does not hint to that definition in any way.

Kodiak.3281:

Stating that you hardly do PvE anymore implies there is something you dislike about it (bad)

I wonder who is incapable of discernment now Anyway, in the post you quoted I clearly explain what makes me play PvE less: it is because of the way players chose to tackle it.

Kodiak.3281:

Especially when you go on to describe the bad part (it’s too static).

Where do you get that from? Do we even speak the same language??
I explained that the way players tackle PvE is too static, not PvE itself.

Kodiak.3281:

Unwillingness to back up your claims with facts and proof is not rational.

You do not even know the meaning of “rational” do you ….?
Anyway, no. Go and read.

Kodiak.3281:

it seems rather hypocritical of you to now claim that you wrote an entire post on the topic.

I did. It is called Build Analysis. But even in that huge thread where I help people optimise their gear I do not recommend it.

Kodiak.3281:

Stating something is best generically

I do not state that.

Kodiak.3281:

Saying you’re not biased towards a spec

Spec =/= gear. And anyway I am not biased towards any gear. Berserker is objectively the most efficient.

Kodiak.3281:

You can claim whatever you want now, but the truth of the matter is shown everywhere else.

Really? I mean, do you even know how I play? Every single person who has ever played with me knows that I am not a fan of speedrunning. Yet I contribute extensively to expanding our knowledge on that matter.

Kodiak.3281:

I’m perfectly rational.

No.
When you say that you want to optimise damage then say that min-maxing is pointless then that is not rational
When you claim that I did not criticise your condimentalist build but you had not even read my post then that is not rational
When you claim that I only think in the perspective of speedrunning while my entire post history proves otherwise then that is not rational
When you use a quote to claim that my guild co-leader is incapable of discernment and therefore I am surely not capable of that either while the quote said nothing on the matter then that is not rational
When you use a quote to claim that I think “PvE is bad and not worth doing” while the quote says that I do not enjoy speedrunning but I like improvised gameplay instead then that is not rational
When you say that I did not urge people to use better condi builds that the one you proposed while the post I wrote clearly proves that I did then that is not rational
When you claim that I do not talk about the “merits” of defensive gear while I made a huge thread exactly on that topic then that is not rational
When you claim that I do not acknowledge that we all have somewhat different goals while the introduction of my guide says the opposite then that is not rational
When you say that it is possible to state than something is “best” without comparing it to others while “best” is a superlative term then that is not rational
When you say that I am “biased towards a particular spec” while my guide gives at least 8 builds to work with then that is not rational
When you say that I “bash” defensive builds like 06044 while I support this build in my new guide and it is a build that I used for a long time myself (as could be seen in the previous versions of my old guide) then that is not rational
And I could go on, but I think you get the point.

Kodiak.3281:

PS: I love that our walls of text now each span across two replies

Yeah it’s tons of fun ha-ha-ha.

Kodiak.3281:

The context has always been I’ve never seen you recommend alternative gear builds for people.

And the answer has always been that I don’t.

Kodiak.3281:

Yes, it is wrong. A truly objective person could answer any argument of them and not pre-label or pre-judge an argument as good or bad.

Pre-judge? Like judge an argument before reading it? I don’t think I can do that, I am only human. On the other hand I have seen you judge my posts without fully reading them.

Kodiak.3281:

Your argument also makes no sense. For one you say that an offense build will help you learn the right input but on the other hand you also clearly recommend people play defensive builds while learning the game because it will teach them better than defensive gear would. This is a contradiction.

It is only a contradiction if you make sure to use the wrong vocabulary, like you keep doing all the time.
Offensive gear helps you learn the right input.
Defensive build (using offensive gear) helps to learn the game.

Kodiak.3281:

In addition, everything you said you gain more of is speculation and you can’t back it up with facts or proof.

First there is speed. I can probably duo AC1 twice in the time it takes you to do it once. Speed is a good indicator of output. But then there is also the freedom gained from increased output: I can deal with dungeons the way I want and still get them done in a reasonable time. I can play the build I love, DF, and help pugs complete content way smoother than they have ever done. I do not think that the concept of achieving more is as alien to you as you make it sound Kodiak, surely you have failed arah a few times in your life, surely a run took you way longer than you could stand, etc. When things go smooth then you understand the idea of achieving more.

Kodiak.3281:

Actually I clearly state that you should give actual numbers with Build Analysis, with Protection just being an example. Numbers are all about perspective.

Numbers are not about perspective. You did not understand the model, that’s fine. Your comments were out of place. But I am getting used to that.

Kodiak.3281:

Hey bro you’re the one trying to make it sound like the Elementalist has super cool unique defensive tools like “dodging” and “moving.” I tell you if those other classes ever get ahold of those…look out SPvP, that’s the end of the D/D Cele Ele! Again, don’t blame me for your words.

I only blame you for your lack of comprehension, for not reading what you should read, and for not being rational.
The ele has tools to avoid being hit. Those tools involve more than just moving and dodging. Those tools are explained in my guide. But I understand that the concept of avoiding hits is alien to someone who relied on passive defense his entire life. See, that is exactly what I want to preserve new players from.

Neko I agree with you.

I have no problem with continuing this “discussion” in PM. As a matter of fact all the points have been stated so many times. But I cannot let Kodiak spam false statements publicly without explaining why he is wrong every time. It is tiring for me too, believe me.

Kodiak.3281:

Calling trashing other people’s advice as something else doesn’t make it any less trashing their advice.

If objectively talking about efficiency is “trashing” for you then maybe the problem is you not me.

if someone is saying, “I have no problems beating game content with Scepter.” there’s absolutely no need for you to jump on in there and poop all over that point of view.

Indeed, and it is not a point of view actually it is a fact. Just like stating that scepter deals extremely low damage by itself is a fact. Stating a fact is not “pooping”. And finally if ever that person wanted to improve then it would be wise to let that person know about the ways they could improve.

Kodiak.3281:

defensive gear does make the content easier. If you’re capable of taking more hits and eating more encounter mechanics it allows you to rely on higher EHP to brute force your way through content

Berserker gear makes the content easier because if you are capable to hit harder and best encounters before subjecting yourself too much to their mechanics then it allows you to rely more on attack to brute force your way through content.
Yeah stats are good Kodiak, we all get that. But your choice of stats does not make anything easier. The choice of stats may however be a good match for your play style and skill level, which then makes it easier for you to complete content.

If we only had a Build Analysis thread that measured EHP and EHP Healed/sec to compare armor vs spec and compare it to damage we see in various dungeon encounters to determine the most optimal amount of stats for a lazy defensive route….

If only you did not state that such thread is pointless. Get coherence please.

