TamX.1870

Yes, I was wondering if mac users can play with Linux and as pointed out above, it should be possible. I have played GW2 and other games under Linux with Wine for years. It is not always perfect, but it definitely works.

I run Harrier-Minstrel mixup, but that's only because of very specific reasons: I'm using my Druid's Harrier trinkets, but can't use her medium armor, so I'm running with my WvW Minstrel support armor on HFB. I haven't ran HFB in raids, but in case I do, I can make exotic Harrier armor for that purpose.

> @"zethra.8491" said:

> Should I make cheap pieces and then Change Stats ?

> if so, which stats seem to be cheapest to make ?

I generally make Shaman armors and weapons and then change stats. There are also other cheap variants like Soldier. Any cheap exotic insignia/inscription from TP will do the work. What you basically save is the cost of the recipes, so in some cases you might want to buy the recipes to make the armors/weapons directly to correct stats (e.g. Berserker which is so common for all power DPS builds).

> @"Zindith.1370" said:

> Does this need to be done a level 80 character? Because on my level 44 Guardian it says masteries are locked. Cause when I go into the Mastery page it says I have 4 Mastery for Central Tyria, and 0 for Heart of Thorns. I also do not see Glider training anywhere in my hero tab. Still so new to all of this and taking a 4 year break doesn't help either.....

Gliding is account wide, so once you have learned it, all your toons can glide no matter of level. But to learn gliding, you need to go to HoT maps (Verdant Brink and so on) to gain both HoT mastery points and XP for mastery, and those maps are level 80 maps. I am not entirely sure if it is mandatory to do the first HoT quest, but at least that opens you access to Verdant Brink.

> @"Knightmare.1867" said:

> What are your favorite aspects of the game? Looking for detail.

There are many, but what I like most is the lack of gear treadmill (games that keep constantly obsoleting gears by raising levels or other ways, so that you are forced back to get back where you were). Here you need basically gear your toon just once for the content you play, and that's it, although of course balance changes change some things (you may need to gear up to different role, or gear up a toon you hadn't played for long time).

I like how there is lots to do, so that if you get too much some content, you can go doing something else or try something you hadn't tried ever before. I mostly play in "periods", I might be very active for few weeks or months, and then I'm more or less at background for months. It is nice how you can always continue where you left.

> @"Ovalkvadratcylinder.9365" said:

> as the title says i cant laod the web page with google chrome. I havnt tested with any other browser yet but ive run diagnostics and everything seems fine on my end. Any1 had this before?

I'm using Chrome all the time, and pages are working just fine at this very moment. I can't remember that I would have any problems in the past either. Sometimes I have experienced problems with some pages after updates. As I am using Linux, many of those have been problems with some inconsistences in the installations, and have been fixed with updates to rest of the system (or caused by them, in which case updating Chrome has helped). Sorry that I can't help you more with this but saying that everything seems to be working fine...

> @"Rob.7624" said:

> Going to work on a mount which I think probably means buying something with cash, knowing NCsoft.

Yes, you need PoF expansion :)

> @"Rob.7624" said:

> Two new versions of every class is weird though

They are so called "elite specializations". You can slot three trait lines for a class. In addition to core trait lines, there are now two "elite specializations" from HoT and PoF. You can either slot HoT or PoF elite spec (with two core lines), not both at the same time, or you can go without one (three core lines).

> @"Rob.7624" said:

> and I think the mastery system looks pretty complicated. Probably enough for me to jump back into as I've never touched the expansions.

Well, the basics are simple. You collect mastery points which you get from wide variety of sources. You use them to unlock additional abilities. What complicates this is that masteries are organized in regions (core, HoT, PoF, Icebrood Saga), and to unlock them you need mastery points (and XP) from those certain regions: that is, you can't get mastery points & XP for HoT masteries from core maps. They are sort of like map currencies.

