What profession did you learn the most about the game from?

[Zexanima.7851]

Just a curious question about other people's experience. What profession taught you the most about the game? For instance, you might not learn as much running necro minion master as you did with condi engi .

 

EDIT: Guess I should specific the games combat mechanics.

[steki.1478]

Condi engi doesnt even teach you that much besides making every other dps class feel boring. You dont even start the game as condi engi and dont even play it with 5 kits, it's essentially an end game build where you already know what's going on in game. Not to mention that as engi you always have a choice of not using all those kits.

 

Ele on the other hand doesnt get any choice. It's squishy from start, it has a lot of skills and it's always rewarding when you manage your combos and rotations. Learning all that isn't easy at all, especially when you die while trying to do certain combo. You only start to notice threat on squishy classes. Leveling mesmer was extremely easy since it had a lot of tools to keep mobs busy or just burst them down before they even get close. It used to be with perma phantasms, now you just do so much damage with first half of phantasm skill that sometimes they dont even spawn. My guess is that thief is in a very similar situation like ele since it still dies quite quickly if you dont pay attention and stealth wont really solve your defense problems.

 

However, you can always spam fireballs/unloads from max range without learning anything and without encountering any danger. It's just how the game works, it has a little something for everyone no matter which class you pick, you just need to find that cheesy strategy.

[Zexanima.7851]

> @"steki.1478" said:

> Condi engi doesnt even teach you that much besides making every other dps class feel boring. You dont even start the game as condi engi and dont even play it with 5 kits, it's essentially an end game build where you already know what's going on in game. Not to mention that as engi you always have a choice of not using all those kits.

>

> Ele on the other hand doesnt get any choice. It's squishy from start, it has a lot of skills and it's always rewarding when you manage your combos and rotations. Learning all that isn't easy at all, especially when you die while trying to do certain combo. You only start to notice threat on squishy classes. Leveling mesmer was extremely easy since it had a lot of tools to keep mobs busy or just burst them down before they even get close. It used to be with perma phantasms, now you just do so much damage with first half of phantasm skill that sometimes they dont even spawn. My guess is that thief is in a very similar situation like ele since it still dies quite quickly if you dont pay attention and stealth wont really solve your defense problems.

>

> However, you can always spam fireballs/unloads from max range without learning anything and without encountering any danger. It's just how the game works, it has a little something for everyone no matter which class you pick, you just need to find that cheesy strategy.

 

Engi may not have been the best example. As a returning player relearning the game it was the best I had. I haven't finished leveling an Ele yet myself, I'll have to take your word for it.

[Lily.1935]

Mesmer and Guardian. They have active defensive skills, quite a few boons, lots of movement skills of different types, combo fields and finishers that are easy to achieve while still providing passive benefits. Guardian imo is better at teaching overall, but Mesmer does teach you about disengaging from combat, which the guardian isn't as good at. But the Guardian I'd say is far more user friendly to learn and understand. its unique mechanic is really simple and can be learned with just a quick glance, it has easy access combo finishers from the start, solid heals that teach you about blocks, projectile reflects and blocks with its utility and shield. It can convert conditions into boons and cleans, it can also block paths with staff. Every single weapon on the guardian seems almost designed intentionally to teach the player how to use the different mechanics. While other professions seem to either not worry about them, or require you to execute them perfectly, the Guardian is tough enough to use that it requires you to learn them but forgiving enough that you're not punished too hard for forgetting it while leveling.

 

For me personally, it was mesmer. But mesmer made sense to me. But when I'm teaching new players the game I tell them to make a guardian because it is the best teacher. The Guardian is Toriel. Hold your hand when needed to but ready to let you make your own mistakes.

[Sir Vincent III.1286]

Thief teaches you a lot about the game.

- No survivability means death.

- Miss a dodge means death.

- Using Withdraw with the cliff behind means death.

- Pebble blocking shadowstep for escape means death.

- Getting aggro means death.

- Getting stunned means death.

- Damaging conditions means death.

