Shikaru.7618

> @"Hypnowulf.7403" said:

> Do you see, then? You could either be having fun and leisure time—the purpose of a video game; Or you could be addicted to grinding, getting judged by other players, being a scapegoat when things don't work out, fretting over ArcDPS, and just generally not having a fun time. I think most just want to have fun.

>

> That's why the raid audience will only continue to shrink.

I happen to like fretting over arcdps, making informed decisions about who's failing, and seeing how far I can push my class. Who are you to say I'm not having fun?

Toxicity only happens when non like minded players try to join each others groups. Stick to your own kind and there won't be a problem.

> @"battledrone.8315" said:

> > @"Sobx.1758" said:

> > > @"battledrone.8315" said:

> > > > @"AliamRationem.5172" said:

> > > > > @"battledrone.8315" said:

> > > > > > @"AliamRationem.5172" said:

> > > > > > > @"battledrone.8315" said:

> > > > > > > > @"Steve The Cynic.3217" said:

> > > > > > > > > @"Shikaru.7618" said:

> > > > > > > > > Here is something that a lot of the mmos youve mentioned have in common. They all have an easily identifiable gear score or damage score, so when you get a new piece of gear, you can make informed decisions at a glance and know if you're getting an upgrade or downgrade. Gw2 does not really present any of that information to you easily. It is very easy to gear and build your character incorrectly and be completely oblivious that you did so. The difference between the average player and top tier raiders is 10x according to a dev despite having the same tier of gear. Imagine if you magically dealt 10x damage right now. Would you still be struggling with open world? Thats the reality that a lot of us veterans are trying to tell you. Anything thats not a champion or bounty will basically melt in open world. You just need proper builds and proper stat combos on your gear.

> > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > OK, but how would you construct such a gear score (SWTOR calls it "Item Rating", for reference) in GW2? Would it have to show bias toward certain stats? If so, why? (I have a Reaper build that's based on *Valkyrie* gear, kitten. With all that Vitality, a stat-biased gear score would probably mark it down, but it's almost indestructible and still delivers substantial damage.) Then again, in most games, the gear score (whatever it's called) is some way short of the full answer, since it almost never identifies gearsets that are weak because of an improper stat mix.

> > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > And in general, this thread reminds me of something I said in [another thread](https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/comment/1340112#Comment_1340112) ...

> > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > > Game difficulty should not be set up for the wilfully obtuse.

> > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > There is a very wide range of player-skill in any MMORPG, but while general content must take into account the less-skilled players, the players who will not learn how to play (not talking learning disabilities here, but wilful obtuseness) should not be part of that analysis.

> > > > > > >

> > > > > > > if i have to go to another website to find a build, then the game has failed. if they let me get to max level with "wrong "build, then the game has failed

> > > > > > > if they dont let me play my own build, then there is no point in playing an RPG at all

> > > > > >

> > > > > > I would say that if you can throw darts at the skill tree with a blindfold on and still succeed, then the game has failed. GW2's system provides players the freedom to build however they like. This as opposed to a game like WoW, where you simply pick a class and a role and every choice you make falls within those parameters and only the latest content presents a challenge if you keep your gear current. GW2 lets you choose stats and traits with anti-synergy and your item level can't save you if you play like a potato. Pick your poison. I think both systems have their pros and cons.

> > > > > >

> > > > > >

> > > > >

> > > > > so its like a buffet, but you are only supposed to mix it like they intended? yea, that went well, didnt it? they either need to revamp the whole system,

> > > > > or at least make some tutorials on buildcrafting. the steam crowd is gonna rip it apart in reviews, if they dont. oddly enough, EVE was about the same age before they made a proper tutorial too.

> > > >

> > > > You can quite literally build however you like. The system has no hard limits to prevent you from, for example, designing a hybrid DPS/healer that deals low damage while providing more healing than is necessary in solo play but also not enough healing/support to be useful in group play. You'll probably find yourself complaining about "HP sponges", failing DPS check mechanics, and getting into arguments with other players in groups if you use such a build, though.

> > > >

> > > > I'm not opposed to having better information, but I think the system is too complex for an effective tutorial. Resources like the forums, the wiki, and various fan sites do the deep diving required to really refine your understanding of buildcraft. If that's too much for some players to handle, perhaps an MMO where players typically play for years is not the best format for them?

> > >

> > > lol, 10 years of STO, 8 years dcuo, wow, FF ARR, CoH, SWTOR, **wildstar**, **EVE**, BDO, LOTRO, **RIFT**, **AION**, **warframe**, **TERA**, and the list goes on and on

> > > if its a big mmo, theres a good chance, that i have played it at some point. still subbed to dcuo, but not playing as much anymore, due to burnout

> >

> > And you think these didn't have optimal builds that performed much better than the others? Really? Which ones of these told you exactly what to build to be competitive? Which one of these could you not read descriptions to understand what skills do and how they synergize? You're giving examples of games that didn't even do what you claim every rpg should do: hold your hand. So why are you suddenly claiming that gw2 is something out of ordinary in this instance just because you have some choices to make?

>

> this game has the worst balance of them all, none of them are even close. dont believe me ? try them yourself. and none of them have such a complex

> build system either. a build system WITHOUT A TUTORIAL. lol....

What would you even want from a tutorial? Its not like the build and stat systems are complex.

> @"Pockethole.5031" said:

> > @"Tiilimon.6094" said:

> > You can opt out of combat in OW by playing stealth builds very easily, capped concentration should let you mine a couple nodes as a thief or scrapper and should even give you time to mount up before stealth fades.

> >

> > As combat is the only reason why we even put clothes on our characters in this game, I find it very strange that getting into brawls is perceived as a problem anyways, isn't that kinda the point of the game?

> >

> > Are you sure that a combat focused MMO is what you actually even want to play if you find it boring?

> >

> > I've met a lot of people in Elite Dangerous who actually wish to play Universe Sandbox but for some reason buy a game where all the space ships come equipped with weaponry when bought, then complain when anything or anyone attacks their ship. This reminds me a bit of that.

>

>

> > @"Algreg.3629" said:

> > > @"Pockethole.5031" said:

> > > > @"SunTzu.4513" said:

> > > >For me personaly would be a down tuning of HP or DPS deald by the mobs result in maybe quitting the game.

> > >

> > > And of course, I'm the opposite. I effortlessly hopped to WoW after experiencing PoF (and of course because new expansion launched). I still play but not as much. If open world mobs were to be made harder like many repliers seem to dream of (which means 1/2 playerbase dying most of the time to the mob, not just downing, outright dying), I wouldn't be able to enjoy open world anymore. Don't you get tired of whacking mobs all the time? Might as well put a target dummy or combat simulation that gives loot after it dies in middle of LA. **Don't you get enough combat satisfaction in fractals or raids?** I just don't get you people. To me whacking mobs becomes boring quickly, especially when I'm not there to whack anything. In personal stories, combat is (to me) just a way to gate my progression. What is so fun wasting time on AI? Even punching a bag irl is more understandable because it affects your body in positive ways. Maybe I just wouldn't be able to understand. Either way... what you said goes both ways.

> > >

> >

> > This is not meant to be sarcastic at all, but this statement really makes me wonder. Do you think this here is the right genre for you? There are loads of enjoyable games that center around exploration and similar concepts without any combat. Maybe you should play those instead of a fantasy MMORPG with a focus on conflict?

>

> Yes, probably. But it's not that simple for me. I don't play the MMORPG genre for the sake of combat... and **I'm going to be a hypocrite and say I don't entirely despise combat.** After one-shotting mobs for a while in old content WoW, yeah, I want to go back to current content and face some difficulty. Same I could do in GW2, crawl back to core Tyria (and I actually did, started a new character).

