Curse

Ensign · Oct 19, 2007, 08:06 PM // 20:06

Just a heads up that the last big patch included a stealth rework of hero weapon AI. They know how to use Splinter Weapon now, most notably.

Abedeus · Oct 20, 2007, 08:11 PM // 20:11

Yep, now they use it on melee's that are attacking in front lines. No more casting Splinter Weapon on a kiting monk that had Spirit Light Weapon a second ago.

Targuil · Oct 20, 2007, 10:47 PM // 22:47

Really? So i could stick with Splinter barrager hero too? Or does he cast it to himself? (rt/r)

**Marty Silverblade** · Oct 21, 2007, 01:07 AM // 01:07

Hmmm, this will most likely give me a reason to get Xandra out. Any other noticable AI fixes for the Rits?

MelechRic · Oct 21, 2007, 01:38 AM // 01:38

Actually, I've noticed it's gotten better over the last update, but even in its broken state Razah and Xandra were fairly deft at applying it.

I've run with this through a lot of Slaver's (except for Forgewight where Flowstone AoE necessitates dropping the Rits for a Migraine + Conundrum Mesmer and an LoD monk.)

Razah and Xandra run:

Ancestor's Rage
Splinter Weapon / Warmonger's Weapon
Spirit Rift
Essence Strike
Mend Body and Soul / Spirit Light
Recovery / Life
Offering of Spirit
Death Pact Signet

I go as spirit spam with an SS/well necro hero for corpse control. (Well of Darkness and Well of Weariness work wonders in most slavers dungeons).

For hench I grab Devona and Talon along with Mhenlo and Lina.

Razah and Xandra are darn good at keeping splinter / warmonger on both warriors at all times. They will rage anything that gets near a party member and are especially brutal with rifts. There's so much damage that I don't even bring Frozen Soil because resurrected Summit drop nearly immediately giving me another well.

The build is far from perfect in Forgewight however. In that dungeon you really need a tank to soak the AoE from the damned Flowstones or a Mesmer to help slow/interrupt them.

But yes, it is better with the last update.

Omniclasm · Oct 21, 2007, 03:41 AM // 03:41

I have always found them to run it right anyway. Ritualists do seem to always try and keep a weapon spell up on themselves, Splinter Weapon included. But Xandra would almost 9 times out of 10 use Splinter Weapon on me(dervish) or Melonni. Maybe I am just lucky, dunno.

MelechRic · Oct 21, 2007, 03:48 PM // 15:48

One of the biggest problems I've had isn't with my rit heroes but with other heroes using rit weapon spells.

I've tried to make Magrid go as Crit/Barrage or Brutal/Glass and she always seems to cast her weapon spell on someone else and not herself. If Anet has fixed this then I'm a happy adventurer.

What I'd really like is another setting for a skill:

Self - use the skill only on yourself and not on anyone else.

That would open up a world of possibilities for hero builds and would make a total of three states for hero skills:

use (freely),
do not use,
self

Marverick · Oct 21, 2007, 04:32 PM // 16:32

Do Ritualists still try to keep random weapon spells on anyone using a martial weapon?

Also do they still erase weapon spells?

bungusmaximus · Oct 22, 2007, 06:31 AM // 06:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marverick

Do Ritualists still try to keep random weapon spells on anyone using a martial weapon?

Also do they still erase weapon spells?

They are funny with them, they cancel them indeed, with more then 1 rit hero it's even worse. I use [wiki]weapon of fury[/wiki] sometimes anf they will just slap it on any physical (really, what's a ranger going to do with adrenaline ><). So in order to get it to work the only physicals I can safely take are warrior and para.

silfo · Nov 07, 2007, 12:15 PM // 12:15

Regarding the ritualist heroes...being a rit myself, and loving the class, I decided to walk around with both Xandra and Razah. I wanted them to deal some good extra damage with weapon spells and spells like ancestor's rage, and still heal the party, providing a good balance between damage and healing.
Now the trouble is, they both spam their weapon spells on my Jora and in me, even if I already have a weapon spell. You can imagine the frustration, I'm getting ready to attack something, I put the weapon spell I'd use on me, to do whatever I have planned, and just when I'm about to attack.. BAM they throw another weapon spell on me and ruin everything (frustrating when I'm about to splinter barrage a big mob, I'm smiling and thinking...haha kill the mob in seconds, and then they just throw warmonger's on me and ruin it).
Seems they can't make up their minds, they also cancel eachothers weapon spells, one throw one spell and the other one just changes it in a second.

Does this happen to you guys? Do you think it is a bad idea to walk around with 2 rit? Without weapon spells, the damage done by the party and its performance will decrease greatly. What can I do?

Cebe · Nov 07, 2007, 01:54 PM // 13:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by bungusmaximus

They are funny with them, they cancel them indeed, with more then 1 rit hero it's even worse. I use [wiki]weapon of fury[/wiki] sometimes anf they will just slap it on any physical (really, what's a ranger going to do with adrenaline ><). So in order to get it to work the only physicals I can safely take are warrior and para.

I tried this way back. I found that when I play Paragon and take a ranger hero, on entering battle Weapon of Fury almost invariably gets cast on me first. Maybe this is because I'm a human player, I dunno, I've not tried this the other way round (ie, Play as Ranger and take a Paragon hero) though. Even though Assassins don't use adrenaline I still find Weapon of Fury to be great on them too.

I look forward to trying one with Splinter Weapon. I've always backed away from using Weapon Spells on heroes (except Remedy and Vengeful)...so it'll be nice to try out some new builds with the hope of some better success.

Sheriff · Nov 08, 2007, 10:26 AM // 10:26

I'm guessing this AI update was done only for primary Ritualists?

I gave splinter weapon to a N/Rt hero and she still wouldn't use it properly

bungusmaximus · Nov 08, 2007, 10:33 AM // 10:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sheriff

I'm guessing this AI update was done only for primary Ritualists?

I gave splinter weapon to a N/Rt hero and she still wouldn't use it properly

How's that, at least mine puts it on anyone attacking, my only gripe is that they also put it on you when you only attack a single target. Guess writing algorithms for that kind of cases gets a bit too complicated.

Valeria · Nov 08, 2007, 12:36 PM // 12:36

I'm trying to get a good rit healer build but i have problems with the following skills:

vengeful weapon: hero doesn't use it at all! (maybe because my team had no conditions?) does vengeful weapon work btw?

energetic was lee sa: hero drops it immediately so no bonus from the energy regeneration!

guess ill stick to preservation or attuned was xxxxx. The hero uses them correctly

btw barrager with judges insight or splinter weapon tends to cast it on others...

bungusmaximus · Nov 08, 2007, 12:55 PM // 12:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valeria

I'm trying to get a good rit healer build but i have problems with the following skills:

vengeful weapon: hero doesn't use it at all! (maybe because my team had no conditions?) does vengeful weapon work btw?

energetic was lee sa: hero drops it immediately so no bonus from the energy regeneration!

guess ill stick to preservation or attuned was xxxxx. The hero uses them correctly

btw barrager with judges insight or splinter weapon tends to cast it on others...

Protective was kaolai, hands down. They are godly with that skill. Barrage splinter is a bad build imho, it completely gimps the ranger build because of the extra attribute, heroes lack the energy for it too. Better bring a support rit.