Make the Soulbeast aura completely fade away like the Untamed does

[Liewec.2896]

i'll sign this too, i have 30 characters, a fair few of those are rangers, i've got 2 melee ranger,

i've got a condi ranger, i've got a long range ranger, i've got a druid, an untamed and several core,

but i DONT have a soulbeast, because i can't stand the permanent green swirl.

and its a shame because i really like the playstyle of petless ranger, but the permanent visual effect is just so ugly, and i'm all about fashionwars!

[MagicBot.1570]

I'm surprised this ugly af vomit trail is still there after so many years of players complaining about it. I would legit enjoy the class more if Soulbeast didn't have this 

[TheLadyOfTheRings.9148]

On 8/10/2022 at 5:12 PM, Runechrome.8419 said:

Hello everyone,

Soulbeast is a fun spec to play, but I would like to make the suggestion of having the Soulbeast aura fade away completely just like the Untamed. Back in the beta for the Untamed, ArenaNet changed it so the Untamed aura faded away completely as it interfered with the players outfits. I would like to argue that the Soulbeast aura has the same issue. I like to create outfits based on frost, fire or whatever comes to mind really, and I doubt I'm the only one, but I feel like it's necessary to make a nature themed outfit to make my character look good as there's a constant green nature aura on my character. I think the aura hinders creativity when creating an outfit and expressing yourself. And I also think the aura can just be rather tiring to look at constantly.

Additionally, I would like to request the shining effect around the merge button (default F5) to also completely fade away when merged as the effect on the merge button doesn't match the rest of the effects. Some visuals on the skill bar can be pretty, but there are alot of visuals going on with the skill bar when merged as Soulbeast. Sometimes less is more, which I think ArenaNet have proven themselves through the Untamed spec, and I believe letting the effect on the merge button completely fade away will help making the skill bar visually pleasing with its other effects.

Thank you for reading! 🙂

I like the aura, don't want it to fade away. One thing I like about elite specs is differentiating them. If I'm a Soulbeast and not a Druid or Untamed or core Ranger, I want to see that difference somehow. Plus I like all the leaves and nature stuff around my character.

I think effects should be optional, so that players who like them can keep them, and those who don't can hide them. 

 

[Fueki.4753]

1 hour ago, TheLadyOfTheRings.9148 said:

I like the aura, don't want it to fade away.

That's why I want a client-side option to hide that effect.

That way, everyone who wants to hide it can hide it, while people who want to see it can see it. Everyone would be happy.

The way it is now, people who don't like it just have a worse experience when playing Soulbeast, or they don't play Soulbeast at all.

 

[Runechrome.8419]

I can understand if some players like the Soulbeast aura, which is fair. However, I would compare this to a Revenant being under the constant effect of the 'Mote of Darkness' infusion while playing Renegade (just an arbitrary example). While I personally think that infusion looks cool, I can imagine some people would dislike that look and feel forced into it if they wanted to play Renegade. Forcing visual effects on a character is not ideal, even if some players enjoy the effect. With 'Mote of Darkness' being an infusion, those who like it can use it, and those who don't can avoid it.

Regarding a client-side option to disable the Soulbeast Aura, I'm not necessarily opposed to it if it proves to be the solution that makes the most people happy. However, we also have to take into account that we're playing a MMO. For some players, designing their character's appearance is not just for their own view but also for how they represent their character to the in-game world. For example, if someone creates a fiery appearance for their ranger and thinks it looks great, it would be disappointing to find out that everyone else sees a leafy nature aura swirling around it.

Therefore, I believe it would be great if they made the Soulbeast aura fade like the Untamed aura does now, and they could then proceed to create an infusion with the Soulbeast aura, a similar nature-themed aura, or an item like the 'Mystic Chromatic Ooze.' This item could allow players to activate the Soulbeast aura, similar to how the Ooze gives the appearance of the quicksilver effect without equipping 'The Juggernaut' (the legendary generation 1 hammer). This way, the visual-effect aura wouldn't be forced upon the Soulbeast specialization, allowing players to enjoy Soulbeast without worrying about the impact on their character's appearance. For those who like the aura can make it part of their appearance by using it as an infusion, like most other visual-effect auras, or use an item like the Ooze.

I believe such a solution would also be easier to implement, as it would use existing game assets rather than creating an option setting for one class-specific visual effect. However, without seeing the game's code, only ArenaNet can determine which solution is easier to implement.

(And for those interested, I've attempted making the items mentioned into interactive links to the Wiki.)

[anduriell.6280]

Please, it's 2024 and we still have to deal with the screen noise that aura brings. 

Let it fade away after  few seconds, there is no reason why we can't use properly the cosmetic auras. 

[Lazze.9870]

On 6/9/2024 at 1:49 PM, TheLadyOfTheRings.9148 said:

I like the aura, don't want it to fade away. One thing I like about elite specs is differentiating them. If I'm a Soulbeast and not a Druid or Untamed or core Ranger, I want to see that difference somehow. Plus I like all the leaves and nature stuff around my character.

I think effects should be optional, so that players who like them can keep them, and those who don't can hide them. 

 

You don't need an aura to differentiate them. You have hundreds of fashion options.

