Curse

Xue Yi Liang · Sep 29, 2005, 08:46 PM // 20:46

Henchies can be more effective than the majority of PUGs for some things. I like soloing with a pack of them for some of the missions or for skill capping. But you can only expect so much from the henchie AI. And sometimes it sabotages me in some funny ways:

-"I'm OK. Don't help me!" I first target a mob priest so all the henchies appropriately attack him ... but, suddenly, one or two avicara braves (or ettins, or summit cleavers etc.) decide to blitz me. I reflexively defend myself with melee --> of course the henchies stop attacking the enemy priest and come to my "rescue" - *sigh* The road to heck is paved with good intentions.

-"Please.... please don't rez me, Mhenlo!" Here's the scenario: We've all died except for maybe Mhenlo and Adian. At least 3 overlapping Wells of Suffering cover the area around my corpse. Now here comes Mhenlo ... rez->run 3 feet->die->rez->run 3 feet->die .... next thing you know, I have -54% DP.

-Chain Lightning - there's nothing like being surrounded by a pack of walking lighting rods.

-Laurel & Hardy, Abbot & Costello, Mhenlo & Lina - we all know that henchies love to stand in lava (and chaos storms, and wells of suffering etc). So, it stands to reason, you ought to be very careful how you rez them. Let's say you're rezzing henchies in the Ring of Fire and you happen to start with Mhenlo. As we all know, Mhenlo will always rez Lina first - even if she happens to be in the middle of a lava pond. Freshly rezzed, he has a sliver of health and lasts maybe 1.5 seconds before you're caught with 2 dead monks in lava (i.e. a pair of "hench-fries"). Rez either one and they'll die trying to rez the other.

I soon learned to rebirth one monk and retreat to safety before he kills himself. When you're ready to rez the other you'll want to get to her before he does. A fastcasting rebirth comes in mighty handy here.

-The "infinite" loop - Everyone died and Mhenlo and Lina were the last ones standing - They were fighting an enslaved ettin and a priest of sorrows. They kept fighting with nobody dying on either side. Here you see an Enslaved Ettin pounding on Lina, Lina attacking the priest (and using the occasional reversal on herself), Mhenlo healing Lina and the priest healing himself. I suppose Tharn Stonerift was helping somehow ... but I can't tell - and I have no idea what the other dwarf was doing either.)

I waited 1 minute ... then 2... then 5... I went to get a sandwich ... 11 minutes ... I took a nap .... 23 minutes! Then I aborted the mission.

I'd like to hear some of your experiences with henchie sabotage/mischief....

KvanCetre · Sep 29, 2005, 11:05 PM // 23:05

You should have just let the mission run all night, just to see if these brilliant fighters ever got tired...

smurfhunter · Sep 30, 2005, 12:34 AM // 00:34

mine is when stefan left us because he had to go cap a skill with thom

tuperwho · Sep 30, 2005, 12:40 AM // 00:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xue Yi Liang

i.e. a pair of "hench-fries"

I wish I had more to add, but I just wanted to say I think that's brilliant.

super dooper · Sep 30, 2005, 12:43 AM // 00:43

lol, I think you can blame Tharn on that one.. he uses Mend Ailment, Orison of Healing, and Mark of Protection on the enemies, and you.

smurfhunter · Sep 30, 2005, 12:45 AM // 00:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by super dooper

lol, I think you can blame Tharn on that one.. he uses Mend Ailment, Orison of Healing, and Mark of Protection on the enemies, and you.

idk, he said he needed to cap migraine so he could do a degen build with lina later that night. and like stefan was like "screw this crap" and joined him, dumping us.

oh and then the next day he pretends it never happened. what an asshole.

strcpy · Sep 30, 2005, 07:06 AM // 07:06

Well, one frusrating thing was on the Sanctum Cay mission (I think, the one where you have to protect the Vizier while a boat rises) I was second from the boat rising. Being my fith attempt with the henchies I was pretty happy - finally won. For reasons unknown to me the whole white mantle group decided I was to be dead, and being a monk it wasn't a really hard thing for 5 or 6 melee chars to kill me. Boat raised, I'm laying there - all the henchies alive and now each one attacking a different mob (and none of them the healer). Five minutes later still no res signet used, still no henchies run to the boat. finally alesia was the only one left and she died quickly. Very irritating to actually beat the freaking mission.

Other then that - alesia seems to be the best for funny. With my newly made warrior she seems to want to stand outside my agro circle but in front of me. This means she succesfully runs through every mob there and aggros everything in front of me. On my other chars she sometimes panics in the middle of a battle and runs around not healing gathering mobs from all over the map - then ditfully runs back to the party. Stefan and Thom sometimes take a break out of fighting to have a little conversation and I can never figure out why, or at least I hope they are having one as they are standing around doing something else besides fighting.

Ahh, if only they would have the priority to res playes, or at least a "use res signet" on me command I would be happy. The rest is infrequent and more comical than anything. No res is VERY irritating especially given that they fight as a team maybe 10% of the time after I die. Someone said a while back to ctrl-double click your name and they will, but haven't died yet to try that yet. If they also had a "stay here" command (especially while I pull) then they would have 95% of the functionality I would like and get rid of 98% of my complaints

Numa Pompilius · Sep 30, 2005, 07:32 AM // 07:32

My favorite is when you're in a hard fight, and one henchie goes down (Dunham, say). Nothing serious, you can still take the enemy.
Suddenly health starts dropping on EVERYONE. What's going on?

Mhenlo has decided to res Dunham in the middle of a hard fight, meaning the healing stops for 8 precious seconds. And when he gets interrupted he'll just stand around for a few seconds. Then start ressing Dunham AGAIN.

