how to recognize a spell ? - Guild Wars Forums

hilkos · Jan 05, 2006, 10:54 AM // 10:54

Hi, i have a simple question probably. I trated using a mesmer and i love the charactre but as mesmer it is important to recognize ifthe enemy is using a spell or any other type of skill. Signets are easy to recognize. For the rest i always just guess that anything with a long castingtime is a spell. However from experience i know this is not always true.

To never waste an interrupt, should i learn all spells all charactres use by heart to recognize or is there any other way to see quickly if a skill being used is actually a spell or any other type ?

thanks you for reading

Ilanoa · Jan 05, 2006, 11:03 AM // 11:03

If its a monk, ele, mes, necro then the skill they're using is most likely a spell. If its a ranger or warrior then its probably a non-spell skill.

RotteN · Jan 05, 2006, 11:11 AM // 11:11

often playing mesmer myself, i know most skills by heart and know what to use to interupt. It's a matter of experience, over time, you'll learn what to interupt and what not

there is no way to know what type of spell your target is using, unless you move your miuse-pointer over the skill-monitor and read the description, but by the time you did that, it's usually too late to interupt anyway

play mesmer a lot, and you'll see it's not that hard to learn em all

hilkos · Jan 05, 2006, 11:23 AM // 11:23

ok thanks for the quick responses

At least now i know i am not missing something crucial

(noob story: it took me some time in the beginning to discover that a hex was displayed pink and a condition brown, LOL)

R. Mindwalker · Jan 05, 2006, 11:31 AM // 11:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by hilkos

(noob story: it took me some time in the beginning to discover that a hex was displayed pink and a condition brown, LOL)

depends on the condition

. Only bleeding displayed as compleet red with the brown down arrow. Also condition hexes or degen hexes display pink/purple on the hole bar. The rest is most of the time If you do this that will happen hexes.

LordMahal · Jan 05, 2006, 11:44 AM // 11:44

Umm, when an enemy casts a spell or uses a skill a little bar appears under their names and tells you exactly what it is they are doing... Am I the only one who sees that?

RotteN · Jan 05, 2006, 11:47 AM // 11:47

no, you're not, but not everything an enemy uses is a spell : skills, shouts, stances are also displayed, yet most mesmer interupts only interupt spells, and that's what this question is about

Ole Man Bourbon · Jan 05, 2006, 03:48 PM // 15:48

Go into options and rearrange your HUD. I made the enemy skill icon huge and close to the center of the screen, and can clearly wee what skills are being used in an instant.

Carinae · Jan 05, 2006, 06:38 PM // 18:38

It takes time and practice. You'll learn that you don't need or want to interrupt everything they do. You just need to interrupt certain spells usually.

For example: If you are in a group trying to take down a monk boss, interrupting his heals is usually not practical because those recharge quickly and he has more than one anyway.

But interrupting his Mark of Protection, that's priceless.

I always tell my interruptor to be *sure* to block MoP, everything else is gravy.

Of course, this is for my situation, you'll find your own situations. But usually you just need to block one or two key spells....but what's key for you may not be a problem for someone else. It just takes experience.

hilkos · Jan 05, 2006, 07:10 PM // 19:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carinae Dragonblood

It takes time and practice. You'll learn that you don't need or want to interrupt everything they do. You just need to interrupt certain spells usually.

For example: If you are in a group trying to take down a monk boss, interrupting his heals is usually not practical because those recharge quickly and he has more than one anyway.

But interrupting his Mark of Protection, that's priceless.

I always tell my interruptor to be *sure* to block MoP, everything else is gravy.

Of course, this is for my situation, you'll find your own situations. But usually you just need to block one or two key spells....but what's key for you may not be a problem for someone else. It just takes experience.

I never interrupted everything anyway, but i never thought about recharge or energy cost. I will look at skills in this site. Thanks for that tip

Maxiemonster · Jan 05, 2006, 07:26 PM // 19:26

Try to know every skill picture (at least the ones that are played with alot) so you know what they're casting when you click on them. I don't think you'll ever know what someone is casting by just looking at the animation, there are many skills with the same animation.

Interupting Mesmer is one of the hardest (if not the hardest) builds to play, though, if you play it really well, also one of the most effective builds in both TA and CA. Try interupting spells with:

1. Long recharge
2. Long casting time (try to interupt them at late as possible, for example, an 8 seconds cast spell, interupt it at 7 seconds of casting)
3. Anything that is really important for a character (OOB for Monks, Healing Signet for Warriors if they don't have a Monk etc.)

I hate to fight interupting Mesmers in CA that know what they're doing. If they interupt my OOB, I'm messed up so badly

dargon · Jan 06, 2006, 12:39 AM // 00:39

if you play with sound on, you'll also notice that different skills/spells/etc have different animations and different sound effects. Some of them are subtle, but they are there, recognizing sounds could save you from the ele warming up a fireball just a few feet behind your mesmer

Francis Crawford · Jan 06, 2006, 12:25 PM // 12:25

OK. Really basic question. Can one recognize what more than one character is doing at once? Or is it only the one you're locked onto as a target?

Thanks!

Former Ruling · Jan 06, 2006, 01:46 PM // 13:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Francis Crawford

OK. Really basic question. Can one recognize what more than one character is doing at once? Or is it only the one you're locked onto as a target?