> Let's go back a few years. Like 15 or so. My first MMORPG was RuneScape(2). The repetitive grinding was of course boring but chatting with other people made it tolerable. Quests were fun and still are. But my peanut brain couldn't crack some puzzles so I often ended up following a quest guide. I found a friend who introduced me to Maplestory. That game is a grindfest. However at that time leveling was mostly dependant on party quests, doing a mission with other people. It got me hooked anyway and I wasted time and money on it. Surprisingly the fun part for me of the game became the combos that I do when I grind mobs. Yes. However if I were to play it again (and I kitten hope not) I would watch My Little Pony from Netflix because grinding is very repetitive.

> On the internet I eventually came across WoW memes. The first image consisted of a person with acne and something negative about the person playing it. Not a great introduction to the game but I enjoyed it. I had fun chatting with other people in guild... just not always. I still remember I heard from another member the guild master said I'm annoying.

> Anyway again I heard from internet friend about this new game that is GW2. When it came out I bought a copy to myself and to a person I never met before... who later became my close friend. I don't really remember much from the beginning but I stopped playing, came back, stopped playing. Sometimes played seriously. My GW2 playing history is not very consistent. I did play alot this year though, and surpassed myself and started doing the story and maxed out HoT masteries even.

>

> I loved Wildstar and Maplestory 2, both games with lovely housing systems, but they were shut down.

>

> So to my point... I've played MMORPGS for majority of my life and... I'm in a point of life where I don't know what to do. Everything is technically fine but I don't have dreams or purpose or anything. I probably have the possibility of getting the education I want, but I don't know what I want. WoW and GW2 (well, I guess Maplestory is as well, and Runescape that I haven't played in the longest time) I'm most familiar with. Maybe the apartment I live in doesn't feel like home, it's still so new and I sometimes wonder how did I end up here even though it's been 2 years already, but **there is a soothing effect from playing games with familiar virtual realities.**

>

> I don't want to quit, I can do combat, but I just get quickly tired of fighting for life all the time, every minute, every hour, every day. Maybe I got burnt out on GW2, when I switched to WoW everything seemed very chill in comparison - and that's probably because I am doing old content right now, but also leveling up in it. I tried the new expansion, well depending on the place it can be aggro happy or peaceful. It's not, however, aggro happy absolutely everywhere, like in PoF. It's possible to mine a node in peace sometimes. And I don't have to kill a battallion of mobs, just one mob. Makes it seem friendlier for sure.

> I know I will return to GW2 and I still login for my daily reward, I might do a heart, but that's that right now for me.

>

> I can't drop these games I've played for so long. Not all of them anyway. I enjoy character customization the most and of course wish GW2 would recieve more of that as well. The combat... I can live with it, I just don't want it to be so extreme all the time. The way it is, I can live with that too, but then I can't play GW2 as the only game endlessly. Well... maybe nobody can, if that's all they do in a day. I guess it's normal.

> I enjoy the story, assuming it's good. I used to enjoy chatting with other people but now I'm anxious about it and try to not invest my personal feelings anywhere. It's nice to see others getting along though. There are things I like about both games.

> Hope this helped you to understand why I keep playing. Maybe I could try to explain more but I think I've spent at least half an hour writing this it will have to do.

>

> TL:DR;

> In any case I can live with combat but if it's harder I burn out faster, and if it's too easy it can become boring. (So it can be hard to determine what is the good difficulty, and perhaps it would be better to let people select their own difficulty at any given time.)

Here is something that a lot of the mmos youve mentioned have in common. They all have an easily identifiable gear score or damage score, so when you get a new piece of gear, you can make informed decisions at a glance and know if you're getting an upgrade or downgrade. Gw2 does not really present any of that information to you easily. It is very easy to gear and build your character incorrectly and be completely oblivious that you did so. The difference between the average player and top tier raiders is 10x according to a dev despite having the same tier of gear. Imagine if you magically dealt 10x damage right now. Would you still be struggling with open world? Thats the reality that a lot of us veterans are trying to tell you. Anything thats not a champion or bounty will basically melt in open world. You just need proper builds and proper stat combos on your gear.

1. Spirits - this is irreplaceable much like banners because it is a unique buff no one but Rangers have access to. No buff ele provides is equatable for dps output for a squad.

2. Entangle - a long duration immob unique to Rangers that is used on many bosses. Sam, deimos, gors, vg

3. Tides and longbow - the best pushes in the game used on sh, vg, sam.

All of this is combined with the fact that you can do all of these mechanics on a support slot so dps can focus on damage. Not to mention the other adaptable utility druid can bring like a pull res, omega condi cleanse, aoe stun break, an aoe res, the ability to ignore confusion for 8 seconds on kc. All of the above would be gaps you need to fill elsewhere in your comp if you bring a tempest.

Tempest boon application is also too centralized on a single skill so the punishment for your boon uptime is immense if someone goes down. Ie. You toot fire warhorn 4, someone downs and looses all of their boons, its 30 seconds before that person can get back up to 25 might again.

> @"yann.1946" said:

> > @"Astralporing.1957" said:

> > > @"Ayrilana.1396" said:

> > > > As i see it, there's nothing wrong about the _idea_ of rotations, but there's indeed quite a lot of problems with how this got implemented in GW2.

> > > >

> > >

> > > You need to understand what a rotation is. Practically any way that a player commonly uses their skills is a rotation. Mashing their skills is a rotation. Removing rotations is practically impossible.

> > Then we understand the term differently. For me, random mashing buttons is not a rotation. It is random mashing buttons. Rotation for me is having a certain sequence of skills you need to follow in the right order. The alternative would be a dynamic system, where you use skills according to the current situation and certain priorities, and have no set rotation to follow.

> >

> This is actually a super interesting point to me,

> Doesn't a dynamic system eventually lead to rotations?

> And gw2 system is also pretty dynamic (most things are priority based and the rotation is just the optimum of those priorities)

>

>

Think dark souls style gameplay where the emphasis is on dodging boss attacks to get an occasional poke in and then retreat. You can technically have a rotation in that game but the windows are generally not large enough for it to matter. Gw2 could technically design a boss encounter that had 20 different attack patterns that you have to react to with very small windows but it would fundamentally change how people play the game for that encounter. Could be interesting but would require a ton of work to make that style of combat feel satisfying in gw2.

When it comes to rotations, staff DD is about as easy as it comes. Rotation is dodge + autochain + weakening charge. Occasionally hit your assassin signet and spam 2. Thief utility is also really good with stolen skills. What is it about DD that you're having trouble with?

> @"Sobx.1758" said:

> > @"sokeenoppa.5384" said:

> > > @"blp.3489" said:

> > > I've never done raids but I think if there were an easy/tutorial/rehearsal mode that allowed you to learn the mechanics before trying to do the normal mode that would make it easier for people to start doing raids and therefore perhaps increase the number of people doing raids, making everyone happier. This easy mode doesn't necessarily need to have significant loot if its just a way to ease people into doing raids. If it is meant to be an alternative to normal difficulty raids it gets more complicated.

> >

> > Many guilds including mine does raid trainings which will fill the that you are asking.

>

> See... There was the time that I've thought just like you: that people complaining about "hard content" just can't "solve it" and need help. But there were already threads **even about (pof) story bosses** where multiple people linked videos with a few different tactics and easly defeating the boss on undergeared characters (because some people complained they need to farm top/optimal gear for that), but most of the answers boiled down to "**I don't want you to help me, I want it to be easier**".

> And -I think- this is the main problem here: they don't want to be better, they don't want to learn the game. They want the game to play itself and give them rewards. That's just insane to me.

>

> Obviously, it doesn't mean everyone is like this and plenty of players probably just need some help getting into the content, but judging by absolute lack of answers or even "thumb ups" I assume this thread doesn't exactly consist of those people.