Kodiak.3281:

I suggested you re-clarify your vocabulary to include the “What.” Most efficient…at what?

At increasing your output, which then enables you to be better at completing the content.

Kodiak.3281:

I can only go off what you say about PvE. Again, your words :|

My words, your reading misunderstanding, your wrong interpretation.
In that very message I explain that I am not a fan of speed running Kodiak. You just quoted a message that proves you wrong on so many points Kodiak. Kodiak…. Also, notice how nowhere in the message do I say that “PvE is bad and hardly worth doing”. Just please, please please, be rational.

Kodiak.3281:

I’m clearly talking about one thing and you misquote me and put it out of context.

Well the context was about proving that I give diverse advice tailored to people. Which I do. I used to talk a bit about defensive gear, but I do not anymore, and I justify that choice.

Kodiak.3281:

And again you establish impossible criteria for discussion. Unless you deem a person of having a good argument then you dismiss them out of hand.

And that is wrong? You would have me dismiss good arguments and base my discussions on bad arguments? … The discussions I have with most people here are objective. So if a point is valid it is valid for everybody, which is a pretty good criteria for discussion.

Kodiak.3281:

It’s a simple question. You say Berserker gear helps by giving you a higher skill cap (input) to get more output so you can achieve more. What more are you achieving?

First, distinguish the two aspects: berseker is more efficient because it increases your output if you have the right input, and berserker is the best way to learn how to have the right input. More output means more rewards, more experience, more help for your friends, etc, which for most people means more fun.

Kodiak.3281:

Furthermore if you want to be objective you should look at it on it’s own merits rather than trying to lash out at me or what I’ve done.

My model have its own merits. You happened to suggest an other model, whose merits happen to be lower than that of my initial model. Also, for someone who says that you give advice based on the person’s goals, you came on a thread where I clearly state my goal to quantify survivability from stats and you said it is pointless and that I should look at how much survivability protection gives instead Surely the paradox strikes you.

Kodiak.3281:

Do you live in a bubble when it comes to other classes? Are you really so ignorant of them that you don’t realize they have similar (if not exact copies) of active skills?

So because other classes have similar output as we do I shouldn’t talk about it??? We all do damage we all have control we all have dodge, ok bro, thanks. Now some of us are better at some of this than others.

Kodiak.3281:

This whole “defense” thing is just you being stubborn. Rather than be a reasonable individual who simply states, _"Well Kodiak our goal is to speed run dungeons

It is not

because I feel that’s the most optimal way to do the dungeon content.

I do not feel so

This means I need a full Berserker build and that means I can’t trait any of the defenses an Elementalist gets.

You can trait for all the defenses of the ele with a berserker build

Since this leaves me with base defenses

Again, no.

you gotta fight me on every turn.

Not my fault if you make erroneous statements on every turn. I count four just for this sentence.

Kodiak.3281:

While I’m sure you believe you’re a stoic pillar of objectivity you’re simply not. You’ve already admitted that you will post replies in anger or frustration at me.

Oh yeah I gladly admit that your lack of rationality makes me a bit mad. But the motives behind why I make a comment have nothing to do with the validity of the comment itself. I can dislike you and still make objective statements.

I completely agree with Rotten

Kodiak.3281:

My view has never changed. You should not do comparative analysis of people’s posts and dispariage, trash, judge or dismiss other people’s advice on this forum.

Bro, I have no problem with not trashing other people’s advice.
I am however going to divulge all the information I have, and yes most of that is going to be in relative terms, because that is the essence of choices.

Kodiak.3281:

You claim your criticism is objective. I don’t see objectivity, but rather I see your constant bias towards a particular spec. You in turn see this as my own bias against that spec. I show that in all your guides you always give full billing to your bias but anything else you give token comments on and don’t elaborate. A truly objective person would not only provide the criticism to a build (it completes content slower) but also talk up the merits of the build (it makes content much easier). You don’t answer this, you just keep stating you are objective.

A particular spec? Which one please?
And no, defensive gear does not make the content easier. It may however be the most adapted gear for a particular player at a given point in his learning experience, and the validity of the match between the gear and the player may make him have an easier time. But just like offensive gear is not automatic, defensive gear isn’t either.

Kodiak.3281:

I say that whatever gear players are capable using is their most efficient gear

No. It may be the gear that best match their play-style and skill level though. I use a precise vocabulary to distinguish between gear that gives you more for the right input and gear that is the best match for a given player at a given time. If you do not like my vocabulary then please suggest other words, but the concepts remain clearly distinct.

Kodiak.3281:

You claim everyone wants to improve their game play and strive to be better

Not everyone. Most people.

While you agree PvE is bad and hardly worth doing anymore

I do not agree with any of that.

you still think it’s right to swoop in and say alternative advice is inefficient and bad even if it works for the person.

I think alternative gear is less efficient, but I do not think it is “bad” – it is “good” if it works for the right person. Although it is an illusory fix for most people.

Kodiak.3281:

The tools you bring up and talk about are generic tools that literally all classes have.

No. Read the guide.
Not all classes have sandstorm, not all classes can kite with GoEP, not all classes can hit in melee without being hit in melee, not all classes can deep freeze, etc. Read the guide.
Besides, all classes have defensive gear and that does not prevent you from spamming us with how you think we should talk about it (without optimising it of course, because “that’s pointless” according to you…).

Kodiak.3281:

What shocks me is you completely, repeatedly show and finally admit your bias against me but somehow think you can remain objective and factual.

I did not admit to any bias. I do not like you, it is true. But whether I like you or not is irrelevant: the points I make are valid. If I was actually biased you would be able to show that my points are not objective.

Kodiak.3281:

If you want me to actually read what you write

There is no “if”. When you make a statement based on what I say you have to read what I say first. That’s like basics in life.

Kodiak.3281:

Okay, that’s really fascinating about alternative builds. Now like I was saying in the rest of the part you don’t quote please feel free to show the section in the Dulfy guide where you discuss alternative gear.

I read you my friend, you asked me to prove that I give alternative advice – not gear – and I proved exactly that
I don’t give advice about other gear than berserker. Instead I explain how to survive without it. Like I told you before, feel free to write about alternative gear if you feel like it. But, judging from your comments in my Build Analysis thread, you don’t even like to talk about defensive gear unless you can use it to make a point against the absolute evil that I embody.

Kodiak.3281:

Claiming that theory crafters would be calling you out on something is a false cause.

That doesn’t answer the point but rather establishes impossible criteria so that you could never be wrong because even if people did disagree with you (which they do quite often) you wouldn’t consider them theory crafters and thus not meet the standards you and you alone established.

