So about these command skills...

[Revolution.5409]

@Dadnir.5038 said:

@Revolution.5409 said:

@Dadnir.5038 said:The issue with removing the pet is more than just "beastmastery". A lot of traits in other traitlines "need" the pet and the ranger's downstate isn't designed to work without it.

Downstate is not a problem, recreating a Spirit version of a pet that helps to raise the character is not difficult, but otherwise I don't really see any other option that would solve the problem the best way, Druid himself was given to Ranger because at the beginning Ranger's class mechanic was a problem in Dungeon and Fractals, Ranger until the release of HoT was never Meta pve.Half of the problems in this profession come from a mechanic who will never fully adapt to this game, a re-elaboration at least for the specializations is necessary.

While I do not totally agree with your view on the ranger pre HoT, because despite it's awfull reputation due to the infamous "bearbow" the ranger was objectively quite good in PvE. I do Agree that half of the problems in all the professions of the game come from inadapted mechanics. Be it the ranger's pet, the necromancer's focus on debilitating conditions, the mesmer's shatter and so on, a lot of mechanics in game are ill suited for PvE.

Bearbow was garbage compared to other professions both in terms of damage and utility, Warrior / Guardian / Mesmer / Elementalist were far better, a reminder of a time when the groups were made up of 4 Warriors and a Mesmer. XD

Ranger became good in pve only after Anet changed two factors which in my opinion proved to be fundamental, the first was to change the way the pet was revived and the second to greatly increase all the HP of pets, this has allowed better management of pets during events, fractals etc.

I don't think any class mechanic has problems comparable to this, Ranger is bound to a pet that until he gets a reworking will always be bad because the problem is not in the specializations but at the base, he will be able to work well in PvE but in PvP / WvW where nothing has been done, nothing has changed, the problems have always been the same for 8 years.

[DemonSeed.3528]

Since the time shouts took a hit from runes turning into commands, are we ever going to see runes that will synergize with them? Or will this be as good as it gets? Just curious

I just want something fun, different, and not op.

[Abyssisis.3971]

Anet doesn’t design around rangers so you will need to wait till guardian get command skills for there to be a rune focusing on commands.

[Kodama.6453]

@"Abyssisis.3971" said:Anet doesn’t design around rangers so you will need to wait till guardian get command skills for there to be a rune focusing on commands.

Doesn't really have anything to do with "balancing around rangers" either.

Anet just kinda refuses to design runes for unique utility types. As long as ranger is the only class with command skills, there most likely won't be any rune interacting with that skill type.Has been the same since the beginning with gadgets, elixirs, kits.... All these skill types are unique for engineer and there isn't a single rune interacting with them, either.

[Kulvar.1239]

@Kodama.6453 said:I am not exactly sure why they reworked command skills again away from being shouts, tho.

ANet wanted for Ranger shouts to not trigger shouts runes, to they changed the skill type to be commands.

[Dadnir.5038]

That's the kind of answer that make me wonder when you start playing ranger.

@Revolution.5409 said:

@"Dadnir.5038" said:Bearbow was garbage compared to other professions both in terms of damage and utility, Warrior / Guardian / Mesmer / Elementalist were far better, a reminder of a time when the groups were made up of 4 Warriors and a Mesmer. XD

Bearbow was garbage, yes, but it wasn't the only build a ranger could play. The main issue was that players playing this peculiar build for 'convenience' ruined the reputation of the ranger as a whole. I have a hard time recalling 4 warriors and a mesmer, if it was ever a thing it didn't last long. A strong PvE meta that last quite a bit was 4 ele and a thief/mesmer.

Ranger became good in pve only after Anet changed two factors which in my opinion proved to be fundamental, the first was to change the way the pet was revived and the second to greatly increase all the HP of pets, this has allowed better management of pets during events, fractals etc.

Well, nope, if anything, when they increased the pet's vitality, they took away a part of it's damage and it hurted the ranger quite a bit in PvE. What made a difference is when they made it resistant to non targeted aoe damage in PvE (The need to do it was proof enough that they wasted their time years prior with the increased vitality on the pet). I should also say that the first time they nerfed "guard!" hurted a lot QoL in PvE. If anything I'd say that in term of management the pet was better in it's early day than he is right now (sure it gained survivability, but it doesn't really compensate the shorter leash, the loss of damage and the loss of the original version of "Guard!").