> @"Prinny.8763" said:

> 2. Between Warrior, Guardian, Theif, and Ranger which one is good for both PvE and PVP/wvw

At (group) PvE side I run mostly with Warrior, Guard and Ranger. Especially Guard is very versatile for PvE content, you can run power or condi DPS and variety of support builds (HFB, QFB). Others can correct me if I'm wrong, but at WvW side ranger and thief have had nice roaming builds like forever, and guard (as FB) has been solid support class for zergs for like eternity. The situation may have changed, of couse, I havent followed that front that closely.

> 3. How long will it take me to catch up in terms of end game content?

If you have already suitable exo/asc gears, it is just about learning(*). For example, warrior, guard and ranger still use Berserker pieces for group PvE power DPS. For WvW purposes many replace Berserker with Marauder for larger HP pool.

EDIT: (*) Learning what the the post-HoT specs do, mainly - ranger Soulbeast, guard Firebrand, thief Deadeye and warrior Spellbreaker.

> 4. how important is crafting?

It is not mandatory, but nice to have, it is another source for different sorts of pieces. True, you get all sorts of currency from content to buy what you want, but like said, crafting gives you yet another source to gear up your toons.

> @"trev.1045" said:

> I mostly run around open using GS/LB and a power build, but after hitting 80 and reading around i seem to have the much maligned build that everyone hates (i only really use lb for barrage and rapid fire opening then switch to GS or for soloing champs from a safe distance, but its still the hated build)

I don't think you should care about what people say about builds. Have you read comments about GS/LB SLB in PvP/WvW? If so, just forget it.

Nowadays I run mainly on GS/LB Soulbeast. In fractals, I usually replace LB w/ x/Axe (x being sword, dagger or another axe). For all sorts of generic stuff, I like carry LB to have a ranged option, and I like the versatility of GS (compared e.g. axe/axe combo). Axe/axe combo can be nice replacement for LB in some situations, but anyways, I mainly stay on GS/LB. What I don't like in x/Axe is that its main DPS comes from Whirling Defense, which roots you and is prone to CC (so to use it effectively you like to have stab on you).

EDIT:Ah, if there is something people have in LB ranger, it is the frequent use of Point-Blank Shot to push mobs out from melee range. Pushes and fears are ofc not ranger-specific, but rangers tend to like to push mobs out without any good reason behind.

> I am working my way through HOT/Living world / POF so should gain extra hero points to respec, what would people advise?

I'd say Soulbeast. I used to love playing Druid, but sadly that spec has received too much nerf to my taste.

> I still want good solo / story capability, but i also want to bring some usefulness to groups and a future guild.

Soulbeast is somewhat solid for fractals. You can add group support by taking spotter, one wolf pack and/or spirits. I admit that if fractal groups need DPS, I mostly take my warrior for that purpose, but it is mainly because warrior has pretty solid DPS rotation - keeping up good DPS on Soulbeast require more from yourself and team.

> Ideally i would prefer to not have to replace my maruader gear but will do if power is useless

Marauder is good, but IMO Ranger has enough HP already for PvE purposes, so I run mainly full Berserker. I have Marauder armor with different runes mainly for WvW roaming, but yes, I admit that I use those pieces at open world some times.

Hi!

> @"myrek.9436" said:

> 1. Finish the personal story (I bought the expansions but not any of the seasons)

> 2. Scarlet's War

> 3. Do HoT

> 4. Do PoF

Story is anything but mandatory. I would suggest you to get grasp about just everything and decide where to put effort.

> @"myrek.9436" said:

> 1. Should I jump to HoT to unlock masteries (and get rid of that annoying popup)?

HoT is generally a tough place for a new player. I suggest you to jump to PoF, maps and hero points are easier. Of course, start the HoT story at the point where you can enter Verdant Brink, but you can leave it there until you are more ready to continue.

> 2. At what point should I look at joining a guild?

Guilds are useful from the beginning, so yes, start looking for a guild right away.

> 3. Is it worth joining a guild? I don't know if I'll ever do group content since I almost never have hours to play the game. I'm a self-employed 45-year-old with a family. Large blocks of uninterrupted free time are hard to come by.

It is, people in the guild can give you all sorts of advice, info and help out in different situations.

> 4. Did I miss anything? Is there anything else I should be working on?