Really now? No. There are plenty of people that I consider to have the qualitative thinking required to challenge my views. In fact any one can do that, as long as they have cogent arguments – which you don’t.

Kodiak.3281:

We are getting to the core of the issue! Except we’re still overgeneralizing too many things. When you say something like “it enables you to achieve more” what are you talking about achieving? What metric are we measuring that one build is more or less efficient? What is it that a lesser skilled or lazy player on a more defensive build can’t do that a more experienced and motivated player could do on an offensive build? What does increasing their output they get from increasing their input yield?

I’m sorry to say this but if you can not conceive what is understood by “achieving more” then you should not bother with this conversation in the first place. Anyone who gives advice knows that the purpose of guidance is to help others achieve more. Why would you bother giving advice if you do not conceive how it could be helpful to others Kodiak?

Kodiak.3281:

I think it would have been more useful if you showed actual numbers. Like 10% more up time on Protection would mitigate % of X/Y/Z (light, medium, heavy attacks) resulting in an increase of A/B/C more EHP (depending on attack).

Light, medium, heavy attacks ???
Anyway, if you had understood the equations I used you would have understood that my model was way more efficient that anything you ever suggested.

Kodiak.3281:

For a person who seemingly claims they talk a lot about the active defense tools of an Elementalist you also seem to claim a lot that an Elementalist wasn’t made to sustain hits. Those active defenses our class was made with (boons, heals, condi management) makes us very much able to sustain those hits. If your argument is still that we have the lowest armor/hit points and therefore weren’t designed to sustain hits I’d counter argue that is irrelevant because any class, even warrior, if they ignore their defensive utilities, skills are unable to sustain through hits.

Yeah it’s not really a counter. I never said that warriors are made to sustain hits. Yet they are relatively better at this. I agree that the ele has the tools in order to recover from hits taken. But my point is that the ele has even better tools that allow us to not take hits.

Kodiak.3281:

I’ll admit I didn’t make it down that far cause I read 70% of the post as personal attacks I just stop reading and will admit the assertions never talking about the build itself was wrong. I will however maintain you still don’t attempt to provide a useful alternative and you don’t link or talk about any kind of alternatives.

Wrong. First the post was commenting on your performances in the WvW and the PvP videos that you provided. I know that this can sometimes be perceived as personal attacks (“making someone look bad” is a personal attack according to the code of conduct, but I can’t help it if there was no way to make you “look good” and still point out all the mistakes you were making), and to be completely honest I was mad at you because of your arrogance and your irrationality. But what I said is entirely true and objective. If someone would comment on my play-style objectively then I would be glad because it would help me improve. I would never dare to publish a video where my performance is below average though, but that’s just my personal preference. Second, I did talk about alternatives. Third, do read 100%. Only if you read all of what I write without interpreting then we can overcome the communications problems that we seem to have, furthermore you will see that I did talk about alternatives (succinctly, I admit, but like I said they were better builds posted exactly on the same week), and you will see that I did objectively criticise your build.

Btw, does it not shock you that you repeatedly claimed I did not criticise your build and that I did not mention alternatives while you had only read 70% of my post? You know, I can’t help but thinking that you do that for all my posts and that is why it is impossible to have a constructive debate with you.

Kodiak.3281:

You say you give alternative advice, prove it. You’re making a claim, back it up with proof.

Sure thing! In the Dulfy guide I give no less than eight different builds to work with. And for many of these builds I mention additional options. But most importantly I explain that these builds are just examples of the efficient choices that can be made using the assets we have at our disposal. And guess what, I spend the vast majority of the guide talking about all the different assets we can use, when and how to use them, so that people can pick the best response to the content they are facing.

Kodiak.3281:

The funny part is people like you bash on that build despite giving the advice elsewhere apparently. Is that dated advice that’s no longer applicable or do you just have a personal grudge against me when I give that same advice?

I have never seen you give the same advice (I could have missed a post though, I don’t live in the forums), and I have never “bashed” that build. If you had read the old versions of my DF guide you would have seen that I used this build for a long time while I was learning the game.

Kodiak.3281:

You can keep claiming it’s the most efficient like a broken record but until you can prove it’s the most efficient it’s all just words.

Like I told you before, if I was wrong there would be a mob of clever theorycrafters calling me out on this. I have the means to prove my points, but that involves maths, so I’ll spare you the details

Kodiak.3281:

You admit different players do better with different builds and give the advice that works best for them. It’s logical to assume they will perform the most efficient in a build that works best for them. How do you reconcile that principle with a blanket statement that Berserker is the most efficient?

Ok I feel that we are getting to the core of the issue here, good. You say “It’s logical to assume they will perform the most efficient in a build that works best for them”, but you should not say “most efficient”, you should say that they will perform better. Let’s distinguish efficiency and the idea of achieving more: you can achieve more by increasing your efficiency if you have the right input, but if you do not have the right input then it makes sense to use less efficient builds that are nonetheless more adapted to your skill level. So berseker is the most efficient gear set but it does not mean that it will automatically make you achieve more, it enables you to achieve more. What I do in my guides is that I tell people about the many ways they could improve their input in order to survive without having to resort to less efficient gear sets.

Kodiak.3281:

You say toxic and hates medocrity. I think elitism. Elitism is a view in which there are good players and bad players which is a very black and white view of things.

Well, I did not say elitism. Also, I put “toxic” in between quotes.

Kodiak.3281:

The analysis of survivability was pointless

You did not read the whole thread. Also, nobody had ever done it before me. I was only half way to my goal of being able to analyse all the defensive tools and already you were arguing against me. Do you realise how much this destroys the little credibility that you may have? I was making the first steps this community had ever made in order to help people optimise their survivability, and you come and simply state that my work is pointless. I was making accurate models, I was making quantified arguments, all this in order to help people. A few posts earlier you asked me to dedicate my energy to finding the best “lazy” ways to overcome the content. Well you see, I was doing just that and you were far from being supportive.

Kodiak.3281:

You can understand my point entirely (you shouldn’t put down other people’s advice), but even if you think you answered it (you think it’s your right to put down whatever you want) you certainly never changed my opinion on the matter because every argument you’ve ever made in favor of it doesn’t hold up. You can talk about being objective, efficiency, optimal, princples, or misunderstand what’s in your own guide but none of it stands up under scrutiny.

Your scrutiny has shown only one thing: your point of view changes like the wind.

I don’t put down other people’s advice. I only talk about efficiency, which is objective: it means “you get more for the right input”.

If you have anything to say about that then do it. Be constructive.

Kodiak.3281:

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being biased

Except I am not. I give all the good information, regardless of the fact that my personal preference is for DF.

