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so...the GuardianFollow

#1 Jan 24 2011 at 1:04 PM Rating: Decent
The information will be coming on Thursday. We have quite a bit of tidbits from Logan in the book. Hunter has a wonderful article. ( http://huntersinsight.wordpress.com/2011/01/03/guardians-of-guild-wars-2/ )

My worries are that people are going to be too giddy over the ability to heal. People crying over the fact that guild wars said their will be no super support class could start the arenanet lied to us cries.

I think that the healing will be minor and very energy intensive while knockdowns and damage reduction will be a little lighter on the energy bar. They may have some sort of aura effect like the paladin of Diablo 2. Much of GW2 is reminding me of Diablo 2 (energy potions...sigh).

I can see a guardian being a sleeper profession at first, with the first wave of players playing it like a warrior monk who tries to heal. Then the player base will learn to play gw2 different from gw1. Knockdowns and weapon spells (possibly) and auras(possibly) will work well with the other professions (especially the rogue that originated from the assassin).


This is, of course, all talk and speculation, which I typically avoid.
Any thoughts or ideas?
#2 Jan 26 2011 at 1:09 PM Rating: Decent
well apparently logan has been seen with a staff, something i missed originally. should be interesting to see what he can do with it.
#3 Jan 26 2011 at 2:05 PM Rating: Decent
32 posts
I honestly don't know what to expect from the guardian. I'm not thinking his healing will be any better than a water elementalist's - meaning a few ways to apply the regeneration boon, and a couple small AoE heal effects. I gather there have been some references to weapon summons, but I just can't imagine what ANet could do with that to create interesting "protective" environmental weapons.

I do expect the guardian will have a profession-unique boon - as the necromancer has a unique condition in fear - that will apply a damage shield to allies. I assume this is what we see Logan use in the human tutorial's elemental fight.

Beyond those two mechanics, I'm really at a loss. Hopefully they've come up with something fun and unique for a professions mechanic - I'm getting tired of the "paladin" classes always having some sort of "holy power" bar they fill up.
#4 Jan 27 2011 at 5:19 AM Rating: Decent
My guesses:

* Healing no stronger than water elementalist; regen boon and splash healing, only off of melee attacks rather than projectiles.

* No damage mitigation boon (beyond an armor increase boon that already looks quite likely), nor party protection enchantments/auras but environmental effects that are akin to laying pieces of scenery e.g. some 'forcefield' shields prevent projectiles passing through, some prevent enemies passing through, maybe some cleanse characters passing through them of conditions.

* No weapon spells in the GW1 sense, nor anything that is cast on an ally due to the lack of a "target ally" control, but possibly self-targetted utility spells that use the "weapon spell" name and replace the guardian's gear skills temporarily.

* Magic as the only ranged damage option (no bows or guns), with spells dealing physical damage (if there are even damage types anymore). I'll make a wildly unfounded prediction that the guardian will have the first & maybe only ranged chain, using the 1st scepter skill slot to magically bludgeon from afar.

* A much smaller armory than people seem to be anticipating (scholarly even), bolstered by utility 'weapon spells' and the profession mechanic...
> Main hand: Mace, scepter, sword.
> Off hand: Mace, shield, torch.
> Both hands: Hammer, staff.

* I've no idea what the profession mechanic is, but I suspect it's something no one will see coming!

* I'll mirror Bubles and speculate that it will prove popular at launch as people expect it to 'healbot' in some way while also tanking, only to be disapppinted that it's actually one of the most complex professions and is quite ineffective on all fronts when played inexpertly.
But in the long run it's battlefield control capabilities will make it a very popular professions among 'pro' players, and it will forever more be dogged by one demographic decrying it as the worst class while another proclaims it the strongest. ^_^
#5 Jan 28 2011 at 1:07 PM Rating: Decent
Yeah, the idea of a support melee/tank was kinda what I was thinking this class will be.
#6 Feb 01 2011 at 12:18 PM Rating: Good
Guardian is definitely not a tank. If you try to tank with a guardian, ... Well, let's just say it's it's not very effective.
#7 Feb 01 2011 at 2:35 PM Rating: Decent
28 posts
I imagine that attempting to tank with one will allow for one good spike to humble you.

Much like what many dervishes experienced on Nightfall release.
#8 Feb 01 2011 at 7:59 PM Rating: Good
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165 posts
We'll be singing
When we're winning
We'll be singing...
I get knocked down
But I get up again
You're never going to keep me down

:)
#9 Feb 02 2011 at 7:45 PM Rating: Decent
Ha ha. Jadyness Nice tune


As far as the purpose for a guardian in partying, they will be phenomenal protectors, kinda seems like their main thing. Not necessarily tanks but they will probably see a ton of action on the front lines pushing the party into the proper range, crowd control. Or protecting the back lines from damage. I also see them as a great tool for saving a group from a total wipe.

Lets say that you're in a group of 5 heading into a dungeon. You're facing a boss and everything goes horrible and everyone dies except the guardian in your party. They guardian pops Aegis and a few other prot/Damage mitigation spells to prevent interruption and allot for enough time to revive someone. Rinse repeat with the other group members to help heal/revive and WAMMO you got your group back to life to down the boss... or fail.

