valeran.3029

Let me amend this... IN GAME? GREAT community. IN FORUM? Kitten.

The one thing I've learned in my decades of gaming... is a lot of builds, especially in videos, are people with the best gear, best weapons... things MANY other players just haven't gotten yet. I ran into it in ESO where vids would purport great dps builds, soloing bosses, and when you looked into it, they had raid gear with the arena weapons... etc. So yes, I want to see a build with NORMAL level gear on a normal build before I'm all on board.

As a new player, what have I seen about the community? It's great. MOST are willing to help. Map chat isn't flooded with kitten. This is, frankly, one of the BEST communities I've seen in an MMO. It's ONE of the reasons I am not giving up on the game as the devs seem intent on murdering their own game.

Yes. Every "skill" only lasts a few seconds. From boons, to cc, with a cooldown timer that can be 30+ secs. So yes, taunt skills aren't different in that regard. They DO, however, bring aggro TO that class, even for the limited time. So yes, I agree that the taunt skills are more of a CC than actual taunt that holds aggro until broken. Yes. Tanking is relative in GW2 given that the aggro mechanic is all over the place... which... is one of the problems I highlighted and the wiki even confirms is all over the place. As for manipulation? How? I just ran an event on my lvl 74 (75 now?) ranger. It was a defense event. Veteran, Elite and Champion mobs as well as regular mobs. Wave after wave. Sure some of them went after high levels, high toughness, maybe even high dps... and too many of them came after me. What is different there between the current aggro mechanics and just having a set random if aggro doesn't matter, if it's so convoluted through the numerous systems that everyone is having aggro? As another person replied, it's about mobility, evasion, looking out for yourself with your heal, utility skills... Yeah... That heal is on cooldown. Mobility? Means kitten when archers are hitting you regardless of where you move to. Evasion? From who? That melee mob while the archer is STILL hitting you? "BUT BUT you have a heal" that is one shot then on cooldown. In that situation? You die. You go through your fight to survive mechanic, come up, heal goes on cooldown and you're plinked again... go down again. There is a difference between challenging and just flat out annoying because there is no aggro mechanic you can rely upon, no way to deal with the mechanics designed into the game other than just get higher level, higher gear, higher damage, to outlast that assault. "BUT BUT your skills!" Mean nothing when they have a 30+ second cooldown. I said it in the OP. There are good things I like about GW2. There are things I see in the game that are just bad design choices. SOME are horrendous choices the devs made.

That's actually interesting. I started an ele. I liked the feel of the combat it brought. I liked that you could swap on the fly between your elements, giving you access to aoe, heals, etc. But the damage vs time to cast? It just wasn't there. Add to it the squishy nature of ele's and I had to just give up on it in its current state.

Then why have so many mechanics for aggro and not just one: random aggro. Why were taunt skills implemented if there are no tanks?

Great question. If my car breaks, who am I going to listen to... the guy with 40 yrs experience fixing cars, or, the guy who picked up a wrench a year ago? With over 40 yrs of gaming, from PONG, to ZORK, to the first RPG Bard's Tale, through every console, every generation of computers, watching the evolution of gaming from 2d, to 3d, isometric to first person, the first MMO... yes, my experience is more grounded in gaming than someone who started gaming with CoD, or Fortnite, because they weren't there when gaming started, much less computer/console gaming. "Gw2 cater to a completely different pool of players then any of the games you mentioned." Really? And what "pool" of players is so different than any of the games I mentioned, much less any other game on the market now or in the past?

Ok. You can your head. WHY must a game, THIS game, have "balance" between the classes. These are classes btw, designed to fulfill roles in the game, which, btw, is also a game designed to be a classic RPG MMO. We KNOW this because the gameplay itself tells us so. I'll reference Human race for this... You create your character. You pick a race which determines starting area, story line. You pick your class, which each one can fulfill roles in the game; tank, dps or healer. Some are better at it than others. We KNOW they fulfill roles because you have raids, where you NEED these roles. You are given a starting quest. You are then led to the scout that tells you where each subsequent quest area is located. At lvl 10, you open your story line, and, are again led through each story chapter. So... WHY must a Guardian be balanced with a Mesmer? WHY. Tell me WHY this balance MUST exist in a classic RPG MMO where each class is designed to fulfill a role.

