PaladinVII.1647

(Insert fowl language of a subject matter of A.net's incompetence and telling the player base to 'git gud, nub.')

I just tried it with an organized discord group. We got it to 10% then she swept left to right multiple times preventing us from dps. Beating the boss is RNG locked with no margin of error to get said RNG. Whoever tested this should be sacked.

Thank you very much! That was counter-intuitive. I was expecting a specific keybind listing for said commands. I see now that it makes sense that it is additional profession skills as it is above the toolbar. Thank you very much again, Chaba.5410

Am I blind or are there no keybinds for the titular commands for your mech? I think I saw that A.net intended to keybind those keys, but can't remember the details.

Problems: No keybind for "Attack my Target." Why did you remove it without giving a replacement keybind? Similar problem with the new ranger elite specialization. No keybind for "Return to me." Why did you remove it without giving a replacement keybind? Similar problem with the new Ranger elite specialization. Very little condition cleanse. Elixir C, Healing Turret, Healing Kit, and Rocket Boots are the only skills that remove conditions and in the case of Elixir C, it loses the toolbelt cleanse as well. No new skills, traits, or golem command skills remove any conditions from the engineer. The engineer is limited to sigil of cleansing for condition removal and must have a Kit skill to benefit from it as this elite specialization does not remove the engineer's limitation of 1 weapon equipped in combat. Healing Kit's heal skill is removed as it was a toolbelt skill. Whoever thought that was a good idea does not know how this game is played. Every class gets a heal skill to heal themselves with, that is universal. Summary: Unplayable in its current state because of being unable to quickly, through a keybind, command your mech to attack a specific target or return to you. This complaint also applies to the new Ranger Specialization. I am unwilling to further test these specializations due to this issue.

The charm of SAB is the nostalgia factor. I would like to see a new world, but one filled with easter-egg style nods to videogames of yore.

Will you be looking at the Thicc breakbars on the map or are they working as intended?

I ran the program and it started a small pre-launch update. Then it halted right there after applying a small pre-launch update at the pre-launch update screen. It said something to the effect of "GW2 can not access its archive file .dat. Please confirm that the file can be read and written. Closing that popup window showed the pre-launch updater saying to check my internet connection (4) or something. After resetting my computer and finding no change, I moved the .dat file to the desktop. The application then downloaded files via the pre-launcher and is now downloading files from the login screen proper. I am assuming this means the problem has corrected itself and am posting this here for developer review and as a potential solution for others with the same problem.

You bring up an excellent point. I suggest diminishing returns on conditions and boons. Condition / boon application 1 through X (where X is an amount to be determined fair, such as 5 stacks of stability or 5-10 stacks of bleed) will be at 100% duration, effect Y application of the same effect will be at decreased duration. Example : Subject applies 5 stacks of Stability through Stand Your Ground. This Subject then stands on a stability road from a Revenant using the Dwarf Legend. The pulsing stability has its duration reduced by say 10%. Subject then has 6 stacks of stability and is effected by another Stand Your Ground, bringing the stability count up to 11. The third application of Stability is reduced in duration by 50% or more. I suggest including a checksum to ensure that each condition / boon has a duration of at least 1 second if it has a duration over 1 second.

That is my question as well. Is this a new direction the company is taking? Is this why A.Net has hinted that they may be moving away from expansions? I'm even more worried now.

They really brought the BAND back to WAR BAND!