Kodiak.3281:

did however find it hilarious you link a 06044 build that I run complete with Cleansing wave!

Great! Let’s all have good laughs while you realise that I give diverse advice to match different people’s needs.

Kodiak.3281:

This fictional OP can now read all the advice and make their own decision of what tool will work best for them based on their goals.

Yep. And by the way Berseker gear is the most efficient (you get more for the right input) and this applies not just to speed running. It amazes me that you fail to understand I am not even a speed runner nor a meta player.

Kodiak.3281:

When you use language to convey something those words have definitions. When you choose to use words like “toxic” and “hates mediocrity” all those words have definitions. Blaming me for your choice of words is pretty much a perfect analogy for this discussion as any I suppose.

And the definition of these words is…

there’s really only black and white (or “good” and “bad”) rather than the various shades of grey in between which makes these misunderstandings go even further.

…or not at all? Looks like you are confusing definitions with what twisted impressions your brain gives you to fuel your rage against me. Quite a good analogy for this discussion indeed.

Kodiak.3281:

Do you understand that armor and hit points are only some aspects of a character and there is more to a character than that?

Ah well you know I only posted so many defensive builds, I only did a lengthy sustainability analysis (that you tried to trash), and I talk about the active defensive tools of the ele in all my guides and so many of my posts. It’s like one half of your brain does not acknowledge that I talk about defense and the other half does acknowledge it but decides to trash my work for some reason – like “optimising is pointless”.

Kodiak.3281:

Except you never did say anything about it. You spent literally your entire time talking about my game play

Ok Kodiak, like you say, It’s well documented, so let’s check what we can find:

As for the traits, this is an attempt to make use of conditions as an Elementalist. One of the major flaws I can find in it is that you either damage your targets with burn or with bleed, almost never with both. Therefore the fire traits are useless when you are in earth and the earth traits are useless when you are in fire, or in any other attunement. Notice that the OP has linked his gear set up for you to consider. He advocates using a sigil that chills on weapon swap and a sigil to increas chill duration. Keep in mind that with such build you will not be able to swap attunements that often and that you only have one source of chill.

Oh! What is this? It’s a critique of the build is it not? What a surprise!
It’s amazing what we can find when we just read.

Maybe you are right Kodiak, maybe there is indeed a language barrier, in addition to the logic barrier and the honesty barrier

Kodiak.3281:

The problem with you divulging information is you are not objective in how you divulge information. You have an extreme bias towards what you feel is the most efficient and/or optimal route and purposely only frame arguments from that perspective.

Yeah it is true. I am extremely biased towards objectively good choices. Can’t help it.

Kodiak.3281:

A great example of this is this whole survivability discussion. You continue to maintain Elementalists aren’t made to sustain hits but this is done entirely from a biased viewpoint of only looking at armor and hit points. Even in your Dulfy guide you maintain this but only talk about general mechanics that literally every class has access to (dodging, movement, and distance control). This isn’t even an examination of the class but rather simple game mechanics all the while ignoring the actual sustainability we do have access to.

Nowhere near true. You read the introduction of the Dulfy guide, good. Now go on and read about all the defensive assets that I explain in the core of the guide then come back here and tell me if I am talking only about general mechanics. Also, I give defensive builds at the end. Well in fact I cover everything.

Kodiak.3281:

As I have told you numerous times it’s easily possible to make your arguments for a build without comparative analysis. For example clarifying and putting your claims into context such as Berserker gear is the most efficient/optimal gear for speed clearing a dungeon.

A great example Kodiak! Now tell me how saying “most efficient” is not a superlative term As soon as you use superlatives, you are comparing. Besides, a build is a choice! It is a specialisation. You pick the elements that you prefer out of a pool of other elements that you do not desire. You compare assets and pick the best. Like I told you, by definition.

Kodiak.3281:

If you want people to have different impressions maybe you should use different words?

Or you could stop having impressions and instead stick the the actual meaning of the words I use.

Kodiak.3281:

Yea except no: you’re still wrong in either scenario because you aren’t looking at the class objectively to make that claim. Cherry picking two elements from us as a class and claiming that’s all there is to us is being willfully ignorant of the rest of our class.

Good, because that’s exactly what I never did.
Stop having impressions. Look at what I actually said. Notice how wrong you are to contradict me.

Kodiak.3281:

Quoting a post is all about context. For example you bring up that old Condi build in an attempt to shame me because you feel it’s so bad.

Actually your post is a perfect example of how I did not try to divert you from using condis but instead I encouraged you to improve your build idea to be more efficient. Your build was highly inefficient, therefore there was a lot to say about it. But speaking of personal attacks, surely you have noticed that I do not downplay any of your arguments by bringing anything not related to the topic into the discussion like you do (my guild, my main account, the alleged language barrier). Instead I quote you on topics that are exactly related to what we are discussing. It’s not my fault if you are so keen on gratuitous contradiction that you even contradict yourself.

Kodiak.3281:

pooping all over my more defensive advice

I call it less efficient. It’s a fact. It’s an objective fact that stands what ever the person’s goals and abilities. It does not mean that defensive gear is not good, and maybe this gear could help them. But maybe you should stop being offended by the objective fact that defensive gear is less efficient.

_

And yes, I am dealing with an undesirable. You are the only person who has problems with what I do. You are the only person who has problems with what we do as a community. Coincidentally you are the only person with whom we cannot seem to have a constructive conversation. I got your point years ago. I answered it. And you are still ranting, making erroneous claims, twisting my words and perpetrating personal attacks. All this for this for what? I do not have the slightest idea.

Kodiak.3281:

Principles, another vague term. How does one answer such a vague concept when you can’t properly define what you’re actually talking about?

One principle: divulge information. Even to those who don’t need it right now (within reason) because they could need it later.

Kodiak.3281:

If the merits of playing Berserker are so obvious and so widely accepted there should be no problems making a strong enough argument why they should be used without having to put down the rest.

They are. Talking about efficiency is not “putting the rest down”. And then, how do you think it is possible to explain that something is the most optimal without implying that other choices are less optimal? Like I told you before, it is impossible by definition.

Kodiak.3281:

You can clarify what you want about your guild leader but the words you choose to use form impressions.

You tried to use the description of Haviz, co-leader of my guild, in order to picture me as a brutish savage who cannot discern nuances. It turns out that my description of Haviz has nothing to do with how sensible he is, it turns out that Haviz is actually very capable of discernment, and so am I. Seriously you should stop with the gutter press arguments.

Kodiak.3281:

It doesn’t talk at all about the upsides of using defensive gear or the advantages it has

So… I should say “defensive gear increases your defenses” ?
Anyway, feel free to write about it bro.

