Guild Wars 2

I second what Guanglai said. While shortbow (or longbow in my case) is good for drawing the attention of or even sniping lone risen, once you get them up close and personal, you’re better off with a sword in hand (or 1h sword and ax in my case), with a cat or bird (hawk/lynx here) to help you cut them down

see Guanglai? not everyone runs bearbow :P

I think the idea has some merit. can’t think of specifics right now, but i would like to see something come out of all the gold donated

…now i feel totally ashamed i did not immediately think of Zhaan

but no, i think Delvians are a closer match to sylvari than the “Bone to be wild” creature (who happens to be played by Browder’s (Chrichton) wife btw)

generally speaking, the professions/colleges break down like this:

Statics: Soldiers (Guardian, Warrior)
Dynamics: Explorers (Engineer, Ranger, Thief)
Synergetics: Scholars (Elementalists, Mesmers, Necromancers)

you can tell by the NPCs on the top floor of Rata Sum. that said, it depends entirely on the outlook you want your ranger to have on how the world works and what his place in it is

I’m all for alternate dungeon sets for two simple reasons. more options are always good and sylvari need more armour sets. cloth/leather/metal armour just doesn’t look right on them, they need at least a fourth set to go with T1-3 and TA

pretty much what xactactx, kalarchis and others said… despite the massive inconvenience that is waiting for my server (Kaineng) to go blue (or it is green? whichever is on next rotation) in order for me to get my last two PoIs (the two borderlands outposts near the main castle) i have in fact gotten 100% map completion on the previous incarnation of my sylvari ranger and i plan to get it for every single char i have (currently at 15 materialised out of 40 total, one for each race/profession combo)

whether you look at it from a gameplay, lore, PvP, PvE or simple WvWvW point of view, the Mists are part of the game and one should not claim the title and star without dipping their toes (up to the eyeballs) in a little cross-server mayhem. at the very least it is good training for other aspects of the game

I’ll have to side with Aaron on this. a generation does not equal a lifespan, so saying that they’ve been there for generations easily fits within the timeframe of 250 years or slightly less.

jump to the Lore section of the forum. you’ll see that this theory has been discussed to death and disproven

actually, if you pay attention to npc banter, bookah is pretty much in use even now

just the first example that pops to mind: a human npc in DR thought a female asura was flirting because she called him bookah

i’ve leveled 2 rangers to 80 with sword in main hand, only real problem i had with it was that the autoattack made me fall off a cliff once or twice due to positioning

Obsidian.1328:

Ha! Who is that dude?? Hmm, former famous actor…decade ago…emo teen drama… kitten ! Am I close? Tell me I’m close.

not a Fringe fan obviously…

on topic now, my human chars would react thus:

Alejandro Rawtide [Elementalist, Vigil, Lion’s Arch (Krytan)]: Would head to Lion’s Arch, find a nice spot on the beach and order himself some kind of fruity drink, watching the fireworks. He has no stake in this war and would only get involved if asked by a friend or something, for a limited time.
Nagi Phong [Engineer, Whispers, Divinity’s Reach (Canthan)]: Would join the charr army in the name of science. He’d do his best to learn all he could from charr on engineering, war machines and weaponry, sharing the information with the right people in order to end the war sooner.
Kieran Ekene [Guardian, Vigil, Ebonhawke (Orrian)]: Would return to Ebonhawke, defending the city from all attackers, human, charr or otherwise. Supports the Duke’s claim to the throne of Ascalon but would rather see it rebuild as open to all races, after witnessing what the Pact did for Orr.
Vincent Auriel [Mesmer, Priori, Ebonhawke (Ascalonian)]: Would infiltrate the charr army in order to salvage precious artifacts and historical documents. Would use his magic to sabotage any offensive action but would help defend charr lands.
Damien Grimm: [Necromancer, Whispers, Divinity’s Reach (Elonan)]: Would use his noble status to snoop around the court and find out why the war was started and which ministers support it.
Cyrus Torres [Ranger, Vigil, Lion’s Arch (Krytan)]: Would work as a mercenary on either side of the war, protecting innocents when possible. Has no real stake in the matter but won’t say no to profit.
Sefu Farai [Thief, Priori, Divinity’s Reach (Elonan)]: Would join the human army in order to salvage and protect any valuable artifacts they come across while marching through Ascalon.
Boris Romanov [Warrior, Whispers, Ebonhawke (Ascalonian)]: He would infiltrate the human army in order to find out why exactly the war started and whether or not Queen Jennah is of sound mind.