As a general reply to many of the responses concerning aggro in GW2, here is the wiki page on it. Aggro - Guild Wars 2 Wiki (GW2W) First, note that even in the wiki, there are numerous mechanics given, which, change the aggro. It states that TYPICALLY, the closest to the mob generates aggro, whether that is player or pet. Then states GENERALLY the pet should get aggro, BUT, some creatures have "unique" mechanics. It further states that the source that generates the highest threat in the meter gets aggro. So, which is it? Is the closest or highest threat? Or... both... because... oh wait... more aggro mechanics listed. Toughness is also listed as a threat mechanic. Whether you are close or ranged depending on mob. Amount of damage. Lowest character level (this is a WTF for threat). Side note; if there are no roles in GW2, WHY does the wiki itself refer to tanks and tanking? GW2 isn't as unique as some of the responses seem to think it is. And lastly... RANDOM aggro is listed. Because that is an actual mechanic for a mob... to randomly choose... along with every other mechanic, where to generate aggro. Ok. Great. So I found one of the creatures who had that unique mechanic? Quite possible. Also, quite annoying to a new player when a mechanic suddenly changes on them. Except, given the wiki on aggro, there are so many aggro systems to include random aggro that there may as well not be a system at all. I've sent my bear out using the "attack my target", and watch it hold aggro on some mobs. I've sent it out and had the mob ignore the pet to focus on me, which, guessing, is because I'm ranged (one of the mechanics). So, the mechanics implemented pretty much make the "system" of aggro useless. You MIGHT get aggro, might not, because if RANDOM is a mechanic, you invalidate the rest of your mechanics. This is a design issue implemented by the devs. "but but, GW2 is different!" Yes. It is. Because in most other games, you get A mechanic, learn A mechanic, and function with A mechanic you've learned. Not have several mechanics to include "we programmed our mobs to just attack whoever, for whatever reason, to also include being the LOWEST player and most easily killable". So. Again. Aggro in GW2 is a problem which as we see by the wiki is a design FEATURE by the devs that MADE aggro a problem. The devs DESIGNED the aggro systems to include targeting randomly AND the lowest player, with mechanics of swarms of mobs. Having raid bosses with individual mechanics players learn is one thing. Most every game does that and you learn as a player the mechanic for that raid. Having so many mechanics that they contradict each other for every mob, and including a system that targets the lowest player, is a mechanic that punishes new players with low level characters in an open world with high level characters jumping into fights.

Another of the Earth Elemental abilities is throw rock. Yeah. It tossed rocks at me.

1) Ok. So. A mob died in that spot. Another mob ran to that exact same spot, that I killed, and the first mob respawned in that EXACT same spot? Rightttttttt.... 2) It's more realistic that a mob being attacked by numerous players ignores them to attack another player? THAT is what you think is realistic? Ok. You have a guy punching you. Are you going to throw a rock at a guy standing off to the side doing nothing, OR, are you going to attack the guy punching you? THEN, tell me how realistic the combat is.... 3) So. If you're supposed to explore and find things, why does the overland map open up when you walk into an area? Why is THAT area different than caverns? Why not a total fog of war for all areas? See the problem with that? 4) If you have a balance problem with your core classes after TEN YEARS... you have a problem. Conclusion. Want to kitten off new players and lose player base. Tell them to go play another game.

It was in the Norn region, 60-70 map, as for what mob? Don't remember WHAT type of mob it was that instantly respawned... but, it's not like it was the only one. I've watched mobs go from instant respawn to taking maybe 15 secs, so, it's not like there is a set respawn time for every mob that is universal from what I've seen. I do remember that it was Earth Elementals in that map that ignored my gf/caregiver AND my pet bear to attack me, regardless if I was actually in combat with the mob or not.

1) I LITERALLY killed a mob and watched it INSTANTLY respawn in the same place I killed it. So yes, it does happen in game. That fast. 2) I realize there are no aggro mechanics. That is exactly what I said in my OP. I LITERALLY was standing outside of the aggro range where passing a mob would aggro onto me when my gf/caregiver ran in, engaged said mob, and it started shooting at ME because I was within it's firing range, but NOT in it's instant aggro range... and I was just standing there. THAT is a lack of aggro mechanic and a mob just randomly attacking whatever is within its range. 4) I've played WoW, FFXIV, ESO, SWTOR, LOTR Online, and those are just the one's I remember off the top of my head. After 40-something odd years of gaming... there isn't much I haven't played if it's an RPG game. And, as I stated in the OP, most of the "rebalancing" in MMO's I've seen is due to a fantasy RPG trying to shove pvp into a game that wasn't designed to have balanced classes. You know why CoD players complain about X gun that can be bought in the cash shop doing more damage and NOT class A isn't doing the same damage as class B? It was a game designed for pvp players. Fantasy RPG's with classes designed to fill a ROLE (tank, dps, healing) are not designed for each class to be balanced to each other class. They are designed to fill a ROLE.