I get liking the leaves that fade in and out. I don't get liking the off-tilted vines that surround the character. They're awful. Even if you like the concept, there is no way anyone actually think that thing looks good.

Edited June 26 by Lazze.9870

[TheLadyOfTheRings.9148]

1 hour ago, Lazze.9870 said:

You don't need an aura to differentiate them. You have hundreds of fashion options.

I get liking the leaves that fade in and out. I don't get liking the off-tilted vines that surround the character. They're awful. Even if you like the concept, there is no way anyone actually think that thing looks good.

Taste is subjective, isn't it? 🙂 That's why it's good to offer players options, to enable or disable visual effects depending on what they prefer.

[Aamu.3952]

Oh yes, I've been asking for this for years.

To those supporting the aura effect, even if you like it, the fact is you "had" to build your character around it. Most of us don't want that. You're free to design your character however you like, but I should also be free to do the same. If Untamed can have an aura fade, and some actual auras can have a checkbox, we should be able to as well.

If combat clarity is the issue for ANET, GW2 is so visually cluttered and chaotic that the soulbeast aura is entirely meaningless for combat clarity. The pet disappearing, turning into a green steam cloud, and flying to the ranger is a telltale enough sign of a merge.

[amymist.8674]

I agree! I find the aura pretty, but it really dominates the character- I definitely restrict my color choices based on what looks okay with the bright green.

As for combat clarity, I personally rely a lot more on my skill bar than my character model. I'm looking there to see my cooldowns anyway, and it's faster to parse.

[Lazze.9870]

On 6/26/2024 at 1:48 PM, TheLadyOfTheRings.9148 said:

Taste is subjective, isn't it? 🙂 That's why it's good to offer players options, to enable or disable visual effects depending on what they prefer.

Taste is subjective, but the those vines aren't even properly scentered on the character. They look kitten.

Like I said, I get liking the concept. But they just don't look good.

We're not gonna get an option to turn them off or on. So I say fade them out. You can differentiate your soulbeast in tons of other ways.

Edited July 1 by Lazze.9870

[Runechrome.8419]

I’m bumping this thread in hopes that the developers see it before the next skills and balance update, which is scheduled for this quarter according to the latest roadmap.

I still encounter what seems to be a bug where other Soulbeasts don't display their aura while merged. Although it might be a bug, I still prefer the reduced visual noise without the aura and wish this would be a permanent feature for all Soulbeasts, so it doesn't affect our appearance either.

I also took a screenshot of one of those cases, but I’m hesitant to upload other people's characters to the forum, and I’m also unsure how to upload images here.

Another bug I’ve noticed is with the skillbar, where the visuals are muted and partially gone when merged. Personally, I find this cleaner and less visually cluttered while still clearly indicating the merge state.

Lastly, the issue with the main-hand dagger’s green trail effect being stuck is still present. It disappears after using an ability but reappears with every auto-attack

[kharmin.7683]

Bumping threads is against the forums CoC

[Lazze.9870]

11 hours ago, kharmin.7683 said:

Bumping threads is against the forums CoC

Who cares? It's a fashion game, and this aura has been ruining it for 7 years now.

The devs need to answer this crime.

Edited September 2 by Lazze.9870

[Rocker.2906]

While we're on the topic of visual changes, I think Untamed could use a more clear indicator of when it has its ambush attack available. It's only a small icon on the boon bar, which is insane. 

[Runechrome.8419]

On 9/1/2024 at 11:40 PM, kharmin.7683 said:

Bumping threads is against the forums CoC

If that's the case, I must have missed it while reading the CoC, but I would argue I actually wrote a full-fledged comment rather than just writing something like "bump". Either way, it's not my intention to go against the CoC, so I'm sorry if it came off as such.

On 9/2/2024 at 10:48 AM, Lazze.9870 said:

Who cares? It's a fashion game, and this aura has been ruining it for 7 years now.

The devs need to answer this crime.

But I'll also have to agree with @Lazze.9870. It has been years since it has first been requested, and it's so high on my Ranger wishlist that I hope for this change more than other balance changes. As I've stated previously, it gets really tiring to look at all the time, but I want to play Soulbeast at the same time, as I find it to be such a fun spec.

And I want to have my hopes up for this change, as Ranger is my favourite class in this great game! But I must admit that I honestly also find it quite tough to keeping having my hopes up for every Balance Update Preview without any response from the devs on this matter, when it has been requested for so long, and when they have otherwise done such an excellent job with the Untamed aura. But I do still hope to see their response on this request in one of the upcoming balance previews or patch notes.

[Runechrome.8419]

On 9/2/2024 at 7:06 PM, Rocker.2906 said:

While we're on the topic of visual changes, I think Untamed could use a more clear indicator of when it has its ambush attack available. It's only a small icon on the boon bar, which is insane. 

While it's not directly the topic of this thread, I agree. It is rather hard to tell from the small indicator on the boon bar.

I was thinking it could get the same visual treatment as Firebrand got for their tomes. Meaning that the unleash button (default #F5) becomes red while the ambush attack is on cooldown, and it becomes green (like it is now) when the ambush attack is off cooldown and available.