[Camp Supervisor Dead -- Camp not contested???]

Yeah, like they said ogres/dredge/hylek/etc can kill the supervisor but cannot cap it.

[Thief able to Shadowstep inside keeps/towers and drag his party inside...]

I don't understand how the map bugs haven't been fixed, honestly. It is borderline impossible that noone has shown them how to do the obvious ones. If you read the forums it is mentioned about a billion times.

Genuinely baffling.

 

I don't see pugs do this often though. I really only see roamers use it to get people who play obnoxiously and run into towers and spam emotes from the wall... haven't seen it used much for PPT.

... But the potential is there, so its wild that none of that has been fixed.

[Cele Nerf Is Good - But don't get overzealous. We do like variety.]

If people are having trouble killing a minstrel person with their pathetic damage, consider revising your movement, skills, build or that the problem may exist between the keyboard and chair. If you feel entitled to winning vs larger groups without proper movement or 1vX tactics, there already exists a game mode where you can fight defenseless enemies and be the hero.

I like the challenge of having enemies that can actually adapt and do more than hurr durr damage. It feels more realistic and complete as a world, then.  I am not saying support and boonballs don't annoy me.. they do and they are far too safe and comfortable in some situations. Eliminating entire stat sets (other than cele, with its laughable ability to be even more stats than it was on paper, realistically) isn't the way forward though as far as fixing that. Making Anet actually put in effort and fix the problem is the solution. If they can make the mess, they can clean it up. No easy outs that hurt the game.

Also, allowing Anet to cut corners as far as balancing things has always historically gone so SUPER well for us. Would you seriously trust Anet in a surgery of that magnitude? They'd end up amputating your leg and even if its a diseased leg, thats a leg.

[Thoughts on anet nerfing other stats on armour in the future]

To be fair, that 30000 precision example can be used to buff other stats with food and certain traits (a warrior using wounding precision would then be maxed out on expertise for example) but I get what you mean.

One huge advantage of Cele is that the boon duration and precision translates into way more damage than it shows on the gear itself due to so many ways to turn crits and hits into might, which buffs the relatively small power and condition to a reasonable amount (and in some builds more than reasonable due to the games many ways to sorta move stats around in funky ways).

A hilarious example is instant 25 might with NO traits or weapon skills that grant might by simply taking superior+major strength sigils (which stack..)

Would otherwise be reasonable, but due to the excess of other stats and this allowing you to take other traits and weapons you otherwise might not, the benefit is clear. Which is why the cele change is good.. it was just way too flexible on too many builds and was able to give way more stats than it even should have on paper, and on paper it was already nutty.

------

As far as people supporting nerfing other gear simply due to it having survivability.. they have no damage or flexibility. If you can't kill those guys while they aren't able to fight back, maybe these competitive modes aren't your speed. If you are having trouble picking large groups, do what I do and just use scorpion wire (or whatever similar thing your class has but lets face it, most of you complaining about other sets are roamers like me so you have an equivalent skill or trait with this purpose) or follow them and wait for an opportunity. It is genuinely silly to expect our opponents to give up support playstyles just so we can get free kills for some dumb kill reel video. Kill their friends first or separate them. Fight like a lion. Separate the herd. Don't blame the game. And don't give anet an easy out to "balance" with less effort because we have all seen what that ends in.

[Cele Nerf Is Good - But don't get overzealous. We do like variety.]

I can't say the cele nerf is a bad idea. Needed to happen. Things couldn't have continued how they were.

Sidenote: I do think there is a (possible) simple solution to bridge some of the gaps that might occur due to some builds/classes that were actually intended for the stat choice - maybe introduce another stat that does include the other stats but with lowered stat total so they have two options. Cele -2 stat and Cele with all stat but less totals across the board. Come up with a new name for it, if so. Then the cele players can't really complain, I'd say. They can already just mix gear though so *shrug*. Not really my priority.

