User:Racthoh/StupidThingsExplained

Stupid Things Explained

While I shouldn't have to explain in depth the reasoning behind the things I've listed I will anyway. Mostly because I tried getting back into Guild Wars recently after a 4 1/2 month vacation I realized how screwed up this game now is because of those five. Arguably I could put "Save Yourselves!" on the list as well, but while it is overpowered its effects aren't nearly as noticeable. Anything that "Save Yourselves!" allows you to do could previously be done by simply understanding how to build against each zone. I hero/henched just about every vanquish on my paragon so surely with a full competent human team of 8 anyone else could do it. Heck there were people who finished their hardmode titles before the first batch of PvE skills were introduced. The FFF/HFFF is pretty stupid too but it has never really bothered me. A grind filled method to filled a grind title. Even then it still takes several hours a day for multiple days just to max. It avoids my anger.

Shadow Form
No brainer, really. What's funny is this skill got a PvE buff because of people who would grief others in the early maps of Heroes' Ascent using it. Now you can maintain it with a 100% uptime, offering near invincibility. Surely everyone remembers the plethora of nerfs to farming methods over the past three years? Protective Bond, griffins, AoE scatter, loot scaling, Spirit Bond, dying nightmares, just a few that I can think of off the top of my head. Probably more but those I'm sure most will remember. Seems like a lot of effort went into preventing players from making a lot of gold doesn't it? Doesn't it seem rather hypocritical to make a skill that eliminates every effort made against easy farming? Is it because bots can't make efficient use of it and that's why it'll stay how it is? I mean they were even aware of how ridiculous this skill is and did nothing to touch the duration. What a waste of resources and time.

Earth Magic
Mostly just Sliver Armor and Stoneflesh Aura. If Sliver Armor was actually random I probably wouldn't have too big a hatred towards it. Instead its throw it up in a big mob and watch something die instantly. Stoneflesh Aura pretty much eliminates the whole reason for having an armor cap. To the best of my knowledge the only reason for its implementation was "Stand Your Ground!" and "Watch Yourself!" in paraway teams. Maybe with Fertile Season as well, any other +AL skill doesn't ring any bells. Anyway, it's what... -33 damage at 16? What a joke. Makes those -x damage mods look pathetic. Not to mention how absurd the immune to critical hit part is in Hard Mode when every enemy attacks faster, have 20 specced attributes (warriors = ow), and a higher level resulting in more critical hits. Armor of Earth doubles an elementalist's AL level to the point where that -33 makes you a rock. Obsidian Flesh makes me rage as well. Seeing warrior bars with an elementalist elite... ugh. Swing your weapon and stop tanking; tanking is so pre-factions. Get with the times and Dragon Slash the hell out of things.

Essence of Celerity
A love hate thing really. I love the 25% faster movement because it makes you realize how dull running long distances can be without a speed buff. Everything else though breaks the balance on everything. It frees room on skill bars, recharges and cast times are all improved; madness! They give me something productive to spend my gold on though. Really nothing else to say. If you've used one of these in the past you know what's broken about it.

Armor of Salvation
I don't think enough people appreciate "Immune to critical hits" and "-5 damage" when they pop one of these. The other mods simply don't compare. Just like Stoneflesh Aura using one of these is like having... hell I can't even think of anything to really describe it. Basically it's a lot of damage reduction, escalating in power in Hard Mode just like Stoneflesh Aura. Again though, gives me something to spend my gold on. Consumables give those of us who can't be bothered to spend a million gold for one title something to do with our money.

Cry of Pain
100 armor ignoring AoE damage if you grind your Sunspear title. All you need is mesmer primary or secondary. Tie this skill to fast casting in some way. When builds are named after a skill you might want to do a little research into the matter. I'm sure it was meant to help mesmers get into groups but unless you tie it to the primary and tone it down it's merely producing a gimmick. Similar to how mesmers have replaced elementalists in GvG for just about every build.

All of these things have made the game dull to play. When your endgame content consists of grinding gold and newer more powerful methods kept being introduced it doesn't take long for people to get tired of playing. Farming The Underworld and getting say 4 Globs of Ectoplasm in a single run used to be pretty good. Now you have teams of 8 clearing every quest and popping out 8 Globs of Ectoplasm, 8 Phantom Key, 8 Diamonds, 8 Lockpicks, 8 Passage Scrolls, and 2 inscribed rares (or combination from the previously mentioned) in 10-20 minutes. A better time comes from knowing the layout of the area better, and group spawns, not from actually being a skilled player. I don't understand how such an uproar was made over Ursan and the damage it brought to the economy (even though I don't care about the economy I will still mention it) only to have something worse replace it. I cannot wrap my mind around the thought. First DoA full clear was what... 10 hours? Hard Mode groups can do it in under 2, most even less. The game was better off for everyone when there were $100,000 championships for PvP and PvE players were ignored. Instead focusing their efforts on PvE killed PvP and turned PvE into more of a joke than it already was.