Kodiak.3281:

When you make an argument like a class isn’t made to sustain hits it generally implies they have alternative methods to avoid getting hit entirely.

Yeah except no: I mentioned very clearly that I was only considering the passive attributes in order to say that the ele is not made to sustain hits. This was the introduction of my post. And then the core of my posts explains how you can use all the great defensive tools of the ele in order to solve the passive defense deficiency problem. My whole point is about using heals, condis, control, etc. Buuuuut you wantonly contradicted me on the premises, and then when I “called you out” you could not defend your “point” – no surprise: you are utterly wrong and only motivated by some personal grudge.

Kodiak.3281:

builds are just tools, but it’s the players that matter

Hello, that’s in the first paragraphs of the introduction of the guide I wrote two years ago.

Kodiak.3281:

From there you immediately switch it up to trying to attack me personally and bring up posts from years ago.

If quoting you becomes a personal attack then technically you are personally attacking yourself.

Kodiak.3281:

see that different players have different goals and there’s more efficient and optimal ways to reach those different goals.

Again, I clearly make this point in the introduction of my guide.

@Lord Arhan Warmark.7098
Don’t apologise, even in advance I am ready to discuss anything and if I am wrong then good for me because then I can change and improve.

Allow me to clarify what I meant. We all have our skill level, and we all commit to a certain effort as well. For example, a lot of people are ready to put in the effort just to get the right input in order to complete content in a decent amount of time; but some people will train, learn, optimise their builds, their team and their strategies in order to achieve more. Those people do that certainly because they get satisfaction from feeling potent and achieving more – which is a personal goal no more valuable than any other. So by commitment I mean how much we are willing to get out of our comfort zone in order to reach a higher quality of input (level of skill). We all commit to a certain extent. I do not think any level of commitment is bad or good. As soon as you get out of your comfort zone in order to strive to achieve more, then you quickly contribute more to encounters. This is satisfying on a personal level for a lot of people, but most importantly it means that your team mates will have a easier time going through the content with you. In that regard, I believe that such attitude is altruistic. But this does not mean that not doing it is selfish: the player empowering his teammates does it only because he gets to satisfy his personal goal. It just happens that his personal goal has additional positive externalities. We all do this to some extent, it’s a matter of degree. For example Miku can solo pretty much anything while I can not do as much and as well, therefore he would contribute more to an encounter than I can, because he is more committed. I highly regard his performance. But I know I cannot put in the hours nor acquire the skill level to achieve as much as he does. I chose a level of commitment lower than Miku’s, and everything is fine.

As for the builds I advise, allow me to suggest taking a look at the PvE guide I wrote with Haviz on Dulfy.net. At no point do we say “this is the best way to play, this is the only way to play”. Quite the opposite. First of all we explain that a build is a response to a purpose. So we acknowledge that people have different goals and that not every build is a perfect match. We also acknowledge that it takes effort (commitment) in order to make some of our builds work. Then we develop three build archetypes. For each of these archetypes we also suggest a number of significant build variations. Most of these variations actually involve defensive builds that focus on helping less experienced players. You know, we have been inexperienced players at some point too! So we know the need for training wheels. However I am convinced that defensive stats are the least efficient training wheels, although I understand that people may need them just to feel more comfortable and enjoy their gaming experience.

I do tailor my advice to people. In fact I am almost never the one suggesting the most “meta” solutions. I am not really a “meta” player myself anyway! But I have the information, and I believe that information should be given to everybody so that they make enlightened choices according to who they are and what they want to achieve.

Edit: also take a look at the kind of things I used to write
https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/elementalist/Build-Analysis
It’s funny to see that Kodiak was already arguing against me then, even though I was putting a lot of effort into analysing defensive gear, this guy just can’t get enough!

Kodiak.3281:

The calculations only make sense if the encounter supports it.

That’s why I said we could use it to compare builds that are similar enough. You asked me to prove mathematically that some runes are better than others, you really think I need to take encounter design into account for this? And well, it is also quite possible to use it for diverging builds, but you have no idea about this since you have no idea how we make calculations.

Kodiak.3281:

I’m just pointing out sometimes you use words incorrectly.

Go ahead and give me an example.

Kodiak.3281:

Yet, in my reply to Thaddeus, when did I ever specify that stipulation? I stated saying the Elementalist wasn’t made to sustain hits was false.

We’ve had this discussion already just days ago… Good god. Anyway, you copy pasted the exact words I used in order to contradict them, while Thaddeus never mentioned anything like this. Then After you deflected a few times I made my point very clear to you again, but you stubbornly refused to admit that you are wrong.

Kodiak.3281:

In fact there are still numerous questions and points brought up in the original discussion here that went unanswered.

Look how many times I say “as I have told you before”
I have answered all your points, many many times. You just fail to acknowledge that.

_

Seriously look at the points you keep making. It has nothing to do with your perception of how you think we “hate on everything that is not meta”. It really looks like you have a problem against me.
You do not even contest my principles. You only argue against what you perceive is my application of those principles, and yet your arguments are erroneous.

Kodiak.3281:

Actually people like Neko understand there are multiple ways to play and that people have different goals and priorities.

As we all do.

There’s actually very small group of people who are concerned with the advice others give.

It’s not even a small group, it is just you Kodiak.

Kodiak.3281:

Using stickies is a poor metric.

All the metrics I have are poor, yet they all point in the same direction. Maybe the reason why there is no guide with alternative gear is because we already cover it in our guides, or because people do not need a guide for this.

Kodiak.3281:

Often times you say “such and such” build is inefficient or not optimal. The problem is again you leave out the context in which they are inefficient or not optimal because you leave out the goal in which the terms they’re being used in.

Here is what I replied to you on this point long ago:

I think unless the players who come on the forums clearly state their perspective then it is normal that their ideas are judged from the perspective that is common to the majority of the community.

Kodiak.3281:

Hating mediocrity implies a certain level of feeling there are some people who are lesser than yourself (they are medicore). That’s pretty much the definition of elitism.

Not people, but only their skill level in the game. And again, this has nothing to do with how he evaluates things.

Kodiak.3281:

Went to the thread: Didn’t see a single thing you linked.

Go again and see how I urge people to check other condi builds. Those builds where posted on the same week as your condimentalist thread.

Kodiak.3281:

Actually you couldn’t prove a thing except in Spreadsheet form which is still useless because it’s unrealistic to encounter mechanics.

It is not. You clearly have no idea how I made my calculations. Besides, as I told you before, if an encounter affects all builds in a similar fashion then you can often disregard the encounter mechanics in order to evaluate builds that are similar enough.