The game has so vast amounts of things to do, that it is impossible to say to anyone what to do. Take your time and explore the possibilities.

> 5. This is just my "learn the game" character. Should I wait until I have a keeper to join a guild?

No need.

> 5.1. If I should wait, what are the easiest group content characters to learn? The idea is to lower the learning curve on the character so I can focus on learning the group content.

I think low tier fractals can be such. Just be warned, that not all low tier groups have any kind of support, so they can be bit hard if you don't bring some sustain in your build. But on the other hand, many T1 groups have one or two more experienced players carrying some of their kinnies, so it is possible that you have some support. And in any case, people don't generally expect you to shine there.

Full zerker/assassin warrior has enough sustain for fractals, but it of course assumes that you and your team (1) are somewhat familiar with the mechanics, (2) you have enough agony resistance, (3) at higher tiers you are using fractal pots, (4) it generally helps at all tiers that you have someone healing. I have ran hybrid scourge at low tiers, as it gives some support for others and thus makes the runs much more convenient. I started to play warrior and guard more at high tiers, just because there you can assume some sort of support from team.

> @"Cuks.8241" said:

> Also whatever people say about gear and build, at your stage, it is not gear that is holding you back, it is game knowledge and mechanics. So movement, dodging and knowing your characters arsenal. And you get that by playing.

That is probably very true, BUT many PoF enemies require also decent gears and decent builds to be handled alone. Core Tyria not that much (but it helps(*)), Orr bit more, HoT - definitely, PoF - unnecessarily hard if your gears and build do not match to your class and its strenghts.

EDIT: (*) Try low level warrior, and switch sword to axe, and trait axe, and you see how much easier it is.

> @"Randulf.7614" said:

> I'm going to play devil's advocate here. Soldiers is by no means terrible. I've used it on my Warrior pretty much since 2012/2013. Now I agree it doesn't have the dps, esp vs later content mobs, but I have otherwise found it has worked perfectly for me. It allows me to be virtually unkillable in open world alongside my blocks, parries and high cc and means I can help keep team mates on their feet in fights. I wouldn't take it to instances, but I am very, very happy with soldiers in open world

I understand what you say, but I think that extensive use of Soldier pieces make you just a punching bag. It just delays the inevitable a bit. And still, I definitely use more defensive gears, for example Marauder, Minstrel, Trailblazer and such depending on class and what I am playing. On Warrior, I trust more to offensive power, and traits that work when you play offensively (e.g. Might heal, as Might generates on strikes, Mending as healing skill etc) and try to trait and gear up so that I am hard to put stay still (as being able not to strike can bring certain death. At the same time I admit that it is not as easy to do at the beginning, and that is why I found Warrior much later in the game.

On classes like Elementalist I really understand Soldier pieces. Elementalist is low-HP, low-armor class. In Berserker pieces, Elementalist has like half of the HP of the Warrior and Necro, and you need to slot quite a bunch of Toughness pieces to take the armor at the same level on Necro or Elementalist what it is on Warrior just in zerker gears. That said, IMO Warrior is passively pretty resilent against both power and condition damage just as it is, and extensive use of Toughness and Vitality (instead of offensive stats) in gears will not make as big impact as you might think.

This concerns of course mainly power damage and Open World PvE. Condition damage builds - for example Necromancer and Mesmer - can benefit a lot from gears like Dire and Trailblazer, which makes them tanky as hell. Also, support classes in WvW/PvP groups can really benefit on stats like Minstrels, as they are generally primary targets and their damage output in groups is meaningless.

But all that said, I really agree with you to certain point, and I advice new players to slot some Soldier pieces to builds to make them more comfortable, but going far above 20k HP and 2500 armor is probably just overkill (for OW PvE). It either makes you a punching bag for mobs if you are inexperienced, or it prolongs the fight unnecessarily if you are experienced.

EDIT: Ah, forgot to say - there is one good reason why Necro or Ranger suit so well to new players: they have minions. They will take some aggro and give you breathing room, and you can watch from bit distance what is happening around, and thus they give excellent opportunity to learn things. Both classes surely have quite good sustain on their own, too.

