Curse

John Bloodstone · Mar 03, 2006, 06:37 PM // 18:37

Not a bad update all said and done - quite well balanced and few really nasty nerfs. However, one thing bothers me; they nerfed 4 really good secondary skills in this update, personally I think this game already lacks enough truly useful secondary skills, so it's disappointing that we now have even fewer.

Distortion
Blackout
Offering of Blood
Gale

Take gale for example, now all but useless for a warrior, but a warrior now has bulls strike/charge - a great skill change in itself, but now most warriors needn't bother with a secondary, which hurts the diversity of the game imo.

Also, now having nerfed OoB, are we going to see anything other than Mo/Me anymore?

I guess time will tell...

jet_striker · Mar 03, 2006, 06:40 PM // 18:40

I am seriously pissed about the chests in the drift....
It was perfect for me to get to those chests. Took a lot of time to perfect a perfect run, never got a rare drop from them, and then they just remove them completly.

Why keep them there and decrease the drop rate. And then make them harder to get too, if you are just gonna nerf them, they were hard enough to get too.

Just my 2 cents, found it was a stupid nerf, and not needed.
But maybe they are getting ready to make these rare items more available in chap2. Maybe.....
until then wtv, farm fow, uw still.... its better...easier, who cares about the rest

WasAGuest · Mar 03, 2006, 06:43 PM // 18:43

Most changes were good. I'm not real fond of the new "roaches" (scarabs) in the desert, but they didn't hurt me any, and they can still be solo'd with the right skill sets. They just "bug" me (pun intended).

I still didn't see any changes to the AI though. AoE spells are still nearly pointless to use with the "flee and break aggro AI". Any word on when this will be fixed? On that same note - being that you are chasing foes from an AoE, are you considered attacking while chasing the dumb dumbs around? If not, it seems to me that spamming AoE and chase them around for a way to not get interupted is a major goof.
Also, any word on pet commands - skill buffs were nice, if I could use the pet I would love them, but since he just gets in the way more oft than not. Better skills means little to me... yea, I'm a terrible BM.
What about henchie commands? News?

Greedy? Yup, I sure am.

Also, since Anet reps look at these once in awhile - Thanks for this update. Coming from another (now dead) online game where the updates (read nerfs) were so bad and so frequent I am often nervous upon hearing "balance". I am pleasantly surprised at this though.

MSecorsky · Mar 03, 2006, 06:44 PM // 18:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by WasAGuest

I still didn't see any changes to the AI though. AoE spells are still nearly pointless to use with the "flee and break aggro AI". Any word on when this will be fixed?

Isn't broken. Things should run from AoE that killing them.

You do, right?

Fred Kiwi · Mar 03, 2006, 06:54 PM // 18:54

they nerfed minion factory :O come on, was it REALLY necessary?

no longer an easy way out to difficult missions :/

actually, yes spose it was. Just answered my own question. Carry on.

Bastard Son · Mar 03, 2006, 06:54 PM // 18:54

The chest in Dread's Drift that is mentioned and I see some of you have commented on: is this the one that doesn't require a key and sometimes drops a handful of items, not just 1-3? If so, I *JUST* heard about it the other day (Monday, I believe). I've only recently tried my first Droks run (though, in reality, it was a reverse Droks run from Camp Rankor north to Beacon's). I didn't make it, but almost. Afterwards, I was looking for build tips for that run and saw someone describe that chest. I had planned this weekend to hit it up for the very first time.

If this is the same chest we're talking about, then this is really the only thing that bothers me about the update.

It's just a personal thing, though. Not going to cry about it, but it just sorta sucks when you make a plan to get to it for the first time... and you can't!

(Note: this is my first time through the game and going at a snail's pace... and I've only been in the Southern Shiverpeaks for a short amount of time, so the region is still very new to me)

Seems like there are slightly more reasons to change up my Secondary profession to Mesmer. Hmm....

Age · Mar 03, 2006, 07:00 PM // 19:00

This is what I have to say is maybe the Mo/N is over in PvP and bring on the Mo/W with ViM for management or Mo/Mes with channeling or Mantra of Recall.There is always mend condition but can't be used on target only alley or the elite restore condition.I still think the P&H is still not worth a skill cap as well as MoP.I am glad about one thing being a sword Warrior just got better and a little nerf to axe Warriors with eviscrete after all it is what Iway uses and hopefullly there won't be to chat on that in HA.I do agree with most the Monks and Ranger got hit agian but this mostly to do with PvP not PvE.I would suggest improving the economy more gold sinks so everyone can get there 15K armor it is either that or see chaper 2 sales may go down as PvE will be come more boring without farming.

The suggestion I have to say is make all skill at Emberlight camp questable after you ascend this gives someone something to do when changing secoundaries.Well like you all said there are some good things but some bad things.This is mostly for PvP as most of the player base is 20% and the rest being PvE who care about them.I just turned a day older so we get ranty when we get older.I did buy LT. halmet I guess now I can wear it in PvP.

Izzy you are bad but thanks for sword improvements.

SnipiousMax · Mar 03, 2006, 07:01 PM // 19:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karmaniac

So you are encouraging the "Kill an innocent man rather than let the guilty live" type of approach in things?
I had this strange notion that Anet was actually monitoring the game and using advanced technology or whatnot to sort out bots and remove them. Well, I suppose I was dead wrong on that one.

No I'm not encouraging that...

But I don't have any problems tearing down a playground that's become a drug and stolen goods hotspot even though a few little kid's will be upset. Go find another playground. Nothing is preventing you from finding another money spot, so its not like they "killed" you at all.

