Klowdy.3126

Raids have ruined this community beyond repair. There was always a toxicity with grouping, as with any MMO, really hitting a good stride with fractals. The more they add new, more difficult group content, the worse it will become.

OW/meta events are fine.

Dungeons are right behind that. People are mostly happy to find others willing to run them I think lol.

Fractals really start the disgusting behavior, getting worse as you climb the ladder.

Raids are the pinnacle, becoming worse with every wing.

They need to work on better meta events, imo. They want to push grouping so bad, make the content fun, and worth while to do. This game was much more fun before raids, I always thought adding them (even before HoT released) would be a bad idea. Raids bring a certain kind of player, not to say all raiders are bad, but we all see what has happened to the community, which was only made worse with raids, not started with them.

Only as weird as males playing female characters, so no. Play what you want, and forget what anyone else says.

Just for fun out in OW events, I would like a condition/healing set.

M: condition

M: healing

m: expertise

m: concentration

Not sure if this actually exists atm, but I would love to mess around with it.

They are, you get free stat changes on a whim. Good luck getting that with ascended. Unless you want to lower stats on all other gear, you are asking for more, obvious power creep. I enjoy this game for what it is now, not what I want it to be.

> @"Veprovina.4876" said:

> > @"Bogy.2953" said:

> > holy kitten no , the whole deal with gw2 is that item grind for stats is kept at a minimal and you only grind for cosmetics , please op never post again

>

> Well, the item grind isn't really minimal in any way but ok...

> Still. I agree, OP's suggestion is really bad for a variety of reasons.

If you consider every other MMORPG out there, and the fact that once you get you zerker, viper, whatever stats you want, you won't have to get the same gear with slightly higher stats every 2 months, yeah it's pretty minimal. I have celestial gear from 3 years ago, and I won't need to replace it, ever.

Since it isn't a necessity, yes it is fair. If you feel differently, don't use it. I bet the game doesn't change one bit.

> @"Taygus.4571" said:

> > @"Ayakaru.6583" said:

> > > @"Taygus.4571" said:

> > > > @"Ayakaru.6583" said:

> > > > We all bent over to pick up the gold, don’t be lazy now.

> > > > Yes its expensive, but all the same the value when you finally finish crafting it. It’l feel like a jewel in your hands.

> > > > Hard work makes roots taste sweet

> > >

> > > I don't care about the cost ...

> > > But this "Hard work makes roots taste sweet".

> > > Isn't always true. Hardwork is very bitter if you don't get what you feel it's worth out of it.

> >

> > So.. you don’t want the winters presence? Then there’s no issue, no?

>

> I think the work involved is fine for the WP. Other people don't. They still want it, they just may not agree it's worth the work involved.

>

> Wanting something and wanting to grind for it, are two very different wants.

Then it would seem you don't want it enough. It is personal choice to work for something or not. You don't get to choose the path, only if you want to take it.

I understand some abilities scaling, but your arrow didn't get bigger, why should the explosion?

Wall of text crits for 16k, lol. Seriously though, I agree completely. I love the dungeons in this game. I hate that when I log on for the short bit of time I have for gaming I am unable to run dungeons most of the time. If there aren't groups almost filled in the group finder, I ignore dungeons. I have spent my entire play time looking for people wanting to run dungeons, so I just don't do it.

Dungeons are not a good way to gear up, so people ignore them for the most part. If there was some way to get ascended gear from them, I see the popularity of them greatly increasing. A simple solution would be a new token available through side paths that can convert into fractal relics.

Clarification: I am not for LFR. I am only stating it appears as if this is Anet's approach to a kind of LFR. I am not saying it's good or bad, only that with the increase in mechanics and difficulty, new fractals seem to be pushing toward a bridge between fractals and raids.

> @"maxwelgm.4315" said:

> > @"zealex.9410" said:

> > > @"maxwelgm.4315" said:

> > > > @"Klowdy.3126" said:

> > > > > @"Anarion.3678" said:

> > > > > Nightmare, Observatory, now this. I could write a very long post, but everything can be summarised into - STOP kitten MAKING FRACTALS INTO RAIDS.

> > > > >

> > > > > kitten is this? After saying that you wont be doing anymore difficult fractals, you practically made (nightmare+observatory)^2. Unbelievable...Very disappointed.

> > > >

> > > > It seems as if they are pushing to make raids seem more viable to a larger minority, maybe even the majority of players. By making fractals, a much more open endgame grouping experience, more and more like raids, it may deter players less. If fractal mechanics mirror raid mechanics, people may be more willing to brave the toxicity that plagues the pugs in this (and all other games') engame content.