I dont think this is quite it. If they wanted the game to be easier they would simply follow the brain dead tactics I showcase for an easy victory. Most of the game does not require a high level of execution. Its almost always a knowledge check in the form of good builds and preparation. They want to be deluded into thinking they are clever because they "solved" the encounter themselves so what they want are simple encounters that don't expose their lack of knowledge.

Misclicked my vote but strike versions of the existing raids would be neat. The argument always boils down to rewards and dev resources.

> @"Cyninja.2954" said:

> > @"Blumpf.2518" said:

> > The Snowcrows Metas goal is: "Kill the boss as fast as possible."

> > And NOT "kill the boss".

> > With the goal "Kill the boss as fast as possible", everything that can make the fight easier is sacrificed for DPS if possible. And that is the problem cause it makes the fights harder for all the people who dont have the SC raid composition, skill, classes, Gold to buy 18x +5 Infusions, dps, perfect rotas etc.

> > With that SC goal in mind people nerf and cripple their raid and remove a lot of stuff from it that makes it easier to actually kill the boss.

> > If you play the SC meta, you should always know that this meta aims at speedkills.

> >

>

> This is absolutely untrue. I've already mentioned that the vast majority of builds on the SC site are NOT meta and certainly not designed as speedkill builds. As are the guides accompanying them them.

>

> Your entire premise is incorrect from the get go.

>

> SC give detailed builds and guides for a variety of skill levels and most are in fact neither meta, nor recommended on many bosses (some even on none). Yet there are still guides and advice for them. That does require someone actually READ through the site though. I mean sure, we could demand SC use some kind of text to speech program and upload voiced guides, but I fear then the not English speaking community might feel offended and demand the guides also get translated into each and every language.

>

> > @"Blumpf.2518" said:

> > But with the goal "Kill the boss", you have so much more possibilities.

> > For example, back in the time some months ago, when firebrand still got 250 toughness from quickness, the tank had to have more than 1250 toughness or firebrand would be the tank. So i decided to switch 3 Harrier Items of my druid for Minstrel gear, increasing toughness and vitality to 1236, which was still lower than the firebrands toughness, so it was no problem at all. It didnt affect the healing or the boons of my druid but it was so much more relaxing to play cause incoming damage was lower and hitpoints were higher. It was so much easier to play only because of some more toughness and vitality and cause i didnt really have to care about staying alive, cause even when i got hit by something it wouldnt hit as hard as before. Only because of 3 items changed. You can still do this on almost all healer classes as long as the tank has more toughness than the healer and it makes raids so much easier for you.

>

> Yes, and? Should the SC website not cater to each and every minor change and gear available? What about compositions that did not use Firebrand?

>

> You are expecting that others do the entire work in minute detail for everyone. That is impossible. The website and thereby the SC players give guidelines and advice as best they can. They will NOT be able to think for each and every other player.

>

> > @"Blumpf.2518" said:

> > Or another example, as Warrior i play Core Warrior. Why, because Battle Standard can rezz a lot of downstate players instantly. In LFG people will go down and if there are like 5 people down its usually a wipe. So playing not meta can prevent a group wipe. Berserkers have Headbutt as Elite, so they cant take it. Well they could take it, but then their CC sucks. Also Core Warrior has 1000 Toughness instead of 700 like Berserker, so incoming Damage is lower. My Mace F1 is always ready, and not only when in berserker mode, so i can do a lot of CC. I can freely choose between Bolas and Kick (immobilize or even more CC) and since im playing with healing signet, thats a skill less i have to use which makes the rota easier. Theres no berserker mode which makes the rota easier again. And the funny thing is, while at the training golem the berserker does more damage in theory or benchmarks, in lfg raids i outdps the berserkers most of the time. And what is great as core is the empower allies trait. +100 Power for everyone in the group. And while it doesnt add to my DPS it increases the DPS of other players, so basically it comes from my core warrior and is just not shown in ark dps. If you have a core warrior in a power group you can add +5k dps on top of the core warriors dps, cause thats the dps others do more, but the reason for it is the warriors empower allies trait.

>

> You realize, half the things you wrote are nonsense. The rest has nothing to do with core versus berserker.

>

> Berserker warriors can take Battle Standard just as much as any core warrior. Can equip maces just like a core warrior and decide not to use their burst skill. The berserker can equip Kick or Bolas, last I checked core warriors do not gain an additional utility slot.

>

> I don't even want to get into your toughness argument. not sure where you got that one from even. There is no toughness difference between core or berserker unless different gear is used.

>

> The only difference between core and berserker is 1 trait line and the change in the burst skill. So yes, if you value that 1 trait-line above the mandated Berserker trait-line then core makes sense. Your Skull Crack F1 Mace will do 100 defiance bar damage per adrenaline bar (300 at 3 bars adrenaline), the Spellbreaker Skull Grinder does 100 defiance bar damage per adrenaline bar and can be used multiple times (as a matter of fact, if combined with Blood Reckoning, it is possible to chain 3 Skull Grinders within a shorter timespan than 1 Skull Crack cooldown).

>

> Last I checked, there is a tactics variant even on the SC website for Empower Allies and Double Standards: https://snowcrows.com/raids/builds/warrior/berserker/power%20banner/

>

> All one needs to do is READ.

>

> > @"Blumpf.2518" said:

> > And yet another example, as alac renegade most people will use the power based diviner build cause in theory it does a lot of dps. In reality however people will most of the time deal about 10k dps with it. So why not use the renegade as a healer that grants Alac.

>

> No person worth their salt argues or says that power alac does good damage. It's pretty much known that power alac is used because it allows for Heal Firebrand or other healers to get used because heal renegade is very ground target tied and VERY unflexible in which legends it can take versus power. Sorry, you are 100% incorrect on WHY aren is being used and it is most certainly not used for "a lot of dps".

>

> > @"Blumpf.2518" said:

> > Use a Healfirebrand in Group 1, a HealAlac Renegade in Group 2 and add a Chrono for quickness in group 2 and thats it. Most people dont even see that possibility and play something like 2xfirebrand+druid+alacren.

>

> Most people play that comp because:

> A. might and fury uptime is almost guaranteed on a druid and that quickbrand in your second group will NOT provide 25 might and neither will the chrono

> B. it is far easier to run something which moves easier than heal renegade or maintain the flexibility on the 2nd heal slot by bringing druid (allowing for tempest or heal necro which will be far better than a heal ren in weaker groups).

> C. don't have access to every single custom build left and right. New players struggle already with getting 1-2 characters geared. Expecting custom tailored builds like boonthief, heal renegade etc. is not efficient.

> D. it's far easier to just take a dps loss but guaranteed 10 player alacrity without having to shuffle around the composition, thus sacrificing a dps slot, instead of having to shuffle healers constantly

>

> Going to skip the rest because by this point I just don't feel like having to correct the assumptions made. Suffice to say, you are a pretty good example of someone who "thinks" he has an understanding of meta or compositions, but are actually incorrect most of the time of why things are run.

>

> You'd do well on reading a bit more on the SC site instead of making up assumptions tbh.

Regarding toughness https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Fatal_Frenzy its a minor trait and must be taken by all berserkers.

> @"Tren.5120" said:

> Play ESO.

>

> GW2 is a game for casuals, but Heart of Thorns was probably the worst expansion that I've experienced in an MMORPG - and I've been playing them since EQ circa 2000/2001. The only thing that approaches it is the Eureka Anemos update in FFXIV, but for different reasons.

>

> The Maps are Cancerous. They're chock full of MOBs. The Hero Points are put in some of the weirdest places. The mastery gating is ridiculous.

>

> It's definitely more playable now, with PoFire Mounts, and that's why I quit 30 minutes after buying HoT until after PoFire was released.

>

> I value my time, and I definitely value getting entertained by a game more than frustrated.

