3rd Ranger Elite Specialization Design Concept - The Animist

[Cyrin.1035]

@InsaneQR.7412 said:

@Cyrin.1035 said:

@Swagger.1459 said:You posted this idea on the forums and asked for feedback. I provided my constructive feedback... I would suggest looking over your spec and making changes that match the type of combat gameplay here, and how well this stands up to other especs and professions.

Yes, you did, which I am very grateful for. But you also based your feedback on a very limited perception of the design and of what works and doesn't work in GW 2. Therefore, the feedback loses much of its constructive value :/

IMO his feedback was regarding a specific playerbase and he kept the combat system of this game in mind.I have to agree with him that your E-Spec proposal wants to do to mamy things at once and that your pet-army idea is way to complicated to handle in an competitive environment.As i said above and do now: Concentrate on 1 pet being used to commune and cast and try to give this spec 1 specific role otherwise it will be a fustercluck of ideas.

Yes, as did I. There are many aspects of this design that would be effective in a competitive environment. If the design sounds too complex, then sticking to the pre-set meta is probably best for you both.

[voltaicbore.8012]

I gave the whole spec a read-over, and it's definitely something I'd try at least once in PvE. I need to read your explanation of communing/selecting among the 3 communes again, because I don't feel I understand it fully yet.

However, I just wanted to comment on what I feel is your own bias against pet survivability. I play a good deal of PvE and sPvP, and my pets very rarely die. Some of the greatest improvement in my gameplay has come from learning how to better manage my pet's placement with just the f1/f3 commands, setting up situations where my pet can actually land its key abilities, and making sure to time my heals/swaps/merges to save my pet when necessary.

I might change my mind once I read it all again at greater depth, but I'd never, ever bring this to sPvP. It sounds like a clunkier renegade, I'm pretty sure every spec I've run in ranked would straight murder an animist.

[Thornwolf.9721]

I would love a pack-master spec, built around having three pets who are stronger than your average run of the mill pet. Perhaps your spec would benefit better from having larger more powerful beasts, rather than small ones such as the run of the mill you gave for the new beasts? Like a Hyrda or perhaps one of the land sharks we have seen.. something larger as a pup who brings more to the table. Hyrda's are annoying as is with their skills and giving the ranger a small mobile tank who can burst and stun people with their fire based abilities could be cool. Pair that up with perhaps some other mystical beasts from cantha as that is where you have set this to come out and there you go; You could have some monstrous crocodile who excels both on land and in water ass a fast highly durable monster with grapples?

You could have wargs who are good for chasing people down and locking them down with knockdowns and annoying poking mechanics; That paired with the your mechanics would be pretty cool. I do however have to draw the line at it being a support of any kind once so ever and feel it should either be a more tanky spec, or a full on damage dealer as both the soulbeast AND THE DRUID bring lots of team support. It's time ranger gets a more selfish spec that is based on them and not benefiting everyone else, pair that up with them maybe overhauling pets to be a solid aspect of game-play and offering them more utility. (Make them immune to AOE? That could be a good way to fix them being cleaved. )

[Nikon.3921]

Well thought out, not my cup of tea. What I would like to see added is Command to Ally that can be used just like "Attack my Target" & "Return to Me". That way, if say an Ally who is low on health strays away from Enemies or his Party, your pet can attempted to get closer to the Ally and you can use a skill similar to Invigorating Bond to assist them.

[ScyeRynn.4218]

Offense Nature Magic not healing-focused like Druid.

[Strider.7849]

OP, you certainly put a lot of work and thought into this but I really hope they don't use this idea. This feels like an elementalist with a pet. We already have a druid for the nature/healing themed spec. Instead I'd like to see a more group oriented spec that people want in zergs in WvW or PvE (was supposed to be druid but it kind of fails at that) OR something that utilizes rifle. We have a "ranger" that cannot use one of the most awesome ranged weapons. Scepter/focus.. meh, leave that to the magic classes.

[RangerThings.9810]

Y'know, I would love to have an Animist from DAoC. This class would summon / plant these mushrooms that did insane AoE damage and CC. Post up in some small space, bait people to follow, rinse, repeat. So fun. So ridiculous in RvR/WvW.