Meet the virtuoso

[Salt Mode.3780]

Next time a suggestion for a trailer is go against mobs that are actively attacking you rather then standing still while you cast and do nothing, pretty sure even raid bosses will not allow you to just stand there and cast.

 

Suggestion is for other espec trailers cuz obviously the virtuoso is out.

Edited August 11, 2021 by Salt Mode.3780

[Kaioh.7598]

Salvage this kitten by giving us offhand dagger too please 😢

[Nephalem.8921]

7 hours ago, Salt Mode.3780 said:

Next time a suggestion for a trailer is go against mobs that are actively attacking you rather then standing still while you cast and do nothing, pretty sure even raid bosses will not allow you to just stand there and cast.

 

Suggestion is for other espec trailers cuz obviously the virtuoso is out.

If you want to show the attacks of new enemy types sure but the way did it is better for showing off new animations which was the whole point of that video.

Edited August 11, 2021 by Nephalem.8921

[Sodeni.6041]

For a second I thought they have a second dagger in the video but it was only a focus...

 

Can we just get a second dagger PLEASE? Virtuosos are supposed to be the masters of daggers and it's a shame that no offhand-weapon is really fitting for Virtuoso. Just put one of the AOE utility skills on dagger #5 and reuse the phantasm from the downed state for dagger #4. It's for the sake of the theme of this elite spec and to have more off-hand variety.

[Salt Mode.3780]

1 hour ago, Nephalem.8921 said:

If you want to show the attacks of new enemy types sure but the way did it is better for showing off new animations which was the whole point of that video.

When the Virtuoso was first announced it was displayed on a dummy, that in itself is already showing and displaying the animations. A trailer that has mobs in it should display actual practice of the skill itself not just skill animation, both chronomancer and mirage trailers both displayed this.

 

Whereas the Virtuoso is literally a mob standing still doing nothing allowing you to free cast, its no different then using a dummy.

 

 

Edited August 11, 2021 by Salt Mode.3780

[Heika.5403]

9 hours ago, Salt Mode.3780 said:

Next time a suggestion for a trailer is go against mobs that are actively attacking you rather then standing still while you cast and do nothing, pretty sure even raid bosses will not allow you to just stand there and cast.

 

Suggestion is for other espec trailers cuz obviously the virtuoso is out.

They have done the single thing they can do for sell the Virtuoso, show its flashy and pretty animations and show the highest numbers possible in the first look. If they would have tried to kill a decent sPvP bot or a no useless boss like the one in the CGI, the Virtuoso would have been killed in no time. So for sell that stand still paperweigh it's better show its beautiful animations and numbers that you can remember, record the times you die for posterity (almost all against other players and bots) and be able to replay them in slow motion to watch those wonderful effects and animations again. Oh and the big numbers!

 

Its name already indicates it. He is a Virtuoso, fashionable, egocentric in his style, to dress up in nice outfits and cool animations for casual PvE and social events. If what you want is a competitive specialization with useful skills, utilities and traits that can also support his allies without sacrificing damage or a significant damage, you better look for another specialization or profession. You have several to choose from and I'm sure we'll watch at least one or more in the coming months, maybe one next week. But they won't be a Virtuoso with pink animations...

[draxynnic.3719]

Eh. Gotta admit, I don't really feel like the Chronomancer or Mirage trailers were all that reflective of real gameplay either. Sure, they weren't quite so blatantly just standing there and taking it, but they still have a distinct scripted and "monsters not acting the way they do in the game itself" feel.

 

And heck, it might turn out that ghosty sword-boy doesn't actually attack normally but has a health draining aura or something.

[Zoser.7245]

Comparisons are said to be odious...  But I think it's clear to me which teaser I like the most for now and it's not pink.

 

Ladies and gentlemen: The Harbinger.