- and many others

 

From all those deaths, playing other professions are just too easy.

[SlippyCheeze.5483]

> @"Zexanima.7851" said:

> Just a curious question about other people's experience. What profession taught you the most about the game? For instance, you might not learn as much running necro minion master as you did with condi engi .

>

> EDIT: Guess I should specific the games combat mechanics.

 

TBH, the one that you play most frequently is the one that will teach you the most, but... the more glass cannon, and the less safety nets you have, the more likely you are to be forced to learn to avoid damage rather than heal through it, etc.

 

Which will help for the classes that are not designed to block or heal through damage. :)

[sokeenoppa.5384]

It was thief for me.

[Remus Darkblight.1673]

Ranger taught me that no one in this game appreciates animals, a bitter truth that needs to be addressed. As I watch my beloved companion take hit after hit "my pet needs help!" I cry out. But no one listens, no one comes to his aid.

[Alatar.7364]

> @"Sir Vincent III.1286" said:

> Thief teaches you a lot about the game.

> - No survivability means death.

> - Miss a dodge means death.

> - Using Withdraw with the cliff behind means death.

> - Pebble blocking shadowstep for escape means death.

> - Getting aggro means death.

> - Getting stunned means death.

> - Damaging conditions means death.

> - and many others

>

> From all those deaths, playing other professions are just too easy.

 

Oh, yes.

[Zushada.6108]

I did the post-80 content on a Rev (post-nerf) the first time through and felt I was running about like a chicken with my head cut-off more concerned about surviving rather than learning. Once I started replaying the content on my Ranger/Druid I felt as though I had time to stand back and observe combat rather than struggle to stay alive. I actually didn't use CA a lot then, because I found that healing spring and glyph of tides was sufficient for me and my pet in open world. For me, being ranged is very helpful because I can stay full ranged and get a broader camera view of the content, rather than an up close and personal melee view, when learning content and once I know what I am up against, I can then use a melee class without as much frustration.

[Hoodie.1045]

> @"Zexanima.7851" said:

> Just a curious question about other people's experience. What profession taught you the most about the game? For instance, you might not learn as much running necro minion master as you did with condi engi .

>

> EDIT: Guess I should specific the games combat mechanics.

 

Core engineer. Even though I started Guild Wars 2 with a warrior, it was my second character, the engineer who helped me improve my skills. It helped me think critically when it comes to making builds, different keybinds that are useful across different professions like elementalist, guardian, thief and warrior, but most importantly it is the profession that is so addicting and never gets old unlike the Holosmith which is a dumbed down version of the engineer.

[Lord Krilik.3692]

> @"Sir Vincent III.1286" said:

> Thief teaches you a lot about the game.

> - No survivability means death.

> - Miss a dodge means death.

> - Using Withdraw with the cliff behind means death.

> - Pebble blocking shadowstep for escape means death.

> - Getting aggro means death.

> - Getting stunned means death.

> - Damaging conditions means death.

> - and many others

>

> From all those deaths, playing other professions are just too easy.

 

I remember when Dungeons were the meta. I'd always be the last man standing, stealth ressing everyone with Shadow refuge and fighting the boss alone in between stealths. Always.

 

You left out shadow stepping to points in the environment instead of climbing, like the clocktower in PvP.

[Lord Krilik.3692]

> @"Remus Darkblight.1673" said:

> Ranger taught me that no one in this game appreciates animals, a bitter truth that needs to be addressed. As I watch my beloved companion take hit after hit "my pet needs help!" I cry out. But no one listens, no one comes to his aid.

 

Go Soulbeast, hit f5, hit f5 again, fully healed Pet.

[Cifrer.6013]

> @"Hoodie.1045" said:

> > @"Zexanima.7851" said:

> > Just a curious question about other people's experience. What profession taught you the most about the game? For instance, you might not learn as much running necro minion master as you did with condi engi .

> >

> > EDIT: Guess I should specific the games combat mechanics.