>

> But I spend most of my time in ESO now. I played GW2 primarily and only when a friend of mine logged in, cause we socialize while playing games (he lives far away). But, I bought him ESO Greymoor for his BD, so we're likely going to put this one to rest.

>

> Pray they don't make the same mistake in the next expansion. PoFire was much better than HoT - it isn't even close. The only issue I have with GW2 is that the content is too derivative, and there isn't much meat in it, in terms of progression. That's why I'm getting my friend on ESO. SO we have something that has better long term progression goodness in it.

Sounds like you want a game with gear progression so that you can outgear any obstacles you happen to come across. GW2 is not the game for you as all of the progression in expansion content is (player) skill progression. Gear cap is hit before you ever hit expansion content so overcoming the expansion challenges is completely a gitgud situation. People who haven't learned how to use active defenses and play with the mentality of "getting hit once means I failed combat" will struggle. The masteries do help you navigate more easily but largely are not useful in combat.

> @"battledrone.8315" said:

> > @"Sobx.1758" said:

> > > @"battledrone.8315" said:

> > > > @"Sir Alymer.3406" said:

> > > > > @"ASP.8093" said:

> > > > > > @"Sir Alymer.3406" said:

> > > > > > Video games are about the reward of overcoming a challenge, not a power trip fantasy that gets boring in 2 hours.

> > > > >

> > > > > In fairness, video games are usually both: a challenge to overcome and a power fantasy wrapped around it, to make overcoming a rather pedestrian sort of challenge (don't stand in orange circle) feel satisfyingly momentous in some way (you saved the world, commander!).

> > > >

> > > > But both are earned in some fashion, not just given out because you showed up.

> > >

> > > login rewards...literally the best gear, just for logging in. OTOH, i can spam buttons in super long fights without ANY rewards.

> > > if you wanna talk about "earning " things, this game is prolly one of the worst examples

> >

> > What login rewards? Also what exactly are you arguing here? All you're proving is that there are multiple ways to get the same thing, which defeats the complaint about the difficulty level (or the amount of grind and whatever you were trying to complain about here) walling you off from content. If you're not interested in playing the game, improving yourself as a player and progressing through zones that aren't the equivalent of a literal starting zone, then you can still earn most of the things you """need""" through... yeah, logging in and doing the absolute basics. So what exactly is your complaint?

> > You don't automatically DESERVE to complete every bit of content and achievement if all you want is pressing one button like you're in a starting zone. If that's what you expect from the game, then switch to some literal auto-play mobile pseudo-mmorpg.

> >

> > And you still didn't tell me which buld **that you know how to use** you were forced to abandon by the dificulty level of the content. Are you just throwing out empty claims like this constantly and when questioned about details you abandon it entirely, because what you've said is just false?

>

> if i didnt know how to use my build, i prolly wouldnt had gotten that far.it was a pistol/dagger build with many survival skills.

> YOU claimed, that we have to "earn" things. something, that is blatantly wrong in this game

Thats the point you dont seem to understand. You dont have to know how to use your build to get this far because the core game is that easy. I can roll the dice on my gear and trait selection, blindfold myself during combat encounters, roll my face and the keyboard and beat the core game. You think this is an exaggeration yet I've literally beaten story missions using this method to prove the point to others. Sure you might die a few times but the game is so forgiving that you don't lose progress. Its a matter of when not if.

Just because you got through core with pistol/dagger, dont mistake that for you making good build choices. That weapon combo is awful for general pve and is at best a meme in raids.

> @"battledrone.8315" said:

> > @"Sir Alymer.3406" said:

> > > @"battledrone.8315" said:

> > > > @"Sir Alymer.3406" said:

> > > > > @"battledrone.8315" said:

> > > > > > @"Sir Alymer.3406" said:

> > > > > > > @"battledrone.8315" said:

> > > > > > > nope, orr has to go from the main storyline too, if they ever want it to be truly casual. they have already nerfed it twice, so the mobs arent

> > > > > > > the big issue anymore, it is the maps and the content.

> > > > > > > they can make hard content if they want, i am even willing to pay my share of it.

> > > > > > > but dont expect me to pay unless they make some new casual content too

> > > > > > > and LW is not casual. not at all.

> > > > > >

> > > > > > Uh, how is LW not casual when it's literally impossible to fail the new metas on the new maps and literally impossible to fail in the story if you pay any amount of attention?

> > > > > >

> > > > > not true, it is more casual though. you still have all the previous LWS before that. and i dont care about metas anyway

> > > > > it is also a new form of LW, the reduction in difficulty is prolly the only reason for the name change

> > > >

> > > > Look, I was super casual when season 2 came out. (I used a shout heals warrior in full clerics, then a interrupt warrior with hammer/greatsword in cavalier's when unsuspecting foe was still a thing.) I was a bit less casual when season 3 came out (Utilizing meta builds and rotations) and my skill basically plateaued for a while there so it was about the same in Season 4 as I stopped caring about personal improvement. The only time I had any sort of problem with any of the content was going after the achievements and that's mostly because they require you to do very specific things or actually be good at fighting a boss (Kill x in 40 seconds or avoid this attack from this boss). None of the content outside of the achievements has actually been difficult or put up a challenge against the skillset one would develop by doing Fractal/Raid CMs, Raids, Strikes, Fractals, or Dungeons (pre HoT). It's literally impossible to fail any of the personal story. There's no failure state, you retry from checkpoint and go again.

> > >

> > > so i just have to dump the build, that i know how to use, and grind lots of gold, so i can get new runes for the new build, that i dont know anything about?

> > > yea, thats totally casual, i am sure that people will flock to this new and stunning approach. its not like people got attached to their playstyle after only 80 lvls

> >

> > Such straw, very man.

> >

> > No.

> >

> > I didn't have trouble with my shout heals warrior. I didn't have trouble with my interrupt warrior. If all you gleamed from what I said here is "PlAy MeTa" Then you're blind to your own toxicity and are trying, either on purpose or otherwise, to undermine my argument with such things.

> >

> > Now, when I said

> > > The only time I had any sort of problem with any of the content was going after the achievements and that's mostly because they require you to do very specific things or actually be good at fighting a boss (Kill x in 40 seconds or avoid this attack from this boss).

> > I meant it from when Season 2 came out until today. The meaning behind this is, so long as you have a consistent, cohesive build that does something well and has traits selected that give good synergy with what it does, then this game is going to be pretty easy outside of endgame group content. There's no consequence for changing traits on your build so they make more sense. You wouldn't take a sword cooldown trait if it didn't provide anything beneficial to your build because you use maces and axes, would you? Core stat Exotics are also pretty cheap to come across if you're wanting to try a different build but not commit to it. There's also a plethora of stat-selectable armor that's relatively easy to get for the more niche stat sets.

>

> still a lot of work with a questionable outcome. i tried one of the meta DD builds, and was annihilated. was that because i played it wrong, or because the gear wasnt good enough? either way, no more fun on THAT toon. i would even have to grind, just to get my old build back. not gonna happen.

Playing it wrong. Thief has near invincibility against standard trash mobs between the insane healing on crit and blind fields. Anything thats not a group event champion or bounty should be pretty trivial.

ArcDPS can do this for you.

> @"Yggranya.5201" said:

> > @"Thornwolf.9721" said:

> > > @"battledrone.8315" said:

> > > > @"kraai.7265" said:

> > > > > @"AdamWarlord.6782" said:

> > > > > Edit: This post is to voice a percentage of player base's opinion(may it be a minority, majority, or even just me) on HoT including mine. **I have nothing less than love for the game Devs and the community**. I have been playing for 2-3 years atleast, and have played some GW1 back in the day. Im not just throwing shade on the HoT content. ** I am trying to voice my opinion and my experience in a straightforward manner. **

> > > > >

> > > > > Alright, so i just finished up my online classes and studies for my upcoming third year exams and I sit to do my daily completion of a legendary, going on for weeks now. As you can understand, i don't have more than maybe 2-3 hours to play at best. Completion of Eternity and other core legendary weapons took time, but atleast it was doable without frustration and having "fun". When it comes to HoT, I don't know what i am even doing. I am trying to go around the map 90% of the time trying not to die because the floor minion mobs are so OVERPOWERED. I have been playing the game for 2 years, and i have avoided HoT every chance i got because of the same exact reasons i am about to mention.