> Going to HoT may be worse since it is argued HoT is much harder than PoF in terms of surviving. Using a boost as a new player is likely the issue because you haven't adjusted to the learning curve - a curve which is very steep between core and the expansions. You are better off learning your class first before going to endgame areas like HoT and PoF. You are basically going to the high end open world, without knowing the game

Here I agree with you 100%

> One of the most important aspects is to learn the art of dodging. Much of your survivability comes from mitigating damage from dodge timing and condition clearing. Once you have a reasonable stat build that works for you (it's not important to be too analytical in the open world with stat builds), your weapon and utility skills build will be the most vital thing to work on.

Yes. GW2 is a game, where the combat revolves around actively avoiding damage instead of mitigating it. Learning to avoid the damage, learning what are the big skills and lethal attacks from mobs and how they are countered (e.g. interrupting) plays a big role.

> @"BeastNHisHarlot.4865" said:

> I began playing a few days ago as a necromancer and really enjoyed myself. I decided to drop the $50 to upgrade to the full thing to get all the content and the level 80 boost was a nice bonus. Used the boost on a warrior since what I looked up said that they are some of the more tanky classes and are used in a lot of endgame content.

Yes, you will eventually love your warrior, but at first, it can be frustrating for new players. Trust me - I once deleted a warrior as I just couldn't get anything done without dying, but eventually I made a new one, and being more experienced I have loved it.

As said above, necromancer is far more forgiving class for newcomers. You will fell in love in to your necromancer and it will serve you far. It starts to fall behind only when you start to reach high end content, but that will probably take some time.

Take your time to learn the fight mechanics, builds and gears. Metabattle (https://metabattle.com/wiki/MetaBattle_Wiki) builds for open world may be too difficult for newcomers, in what case take a look to possible WvW roaming builds and PvP bunker builds, try them out and tailor them to suit to PvE side (usually PvP/WvW side builds have extensive mobility and condi cleanse, which is overkill for most PvE content). PvP/WvW builds are tailored for situations where you don't know what you are going to face, which is the case for newcomers in PvE side.

PoF is easier than HoT, HoT is known to burst out tears of frustration from newcomers - although eventually you start to love the maps when you gain more experience.

For Warrior, I could suggest close full berserker gears. Warrior already has quite good HP pool and armor, defensive pieces are generally not helping much. If you want, mix in few soldiers, but don't go much over 20k HP / 2500 armor. Take Axe/Axe and Mace/Shield (or mace/mace) weapon combo. For traits: Strength 1-2-2, Discipline 2-1-1, Defense 1-1-1. This will give you both Might heal and Adrenaline heal. In Strength, you can also trait 2-2-2, so your heal skill gives you Might, which heals you a bit.

> I used the boost and started to play around. I went to the Path of Fire expansion with my newly acquired gear and am getting smashed. Battles are taking forever and I have no survivability. I assume that I am unable to do this content without the appropriate gear, so I try to queue for a fractal as I expected them to be a group activity. Nope. I got placed in the tier 1 fractal by myself and promptly received my own kitten again.

Either take your necro up to 80, get hero points and unlock specs, or play warrior more and even more. Remember correct builds for different situations. You can't assume raid builds are perfect for Open World roaming, as they are heavily tailored for specific content. Check Metabattle Open World section, and take a look to Conquest and Small Scale WvW builds.

> I am confused and frustrated. I feel as though I cannot do any content because it is all too hard.

You can take steps back. You can go back to Core Tyria maps you left, get hero points and get fights. Try Orr, Silverwastes and Dry Top, and PoF of course - those have bit more potent mobs than lower level maps.

> Does anyone have any tips for progression paths or something else that I can do to be capable to do even level 80 story content?

>

> Thank you to all who reply with anything other than something about how I suck. I'm well aware. This is my first MMO. Be gentle.

My best advice would be to take a step back to core tyria maps. It will help a lot when you have more experience. GW2 gives challenges for new players even in its Open World PvE side, unlike some other MMOs. In HoT and PoF maps it is very important to know your "enemy", that is, what the mobs do. You will get down very fast if you are not prepared for mobs' special abilities.

