[Suggestion] Gw2 and Telegraphs

[august.8016]

Today I find a old article talk about combat in Widlstar ( closed mmo by Carbine - NCSoft) and I starting to think about how can be useful have ad adaptation of this system in Gw2. Gw2 have a very similar feeling of Telegraphs but not same rigorous organization.

 

Arrangement like this IMHO can be a very good things to have. Simple, clear and rigorous.

 

> Telegraphs

>

> Telegraphing in WildStar is the system that allows for creative strategy on the battlefield. It is coloured shapes on the ground that tell you what will happen or is going on in that area. They are divided into 2 types:

>

> * A telegraph with a line that moves from one side to the other is a "Cast Time" telegraph, which will fire off once the line reaches the other side

> * A telegraph with a circle rapidly shrinking to the center is a "Channel" telegraph, which will do continuous damage/healing/give their effect as long as someone is standing in it.

>

> And they are further divided into 5 colours:

>

> * A Red is a hostile damage telegraph--staying in it until it fires off, or while it is channeling will harm you or debuff you

>* A Blue telegraph is your own damage--use it to aim your abilities

>* A Green telegraph is a friendly healing/buff telegraph, either your own, or your allies--get in them as much as possible!

>* An Orange telegraph is a friendly damage telegraph--it will not harm you, but it will harm your enemies, so lure your foes into them, and watch enjoy the show!

>* A Purple telegraph is a hostile healing/buff telegraph: make sure to get your enemies out of it! (or you will find yourself next to a respawn point within a matter of minutes)

>

> At low levels, these will be simple shapes, easy to tell, avoid, or get into. At higher levels, they will be much more complicated and more strategy will need to be involved, as they will take on more complicated shapes, have evolving patterns, or start moving, and generally fire off faster and hit much harder.

Source: [https://wildstar.gamepedia.com/Combat#Free-Form_abilities](https://wildstar.gamepedia.com/Combat#Free-Form_abilities "https://wildstar.gamepedia.com/Combat#Free-Form_abilities")

Edit: i find a video to try to explain the effect on gameplay to all don't know this dead game:

[BlueJin.4127]

Anet thinks the game is better as an orgy of unhealthy flashing effects and chaotic visual clutter. Look at the mess that is Dragonfall meta. Not even a slight hint of improvement from their usual visual mess.

[august.8016]

Dont think all attack in wildstar was perfect visible but had a decent drawing on ground to understand things ( gradient, color, shape etc)

[Zohane.7208]

In all honesty, I really don't see how this would improve combat in GW2. I tried to imagine all those different markings on the ground in a fight with a lot of mobs and a lot of friendlies, but it just seemed that it would be a huge number of fields on the ground that would be impossible to figure out.

 

In today's GW2 combat, most if not all aoe damage is telegraphed so there's already options to get out of them. Most big damage is telegraphed by the boss' movement, and to me that already is a lot of indicators. Adding even more would be confusing.

 

Perhaps you could elaborate on how you think it would improve combat?

[august.8016]

I try a list to explain better some of my thought:

 

1. some AoE of enemy attack don't have same colour on ground and many time it's difficult to understand what you see.

Example: samarog shock wave is blue, Vale guardian Distributed Magic attack is green circle, teleport of vale gurdian ( blue) have different color to Cairn (red an black), etc

 

2. attack type don't correspond to same type of drawing. Pulsing damage many time have only a empty circle with red border ( example seeker of vale guardian) and other time have a growing gradient.

 

3. If you play a healing or support build you can see many time ally escape from AoE skill because they don't see it.

Some of this skill have a white empty like-invisible circle other don't have it. A clear visual ground indicator for some skill can be very good add.

 

I don't suggest to all skills go with telegraph but I suggest some coherence.

[Trise.2865]

I'm not seeing how this is better than the existing "bright orange circles means don't stand here", "big white circle means do stand here", and "bright burst means dodge big attack" system of telegraphs. Could you compare and contrast (pun intended) them directly?

[august.8016]

If the system always use the colour strategy you talk about I don't any problem but, like example I try to write up here, this isn't the true use of it.

Gw2 have many telegraph do same things but in different colours, animations and shapes.

This create a sort of confusion in small battle and a dramatic things in large combat scene.

 

Try to think if what you right above was true. I try to do again a list of things:

 

1. Enemy (red border) :

* red border, bright orange area -> area of enemy damage

* red border, bright orange with pulsating gradient area-> pulse area of damage

* red border, bright white area -> enemy cc

* red border, black area-> teleportation skill from enemy

* red border, grey area-> boon conversion or removal

 

2. Ally (white border):

* white border, green circle -> instant healing area

* white border, green circle with gradient -> pulsing healing area

* white border circle -> little buff don't care of that

 

All of this things can explain in more specific way what enemy or ally do.

If you understand you can react.

If all skill have a different forms, the game can be more and more a total chaos.