What next elite spec must have to be worth the purchase... - [Merged]

[Dadnir.5038]

> @"Kodama.6453" said:

> **Theme**: The entire vines and thorns theme is already used in druid, I kinda doubt that they will repeat that.

 

You realise that vine and thorns aren't a 'theme' but part of the ranger's abilities? Ranger is all about animals and plants. I just push things even more toward plant than druid, that's all.

 

Should I bring down the bunny thumper idea in the same fashion than you?

 

> I am expecting what is requested by alot of people on this forum already: a hommage to the infamous bunny thumper from guild wars 1.

> Give ranger a hammer with CC abilities (mostly focused on knockdown), physical skills which also enhance their CC

 

Druid already focus on CC he got a whole 3 major trait dedicated to this idea, 2 inbuilt CCs in the avatar, 1 CC on staff and 3 glyphs with CCs. "I kinda doubt that they will repeat that."

 

> and defensive mechanics like blocks, for example.

 

Staff convert projectiles in healing, close enough.

 

> Playstyle could resolve around the ranger CCing the enemy while their pets are attacking them.

 

Not very different from druid. CC then hit from afar while healing your pet. Close enough.

 

> Maybe could build in features like having both pets out for a set time, while they have a stat malus on themselves to not make it overbearing.

 

Sure, so that you got locked out of pet even more in large scale fight. In small scale fight players simply hate being killed by AI which is why druid got it's pets stat nerfed, If you badly want 2 pet at the same time, hyena is there.

 

So, I got a plant mage that you feel close to druid in the visual effects it use, while you suggest something close to druid in what it effectively does: CC. Are we even? I do think my suggestion is more likely simply because I do not step onto the gameplay of another e-spec.

 

NB.: The argument about "plant" being a druid thematic is like saying elementalist next e-spec shouldn't use fire, water, air and earth as attunment because there is already 2 e-spec that do this.

[Lonami.2987]

> @"anduriell.6280" said:

> Before talking about a new spec, ranger needs the class fixed so the actual specs are fun to play.

> To be adding more over a bad and broken foundation doesn't work as we already seen with the last two specs. Same dilemma as with the pets, before asking for more pets i would ask to fix the pets we already have.

>

 

This is the problem with all core professions, the foundations weren't ready for elite specializations, and we're carrying those problems over without fixing them properly. In the case of ranger, they need to redesign the pet mechanic once and for all. Give more control over the pets, improve the AI, etc.

 

If it were on my hands, I would integrate pet skills into weapon skills. Kinda like how the mesmer controls illusions through weapons, and how the guardian summons symbols using weapons as well. It's pointless for a beastmaster archetype not to factor his companions as part of its direct combat.

 

> @"The Boz.2038" said:

> Beastmaster. No pet swap; both pets active at same time. Land use spear as weapon, medium or melee range skills. Trainings as new skill types; hybridizations of stances and preparations that affect your pets only, and you through some traits. Heavy use of the attack of opportunity mechanic. Medium mobility, but lots of mobility control, chase and peel. Spirit Of The Pack elite calls two additional spirit copies of each of your pets for a short time.

 

I think this is the most likely approach we'll see.

 

Alternatively, some kind of "take manual control of the pet" mechanic (this is what soulbeast should have been).

[AkantorCZ.8952]

I really hope it's going to be pet focused specialization. There are already 2 elite specs and I'm still playing core ranger which is kind of sad...

 

Also it would be nice if Anet would use this opportunity to ballance pets to be more on equal footing. I'd like to be able to choose favorite animal without feeling bad for doing something inefficient. It might sound unimportant but for me it was reason to take a break from the game. I don't want to feel bad about my decision. It's simple as that.

[Arheundel.6451]

> @"AkantorCZ.8952" said:

> I really hope it's going to be pet focused specialization. There are already 2 elite specs and I'm still playing core ranger which is kind of sad...

>

> Also it would be nice if Anet would use this opportunity to ballance pets to be more on equal footing. I'd like to be able to choose favorite animal without feeling bad for doing something inefficient. It might sound unimportant but for me it was reason to take a break from the game. I don't want to feel bad about my decision. It's simple as that.

 

Necro minions which are utility are far better than non-meta pets..it's that bad, most of them have absurd cast time for abysmal levels of dmg...it's like beta weekend pre-release status levels of dmg and cast time, it would require a truck load of buffs to convince rangers in dropping meta pets (smokescale-gazelle-bristleback-birds-tiger-jacaranda) for the rest and with Anet track record I wouldn't bet on that...it's why people wishing for a pet specialization would end up seeing a garbage tier elite...because the pet mechanic is garbage and only 6-7 pets out of 50 are worth using in any competitive setting

[voltaicbore.8012]

> @"Arheundel.6451" said:

> > @"AkantorCZ.8952" said:

 

> Necro minions which are utility are far better than non-meta pets..it's that bad, most of them have absurd cast time for abysmal levels of dmg...it's like beta weekend pre-release status levels of dmg and cast time, it would require a truck load of buffs to convince rangers in dropping meta pets (smokescale-gazelle-bristleback-birds-tiger-jacaranda) for the rest and with Anet track record I wouldn't bet on that...it's why people wishing for a pet specialization would end up seeing a garbage tier elite...because the pet mechanic is garbage and only 6-7 pets out of 50 are worth using in any competitive setting

 

This is really the fundamental problem with asking for pet-centered specs, you nailed it perfectly. The underlying pet mechanic is so shoddy and the vast majority of pets are so worthless, a pet-focused elite is almost guaranteed to fail. The _only_ way to not fail is if ANet magically works up the willpower to revamp the entire pet system, something they've refused to do for 8 years. And honestly, I don't blame them. It's probably a mess, and they'd likely have to homogenize all the pets to some degree to make them competitive with each other. Also, even when you can avoid 100% of many pets attacks just by walking in a circle, players STILL complain about getting murdered by pets in spvp. Anything that makes pets more useful will be met with loud cries and swift nerfs.

 

I have zero optimism for a pet-focused elite. Just give all the GW1 weirdos the "bunny thumper" spec so I can stop hearing about it.

[AkantorCZ.8952]

I strongly disagree with the stance "It's pointless to ballance ranger pets because it takes too much effort." There was already attempt to improve few ranger pets 2 years ago. It wasn't perfect but it was step forward and improved animation timing actually made a huge difference. It doesn't have to be solved on one go. But I would really appreciate continuos development effort to improve ranger core mechanic because it's important to me and also the reason why I choose to play ranger in the first place. No excuses.

 

The worst thing they can do from my perspective is to continue with the trend to intoduce new best in slot pet with every expansion.