I have hoped Rare or Exotic quality legendary items, in addition to these current Ascended quality ones. Make them bit more easy to get, and it could give people some possibilities to try out different builds before starting to invest into ascended items. If is not feasible to give rare/exotic with free stat changes, how about e.g. a device, which can combine exotic pieces together, so for each stat you want to try, you'd make a set of corresponding exotic gears and then combine them with your other stats.

I generally have used drops if I can, but time to time I go to Trading Post to get cheap upgrades for pieces that are too low level to my taste (that is, pieces that I have not have luck to get as loot) - many times I have replaced entire set, because it has been rare to have on-level pieces and blue/green are generally cheap. Even that I have crafting alts, I have not crafted pieces to leveling alts, because usually it is just too expensive compared to the life time of the pieces. But on the other hand, while leveling, I have mostly ran for hero points, and then used tomes of knowledge to get few more levels to advance to new maps, and that's why I have not had that many pieces from drops. I have usually used tomes to get from 70-75 to the cap and then made or bought the first lvl 80 set (usually rares, sometimes I have been confident enough to craft exotics as first lvl 80 set), just because it feels wasteful to buy/make a 70 or 75 set so close to cap.

> @"DisabledVelociraptor.7865" said:

> The leap in difficulty from the personal story to heart of thorns is insane... forgive me for complaining here but this is kitten near unenjoyable.. I wish there was some kind of difficulty setting for instances because I just want to experience the story without feeling like i'm being completely crushed by everything

Fear not, you are not alone. HoT is known to burst out tears of frustration from players who enter there first times. Maps are hard to navigate and you get killed constantly. I sure hated HoT maps a lot at the beginning.

Others have told good tips for your journey. The key point is IMO that in HoT maps you can not anymore ignore things like conditions, condition cleansing, CC, evades, and most importantly, you can not anymore ignore the mob mechanics (what are they going to do, and what kills you). Once you start gaining HoT masteries and experience from mobs, it starts feeling easier and easier every day.

And at one day you will suddenly see that you have fell in love to HoT content. Trust me, that day will come :)

> @"Ashantara.8731" said:

> I did the first time around, and I stand by my statement. There are plenty of open world solo builds on MetaBattle and other resources that sacrifice damage for protection or suggest how to modify them with different gear, skills or traits in order to make them tankier.

I understand that, but to understand what I am saying, just go to peek the guard builds in metabattle: https://metabattle.com/wiki/Guardian

When you examine those, you very soon notice, that META open world PvE builds revolve around Zeal and Radiation, just like guard fractal and raid builds, but many if not all PvP/WvW builds revolve around Honor and Valor(*), either alone or both combined at least in the variations. Why is that? Why Zeal and Radiation builds that dominate raids and fractals are present in all suggested open world builds, while PvP and WvW builds revolve around Honor and Valor, admittedly combining those many times with Zeal or Radiation, and just giving Honor + Valor as an alternative build for more sustain?

(*) ATM, if I didn't make a mistake, at Guard metabattle PvP & WvW side there is just one build that does not have either Honor nor Valor, and it is core guard build for larger scale fights, and because of the subject we are discussing here, we are not that interested in group builds, I think?

Before you have time to answer, I answer to myself: Because at PvE side you can choose what you fight against, and PvE side is always the same. It does not change, the mobs never learn anything, it is mechanical circus to run through, but to be success, it needs that you know how this circus works. PvP side is different, you have not much choice - at least on guard - to choose who you are fighting against. Of course, even META small scale PvP builds are sort of comphromises, many builds have their own hard counters, but luckily that hard counter usually means that the opponent is at the same skill level as you are. If you know better how the opponent class & build works than what s/he knows about you, you have a good chances to win your build's hard counters.

EDIT: I mean, metabattle open world builds derived from fractal and raid builds certainly add more defenses compared to their "parents", but they still assume you know what you are doing and what you are facing. Small scale PvP builds do not have that privilege, and thus they usually suit better for new players, because as with PvP, they have no idea what they are facing, even if it is PvE side. It is of course true, that even small scale PvP builds assume you are familiar with your class and all the other classes you can face, but still they are generally more rounded than fractal and raid builds even with some added defenses and necessary boon/condi self-generation.

