Curse

Goonter · Dec 19, 2005, 11:29 PM // 23:29

First off, before anyone gets the wrong idea please understand that Im not making suggestions to improve the game here. Im just making a gamers observation.
Agree or open my mind in how Ive gotten it all wrong, but please dont get defensive or build/counter-build happy while thinking your helping.

Elementists is a high risk/high reward class.
But sometimes Im not sure the reward is worth the risk.
Take for example, assuming attributes are maxed...

Searing Heat 25-3-30
5 secs of 31 fire damage and set on fire if in the area for 3 secs.

Symbol of Wrath 5-2-30
5 secs of 34 holy damage

With Searing Heat
1. You can cast it from a range.
2. People that dont leave the area are set on fire for 3 secs.
3. If you got an attunment up you get some energy back making it cost more like 17 energy.

But..wrath ignores armor and proably does more damage, at least in most senarios.
On paper (and in my experance so far) cost/risk vs. reward, Sybmol of Wraith is better on the field than Searing Heat.

Here are the most stand out pros of cons of elementists that I know of.

Pros:
-Left unchecked, elementist (like warriors) can take a target down quicker than anyone else.
-They can hit multibule targets for sizable damage with a large variaty of skills.
-Nice defensive spells for them or for team.

Cons:
-Respectably easier to counter elemental big hitting spike damage through protection spells than other forms of damage.
-All classes have AL vs elemental and in some cases very resistant to elemental damage.
-Elementist have to balance damage vs. longivity a little more heavily than other classes. (this meaning, you can choose to hit hard and sit out a bit or hit softer without losing as much momentum)
-Exluding warriors, overall elementist do not counter all other classes as effectively all other classes do.
-Elementist as well as Necros are begging for special attention from disruptors. However, necros frequently assist better in more situations than elementist, plus they are better suited to keep themselves alive.

There is nothing wrong with eles that you cant crossclass and fix or your teams cant cover you ass on (if its worth their troubles, so many priorites to consider in the heat of battle)
But as a pure class its really an underdog imo.
Id say warriors were, but they superior armor often gets them disabled more so than taken out by focused fire.

If anything else elementist have taught me the importance of formations.
Its pretty hard to be a backline caster hitting a called target when the opposition knows how to kite well.
Ive also found that mesmer players are increasingly better at pushing up to the backline, casting and fleeing than elementists, raising hell for casters in the back.
Though I know frontline elementists exsist, I havent seen it enough (outside of obsidian spike and warding, and 2 possiblities is rather light) to make me consider it being a strong part of the metagame.
But then...there is a lot I havent seen or thought of, like I said..Im open to enlightenment.

So, to answer my own question -
I think elementist are the most fustrating class to play. Warriors would be a close second.
Ive played both these classes and had plenty of shining moments. So I do enjoy the balance and all. I just find elementists fo be fustrating above the others.

jciardha · Dec 20, 2005, 12:09 AM // 00:09

My frustration: any spellcasting class that is not Mesmer.

I've been really really spoiled by fastcasting. While playing a mesmer you don't notice its effects, but maaaan, once you switch to elementalist or necro, etc., the spellcasting pace feels glacial. When two seconds feels like an eternity:

"Cast, c'mon, cast, aaargh, cast already! Stupid ele, he's outta range now!"

Hot Dead · Dec 20, 2005, 12:20 AM // 00:20

Elementalist is my most frustrating class, really just because its easy to interupt them (long casting time), and they dont have a very large source of healing (no monk or necro with well of blood or well of power and you are dead)-aura of restoration wont do much because elementalist have a lot of downtime, so no health when that happens.

lg5000 · Dec 20, 2005, 12:58 AM // 00:58

Hehe, I have the same problem with casters that aren't my mes. Probably the reason I got rid of my ele now that I think about it.

Most frustrating class would be warrior though.. every other class can out-damage them, and yet, they're the ones with a close-range weapon who (in my opinion) should be doing more damage. And no, I'm not deleting my warrior, she's got a sup. absorbtion on her and can tank REALLY well

I just don't like the fact that I don't do enough damage.

Morangen · Dec 20, 2005, 01:01 AM // 01:01

I would say its either the Elementalist or the Mesmer for me (though I have not given the mesmer alot of time to really try it). Some of the elemental skills do seem over priced imo but elementalists are also one of my favorite classes because of the large amounts of energy you can get with energy storage and the damage that can be dealt.

Markaedw · Dec 20, 2005, 01:29 AM // 01:29

The only charecter I don't like to play in PvE is mesmer, especially with henchies. While your dehexing your self the henchies stop fighting

Vilaptca · Dec 20, 2005, 01:50 AM // 01:50

After only playing a Necro for so long, when I made a Ele, I had some trouble with energy management and casting spells that caused exhaustion frequently.

Akathrielah · Dec 20, 2005, 01:51 AM // 01:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by lg5000

Most frustrating class would be warrior though.. every other class can out-damage them, and yet, they're the ones with a close-range weapon who (in my opinion) should be doing more damage

...I just don't like the fact that I don't do enough damage.

No comment. Just too funny.

glenn_rolfe · Dec 20, 2005, 02:36 AM // 02:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Akathrielah

No comment. Just too funny.

well, i've got a comment, and it includes the letter "w" "t" & "f"

koneko · Dec 20, 2005, 02:42 AM // 02:42

Monk. More specifically, protection monk.