> > > > >

> > > > > 1. Its very hard to see, hate the map design and how dark it is in 70% of the places.

> > > > > 2. Lags way too much on my mid end laptop.

> > > > > 3. Floor mobs are wayy too overpowered and feel like boss mobs.

> > > > > 4. Hence because of the same reason above, VERY hard to level up the masteries.

> > > > > 5. Why do masteries you ask? Because there are wayy too many hero points and other aspects of the completion of HoT, which require doing them. Which sucks.

> > > > > 6. I can't Solo 50% of the hero points, being a max reaper.

> > > > > 7. WAIT, I NEED TO DO A ADRENALINE MASTERY TO DO A HERO POINT WHICH CONSUMES MY LIFE WHEN I EAT BACON? WHEN MY LIFE POOL IS 22k??

> > > > > 8. I actually start to rage(sorry for caps above) playing guild wars 2, which is 90% of the time fun, except when i play HoT.

> > > > > 9. And due to the above reasons i mentioned above, I actually can feel better playing DARK SOULS than HoT.

> > > > >

> > > > > I also get why they would be reluctant to nerf the mobs more and bring some player driven balance , but atleast 50% if not more gamers are casual on gw2 and want to play not to rage but to have a good time, i don't mind taking months to get my legendary, BUT ATLEAST let the process be fun. I don't want to get grabbed by a rip off stegosaurus while i'm on my raptor and get 2 shot with 22k health. Any balance, related to player level, or player-online time based balance on mobs, a bit more lighting in HoT maps, a bit more of anything. I get HoT is a very old expansion and that Cantha is coming. But atleast respect your players who are trying their hardest to stick to the game and trying to voice their opinions for a change. And of-course please try providing it. Alright! Back to returning to a checkpoint which takes me halfway across the map from the hero point i just died on, and try to re attempt it with broken armor, because there is no repair station nearby, and i don't have a million repair canisters because i'm a casual.

> > > > >

> > > > > Edit: I realized they have nerfed the difficulty once, i can't imagine what the mobs were like.

> > > > > Edit: I get where most of you all are coming from, But as i said, its my opinion and many other casual gamers opinion on the content. Leading to a player driven balance, not a balance for everyone.

> > > > >

> > > >

> > > > What do you all challenge haters pretend of this game? To be a walk in the park? Do you want anet to turn mobs into freaking paintings? Havn't you had enough with core tyria beeing so freaking easy? do you want mobs to become static with no attack or interaction whatsoever? This is the mentality that drove anet to the mess they are in now, with no clear direction and all sort of players leaving, first they lost almost all pvpers, now they are loosing hardcore pvers, soon they will only have open world bots running around playing for a few months and quitting out of boredom, and all of the ones playing fashion wars standing still in the bank...

> > >

> > > its pretty easy: we liked core, and thats what we want MORE of...not something ENTIRELY DIFFERENT

> > > quitting the game AFTER you played it, out of BOREDOM, is still better than quitting BEFORE the end

> > > if you made a meal for all you friends, and they all put down the fork after one bite, it prolly wasnt that great

> > > but if they clear the table in record time, and ask for MORE, then it has the quality, that people wil PAY for

> >

> > I quit core because I thought it was trash, I Came back in HoT and loved it. So I guess people can have the opposit happen to them yes and it goes on a case by case basis. I never had issues with the expansion and I think honestly, if you do? Good. It means the content dared to challenge you, stimulate your mind and even get to you a bit which makes it meaningful and have a lasting impression. If Cantha is like PoF or by the spirits like Core it will be forgettable just like bother of the other two. HoT is the only one I remember with some praise and fondness.... I hope cantha turns out to be more HoT like in content and scale, as well fun than the other two.

>

> And if it's even more frustrating, everyone will remember it. The strange thing is how some people claim they enjoy being frustrated with their source of enjoyment. Weird how that works, eh? I guess it helps when you want others to suffer as you have suffered, so you don't want any changes. you know, the good ol' "casuals ruining muh game".

>

> I wonder if this started when dark souls became popular, or if it was like that before? Well, who knows.

If this is your understanding of challenge in games then you're way off the mark. Challenge isn't a frustrating experience for players like me because I enjoy the problem solving aspect. Everything in this game is solvable. Once the problem/encounter is solved the execution is generally very easy. Dark souls is this type of game. You play through areas to get information on encounters, understand attack patterns. Once you know the pattern, the execution isn't difficult.

If you dont like to solve the encounter, look up a guide and have others do that for you. Once you have the appropriate setup, none of the intended solo content in this game is hard to execute.

Growth mindset vs fixed mindset.

> @"battledrone.8315" said:

> > @"Shikaru.7618" said:

> > > @"BnooMaGoo.5690" said:

> > > I reread all the responses to this post just for the heckuvit.

> > > I also thought about deleting all of my comments including the topic itself by editing to nothingness.

> > > I pay to play this game but I don't pay to police these forums or make sure people treat my participation in them fairly through checks and balances, thumbs up or helpful points added or subtractions because someone got their feelings hurt.

> > > Getting badges or more stars beside my "name" is akin to a social credit system favoured by some governments (hello China) but not my cup of tea.

> > > They usually lead to little more than popularity contests on these forums as well as a skewed definition of what Arenanet themselves describe as "lively conversation".

> > > Seeing a video of someone easily beat something I have difficulty with along with their commentary on their opinion of my lacks or whatever isn't really helpful to me or does it address what I was talking about

> > > but it might score points with the choir

> > >

> >

> > No one cares about being popular here. Honestly if getting the answer literally handed to you in video form can't help you, then I'm not sure what will. You have not articulated in any fashion why the strategies provided by people in this thread are not useful. We are not here to agree with you. You presented an idea that is clearly way below the status quo for difficulty and are receiving the well expected disagreement.

>

> seeing a video doesnt magically give you the same skills. and isnt the first thread about this fight either.

> some classes can literally do it without breaking a sweat, while others are almost impossible.

> this is obviously one of the worst STORY bosses in the entire universe

There was no skill needed. I auto attacked for 90% of the video. It was also done while being severely undergeared on the exact same class the op was using.

Anet in their infinite wisdom did not change the requirements for obtaining Simon the Cat in Shattered Observatory CM. Since essences are no longer obtainable, Simon is no longer obtainable as well if you don't already have essences.

> @"AliamRationem.5172" said:

> > @"Shikaru.7618" said:

> > > @"AliamRationem.5172" said:

> > > I went ahead and did a demo of this fight. I think it's a good example of a fight where proper attention to the breakbar mechanic and high damage make a sometimes tricky fight much easier. I am actually using dire gear here, too. So don't think you need to run some sort of full berserker power burst build to pull this off. The time between breakbars is quite long. I wasn't able to tell because the boss didn't last long enough, but I think we're talking 20-30 second range here. You have plenty of time to burn this guy while he does nothing much to you. Just be ready on that CC at the start and take him down!

> > >

> > >

> >

> > > @"AliamRationem.5172" said:

> > > > @"Khisanth.2948" said:

> > > > > @"AliamRationem.5172" said:

> > > > > This player succeeds and is not really in much danger. So this strategy will safely get the job done. However, they spend a lot of time not dealing damage to the boss in order to bypass this mechanic. As you can see, every time the boss succeeds in draining life it's a significant setback, prolonging the fight and forcing the player to deal with even more life drain attacks.

