Curse

Zipzo · Nov 21, 2011, 07:31 PM // 19:31

Hey.

When I'm trying to figure out my main I like to evaluate what the answer to that time old, almost impossible to know for sure question : What is the most popular/least popular class in the game in current end game?

I don't necessarily like to know this so that I can automatically pick the least played, but because I would prefer not to quickly resort to classes near the top for "special snowflake" syndrome issues.

Telling me to pick what suits me, and just play what I find fun doesn't really help me, because it's fun for me to play a class that isn't in excess, and may even be rare. That's what's fun to me, and I'm sure many others find a little bit of a guilty pleasure in that as well. I'm also a long time MMO player, from many different games, so the statement "not good for beginners" I don't feel applies to me. Not that I'm insta-pro, but I learn quickly.

Anyways, something I often do to get a (very) rough measure of this is I check the forums, and if they have class forums I see how many threads are in each one. Based off that, the list goes like this if the campfire is what I'm evaluating...

Most Popular

1. Warrior
2. Assassin
3. Ranger
4. Elementalist
5. Necromancer
6. Monk
7. Dervish
8. Mesmer
9. Ritualist
10. Paragon

Least Popular

Do you think that my method produces a pretty accurate assessment of what truly is the most/least popular profession in Guild Wars at the current time?

After this I'd factor in group value and a few other personal preferences and I have the class I want to play. I usually just roll a bunch of toons until I find what sticks though.

Skyy High · Nov 21, 2011, 07:46 PM // 19:46

Rits and Mesmers are almost certainly more popular than that. Rits are useful in almost every group, and mesmers have...very devoted fans. Assassins are odd; everyone has one it seems for farming, but I don't know how many people "main" them. Rangers are also odd; lots of people main them in spite of the fact that they're not the best PvE class (myself included). You certainly got Paragon correct, though.

So...no, I don't think this method is particularly good for assessing the most popular profession. If you want the least popular profession, well, that's probably paragon or dervish, but I'd recommend staying away from paragon for the time being, because your choices of builds will be limited to basically one (imbagon) in every group you'll ever play in. Dervish just got buffed pretty massively, and it has lots of space to build your own unique snowflake build.

bleh · Nov 21, 2011, 08:57 PM // 20:57

Well I'd say paragon is the least popular, but has probably the most appeal in terms of being something different. nice guide in paragon section:
http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/h...t10313323.html

Monk isn't that popular since heros do it well enough and healing gets a tad boring.

Warrior is popular because of the flashy/nice armour art and farming.

Necro, Rit, Mesmer are all about level since they can all pretty much do each others jobs.

Assasin, Dervish are both awesome melee. Assasin is Way more popular tho

Ranger is Ranger nothing much changed there

Thats the way i see it anyway

. GL choosing

Star_Jewel · Nov 21, 2011, 09:20 PM // 21:20

Yeah, counting up threads in Campfire isn't really going to give you the information you seek. What might work, however, is checking out the PvXWiki and seeing which classes have the fewest meta builds.

I'm curious what your goal is, here. Aside from the "unique snowflake" syndrome, are you planning to go mostly you and heroes, maybe guilding for groups and avoiding pick-ups? Are you aiming for end-game farming/clears and want to have a profession that is needed in groups but doesn't have a lot of competition?

Regardless what you pick, there are many different build combinations you could utilize. Just because you play a ritualist (a popular class) doesn't mean you have to play the popular ritualist builds (e.g. spirit spam). Via secondary classes and skill combos, you can be unique.

But if you're going for "OMG, no one plays that," go Paragon with something other than Imbagon. Up the uniqueness by coming up with your own hero builds, if you run with them, and avoid leaning on the necros-mesmers-rits hero group.

JONO51 · Nov 21, 2011, 09:42 PM // 21:42

This site gives a pretty decent overview of what classes are more/less popular. You can get a better view for what is a more popular main by looking at the stats page and the numbers with ranks in maxed titles.

Gladiator Steven · Nov 21, 2011, 11:50 PM // 23:50

Least Popular: Monks.
Most Popular: Assassin, Ritualist

Classes based on PvE and my opinion.

bleh · Nov 22, 2011, 01:53 AM // 01:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by JONO51

This site gives a pretty decent overview of what classes are more/less popular. You can get a better view for what is a more popular main by looking at the stats page and the numbers with ranks in maxed titles.

Ha ha that site says monk are the most numerous class ( not popular ).
I guess everyone made a 55hp monk got bored and kept it for birthdays... cough i know i did... just like my 5 year old uw trapper whos still only up to TOA

.

