Curse

Sun Fired Blank · Nov 09, 2007, 03:08 AM // 03:08

I haven't had a chance to test it yet, but it looks like the Energizing Wind and Splinter Weapon changes might very well have killed Echo Trapping and Splinter Extinction Bombing. Has anyone tried either yet, and can they give me their thoughts?

Being · Nov 09, 2007, 04:10 AM // 04:10

Echo Trapping is fine.

Splinter Extinction Bombing...yes nerfed. I have tried it, EoE wont trigger as things need to be under 90% to take effect and only 3 are getting hurt. Enough said. =/

They said they will be watching the skill as it is used alot in high-end PvE, so there might be another change. Im pretty sure they will try and make sure it wont work for farming when they do tho.

Sun Fired Blank · Nov 09, 2007, 07:45 AM // 07:45

I just tried that, and it's a real shame. The Battle of Turai's Procession was the only ranger or ritualist farm that really felt appropriately "profitable" and simultaneously "balanced" to me. Kind of sad to see it go, but I guess it was necessary; if they can't fix pathing / AI with VoD NPCs, I guess they have no choice but to downgrade Splinter Weapon.

I tried Stygian trapping, and it feels really screwed up also. At LB5 with a +15E staff and radiant insignias , I used to have just enough energy to lay the necessary traps for Stygian Veil farming, and it took every trap and every second that I had to kill the first two Stygian waves. The EW energy change is forcing me to spend energy that I couldn't afford to spend, and the duration change means that I'm unable to lay a handful of crucial traps while EW isn't up.

Caged Fury · Nov 09, 2007, 08:31 AM // 08:31

Just had a go at "Battle of Turai's Procession" with my Rit. Previously, each wave will all die on the third barrage. Now, that doesn't happen. Having dropped EoE for the third time due to expiry, I've only managed to killed 8 from the first wave. I've tried cycling targets every now and again to try and reduce as many as possible below 90% but they seem to be healing quickly, even with Predatory Season down.

It's a pity because I enjoyed doing something different with my Rit and seeing lots of Margonites bite the dust.

El Sabio · Nov 09, 2007, 09:24 AM // 09:24

nice anet, and again you nerfed one of the great ritu skills... why dont you just delite the ritualist? each class get power ups but only the ritu gets his ass raped with each balance update, my lovely turgais is dead now ty anet you suck

Turbobusa · Nov 09, 2007, 09:58 AM // 09:58

come on you had a none elite skill that does 50*5 = **250** to all foes around your target.
It screams overpowered.
And it's not like its dead now

philo · Nov 09, 2007, 12:16 PM // 12:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turbobusa

It screams overpowered.

Can't have screamed that loudly though, cause it took the devs extremely long to hear those screams ....

Introducing PVE skills and nerfing them the very next day was simply ridiculous, but nerfing a popular skill so hard after one year and a half is not without an obvious touch of sadism.

MisterB · Nov 09, 2007, 12:57 PM // 12:57

Splinter Weapon was changed because of Victory or Death in GvG, too, y'know. There's other Ranger builds for farming. Rangers farmed before splinter weapon became stupidly strong.

tekDragon · Nov 09, 2007, 03:17 PM // 15:17

You're absolutely right. I mean for example rangers can also farm with traps and energizing wind....

HayesA · Nov 09, 2007, 03:24 PM // 15:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sun Fired Blank

I just tried that, and it's a real shame. The Battle of Turai's Procession was the only ranger or ritualist farm that really felt appropriately "profitable" and simultaneously "balanced" to me. Kind of sad to see it go, but I guess it was necessary; if they can't fix pathing / AI with VoD NPCs, I guess they have no choice but to downgrade Splinter Weapon.

I tried Stygian trapping, and it feels really screwed up also. At LB5 with a +15E staff and radiant insignias , I used to have just enough energy to lay the necessary traps for Stygian Veil farming, and it took every trap and every second that I had to kill the first two Stygian waves. The EW energy change is forcing me to spend energy that I couldn't afford to spend, and the duration change means that I'm unable to lay a handful of crucial traps while EW isn't up.

First of all, get a +20 energy staff. They're very easy to find. Secondly, why are you farming Stygians? Gems were like 500g/ea when I stopped about two months ago. Plus, the only way to do it is in Hard Mode to get decent LB points, but because of loot scaling it has become totally not worth it. They rarely drop anything of value because you're killing them all at the same time. Start UW trapping again.