So, in general, the build presented in this thread is IMO very good starting point to anyone new to guard class, or anyone new to entire game who has rolled a guard.

> @"Ashantara.8731" said:

> > @"HnRkLnXqZ.1870" said:

> > The meta-builds are not the perfect choice to start with a new class. They are designed for optimized damage-output, neglecting defenses and survival abilities.

>

> That statement is so untrue, by the way.

The statement s/he says is absolutely true. Read carefully what you quoted and what you answered.

> Most open world PvE builds make defense and survivability a priority besides damage. You just don't see it, because you don't know yet how to play those builds. It's all a matter of being willing to adept and learn.

This just holds true, iff you are already familiar with content and classes. Just take a look to META open world PvE builds, and compare them with PvP/WvW builds. What is the difference? The difference is that for smaller scale PvP, you need sort of rounded build, because you can not decide what you are going to meet. META open world PvE builds at very first assume you know what you are doing - their defenses are created based on that, that is why they are META after all - Most Efficient Tactics Available.

Note that I don't say meta builds are bad. They are not. Note that @"HnRkLnXqZ.1870" didn't say meta builds are bad. In fact I think both of us agree, that they are well designed and tested builds that everyone should strive for. What I am saying is that players who are new with a class, need suboptimal builds that can not solo all the hardest content, but which give them enough easily understandable, preferably passive sustain to learn to play the class. Like I said, the build that @"HnRkLnXqZ.1870" presented is very close to older "medisym" guard bunker builds familiar from PvP side. You combine the empowered symbols (Honor) with empowered mediations (Valor) together, and complete the build with chosen offensive line.

> @"Eliostros.7865" said:

> A lot of people seems to say that PVE is easy in this game and, when I was playing a reaper with a lot of pets, I used to agree with them. I could pretty easily face roll through the entire story, enjoying the narrative. However, now that I'm playing a guardian, life is not so easy anymore, I have the feeling to have much less sustain than my reaper.

As said already here, necro is so "stupidly" tanky by its nature, that no class can match it. However, when you are used to play necro, you may have difficult times to adapt to other classes, which get their survivability with more complex ways. I know how hard this adaptation can be. I have trashed Warrior once, because I couldn't stay alive, but when I rolled Warrior after playing some other classes, I was surprised how tanky it is. I have the same story with Guardian. I rolled one after being disappointed to Warrior, I was first pleased, then I couldn't stay alive and I forgot the class - until just recently, I found the class again and I was surprised how survivable it is :D The only thing that has changed in between those events is me.

EDIT: Forgot to write the conclusion: the more you play different classes, the more you start to figure out how classes do damage and how they survive, and it greatly helps. Classes you initially thought to be too fragile and too complex, suddenly have became interesting and capable once you return to them after playing something else in between.

> I've tried the 3 solo build from metabattle (I've unlocked the 2 elite specs)...

I once tailored PvP & WvW roaming builds for solo PvE purposes. Those builds are generally well-rounded, and you can just tune down condi cleanses, CC and mobility for solo PvE purposes.

> @"HnRkLnXqZ.1870" said:

> The meta-builds are not the perfect choice to start with a new class. They are designed for optimized damage-output, neglecting defenses and survival abilities.

I /cheer'd when metabattle opened "Open World PvE" section, but I later found out that those builds are *optimized* builds, mainly tailored from fractal & raid builds, generally adding boon generation to cover the lack of the team. They are surely great in the hands of experienced players - ones who know the class and the content - but you might have hard time to learn the class with them, because they are not necessarily that forgiving builds.

So, once again, I could suggest to look PvP & small scale WvW builds, and try to tailor them to solo PvE.

> @"HnRkLnXqZ.1870" said:

> I guess you already own the gear for the meta-build (Berzerker's or Marauder's)? In that case, stick to that. In the spoiler below is a build that can be used for early steps and learning the first basics about the class. It is obviously NOT META. I used it as a start to teach the different aspects of the class.

