Kovu.7560

> @"Junkpile.7439" said: > Killed one core ranger in water and then we tried to kill him 3 vs 1 in water when he was downed. It did take like over minute. Not balanced at all. Stun/interrupt the pet. Shouldn't be difficult with three of you. ~ Kovu

> @"Infusion.7149" said: > > @"Kovu.7560" said: > > Seeing all of the nerfs to druids over the years, including the healing output of Celestial Avatar skills, reducing the time gate on Celestial Avatar back down to 10 seconds to allow for more frequent healing and utilization of the traits would definitely help. I like the suggestions above, it would be a good start. As suggested though, druid has a long way to go before it competes with tempest, scrapper or firebrand on the support spectrum. A rework of the staff skills to be more support-oriented (and, frankly, relevant) would be another way to touch on this. > > > > ~ Kovu > > CA is 10s cooldown and 15s duration in WvW, same as PVE. Don't confuse WVW with PVP. My mistake, it's been about three years since I've played a druid of any form in wvw. I only play it as a side noder in pvp. Regardless, you could treat CA like an engi's kit and people likely still wouldn't suggest it over a scrapper or firebrand. ~ Kovu

Seeing all of the nerfs to druids over the years, including the healing output of Celestial Avatar skills, reducing the time gate on Celestial Avatar back down to 10 seconds to allow for more frequent healing and utilization of the traits would definitely help. I like the suggestions above, it would be a good start. As suggested though, druid has a long way to go before it competes with tempest, scrapper or firebrand on the support spectrum. A rework of the staff skills to be more support-oriented (and, frankly, relevant) would be another way to touch on this. ~ Kovu

> @"Jski.6180" said: > > @"Kovu.7560" said: > > The damage on barrage is more of tickle anyway, unless you're being hit by a full power/booned soulbeast utilizing sic 'em with other damage multipliers and you _choose_ to eat the entire AoE duration (like if you choose not to hop off your arrow cart for a couple of seconds) instead of moving out of it. The only time it's kind of silly is if you mistform through a portal into your own structure and only after that the ranger bypasses the wall by barraging you. I don't really feel eles should be able to travel through portals while in downstate anyway, so... I don't feel too bad about that. > > I think it's an attempt to give rangers a niche means of contributing to the actual gamemode (as opposed to simply being a solid option for roaming, which anyone can do) through being siege clearers. Like how engis can hit siege on the back of walls with their arching mortars, or how thieves can evade enemies and then port folks into walled structures. Rangers don't really do any of that. > > > > It is kind of silly trying to bring logic into _why_ the barrage doesn't need line of sight. Last time I checked, meteors also fall from the sky. > > > > ~ Kovu > > I do not think i ever seen you do this when i played with you lol. > > If your using it to full down an ele your waiting the effect as well as this is not the reason why its broken in wvw. You use it vs sigese you have an skill that has less of a LOS issues then AC now. The problem with the skill is it get stronger the more you exploited the game as in you must have a ground target and see it with your 3ed person view. This skill is far worst then any MS AC even eng morder kit if rangers knew what they where doing this skill would be on the chopping block for an update to need LOS. It happens on occasion. It only comes up a number of times per week I can count on 1 hand, and I don't usually call out that I'm doing it. If barrage is off cooldown and an ele (or anyone) is in downstate within a structure you can bet I'll snap target a barrage on them. The skill isn't broken, as pointed out earlier in the thread several times it is working as the developers intended. It's supposed to be a skill that doesn't require line of sight to activate. Is it fair? That's more subjective, though I gave my opinion on why its okay in the post you quoted. Barrage is a profession specific weapon mechanic with a 20s cooldown, a cast time that roots the ranger and a target cap of 5 whereas arrow carts can be spammed, have a range of 2,500 (plus the radius), have a target cap of 25 and can in some cases reveal stealthed targets in addition to long duration applications of bleed and poison. The two aren't even comparable. Frankly, I'm for them adding _more_ skills that can help to clear siege. > @"Solanum.6983" said: > Hitting behind walls isn't exclusive to Ranger longbow. It's a setting in the controls where you can snap aoe's to your target without LOS. > Barrage is no different than other ranged aoes like meteor shower, Just because it's got the theme of arrows doesn't mean it should be a projectile. There is a difference. You cannot use most aoe effects to target areas out of the player's line of sight. Though there do seem to be a small number of other effects (traits?) that bypass this restriction. I never think to check my combat log when I take random damage while inside a structure. ~ Kovu