---

More importantly:

However, I do like build freedom in general and if I wanted the devs and meta to tell me how to make my build, I would be in spvp where you can generally tell what your opponent is running as soon as you see their class.

... So if other stats and build diversity start to disappear due to being overzealous with the new stat-per-mode tech, I will jet to other games. As it is, I already find it difficult to play the same class or build for long in this since I've been playing this game for a very long time so I get bored pretty fast. I don't get how people can play the same build/class for years.

I just wanted WvW fixed. Cele stuff is a step in the right direction. However, I do NOT want it to become boring, smooth brain sPvP. This is coming from someone who would technically benefit from being able to burst every target instantly out of stealth if everyone was glass.

I GREATLY enjoy the idea that I could be running a wide variety of things, and so could my opponent, with defensive or offensive playstyles. This keeps the game fresh with creativity. Cele made that far less likely though due to imbalance, so I support the nerf.

Past this point though, I would prefer CMC just doesn't mettle with anything because they will only make it worse like most things over the years. If the nerdsweats start complaining about more and more things and those things start to get unreasonable, kindly ignore them like most people in their lives do.

WvW lets you choose where you are, when you are there, and what you are doing there. We do overall like freedom as a playerbase. So don't start yeeting builds just because this was a homerun. Please understand WHY it was a homerun. Do not make the playerbase have to graph this out with crayons.

[CELE IS GETTING NERFED]

Cele nerf is good - I don't want build diversity to suffer though, as diversity and freedom of choice is part of why I like wvw. So avoid messing with other stuff for now, I'd say.

 

(Moved full post to own topic.)

[Please stop reseting wvw ability points]

Tbh, I would be pretty annoyed if I didn't have enough to purchase everything and had to remember individual things.

Yeah, a small button to just max everything that appears when you have enough for everything would make sense. Or they could just..

Check if points are higher than maximal needed to unlock everything -> set all categories purchased. Would be pretty easy to code.

It isn't really a priority though, but eh it would be nice. Presumably they have a code that fires when resetting, so I see no reason why they didn't take the couple seconds required to check if someone has enough points to just have everything and just fill all the categories since theres already code firing on every single character anyway or it wouldn't be reset.

 

That said I have the max character slots and I don't think I'm gonna end up busting a blood vessel each time I log into a new character or anything.. it doesn't take long. But Anet could have done it better for free so.

[cutting 10 man skills to 5! now going from 5 to 3..]

It takes too long to kill everything right now and a larger group can play much, much worse and win due to sheer numbers. It needs to go back to more skill play oriented with counters, movement mattering more and people prioritizing targets. Its a mess now. I want there to be plenty of builds that excel when hitting lots of braindead, stacked targets that are pressing 1 to keep them on their toes because numbers shouldn't make people so safe.

I'm pretty sick of downing a bunch of people then watching people stare at it, do nothing to cleave or finish, then rally them by dying and cause me to have to back off and regroup all because they are fighting hand holdy balance.

Bombs don't hit like they used to. Its a death by a thousand cuts usually. I don't find it fun.

[Where did the 50-man squads go?]

Bold of you to assume any of the people on most of these servers are more than flavor text and are genuinely capable of clouding rather than just rallying downs.

A few players have to do most of the work vs zergs atm and anet is making it like pulling teeth.

 

Large target cap skills and builds that do more damage with more targets (like burn guard) existed for a reason.

[Where did the 50-man squads go?]

Oh no, someone notify them! They all got buffed by the ever decreasing target caps. They should be on the warpath making the game boring for everyone so their fee fees won't get hurt by losing even when they have more players. It is an actual tragedy that they are not all logged in, partying and spraying graffiti over the last vestiges of this mockery of game balance. 😮

[What is your opinion on the nerf to Alacrity and Quickness support in WvW?]

Don't worry, dear boy, they just wanted to sell this to you: https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Relic_of_Rivers!