> > >

> > > Only LFR in WoW has truly increased raid viability so far, and it would come with the criticism and toxicity from top players that is much unwanted by the rest of the community. LFR has also more or less sealed the tomb of the rest of the content and only Raids are even remotely relevant by now, something GW2, in spite of all the criticism, is actually trying to avoid.

> >

> > lfr was prob the one worst thing that was added to wow right next to lfg.

>

> > @"zealex.9410" said:

> > > @"maxwelgm.4315" said:

> > > > @"Klowdy.3126" said:

> > > > > @"Anarion.3678" said:

> > > > > Nightmare, Observatory, now this. I could write a very long post, but everything can be summarised into - STOP kitten MAKING FRACTALS INTO RAIDS.

> > > > >

> > > > > kitten is this? After saying that you wont be doing anymore difficult fractals, you practically made (nightmare+observatory)^2. Unbelievable...Very disappointed.

> > > >

> > > > It seems as if they are pushing to make raids seem more viable to a larger minority, maybe even the majority of players. By making fractals, a much more open endgame grouping experience, more and more like raids, it may deter players less. If fractal mechanics mirror raid mechanics, people may be more willing to brave the toxicity that plagues the pugs in this (and all other games') engame content.

> > >

> > > Only LFR in WoW has truly increased raid viability so far, and it would come with the criticism and toxicity from top players that is much unwanted by the rest of the community. LFR has also more or less sealed the tomb of the rest of the content and only Raids are even remotely relevant by now, something GW2, in spite of all the criticism, is actually trying to avoid.

> >

> > lfr was prob the one worst thing that was added to wow right next to lfg.

>

> LFR is important on that other game because raids are mandatory content insofar as players actually have the meat of story being developed in raids. Mechanics and such are also developed with raids in mind for that other game. You like organized group content? Don't use LFR. You want to see the encounters and get a glimpse of them specially before having the gear? Then LFR is for you.

>

> While LFR is not something I would ever endorse in GW2, saying it's bad does not detract from it increasing the viability of raiding for people who would otherwise simply not raid. If that is a bad thing for a sect of players (don't know why specially with instanced content), this is another story, but it is certainly good for the developer if they want to have more PvX players doing _all_ of what they have to offer; with that said, I think GW2 is already closer than WoW in the "players are dedicated to the game and do most of it" mark, and don't need any kind of further accessibility effort on raids other than how harder it is to find 10 people than it is to find 5. If anything, they should keep bringing the gap between Fractals and Raids closer and closer with more CMs so that players who like this kind of stuff have an option that does not involve large amounts of waiting for the group.

I have to disagree with some of what was said in the end. I see more people talking about only doing certain aspects of this game more than any other. PvP is more polarizing in GW2. The pace makes it less open to everyone than a game like WoW. I do random unranked stuff every now and then, but that is it.

I tried WvW a few time and completely disliked it.

I do not raid because I don't need my limited play time to be filled with negative, toxic players, and I learn games by playing them, not studying videos like a professional athlete, so I don't subject others to that.

I run dungeons when I can, but those are ghost towns.

Fractals are the most consistent PvE content in game, so most of my time is spent there, or in the OW.

This is just my specific experience, but I see more people like this than any other game I play, or have played. This is a great game because it offers so many routes, but what I see is people taking one or two of these paths most of the time (on a regular basis). I do agree in bridging the gap, I just hope this works out better than LFR, and doesn't turn people off of fractals.

> @"Anarion.3678" said:

> Nightmare, Observatory, now this. I could write a very long post, but everything can be summarised into - STOP kitten MAKING FRACTALS INTO RAIDS.

>

> kitten is this? After saying that you wont be doing anymore difficult fractals, you practically made (nightmare+observatory)^2. Unbelievable...Very disappointed.

It seems as if they are pushing to make raids seem more viable to a larger minority, maybe even the majority of players. By making fractals, a much more open endgame grouping experience, more and more like raids, it may deter players less. If fractal mechanics mirror raid mechanics, people may be more willing to brave the toxicity that plagues the pugs in this (and all other games') engame content.

I've always been a fan of condi rev, and with an actual condi ranged weapon, the spec is finally complete (both elite specs should have been part of rev from the start). I would love to see rev do well in all aspects, not just certain raid bosses.