Kodiak.3281:

Language barriers I really wish there were Euro forums

You are the only one complaining about that, and honestly that’s quite pathetic.

Kodiak.3281:

Most of your points weren’t critiques of the build but rather how I was playing

It is true that there was too much to say about your performance to leave much room for build critique, yet I did it too. But I do not want to explain why and how I critiqued your performance as this would be perceived as a personal attack by the moderators. Besides, we discussed this many times already.

Kodiak.3281:

Eight times I answered the question and eight times you ignored the answer. I can lead a horse to water, I can’t make it drink. It’s not my fault you made such a poor argument that the Elementalist wasn’t made to sustain hits. Maybe you shouldn’t use such generic language using words like “made” because they are pretty open to interpretation

Nah, if you read what I said just before:

if you consider only the passive attributes like armor and health.

it is not open to misinterpretation. Yet you deflected times and times again because you cannot stand being proven wrong.

Kodiak.3281:

you only skim my posts, find a sentence you disagree with, quote it and then take it as an entire summary of my viewpoint

I make the effort to read everything even though we have been through these discussions countless times. Then I want to make short answers, so for convenience and clarity I quote the most synoptic sentence and explain why you are wrong. I have proven you wrong on all these points before anyway, so it is not worth wasting the energy writing complex answers.

_

Edit: note to anyone still reading the discussion at this point, the only reason why I am using a much disliked quote-and-reply style for my answers is that we have been throught these discussion before but Kodiak comes back to them with tons of erroneous statements
Example:

it was just until FGS came up to use FGS #4 back when that worked

You did not use FGS4. You removed the video but I still remember very clearly. This is yet an other lie.

Done.

I am interested in seeing the results

Kodiak.3281:

Yet other theorycrafters also don’t argue against other builds

Everybody argues and criticises builds. You are the only one getting offended by that.

Kodiak.3281:

You can make an assumption that you’re speaking for these things but without hard data to back up your claims it’s still all just an assumption.

If we did not satisfy the needs of the community then certainly there would be a sticky here with alternative theorycrafting, but even after more than two years there is not.

Kodiak.3281:

Objective is just another generic term like “efficient” or “optimal” you use often and many times incorrectly.

Please show me an example where I use any of these terms incorrectly.

Kodiak.3281:

This is a direct quote from you regarding your leader:

Zelyhn Lekovitch.2867:

But the best was yet to come: I was soon contacted by Haviz, co-leader of rT, and he told me that he likes the way I am thinking and that I should join his fotm80 team. For those of you who don’t know Haviz is nicknamed the Dark Lord because he is incredibly skilled, he is probably the most “toxic” player out there, and he hates mediocrity

Here is a direct quote of what you interpreted:

you admitted yourself your current guild leader is a bit of an elitist when it comes to things and there’s really only black and white (or “good” and “bad”) rather than the various shades of grey in between which makes these misunderstandings go even further.

Note that I put “toxic” between quotes. My point is that Haviz has little tact, he expresses his views frankly, and that is fine because he is usually right on everything but EU politics Note that your interpretation has nothing to do with what I said.

Kodiak.3281:

So no, you didn’t provide any alternatives at all despite what you imagine happened.

Bro, the message is still there. I did advise people to look at other builds.

Kodiak.3281:

This could be such a great forum full of great discussion going on.

It was always a place of great discussion.
I have never had any problems with anyone here, even when our opinions were drastically opposed like with Anierna we always found a way to be constructive and we reached an agreement in the end. I even collaborated closely with Keyz, who is a prominent member of a guild considered to be the most rival of mine. This forum was always constructive, except with you.

Look at this very thread. The discussion started because the third post is a rant in caps and bold letters where you express a completely off topic grudge.

But I guess that’s yet an other occurrence of the “language barrier” problem?
I wonder, if I did not publicly say that I am French, with what kind of excuse would you come up instead of this one.

Kodiak.3281:

See back in the day I made Zelyhn mad because I said there was no way he could prove one class or one build was doing more DPS than another.

I could, and I did.
Then, once proven wrong, you deflected by saying that min-maxing is pointless – even though a few posts earlier you stated that you wish to maximise the damage of your builds.

Kodiak.3281:

Ever since Zelyhn has been, unfortunately, rather pugnacious when it comes to my posts. When I posted an initial stab at a Condi build I made a year or so back he tried to pick it apart nit picking every tiny detail yet provided no alternatives

I answered that already. But anyway there were many good reasons why I was so adamant against your build, unfortunately you removed your videos since then, so I cannot show my points anymore. Believe me my points involved no nit picking, I barely scratched the surface.

In another thread he “called me out” then ignored my answer 8 times as if suddenly that would change it.

Eight times you deflected and answered off topic.

Kodiak.3281:

I think the issue is that the reasons to use the build are not strong enough when compared to any other viewpoint and thus the only recourse is to belittle, bash or downplay other builds in an effort to keep itself known as “the best.”

Really?
No. The point is that the builds I support are the most efficient for their purpose. If it was not the case then all the other theorycrafters would have pointed it out by now. These builds are the most efficient, which implies that all other builds are less efficient. So no, it is not possible to say that a build is best without comparing it to others, like I told you: by definition.

Kodiak.3281:

Talking in vague terms like “majority” and “community” and other such terms is dangerous because you have nothing to back them up.

Dulfy asked me (and Haviz) to write a guide for her website. Sorry for the arrogance, but if the community did not appreciate our work then Dulfy would have asked someone else.

Kodiak.3281:

So really it’s you’re the one who doesn’t want to discuss things and you want to shut down discussion on other play styles and topics by swooping in and letting everyone know if they aren’t playing your way they are playing the wrong way? Is this what you’re saying?

No. I want to give objective criticism on builds. Then the players can chose to use it or not.
There is no wrong way to play. Some builds are suboptimal, and it is not wrong to use them. However when your goal is to improve it is a shame to use a suboptimal build just because you do not have the knowledge of the most efficient ways.

Kodiak.3281:

you admitted yourself your current guild leader is a bit of an elitist when it comes to things and there’s really only black and white (or “good” and “bad”) rather than the various shades of grey in between which makes these misunderstandings go even further.

I never said any such thing. Please stop making up movies in your mind

Kodiak.3281:

The problem with your critique of my Condition build was that you provided no alternatives for the same play style.

I did not personally do that indeed. However, I pointed out that in the very same week you posted your build there were a few players on the forums who discussed condi damage for the ele in PvE and I helped them come up with an efficient build. So on your build thread I advised to look at their work.