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence

[After losing t3 stuff with no siege in sight, can we get fixes for that?]

It is pretty telling that noone considers it a distant possibility that they could fix the map bugs. We know what kind of effort we will have put into us at this point and if it goes beyond changing a few numbers in a spreadsheet and isn't to sell an expansion it is a far-fetched notion.

[cutting 10 man skills to 5! now going from 5 to 3..]

They have consistently given large boonball zergs the <vigorous enthusiasm> lately. It won't change until the gamemode dies or the balance team gets <unhired>.

 

Something something, when the zerglings chased a smaller group on the beach, it only showed one set of footprints in the sand.

The zergling asked: "why am I alone?"

The answer was, CMC was carrying all 30 people. They were never alone.

I cri every tiem.

[Things that would make me scream, "shut up and take my money Anet!"]

I want a bunny pet or a jackalope. Whichever.

I'd give them 5 bucks to replace the entire balance team with go-getter street urchins of average intelligence but with fire in their hearts.

[So what happens to Rifle now?]

I have developed a method for figuring out anets next move as far as these things go. I will share it with you, so that you can also become somewhat of a psychic.

Base game weapon or trait? It will be made as non viable as possible so they can sell expansions.
Does it add build diversity but not sell expansions? Nerf, baby, nerf, nerf, nerf. They need space in their brains for (poorly) balancing the new things they are selling in expansions.
Does it have an important role in WvW? WvW doesn't sell enough expansions.. so make random changes so that they can say they made changes here.

Now, you too can see the future.

[Achievment unlocked: BUTCHERING Spear]

I don't think Anet knows why they are making any of the changes Anet is making. I'm not even sure most of the balance team knows what the other members of the balance team are doing.

[Spear - how to use it?]

Here are the instructions for WvW-
WvW: Encourage Anet to replace balance team so it becomes viable.

[Spear in WvW after expansion]

Its damage is bad and I told everyone it would be.

What if anet used chatGPT or something to listen to their players for them, since its clear effort is too much to expect?

ChatGPT might have also caught that unsuspecting strikes was already a thing and renamed unsuspecting strike.

[What's up with Burning?]

They just nerfed permeating wrath when.. boonballs already were surviving poor decisions and standing in circles they shouldn't have and getting away with it.

Absolutely smooth brained change.

Especially when adding some other things to the game that are way more busted.

They need to hire someone with a clue.

I'm getting concerned about the games longevity if they keep making decisions on a whim.

Doesn't make much sense unless just want to encourage selling expansions by eliminating the last few viable(ish.. not really... but eh) core builds from WvW.

Pet classes and braindead clears and other hand holdy things had already nerfed that build to the point it required more effort to play than many alternatives, and it was intended (by the old anet that thought things through) as a counter to large groups so smaller groups could have a fighting chance and to discourage stacking and mindless placement. They are effectively solidifying zergs winning by just stacking. I'm baffled by the sheer myopic lack of foresight.

 

A burn guard should be a threat to a large group and should be something they want to prioritize. That is how it was intended by the people that balanced the game back when it had better balance. Think it through...

 

I'm genuinely considering writing a breakdown of some of the decisions they have made for various classes that they then had to fix later when they made things worse so that people can see the whole "we introduced rats to the island but the rats have multiplied and then we introduced cats and now several keystone species are dead" type balance that is going on here. Why do you think some of the new stuff from the *shocker* expansion they are selling is so silly broken?

They never go after specs that sell expansions.. they go after stuff thats viable otherwise or is off meta to kill build diversity. They do that because adding so much stuff so fast to the game with barely any thought makes it hard for them to do their job we are paying them for of balancing the game. So yeet build after build so that they can make room for some new expac stuff they rushed. Thats the rub.

 

Some stuff on guardian probably did need a nerf.. but this surely wasn't it by a longshot. It lays bare the sheer misunderstanding they have of the game they are developing and makes it clear that the foundation is crumbling.