Thanks!

You only see the skill casting bar of your target.

Most spells have similar or the same animation.

1 unique thing I memorized the animation for is the Nature Ritual EoE (Edge of Extinction). Its long enough cast time, to swith to them and get it not put down, but most mesmer spells cant interupt nature rituals (only spells).

Jan 05, 2006, 10:54 AM // 10:54	#1
hilkos Ascalonian Squire Join Date: Dec 2005 Guild: The keeper Assassins Profession: Me/Mo	how to recognize a spell ? Hi, i have a simple question probably. I trated using a mesmer and i love the charactre but as mesmer it is important to recognize ifthe enemy is using a spell or any other type of skill. Signets are easy to recognize. For the rest i always just guess that anything with a long castingtime is a spell. However from experience i know this is not always true. To never waste an interrupt, should i learn all spells all charactres use by heart to recognize or is there any other way to see quickly if a skill being used is actually a spell or any other type ? thanks you for reading

Jan 05, 2006, 11:11 AM // 11:11	#3
RotteN Forge Runner Join Date: Jun 2005 Profession: W/	often playing mesmer myself, i know most skills by heart and know what to use to interupt. It's a matter of experience, over time, you'll learn what to interupt and what not there is no way to know what type of spell your target is using, unless you move your miuse-pointer over the skill-monitor and read the description, but by the time you did that, it's usually too late to interupt anyway play mesmer a lot, and you'll see it's not that hard to learn em all Last edited by RotteN; Jan 05, 2006 at 11:14 AM // 11:14..

Jan 05, 2006, 07:26 PM // 19:26	#11
Maxiemonster There is no spoon. Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Netherlands Profession: Mo/	Try to know every skill picture (at least the ones that are played with alot) so you know what they're casting when you click on them. I don't think you'll ever know what someone is casting by just looking at the animation, there are many skills with the same animation. Interupting Mesmer is one of the hardest (if not the hardest) builds to play, though, if you play it really well, also one of the most effective builds in both TA and CA. Try interupting spells with: 1. Long recharge 2. Long casting time (try to interupt them at late as possible, for example, an 8 seconds cast spell, interupt it at 7 seconds of casting) 3. Anything that is really important for a character (OOB for Monks, Healing Signet for Warriors if they don't have a Monk etc.) I hate to fight interupting Mesmers in CA that know what they're doing. If they interupt my OOB, I'm messed up so badly Last edited by Maxiemonster; Jan 05, 2006 at 07:29 PM // 19:29..

Jan 05, 2006, 11:03 AM // 11:03	#2
Ilanoa Pre-Searing Cadet Join Date: Dec 2005 Profession: E/Me	If its a monk, ele, mes, necro then the skill they're using is most likely a spell. If its a ranger or warrior then its probably a non-spell skill.

Jan 05, 2006, 11:23 AM // 11:23	#4
hilkos Ascalonian Squire Join Date: Dec 2005 Guild: The keeper Assassins Profession: Me/Mo	ok thanks for the quick responses At least now i know i am not missing something crucial (noob story: it took me some time in the beginning to discover that a hex was displayed pink and a condition brown, LOL)

Jan 05, 2006, 11:44 AM // 11:44	#6
LordMahal Krytan Explorer Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Germany Profession: R/Mo	Umm, when an enemy casts a spell or uses a skill a little bar appears under their names and tells you exactly what it is they are doing... Am I the only one who sees that?

Jan 05, 2006, 11:47 AM // 11:47	#7
RotteN Forge Runner Join Date: Jun 2005 Profession: W/	no, you're not, but not everything an enemy uses is a spell : skills, shouts, stances are also displayed, yet most mesmer interupts only interupt spells, and that's what this question is about

Jan 05, 2006, 03:48 PM // 15:48	#8
Ole Man Bourbon Jungle Guide Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Atlanta Guild: GONG Profession: W/E	Go into options and rearrange your HUD. I made the enemy skill icon huge and close to the center of the screen, and can clearly wee what skills are being used in an instant.

Jan 05, 2006, 06:38 PM // 18:38	#9
Carinae Forge Runner Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Inside Guild: Fifteen Over Fifty [Rare]	It takes time and practice. You'll learn that you don't need or want to interrupt everything they do. You just need to interrupt certain spells usually. For example: If you are in a group trying to take down a monk boss, interrupting his heals is usually not practical because those recharge quickly and he has more than one anyway. But interrupting his Mark of Protection, that's priceless. I always tell my interruptor to be sure to block MoP, everything else is gravy. Of course, this is for my situation, you'll find your own situations. But usually you just need to block one or two key spells....but what's key for you may not be a problem for someone else. It just takes experience.

Jan 06, 2006, 12:39 AM // 00:39	#12
dargon Furnace Stoker Join Date: May 2005 Guild: The Seraphim Knights [TSK] Profession: R/	if you play with sound on, you'll also notice that different skills/spells/etc have different animations and different sound effects. Some of them are subtle, but they are there, recognizing sounds could save you from the ele warming up a fireball just a few feet behind your mesmer

Jan 06, 2006, 12:25 PM // 12:25	#13
Francis Crawford Forge Runner Join Date: Dec 2005	OK. Really basic question. Can one recognize what more than one character is doing at once? Or is it only the one you're locked onto as a target? Thanks!