Dawdler… i like the way you think.

now, can’t speak from experience as i have no female chars at all, but going by what i’ve seen through watching the gf play hers, it’s not the norn female voice i have an issue with, it’s some of the faces that don’t suit them at all… too round, for lack of a better word

i could think of a few case where this might be needed, but they are so specific it’s simply not needed there

what Kulvar said. damage alone is not everything and a nice “noob” that knows how to listen when needed is preferable to a “good” kitten that won’t listen even when he must

some of my best dungeon/fractal runs have been with “noobs” and with plenty of banter in between, sometimes even in character. i’ve been in runs that got stuck because the “pros” were set in their ways without bothering to even explain how things work to people on their first run.

just a sidenote: the animation is a bear attacking the enemy -through- you. you’re supposed to be channeling the bear’s strength

also, just putting this out there, sylvari are not made of dry wood (even the ones with bark skin). setting them ablaze is no easier than setting a human ablaze

some of the lesser icebrood (like some svanir shamans) show signs of corruption but appear to be alive still

more powerful ones though… yeah, just bones encased in ice

well, now i feel kinda stupid. lol

not sure i’m getting what you’re trying to say there…

are you asking for an armour class (light, medium, heavy) filter in the TP search?
if so, then yes, that is sorely needed and would save us all a ton of time and frustration

are you asking for armour that is specific to a profession?
if so, then i’ll have to say no. i prefer to mix and match armour styles and my engineer may look like something most people might consider a “ranger” look, why limit the options?

in the case of Crustacea/Arthropoda i think it is upside down for everyone else as well

generally speaking, the humans are split in these “bloodlines”

Ascalonian: usually of “european” looks and names (ranging from Russian to English)
Krytan: usually of “mediterranean” looks and names (spanish, italian, etc)
Orrian: usually of “arabic/egyptian” looks and names
Canthan: usually of “asian” looks and names (with notable exceptions)
Elonan: usually of “african” looks and names

if memory serves, all back pieces available are either soulbound items or account bound skins for said items.

the ability to filter armour based on type (light, medium, heavy) is a whole different problem that should not exist to begin with

can’t say I’ve had this happen to me so far, but I mostly stick to low level dungeons (AC, CM and TA, with a couple of Arah Story runs) …we did have a few quits by the instance owner though… and that sucked

either way, i’ve heard many that had this happen to them and it does seem to be a real problem, so yeah… it needs fixing

yet another little thing to show how much anet loves the rangers. pains me to say so, but with all the love we’ve been getting, i expect them to outright remove the profession altogether in future updates

if this was done because they didn’t think it was necessary, it is a major fail in common sense. if this was done because it was hard or would take too many resources, then the game is simply coded wrong. there is no if, but or maybe about it

of my 8 sylvari, only my ranger is done with his armour (barring a quiver getting released again). i give you… Farathnor of the Hedge Hunters, member of the Durmand Priori

so basically… having the game on an kitten will drastically reduce loading time, just as it is for pretty much everything

EDIT: how is S.S.D. censored???

i’d like to know the answer to that as well. currently have Tixx’ backpack on my main (ranger) but i’d rather have one of my other chars carrying it and keep his back slot open for when they eventually offer quivers, one of those would look far better on him.

the short answer is you have to take everything that guy says with a grain of salt. some (if not all) parts of it are either heavily modified from the truth or outright false. it is no coincidence he elevates the norn so much, while standing in the middle of Knut’s home

yes please… as it is, i’m paying for everything my gf and i buy from the gem store and i have a couple of friends i often get stuff for. things would be a lot better if i could just gift items like expanders

you’d rather have them ignore the lore to accommodate your affinity for evil chars?

yeah… lets not go to Camelot after all, sounds like a silly place

Full body image of the above armour:

http://www.guildwars.com/images/3drenderings/gw-necromancer2-large.jpg

and yes, we should have that back, along with many other GW1 sets

Darkkshadows: 6/10, not really a sylvari name but it could have been much worse

the names of my sylvari chars:

Lithaeron – Elementalist
Breadach – Engineer
Vaelronan – Guardian
Illyssan – Mesmer
Efaemrys – Necromancer
Farathnor – Ranger
Dubhoran – Thief
Ferallion – Warrior (not my original name for him, but the first few tries were taken and this was the closest free one)

@ZidZabre

once a sylvari falls into Nightmare, there’s no going back, it’s an one way trip to villainy

Rata Sum is easy… Polymock Arena. Already half installed anyway

i can verify the GGS. Also have a sylvari necromancer and his Toxic Gloves look enormous, in perfect contrast with an otherwise lithe build. At least the problem will be gone once I get him TA chest/legs.

The Grove and Rata Sum a pain to navigate? …seriously? they are easily the fastest capitals to get 100% in by far.

Mystic Forge access to every other place would be a good start. JPs would be even better. Another option is the dungeon vendors, at least some of them (for example TA in the Grove, HotW in Hoelbrak, and so forth)

yes to any new clothing, but what i’d like to see more is the option to auto switch to town clothes when …well, you’re in a town

oh and for falling damage not to disrupt that

Asmodal.6489:

Myrmix.5460:

My Sylvari-Ranger.
Although ANet seems to hate this profession, he’s my favourite character.

