AliamRationem.5172

It's unfortunate, because icebrood saga started pretty strong with the prologue and the first Bjora episode was pretty decent, but it's just gotten worse. The 2 episodes/1 map thing wasn't really working for me. I absolutely hated Drizzlewood for being 1 map rather than 2 because the meta was such an awful slog as a result of that decision. But now we don't even get maps and instead get these truly boring and uninspired instanced DRMs. It's not good. Here's hoping EoD saves the game!

> @"Vayne.8563" said: > New maps are good for you, maybe, but that doesn't make them good for the game. People keep saying, and I've seen it a number of times, that the population is less than it was say 2 years ago. How would anyone know? We have so many more maps. So many more metas. So many more places people can be. > > If the population stays stable, new maps eventually become unsustainable. And Anet said straight out that we won't get new maps for every episode for the Icebrood Saga a long time ago. This isn't new information. It's been around a while. > > For every person who asks for new maps, another person is complaining that people spend 2 hours on the new maps and never go back there. While developing new maps comes with its own issues, DRMs are simply an awful method of content delivery. The story no longer feels like a story. The content is low-effort, boring, and not worth repeating beyond the single reward they added for a stupid amount of currency. I am on board with a _superior_ method of content delivery to previous story releases, but DRMs are _not_ it! I am on board with another expansion, but they are murdering this content right now. I hope it's worth it...

> @"UNOwen.7132" said: > > @"Paradoxoglanis.1904" said: > > > @"UNOwen.7132" said: > > > > @"Paradoxoglanis.1904" said: > > > > > @"UNOwen.7132" said: > > > > > Why? Seriously, this change does literally *nothing* other than nerf the already severely underperforming DE. Regular thief doesnt care, you're not gonna be going into stealth after a stealth attack very often. Ranger, Engineer and Mesmer don't care, the first 2 don't have enough stealth to repeat it, and if Mesmer is revealed, youre already dead. Im pretty sure the only build that would *marginally* care is trapper DH. > > > > > > > > Stealth is annoying, thats why. DE being non-meta has been very good for the game. DD and core thief have been carried by stealth for years and thief mains always cry about nerfs that attempt to balance this. Stealth 1 shots are dumb. Stealth resets are dumb. Constant stealthing in combat is dumb. Stealth is far too abundant and its bad for the game. > > > > > > > > > > We shouldnt nerf things just because theyre annoying. A lot of people find conditions very annoying. Or Blocks, or invuln. This also doesnt actually hit regular thieves because you dont stealth in-combat. DD and Core Thief were *never* "carried by stealth", the only thing that was "carrying" them is Shortbow 5. They dropped D/P for S/P and S/D before, remember? Stealth 1 shots dont exist outside of maybe Mesmer anymore. Stealth resets are just inferior to shortbow 5 resets because the enemy can punish you for it. In-combat stealth is basically telling your enemy "kill me, Im giving you 1.25 seconds of free damage that I wont be able to defend myself during, so this is an easy guaranteed kill". Stealth is not even nearly as relevant as people think it is, let alone bad for the game. > > > > In this case, annoying means bad design. Yes sb 5 is strong, but stealth often enables its effectiveness. Stealth gives thieves the means to decap or enter a +1 without the enemy knowing, sb 5 just allows them to travel faster and have z axis mobility. s/d has had a role in pvp for ages, and s/p was mainly a meme when people realized that noobs dont know how to deal with pistol whip. The 2 main thief builds for the last year have been d/p and condi, both usually running SA. Combat stealth is very strong because it breaks target, and you can reposition while your opponent can only guess your location. Stealth is far more relevant than you think, and yes, too much of it is bad for the game. > > In that case youre gonna have an even tougher time explaining how stealth is bad design. Despite stronger versions of it existing in just about every MMO. Stealth *never* enables SB5s effectiveness. SB5 is at its best when used on its own instead of wasting initiative on stealthing. Youre rarely going to stealth up to decap, because just getting there faster vs SB5 is better in 95+% of the time. For +1ing, if youre on D/P, yeah you stealth, but again, you can still do it without that, since D/P is just one build. S/P wasnt a meme, it was an effective build until it got nerfed and things around it changed. And yeah since the disastrous february megapatch killed all other builds, those are the only 2 played, but keep in mind, condi thief was a meme before that. > > Combat stealth is *very* weak. Here is the problem with "it breaks target". It uh, doesnt exactly. Any channeled attack launched on a target who enters stealth will hit 100% of it. Any targetted launched on a target who then enters stealth will hit 100%. And quite often, attacks launched *after* stealth is entered still track. And thats ignoring that, in order to enter stealth, you had to give your enemy 1-1.25 seconds of free hits on you, which completely negates any damage you may have avoided in the first place. And as for repositioning, it doesnt work that way. A competent enemy can track you through stealth and negate your repositioning. Its relevant out of combat, but the proposed changes does jack all to affect that. Its completely irrelevant in combat, as the very few times you enter it, your goal is to exit it ASAP. Stealth is weak because you can't use it to counter channeled attacks and targeted leaps and enemies can track you through it anyway. It's practically a disadvantage for thieves! Seems reasonable...