 

 

When even a teaser shows more interesting skills, lol. Even the potions and pistol seems to interact with its secondary hand weapon, it throws blades, but it also shows several utilities or useful skills for different purposes not all dps dps dps.  I know, i know... But, what IF later the traits...  IF THIS... IF THAT... if... if...  😋😁😇

 

Calm calm, we still have some hopes...   Hopefully we are invited to test it too.  😉🤣

Edited August 11, 2021 by Zoser.7245

[Tseison.4659]

6 minutes ago, Zoser.7245 said:

Comparisons are said to be odious...  But I think it's clear to me which teaser I like the most for now and it's not pink.

 

Ladies and gentlemen: The harbinger.

 

 

When even a teaser shows more interesting skills, lol. Even the potions and pistol seems to interact with it secondary hand weapon, it throws blades, but it also shows several utilities or useful skills for different purposes not all dps dps dps.  I know, i know... But, what IF later the traits...  IF THIS... IF THAT... if... if...  😋😁😇

 

Calm calm, we still have some hopes...   Hopefully we are invited to test it too.  😉🤣

 

Watching the Harbinger teaser it does seem pretty neat. Has a nice mix of range via pistols and then melee via a sort of Warrior "Rampage Elite" through the Harbinger Shroud, but will likely have drawbacks via Blight but that's my assumption.

 

My foresight however is giving me worry that with more elite specs having yet to be revealed, I fear everyone else will get something more unique and have better kits + mechanics than what we'll be getting, which is no surprise. However, things will obviously be balanced and changed before release so here's hoping for the best for Virtuoso.

[ChronoPinoyX.7923]

3 hours ago, Salt Mode.3780 said:

When the Virtuoso was first announced it was displayed on a dummy, that in itself is already showing and displaying the animations. A trailer that has mobs in it should display actual practice of the skill itself not just skill animation, both chronomancer and mirage trailers both displayed this.

 

Whereas the Virtuoso is literally a mob standing still doing nothing allowing you to free cast, its no different then using a dummy.

Neither Chrono nor Mirage really showcased anything different to what Virtuoso did. In fact if anything, Virtuoso is actually much better at presenting the E-Spec since it's showcases the more intricate animation that people won't normally see during gameplay. Those slow motion moments gave a much better presentation of the class. 

 

Let's you appreciate the work ANet actually did to these E-Specs because we all know that when it comes to actually playing these E-Specs, we're all gonna end up in some Zerg blob where we see nothing but particle barf. 

[Heika.5403]

43 minutes ago, Zoser.7245 said:

Comparisons are said to be odious...  But I think it's clear to me which teaser I like the most for now and it's not pink.

..........

Calm calm, we still have some hopes...   Hopefully we are invited to test it too.  😉🤣

😂 I hope that the Virtuoso traits will be more useful that its teaser...   But, at this point, i already have my doubts.  🙄😅

 

It looks like one or more of the Virtuoso's traits will apply vulnerability, right?  Well, at least is something... 😁

 

The Harbinger looks interesting.  I'll put my hands on it asap. Now waiting for watch the reveal of the last specialization to test the next week. And to watch the live event.  I hope that they'll show the traits there, so i can profit the next weekend to imagine some builds to test. I will obviously test all them and have some fun with the new specializations and see which ones I prefer and which ones I discard unless they receive significant changes in the coming months.

Edited August 11, 2021 by Heika.5403

[Lincolnbeard.1735]

Tbh necro always had cool animations and ideas whereas mesmer ones are... not that impressive or rather bland.

Chrono only had F5 going on, Mirage was so disjointed everyone complained in the beta which is weird because this forum has lots of creative people with tons of cool ideas. 

Edited August 11, 2021 by Lincolnbeard.1735

[Skyroar.2974]

Mirage offering an extra skill to each weapon makes it way more enjoyable, and harder for me to ever get back to core mesmer. MH Sword is only half as fun when you can not leap and daze like crazy.