People send blind invites since they're so desperate for a monk. I calmly explain to them that I'm using a protection build, not a healing build and then in the mission they ask "omgwtfbbqzorz y u no heal me???"

I find playing a monk (heal or prot) to be more frustrating than an ele...energy management is a lot tighter on a monk, and one screwup on your part can cause a party wipe

Arcien Trueflight · Dec 20, 2005, 02:46 AM // 02:46

I'd have to say Warrior, simply on the account they are dull as dirt to play. Playing a Warrior is really a 3-step process: 1. Charge ahead of your allies. 2. Aggro everything from here to the next country. 3. Proceed to make sure you take every available hit while doing mediocre damage in return. IT'S BORING!!! At least the other classes have some sort of, no pun intended, class, and actually require brain functions to use effectively... I'm not saying the Warrior isn't a good class, it's perfect for doing exactly as it's specified: Tanking. That's it. Only problem is, every other class outshines it in everything else.

imaginary friend · Dec 20, 2005, 02:47 AM // 02:47

hmmm yeah warrior with all the blind and spiteful spirit+empathy+insidious parasite

nunix · Dec 20, 2005, 02:54 AM // 02:54

Monk. This is mostly because I hate healing people. Clingly, needy little players! Heal your own self! Take a henchman!

Aside from that.. Elementalist, I guess. I think this is personal preference, as there's not really proper -water- magic (just ice) and the spells just aren't my kind of flash. Plus their armor is freaking -ugly-. The base collector's set is okay, and the Fissure is good, but everything else? No damned thanks. (Yes, I'm shallow)

angshuman · Dec 20, 2005, 04:59 AM // 04:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arcien Trueflight

I'd have to say Warrior, simply on the account they are dull as dirt to play. Playing a Warrior is really a 3-step process: 1. Charge ahead of your allies. 2. Aggro everything from here to the next country. 3. Proceed to make sure you take every available hit while doing mediocre damage in return. IT'S BORING!!! At least the other classes have some sort of, no pun intended, class, and actually require brain functions to use effectively... I'm not saying the Warrior isn't a good class, it's perfect for doing exactly as it's specified: Tanking. That's it. Only problem is, every other class outshines it in everything else.

Well, I've been playing PvE as an Ele, and I have developed a huge respect for good tanks. I've seen very few in action, but the ones that I have -- boy, they were simply *walls*. Nothing gets past them. I think you need to have a good amount of awareness about what is going on around you in order to hold aggro and prevent any new monsters from slipping by you by rushing and aggroing them at the appropriate moment, while at the same time making sure that the monsters that were already on you stick to you. Almost all missions I have been on with such superb warriors have been an absolute breeze, Elona Reach being one of them.

Your typical average (non-Whammo) warrior will do the initial part of aggroing the frontline monsters correctly, but they get too busy whacking them to notice what else is happening around them. often resulting in a couple of monsters finding their way to the casters and chopping them up. Honestly, I think the tank's job is the hardest. If they do their job properly, all casters need to do is spam spells.

Barinthus · Dec 20, 2005, 05:42 AM // 05:42

Necro for me - i sometimes sacc myself to death ha.

But don't get me wrong - I love playing a Necro in all aspects (MM, battery, etc)

AncientPC · Dec 20, 2005, 07:02 AM // 07:02

I dislike playing Elementalists the most. PvE is boring, and PvP is frustarating for reasons already stated. Elementalists are so straightforward.

Although my pure Mesmer isn't doing very well in PvP right now, it's still more fun even when I'm losing. I've gone through 4-5 different builds trying to find one that can work for me.

hilkos · Dec 20, 2005, 10:37 AM // 10:37

my first charactre was an elementalist and i loved to play it. Then i played a warrior and now mesmer. I love to play mesmer the most of all untill now. It allows you to be creatice with your skills at a level, unlik the other two charactres. It is alo the most frustrating class i played because i miss energy storage !! Every day with my mesmer i think....i wish i had energy storage

If ele was your first charactre, you think having 60-80 energy is normal, then if you play another caster you suddenly have to do energy-management other then regenerating. So maybe, the elementalist is not frustrating in itself, but it puts frustrations on other casters hahaha

Still, the mesmer is by far my favourite charactre

Daijdjan · Dec 20, 2005, 11:02 AM // 11:02

My most frustrating char was a warrior. I just didnt like the concept of going in and hitting something till it drops. I think i am the supporter guy, standing back and give support to those in need. Dont need to say that i have monk, necro, ranger and mesmer on my account

Auntie I · Dec 20, 2005, 12:22 PM // 12:22

I've purposely tried all six main professions. The most frustrating for me is the monk. Specifically Healing Monk. You start off a battle with nothing to do and then all of a sudden you can't keep up. Yikes! The lack of offence doesn't work for me either.
Mesmer is frustrating from the point of view of so many skills no way to take them all.

Kakumei · Dec 20, 2005, 12:40 PM // 12:40

Monk. Monk. Monk.

No question. None at all. Monk is, by far, the most frustrating class to play--but also the most fun and most rewarding.

99% of players take the party's monk(s) for granted. It's a simple fact. If I compared the number of 'heal plz's to the number of 'nice healing vanity!'s the ratio would be grossly imbalanced.

Not to say that it's all just work. When our party -does- manage to surmount some difficult obstacle, it's all worth it, knowing that I was just as important as everyone else in beating whatever it was.