> @"Chaba.5410" said: > > @"Kovu.7560" said: > > It is kind of silly trying to bring logic into _why_ the barrage doesn't need line of sight. Last time I checked, meteors also fall from the sky. > > > > ~ Kovu > > And Orbital Strike works indoors. Open skylights. ~ Kovu

The damage on barrage is more of tickle anyway, unless you're being hit by a full power/booned soulbeast utilizing sic 'em with other damage multipliers and you _choose_ to eat the entire AoE duration (like if you choose not to hop off your arrow cart for a couple of seconds) instead of moving out of it. The only time it's kind of silly is if you mistform through a portal into your own structure and only after that the ranger bypasses the wall by barraging you. I don't really feel eles should be able to travel through portals while in downstate anyway, so... I don't feel too bad about that. I think it's an attempt to give rangers a niche means of contributing to the actual gamemode (as opposed to simply being a solid option for roaming, which anyone can do) through being siege clearers. Like how engis can hit siege on the back of walls with their arching mortars, or how thieves can evade enemies and then port folks into walled structures. Rangers don't really do any of that. It is kind of silly trying to bring logic into _why_ the barrage doesn't need line of sight. Last time I checked, meteors also fall from the sky. ~ Kovu

Axe/Axe Greatsword soulbeasts can put up some solid dps in group scenarios if properly supported in melee-oriented comps. They can do this whilst contributing a solid amount of lockdown through immobs (signet, elite, merged with hyena ability), too. If your Mesmer pulls 3~5 folks together you can root them and burst them all with either a maul or axe 3/5, (or both). It's a bit niche, harder to land combos and riskier than simply rolling a scourge, hammer rev or staff ele, but it's a lot of fun and it one of the highest _melee_ damage outputters. You can also stance share bear, dolyak and/or one wolf pack with your party, though your own damage output will suffer about 10% if you choose to do that. If your group is coordinated with proper support, put down the longbow for a sec and you'll do fine. As for roaming, I like the dps sniper build, but it's not without its weaknesses. Bring an unblockable if you play this, everything and its mother spouts reflection and blocks in this game. ~ Kovu

AoE superspeed should be minimal and scrapper/holo superspeed is a little overtuned, but overall it's not -that- bad. I'd definitely put this lower on the list on nerfing/adjusting mobility in this game. We should really start by giving every leap and teleport in this game the Ride the Lightning treatment. Ancestral Grace sort of got it. Watching someone with superspeed & cripple hobble along is pretty amusing. =) ~ Kovu

I was doing dailies on my mag alt running a power druid build from 2014 the other night, joined in on a 10v10(ish) against some FA pugs just for the heck of it between SMC and Lowlands Keep. I got downed in the enemy group at one point, and two mag players (an engi and a thief repping different guilds) came in, blasted like 15s of stealth on my downed body, revived me, then fucked off. 50% of FA militia don't even know _how_ to revive a downed ally, let alone blast a stealth field. Second worst pugs in the game, beat out only by dragonbrand. Mag players are absolute cancer to interact with at times, I wouldn't want to live with them, but they care about their kdr and will make absolute certain you won't ruin it for them. And if you do, you (or whichever mag's link server is at the time, at this moment nsppt) will be cussed out for it in team chat. ~ Kovu

  Was messing around with graphics to see if it was on my end, it's not. I was chatting with someone from one of the opposing servers, they see it the same way I do. I'll also note that the walls vanished when the structure upgraded. -edit- Interesting I logged in with an alt account and the walls are fine. I guess for now if folks are having this issue, just re-log and it should fix? 

