How to be more unique?

[coocooee.1470]

I was wondering how you guys ignore or not care about seeing the same class as yourself out in the world or doing other things. For some reason it really urks me and compels me to log out and play something else. I have OCD and I get that same compulsive feeling when seeing the same class as me when my OCD makes me perform my little rituals. If any of you guys have a way I could try to get over this little hurdle I'd really appreciate it.

[zombyturtle.5980]

I guess you mean you dont like seeing another mesmer when you are playing mesmer?

 

As to how everyone else ignores it, well its not something that would naturally bother people and is pretty specific to your condition. Since I dont have OCD I dont get a single negative or compulsive feeling when I see another player thats the same class. As to how you can overcome this all I can suggest is to try and make your character as unique as possible. Remember no player can have the same name as you so your character is already unique. Use a mix of traits that most people wouldnt consider ever putting together and get 2 weapons that are very rarely used. develop a rotation thats different to anything other classes use in the game. That way, even if there is another mesmer ect in the area, you are still very different to that player and it doesnt count as the same?

 

The only other alternative I could suggest is to try and see it from a logical perspective, although im aware that logic doesnt often work in cases of mental health. It would be pretty unreasonable to only have 1 player of each class in the world at the same time, since theres only 9 classes, so there could only be 9 players!

You can also see classes as like professions, in war there are many many soldiers e.g warriors who are all given the same training and weapons to use, so you can expect to see many similar characters in the world.

 

Sorry if non of that helps. I dont have any experience with OCD. If it doesnt perhaps you can practice some techniques that you use in day to day life to help manage your condition.

 

 

[coocooee.1470]

> @"zombyturtle.5980"

Yeah man logically I'm reminding myself its completely absurd to be worried about it. With how many players there are theres a very finite chance of being unique but i cant shrug it off and its really hampering my enjoyment of the game.

[Cragga the Eighty Third.60]

Maybe if you concentrate on the ways they are different from you, you will find it easier to get past it. There is so much customization in this game that pretty much nobody will be exactly like your character. I kind of enjoy seeing other asura rangers and comparing differences: what pet they are using, which armor set, what dyes, what hairstyle, what weapons. Enjoy making your character as unique as possible.

[STIHL.2489]

This is why I focus on my look.. over my class.

[Leo G.4501]

I usually don't look up builds or keep up with any sort of instance meta and just play what feels good which helps me stay unique. So while I do have a Guardian, I have a core Guardian hammer bruiser build, a glass power Dragonhunter build and a yet to solidify jack-of-some-trades Firebrand all of which I swap to depending on circumstances and how I feel. I'll likely run into a Firebrand but they're usually highly specialized (maybe for condi and power) while mine also has some healing to fall back on to contribute that...or just swap to one of my other builds if it's bothering me.

 

Then there's also fashion. Ironically, if you want to stand out, you don't wear all the glowy junk and aim more minimalist.

[Demented Yak.6105]

When I play elementalist I sometimes get weirdly competitive with other elementalists in PvE. They don't know that. When I'm playing things like fractals, if I die and another tempest is still alive, I start to really hate them and hope the whole team fails. Thankfully I'm almost always the best tempest around (if I do say so myself) and my ego is safe. I'm not bothered by it in PvP, just settings in PvE where I've seen and locked on to another tempest. When I play other professions, I'm not really too bothered; probably because I'm just not very good with any other profession.

 

Otherwise, I don't really care what people play.

[Klipso.8653]

play a revenant, nobody plays those

[zealex.9410]

Play single player games.

[Illconceived Was Na.9781]

> @"STIHL.2489" said:

> This is why I focus on my look.. over my class.

 

Good advice.

 

Besides that, there's a ton of different ways to play mesmer. Ignoring the expansion specializations, there's huge differences between condi and power, between phantasm and shatter, etc. The same is true with other professions.

[Just a flesh wound.3589]

Play a Mesmer and pretend any other mesmers are your clones/phantasms.

[bart.3687]

@"coocooee.1470" I know what you mean, I get similar feelings from time to time. Sometimes it gets to the point where I'll refuse to use a very helpful trait and just run around with something garbage for the sake of being "the only one" lol.

 

As others have stated, try to make your character as unique as possible and develop your own playstyle.

 

What helps me the most though is taking a few days (sometimes even weeks or months) break from the game every now and then. It gives me some time to rest and when I come back I care more about enjoying the game as it is rather than trying to be the special snowflake.

[Qori.9671]

Try and play something you don't see everywhere. Ele who uses conjured weapons , a rifle warrior etc. Pick a role not commonly associated with a class like a support thief , or glass cannon druid lol. Go through the wardrobe and pick out stuff you don't see often and experiment with unusual dyes combos.

[Ameepa.6793]

Some things that pop into my mind:

 

-Choose the least popular class like Revenant or Engineer

-Play the less popular elite spec, usually the previous one. It is still good, but makes you much rarer

-Play the less popular build, like playing power build in this time of condition mania

-Choose a race that is rarer for that class, like making a charr elementalist or norn thief

-Look different than others and don't go with things like "The Default Human Female Look"

[coocooee.1470]

@"Ameepa.6793" My first level 80 was a male Norn engineer.

It's not so much running the cookie cutter build that bothers me as much as me just seeing that they are playing the same class as I am.

All the advice has been good so far guys I appreciate it.