Sneak Gyro: I agree with the change to 60 seconds for sneak gyro. I feel that is justified without going too far. Good job. If my suggestion helped decide this, I thank you and vow to be less cynical in the future as gratitude for listening. Purge Gyro and Superior Rune of Antitoxin: If the interaction between Antitoxin and Purge gyro was the concerning factor, then other skills could replace this problem: Elixer gun 3 and 5, Medkit 3. Engineers traited in Inventions (Anticorrsion Plating) so that protection they apply removes conditions; remove 3 conditions in an aoe on heal skill use (1 from Cleansing Synergy, 1 from Reconstruction Enclosure triggering Anticorrosion Plating, 1 from Antitoxin. This same combination would also remove 6 conditions in an AOE mobile water field for scrappers traited this way with Reconstruction field. I believe the problem lies only with the Superior Rune of Antitoxin. I did not see the power of that rune set. This runset would also be used by tempests overloading water or using ether renewal for personal denial of all conditions. Thieves would also benefit with the shadow arts trait Shadow's Rejuvenation. I say that this runeset is too powerful for support condition removal. I recommend an ICD of 5 seconds but no more than 10 seconds. Every 5 seconds, when you would remove a condition, remove an additional condition. This skill can effect multiple targets before initiating the cooldown. This holds precedence with other runesets that have ICD's on their T6 ability. This also would still make the runeset useful, especially at a 5 second ICD which would give just enough time to get one cleanse skill off at a bonus before moving to the next. Most mass condition removal skills have a use duration under 5 seconds, allowing each skill a chance to get a small boost as was likely intended in the initial redesign of the rune set. This would also encourage more use of blast finishers in light fields by users of this rune set, to get a 2 aoe blast cleanse instead of just one. If the change is made as presented, I doubt the runeset would be used at all except perhaps by a few organized groups. With the proposed ICD change, I believe the rune set will still see use without being overpowered. Alternatively, the rune set could be reworked to be selfish. When you would remove a condition on yourself, you remove one additional condition. (Possible ICD) As the problem with the rune set is mass condition cleanse, this may alleviate the balance concern. Holographic Shockwave: Yes, please! For what it does, compared to the warrior burst hammer bash, it has a rediciousaly huge aoe! Chemical Field and Detection Pulse: I again suggest that Detection Pulse have some additional usage beyond stealth removal. Please consider comparing it with the ranger skill "Sick 'em" which does the same thing, but single target, but also gives a damage buff for your pet or yourself if merged with your pet as a soulbeast. I recommend an application of vulnerability or weakness for the theme of the skill, or go for synergy with the scrapper trait Expert Examination and have Detection Pulse apply a short daze - but that can be dangerous as it would be an aoe intterupt; but then again, it would be unique that way and always useful; I'd recommend reducing range to 600 in turn if this suggestion is considered. Alternatively, Detection pulse could do the following:Reveal targets in a large area. For X seconds, when you damage a foe, you apply 1 stack of vulnerability for Y seconds. (Possible ICD) Either way, I do not suggest simply re-inserting the skill as it was seen previously. As previously stated, it does not work in PvE, even on the rare monsters that use stealth. Its use is focused so that it is either useless the majority of the time, and slightly useful in rare situations. The skill should always have some benefit to the player if the player is to consider it a part of their build. As previously discussed, Chemical Field was useless and I have no problems with that skill being replaced with Detection Pulse - as long as the above is considered.

I am a main engineer nearing 10,000 account hours. My primary game mode is WvW small group havoc. Chemical Field : Replacing this with detection pulse sounds plausible. Chemical Field is useless. It is a literal waste of time to use. The only situation it has use is to slow reviving of players near you, which is better served by just cleaving your target. That said, Detection Pulse is equally useless. It has a very specific use (mass removal of stealth) and nothing beyond that. It also does not function in PvE even against the few enemies that do use stealth such as jaguars. If Detection Pulse is re-introduced, it must have some other purpose, such as the application of vulnerability and or weakness. Compare the skill with "Sick 'Em," which has a damage boost. Purge Gyro : I see no use of this skill in WvW and no precedence for reducing its functionality. I used it and found the condition removal to be sub par. It removes 1 condition a second in a game mode where constant condition pressure can be applied. There are better condition cleanses that are more potent and equally mobile (Mesmer Mantra of Cleansing, Mallyx Revenants, Any Guardian Build, etc, etc, etc.) The argument that it is a mobile light field that could be blasted for condition cleanses is equally ludicrous. Guardians pollute the battlefield with so many light fields that it is difficult to find a place to combo a different field. I suggest leaving this skill alone, it is in adequate place. It's not great, but it's not terrible either. Sneak Gyro : I believe that an increase to 60 seconds can be justified when the skill is compared to Mesmer Mass Invisibility. This would make Mesmers traited in Manipulations be competitive for group stealth (60s / 48s traited stealth for Mesmer, 60s compared to current 45s Sneak Gyro). I do not feel that 75s is justified with Mass Invisibility in its current state. Feedback on Proposed Changes : Changing Chemical Field into something useful would make me consider the skill again, the proposed changes to Purge Gyro would again make me disregard the skill as useless. My Gameplay would not change if these proposals came to pass, I would still not use Purge Gyro or its counterpart toolbelt skill. I would still occasionally use Sneak Gyro over Supply Crate on my Engineer, the class has few good elite skill options. The consequences I see from these changes would be the few who use Purge Gyro would stop using it and replace the skill with something else; Fumigate from the Engineer's Elixir Gun might be used more, if it was not already used in conjunction with Purge Gyro as a support condition cleanse Scrapper. A large, unprecedented increase in cooldown to the Sneak Gyro I forsee causing Scrappers to again play other classes in WvW. Engineers fill few roles in WvW, the Sneak Gyro gave them a place. The power of the Sneak Gyro is potent, but comparable to Mass Invisibility. It should be competitive with that skill, not better or worse. Finally, I wish to continue to admonish whoever has been handling the balance of the Engineer. I do not know why you have a clear vendetta against this class, but please stop. You turned Flamethrower 2 into a soggy pasta launcher - the only other attack skill the kit has - and in the underwater update, the Flamethrower was again passed up for underwater use, continuing the tradition of having a useless build if a Flamethrower focused engineer sets foot in water. Now this nonsense is proposed to reign in Purge Gyro which probably sees no use, swap in what way the associated toolbelt skill is situational and usually useless, and incentivize Scrappers to once again play another class in WvW. I know how cruel this sounds, but I was honestly hoping whoever has been responsible for these nonsensical and inconsistent balances updates was among those laid off. At least you are giving an illusion that the players have some say in your upcoming changes - I do not think for one moment, based on past precedence, that any feedback will be considered and that the proposed changes will be implemented no matter what is said. As I said, precedence says otherwise, change my mind.