Venganza · Nov 22, 2011, 04:51 AM // 04:51

Certainly it is true that Paragons are less used than other classes, which is a little odd, given that they come a very close 2nd to Rt to being the easiest class to get through anything with.

I wonder how many other classes can take 7 heroes and breeze through Mallyx or Gloom HM without cons? Or do Slavers Exile in the same way?

InStars · Nov 22, 2011, 10:35 AM // 10:35

Most popular: Assasin
Least popular: Paragorn

Only my very pesonal opinion, btw im talking about PvE...

peter81 · Nov 22, 2011, 11:12 AM // 11:12

In PvE:
I like to play as: ritualist, mesmer, warrior, sin, paragon
I dont like to play as: monk, necro, ele

I dont have on my account ranger and dervish (because i dont like them

aspi · Nov 22, 2011, 02:31 PM // 14:31

(PVE)Myself I can't stand monking so that would be the least popular for me. After that Ranger and dervish.
I quite like my paragon but for now my mesmer is getting the most attention.

Cuilan · Nov 23, 2011, 12:02 AM // 00:02

http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/p...t10482447.html
Warriors are a very very popular profession but many players also view the players who use them dumber than the chair they're sitting on. If that sounds fun to show that you're not, then try warrior.

Wenspire · Nov 23, 2011, 12:03 AM // 00:03

Most popular that I see in any outpost (as well as going by the party search window) are Rits. The profession with the least amount of players that I see are Monks.

The most picked profession that I see (for PUGs) are Monks, and least picked are Rangers.

MisterB · Nov 23, 2011, 12:17 AM // 00:17

The most accurate assessment would be looking at the server database. The only thing close to this information that ANet released was skill use logs for some GvG tournaments, as far as I'm aware.

Looking at campfire on Guru only tells you what subforums are popular on Guru. It doesn't necessarily correlate to profession choice of the players at all. Besides, Farmer is the most popular profession using that method!

Kunder · Nov 23, 2011, 12:27 AM // 00:27

Haven't seen any commandos in a LONG time. There was a short period where pretty much everyone was using them and then they just vanished.

Its seriously hard to estimate this though. Can we even agree what "most popular" should mean? Most total characters (does this include people no longer even playing)? Most characters being actively played? Most mains? Most time played?

As to trying to take hints from outpost numbers or people you form parties with, keep in mind: 90% (asspulled number) of people aren't playing with public groups, they are either H/Hing or with friends. To put it another way: Most of the people waiting around in outposts are waiting there because they are noobs who need help or something. That can vastly distort any numbers you try to pull, as noobs gravitate very heavily to certain classes (those with very simple "power" builds, coolness factor, or farming capability like Assassin or Rit) and away from other classes (Support roles like Necro, Paragon and especially Monk).

WarcryOfTruth · Nov 23, 2011, 01:36 AM // 01:36

Most: Paragon, Monk, Dervish, Rit

Least: Ranger, Warrior, Necromancer (I have none of these, don't even use heroes of these professions)

Swingline · Nov 28, 2011, 12:24 AM // 00:24

1. Assassin - Mostly because of SF farming
2. Warrior - The RAWR in your face class
3. Ranger - Very unique and versatile class
4. Ritualist - Very OP
5. Mesmer - Very OP
6. Dervish - More popular since the derv rework.
7. Necromancer - Versatile class with AR ignoring damage. Can get boring for many though.
8. Elementalist - Nerfed since HM came out but is still viable with Invoke.
9. Monk - Very few like to heal and RoJ is the only viable damage
10. Paragon - Only used for SY spam. A R/P can pump more damage out

These are based on my opinion of playable fun factor with class strengths.

The Drunkard · Nov 29, 2011, 08:14 AM // 08:14

It depends on which elite areas you are talking about.

For example, rangers are popular in UW as a fast perma, but in most other elite areas are useless.

In DoA, mesmers are the prime spikers with a semi-competent group, but you won't see them in UW, unless a group is running some sort of keystone garbage.

Sins are needed in pretty much every high-end setting, with eles coming in second. Wars, rangers, paragons, dervishes, and necs tend to be one-trick ponies in terms of presence.

Want to "stick out" ? Go para- you'll be shunned from a majority of the groups aside from the Deep and Bogroots.

If you really want to know, spend some time in elite areas. Or, even better, find a high-end guild. You'll get a lot more information that way than trying to comb through forums.

Pluberus · Dec 30, 2011, 06:23 PM // 18:23

Rough look based on The Campfire:

For forum start date, I tried to find the oldest post in each class subform, so they may not be accurate. =\