[Janthir Wilds Spear Beta Event Feedback: Thief]

Check the website, https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/sharp-lessons-spear-beta-feedback-update/

 

Explanation:

Losing spear mobility on thief is gonna suck. How can we brawl if we can't catch up with the target? During beta, keep in mind we could easily catch target to apply that subpar damage. Which will not be the case now, so what damage is there (especially if nerfed) will be stretched much thinner. We ain't killing any of the brawler builds on this. D/P has a -teleport- for this reason. Having a very unreliable lunge just doesn't seem like a good tradeoff to me. Like, we go from d/p superspeed, immediate stealth with no real chain, and even teleporting to target to... less reliable lunge with no actual damage, especially if they are nerfing damage even more like they said. Not having a target for the lunge was kinda ideal since you only stop lunging when you actually hit them. RIP.

Again, thief should have more mobi, as well as more reliable mobi, than willybenders. Yet they have more, and they hit like a truck. I feel like I am cheating when I use willbender. You get every boon, for days. Infinite sustain. Tank hits like a boss. Endless group utility. Basically everything cleaves.

 

[Janthir Wilds Spear Beta Event Feedback: Thief]

They are changing it to unusable trash it appears. With no mobi we just gonna die if we use it. I prefer stealth, damage and perma superspeed. Duh.

Maybe they should put some of those block puzzles at the office to help sharpen up staff.

[Janthir Wilds Spear Beta Event Feedback: Thief]

From a wvw perspective:

As I stated before - the thief mobi should be better than willbender as willbender has passive defenses, hits like a truck and endless group utility. 

Initiative, as someone stated, is not the issue - you would still be doing rather useless stuff and losing most tradeoffs because skills take time to use.

The mobility on 3 is a good thing and defines the weapon, despite being rather an edge case (some tuning might make sense, but do not go overboard). 

Keep in mind, that.. again.. On my thief, I could be vanishing with a dodge into stealth that clears immobs and while having permanent superspeed.. while ducking in and out of stealth for the entire time I am using my mobility.. We already have a more problematic form of mobility than a perfectly visible thief dashing around out of stealth, if you think of it that way. The fact some other classes can keep up with us now while retaining all the benefits of their class is a -bad- thing because those classes keep tons of class mechanics, damage, support and other options we don't get. Plus, half the classes get skills specifically designed to delete our class mechanic. Where is my skill that disables clones or other class mechanics?

Nerfing the mobi too much on this will make it harder to really be used as a brawler weapon of any kind (not much damage in competitive.. at least it can be reliable when we aren't forced to dodge through giant condi pulsing aoe fields every profession poops out just for existing?).

Nerfing the mobi, in fact - will make the fact it cannot benefit from the speed from shadow arts or relic mean its slower than a weapon that grants stealth, while gaining -nothing- as an advantage over the faster options. Even in its current state, its not enough damage to justify using and the speed is only really able to keep the user alive.. which a simple stealth field and bound or dagger 2 would have already provided as an option. Speed relic isn't even enough these days considering the sheer mobi that is in the game. To actually hit a target, you need to be able to get into its range.

If you want to make thief slower... why not get rid of some of the ridiculous stuff out there such as builds that can do this:

1. Mesmer builds that can make endless clones (which really make you fight the ui and your mouse targeting keys instead of your opponent, if you think about it), untarget for the clones, outrun you, teleport, stealth and then are able to block everything repeatedly all on a rotation that leaves very little chance for any decent opening and doing far, far more damage and to more targets. Utterly incomprehensible why something is allowed to do that much damage and then chain sustain enough to survive like 6 people chasing them across the map. If thief deserves a nerf, surely this deserves to be gutted? Especially considering that half these builds are designed to be able to burst people down -while- kiting and so if disengagement is your issue, imagine if the thief was also hitting you in an aoe like a truck while it was escaping.