We needed to hear that the game is alive and well. There has been a lot of negative going in in Guild Wars 2 lately. Mount skins. You added randomization when people wanted pick and choose. You set the price at obscene levels. $20 for a single skin is Electronic Arts level of gouging.The two toxic developers that were fired. Their names are not even worth mentioning.The huge layoffs.Developer commentary that seems to indicate that Living World may replace expansions. I bought this game because A.Net chose the Expansion model of funding. If you switch to gemstore marketing, season passes, Saga passes, whatever, I will say you are no better than EA, Bethesda, and 2k. What we needed to hear, on stage, was that after season 5, or whatever you want to call it, there will be an expansion. That was what we needed and you failed to deliver. That tells me you have something working in the back that players may not like, such as a new monetization scheme. If you are going that route, stop now and go back to what works.

Sad to say, I believe you are correct.

If you intend to introduce expansion level content in the living world, how do you intend to monetize the game for sustainability? Will the game still have expansions?Are you going to further rework underwater combat?Are you going to introduce an underwater mount? (Related note: My engineer is built around the flamethrower, yet I can not use the flamethrower underwater. I also do not get separate traits underwater, making all my flamethrower specific traits useless in water. Will this be addressed?)

The original post links to A.Net's youtube, not twitch page.

Another thought: You gain 5 pulses of barrier and take a portion of damage from nearby allies. Gain additional barrier each time damage is shared in this manner.

That's a solid idea for discussion. You gain a set amount of barrier if solo. It applies barrier to allies. It applies more barrier to yourself and allies the higher the number of allies in the well, limit 5.

Regarding the end of the episode and season: What would happen to the server if all the players on the map were on top of the moving airship on the new map? How much of a strain on the server is it to have a moving airship and a moving brandnado? How taxing is it having these large moving objects with collision on the map? Map is awesome, but what are the chances we will be seeing a non-lane based map meta in the future? This has been done quite a bit - Marionette / Silverwastes / Auric Bason / Dragon's Stand / etc and now Dragonfall. I realize this may be difficult to come up with a new winning map mechanic, but I do have one suggestion. A tiered system where the players start off alone and if they succeed in a trail, move forward merging with another random successful player. If they fail, they get dumped back down to the starting solo tier to try again. Players at the top tier fight a boss or something. An idea for discussion. There are now 8 mounts. The community has made some excellent mount overlay systems that link multiple mount keybindings to one keybind and a overlay to select between them. Is there any chance we can have an official overlay like this? I ask because we are still missing the underwater mount; with that added there will be 9 keybinds for mounts. Suggestion going forward on map design: if the map requires the players to run about, allow them to run. What I mean, is that when (Map Meta Conclusion)

