SubZero.4319

I started playing GW2 last year around Halloween, so I'm not exactly a *newb* anymore, but as a Guardian fanatic. The Pally/Guardian/Knight/etc.-type class/profession has consistently been my favorite class in almost any MMO I have played for as long as I can remember. When Diablo III came out I was pissed because in D2 the Paladin had been my favorite class, for example. (side note: I promptly forgave them once the expansion was announced xP). I like everything about this class "archetype" out of all the major ones. Don't get me wrong, I'm a hardcore gamer, and have OCD, so I **love** pretty much any class, but if I could only play one, it would be this kind. And I *know* I'm not alone, too. Just looking at this post (or the several others with the same topic—I was originally going to make an original post myself before a simple search of the word `Reatreat` on the forums search box brought me to the conclusion that the situation is much, much worse than I had feared. You see, I'm a hopeless optimist, and I had mistakenly held up hopes that we could use reason or even some simple scurr tactics to convince ArenaNet to change the name of this brutally awesome skill with something else. It shouldn't be *that* hard, right? I mean literally **ANYTHING** would be acceptable. Naturally, some of the above-mentioned names would be best, but I repeat, at this point, ***ANYTHING* would be acceptable**. I personallyh like the "Shields Up" or "Incoming" suggestions from @hatsamu.4327. So much so, ,in fact, that they inspired me to try my own hand and come up with a couple: (1) **"Fall Back!"** and (2) **" **Fall Back!** is a little tricky to explain. Ask the meaning of the command will probably get you a different answer for every person you ask, but in my experience and what I was trained (*Disclaimer:* don't quote me—it's been about 18 years since I was in SOI so...) was that the phrase, like all military verbal commands, has a specific meaning that is clear has a distinct purpose. Perhaps if ArenaNet's profession designer for the Guardian researched or looked up what their skills' name's actually meant, this outstanding ability would not have such a sad, **tragic** name. Thus, it may differ a bit from one "army" to the next, "fall back!" basically means a unit is being ordered to stop what they are currently doing and, **while continuing to engage the enemy as much as is possible**, move backward or away from them, usually towards a specific, often nearby position that is somehow more advantageous or defensible, where they **will likely continue fighting and hopefully be able to once again advance**. Now the problem with ArenaNet's name is obvious, but I've put two important parts of this definition in bold, because these parts are specifically at odds with the meaning of the command "Retreat!" Retreat literally mean just get away from the enemy. In some forces it's OK or required to continue fighting, but the ultimate objective is no longer to displace (move) yourself to a better fighting position or "rearrange" your forces. The purpose is just to run away so you can fight again, basically. And that's *not* what the "Retreat!" command seems to be for, imho. Besides, and probably more importantly, it just plain sounds stupid. I hardly ever use it just because it really **is** just too embarrassing to have your avatar basically shouting "Run away!" all the time like Monty Python lol. (No offense to Monty).

I totally agree with Rhyse.8179. Just make all damage floaters fully customizable. In particular, while I think it'd be nice to customize the size, I personally have a problem with how fast the numbers disappear. In many games it's possible to move where the floaters appear, how long they stay there, and their size. One of the VERY few things I dislike about GW2 is the lack of an add-on API that allows fullscreen add-ons. Add-ons, for instance, are one reason I kept playing WoW for years after most of my friends quit. Because you can at least make it "your" game (interface) instead of being stuck with one that may or may not be adequate for your playing style and preferences. That said, I love GW2. Just had to vent, and agree. xP

> @"mes.4607" said: > I find it weird how instead of 'build' templates we got separate gear + trait templates... Doesn't make sense to me. Is there a way to combine them? If not, I'd like to recommend that we get a panel that can do both at the same time... It's actually a pretty cool feature, having the two types of set being capable of independently swapping. Actually, for many players (including myself), forcing **Equipment Set+Build** to be invariably linked would make adapting to certain environments/fights/etc. merely an exercise in frustration, and reduce character flexibility of fighting style an inescapable **clusterphuq** (pardon my _"Algonquian-French"_ xP). The ability to switch weapon sets independently from the your currently equipped build ("trait templates") makes what has nearly always been a bad-ass MMORPG **epic**, and allows for some very flexible and—at times, even—life-saving gameplay and tactics, at least in my experience. Granted I have only _seriously_ (i.e., religiously x]) been playing GW2 for a year and a few months, but I don't think I'd be classed as a newbie. Actually, if memory serves, I believe it was just after I started playing every day (and about when this post was written, I think) that this feature was released. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Memory does NOT always serve me. xP Having said all this, however, I completely understand your frustration and share parts of your point of view. I've been unable to find how to bind a single keybind to change both equipment set and build simultaneously, and _this **is**_ a problem, because often it'd be more convenient to change them at the same time. :anguished: Anyway, I just thought I should put my two cents in, too, even though my reply is a tad late hehe.