RandomEngy · Mar 03, 2006, 07:07 PM // 19:07

About Shadow of Fear: Yes, I agree that it is an absolutely incredible skill now. It was before but now you get 40+ seconds of halving all warrior and bow ranger damage, AoE, 10 energy, 5 recharge. If you don't have someone abusing Spiteful Spirit now there's no excuse not to take it.

dargon · Mar 03, 2006, 07:12 PM // 19:12

Ok, I'm happy with the majority of the updates, however there is still one thing that currently needs to be dealt with, not so much a skill problem as an equipment one. PVE characters are superior to PVP characters with regards to equipment. Hear me out before you think I'm a loony because you can make a pvp character with much of the pve equipment now that they've added the lieutenants helm to pvp.

The difference is simple, a pve character can go in with 4 or more customized weapons, pvp only has a choice of 2 during creation and has to either use non-customized from storage or pre-order equipment.

Secondly, a pve character can have multiple sets of armor, multiple head pieces, etc (ie warriors with an axe helm and a lieutenants helm), a pvp character does not have this option.

I like the current set of changes and I think they go a long ways towards balancing things out, but until pvp characters are on par with pve with regards to what is available to them, then more needs to be planned for down the road.

Ira Blinks · Mar 03, 2006, 07:15 PM // 19:15

I see no changes to Eruption and Maelstorm

Ira Blinks · Mar 03, 2006, 07:17 PM // 19:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSecorsky

Isn't broken. Things should run from AoE that killing them.

You do, right?

why use AoE then? To make mobs run? Why make them run when you could just kill them instead?
And if there is no reason to use it, then it _is_ broken.

Age · Mar 03, 2006, 07:20 PM // 19:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by dargon

Ok, I'm happy with the majority of the updates, however there is still one thing that currently needs to be dealt with, not so much a skill problem as an equipment one. PVE characters are superior to PVP characters with regards to equipment. Hear me out before you think I'm a loony because you can make a pvp character with much of the pve equipment now that they've added the lieutenants helm to pvp.

The difference is simple, a pve character can go in with 4 or more customized weapons, pvp only has a choice of 2 during creation and has to either use non-customized from storage or pre-order equipment.

Secondly, a pve character can have multiple sets of armor, multiple head pieces, etc (ie warriors with an axe helm and a lieutenants helm), a pvp character does not have this option.

I like the current set of changes and I think they go a long ways towards balancing things out, but until pvp characters are on par with pve with regards to what is available to them, then more needs to be planned for down the road.

I hate to say this but PvPers have an edge over PvEers especially on weapon upgrade unlocks and 2 is just fine if they need more they can get it from thier vualt and the wands in PvP are far superio to those in PvE with added enrgy bonuses which PvE does't have.

M3lk0r · Mar 03, 2006, 07:25 PM // 19:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ira Blinks

why use AoE then? To make mobs run? Why make them run when you could just kill them instead?
And if there is no reason to use it, then it _is_ broken.

No, you're supposed to use them along with a "snaring" skill. Look at the skills at the bottom of the table and you might find (drum roll please) WATER HEXES!!! Ta Da!! Now all you need is half a brain and you can actualy use most AOE quite effectively.

Yea, I'm afraid you DO need some kind of pulse to play this game.

Sluggs · Mar 03, 2006, 07:28 PM // 19:28

There is something bigger going on here than just balancing, my GW downloaded for now ~120 megs worth of updates and it still ain't over. Approximately half of update is just overwriting old files but, other half is filling up gw.dat which is now 1.29 gb, used to be 1.25gb.

Is there something else in here not being listed in update notes?

MSecorsky · Mar 03, 2006, 07:29 PM // 19:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ira Blinks

why use AoE then? To make mobs run? Why make them run when you could just kill them instead?
And if there is no reason to use it, then it _is_ broken.

You use AoE to kill them when they're killable with AoE.

It's up to you to figure out how to get them in that state.

Denny Pace · Mar 03, 2006, 07:35 PM // 19:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by WoodyDotNet

I've done some Hydra farming. It's not hard after you alter your build a little to account for meteor and fire attacks. But like Troll farming, I didn't find it to be all that profitable. They dropped mostly white and blue Ele wands and so on. I think I made more gold selling Hydra claws than from their other drops.

I do Hydra farming with a W/Me (Mantra of Flame and Ether Feast on the Mesmer side), and have found that I get an average of a little over one gold drops per run, lots of purples and blues. Overall, a 45 minute Hydra run nets about 5K per run. Not too shabby.

Ira Blinks · Mar 03, 2006, 07:42 PM // 19:42

M3lk0r
I sugest you go and try it. It takes one step to get out of maelstorm, so 66% speed reduction is irrelevant (yes i tryed it many times).
And to make eruption work you would need two eles since spreading attribute point across different types if highly ineffective. So if you going to use two ele to do one ele's job, be my guest, and i'll stick to my meteor shover and rodgot's invocation tyvm.

neoteo · Mar 03, 2006, 07:47 PM // 19:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by koneko

Does anyone know what exactly the GW client keeps downloading?

I have the game sitting at the opening login screen and it's already downloaded over 100MB worth of stuff (as shown in the top-right corner).

i guess its factions , coming home sonner

drowningfish999 · Mar 03, 2006, 07:52 PM // 19:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by neoteo

i guess its factions , coming home sonner

If you haven't been on in a while, its the Factions update.