Abstract (TL;DR) : This is a study on (nearly) all utility skills that provide health / second. Barrier is counted as health / second for this study. No other skill features are counted, only the cooldown or count recharge is used to determine health / second. The health / second of Bulwark Gyro is 438.4 while the average of the other skills (Excluding Bulwark Gyro) is 107.1088. Bulwark Gyro should be reworked so it does the following: Grant barrier to yourself and allies each pulse (400-520 base, 5 pulses). Main body of Study: I did some math to compare health per second with utility skills (Excluding the oddity of the Revenant Centaur Tablet). Health per second in this study counts barrier as healing. This study does not consider casting time or aftercast delay (which should really be included in the skill tool tips if it's going to be a thing), only count recharge or skill recharge are used to determine health / second. I do realize these skills do other things, but those other features are not within the scope of this study. Sanctuary (Guardian)----------------------------------------------------41.76Merciful Intervention (Guard)------------------------------------------58.6Bow of Truth (Guard, count recharge)-------------------------------139.2Signet of Renewal (Ranger)-----------------------------------------------62Glyph of Alignment (Druid)--------------------------------------------129.25Shadow Refuge (Thief)---------------------------------------------------147.916Signet of Water (Elementalist)--------------------------------------------97Stone Resonance (Weaver, Count Recharge, Barrier “heal”)------106.9Signet of the Locust (Necro, counting 5 targets)--------------------250Sand Swell (Scourge, Barrier “heal”)-------------------------------------46Serpent Siphon (Scourge, barrier “heal”)-------------------------------59.48Super Elixir (Engineer, Elixir Gun Kit)----------------------------------147.2AVERAGE HEALTH PER SECOND UTILITY SKILLS ------------>>> 107.108833333333 Bulwark Gyro (Scrapper, Barrier “heal”)----------------------------438.4 As you can see, The scrapper's Bulwark Gyro is COMPLETELY BROKEN. It even exceeds the healing skills available to the engineer in health per second (AED on Lethal Damage (399) and Healing Turret pickup after casting (367)). The skill also goes against its design intent. The idea behind the skill is to use it next to allies who are under fire to mitigate their incoming damage. The reality of this skill is that if a scrapper tries that, they die more often than not. Therefore, a scrapper has a conflict of interest and is best suited using this skill away from allies so that the damage sharing component does not activate. If I were to balance this skill, I would rework the skill so that it applies 5 pulses of barrier (no initial barrier) to the scrapper and allies in the radius. Remove the damage transferred to the Scrapper feature. The barrier would start at 520 / pulse. This would put the health per second at 130, making it high, but comparable to Glyph of Alignment. Another good point for comparison is the weaver's Stone Resonance, which gives 106.9 health/second in barrier. Examining that skill, I would not drop the base barrier / pulse below 400, as this puts the skill at 100 health/second in barrier, which would be equivalent to the Weaver's Stone Barrier. Also, looking at this list, it is clear some other skills need some buffs as their health / second are WAY below the average. Looking at the data, the top two skills (Shadow Refuge and Super Elixir) heal about 147 health / second, but require standing in an AoE. This has me scratching my head when I look at the lowest health / sec skill Sanctuary which is only 41 and requires standing in an area; even with the CC component that skill still seems really REALLY low. Note, I am a main engineer with over 9,000 hours logged in game; half is on my engie. I really hate recommending nerfing my class as there's a developer at A.net that seems to have it out to make my flamethrower a soggy pasta launcher (Flamethrower 2); however, this really is broken.

While I am disappointed Aurene's death was not left to stand, I am pleased with how her resurrection was handled. That was VERY clever storytelling.The new map is AMAZING.The story was really short. Good, but short.The final fights were, to be honest, poor quality. "Use Plot Device To Win" mechanics are bad. I was happy to see that there were 3 fights in the end that we could not use our OP spears of "Use your Limit Break to Win," but those fights were pushovers. Please look at adding a bit more challenge to final fights. The battles with Mordremoth and Balthazar were much more satisfying and challenging. Don't get me wrong. The release as a whole was enjoyable enough to give this a pass, but please don't do this again. This was reminiscent of the Zaitan fight. Give us fights we can actually lose if we're watching Anime on the other monitor.I am excited to see FoW, Underworld, and Melandru areas, but... Please stop repeating Marionette / Silverwastes / Auric Bason / Dragon's Stand map metas. Yes, they are nice. But I would like to see some innovation beyond lane 1, 2, or 3 in the future. There has got to be a way to do a mapwide meta that does not funnel people into lanes, or at least does so in a more organic manner. I realize this is asking for something innovative when I have no suggestions on how to do so, but there just has to be some other way to have an exciting map meta, don't you think?There are now 8 mounts and we are still missing an underwater mount that will likely bring it up to 9 at some point. Please look at some of the Radial mount selection mods that the community has made and create an official one for the game.Looking forward to seeing where this is going in season 5.

Looking forward to this! Now to go to sleep for 5 days and wake up on release! :D

I don't have any suggestions, but I do want to say that what you are doing is good for the game. Keep it up.

I like how "Bouncy Chest" has become an official term!