>

> Core engineer. Even though I started Guild Wars 2 with a warrior, it was my second character, the engineer who helped me improve my skills. It helped me think critically when it comes to making builds, different keybinds that are useful across different professions like elementalist, guardian, thief and warrior, but most importantly it is the profession that is so addicting and never gets old unlike the Holosmith which is a dumbed down version of the engineer.

 

Agree completely.

[Sir Vincent III.1286]

> @"Lord Krilik.3692" said:

> > @"Sir Vincent III.1286" said:

> You left out shadow stepping to points in the environment instead of climbing, like the clocktower in PvP.

 

That doesn't teach you anything about the game.

[SlippyCheeze.5483]

> @"Sir Vincent III.1286" said:

> > @"Lord Krilik.3692" said:

> > > @"Sir Vincent III.1286" said:

> > You left out shadow stepping to points in the environment instead of climbing, like the clocktower in PvP.

>

> That doesn't teach you anything about the game.

 

Sure it does: like mesmer ports and portals, it teaches you that life is cruel, harsh, and occasionally is gonna glitch you right through the map. ;)

[Sir Vincent III.1286]

> @"SlippyCheeze.5483" said:

> > @"Sir Vincent III.1286" said:

> > > @"Lord Krilik.3692" said:

> > > > @"Sir Vincent III.1286" said:

> > > You left out shadow stepping to points in the environment instead of climbing, like the clocktower in PvP.

> >

> > That doesn't teach you anything about the game.

>

> Sure it does: like mesmer ports and portals, it teaches you that life is cruel, harsh, and occasionally is gonna glitch you right through the map. ;)

 

lol, I stand corrected.

[ZeftheWicked.3076]

Necromancer. Because he doesn't have absolute defenses like evades invulnies etc, i had to learn about stat system more and using various condies and boons for defenses. Also, obviously he's the first class that gets you working on boon to condi and condi to boon conversion table knowledge.

[otto.5684]

It was my first character. Everything else was not much in terms of learning experience.

[Lord Krilik.3692]

> @"Sir Vincent III.1286" said:

> > @"Lord Krilik.3692" said:

> > > @"Sir Vincent III.1286" said:

> > You left out shadow stepping to points in the environment instead of climbing, like the clocktower in PvP.

>

> That doesn't teach you anything about the game.

 

I don't think a lot of people wold assume that you can stand under a platform and teleport through it from underneath. Teleporting forward a little bit, like shortbow 5, fair enough. But going up through things is good to learn. Once you practice points in a map where you can do this, you start discovering new ambush/escape tactics, using the environment and your skills together for an advantage.

[Arlette.9684]

Any of the active defense support classes, so Chrono, Guard, Scrapper, Tempest. The latter being a lesson in piano.

[DeceiverX.8361]

Depends.

 

Strictly button-pressing? Engi, tempest, maybe with a bit of mesmer.

Fields and Finishers? Ele.

Rotations? Both of the above

Reaction time and transportation/mobility skills and positioning/LoS value? Core thief or core mesmer.

Resource management in PvP? Tossup between core thief (non-S/D) and core necro/reaper.

Range increments and projectile behavior? Ranger or Deadeye.

[Blood Red Arachnid.2493]

Personally I think this question is a bit... misdirected.

 

I didn't learn about the game by playing a profession. I learned about the game because I sat down and attempted to learn about the game. I read the wiki, I saw builds, I tested things out on the golems in the PVP lobby. With that knowledge, I then went out into the game. Asking about which profession teaches you the most about the game is a bit like asking which car teaches you the most about driving. It is much better to have done some learning first.

[Nimon.7840]

Just try to play necro without using shroud skills. That's how you learn how to play and when it's important to dodge.

Go full DPS build.

 

U don't have Auto invincibility or such things on necro

Guess that. Can be done by any other profession. But i only play/played necro. And I'm not a normal average player anymore. (At least that's what I've been told)

[Catchyfx.5768]

Guard Mesmer,

Mesmer have everything other classes have so if you learn mesmer you know lot of mechanics.