ProfGast

So I usually play GW2 fairly dialed down due to some issues back near launch where WvW would crash my game.  The other day, I dialed up settings so I could take some screens and ever since, I've been getting ridiculous amount of lag.

USually it's okay, though my FPS doesn't seem to go over 25 or so at ALL right now, and whenever I encounter something new (explosions, smoke clouds, terrain, enemies) I get enormous amounts of lag both from audio and video/commands.  Whenever this happens, FPS drops right down to 1.  I've tried fiddling with graphics settings again and even tried dropping the preset all the way to lowest or "best performance".  No dice.  Same problems.

Anyone have suggestions?  It's getting ridiculous to the point where I can't even turn the camera or open menus without ungodly amounts of frame loss and lag.

Disclaimer: I look at PvP from a primarily WvWvW perspective.

First off, I’d like to start and say I feel like most thieves are over-reliant on stealth, which is in my opinion an unbalanced mechanic.  Not overpowered mind you, simply unbalanced.  There is no direct hard-counter to stealth, only some soft counters that can (sometimes) minimize a thief’s ability to re-enter stealth or minimize a thief’s effectiveness in stealth.

That said, the word on ‘the street’ is saying that anet is planning on nerfing stealth, or at the very least, giving the revealed buff to pop regardless how you exit stealth.  This coupled with culling fixes may do much to make stealth less effective as players may finally be able to actually target and hit thieves when they exit stealth in a consistent manner.  But that brings back the problem of over-reliance.  Are thieves one-trick ponies?  Is stealth the only way for them to be effective?

I argue no.

So in honor of stealth possibly getting nerfed, I ask the thief community to help me out here.  Help me design a thief build that *doesn’t rely* on stealth.  We have more than enough skills that provide evades to put even a S/D ranger to shame, and are the only class that can naturally chain 3 dodge rolls in a row.  We can blink and teleport like nobody’s business.  All that put together ought to be able to make a class that can dive in and out of combat without having to be silly and go invisible every 3 seconds.  Let’s get to work:

SKILLS THAT EVADE:
Heals – Withdraw
Utilities – Roll for Initiative
D/D – Leaping Death Blossom
S/D – Flanking Strike
S/P – Pistol Whip

SKILLS THAT TELEPORT:
Utilities – Shadow Step
Infiltrator’s Signet
     Shadow Trap
Shortbow – Infiltrator’s Shot
P/D – Shadow Strike
D/P – Shadow Shot
S/- - Infiltrator’s Strike

Let the builds begin.  I’ll start off with my theorycraft:

0/25/0/15/30
Sword/Pistol, Shortbow
Withdraw, Haste, Roll for Initiative, Signet of Shadows

Critical Strikes: III, X
Acrobatics: III
Trickery: IV, VII, XI

Concept: Infiltrator’s Strike to dive in and out of combat, Haste is available for quick stomps, res, or damage bursts.  Pistol adds interrupts, blinds.  Sword adds decent damage, snares.  Heal and RFI give additional dodges when Haste drains endurance.  Socket Energy sigil for Shortbow weapon swap for even more dodging and shadow-stepping getaways.  Plenty of Vigor and Initiative Regain to go around.

P.S.:  I am familiar with the D/D, D/D unicorn condi thief build.  Post that if you like but let’s see if we can get CREATIVE.  Also you need not completely eliminate stealth from your build, just don’t make it the cornerstone.

So earlier I came across a post on the official GW2 website claiming that a support Warrior somehow was the best group healer in the game.  Now while I personally doubt the claim, it got me thinking and I decided to do a little bit of digging into healing abilities to see what was possible for all classes.  Since I'm not exactly in game to test at the moment, I can only theorycraft with some raw numbers, but I thought I'd at least go into rough checks to see what each class can do.  Apologies if numbers are inaccurate but running off of the numbers given on the wiki:

NOTE: All numbers are assuming WvW with PvE Gear stats.

Now the calculated theoretical ceiling for healing power is about 1621: 300 from traits, 1003 or so from gear and jewels, 165 from runes, and another 153 or so from Mango-Saffron Ice Cream.  This is a rough calc using Cleric's Gear and while you might be able to get a bit more using a Healing-Vit setup that's what I have for now.