I use combos a lot playing weaver, but it's definitely more of a solo/small group thing since it becomes impossible to intelligently use combos in larger groups. Still, combos on water fields in particular are essential, especially if you take the passive signet heal. The 4 blast combos in this clip add over 5k additional healing!

I find earth most annoying, but only because I always seem to get that bug where the animation and associated sound get stuck so all you hear is a loud rumbling noise with rocks popping out of your weapon arm. Then I have to back out to login screen to get it to stop. Happens all the time!

> @"Ajji.6031" said: > I tried this build : http://metabattle.com/wiki/Build:Firebrand_-_Solo_Firebrand > > They say it has a ton of defense and heals, but I die super easily. I have a mix of dire and trailblazer gear and do great damage. > > Right now I’m just mapping to get some BL keys for Shimmering cape. > > However, it doesn’t take me long to die if I get mobbed in the expansions. I’m sure it’s a L2P issue, but I’m not sure where to begin. > > Am I supposed to switch to the other 2 tomes if I’m taking too much damage? And what if I get mobbed while those tomes are on CD? I am totally new to firebrand and just started using a similar build today after watching Roul's solo guardian video. It seems like firebrand has a lot of passive burn application. Pulsing damage from Zealot's Flame, sword of justice, scorched aftermath, etc. You can use quickness to get these effects into play rapidly. Since they continue to apply damage and your conditions themselves continue to tick, you can use blocks, invulns, and evades as needed to sustain without letting off your offense. With such high damage, your Litany of Wrath heal essentially becomes a full heal + 6 second damage immunity on a 25s cooldown. It also seems like there's quite a bit of flexibility with regard to heals, utility, and elite skills. The tome skills fill in nicely for some of the things you might use these skills for, which makes it easy to swap in whatever you think you'll need. Update: I've practiced a bit today and I think it's coming along nicely. I've definitely been enjoying abusing Litany of Wrath. Look at me heal for over 30k health while facetanking a pair of veteran bristlebacks here. I don't even have to dodge or use any blocks or reflects! Just all out offense! I have to say it's making my other classes a bit jealous. If you haven't been using this heal you might want to give it a go. It's really making life easier out there so far. The heal works better the more damage you deal, so it's also perfect if you're being mobbed by enemies. Just lay the burn down, pop that heal, and your enemies top off your health automatically!

> @"KillingTimeZ.5289" said: > So what stories are the most profitable in terms of the rewards you get from them at the ending of said story. And what can you get from the most profitable story. I am In general looking at the most mastery points attainable from stories, for example so I will wanna do this story first maybe? Open your achievement panel and you will see mastery point icons indicating which achievements grant mastery points. This way you can quickly determine for yourself which content is worth doing first for best efficiency, if that's your goal.

Remove the attunement rotation requirement so that Tailored Victory may be used at any time once Weave Self is active. Reduce the cast time on Weave Self to 0.5s and the cast time on Tailored Victory to 0.25s. If Tailored Victory is not used, grant Perfect Weave for 10s. This would make Tailored Victory usable as a CC on demand with (essentially) a 0.75s cast time in line with similar effects, but using it in this way would come at the cost of ending Weave Self prematurely and never gaining Perfect Weave.