> > > > >

> > > > > Again, this is why experienced players often recommend high damage builds for open world/story content. Playing too defensively can make an easy fight into a bit of a nightmare!

> > > >

> > > > Most of that isn't really true except for people recommending high damage builds. That is a way to bypass but not the only way. It is probably one of the worst ways since it wastes so much time and involves making it impossible to see what the boss is doing. The reason it took so long is not because of a low damage build it is because of a bad strategy.

> > >

> > > Oh, I agree 100%. I probably should have placed the two videos I was comparing together in the same post for the sake of clarity.

> > >

> > > I was comparing this strategy (which is indeed not very good!) with a much more direct 17 second break&burn demo I recorded tonight. Obviously, 17 seconds is a better outcome than 12 minutes! The point is to illustrate just how much of a difference understanding and properly handling the mechanics of a fight like this can make!

> > >

> >

> > I dont think the people complaining in this thread are interested in finding good strategies. They're here to play a the story as if it were a youtube video. I posted a video earlier in the thread of me only using auto attacks and my CC skills. The execution level of auto attacking is much lower and doable by 99% of players. Yet running around in a circle is considered "veteran strategies". Some people just don't want to be helped.

>

> It's easy to find videos like that 12 minute solo using LoS/terrain bug strategies. There are bunches like it in the search results. It's actually difficult to find videos of players doing this fight "correctly" by utilizing the breakbar mechanic to prevent the attack and then going hard on damage between breakbars.

>

> Perhaps it's that experienced players don't care about "trivial" fights like this and thus don't typically produce video of this sort of encounter? But it would be easy to look for help on the internet and end up with a terrible strategy that will prolong this fight and make it much more difficult.

>

>

The video I posted was 2 min long. There's 0 execution difficulty with the strategy I used. I even did it in cheap gear. Watching that 12 minute video of someone making a simple task infinitely harder for themselves is mind boggling.

> @"Dante.1508" said:

> > @"AliamRationem.5172" said:

> > > @"Dante.1508" said:

> > > > @"AliamRationem.5172" said:

> > > > > @"Dante.1508" said:

> > > > > > @"AliamRationem.5172" said:

> > > > > > > @"Dante.1508" said:

> > > > > > > Hot is not "easy to solo" gliders and mounts help a lot.. try soloing without them.. New customers have to.. Classes are so unbalanced a Engi, Necro and a Guardian can storm through the maps while Warrior, Ele and Mesmer get killed every second.. Even Rangers and Revenants have some issues..

> > > > > > >

> > > > > > > No you aren't right op.. sorry but you are very wrong.. you are a niche in this game.

> > > > > > > > @"Cerioth.7062" said:

> > > > > > > > > @"kharmin.7683" said:

> > > > > > > > > > @"Cerioth.7062" said:

> > > > > > > > > > Honestly most of the issues described here would be fixed by introducing better core game tutorialization that forces you to learn your abilities and counter mobs.

> > > > > > > > > Perhaps, so, but I don't really like things that are 'forced'. /shrug

> > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > Why even bother playing the game if you do not want to learn its mechanics? How is the game going to make you learn gameplay if you can indefinitely avoid it?

> > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > Obviously it does not have to be a per character thing, can just be once per account thing that you can repeat as needed.

> > > > > > >

> > > > > > > Its not the mechanics to learn i'm on 250ping as an Aussie and hot is inundated with cheap shot mechanics designed to bully customers to death.. not fun in the slightest to play.. Even as an 8 year vet i try to avoid Hot and i've only ever completed pof once.. its just not a fun aspect to deal with daily..

> > > > > > > > @"zealex.9410" said:

> > > > > > > > > @"Croc.1978" said:

> > > > > > > > > Yes, difficulty in HoT is fine as it is.

> > > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > > That said, there's really nothing that prepares players for what awaits them in the green hell before they enter it. They probably intended Silverwastes to be that preparation, but it doesn't work. And nerfing Orr post-release was a mistake.

> > > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > > I guess the best advise you could give new players now is:

> > > > > > > > > - play Orr

> > > > > > > > > - play Silverwastes (not RIBA) for a while

> > > > > > > > > - start PoF and get at least Raptor with canyon jump

> > > > > > > > > - enter Verdant Brink

> > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > I think the best advice is toncomplete pof and play hot as a prequel.

> > > > > > >

> > > > > > > That wont help you need minimum Glider, Bunny and a Flying mount to avoid a good chunk of deaths..

> > > > > >

> > > > > > In case anyone was actually planning to listen to this guy, let me just save you the trouble with this video of an HoT champion solo that anyone (even Dante here!) can do. As a bonus, I'm wearing green gear that costs about 2s per piece so anyone can afford it. I've also slotted all signets for utilities and no weapon swap to avoid any complications. You can literally just push buttons at random with this build and win. The only thing that matters is pushing dodge and auto attack over and over.

> > > > > >

> > > > > > Seriously, Dante, do yourself a favor and try this. You might begin to realize what people are trying to tell you and what you never could have learned playing through content once and then complaining about it endlessly for years. Find a build that works. This one happens to work even if you don't want to!

> > > > > >

> > > > > >

> > > > >

> > > > > I can pass that one.. i noticed you used stave mesmer not greatsword? did you try elementalist? also try the tengu or vinetooth.. try the chak and rolling thing.. You cherry pick a relatively easy one and say Hot is doable.. Try soloing Tangled depths hero points i soloed about 2 in that map.. the rest obliterated me.

> > > > >

> > > > > Lets see you do Balthazar solo.

> > > >

> > > > Sure thing, chief.

> > > >

> > > >

> > > >

> > > >

> > >

> > > I bet those aren't you, and those are half a year ago.. before a lot of changes especially the mushroom it was in Jan, but kudos to those players, i wish i had ping times to rival those players..

> >

> >

> > Here you go, Dante. Links to my youtube channel and the forum threads I've maintained for years focusing on open world builds for mesmer and elementalist, including variants designed to help players who struggle with expansion/story content but aren't mechanically inclined. If my Balthazar solo isn't current enough for you, perhaps you'd care to watch my VB night meta boss trio solo from 3 weeks ago?

> >

> > In any event, if you need help with hero points in HoT I regularly assist other players with that. I don't like to lead big squads, so it would just be you and me. Quicker that way, since we don't have to wait for stragglers and I can solo the champs down in about a minute. You'd get some hero points pain-free and see for yourself what elementalist is capable of in open world!

> >

> > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVfOCi7TrvGxoYKLE0C6NcA

> >

> > https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/107218/open-world-domination-fire-weaver

> >

> > https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/30394/open-world-domination-mirage

> >

> >

>

> I usually just wait for HP trains myself.. but thanks either way, I'm on Sea of Sorrows so i doubt we are in the same server. Well done on those HPs, again i wish i had your ping times, i feel i'd solo a lot more, but being 250-400ish ping i don't have most chances.

> > @"zealex.9410" said:

> > > @"Cerioth.7062" said:

> > > > @"zealex.9410" said:

> > > > > @"Cerioth.7062" said:

> > > > > > @"Dante.1508" said:

> > > > > > Hot is not "easy to solo" gliders and mounts help a lot.. try soloing without them.. New customers have to.. Classes are so unbalanced a Engi, Necro and a Guardian can storm through the maps while Warrior, Ele and Mesmer get killed every second.. Even Rangers and Revenants have some issues..

> > > > > >

> > > > > > No you aren't right op.. sorry but you are very wrong.. you are a niche in this game.

> > > > > > > @"Cerioth.7062" said:

> > > > > > > > @"kharmin.7683" said:

> > > > > > > > > @"Cerioth.7062" said:

> > > > > > > > > Honestly most of the issues described here would be fixed by introducing better core game tutorialization that forces you to learn your abilities and counter mobs.