 

So far, I think the most enjoyable aspect of the Virtuoso is its utility skills, which is unusual. Most elite spec's utility skills are generally boring, even when useful. But Mesmer's? Their entire utility line feels like an extension of their weapon skills. You can nuke like a Fire Elementalist, AoE slash everyone around you, and so on, and all that in the right side of your skill bar.

 

They remind me of Revenants in this regard, which have plenty of their coolest, most epic skills on the right side.

Edited August 11, 2021 by Skyroar.2974

[Stavros.8249]

All I want is a trait that give critical chance. Chrono has it but need slow and core has nothing. 

[Tseison.4659]

12 minutes ago, Stavros.8249 said:

All I want is a trait that give critical chance. Chrono has it but need slow and core has nothing. 

I’m hoping for a trait along the lines of “gain precision based on your power” and another (if not asking for too much) that possibly gives you power and doubles your power if you’re sitting at the maximum stocked blades. Guess we’ll have to wait and see on Friday.

[Flow.2947]

I am so happy to see that the Mesmer is getting a power spec. with the viruoso❤️!!  The mesmer in my opinion is not in a good spot right now ( at least how i want to play it. wvw most of the time)  the dagger as range weapon is a welcome alternative in mid range fights. 

Courious to see which offhand will fit best with the dagger. Still hoping that sword in offhand will be viable in pvp enviroment😝

Edited August 11, 2021 by Flow.2947

[HotDelirium.7984]

2 hours ago, Tseison.4659 said:

I’m hoping for a trait along the lines of “gain precision based on your power” and another (if not asking for too much) that possibly gives you power and doubles your power if you’re sitting at the maximum stocked blades. Guess we’ll have to wait and see on Friday.

I hope we see some grandmaster trait maybe called "Displacement" where some/all/ shatters negate being considered a projectile to be blocked or reflected because if the majority of the skills are "projectiles" that would be a big weakness.

[Zoser.7245]

Remove clones without a good support, sustain and mobility  from your core trait lines is like leave you nude against the beasts.  If for example you remove the Shroud from the necromancer you still have great core trait lines with offensive sustain, good defensive traits to save your life and even minions to invoque if necessary plus the offensive traits.  Idem with other professions. But we lack a complete kit and also a good synergy between trait lines, so try to get some surviability ends  with a big tradeoffs  and it seems that we could also end be forced to use core utilities to gain mobility, giving up the use of the Virtuoso utilities.

 

My idea of how the Virtuoso trait line could make it works better is  a versatile one,  something similar to what Scrapper, Reaper, Holosmith, etc, have in terms of versatibility and as a whole or global vision. What would be a complete kit/set condensed in the specialization's trait line (the Virtuoso), to compensate for the deficiencies of itself and its mechanics..

My wishes:

• A trait that gives you a reliable and consistent access to gain superspeed  or a trait that reduce in a high percentage  or remove imparing conditions in an effective way.   Gyroscopic Acceleration, Crystal Configuration: Zephyr,  Don't Stop, etc.  So you can profit you limited resources to remove conditions agains the damaging ones.
• A trait that gives you sustain, preferably an offensive sustain in the form of life steal. But anyways something that help you to survive without clones.
• The autoattack of the daggers seems slow,  so a trait that increase the attack speed with a modifier that increase damage or maybe a good realiable and consistent way to get quickness.
• Of course, put those traits in different tiers so that they are not mutually exclusive.

 

Then fill the rest with whatever you consider good for the specialization. Maybe have a projectile reflect trait when you use your utilities or some key skills, so you can mitigate your weakness with your own dagger projectile finisher skills, stats modifiers that some are asking to empower the dps more if you want to choose that way, etc.  Those are the basic things i wish... Next Friday or next week we will watch how many of them become a reality... Or not and we end with a Domination 2.0 trait line for the Virtuoso. 

They have many months to go to improve traits, skills, and mechanics if necessary. With what we will finally end .. Who knows, we'll see.