Sun Fired Blank · Nov 09, 2007, 03:50 PM // 15:50

Hayes

1. +15E or +20E, you simply end up with more than enough energy if you're UW trapping and less than enough energy if you're Stygian Trapping.

2. Stygian Gems are back to 1.5k or 2k each.

3. I still need Lightbringer points, and I hate the Sulfurous Wastes run with a passion.

HayesA · Nov 09, 2007, 04:15 PM // 16:15

What build do you use?? The one with the tripwire? After laying all my traps, I end up with about 2 or 3 energy. After pulling, and returning to my traps after pulling, i'm back up to about 10 or so. +20 energy staff is a must need for Stygian Trapping.

Plus, you can bring Margrid with you to lay spirits then flag her off somewhere off radar. Works like a charm.

Legendary Shiz · Nov 09, 2007, 04:30 PM // 16:30

haha, funny to see all the PvE kids cry because they can't make entire mobs blow up in three hits.

Think about what you're complaining about.

HayesA · Nov 09, 2007, 06:42 PM // 18:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Legendary Shiz

haha, funny to see all the PvE kids cry because they can't make entire mobs blow up in three hits.

Think about what you're complaining about.

3 hits?? ACE! I would kill to be able to kill a group of mobs in 3 hits.

dont feel no pain · Nov 09, 2007, 07:04 PM // 19:04

1 splinter barrage ranger got hit bad

but 4 is still uber.

The Far Shooter · Nov 09, 2007, 07:25 PM // 19:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by HayesA

What build do you use?? The one with the tripwire? After laying all my traps, I end up with about 2 or 3 energy. After pulling, and returning to my traps after pulling, i'm back up to about 10 or so. +20 energy staff is a must need for Stygian Trapping.

Plus, you can bring Margrid with you to lay spirits then flag her off somewhere off radar. Works like a charm.

+20e staff is not a must-have. I cope fine with a +15e staff and full radiant and 2 attunement runes.

Sun Fired Blank · Nov 09, 2007, 08:51 PM // 20:51

To answer some complaints:

Rangers did farm before Turai's Procession, but I've don't know that any of those farms have the same balance of profit and experience. UW trapping might give you more profit, but I don't ever remember it potentially giving you profit from a wide variety of items or a good number of skill points per hour. I can find other ways to make money, but I have to say that I'm disappointed that this farm is effectively dead for both the ranger and the ritualist.

As far as Splinter Weapon: I've never felt splinter weapon was really overpowered in PvE or PvP except for when they discovered it mauls idiotic, balled up NPCs @ VoD. If anything, it now feels underpowered in most environments, and I think they chose a really crappy solution to the VoD problem. For more general use, Splinter Weapon used to be a nice option to bring, but hardly powerful enough to make or break using it; that is, if a ritualist could bring it or I could spec it on my ranger, I would be willing to consider either bringing a ritualist or using splinter barrage. Now, I can generally think of better ways to augment my team than Splinter Weapon and / or whoever's carrying it, so I don't bring either.

To put it bluntly, splinter weapon was sellable for exactly the reason that Hayes mentioned, because it could efficiently blow up mobs. But there are lots and lots of potential ways to blow up mobs efficiently, and I'm pitching Splinter Weapon into the circular file, both as a farming instrument and for general use.

And as far as being a PvE kid; hahah.

As far as Stygian trapping, I gave it another go with the Tripwire build, a 20E staff, 13 Expertise and 16 Wilderness Survival. I still choke up around the seventh dust trap, but you're right, the run is still perfectly doable with: 1. LB8, 2. higher Expertise, 3. extra attunement runes, 4. A ranger hero or 5. a combination thereof. UW farming is pretty much unaffected because you're not burning extra energy for tripwire, and the dust traps alone are enough to kill something.

Rohan · Nov 09, 2007, 09:27 PM // 21:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Being

high-end PvE

lolwut?

1234

Being · Nov 09, 2007, 10:41 PM // 22:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rohizzle

lolwut?

1234

Does that really need explaining to you?

Examples of 'High-End PvE'
Hard Mode Missions : Tyria,Cantha,Elona
Hard Mode Vanquishing : Tyria,Cantha,Elona,EoTN
Hard Mode Dungeons : Slavers Exile
Hard/Normal Mode UW,FoW and DoA

Make sense?

HayesA · Nov 10, 2007, 02:04 AM // 02:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Far Shooter

+20e staff is not a must-have. I cope fine with a +15e staff and full radiant and 2 attunement runes.

What do you use in the place of that extra staff mod then? What else could possibly help? Why not just, for the hell of it, place that extra +5energy mod on it? I'm very confused.