> > > > > > > > Perhaps, so, but I don't really like things that are 'forced'. /shrug

> > > > > > >

> > > > > > > Why even bother playing the game if you do not want to learn its mechanics? How is the game going to make you learn gameplay if you can indefinitely avoid it?

> > > > > > >

> > > > > > > Obviously it does not have to be a per character thing, can just be once per account thing that you can repeat as needed.

> > > > > >

> > > > > > Its not the mechanics to learn i'm on 250ping as an Aussie and hot is inundated with cheap shot mechanics designed to bully customers to death.. not fun in the slightest to play.. Even as an 8 year vet i try to avoid Hot and i've only ever completed pof once.. its just not a fun aspect to deal with daily..

> > > > > > > @"zealex.9410" said:

> > > > > > > > @"Croc.1978" said:

> > > > > > > > Yes, difficulty in HoT is fine as it is.

> > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > That said, there's really nothing that prepares players for what awaits them in the green hell before they enter it. They probably intended Silverwastes to be that preparation, but it doesn't work. And nerfing Orr post-release was a mistake.

> > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > I guess the best advise you could give new players now is:

> > > > > > > > - play Orr

> > > > > > > > - play Silverwastes (not RIBA) for a while

> > > > > > > > - start PoF and get at least Raptor with canyon jump

> > > > > > > > - enter Verdant Brink

> > > > > > >

> > > > > > > I think the best advice is toncomplete pof and play hot as a prequel.

> > > > > >

> > > > > > That wont help you need minimum Glider, Bunny and a Flying mount to avoid a good chunk of deaths..

> > > > >

> > > > > I have played through that same content with high ping as well, and do not feel bullied in the slightest. I also have a plenty of 300 ping AUS and asian friends who do not struggle with the content.

> > > >

> > > > You dont need flying mount or glider in pof.

> > >

> > > Eh? Confused as to how this is relevant to anything. You indeed do not need those for PoF. Nor mounts for HoT.

> > >

> > > > @"Dante.1508" said:

> > > > > @"Cerioth.7062" said:

> > > > > > @"Dante.1508" said:

> > > > > > Hot is not "easy to solo" gliders and mounts help a lot.. try soloing without them.. New customers have to.. Classes are so unbalanced a Engi, Necro and a Guardian can storm through the maps while Warrior, Ele and Mesmer get killed every second.. Even Rangers and Revenants have some issues..

> > > > > >

> > > > > > No you aren't right op.. sorry but you are very wrong.. you are a niche in this game.

> > > > > > > @"Cerioth.7062" said:

> > > > > > > > @"kharmin.7683" said:

> > > > > > > > > @"Cerioth.7062" said:

> > > > > > > > > Honestly most of the issues described here would be fixed by introducing better core game tutorialization that forces you to learn your abilities and counter mobs.

> > > > > > > > Perhaps, so, but I don't really like things that are 'forced'. /shrug

> > > > > > >

> > > > > > > Why even bother playing the game if you do not want to learn its mechanics? How is the game going to make you learn gameplay if you can indefinitely avoid it?

> > > > > > >

> > > > > > > Obviously it does not have to be a per character thing, can just be once per account thing that you can repeat as needed.

> > > > > >

> > > > > > Its not the mechanics to learn i'm on 250ping as an Aussie and hot is inundated with cheap shot mechanics designed to bully customers to death.. not fun in the slightest to play.. Even as an 8 year vet i try to avoid Hot and i've only ever completed pof once.. its just not a fun aspect to deal with daily..

> > > > > > > @"zealex.9410" said:

> > > > > > > > @"Croc.1978" said:

> > > > > > > > Yes, difficulty in HoT is fine as it is.

> > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > That said, there's really nothing that prepares players for what awaits them in the green hell before they enter it. They probably intended Silverwastes to be that preparation, but it doesn't work. And nerfing Orr post-release was a mistake.

> > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > I guess the best advise you could give new players now is:

> > > > > > > > - play Orr

> > > > > > > > - play Silverwastes (not RIBA) for a while

> > > > > > > > - start PoF and get at least Raptor with canyon jump

> > > > > > > > - enter Verdant Brink

> > > > > > >

> > > > > > > I think the best advice is toncomplete pof and play hot as a prequel.

> > > > > >

> > > > > > That wont help you need minimum Glider, Bunny and a Flying mount to avoid a good chunk of deaths..

> > > > >

> > > > > I have played through that same content with high ping as well, and do not feel bullied in the slightest. I also have a plenty of 300 ping AUS and asian friends who do not struggle with the content.

> > > >

> > > > Great and i have a lot that say otherwise. we go round and around.. even yesterday i saw customers angry an frustrated in hot.. that isn't good gaming imo. Also i don't know if it was my time zone but for me Tangled Depths was beyond empty mostly.. not even events.

> > >

> > > Then perhaps it is time for all these individuals to look into what they can do in order to improve their own gameplay, instead of demanding for content to be nerfed.

> >

> > Someone someone suggested that you need to get the raptor so you should do the first part of pof before hot which to me seeks weird. You want to have some kind of narrative structure so doing 1 part of pof going back to hot and then going back to pof to finish it seems weird to me.

>

> The devs want the content super hard so it takes longer to pass.. The way customers are suggesting is an easier route but breaks the games story for customers. Sadly if i was new i'd completely avoid HOT till i had at least 5 mounts and then do HOT, focusing on my glider first. Strange that following the story in this game is actually punishing customers.. but hey thats GW2 after Tyria's bright start.

You can play pve with anyone that is on a north American server. Its not restricted to just sea of sorrows.

> @"AliamRationem.5172" said:

> I went ahead and did a demo of this fight. I think it's a good example of a fight where proper attention to the breakbar mechanic and high damage make a sometimes tricky fight much easier. I am actually using dire gear here, too. So don't think you need to run some sort of full berserker power burst build to pull this off. The time between breakbars is quite long. I wasn't able to tell because the boss didn't last long enough, but I think we're talking 20-30 second range here. You have plenty of time to burn this guy while he does nothing much to you. Just be ready on that CC at the start and take him down!

>

>

> @"AliamRationem.5172" said:

> > @"Khisanth.2948" said:

> > > @"AliamRationem.5172" said:

> > > This player succeeds and is not really in much danger. So this strategy will safely get the job done. However, they spend a lot of time not dealing damage to the boss in order to bypass this mechanic. As you can see, every time the boss succeeds in draining life it's a significant setback, prolonging the fight and forcing the player to deal with even more life drain attacks.

> > >

> > > Again, this is why experienced players often recommend high damage builds for open world/story content. Playing too defensively can make an easy fight into a bit of a nightmare!

> >

> > Most of that isn't really true except for people recommending high damage builds. That is a way to bypass but not the only way. It is probably one of the worst ways since it wastes so much time and involves making it impossible to see what the boss is doing. The reason it took so long is not because of a low damage build it is because of a bad strategy.

>

> Oh, I agree 100%. I probably should have placed the two videos I was comparing together in the same post for the sake of clarity.

>

> I was comparing this strategy (which is indeed not very good!) with a much more direct 17 second break&burn demo I recorded tonight. Obviously, 17 seconds is a better outcome than 12 minutes! The point is to illustrate just how much of a difference understanding and properly handling the mechanics of a fight like this can make!

>

I dont think the people complaining in this thread are interested in finding good strategies. They're here to play a the story as if it were a youtube video. I posted a video earlier in the thread of me only using auto attacks and my CC skills. The execution level of auto attacking is much lower and doable by 99% of players. Yet running around in a circle is considered "veteran strategies". Some people just don't want to be helped.