Edited August 12, 2021 by Zoser.7245

[HotDelirium.7984]

16 minutes ago, Zoser.7245 said:

Remove clones without a good support, sustain and mobility  from your core trait lines is like leave you nude against the beasts.  If for example you remove the Shroud from the necromancer you still have great core trait lines with offensive sustain, good defensive traits to save your life and even minions to invoque if necessary plus the offensive traits.  Idem with other professions. But we lack a complete kit and also a good synergy between trait lines, so try to get some surviability ends  with a big tradeoffs  and it seems that we could also end be forced to use core utilities to gain mobility, giving up the use of the Virtuoso utilities.

 

My idea of how the Virtuoso trait line could make it works better is  a versatile one,  something similar to what Scrapper, Reaper, Holosmith, etc, have in terms of versatibility and as a whole or global vision. What would be a complete kit/set condensed in the specialization's trait line (the Virtuoso), to compensate for the deficiencies of itself and its mechanics..

My wishes:

• A trait that gives you a reliable and consistent access to gain superspeed  or a trait that reduce in a high percentage  or remove imparing conditions in an effective way.   Gyroscopic Acceleration, Crystal Configuration: Zephyr,  Don't Stop, etc.  So you can profit you limited resources to remove conditions agains the damaging ones.
• A trait that gives you sustain, preferably an offensive sustain in the form of life steal. But anyways something that help you to survive without clones.
• The autoattack of the daggers seems slow,  so a trait that increase the attack speed with a modifier that increase damage or maybe a good realiable and consistent way to get quickness.
• Of course, put those traits in different tiers so that they are not mutually exclusive.

 

Then fill the rest with whatever you consider good for the specialization. Maybe have a projectile reflect trait when you use your utilities or some key skills, so you can mitigate your weakness with your own dagger projectile finisher skills, stats modifiers that some are asking to empower the dps more if you want to choose that way, etc.  Those are the basics thing i wish... Next Friday or next week we will watch how many of them become a reality... Or not and we end with a Domination 2.0 trait line for the Virtuoso.

I agree. What can the Virtuso so for support and sustain?

A life-steal mechanic or creation of a trait with damage mitigating features or evades?

Every "Psychic" skill generates 1 sec of Distortion?

It's giving me glass canon vibez so we shall see!

[Hirosama Nadasaki.6792]

Since I see a lot of the praise for Virtuoso be centered around the pretty particle effects, I'm reminded of something and I think this is a good time as ever to ask this:

 

Can we have Gravity Well particles back?

You removed it back in that horrid nerf to particle effects across all classes. Afterwards you put a lot of the removed/reduced effects back into the game, giving the option to remove them through the "Effects LOD" setting, but for whatever reason you didn't include Gravity Well in that, it's just always off.

Gravity Well was one of the best looking mesmer skills, but now it looks cool for less than a second, then becomes a thin empty circle with some small black clockhands in the middle.

[Teratus.2859]

Out of the 3 shown so far this one is probably the one im most curious about.

I've never been big on the Mesmer in Gw2 but I have made one based around blades/swordplay as Mesmer is the only light armour class with access to duel swords.
But I could never figure out what to do with it.. Virtuoso may be the answer.

[Salt Mode.3780]

1 hour ago, Teratus.2859 said:

Out of the 3 shown so far this one is probably the one im most curious about.

I've never been big on the Mesmer in Gw2 but I have made one based around blades/swordplay as Mesmer is the only light armour class with access to duel swords.
But I could never figure out what to do with it.. Virtuoso may be the answer.

I don't understand how not figuring out mesmer and suddenly a e-spec can answer your problems. In actuality to say it bluntly Virtuoso retains nothing a Mesmer is suppose to be, the only thing that made this e-spec similar is the fact that they are using the spec colors, but then again that could be the reason why Virtuoso will help you "figure out". 

 

It is neither deceptive or mobile. 