Both can do invincible builds, but I think condi herald/renegade deals better damage.

Needs more totems.

> @"Orack.9756" said: > EDIT : > > Nvm I was just a noob ! > The 2 sigil I've change help me a lot (leeching+energy) and now than I'm finaly familiar with all the new spell I noticed the 2 evasion, that help me a lot too now than I don't wast them. All test-champ done easily now :) > Thx for the build, very funny to play. > > Last question I guess : Why the weakness trait in weaver instead of hp ? > For now I use the hp one since I lack some dire part to reach 20k, but I'm curious about yuor choice :) If you find the extra health helpful, then definitely take the trait. I find that the extra health is quite nice when I only have 11k health and baseline armor as any hit from a champion could force you to play defensively. However, when I have 18k+ health with 3k+ armor on a build with strong evasion and consistent passive barrier and healing, the extra health isn't usually doing anything for me. For example, check out this demo I uploaded the other day demonstrating use of evasion, defensive cooldowns, CC and positioning against the vampire broodmother HP challenge in Verdant Brink. The boss only manages to touch me twice during the fight and one of those hits is almost completely absorbed by barrier.

> @"Opopanax.1803" said: > Anyone have a power mirage build to share? As far as I can tell, power mirage is not a great choice for PvE. The weapons you would use with it are greatsword and sword, neither of which have a good ambush skill for PvE. Chronomancer is a much better choice for power mesmer builds in PvE.

> @"sniperman.1738" said: > > @"Konrad Curze.5130" said: > > > @"Mortifera.6138" said: > > > So DRMs are continuing in the new Champions episode > > > > of course they are. we'r in the age of absolutly minimum effort on ANet's part > > > > > > I wouldn't say Minimum effort, remember they are trying to finish up a living story while working on an expansion. I love GW2, but the decision not to invest in its future by working on an expansion to follow PoF was disastrous. They've since corrected course, but all that time was wasted and now they are playing catch up, causing current content releases to suffer. I'm glad they're working on EoD, but DRMs as a means of advancing the story are indeed low-effort and not at all satisfying.

> @"Fuchslein.8639" said: > I would like to have more revealing clothes for men, from age 16+ like all the women's clothes that partly show more than you would expect for a game for 12+. > But I somehow think it's more likely that women will get super skimpy bikinis than anything halfway revealing and good looking for men ... > And another thing I read here that I'm absolutely for, dresses for asura(and charr). > I never understood why I can't put a skirt on my little fox asura. Maybe she likes to be more feminine in the sense of skirts and such, and at the same time interested in technology and fighting? Hey! Stay away from my weird little androgynous Asurans!

> @"SoundWave.9154" said: > > @"AliamRationem.5172" said: > > Through feedback from other players and my own testing, I've increasingly recommended a fire/earth version of the build. It deals better damage as well as having stronger passive mitigation. With a longer attunement swap cooldown and less reliance on dodging, it should be a little bit easier to play than the fire/arcane build I use in most of my videos. > > > > Here's a sample clip demonstrating burst with fire/earth. I'm able to ramp up burning to over 20k in 4 seconds, peaking at 28k on a build with nearly 3.5k armor. > > > > Here's a link to the build: [Fire/Earth build](http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PGgAw2lZwmYXMJmJOKPnvaA-zRJYkRD/YkoA6kA6nFfd2A-e) > > > > > > > > If you're just starting out and trailblazer isn't on the menu, try this [inexpensive variant](http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PGgAw2lZwmYXMJmJOKPnvaA-zxIU8ohfQYz5SgEFgjZhKpN-e). > > > > Doesn't this build have too much expertise ? Thought everything above 80% is wasted. Yes, due to smoldering sigil being overkill. As an alternative, you can use burn duration food with a different sigil. I believe this comes up a few % short of capping burn duration. You could also swap out some trailblazer stats for dire stats to get it just perfect. It's the usual puzzle of arranging things however you like but basically arriving at the same place!