Does Not Happen often… What is this armor?

can’t be entirely certain, but here is what i think:

head: Thief’s starting hood
shoulders: named armour
torso: heritage armour
hands: named armour
legs: first crafted armour
feet: heritage armour

updated look for my sylvari ranger, most likely going to be his final look as i have all the pieces i wanted. only new items may change my mind

@KeyOrion

That was beautifully put, there is however a valid reason for some rangers to follow Balthazar’s path instead of Melandru (mind you, my Ranger/Elementalist was of the Melandru variety – and is currently in the mists continuing his journey as a Legendary Defender, no longer of Ascalon) if you take their mastery over their environment and beasts as just that, mastery, conquest, triumph over the hardships of life as a ranger instead of being in tune with the wild side. For even wilder Rangers, Balthazar’s passion is still applicable, especially since he’s not exactly the most civilised of gods in practice.

As for the original topic (and Chokolata)…
i have five Rangers, one of every race, and the only thing they have in common is that they are “out there”, far from the relative safety of civilisation, braving the land and going where few others dare to go without a small army at their disposal. Saying you cannot RP a ranger is mostly on you, not the game. I say mostly because there should be a way to keep the pet tucked out of the way and not have the profession suffer for it by losing half its damage output.

To give you a rough outline of the paths I took with mine:
Farathnor of the Hedge Hunters, born in the Cycle of Noon, Explorer of the Durmand Priori. Usually runs around with a sword in one hand, an ax in the other and a longbow on his back. Relies on signets that enhance him and his pets, Accompanied by a hawk named Swoop, a lynx named Slash, a shark named Nibbles and a blue jellyfish creatively named “Blue Jelly”. He’s the ultimate explorer, simply going out there because he wants to see all there is to see. Travels to the mists frequently, defending the realm and looking for signs of Sieran’s fate.
Silvanus Ebonbow of the Ebon Warband, Ash Legion, recently recruited in the Order of Whispers. Fights with an ax and torch, carries a shortbow for ranged combat. Has a hyena and a devourer at his side, as well as a river drake and an armored fish. A beastmaster for his legion, he explores the wilds to discover threats before they reach any important locations.
Erik Longfang of the Avenging Hand, follower of Wolf, new agent of the Order of Whispers. With an ax and warhorn in hand, he relies on his trusted greatsword for when things get tough. He calls on the spirits (and Spirits) of the wild to aid him in his travels. Followed by an arctodus and a wolf, he is sometimes seen with an ice drake and a murellow. He explores the snow covered peaks because someone has to and because it is a good way to build a legend.
Operator Ferr of the Fluid Edge Krewe, College of Dynamics, recently recruited by the Vigil. Survives the wild by using sword and dagger, falling back to shortbow when needed. His greatest skill is taunting enemies by not being there when they try to hit. Followed by a red moa, a jungle spider, a red jellyfish and a polar bear. He braves the wilds because someone has to keep the progeny safe while the bookahs in Rata Sum try to steal each other’s inventions.
Cyrus Torres of the Jade Lions, commoner of Lion’s Arch, working for the Vigil. Sword and torch in hand, he is not shabby with a longbow either. A skilled trapper, he prefers tricking his prey to their doom. With him, he keeps an eagle, a hound, a marsh drake and a devourer. Familiar with the dangers of the real world, he takes jobs that allow him to protect those in need and hone his skills, while trying to show others humans still matter.

because you don’t always want them to right away

…normally i’d go “doh” and agree with you, i do tend to ignore mechanics once i get used to them, this only seems to happen when the shield is equipped though

if I understand you right, those are not golems, they are earth elementals.

that aside, i agree there should be more activities scattered around the map. keg brawl used to be in hoelbrak. not quite sure why they removed it from there, other than simply “it’s more practical to have them all on one npc”

makes no sense really and it removes much of the game’s flavour for each area/race/culture

Dondarrion.2748:

Give us skin locker with re-usability like the PvP locker, and turn all cultural armor into skins and at the same time unlock cultural armors across every race to mix up what people want to look like.

while i’d love having a skin locker for armour skins, i’d rather it be of the same functionality as achievement skins rather than pvp ones. also, i’m quite against unlocking cultural armour to other races. in fact, i’d go as far as to suggest they have to make all karma and drop armour in the starting zones more “cultural” in feel, like for example the sort of armour sylvari npc wear that is not plant-made, just plant-themed.

yes please… this has happened to me so many times it’s not even funny anymore

not sure if it’s just my impression or actually supported by mechanics, but when my guardians have a shield on, even if not in hand, they have a higher rate of blocking than normal. it’s actually amusing to run through a group of centaur archers and suddenly hearing the thwack of an arrow hitting the shield on the guardian’s back without doing any damage because it was blocked.

As I told you in game, 375 deaths, haven’t checked hours (will edit when I do) on a level 80 “been there, done that” character.

All cultural armour should be skins, some T1 and T2 pieces look much better than T3 ones on some characters.

I like that idea, it would also work much better than the current screen for those of us that have more than 7 chars (currently at 15, have 25 more planned but no time/money for them just yet).