Thanks for great basic build and its description!

> Note: This is a starter-build I used to train new players.

I think it resembles very much older core Guardian PvP bunker builds, but can't remember them too well. Honor and Valor are the defensive trait lines, and I remember seeing them in various combinations in close all Guardian bunker builds - core, Dragonhunter and Firebrand - during the years. For example "Symbolbrand" still has Honor + Valor variant in meta: https://metabattle.com/wiki/Build:Firebrand_-_Symbolbrand

> @"Lily.1935" said:

> Just a general question. What sort of classes do you love that art not in GW2? It could be from any RPG, tabletop game or other.

There is one class, Warden in LoTRO, that I used to love. It is medium armor predictive tank class, with high in-combat flexibility. Even thought that the class was not always exactly the AA tank classes and required quite a lot practising to be used, its versatility paid it off in my opinion. It worked fine with all sorts of exotic team compositions, and even thought time to time it was not the wanted tanking class, it was still used to all sorts of crazy "black ops" missions, for example, under-manning instances and such. It was strong at PvP side, but not without its drawbacks: people who were familiar with Warden were able to use those weaknesses and win, and people who didn't know were ruining the attempts of others.

> If you could translate it into gw2, would you and how would you do it? Could an existing profession fill that role?

Basically I would, but it does not fit well to GW2 controls. In very simple form, to play you need something like 15 skill buttons. Luckily GW2 classes are all generally flexible and versatile.

> Why do you love that class?

I mostly loved it because it paid off the learning curve. It was flexible, and that flexibility was in-combat flexibility - I loved how I had tools in my pocket to fix a run that was turning towards chaos and wipe. I loved how it fit to different team compositions, so that you were able to use the strengths of other classes by strengthening the weaknesses your team composition had by yourself.

I think generally something like 30-60 secs would be good. The fight should be long enough to have tactical elements and leave room for surprises to turn the tables. Too long fights generally mean that sustain and recovery is bit too high, you are not able to go through the defenses. I have had enjoyable longer fights, but those have had certain circumstances in which neither side could have put another on her/his knees. I generally don't like too short fights, although I understand the enjoyment of performing certain sequences perfectly to win the fight fast.

> @"VAHNeunzehnsechundsiebzig.3618" said:

> yes, in the past, try the desktop option in winecfg and see if it helps.

It helped a bit (X is not entirely unresponsive, just very, very slow), but game crashes when I try to start it. It might be somehow related to my combination of graphics card (GTX 660), its driver and wine version. I'm using Linux Mint 18.3 (based on Ubuntu 16.04), which does not come with latest Nvidia drivers. I tried the game with Ubuntu 19.10 (which comes with Nvidia driver version 435 IIRC) - there the login screen does not hang the computer, but anyways it crashes when starting it.

Hi, everyone!

After yesterday's patch, now the login window stucks. The entire computer becomes unresponsive, and when looking top, X window system and GW2 seems to use all CPU. Anyone else observing this behaviour?

> @"Ashantara.8731" said:

> It's never worth to _fully_ equip your character in Marauder's gear for PvE. Often, only the trinkets (or just a few of them) is enough.

For my classes which use Marauder / Berserker swappies, I generally do Marauder armor and keep Berserker trinkets. The reason is just that usually my Marauder swappies are for different game modes (like WvW or such), and thus I like also use different runes / sigils. But yes, if you think your Berserker amor & weapon runes and sigils are just fine, and you want some Marauder swappies for extra crit + health, then sure, having some Marauder trinket swappies are good choice.

> @"Knighthonor.4061" said:

> what class best uses Apothecary stat?

Time to time, it has had uses at WvW side with certain hybrid support classes, like Scourge. Raw healing power and condition damage is generally fine at PvP side, because your opponents will anyways keep clearing condis and your boons (so expertise and concentration do not necessarily do as much as they do at PvE side; depends on many things, of course). Its toughness makes it not very common at PvE side group content, and on the other hand healing power is not very tempting stat at solo side.