> @"Raymond Lukes.6305" said: > > @"Kovu.7560" said: > > Wow. That's something. > > It was good knowing you, Fort Aspenwood. > > > > Still, a complete overhall _is_ the only way to rebalance the population, so I can't really complain. > > Glad you guys have been hard at work designing this new system. > > > > ~ Kovu > > The evolution of this post was amazing <3 Thanks, I was pretty caught off guard with that surprise announcement. Didn't think it was real, at first. I'm really looking forward to seeing what you guys have in store once this goes live. =p ~ Kovu

I'm confused. You can literally take a break to make a sandwich and still return in time to walk away from an incoming engi mortar shell. It has to be one of the slowest projectiles in the game. Now instant-drop-from-stealth AoE meme nades on the other hand... (Not that its any worse than the cheese rangers, thieves and shatter mesmers pull.) ~ Kovu

> @"anduriell.6280" said: > If the soulbeast is not merged then the +25% damage from[ Sicem!](https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/%22Sic_%27Em!%22) is lost. You can activate Sic 'Em and unmerge, the damage buff will remain on you (and they'll still be revealed). However, despite the tooltip, the soulbeast doesn't actually gain that 40% extra movement from Sic 'Em. Soulbeast/pet buff interactions are weird sometimes. ~ Kovu edit- I was mistaken, the movement boost is granted but is usually not noticed as with swiftness your in-combat movement speed is capped anyway. A bit misleading.

Cut down (or flat out remove) all of those multiplicative bonuses the Beastmastery and Soulbeast traitlines give to a soulbeast and buff core ranger damage. Core ranger damage is sufficiently pathetic that anything shy of bruiser-based builds is subpar in today's roaming meta. As for Soulbeasts that press sic 'em & rapid fire... their rotation is literally the most predictable thing in the game, making even rifle deadeye look high-skill. Druids are annoying with the roots but don't actually kill anything on their own -- unless you have literally 0 cleanses and they're allowed to ramp up those bleeds. IMO that spec needs a rework involving the reduction of immobilize applications, but whenever I bring it up Druid mains (all three of them) cry. Also, since we're comparing lengths, 8k hours on ranger here. o/ ~ Kovu

> @"Novahh.7426" said: > Lol Rangers in WvW You shut your boar mouth. =D ~ Kovu

> @"Liston.9708" said: > Or simply show festival graphics whether you have mastery or not...:. Whoa now, that's expecting a lot of the devs' time and investment into adjusting and updating the coding for this gamemode. They have a living story to work on. ~ Kovu

> @"Shroud.2307" said: >  >  > > They'll be okay. Honestly I'm more interested in the poor fellow only managing 225 damage on a rapid fire... they clearly need some assistance with their build. ~ Kovu

> @"BadHealer.3608" said: > So, if I have 5, what should I choose? 5 or 5-10? > So, if I have 10, what should I choose? 5-10 or 10-15? > So, if I have 15, what should I choose? 10-15 or 15-20? > > This confuses me. Yes. ~ Kovu

Nobody above wood league dies to ranger pets. Cut back on Druid's immobilization cheese and replace it with some relevant damage or actual team support options (that aren't heavily outclassed by other professions). Marks and traps should trigger on the roots, roots should have near 0 health and ancient seeds should flat out not exist (and be replaced by aforementioned team support or offensive supporting options). Alternatively, remove the roots of entangle (the elite) entirely and replace it with a visual effect of rooting with a single instance of 2s of unblockable (but still dodgeable) immobilize. Druid is a meme at this point, and not even a funny one. There is an immobilize-spamming elementalist build that could probably be looked at, too, but someone with more experience on the profession can touch on that. ~ Kovu