For simplicity's sake I will avoid going into self-heals since we're mostly looking at how well a class can heal others.

Regeneration and Water Field finishers are available to all classes pretty much so we'll start with that:

Regeneration= 130 + .125*C = 333 per pulse
Water (Blast) = 1320+ .2*C = 1644

And now the classes.   Legend – RED is traited, BLUE is a skill.  Final Healing in GREEN.

Warrior - This class has only a very few options for team-healing most of which are found at the pinnacle of the Tactics traitline.  You can heal with shouts, or you can have banners grant regeneration.  To be fair to warriors, Banners are probably the longest-lasting regeneration with the widest area of effect since they're persistent buffers and if you slot multiple banners you can cover up to 15-20 people with regen constantly, or more with spottier buff uptime.  This means Warrior has the potential highest uptime of regeneration for any class.  The downside is they have a tough time mixing heal types and no access to water fields though they do have a number of blast finishers to take advantage of any fields that pop up.

Vigorous Shouts= 1192+.18*C = 1484
Banner of Comp.=522+.33*C = 1057

Guardian - This class actually excels most at self-heals, but carry a fair number of allied healing too as well as a couple of ways to apply regeneration.  Honestly though Guardian is more of a damage mitigation class with healing there as a handy bonus.  Guardians also get a blast finisher on a 6-8 second CD.  Finally they are also the only class with a true panic button heal that can hit up to 5 allies for a FULL heal.

Virtue of Resolve (passive) = 84+.06*C = 181 per pulse
Virtue of Resolve (active) = 1625+.75*C = 2841
Empower = 1500 + C = 3121
Healing Orb (explosion) = 989 * I don't know the healing coefficient for this one.  Any guardians out there want to test it?
Heal Area (Elite) = 1000 **Same as Above
Sanctuary = 2660 **Same as Above
Shield of Absorption (2) = 1300 + .2*C = 1624
Writ of the Merciful = 107+.075*C = 228 per pulse
Light of Deliverance = FULL HEAL
Selfless Daring = 129 + C = 1750

Engineer - This class has a goodly number of blast finishers, and as well as a couple of short-lived water fields that can be taken advantage of.  Additionally they have a number of regeneration application methods AND a few area-heal abilities.

Elixir Infused Bombs = 146+.1*C = 308
Medpack = 1000+.5*C = 1810
Super Elixir (Impact)* = 380 + .4*C = 1028
Super Elixir (Pulse)* = 140 + .2*C = 464
*Numbers for Super Elixir are estimates based off of previous numbers and the posted patch changes.  Needs testing on exact numbers.

Ranger - Ranger is probably among the weakest in team healing.  They have a LONG water field which provides regen and in theory group healing.  They have a few other regen options as well but are almost completely lacking blast finisher ability to take advantage of their field.  Their self-healing options are pretty good though.  I'm actually not sure if Healing Spring heals allies.  Tooltip says it does but I only recall it granting regen or being blasted.

Thief - Another weak team healer, thieves are another mitigation class as they have the ability to stealth allies.  However they are also the only class with an at-will blast finisher that can land 2-3 blasts per field they see which is where their strength lies.

Shadow Refuge = 335+.18*C= 626 per pulse

Elementalist - This class is usually considered the BEST team healer.  Short team-regeneration, the most water fields, and generally a lot of healing options.  Definitely the best for a burst heal since they can drop 3 heals in quick succession AND blast fields.

Water Attunement = 1302+C = 2923
Evasive Arcana = 2923
Cleansing Wave = 2923
Water Trident = 1448+C = 3069
Geyser = 808+.25*C = 1213 per Pulse
Cone of Cold = 740+.32*C = 1259 total
Water Blast = 370+.1*C = 532

Necromancer - Another class with a fair amount of self healing, in this case in the form of life-drain.  They do have some team healing options though.

Deathly Invigoration = 152 + .4*C = 800
Transfusion = 292 per tick
Well of Blood = 152+.4*C = 800 per tick **
**Not sure if it heals allies on initial pulse or not

Mesmer - The last class is probably better used for other combat tricks, but they do maintain a consistent party-heal ability when traited.  With Mantra of Pain you can activate a group heal roughly every 5 seconds.