2. Willbender, which can outrun thief, does insane amounts of damage for very little investment whether by traits or skill use, will probably be in cele gear in all likelihood (even in power gear they get plenty of sustain, though), has huge benefits in group play and is borderline immortal unless the willbender wastes their skills or picks off more than they can chew. On guardian, I can teleport into the middle of a large group and do a burst and reasonably expect to see multiple downs, whereas a thief might have to worry about just existing in a large groups range due to the sheer amount of damage everything does in an aoe by existing these days. When I hop onto my guardian there is literally no situation where people don't want me. Zergs, smallscale, 1v1? Willbender or another guardian subclass is not only viable, but ideal. Why is it also so fast, if not the fastest?

Its good we can catch those guys with spear. Considering thiefs supposed role.. its a bit ludicrous that hasn't always been the case.

[Janthir Wilds Spear Beta Event Feedback: Thief]

I like it. It does feel like less damage than maybe is best in wvw in 2024 considering everything thats out there now (willbender is still just insane to play, especially with certain builds I won't mention).. but the mobi on this weapon and options make up for it lacking beefy damage and brawlers gotta brawl. I like that it doesn't eat up all the initiative because realistically it can't if you expect us to brawl with classes that have near infinite cooldown loops/rotations and the ability to clear all our condis immediately by plonking out tons of fields and blasting them while simultaneously giving us every condi in the game. I think the fact it has good mobi is important considering it is expecting us to be a brawler playstyle - stealth being locked behind as much as it is with this means we need that. It is nice to at least feel its possible to win without stealth and porting shenanigans.

I like that thief can be as fast/faster than willbender again. As it should be. Do not overnerf the mobi - it would kill the weapon entirely if it becomes slow.

Don't forget what we give up on this - do not forget that we COULD be doing that escape with a teleport, stealth (leaving them unable to know where we went) and double stacked aoe group superspeed using the relic which we lose access to by using a limited/conditional stealth weapon. On dagger/pistol it was 5 then bound dodge or 2 for them to just stop being able to see us and then we could escape just fine with no recourse.

Still, I will feel more generally effective on my stealth build or pistol/pistol or a bunch of other thief builds.. even scepter condi is going to be better damage ultimately despite not being a brawler and being able to still have stealth on bound if I really want it to.

So yeah, basically what I'm saying is I might use it for fun sometimes or as a backup mobi weapon. I think if anything it might need to be tuned up, and I don't consider the mobi to be particularly all that problematic... though I know people will complain. The more I thought about it though, its fine. Especially considering the power creep on other classes such as guardian getting to be faster than us while hitting like a truck to 5 targets, being tough as nails and having zerg and group utility.

Its an ok weapon. It opens up a (possible) playstyle, so mission accomplished as far as that. Other brawlers are still a problem for us, especially tanky ranged condi spam stuff that is everywhere now.

[10. Treachery - Boss disappeared at 20% HP making the entire fight impossible to complete]

Happened to me. Please add more checkpoints if you won't QA because this dialogue is exhausting.

[Thief's new axe is poorly designed]

It had a niche before the range "fix". Yet pets and traps on other classes got no such fix and still use the same two ranges we used on axe before that fix.

Range 1 (placement). Player -> location for trap.

Range 2 (attack of entity toward other player): entity -> targets players range.

Having a very high range between player and the traps functionality is what everyone else gets. It was fine. It wasn't capable of one shotting, and it was incredibly telegraphed and easy to dodge, especially compared to a stealth burst with a portal back.

Other classes such as DH and ranger can use their traps at a range with forethought just fine. But we can't because anet couldn't get a clue if you put them in a mystery isekai for babies.

In other words, thief is not having to play by the same rules as everyone else even though axe was very, blatantly designed as a mini trap weapon to be used to set people up for bursts and that -should- include bursts at range since the player had to be in range of the location the axe would land and the axe had to be in range of the target when bursting.