Lastly in PvP, A MAJOR ANNOYANCE. Being someone who plays a caster that Wall of Deflection seems like a nightmare and with all of the blocks and wards and stuff they have at their disposal they will probably take forever to kill in a 1v1 battle vs any of the announced classes.

Speaking of wards I'm curious if the situation below is plausible
Person 1 "OMG an invisible wall, How will we get past it? We can't walk through it"
*10 seconds later
Person 2 "Hmm... I GOT AN IDEA!! Let's walk around it!"
Person 1 "Why didn't I think of tha-"
*Meanwhile a Ranger shoots an arrow into both of their throats and they die.
#10 Feb 04 2011 at 4:39 AM Rating: Decent
24 posts
I didn't think that the protection skills effects would last that long. I was under the impression that Wall of Deflection would last 3-5s at most? I do have concerns that Guardians will be running all over the place trying to protect and failing miserably. By the time you've seen that an ally is going to get hit, then run over to them and put your prot up, the attack has already happened and your efforts wasted. Sure the virtues will help some but it won't be efficient.

#11 Feb 04 2011 at 9:27 AM Rating: Good
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165 posts
It might encourage the group to, you know, stay together? even the bad ones?

I have no comment on how the Guardian is likely to play. I'm not good at speculation of what ruleset somebody else is going to come up with, so I've just nodded my head, stroked my beard and gone "ahhhh... okay."
#12 Feb 04 2011 at 10:32 AM Rating: Decent
24 posts
Yeah I'm with you on not really knowing how it'll play out. I have opinions but nothing with any conviction as yet.

As for getting people to stay together, we'll see. Might require more coordination than usual for your average pug group.
#13 Feb 04 2011 at 4:21 PM Rating: Decent
28 posts
TashaDarke wrote:
I didn't think that the protection skills effects would last that long. I was under the impression that Wall of Deflection would last 3-5s at most? I do have concerns that Guardians will be running all over the place trying to protect and failing miserably. By the time you've seen that an ally is going to get hit, then run over to them and put your prot up, the attack has already happened and your efforts wasted. Sure the virtues will help some but it won't be efficient.


I believe I heard somewhere that guardians will have an ability of some kind that causes them to quickly reach an ally. I don't recall if it was a teleport type of ability, leap or what, or if my sleeping patterns have me remembering crap that was never said (seriously).

Edit: Flashing Blade
http://huntersinsight.com/2011/02/01/the-shadowstep/
There we go

Edited, Feb 4th 2011 5:23pm by coehl
#14 Feb 04 2011 at 5:44 PM Rating: Decent
I have a feeling that the guardians will shine when other players are using their elite skills. I agree with Tasha in that I think their major protection skills will be potent but short with a fairly long recharge, like 20 seconds or so (long for gw1 anyway). These control skills will be amazing when, for example, an elementalist turns into a giant tornado. Imagine if you can hold it in place for a few seconds just to minimize the panic.

Guardians look like they will be a class that most will be able to play decent, but those who master it will be very difficult to deal with.

Edited, Feb 4th 2011 6:45pm by bubles

Edited, Feb 4th 2011 6:55pm by bubles
#15 Feb 04 2011 at 10:14 PM Rating: Good
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165 posts
yeah, some clever developer needs to come up with PUG Glue. With a *really* short cooldown.

i totally didn't see that Flashing Blade step (or whatever its likely called) in the Guardian video the first dozen times I watched it, coehl! just goes to show that you really only see the things you expect to see.

i'm low-keyed but jazzed about all the professions i've seen so far, honestly. they all look interesting enough to try.

.... but is it just me, or do the character models seem to lack a certain something? like, you know, nice faces.
#16 Feb 05 2011 at 2:33 PM Rating: Decent
28 posts
I think people are expecting to see faces and bodies in GW2 that put GW1 to shame. But keep in mind, GW1 still has better aesthetics (in terms of the characters) than MMO's being developed today with maybe Aion being the only exclusion.

The GW2 characters still look a bit cooler to me than GW1, so far, but not by some amazing landslide I suppose. Just as long as the human males don't all look like Chuck N orris (wow) or anything like the LOTRO characters (game was frickin ugly).

Edit: Uh.. why did Chuck's name get translated to "Allakhazam" at first? lol

Edited, Feb 5th 2011 3:35pm by coehl

Edited, Feb 5th 2011 3:35pm by coehl
#17 Feb 06 2011 at 10:55 AM Rating: Good
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165 posts
I could be somewhat spoiled, i suppose. After (still) playing Aion and trying out FFXIV for three months, I realise I know have higher standards for character models. From the game vid someone posted awhile back, I like the general movement in the game as everything appears to be quite fluid. But when I watch these profession vids where they're focusing on one character without a ton of distractions, the faces just seem very flat and without dimension.

We don't even have a beta release date, let alone a launch date so I'm not too sussed about it. But after reading the article on armors and dyes (I think it was Ree that did that one?) and looking (okay, salivating) at the velly nice artworks, I admit I still find myself vaguely disgruntled at how un-attractive the face models are. With the exceptions of Aion and City of Heroes, games just don't give enough in the way of face and body customization - after spending all that time coming up with three hundred different armor types, you'd think they'd spend a little longer and come up with more than six hair styles, you know?

All of which has nothing to do with the Guardian, except that I think he needs a quality plastic surgeon :)
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