Restorative Mantras = 2600+.2*C= 2924


Closing thoughts – After looking at this, I’d have to say I still hold Elementalist as the best team healer in the game given that not only do they have a number of heals they can chain (5000-7000 or so heal bursts without counting blast finishers)  that can be cycled roughly every 10 seconds or so.  Number 2 may be the guardian, though I think Engineer and Mesmer can also pull pretty good numbers for sustained healing.


Any feedback or number corrections is appreciated

So I'm in the middle of levelling a ranger who will ultimately be designed as a WvW power-based melee spec for small ops actions.  I've still yet to break level 20 with the character but I'm trying to get a feel of what to use.  My current problems though, aside from getting used to Ranger melee weapons, is the complete lack of stunbreakers and condition removals.
I know melee rangers have the potential to be really dodgy and mitigate damage that way, as well as having pretty decent tanking traits.  However in my experience, one of the biggest killers in wvw is when you get smacked by a snare and a cc and can't get yourself out of combat.

So that leaves me here trying to juggle what I want on my skillbar that will allow me to stick to combat while still being able to cleanse conditions.

Known stunbreakers: Lightning Reflexes, Signet of Renewal

CC Avoidance: Shared Anguish (Wilderness Survival III), Hide in Plain Sight (Wilderness Survival IX)

Known Cond Removal: Signet of Renewal, Healing Spring, Spirit of Nature/Nature's renewal, Evasive Purity (Nature Magic XII), Empathic Bond (Wilderness Survival XI)

For stunbreakers I feel that LR is great but doesn't get me out of an immobilize snare, while SoR is a great emergency condition dump but has way too long of a cooldown.  Added to that the condition removals seem rather lackluster and sparse.  What do all of you use to manage conditions?  Any suggestions would be appreciated.

So while I'm by no means an expert, I've noticed a lot of randoms entering WvW for the first time have no idea at all what to do, or what's expected.  They usually end up following around the nearest zerg or commander, and then get frustrated when a larger zerg wipes them out.  Fact is we don't have a lot of documentation for WvW and I wanted to throw this together to maybe help people out.  I know that granted most of the people who DO run into problems aren't the kind to go on forums and search out information, but what can you do.

So here it is:


Beginner's guide to WvWvW

Basic Concepts- The following is a set of basic concepts or mechanics that are unique to WvW and not really found in any other mode of the game.  Understanding these, and knowing how they're used is the first step to understanding WvW

Battlefields: Before you go anywhere, the first thing you should note there are a total of 4 different WvW maps.  Each World has its own borderlands, where they occupy a northern central keep.  Each Borderlands features an Orb of Power, that when captured and placed on the appropriate altars, gives everyone in WvW on the owned team a buff.  In the center of the three Borderlands stands the Eternal Battleground, with the massive Stonemist Castle in the center.  In theory, all other things being equal, the owner of Stonemist Castle has the advantage.  In reality, all other things being equal, owning Stonemist Castle makes you one hell of a target.

Supply is the basic unit of Resources for World vs World, and possibly the most important factor in WvW.  Naturally generated at Supply Camps, which are scattered across the map, it is used for repairing fortifications and building siege.  Characters can only carry 10 supply at a time, which is shown indicated up at the top of the screen next to the symbol that looks roughly like a barrel.  To pick it up, you must interact with an allied supply drop, which are usually denoted by a crate symbol of your appropriate team color above them.  More on this later.

Siege equipment are immobile engines of war that are placed, and then constructed using supply.  The exception to this is the Siege Golem, which is in fact mobile after it is constructed but immobile during construction.  All types of siege must be acquired, either purchased from the appropriate vendor or awarded from jumping puzzles.  Doubleclicking the siege item in your inventory causes you to start carrying a box, which you then an either put away (2) or ground target to place the siege (1)equipment and begin construction.  
To help construct a siege weapon, simply ensure you have supplies and then interact with the construction site.  Siege usually significantly outranges regular players weapons, and can do impressive amounts of damage to fortifications, enemies, or other siege.  Proper utilization (And fast construction) of the right siege equipment can turn the tide of a battle instantly.  Current Siege equipment is as follows: Rams, Arrow Cart, Ballista, Catapult, Trebuchet, Siege Golem.  As a reminder, ONLY siege golems are mobile after construction, so be sure when placing siege that the engine will be where you want it to be when you actually use it.  Don't for instance, place a ram 100 feet away from the door you want to ram and expect to be able to move it up.