_

You realise that this whole discussion comes only from the fact the you have a problem with how we go about our business on the forums? You are really the first one to complain. But your complain looks like a grudge against me really, as the quotes from our past discussions show, you just cannot bear being proven wrong.

Oh and a little addendum.

It is funny that you picture me as the bad guy trying to force everyone into playing what I want to play (is that DF? or staff? or SFLH? I don’t even know what you mean). It is funny that you accuse me of censoring and crusading against alternative builds. It is funny that you say I do not respect that we all have different goals (even though we all want rewards heh!). This is all very funny especially because of this:

Kodiak.3281:

You once critiqued my Condition build not as a bad idea but a bad implementation of that idea

So you admit that I did not try to change your goal but instead I pointed out the inefficiencies in the build that you chose to achieve your goal.

Now I am not sure how much of a bad guy I am anymore
But surely it was worth wasting hundreds of posts over two years to read this.

Thank you for yet an other wall of text.

Kodiak.3281:

explain why your route is the best route without comparing it to anything else.

I am afraid this is technically impossible, by definition.

I will keep giving the information I have because I believe that the majority of the community wants to progress in this game, and I do not mind people not wanting to progress, as is your choice.

It is up to you to theorycraft all the lazy / defensive gear / condition builds that you dream of. I am convinced that these builds are not helpful to the majority of the community, and they are certainly not helpful to me or my friends, so I have no interest in developing them. But please go ahead

Besides, we have already answered all of the “points” he keeps making…

If I was to correct everything he misinterprets then I would have to give birth to yet an other wall of text, but I really don’t see the point since he makes no new points.

But heh, anyway:
_

Kodiak.3281:

A lot of people around here make some incredible claims that are just inaccurate. How many times have you alluded to or flat out made the argument that unless you play “efficiently” or “optimally” (which really you mean on a speed run build) that no dungeons would ever get done?

No one ever made such claim, nor ever alluded to it.
My statement is that if players make only bad decisions then they will fail at completing the content, let alone completing it comfortably. Therefore a certain level of efficiency is required to complete the content.
You twisted my statement, even though we solved that discussion long ago. Very constructive Kodiak.
_

Berzerker builds are the most efficient. This stands regardless of whether you want to be the fastest or not.

_

As for the rest of your post Kodiak, I do not know what it addresses. If I understand correctly you simply do not want information to be passed on to players asking for help, so that they can “decide freely”.

I could be wrong, but I think freedom of decision comes only when you know all the implications of your choices, without any crusader censoring the information away from you.

And finally if we did not share information we would never discuss anything. Maybe this is what you want? But that would mean we would never ever improve as a community. I do not wish for everybody to strive to improve, but those who want to perform better should be free to do so.

Kodiak himself said that he does not care, multiple times.

As for the view you are projecting on me, it is not completely accurate. It is true that I like efficiency, but it is not true that my only focus is on speed of completion. Yes I am part of prominent speed clearing guild, and to that extent I have worked on improving speed clearing builds (Staff, SFLH). But I am also a player like any other, I like to do my own thing, and this is why I came up with the DF build. The build I like to play most is DF, I can bear playing staff, but I hate scepter. Yet I support all three builds, because they are the most efficient for their respective purposes. And efficient does not mean speed, although it is a good indicator.

I do not wish for everyone to follow these builds. I simply provide the information. I could play a build for max completion speed (staff), but I choose to play a build for maximum personal fun (DF, the one and only godly build). I know that my build does not yield the highest DPS possible, yet I choose to play it because its diversity and dynamism make me feel potent. I believe that everyone make choices just like I do. But to choose carefully people need to have information.

I think we really need to dispel some misconceptions about efficiency. If I deem something more efficient than some others, for a given goal, it means that what I support can achieve more, it means that you can get more output for your input. But this presupposes that you give the right input. I write in my guides that players should be conscious about who they are what they want to achieve. My belief is that players should be aware of their skill level (mine is not that high) so that they know the quality of their input and can therefore chose what build to use for best results. I firmly believe in this and I respect anyone who makes such choices. Of course I respect even more those who pick builds that empower their team, but I cannot dream for everybody to be perfectly altruistic. That being said it is an objective fact that some builds are more efficient (get more output for the right input) than others, considering the core of the common desires of the community: getting rewards. But it is also true that the higher the efficiency the more commitment it requires from the players and their team. I am perfectly fine with people choosing the level of commitment they want to enjoy their gaming experience, and consequently I am perfectly fine with people not choosing the most efficient builds – just like I do. And as I am perfectly fine with anyone’s decision, I expect people to be perfectly fine with my explaining of how builds are efficient or not. Is this not fair? If Kodiak had read just the introduction of my guide then this conversation would have been over two years ago.

I have ran out of popcorn too. It’s all going in circles. I think Kodiak dose not have a problem with the meta, nor with me, nor with how we explain the efficiency of builds, but he has a problem with the game itself. This is why this debate may never end. Kodiak needs to understand that I do not mind that he chooses a level of commitment that is best matched by alternative builds. He needs to accept that his choices are not the most efficient, and that this does not necessarily mean that he is “bad” or anything like this.

Kodiak.3281:

I’ve said it before and I said it again. I don’t have any problems with Berserker, the meta or the advice others give so long as it’s not completely tone deaf to what they want. It’s 100% about how certain players around here want to bash on any advice that isn’t what they are giving. If they don’t think it’s optimal or efficient, they bash on it.

And I have agreed with you that advising berserker when the player clearly states his desires to use alternative gear is nonsensical. That being said it is still important to let all players know about the ways they could make their builds more efficient, just so that they know what direction to take when they want to improve.

We all agree that some players would perform better defensive gear. But we also all agree that defensive gear is not the most optimal, and this is not just about speed of completion. Therefore feel free to advise defensive gear Kodiak, although I do not think anybody actually even needs such advice: anyone can come up with that by themselves. And in return, accept that people explain why such advice is less optimal. This way all points of views are exposed. Then the players being advised can make educated decisions.

But I must admit that I still do not understand why someone who does not care about achieving more would come here to spread his views. It’s a real paradox. Helping players would mean that you want them to achieve more, but you don’t. And refusing to achieve more would imply that you do not care about helping others. Still you are here, productively telling people not to care. I am confused.

Or maybe you are confused. As the quotes from our past discussions show, you have changed you points of views countless times. I do not know

You mean necrid bolts?

Thaddeus.4891:

Zelyhn vs Kodiak

It’s all I seem to see these days lol.

In fact, it’s more Kodiak vs Kodiak:

Kodiak.3281:

I simply don’t see a point in min-maxing

Kodiak.3281:

The matter is what gives you the most amount of DPS with the bare minimum amount of survivability required

Kodiak.3281:

My stance continues to this day: I simply don’t see a point in min-maxing in a game like this where honestly the PvE is basic enough that literally any build will work.