> @"Dante.1508" said:

> > @"aspirine.6852" said:

> > Spellbreaker should do very well in pof whole story... I cant remember this fight at all, is it that annoying?

>

> Its drags you in and insta kills you if you are 2 secs to slow.

>

> Spellbreaker is bad because it has terrible ranged options.. and nearly every boss forces ranged combat or you are dead...

>

> A lot of classes cc are poor and are on massive cooldowns or are just rinsed off in seconds..

Which bosses are you referring to? Combat in this game heavily favors melee over ranged.

> @"BnooMaGoo.5690" said:

> I hope there is nothing like this particular chapter in the next expansion

> Storywise it was fine but having to fight Balthazar again & again only to face that sponge & failing miserably twice already kinda left a bad taste in my mouth. I had to read up about ways to beat/cheese it

> (made the mistake of playing my Warrior character & I am not the best player which I am ok with)

> Will I ever finish Path of Fire to begin the grind for the mounts etc?

>

> Koda the judge & Kodan the jury

>

> peace

I'm genuinely confused where the difficulty is. I beat it using nothing but auto attacks for 2 and a half minutes and the occasional CC while wearing all yellow tier gear. I can't imagine how anyone can put in more effort than this and somehow struggle.

> @"Naxos.2503" said:

> > @"TrOtskY.5927" said:

> > >@"sorudo.9054" said:

> > > it doesn't actually needs to be banned, the game needs to be made so DPs isn't the most important part of the game.

> > > the original GW has none of this, no need to DPs everything when a boss can whipe a party in one hit, that's when a well established team is crusual.

> >

> > I don't understand this part - a coordinated team that has all the required healing and boons is very crucial to current end game content, so what do you mean? Taking away the DPS requirements would simply mean people can double down on the less demanding aspects such as not dodging and instead just overheal everything and over-boon everything... it means they are punished less for mistakes....I think I need elaboration on your point. Team-Wipes are common place as this game has a huge number (even in open world) of heavy damage sources that can one shot players....this is prolific in raid content as well

> > ....so what do you mean?

>

> I think they infer that the DPS focus on end game is born out of a desire for speed and simplicity, but at the same time adds a layer of complexity from outside of the game. Arguably a lot of the DPS focus is meant to skip the Enrage timer, as well as limit the time spent in each individual phase of the fight. So if you follow that line of thinking, you can lessen the need for DPS by stepping down on the Enrage timer (something I'm not necessarily against, considering that it's brutal if you go beyond to the point it ends the fight immediately, or is skipped entirely, so essentially it's either something nobody sees if you're good, or something you see once for a very brief time before a wipe). I wouldn't want to step down on the phases though. If the timer alone is gone, people would atleast have the choice to play mechanics, or play speed. It might attract a different kind of public to raid at the very least.

>

> TLDR : If there is no need to DPS, there is no need to monitor it constantly and take "make or break" decisions based on it, is what they're saying.

You can already do this on some bosses though. You can auto attack only on soldiers gear and still kill cairn within the enrage timer. No one wants to play this way because chances are if you think soliders gear is good, you likely are not skilled enough to do mechanics perfectly for 10 minutes straight.

> @"castlemanic.3198" said:

> > @"ASP.8093" said:

> > @"castlemanic.3198"

> >

> > From what I can tell from the video, you will have a much easier time with your build if you pre-charge your mantras before combat. (They'll happily stay charged forever.)

>

> I have the trait where if you cast the mantra you gain health, i use mantra of pain (i think that's it's name) as a quick way of getting a health boost while my healing mantra is on cooldown.

I used the exact same trait and skill setup as you and made the same run down that tangled depths path. The only thing I changed was using full berserkers gear. Since its a bit hard to see in your video whats going on I'll try my best to explain my thought process. [https://youtu.be/f18rpc2zvDo](https://youtu.be/f18rpc2zvDo) This is by no means perfect play so dont try to copy this one for one.

1. Pre-charge your mantras when solo. Yes you have a trait that gives you healing when you charge a mantra. However, lets break down the logistics of how that trait is used. Since you have no healing power investment, the amount you are healed for is going to be pretty low. In fact, I would say in most situations the time it takes you to charge your mantra, you'll have likely taken more damage than you're healing back. Also a large portion of the power budget in that trait is that it heals 5 allies. Since you're solo, you're essentially getting only 20% benefit from the trait. You're better off getting the instant cast benefit of your mantras rather than saving it for when you need healing.

2. Know your enemy types. Chrono has a ton of CC built in so it's very good at shutting down the biggest threat in a group of enemies. You'll notice that each time there was a big veteran with a break bar, all of my CC instantly went on it to stun it and burst it. Against cavaliers I (tried) to stand behind or to the side of them because I know they'll charge forward causing a knockback or breathe fire causing heavy damage. Against the hammer mordrem, I either prepared a block or stood behind them to get out of the smash attack.

3. Use terrain to manipulate enemy movement. You'll notice that a couple times I chose to hide around a corner or behind a rock in order to get enemies to path a certain way. Before I engage, I know a cavalier generally has deadly attacks that hit straight in front of it that it can use at range. This means in an open field if I walk straight at it, I'm at a disadvantage. It can charge at me before I get to it, breathe fire at me or chuck its spear at me. Instead, at about 1:00 you can see that I agro it then walk behind a rock so that it comes to me. I avoid the flame breath attack by standing behind the wall then after its got close enough to where I could easily get to its side/flank I pop out and fight it from an advantageous position. Another way you can manipulate enemy movement is if you're fighting a group of both ranged and melee enemies, stand next to the ranged enemies to fight them. The melee enemies will naturally walk to you since they're melee so you can aoe the ranged and melee enemies at the same time.

Let me know if you have any more questions and hope this helps.

> @"castlemanic.3198" said:

> > @"Shikaru.7618" said:

> > Would love to see that, and also provide foot age of myself running the same route as you to explain my thought process. It can also be raw footage so its as low effort as possible. If you have specific time stamps to call out thatd be a good plus.

>

> @"Ayrilana.1396"

>

> I tried recording using OBS but my computer graphics card can't handle recording and playing GW2 on lowest settings at the same time. The footage is too laggy to be able to tell what's going on. My graphics card died a while back and i haven't had enough money to get a new one so i'm just stuck with this. I can provide the laggy footage if you're so inclined but it's like 1 frame a few seconds at best, so you can't really see what i'm doing.

Link it anyway.

> @"serialkicker.5274" said:

> > @"Astralporing.1957" said:

> >As i see it, blaming ArcDPS for what is happening is as sensible as blaming infection tests for Covid. ArcDPS is not the cause of many issues people in this thread have trouble with. It's merely a byproduct. The real cause is coupling the existence of content where dps matters a lot with game design that causes massive dps disparity within player community. ArcDPS is just a tool that lets some group of players deal with some negative consequences of game design. Nothing more. Blaming it for anything is completely missing the issue at large.

>

> Yeah, and cheats are just a byproduct of people's inability to actually beat the game or face the challenge, so they help themselves with it to feel better or to annoy others.

> Afk farming is just byproduct of people wanting to get loot that they didn't earn.

> So, people shouldn't have a problem with cheats or afk farming itself.

>

> How is content itself a problem? You can complete all content without any kind of third party tools. Knowing mechanics is often a lot more important that extra 5k of dps. Problem is obviously in players. And if you give them tools to promote their behaviour and simplify it, then they are going to take it, just like if you allow them to exploit a mechanic or bug it, they are going to do it, even though it was not meant to be played that way.

>

>

But they did earn it. The requirements of the game is so low that if I put 1 stack if might on someone doing an event, ive contributed enough to earn rewards. Its not the farmers fault for the game demanding so little. 1 stack of might is the bar set by the game so that's the bar you need to meet. Don't like it? Ask anet to raise the bar for participation.