Fortifications, or Objectives, are the way World vs World scores are tallied.  Objectives generate points for your world periodically.  They are also where you will do most of your defending or attacking of, and the tug-of-war to capture or hold objectives is the main focus of combat in World vs World.  Objectives are captured by taking out the objective's NPC leader (Supervisor, keep lord, etc) and then standing in an uncontested capture circle until the objective is yours.  Different objectives have different selections of npcs defending them.  There are 4 types of objectives: Supply Camps, Towers, Keeps and the unique Stonemist Castle.  Towers, Keeps and Stonemist Castle all have Walls and guards defending them from invaders.  To capture any of those, the invaders must first breach the wall (or walls, since keeps and stonemist have 2 sets) before getting a shot at capturing.  The gates, and certain sections of the walls on Towers and Keeps are destructible, though they only take significant damage from siege weapons.  These portions may also have their hp repaired using supply
      In addition to destructible and repairable portions, all objectives can also be Upgraded through a combination of money (gold or silver), Karma, and Supply.  Upgrades can be anything from improving the health on doors and walls, to installing burning oil or cannons.  However unlike siege construction or fortification repairs, the Supply used in fortification upgrades must come from the accumulated supply inside the objective.  All objectives have a drop area where supply accumulates and can be withdrawn from, but ONLY supply camps will naturally replenish supplies.  This means that any supply taken from a Tower, Keep or from Stonemist Castle will NOT be replenished UNLESS an allied supply caravan from a Supply camp reaches the objective.  Since an objective cannot be upgraded unless it has a stockpile of supplies, this means anyone taking supplies from a tower, keep, or from Stonemist, impedes the flow of upgrades for that objective.  Seriously though, please don't ever take supplies from anywhere except supply camps, except under dire emergencies.  Every time you do, a quaggan calf dies, and really, do you want that blood on your hands?



Map Icons:
All of your normal map icons will show up on the world map, such as waypoints, points of interest, vistas, skill challenges, mechants and the like.  All objectives (Supply camps, towers, keeps, stonemist castle) will also appear on the map but there are a few more things to take note of:

Dolyaks are generated at supply camps and deliver supplies to all the other objectives.  You can track their movement on the map, the better to defend or ambush them.  Ambushing them counts as a dynamic event earning you exp, karma and money, in addition to starving your opponents of supplies.  Win-win!

Sentries are like objectives, that yield no points for the WvW tally.  They are scattered across the map, usually between towers, keeps and supply camps, and are indicated by a flag on your world map.  They're not upgradeable and contains only a single guard who stands there and attacks any hostiles that run by.  When he dies the point may be captured.  These are good early warning systems, as their name implies, since if you notice your sentry is gone, chances are there are some enemies lurking around.  They are indicated by a small appropriately colored flag (Red Green or Blue depending on who owns them)

Combat is indicated on the map by an orange crossed sword, whenever a significant group clashes with each other.  The mark is sometimes delayed on the map but it does make it the easiest way to tell where the action is going on.

NPC camps are also indicated on the map, by a pair of axes.  If the axe is colored, the camp is claimed by the relevant side and must be wiped out to take it away from them.  If the axes are gray, then the camp is unclaimed and can be claimed by doing appropriate quests and establishing friendship with the npcs.  If the axes are missing, then the camp was recently wiped out and will be claimable soon.  NPCs are similar to sentries in that they're good early warning of people coming, but they can also supply additional guards for your objectives, and periodically send raiding parties as well.

Orbs of Power are the last thing that appears on the world map, on the 3 Borderlands and indicate location, and ownership of the Orb.  Again, an owned orb will give an entire world a significant buff


In summary, without having to go through excruciating detail:
There are Four battlefields to fight on, where you will jockey back and forth for ownership of objectives.  Supply, is used for repairs, and construction, pick it up at supply camps, not Towers, keeps or castles.  Crossed swords, Sentries and NPCs can tell you where combat is going on.  Siege is important and the turning point for most battles and well... sieges.