I don't think any class mechanic has problems comparable to this, Ranger is bound to a pet that until he gets a reworking will always be bad because the problem is not in the specializations but at the base, he will be able to work well in PvE but in PvP / WvW where nothing has been done, nothing has changed, the problems have always been the same for 8 years.

I disagree, the necromancer shroud have been an issue in itself since release, Thiefs mechanic of stealth attack have been a balance issue since release as well, Elementalist attunment are to tied to the elementals traitlines and create quite a bit of issue as well, Mesmer is a total mess due to it's clone mechanic... etc.

The ranger's pet management was a lot better in the early game than it is right now. The pet used to be very usefull in WvW zergling in the early days, even for roaming it was good. Now, in the early days the way players played WvW was also very different than we do right now. You had to put on a fight to take over Towers and Keeps. I can recall clearly sending pets on enemy walls with "Guard!" to kill defenders and destroy siege machines (even 1 shoting squishy thiefs there with birds). Like I can recall just as clearly sending my pet down the walls the same way to destroy trebuchets/catapults thanks to the very long leash.

[Revolution.5409]

@Dadnir.5038 said:That's the kind of answer that make me wonder when you start playing ranger.

@Revolution.5409 said:

@Dadnir.5038 said:Bearbow was garbage compared to other professions both in terms of damage and utility, Warrior / Guardian / Mesmer / Elementalist were far better, a reminder of a time when the groups were made up of 4 Warriors and a Mesmer. XD

Bearbow was garbage, yes, but it wasn't the only build a ranger could play. The main issue was that players playing this peculiar build for 'convenience' ruined the reputation of the ranger as a whole. I have a hard time recalling 4 warriors and a mesmer, if it was ever a thing it didn't last long. A strong PvE meta that last quite a bit was 4 ele and a thief/mesmer.

Ranger became good in pve only after Anet changed two factors which in my opinion proved to be fundamental, the first was to change the way the pet was revived and the second to greatly increase all the HP of pets, this has allowed better management of pets during events, fractals etc.

Well, nope, if anything, when they increased the pet's vitality, they took away a part of it's damage and it hurted the ranger quite a bit in PvE. What made a difference is when they made it resistant to non targeted aoe damage in PvE (The need to do it was proof enough that they wasted their time years prior with the increased vitality on the pet). I should also say that the first time they nerfed "guard!" hurted a lot QoL in PvE. If anything I'd say that in term of management the pet was better in it's early day than he is right now (sure it gained survivability, but it doesn't really compensate the shorter leash, the loss of damage and the loss of the original version of

"Guard!"

).

I don't think any class mechanic has problems comparable to this, Ranger is bound to a pet that until he gets a reworking will always be bad because the problem is not in the specializations but at the base, he will be able to work well in PvE but in PvP / WvW where nothing has been done, nothing has changed, the problems have always been the same for 8 years.

I disagree, the necromancer shroud have been an issue in itself since release, Thiefs mechanic of stealth attack have been a balance issue since release as well, Elementalist attunment are to tied to the elementals traitlines and create quite a bit of issue as well, Mesmer is a total mess due to it's clone mechanic... etc.

The ranger's pet management was a lot better in the early game than it is right now. The pet used to be very usefull in WvW zergling in the early days, even for roaming it was good. Now, in the early days the way players played WvW was also very different than we do right now. You had to put on a fight to take over Towers and Keeps. I can recall clearly sending pets on enemy walls with

"Guard!"

to kill defenders and destroy siege machines (even 1 shoting squishy thiefs there with birds). Like I can recall just as clearly sending my pet down the walls the same way to destroy trebuchets/catapults thanks to the very long leash.

So what would be the alternative Builds to Bearbow?

Those changes were mainly aimed at PvP, Anet applied the same changes in all game modes.However it seemed to me an adequate compromise, greater vitality has nevertheless guaranteed more sustained damage by the pet, the only thing that I did not share was the modification on the leash.

And was it normal for a pet to do this? I do not think so.

I have never had problems with any of these professions and their mechanics.