Sekkira · Sep 30, 2005, 07:34 AM // 07:34

Wow and I thought it was only my character that encountered all this

Saerden · Sep 30, 2005, 09:53 AM // 09:53

Especially rezzing Dunham. Hes a mesmer. He uses Crippling Anguish. OUCH. pure comedy

KaPe · Sep 30, 2005, 10:04 AM // 10:04

I love getting Blood Ritual right after the battle ends. So helpful. Never mind the fact, that we could avoid losing half of the party if Eve actually casted it few seconds earlier.

Ollj · Sep 30, 2005, 11:20 AM // 11:20

Yes, they all have been comedians before the charr invasion.

Bu7ch · Sep 30, 2005, 12:03 PM // 12:03

I'd have to say my worst experience was (twice) skill capping at Ember Light w/ all henchies. I'm dead and the rest of the party dies while killing the mob, except for Mhenlo. For 15 minutes I left GW running and Mhenlo not only didn't rez me, he didn't rez anyone! I was oh so close to the boss too....and of course he didn't respawn the next several times I tried.

aismailuk · Sep 30, 2005, 01:05 PM // 13:05

Well, talking of henchie mischief, I had an experience way back near Piken square when I was but a lowly levelled character...

Me and the gang were off on a quest to take out various Charr and put out some nasty bonfires they had started throughout the land. Now, getting further into the quest, we spotted a collector...can't remember his name...so went and chatted to him to see what wares he was offering...

He didn't have anything I wanted, so we all carried on our merry way, or so I thought...

When we encountered a BIG mob of Charr, we fought bravely, but ultimately were crushed. Expected to res sometime soon, I waited...and waited...then finally realised there was someone missing...ALESIA.

So I clicked on her name to see where she was.

And found her...

She was only chatting up the collector! Obviously she found the prospect of talking to him far better than healing sweaty Stefan or tanking on the front line (as we all know she does!).

Collector "Hey babe, what's your name?"
Alesia "Who me?! (giggles and looks at floor sheepishly)"
Collector "Yeah, babe I mean you...want to see my collectables?"
Alesia "Wow, you're very forward!"
Collector "I know...but I'm totally entranced by your mystic being..."
Alesia "You sure know how to compliment a girl"
Collector "I know. So what'll it be? You want what I got?"
Alesia "You, KNOW I do handsome..."

Collector and Alesia walk off into the sunset...

Hussy!

Needless to say, she never came to res anyone, so had to jump back to town and start over!

Cheeky minx!

Swampgirl Inez · Sep 30, 2005, 01:18 PM // 13:18

Alesia has done that to me too. Only, she wasn't flirting with anyone. She leaves me for no reason:

"I like this rez shrine. I think I'll stay here and meditate."
"Ooh, look at the pretty box. I wonder what's in it?"

You know, it's kind of insulting that she'd pick an inanimate object over her job.

FalconDance · Sep 30, 2005, 02:07 PM // 14:07

OMG, aismailuk! I can picture the scene so clearly.....*chuckle*

Why is it that Alesia doesn't seem to realize until she's level 20 that she is the HEALER hench not the frontline tank? Talk about slow.

I've had Thom and Stefan suddenly stop and stand there scuffing the ground with their boots in the middle of a fierce battle---why?! Then they have the nerve to curse when it's over.......as if we were all standing there doing our nails instead of saving their sorry butts.

Cartoonhero · Sep 30, 2005, 03:19 PM // 15:19

my favorite is when alesia decides that first off, shes the tank. And then when i have to heal her(im an e/mo) to keep her from biting it and the rest of the henchie team going down. I really thought this was her or lina's job, but they get a little distracted sometimes.("ooh i think i'll take a swim in the poisonous swamp", "or that is such a cute little mob of enemies"...sigh) And then when shes the only one left standing...which happens alot, considering she wanders away from the fight sometimes, she just shoots at the huge ettin or the charr that is going to kick her butt with her almighty staff(lol), instead of trying to get someone that can actually take that last enemy out up. sigh, alesia is such a comedian, i swear

Arcanis the Omnipotent · Sep 30, 2005, 04:59 PM // 16:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saerden

Especially rezzing Dunham. Hes a mesmer. He uses Crippling Anguish. OUCH. pure comedy

Your a troll

Xue Yi Liang · Sep 30, 2005, 10:19 PM // 22:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cartoonhero

my favorite is when alesia decides that first off, shes the tank.

I've noticed that, too. In my case I figured out why. It's because, usually, she tries to follow as the last person behind the group. But if you are "pulling" a Blessed Griffin or something - where you're trying to retreat - she'll be the last one to retreat as well - i.e. the closest to the monsters.

I like to think of her as the typical horror-movie victim - you know, the one who can't run fast enough to match the group and ends up twisting her ankle as the monsters descend on her. Better her than me, I guess...

Photeus · Sep 30, 2005, 10:50 PM // 22:50

Just to send in my thoughts, me and my roommate used to play GW a lot over the summer, and we had a common two letters we'd say during a certain reoccuring incidence. HD.

HD = Healer Down

Alesia has died far more times than any of the other henches....ever. Long ago, she used to just stand and take the brunt of the battle, instead of dropping agro to someone else. If you're a more heavily armored class, you can step in front of her and she'll drop back, letting you take the agro (after a long past update), but this would usually cause her to run closer to the fray, instead of away.

Frusterating indeed. It got to the point that she died so often that we made up the little acronym for it, to let each other know if we needed heals, rez her and hope for the best.

Oh, and she used to fly, which was hilarious when you were fighting something, would die, scream "WTF? Where was the healing?" You realize Alesia is alive...you click her name, and she is floating 50 ft off the ground above a rez shrine. Brrrrrilllliant!