> @"Junkpile.7439" said: > I hate these pop all cooldowns gimmicks. I don't even have any motivation play core ranger because only way to make some damage is use rhese gimmicks. Well, when you have a base profession with some of the worst power coefficients in the game being propped up by an obscene number of traits, utilities & elite additives designed to multiply that otherwise mediocre core damage, this is the sort of thing you're left with. Rangers should have higher damage out of the box _rather_ than those traits and shouldn't be forced into combos such as sic 'em/one wolf pack/rapid fire to contribute burst potential offensively. If you're not going to passively try and boost your damage, you might as well run condi. As for this thread, you can dodge, interrupt, teleport away, los, reflect/block most of those shots and stealth up so they can't follow up -- and while rapid fire will be back up in a few seconds, sic 'em & one wolf pack won't be. You're comparing a trait to an elite skill. Meanwhile thieves can literally 1-3 shot rangers (and anyone else) that run that glassy. OP just lost initiative, or got ganked by a +1. ~ Kovu

> @"SuchosCZ.2167" said: > For all the thieves, that deffend stealth mechanic. Here is the counter play other classes have: https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Revealed > > Out of thousands skills, utilities and traits. Out of 27 professions and specializations, there is 8 skills that you can use for reveal :D ... ye, stealth mechanic is "fine". Just git gut Satire aside, even that isn't a defense for deadeyes as they have an ability with an ammo count that can peel revealed (and also restealth). At least daredevil and core thieves are forced to blow more of their cooldowns if revealed is applied, or be punished. Deadeyes -- not so much. Between 1,200 range, shadow meld and high reset/reposition potential through stealth on demand via dodges on top of all of the core thief stuff, its easily the least punishable thief spec that still hits as hard as the melee counterparts. Plus it's the easiest thief spec to play. Deadeye is a game of whack-a-mole that most melee specs are unlikely to win. It's also likely the best +1 spec in the game, for what that's worth. ~ Kovu

Oh hey, it's FA old farm team. How nostalgic! Welcome back to the fold, IoJ. Hope you've been playing nice with SoS. o/ ~ Kovu

> @"UmbraNoctis.1907" said: > You are probably confusing it with a "root soulbeast" which has some uses in zergs, but that's more of a dps build than (defensive) support. And even root soulbeast can't hold a grain of salt to all of the cleansing and converting going on in large scale right now, those soulbeast builds exist for their coordinated pulls and damage more than roots. That might change if the big support nerf patch I keep hearing about actually becomes a reality, and then people will _really_ whine about the one-trick-pony that is Druid. ~ Kovu

> @"Jski.6180" said: > Ranger got just a massive buff by not getting nerf its just going to get a lot worst. Really? We literally dodged one patch. It had to happen eventually. In the view of most players, elementalists still have more builds that are viable in large scale gameplay despite the shout nerf. (Heck, ranger shouts aren't even classified as shouts anymore.) When tempest is nerfed down to druid-levels of irrelevancy, we can have a chat. These days druids are just immob-bots, something that doesn't really stick in the scrapper-heavy meta. Unless you're talking about roaming, in which case yes rangers have some stupid builds -- but so do most professions. This patch didn't really touch that. ~ Kovu edit - While not technically untrue, saying stuff like _rangers were buffed by proxy of not being nerfed_ is cynical and misleading. All of the stuff this patch addressed won't make rangers (noticeably) better at small skirmishes, nor worse at contributing more to a zerg.

It's amusing watching my character hobble along while under the effects of both cripple and superspeed. That said, outside of certain engineer specs, I don't think this is an issue -- most only get personal superspeed for 2~5s on a 30-40s cooldown through either traits or utility slots. A lot of defensive power creep in all areas of the game comes from how much things tend to snowball due to AoE stacking. Superspeed, boon generation, area reflection, area healing and cleansing -- a lot of this stuff would solve itself if we reduced the number of allies affected by the vast majority of AoE skills in the game. Not sure cutting down on that would be the right call though, a big part of the strategy in this game is derived from how the professions synergize with each other. It's difficult to find a happy balance. Perhaps halve the duration of superspeed engineers grant to their allies, kind of like how ranger stances only affect allies for a fraction of the duration they're personally affected. ~ Kovu