> @"Esperacchius.5209" said:

> I run hammer for everything, WvW roaming, PvE and PvP. I'm guess I'm just weird in that regard. Mikau is correct that the old go to was Zeal honor DH.

> You can also run Zeal, Honor, and Virtues if you want a core build. Glacial heart can be fun!

> If you ever get around to Firebrand. Running Zeal/Radiance/FB has some amazing fun quickness uptime and access to retal easy, so you can pull out some bigger numbers.

> But... Yeah. Without a lot of access to Retal, Zeal Honor DH is your way to go!

I run a power support hammer build sometimes, doing lower daily fractals. I push out quickness and protection with no problem, and heals just in case. I use seeker gear, marauder trinkets (for just a little extra health), and swap my legendary hammer to something with concentration on it to make sure protection is at 100% uptime.

It isn't the greatest build, but it is fun, and I rarely run into groups that wipe with that spec equipped.

I'd use the FB elite on my DH build for the stability, and use the other 3 slots for more condi cleanse.

I was thinking of something similar for a future expansion. Once they get through all current weapons, if they don't want to make more, they could do something for using one weapon in both slots. Something like GS warrior could use their normal GS abilities, and with the new elite spec, become even more proficient and gain five new abilities for GS on the weapon swap. It was just something that popped in my head one day, but I think it would be a fun way of introducing more elite specs without too much extra development.

> @"Edds.7681" said:

> have this problem on TD meta - Orge lane. It does feel dumb that i cant use skills 5feet infront of me. think its something to do with line of sight

I've noticed certain abilities that can't be used behind you, like renegade SB3, and F3. They show red on the ground, keeping you from casting, but my DH LB3 can fire off directly behind me. I don't play outrageous amounts, but since starting GW2 casually in 2012, I had never seen a red reticle on the ground until renegade.

Pebble on the ground in front of you? No line of sight. Something over on your side? Turn and look directly at it or you won't be able to attack. It just doesn't make sense what can be used anywhere and what needs a line of sight to use.

> @RabbitUp.8294 said:

> I'm more annoyed by the fact that you have to recast them with every map change and death. Especially game modes that involve a lot of instances (fractals, pvp) are torture.

>

> Honestly, I would make it so that all mantras are automatically charged if you're out of combat.

That's what I always thought. That seems like the best way to make them more functional, without making them to powerful. They are always up, unless you use all 3 casts in combat, then you will need to recast.

> @Shampanix.3928 said:

> Due to recent news

>

> https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/19600/upcoming-wintersday-balance-update

>

> I think this discussion will be ended by devs - condis are gonna be pushed more into ramp teritory thus FB will drop more clearly under DH for open world content. I'm glad they will try to balance game more effectively, tho it's a bit sad for me that some builds won't be as good as they were for open world. I liked a lot having two equally good elite specs for my fav content on my main guard. Yet I guess it has to happen for sake of all other game modes.

I feel the same way. I love both of my specs in OW, but I'm glad they are moving towards a total balance. I mean, with my FB spec, I can still burst down big groups by putting up 10-15 stacks of burn in a few seconds.

> @TheRealShaunsred.4928 said:

> > @Lahmia.2193 said:

> > I vote we instead ignore Sword because of its horrible animations and buff staff to become the main rev power weapon. Long live the Scythe Derv... I mean Revenant!

>

> I think power rev would have a much more interesting rotation if both weapons had solid damage. Having to swap between staff and sword/X to get the max dps. Either that or give us another power mainhand with the next elite.

> Ideally it'd be something with a weaker auto than sword, so it it doesn't just replace it altogether, but the other abilities have good damage and utility. So we would use our major dps abilities on our other weapon, then swap to sword and do the 2 and auto spam we currently do until cooldowns are back up.. All while juggling legends.

Main hand axe for sure.

Also, I would like to say it's kind of a bummer that revs don't have a melee 2h worth a damn. One is support, and the other is ranged, which always seemed strange to me. I wouldn't be against a staff buff.

> @ProtoGunner.4953 said:

> > @Jagoten.9254 said:

> > Hello povilas.2807!

> >

> > Let me start with saying that it all goes down to Your personal preferences - You don't **need** any specific weapon or gear to complete the map. Even though I'm gonna mention here one specific set I do believe is the most useful for travelling around and map completion - keep in mind that it's nice to have the chance to check out different weapons in different situations :)

> >

> > If You're looking for gear for map completion Your first and foremost priority would be probably mobility. That's why I prefer greatsword/sword+focus and sometimes staff for a swap and swiftness. Both Leap of Faith (#3 greatsword skill) and Symbol of Blades (#2 sword skill) are great way of shortening your travels around the world. And this weapon set is also a nice power-based weapon set, so if You choose berserker stats - it also gives You a decent and fast ability to clear mobs around the map.