 

“The Mesmer is normally known for deviousness, trickery, and complexity, creating illusions to distract enemies and then ‘shattering’ them to various effect. Weaving telekinesis and the Canthan martial traditions of the blade into a wholly new style of fast and active combat, the virtuoso changes this by disregarding trickery and embracing all-out offense, using their magic to summon enchanted blades, which they wield telekinetically for immensely powerful attacks, or inflicting debilitating conditions."

Edited August 13, 2021 by Salt Mode.3780

[Teratus.2859]

24 minutes ago, Salt Mode.3780 said:

I don't understand how not figuring out mesmer and suddenly a e-spec can answer your problems. In actuality to say it bluntly Virtuoso retains nothing a Mesmer is suppose to be, the only thing that made this e-spec similar is the fact that they are using the spec colors, but then again that could be the reason why Virtuoso will help you "figure out". 

 

It is neither deceptive or mobile. 

 

“The Mesmer is normally known for deviousness, trickery, and complexity, creating illusions to distract enemies and then ‘shattering’ them to various effect. Weaving telekinesis and the Canthan martial traditions of the blade into a wholly new style of fast and active combat, the virtuoso changes this by disregarding trickery and embracing all-out offense, using their magic to summon enchanted blades, which they wield telekinetically for immensely powerful attacks, or inflicting debilitating conditions."

I didn't say I hadn't "figured out" the class I said I just didn't care much for Mesmer as a profession in Gw2 and I hadn't figured out a way to make my sword/bladesman theme work with it.

I made a Mesmer themed around sword play because they are the only non heavy armour class that can duel wield swords, and what I want to play in Gw2 is a light armour, duel sword wielding rouge.
Thief doesn't deliver this due to lacking offhand and Revenant, Warrior and the new Guardian are all heavy armour soldier classes which isn't the same.

Core Mesmer and the current 2 elite specs also don't fit too well with the swords/blades man theme I'm trying to go with..
But Virtuoso might, hence why it might be the answer I'm looking for, unless thief also gets OH sword which I really hope it does.

Edited August 13, 2021 by Teratus.2859

[draxynnic.3719]

1 hour ago, Salt Mode.3780 said:

I don't understand how not figuring out mesmer and suddenly a e-spec can answer your problems. In actuality to say it bluntly Virtuoso retains nothing a Mesmer is suppose to be, the only thing that made this e-spec similar is the fact that they are using the spec colors, but then again that could be the reason why Virtuoso will help you "figure out". 

 

That... can be the way, sometimes. Tempest, for instance, is essentially opening up elementalist builds that remain in a single attunement for more than an average of five seconds, while still encouraging attunement swapping in general. This made it easier to pick up than the classical "piano style" approach, while serving as a stepping stone to the even more piano-esque Weaver.

 

And the elementalist veterans who had mastered piano style complained bitterly about the Tempest not catering to them.

 

I could see Virtuoso acting as a similar 'stepping stone'. It has the shatter mechanic, but... you don't have to manage clones, and you don't have to balance the benefits of shattering versus the benefits of keeping clones. You just build up daggers and figure out how best to spend them. It might not be what the veterans would want (except in the sense of being something that can still be used in circumstances where clones just aren't viable at all), but for someone who just hasn't been able to "get" mesmer yet, I could see Virtuoso being the bridge into the profession. Assuming it isn't balanced so poorly that playing it is essentially playing at a handicap, anyway.

[Aeolus.3615]

On 8/11/2021 at 4:56 AM, Kaioh.7598 said:

Salvage this kitten by giving us offhand dagger too please 😢

 

Atm mesmer will never be playble with dual daggers... since will probably belong to another elite spec, so it will be locked, its basicly one less offhand on virtuaso to choose from, but when mesmer receives it has offhand will be depending on how much main hand single weapons it have and possible combo.

 

IMO would be saffer to give a 2nd dagger, or even better at the end of next LS ending anet could add 1 one core spec to all classes 🙂 that would make off hand dagger to mes, on some classes could improve the usage of core weapon, guardian equiping hammer/shield def/support boost on core.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 13, 2021 by Aeolus.3615