[Charrbeque.8729]

Take quaggan path. It's the easiest because the snowflakes don't melt and the path doesn't have too many tight turns.

[Bridget Morrigan.1752]

Remember that classes are professions. It's your character's job. Lots of people can have the same jobs. Your character is unique for different reasons than the job they do.

[Ayumi Spender.1082]

> @"coocooee.1470" said:

> I was wondering how you guys ignore or not care about seeing the same class as yourself out in the world or doing other things.

I'm a bit messed up in the brain I would say in this kind of set up.

I'm one that doesn't aim for the "What's popular in this?", but I'm also not a hipster in "What's not popular so I can pick this and be special." as I'm usually going for "What's best for me to have fun in?"

That being said though, I usually don't care what other's are playing, BUT I also would like to see at times those that are using my class to at least get to see how they play. Hell, might steal some of their ideas and work it into something that works for me.

 

> For some reason it really urks me and compels me to log out and play something else. I have OCD and I get that same compulsive feeling when seeing the same class as me when my OCD makes me perform my little rituals. If any of you guys have a way I could try to get over this little hurdle I'd really appreciate it.

The best way I can see as I have somewhat selective OCD for certain things... would be to try and blank out the person from existence in your brain. Pretend you don't even see them.

Would be even better if let's say you're Necro and you see a Reaper and a Scourge, but you're core. If you have to, just think of them as different classes (and at times they pretty much are when it comes to elite classes).

[Aylaine.1036]

I don't really feel that way in this game. Professions in this game feel like life choices, so there are other people who've chosen the path you have. There's a number of notable mesmers in the game other then the PC's (Jennah, Anise) Logan is a Guardian IIRC, Rylock is a (warrior?) etc. It's not an issue for me due to that reason. It's not like other games where your the grand hero of destiny with a crazy plot mcguffin to spearhead you above everyone else, like FFXIV for example.

[TEKnowledgy.1760]

> @"Klipso.8653" said:

> play a revenant, nobody plays those

 

Then run into me and back to square one.

[TEKnowledgy.1760]

> @"coocooee.1470" said:

> I was wondering how you guys ignore or not care about seeing the same class as yourself out in the world or doing other things. For some reason it really urks me and compels me to log out and play something else. I have OCD and I get that same compulsive feeling when seeing the same class as me when my OCD makes me perform my little rituals. If any of you guys have a way I could try to get over this little hurdle I'd really appreciate it.

 

How have you played any other online game before gw2 or did you? Sometimes best answer is found in your past rather than the present or future.

Just pretend everyone is an NPC? lol idk I don't face this problem so not sure how I would conquer it.

What's that asura say "Ones knowledge can not surpass one's experience?" Best advice I've ever heard in a game because it is solid truth. i have no experience with this.

Still I hope you have a merry christmas regardless.

 

Edit:

I know how long as you don't click on other people's char you will never know their class and you win the war on your mind. Then turn char texture to lowest where everyone except you look like grey peoples with black faces now you only cool looking person you see lol. One them bottom settings says something about character model detail.

[Wanze.8410]

maybe put character quality level to lowest in the options menu, so most players around you will look like generic character models

[Ayumi Spender.1082]

> @"Wanze.8410" said:

> maybe put character quality level to lowest in the options menu, so most players around you will look like generic character models

 

You can use Balthazar outfit on a Necro/Elementalist/Mesmer

You can use Jungle Explorer on Guardian/Revenant/Warrior

You can use Ancestral on Thief/Ranger/Engineer

 

So I don't think the models would really hide/show anything at all. Would I'm sure they're seeing the icons.

[TEKnowledgy.1760]

> @"Ayumi Spender.1082" said:

> > @"Wanze.8410" said:

> > maybe put character quality level to lowest in the options menu, so most players around you will look like generic character models

>

> You can use Balthazar outfit on a Necro/Elementalist/Mesmer

> You can use Jungle Explorer on Guardian/Revenant/Warrior

> You can use Ancestral on Thief/Ranger/Engineer

>

> So I don't think the models would really hide/show anything at all. Would I'm sure they're seeing the icons.

 

only see icon if you click on some one how hard is it not to click on another? I mean name floats over the head in most cases so stop clicking on people lol simple. Best way to avoid a problem is to just straight up avoid the cause of said problem. Don't see the icon how you gonna know who or what another is?

Effects could be really any class unless one sees clones n portals all over the place. I hardly ever see mesmers heck i see more revenants than mesmers.

 

My main question to OP still stands, how have they played other online games in the past? How did they over come this before hand? It is possible gw2 is the only online game they have ever played, I just find it unlikely to be the case.

 

Only other thing i could possibly suggest to help one feel unique would be to say to self hey i didn't use a build guide i bet my traits are different. One will never know long as one never asks the other.

[Kumouta.4985]

Fashion wise, i might see some people with the bladed pants and chestplate but i just figure that it's the best looking light armor and is unavoidable. For anything else i look unique enough to not see copies of myself anywhere.

And same class? that's just fun. It's like seeing classmates run around. Sometimes i'll just party with a random fellow necro if i don't have something better to do.

Same build? fine. I don't see anyone's build anyway. Plus, in PvE you'd just use what you feel comfortable and somewhat effective with, which is likely different for different people.

 

I have no idea what you mean with your "snowflake syndrome" but the 3 parts above should make your syndrome pretty minimal, apart from having the same icon if you're using certain elite specs.