> @"ASP.8093" said: > Staff is the support weapon. You don't really use it for the damage, you use it because it's got two group heals, Might stacking, light fields for condi cleanse, and a low-cooldown blast finisher that'll help you do even more of the above (combine with fire for Might, light for condi cleanse, or water for healing -- conveniently, you can self-generate any of these three fields if playing Firebrand; with an engineer or thief buddy, you can also blast smoke for stealth). You kick dolyak as*. Thank you for also kicking some wisdom, OG. Seriously. It was perfectly explained: concise, accurate and easy to remember. B)

> @"Holy Vengeful.3615" said: > I play a solo Berserker Dual Axe/GS build often and I am very happy with it. There are better builds out there for PvE currently but for me this one is fun and delivers tons of damage. [http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PKxAEdflNwuYNMKWJOyW/tOA-zxYYhwEBZsjaUeZEYKURFYyA-e](http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PKxAEdflNwuYNMKWJOyW/tOA-zxYYhwEBZsjaUeZEYKURFYyA-e) > . . . > Lastly, do some research of food items and boosters that can benefit your style of play. > Good luck! Feel free to reach out if you want some tips. Greetings and salutations, @"Holy Vengeful.3615"! B) I hope life finds you well To the matter at hand! But I thought before I gave you the "quick and easy" version of my reply to your build guide post up topside, I first would include one of those amazingly useful spoiler-text-section-folding-thingies (for reasons of brevity, I adopted the current practice of hereafter referring to the term by its canonical acronym, _STSFT_), and write a bit of text to put in it, because I thought it might look funny if it was empty. Despite considerable training and experience in the field, life threw me a curveball. Even throwing my greatest efforts into the task, I was unable to figure out how to add a spoiler box! I knew I could just pretend it was one by using ASCII art, but it just wasn't the same. I resolved to try and make a _real_ one, no matter what, and it was that attitude that allowed me to prevail. It wasn't easy, of course. But after a bout with chronic diarrhea*, a quick jog around the block to clear my head, a cup of hot cocoa, and finally considerable searching, both deep within myself and on the support forums on the Ikea Website, I ended up discovering something that would change my life forever. It was a handy little toolbar button on top of this edit box, with a paragraph symbol on it. This little button is what finally gave me the idea. You see, when I clicked on it, it said _"Spoiler"_ at the bottom. So, after clicking the word, it actually created a **REAL** spoiler box! (To my chagrin, after all that effort, it was SO easy!) As to the content of the spoiler, you'll have to read it to see. There are a total of three (3) possibilities as to why, exactly, I chose to do so. See if you can guess which one is the real reason. **But be careful!** These have all been _thoroughly_ researched by a panel of seven (7) duly appointed, wizened old Justices of the Peace, each selected by another panel of two Greater Saddle-back Clownfishes. You'll have three (3) chances to answer correctly. Godspeed: 1. We all know what it's like to be dropped on your head as a toddler. It's one of those things we all go through growing up, like puberty or going on Easter egg hunts. But when I was a young'un, momma says she accidentally did it one too many times, so the wirin' in mah head don't work too good. 'Sides, sometimes I'd even bang m'head on a doorknob or wall or something whenever she was rull busy and had ta carry me by a leg instead of by the top of my head like usual. 2. I'm in a particularly giddy, mirthful holiday mood this evening, and have a lot of time on my hands. 3. I already finished my dinner and it's not bedtime yet, see? Also, I finally got my reply back from Santa! I sent it early so he'd be sure to get it on time. He said he'd bring me a new, authentic, USSR-made, Cold-War-era rocket propelled grenade launcher with two live grenades for Christmas, since I successfully survived the final decade of the Cold War, but due to a clerical error, didn't receive my complimentary RPG. So I was excited and felt like doing something random. OK, here's the _TL;DR_ version of my "thank you" reply post. I hope you like it: >! _*clears throat and begins dictating in a clear, crisp RP accent*_ >! >! Dear Sir/Dame Vengeful, >! >! Thanks SO much for the awesome guide and build advice. I stumbled and fumbled my way through 80 levels of Warrior GW/Axes, but after reading and learning your build and following your advice, I can **DANCE** like Michael Jackson lol! I still need my tap shoes (weapons/gear) of course, but I am having so much more fun. Anyway, your post was _really_ easy to understand and follow, and left me with the somewhat rare yet euphoric and joyous feeling after reading a build guide of actually **not** having any questions I could think of. For this, you have my everlasting gratitude my enduring allegiance and fealty. May you be very successful in all your _Vengeful_ and _non-Vengeful_ enterprises. >! >! _Kindest regards, -T._ >! And here's what I really wanted to say in my post—and I assure you would have, were I only a normal human being. ;): THANK YOU. YOU ROCK. OK. I'm sorry about the retarded long-ass reply post. I hope I didn't offend anyone or anything lol. Of course, if anyone's offended that easily, they probably don't use the Internet very often hehe! xP But seriously, I just wanted to say thanks. And happy holidays to everyone, wherever you are, whatever you believe, whether your white, black, brown, pink or polka-dotted or who you voted for! I wish everyone a happy Winter (or Summer if you're south of the equator)! Besides, I was honest throughout, except for the list of reasonsYour guide is perfect, dude. And you _do_ rock. B)