Curse

Prowlinger · Jul 02, 2007, 02:17 PM // 14:17

I know this has been debated before but why doesn't more people debate it?

Using pets can be fun but the lose of using a single skill slot JUST to have your pet is more of a deficiency to the Ranger than a balance.

A ranger with a pet has to have Charm Animal skill just to have the pet active. Using 1 in 8 slots just for this is completely a waste for a Ranger.

A simple fix would be to merge the Comfort and Charm Animal skills into a single skill. Thus the functionality would stay the same completely.

I have tried numerous Beast Master builds and the single loss of the 1 skill just defiles the build completely.... it is a waste and inefficient.

Seriously... IF the 2 skills were merged, the Ranger with a Beast build... is it really going to off balance PvE or PvP ??!?

If so... show me proof.... else... let's get this implementation back on the table to get addressed from Anet...

Narcism · Jul 02, 2007, 02:47 PM // 14:47

1 Skill slot for free passive DPS is bad.
Think this through.

Narcism · Jul 02, 2007, 02:47 PM // 14:47

1 Skill slot for free passive DPS is bad.
Think this through.

TabascoSauce · Jul 02, 2007, 03:10 PM // 15:10

/signed

I'd say that pet damage is not really significant. They serve better in the tank role.

Not that this is anything but a joke, but my Melandru's Stalker has the descriptive name "Meatshield" when they are in use.

Rangers could use some love, and this would encourage pet use.

Thanks!
TabascoSauce

lyra_song · Jul 02, 2007, 03:27 PM // 15:27

Hmm....1 skill slot for an elder pet, according to wiki.

480 health, 80 AL, damage of 17-29

Thats a free warrior right there.

Danax · Jul 02, 2007, 03:29 PM // 15:29

/Signed. Atleast make us want to consider a beastmaster <_<

October Jade · Jul 02, 2007, 03:59 PM // 15:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by lyra_song

Hmm....1 skill slot for an elder pet, according to wiki.
480 health, 80 AL, damage of 17-29
Thats a free warrior right there.

Not even close. Your "free warrior" has neither attribute points nor a skill bar. Of course, you could always invest heavily in Beast Mastery and load up on pet skills...but then it isn't exactly free anymore.

The sad truth is that BM builds will never amount to more than a novel diversion. They're great fun, but unless you're in a group of friends, expect to be ridiculed relentlessly if not kicked out altogether.

Onarik Amrak · Jul 02, 2007, 04:03 PM // 16:03

/Signed. My Ranger still doesn't have a pet even after getting Legendary Survivor. It's just not worth considering when there are so many better options.

Pericles · Jul 02, 2007, 04:21 PM // 16:21

/signed fo sho
I never bring my pet with me because i have to use 2 skills, and thats a real shame, this would of course also make it easier for all the /R out there who want their pet to come as well.

bwillcox · Jul 02, 2007, 04:36 PM // 16:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Onarik Amrak

/Signed. My Ranger still doesn't have a pet even after getting Legendary Survivor. It's just not worth considering when there are so many better options.

My preference is just the opposite. I like having my pet and use various pet attack skills to augment my ranger's normal use of barrage (guess I'm too impatient to use preparations, traps, and such). I would never claim that this is the ultimate build (or even necessarily a good one), but it's one I find fun to play and that's really all that matters to me with the game (that I have fun).

lyra_song · Jul 02, 2007, 05:01 PM // 17:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by October Jade

Not even close. Your "free warrior" has neither attribute points nor a skill bar. Of course, you could always invest heavily in Beast Mastery and load up on pet skills...but then it isn't exactly free anymore.

The sad truth is that BM builds will never amount to more than a novel diversion. They're great fun, but unless you're in a group of friends, expect to be ridiculed relentlessly if not kicked out altogether.

I would say the RaO Hammer Ranger is quite formidable, even post nerf. And ive seen pets perform with more brain than some warriors.

But most pet builds are just..not fun.

Theres a certain disconnect between commanding the pet and the pet actually doing it. It feels more like a hit or miss and based on luck than anything to really get a build to function as intended.

Imo, the whole pet system would work better if there was a beastmastery "weapon". Theres no point in marksmanship if youre going full fledge beastmaster.

Razz Thom · Jul 02, 2007, 05:08 PM // 17:08

so which casting time would change? 10 seconds for comfort animal, or a 1 second charm? i hope it is a 1 second charm. insta lvl 20 pet anyone? "Hi I'm a lvl 2 ranger. Don't mess with me or my lvl 20 Dire Wolf will eat your head."