"You do realize that as new Elite specs are brought online, certain "10 year old" traits may or may not need tweaking if they synergize too well with the new stuff, yeah? I have never not seen an MMO that doesn't need balance patches periodically as metas change or as new stuff is brought into the game." Again, if the new elite specs/skills break the "balance" of core class skills/specs, why was this NOT found during production? Why was this put out live, THEN had to get patched AFTER it was released? It's a matter of testing. X does this, and we are adding Y. What does Y do? How does it affect X? "One of the best ways they test balance is getting these builds in front of players, the number crunching min-maxers who can do insane stuff with classes to see how functional and / or broken they are. It's one thing to look at all those decimal values on the patch notes, but another entirely to see them and how they hold up in game. I imagine the balance testers at Arenanet are a small group of people, and thus it's a small sample size compared to the entirety of the game's population." Right. Because players can do what the production team can't? Like... TEST something? Ok. So basically, there is no QA, no testing team, and players are now the QA/testing ground? "It's also been Anet's pattern to make slight adjustments to numbers and values rather than over buffing/nerfing things and completely breaking a spec or a class. Small incremental changes until things get to a place the balance team find satisfying. As the saying goes, Rome wasn't built in a day. Balance can take some iterations to get right. Anet has already announced supplementary balance patches in the future, so honestly your best bet is to just take everything with several grains of salt and hold on for the wild ride that follows." Right. Slight changes. Over TEN YEARS? And by the dev's own patch notes and response by Grouch that balancing won't be done... like... ever... even after TEN YEARS... because... why? Because your response is exactly how it's being done now; make something, toss it out, let the players complain about (insert here), make a patch, then patch after more complaints, then more patches, rinse, repeat? Because in-house testing is non-existent? My gf/caregiver and I just left ESO. Why? Because every few months the nerf/buff hammer kept coming out from Zenimax based on what pvp'r screamed the loudest that X was OP. She and I had spent a few years in the game, grinding, farming gear, crafting, watching our toons get nerfed, buffed, re-nerfed, re-buffed... and finally had enough of it. In GW2, supposedly, it's not even a pvp issue... it's that they can't even balance the classes for the pve content... classes that are ten years old now. Is that what she and I have to look forward to in GW2? The same thing we JUST left ESO for doing? Because, as I said, you want to kitten your player base off, keep nerfing/buffing, re-nerfing/re-buffing, classes that players spend months and even years building, grinding, farming, etc.

Devs, While I'm new to GW2, I'm not new to gaming having played PONG when it released in '76 on home console and every RPG worth its salt on every console, pc, since that time. IE, I've been gaming for over 40 years. So, having jumped into GW2, what have I seen? 1) Insta-spawn. I get that with an MMO, you want mobs to respawn fairly quickly so players don't walk into a dead zone when they need to finish heart quests. But, when you kill a mob, start walking away, and it respawns behind you... putting you right back into instant combat... that is too fast. I've literally leveled after killing a mob, opened the reward tab, was looking at the choices, when the mob respawned and I had to just click SOMETHING to close it and enter combat. Your respawn time should be around 30 seconds giving players the time to actually act or move on. Having probably missed out on a reward I NEEDED because I had zero time TO look at the rewards before the mob respawned... yeah. 2) Aggro. Seriously. THIS is one of the largest problems with GW2. I have LITERALLY been standing there doing nothing as a mob was being attacked by THREE other players, but because I was "within range", it attacked ME. Really? Mobs will randomly just attack anything in range regardless of it is in combat with other players? That isn't even an aggro system. That is a LACK of an aggro system. At the MINIMUM, mobs should be coded to attack players that are actively engaged in combat over players that aren't. The same is true with the Ranger class and pet bear, of which I am running. The bear is engaged in combat with a mob. I'm at distance firing bow at mob. Mob is shooting at ME, totally ignoring bear, which, isn't that the TANK pet? You know... TANK... that thing in the holy trinity where you hold aggro of a boss, miniboss, etc, while the DPS can act? Sure. There is a distance set where a mob will aggro a passing player. I get that. But once that mob is engaged in combat with a player, it shouldn't just be randomly attacking anything in range. 3) Map. There needs to be a way to view the map of caverns. You have a map of the overland area, but, once you're in a cavern, suddenly all you can see is a little distance? Yes, this is a problem. Why? See #1. While you are wandering a cavern, trying to figure out where you are supposed to go, fighting mobs, they are respawning within seconds, making it a total slog to get through the cavern to where you need to go, instead of, you know, being able to open the map, and go to the spot you need. You LITERALLY set foot into a new zone and the ENTIRE zone of that area on the map opens. Bu, you can't see in a cavern you've walked into? 4) Rebalancing. GW2 is 10 years old. TEN YEARS. And the classes aren't "balanced"... after TEN YEARS? Really??? As for the new elite specs, skills, that "balancing" couldn't have been done during production? There was absolutely NO testing before they were launched? NONE? To SEE if they were balanced or not? Because you know what pisses players off? It's logging in and finding out a character you've spent months, if not longer, leveling and gearing, grinding out all you need, is suddenly nerfed because you didn't "balance" the class TEN YEARS ago. In most games, it's a pvp issue, because once a player dies, suddenly everything NOT them is OP. But, by your own release notes, some if not many of the changes for "balance" are PVE changes. Which... again... for core classes... is TEN YEARS old. And, again, by your own notes, it's an "ongoing issue"???? Because... why? And no. It's not all bad. There are good things I've seen in GW2. There are things that make me want to continue playing the game. But, after running through a particularly aggravating map, with insta-respawns, the mobs ignoring the pet tanking it and other players engaged in combat, forcing a run for survival? This, AFTER seeing that GW2 classes haven't been "balanced" in TEN YEARS, and, by your own notes, WON'T be "balanced". Yeah. That was almost a quit moment.