A Charr in assless chaps? You've gone too far!

> @"kharmin.7683" said: > I always felt that JPs were additional, optional content that were introduced for something to do on the side. I'd prefer not to see additional resources put into them at the risk of degrading the quality of the game's main content. But that's me. Follow that logic to its conclusion and you'd have a pretty generic MMO. While I initially hated JPs and they are certainly side content, they're also a very "GW2" sort of thing. One of many unusual things you encounter in this game that lend it that unique personality. I thought it was funny when I heard that in the original GW characters lacked the ability to jump. I imagine jump puzzles were the developer's way of making up for that!

You don't necessarily need to go complex with the engi elite specs. If you run hammer scrapper with no kits you only have the bar for hammer, a toolbelt bar, and the usual heal/utilityx3/elite skill bar. You can add kits to that for extra weapon bars, but you don't have to.

Checkpoints, time trials, convenient respawn, challenge modes, better rewards. These all sound like things that could make JPs more fun.

There's always that one build for which the stars align and celestial confers both practical invulnerability and powerful damage. The problem is, it's rarely just the stats at fault. What are the chances that build can't just pick up some other hybrid amulet and overperform with it?

> @"Orack.9756" said: > Does this last version is the best balance between dmg and resistance ? > I would love to try weaver to see, so far, like expected, most build I see from some website or youtuber was very bad for soloing a bit more difficult thing than trash mob.. > Maybe I'll try a Dire version 1st to save some money ^^ > > You was the one who answered me about Ele on a thread I made long time ago and give me the faith to go with it. > And I would like to thank you for that it's now my main. > > I play mostly fresh/air tempest but not the usual, I've made my personal and I've solo every champ you did + more and even some leggy. > I recently killed the bandit "the quick" and the leggy who came after ^^ > I've try condi tempest for a while, it's not bad but find the air one better and more convenient for the rest of the content while condi tempest is only good on boss (lack good aoe, can't reset overload and really need this + signet to get the most dmg), that why I'm curious about condi weaver. > My build have less burst/resistance than yours but many recover option and distraction with both elemental glyph pet (earth one are so tanky, even the little, it's easy to end-up with 4-5 pet at the end and can swap the big one for a water to get even more heal). > > I'll let it here if some people want to try a fresh/air that is not in paper (perma protection + 2+ pet + many aoe + mid-range). > Cast glyph in earth when you need more protection, heal glyph in water only if you take a very big it, otherwise, earth. > Very easy to use, 3 heal in water with water field and explosion combo + water overload for even more (most of these skill while also heal your pet) > Overload are stun-break so I don't need more of them since I overlad very often and can easily delay it a bit when I know a stun is coming. > Break-bar from elite water/earth, 4 from air, 4 from water, 3+5 from earth, less ele glyph in water if need more, earth overload.. yeah, that plenty) > Staff is for meta farm only. > > http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PGwEsEmpMBWDbhVxIxS55rtD-zRJYiRX/p0kIoMhQEKiKkIGdW+dZD-e > > Happy new year and thanks for sharing your experience with other :) > > > > > I don't know what the "best" is, but this [build](http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PGgAw2lZwmYXMJmJOKPnvaA-zxIU8ohfQYz5SgEFgjZhKpN-e) is very strong while also being very inexpensive to gear. Thanks for sharing the tempest build. I'm a total noob when it comes to scepter and staff I don't even know what the skills do. I've only played dagger tempest and sword weaver. I guess I prefer melee builds for my eles!

I am not opposed to more sources of exotic stat-selectable armor, weapons, and trinkets. I think the current system works out great for established players. There are a variety of sources for ascended and exotic stat-selectable gear. When you have some resources to call upon and play a variety of content, testing builds isn't prohibitive. But it could be easier for newer players, I think. A better template system that allows some gear storage for different builds and actually allows you to swap entire builds to specific presets in a single key would help, also. I heard they may be working on something like that, but with ANet who knows?

I'll be honest, I am very disappointed. I think we need a 5th element.