> >

> > Also - if You do not want to wear Retreat with yourself all the time - You may consider taking Runes of Traveller (or the new runeset that gives You the #6 bonus of 25% faster movement speed), because guardian is one of those professions that don't have access to signet or trait or other ways to improve basic movement speed :)

> >

> > I hope You'll enjoy the guardian!

>

> Main guardian here since 2012.

>

> Sorry, but mobility isn't needed anymore with mounts in open world...

>

> Also no there are much faster ways to finish and be more effective. Just use a DPS build from qT or so. Play what you want to the extreme: it takes considerably longer (like 30 seconds compared to like 5 seconds) to kill mobs with bad builds. That's why it matters. I suggest you go for either condi Firebrand or power Dragonhunter:

>

> https://qtfy.eu/guildwars/guardian/condi-fb-build-guide/

> https://qtfy.eu/guildwars/guardian/power-dh-quick-guide/

>

>

Remember, he is looking for a leveling build. Great help with max level, though. Another tough spot to not have a real build.

Thank you both for the comments, I really appreciate your responses. I would like to add that I have 5 level 80 characters, so there is no need to explain the difference between power and condi, weapon swapping, or other things like that, im just new to the class. I really do not mean to be rude at all, I just don't want people to waste their time explaining things that do not need to be.

Thank you both again very much.

> @Ojimaru.8970 said:

> I would suggest going for a Power-based build, where you'll be prioritizing Power, Precision, and Ferocity in your gear. Your damage will come from your Rifle (Blunderbuss, Overcharged Shot, and Jump Shot), Grenade Kit (Grenade Barrage and Shrapnel Grenade), and Bomb Kit (Bomb, Fire Bomb, and Big Ol' Bomb). This, of course, presumes you will start acclimatizing yourself to the multi-kit play style of Engineers.

That is actually why I asked. I was hoping for something that was heavy on class skill. Thank you for the info.

Hello all. As stated in the title, I am new to engineer, and I am looking for a good leveling build. Also, I am torn on which of the elite specs I want to unlock first. From most to least, my preferred game modes are OW/LW, fractals/dungeons, PvP/WvW (never raided, though not against it).

> @Svarty.8019 said:

> > @ilmau.9781 said:

> > in order to give it some more DPS to make it viable for the PvE end game content all the WvW and PvP builds have been destroyed in the process.

> > [..]

> > To sum up, Reaper was working for wvw and pvp and now is no more, was not working for pve and still do not. Very unhappy.

> >

>

> Don't worry, if they keep nerfing Necromancer, it'll eventually become so bad it's good, right?

> #Right?

Yeah, eventually your damage will get so weak it starts healing, and you become the new raid healer by swinging your wet noodle of health at your friends.

Seriously though, it doesn't seem like they are comparing classes to each other when making "balance" changes. It's almost as if they see something not working as they would like, so they make a change, hit a dummy for a while, then ship it out. They dont seem to see the effects these changes have on all aspects of the game, they just focus on one, and make the change accordingly.

Guardian is by far my favorite class in GW2. I have leveled 2 to 80 (deleted all of my original characters for no reason after too much drinking), and am in the process of leveling another (for appearance purposes). The setup I've found to be the best is GS-Sw/F. I tend to stick with the GS until I need some defense.

Another thing I might suggest, unlock you signet line first. For map clearing, it's nice to have stats inflated with signets. They are some nice passives for any situation, and that is your biggest heal for guardians.

As has been stated, weapon choice is completely up to you, and does not matter for OW content. I would suggest you try out all of the weapons, if at least to figure out what you like, and what all of them do. Power vs condi is always a question too, though the true condi build is only available at level 80. OW/LW is pretty open to work with anyone's playstyle, so just figure out what you like (though I have a sneaking suspicion you will enjoy the GS, most do).

> @ProtoGunner.4953 said:

> I like the FB a bit more, though the DH is also good and the traps are great for CC and the mobility is better, too. That's my biggest problem in instanced high level fractals. On the other hand, utility is better; you can dish out some good heals and support if your druid/support is dead. There are pros and cons and imho a great example of balanced elite specs with different playstyles.

Yeah, I've been torn between the two because they are both fun, and both seem equally strong in OW content, in their own ways.