Horible · Jul 02, 2007, 05:19 PM // 17:19

then just add a simple clause that says you can't charm any pet that is a higher level then the character trying to charm.

Horible

/signed

EinherjarMx · Jul 02, 2007, 05:25 PM // 17:25

/notsigned

using an old school thumper:
tigers fury, irresistible blow,hammer bash, crushing blow, enraged lunge, bestial mauling, comfort animal, charm animal

and now, with the charm/comfort fusion:
tigers fury, irresistible blow,hammer bash, crushing blow, ferocious strike, poisonous bite,bestial mauling, charm animal

the thumper is supposed to add pressure in a team, with a simple free slot it would add pressure AND conditions (dazed, deep wound and poison) and tell me if it wouldn't be imba

Skycluster · Jul 02, 2007, 05:50 PM // 17:50

I think people look at beast mastery as...lets control the pet. Period.

Its there to help the ranger...I really think the pet only needs 1 pet attack+bow attacks. Be creative people don't stick 3 pet attacks on your bar so your animal can do all the work, get a freaken bow out and shoot things with it. Add apply poison and hunters shot while you use tigers fury to eranged lunge your foe to the ground. I find rangers holding staffs while these magic circles appear around them quite funny. Bow+animal, IMO is a better choice.4 attack skills/buff is really all i need.

phool · Jul 02, 2007, 08:23 PM // 20:23

IMO the new pve BM skill should replace charm in pve.

Narcism · Jul 02, 2007, 11:42 PM // 23:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by EinherjarMx

/notsigned

using an old school thumper:
tigers fury, irresistible blow,hammer bash, crushing blow, enraged lunge, bestial mauling, comfort animal, charm animal

and now, with the charm/comfort fusion:
tigers fury, irresistible blow,hammer bash, crushing blow, ferocious strike, poisonous bite,bestial mauling, charm animal

the thumper is supposed to add pressure in a team, with a simple free slot it would add pressure AND conditions (dazed, deep wound and poison) and tell me if it wouldn't be imba

Thank you for having a brain.

Marverick · Jul 02, 2007, 11:53 PM // 23:53

17-29 damage every 2 seconds is like 10-15 DPS.. a Warrior can put out around 70 DPS constantly with Dragon Slash, a Dervish can put out around 150-180 DPS with 3 targets properly grouped. That 10-15 DPS does not replace anything. And it requires 11 points, with a rune, invested.
It's not 1 skill either, you need Charm AND Comfort Animal, otherwise your pet is useless. So lugging 2 skills around just for a pet? And then you need to protect your pet with Call of Protection or other stuff as most Monks/Rits aren't happy to be healing your little furry thing constantly.

/signed

Narcism · Jul 03, 2007, 12:29 AM // 00:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marverick

17-29 damage every 2 seconds is like 10-15 DPS.. a Warrior can put out around 70 DPS constantly with Dragon Slash/signed

A DSlash does 70 DPs.. woow.. talk about someone who doesn't think before typing.
A sword swings once every 1.33 seconds.
70 DPS.. is.. 93 damage per hit.
Incredible! I don't think I've ever seen DSlash alone or a 2xCrit Sun and Moon actually hit that hard.

Even if you say he was frenzied.. are you going to compare a Frenzy + DSlash bar (4 skills+) to 2 skills?

Guild Wars Guru knows how 2 balance.

Ensign · Jul 03, 2007, 05:48 AM // 05:48

Charm Animal is a really good skill. It has two problems.

One, that in order to keep it from being a dead slot on your bar you need some sort of pet res. All of the pet res skills in the game are bad. Charm Animal is good, but it isn't worth two slots unless you have a ton of space on your bar.

Second, the attributes are terrible. In order for a beastmaster to be worth anything you need a ton of Beastmastery and a ton of some weapon attribute to be decent. Bows require a ton of Marksmanship and a ton of Expertise, as the entire skillset has been balanced around high Expertise. Bowman beastmasters who want to be worth anything need high Expertise, high Marksmanship, and high Beastmastery, which you simply don't have the points for. Hence all of the common pet builds use other weapons, which don't pay an Expertise tax and thus have the luxury of running with just weapon + pet, not weapon, pet, and Expertise.

Of course, pets being mostly a DPS addition doesn't mesh well with the Ranger primary, which is otherwise a rather weak DPS option.