> @"madhead.2139" said: > Hi all! I'm a new player who's recently got really bored of fps games and want a good mmo to dig my teeth into. I've already tried out wow and ffxiv and enjoyed them but never got to max level. I enjoy this games leveling and combat way more than those two however I've always like playing a healer(as I find doing damage in mmos extremely boring) and enjoyed the idea of working as a team to bring down the boss. As far as I can see so far healing isn't really a thing in this game and the team work doesn't really go beyond reviving and putting down things to make your team do more damage. > Furthermore I've managed to get to the first dungeon and found that it felt like I was hardly contributing to the damage compared to everyone else and made me think what's the point of playing a game where damage is the main aspect but when you go into dungeons it doesn't even feel like you are doing damage. Idk if I've got this all wrong so I'd appreciate any help given or to see if you guys think its just worth playing another mmo so I can do healing One major difference between trinity games like WoW and non-trinity games like GW2 is the build system. In a game like WoW you choose a role and then you choose from talents that support that role. So, while you're making choices, the range of choices you're presented are limited to that role. Not so in GW2. You can build however you like...which means you can design a build that has poor synergy and tries to do too many things at once and ultimately fails at all of them! This often leads to a disconnect in perception. For instance, a quick youtube search found a video of a successful group completing the final boss in T4 nightmare fractal challenge mode in about 11 minutes. Then I see a video of the pros doing the same fight in 1:15. The difference can be pretty dramatic. So, if you're feeling like dungeons are full of bosses that have way too much health, this may be part of the reason why. While we don't have true healers here the way WoW does, the healer/support roles we do have are every bit as important. That 1:15 speed kill video relies on boon support to magnify damage output for the group. This includes not only boons which increase damage such as might, fury, and quickness, but also stability and healing to prevent stuns and allow rapid recovery so your DPS can focus on damage rather than playing defensively. The rules are different here, but healer/support roles have a big impact just as they do in trinity games.

> @"Alex.2908" said: > > @"AliamRationem.5172" said: > > I think weaver is the best example of what an elite spec should be in terms of its impact on play style. It represents a dramatic change in feel relative to its core spec. Compare to tempest, which is pretty much just core ele with access to shouts and overloads. Central to that is this tradeoff. Being locked into your attunement choices with half of that choice predetermined by your previous swap, able to access only part of your kit from your current attunement configuration. > > > > Having said that, I completely understand that this "locked in" feel is not everyone's cup of tea. If you love core ele, you might not love weaver. That's just how it's going to be the more dramatic the departure is from the core design. That's also not an excuse for the various legitimate complaints players have regarding weaver and elementalist in general! > > > > Don't overlook the positives that come with the trade, however. Consider the previous example: > > > > I'm getting my face rapid fired by a ranger while in air/fire. What do I do? I could just dodge, rotate attunements, and cast air 4 for the projectile block. It's a 0.5s cast, but the barrier generated from dodge combined with passive signet healing should result in negligible damage. It would probably be best to rotate to earth regardless, as protection will reduce any damage that does land and the evade on earth 2 is there as well if I need it. However, I could also rotate to water and use riptide to evade, heal, and close distance. Or if they're close enough, polaric leap for the interrupt and gap close, rotate fire and attempt to land a gale -> pyrovortex to turn the tables! > > > > Compare to core/tempest. If I rotate to water or earth to use the skills I have there, I don't get to access those offhand air skills anymore. I do get to use the offhand skills of that attunement on demand, however. That's the tradeoff. Neither one is "better". They're very different, which I think is a good thing! I wish more elite specs felt this impactful. > > Thanks for the tutorial but i dont think that it helps to progress with the discussion. As i said before, there are all kind of ways to dodge/block/heal any type of attack, even the weaver has them in a way or the other, but that doesnt mean that the weaver is a properly balanced specialization. I think is too easy to use and too boring and, unfortunately, this is the direction that this game is heading to with most classes. Remember when everybody was wearing zerk gear and how technical the combat was? I suppose you're right. Weaver is relatively easy. Not because core is a marvel of complexity by comparison, but because core just plain sucks and the way they've designed elite specs makes it very difficult to improve core without also improving the elites.