Kodiak, we all got that point of yours. The entire community can’t avoid you spamming it everywhere. Even the devs may know about it. I got your point two years ago.

The fact that you do not see the point in optimising builds and strategies does not mean that you should prevent those who want to achieve more to access this knowledge. Your crusade against people who give advice of efficiency is detrimental to the common good.

That fact that you do not see the point in optimising builds and strategies is irrelevant on these forums as people who come here are looking for advice in order to achieve more. It is an opinion that helps no one, you are only expressing your personal feelings towards this game and these feelings concern you only. It does not make any sense to come on forums just to tell people to go for whatever they want: they can come up with that on their own, and we all have our freedom of choice so indeed we do what ever we want anyway – with or without your advice!

The fact that you do not see the point in optimising builds and strategies is false. You are lying – intentionally or not. You do see the point in achieving more. Everyone does. I am sure of this because no man would possibly be ok with completing any part of the content in 15 hours, nor 10, nor 5. We are humans, we like to have fun, and I do not believe Kodiak that you would have fun completing any content in an absurd amount of time or with too much misfortune. I know what you usually reply to this sensible argument of mine: “completing content in 15 hours is unrealistic, it never happens”. You are right, it does not happen. It does not happen because all players like to play with a certain level of efficiency: the level of efficiency required in order to complete the content within a reasonable amount of time. Now that we have explained why a certain level of min-maxing is desired by all players including you, your point that min-maxing is not necessary appears completely wrong, as is often the case when you deal in absolutes. People like to know how to achieve more. Optimising builds and strategies helps them to fulfill this desire, just like it helps you to enjoy the game the way you want to enjoy it.

On this forum people give advice that helps others to reach their goals and that enables them to be more potent. This advice can be followed or not, everybody makes their own choice. But there is no reason why we should stop giving advice that helps people. There is not reason why we should not expose contradicting views when some advice could be improved. Any build can work, but there is no reason why we shouldn’t try to find builds and tactics that work better, even if we don’t need to.

dboylolz.3916:

surely it will get fixed, no?

no

Yo, I am Zelyhn

In my signature you can find my old DF guide, which is outdated but explains in depth how the build works. Then there is a link to the optimal rotation. And finally you can find my complete guide where I explain everything about the ele, including DF. Welcome to the best build in the game!

Kodiak.3281:

My post also couldn’t be more clear when I was responding to Thaddeus who I quoted…

Yeah no.
Thaddeus did not mention sustaining hits. On the contrary you used the exact words I wrote, just to contradict them. It is like when you contradicted me when I said that a certain level of efficiency is required to complete content, in an other thread. When you wantonly contradict me on premises that everybody accepts and agrees with, it does not make you look very rational.

Yeah we have been through some dark times.

But it is really intriguing though, because Kodiak had some really good perspectives once upon a time:

I think we can all agree that going 30/30/0/10/0 in Zerker/Zerker gear is probably the most optimal damage possible. Bringing up the numbers to show that doesn’t negate the reality of game play where you won’t be running full tilt DPS like that. The matter has never been to argue what is the best possible DPS but rather what gives you the most amount of DPS with the bare minimum amount of survivability required and yet is still somewhat user friendly to play.

Reading this, you would think he would be a proud supporter of the one and only true godly build: DF. But… then a week after that post he came up with this build. Interestingly the videos showcasing the performance of the build have since then “disappeared”, just like the comment I linked a few messages ago

I wish Kodiak would go back to his original views on optimising builds. I do not know what troubled his mind away from such good and helpful approach. Since he discussed with me he started hating everything I support, regardless of the consistency between my views and his original perspective. I believe that such fanatic energy could be put to better use. The community is always in need of committed helpful people.

eats camenbert and drinks bordeaux as french ele that runs D/F literally everywhere

Kodiak.3281:

no way to measure DPS other than spreadsheets which I said were largely irrelevant because encounter mechanics can lead to lower DPS.

Lower DPS for everybody. If something affects all builds in the same way then we can often disregard it in order to compare them.

Kodiak.3281:

Most people who read that understand the concept of hyperbole and the way you exaggerate a scenario to make a point. Unfortunately the language barrier has lead Zelyhn to think I mean these things literally so then later he comes back and takes some hyperbolic statement I made to show a point and use it as if it’s some kitten ing evidence against me

Well

As for your “efficient PvE build” honestly I don’t see the point in min-maxing the game as all this. If I join a group and just look like I’m busy no one will know the difference. I have joined groups as S/D on my Condition spec (30/0/30/10/0) and no one was any the wiser because I was kicking out huge Might stacks and perma Fury to the group (with 0 Boon duration…that new 30 point Fire trait is nutty) but most importantly I looked busy. Without said damage meters perception of how the class performs (as in collectively everyone believes we are high/med/low DPS) trumps actual performance (whether or not we are actually high/med/low DPS) every day of the week.

(source)

If I could wave my arms around excitedly with spell effects in hand while running around avoiding AOE’s no one would be any the wiser that I’m doing no damage

(source)

Hyerboles … yes… But I guess that when hyperboles start to define the advice that you give to players then they are not so hyperbolic anymore.

It is very simple: I care about how the players around me enjoy their gaming experience, so that I can have more fun with my friends, or even make new friends. I don’t think that your advice to just look busy helps to make a lot of friends!

“The elementalist has a terrible innate defense, if you consider only the passive attributes like armor and health. Some people do the mistake of trying to solve this problem frontally, by taking defensive gear. It’s a common human mistake. But there is a simple fact: the ele is not made to sustain hits. So even if you take defensive gear you are going to get spanked, unless you start using the real defensive tools of the ele.”

Tools =/= gear.

My post could not be clearer.
And it could not be more clear that all you care about is contradicting me.

You are the one wasting posts here. If you had not contradicted me on some very simple facts we could have talked about the defensive tools of the ele.

I am going to be kind to you and I will consider that you understood your mistake by now, so we can move on.
_

So, how do we solve the problem that the ele is not made to sustain hits?
There are a few options:
- defensive gear: which, on its own, only postpones the inevitable
- defensive builds to heal: always good while you are learning the content of the game, and does not require defensive gear to work well
- defensive conditions: these are available to virtually all builds and should therefore be used when ever relevant. If the player wants to progress fast this is what he should focus on improving first. This is because learning hot to control and kite in order to avoid being hit will always be more effective than taking hits and recovering from them.
- Kill before being killed: this is the best option but it is the most difficult to achieve, as it requires a lot of commitment from the player and his teammates.