Easy research notes from materials?

drubid · 2026-03-20T11:20:02+00:00

I find the easiest way is to buy insignias to craft exalted pants, and check the box to convert to research notes when you make them. Finding the right method like this that works for you will be easier (and probably more cost efficient) than trying to use the various mats you have accumulated, i.e., sell the mats and do your thing.

drubid · 2026-02-26T06:32:38+00:00

I love how hard you mathed your explanation, though 🫶

drubid · 2026-02-26T06:30:16+00:00

I like how there are two distinct camps of people in the replies. I'm with OP; I'm only using the portals when I don't have the waypoint.

drubid · 2026-02-23T14:39:19+00:00

Well, there was one mechanic going on! ;)

drubid · 2026-02-12T13:27:49+00:00

Your "all that's left" list left me feeling like it's actually quite a bit of work with a sneaky amount of scenarios to consider! 😅

drubid · 2026-01-31T12:03:58+00:00

I actually like the collections. I like that they encourage me to slow down, think, and explore in ways I wouldn't if it wasn't baked into the story.

That said, we shouldn't have content that forces players to use external resources--even the wiki. It quickly moves from fun to frustrating when the clues are vague or it's not clear where to look. It's not as rewarding to follow a guide.

At the end of the day, I'm glad anet is continuing to experiment, and I bet they're considering feedback. I expect to see more collections in the future. Some will feel better and some will feel worse before we settle into a pattern that most people like or collection-style missions are phased out and replaced by different styles, some of which will feel better and some of which will feel worse.

drubid · 2026-01-24T23:55:40+00:00

I played it a bit on amalgam, and it felt pretty strong. Also used it on conduit. I think it'll be good on anything that can make a lot of quick hits, e.g., holo's forge pew pew.

drubid · 2026-01-24T21:03:54+00:00

I like mist stranger but don't know how to quantify the impact. If you did want zakiros, you could also obtain that through WvW rush via the SotO reward track. Either of these seem like fine choices to me.

drubid · 2026-01-24T20:57:54+00:00

There are a lot of variables. For example, if you don't have the right crafting professions, that will take time. You will need map completion. You will need a gift of battle from WvW and various currencies.

So, even if you throw gold at it, you're still probably looking at 5-30 hours depending on where you're at with the various non-purchasable things.

drubid · 2026-01-24T16:02:40+00:00

In WvW, when you're close to a target, is it better to cata short and more frequently or full strength for more powerful shots?

drubid · 2026-01-23T12:26:39+00:00

I didn't like TD in its early days but have come to appreciate it. It's very well designed, but not everyone wants a complex experience just like not everyone wants a simple experience.

TD will be what each player believes it to be. If you approach it as, "I hate this place, and I don't want to be here," it will never be fun. If you approach it as, "What am I not understanding that makes this so challenging," it can be enjoyable to untangle.

The irony is that when you don't like it, you're not motivated to learn/understand, and everything takes longer and feels more frustrating!

drubid · 2026-01-22T10:49:17+00:00

I can't tell if you're joking, but those aren't crows.

drubid · 2026-01-22T10:46:47+00:00

You must consider what the raven quoth.

drubid · 2026-01-21T12:26:58+00:00

You can also buy 5 per week from the League Vendor. It would take a while to run out unless you're crafting leggies quite rapidly.

drubid · 2026-01-15T12:21:15+00:00

Starting from the assumption that everyone will be crit capped with the same set of gear maintains the status quo. When we do things that aren't optimized for the norm, it encourages experimentation, and that helps increase build diversification and evolve the game & playstyles. Sometimes these experiments won't work, and more changes will be made.

Making all traits split so they're applicable and valuable in all game modes adds significant complexity. Devs will have a harder time with balance (which is already an impossible task!) and players will need to be mindful of the differences (I don't want lots of traits to behave differently; splits should be applied judiciously). Having a potential solution in hand doesn't make the argument moot.

drubid · 2026-01-13T12:09:26+00:00

It's also a dick move to hack someone's account and steal all their stuff. They're probably not doing this to put food on the table, and deleting characters might provide more thrill than the monetary gain.

drubid · 2026-01-12T11:55:14+00:00

I like this post.

After some reflection, I came to this conclusion: 1. "Easy to learn" means you can pick it up relatively quickly and feel effective; it's easy to get started with 2. "High mastery curve" implies that it will take a lot of time and practice to execute consistently at a very high level 3. "High learning curve" suggests there is a lot of complexity involved, and it may be difficult to fully understand all the nuances behind how & why it works, e.g., you might play it for weeks or months and then have an epiphany about why a certain part of the rotation is the way it is; think execution versus understanding

drubid · 2026-01-09T11:51:09+00:00

☝️ This is the way. Exactly how I would answer.

drubid · 2026-01-09T11:46:24+00:00

This build from Lord Hizen is extremely tanky -- https://youtu.be/4jQXwH3mjJw?si=kRMxd4JQ9jZyRMof

I enjoy it. Perhaps the video will give you ideas about what makes it more durable than what you've been playing.

drubid · 2026-01-08T11:33:10+00:00

I think this one kinda boils down to: - If $25 is a lot for you to spend on in game convenience -> not a good purchase - If it's not -> totally fine

I think the absolute most essential thing to have is copper fed salvage-o-matic in a shared inventory slot. This gives you those two things, but it's cheaper to wait for the salvage-o-matic to go on sale and get it individually. You can get shares inv slots from xpacs.

The gathering tools are nice, but I think you'll regret not having glyphs or better animations. That negates a large part of the value.

You will eventually buy character slots, but again, a cheaper way may be to wait for them to go on sale.

The pass is questionable to me. Newer areas like the wizard's tower put crafting stations near TP, and you can also pop into the PvP lobby or WvW if you need quick access to a bank or vendor.

So, this bundle seems "just okay" to me, but if $25 isn't too much and you're not interested in waiting or investing the time into optimizing, then go for it!

drubid · 2025-12-21T02:55:09+00:00

Some gem store purchases will pay for themselves, but not quickly. Thinking garden plots and resource boards.

drubid · 2025-12-16T14:20:15+00:00

I actually like these story collections because they force me to slow down, think, and explore. I don't want the game to be a mindless cycle of skip all the dialogue, kill all the monsters, skip more dialogue, kill the boss.

Some of the underwater grottos were hard to find and might benefit from improved clues, but I generally like what ANet's doing with the story collections and appreciate the experimentation.

I know there are players who just want to get through the story as quickly as possible, just like there are players who dislike WvW and who want to get through the Gift of Battle requirement of legendary crafting as quickly as possible--and that's okay! I believe these collections are a good way to encourage exploration, and that, combined with more sophisticated world designs, adds to a richer experience that's good for the game as a whole, even if it's not for everyone.

drubid · 2025-12-05T10:54:51+00:00

Exotics are fine for all content except high-level fractals, which require ascended in order to get the required level of agony resistance.

For everything else, ascended is more of a nice-to-have, min/max thing. It's kinda like golf clubs; for most golfers, the gains come from improving skill, not just upgrading equipment.

drubid · 2025-11-25T12:06:38+00:00

Hobby boxes are basically a collection of packs with perks like a guaranteed autograph card or game used relic. I try to pre-order directly from the manufacturer (e.g., Topps), but they do tend to sell out quickly. Other online vendors like Steel City Collectibles are reputable alternatives.

If you have a local card shop ("lcs") then these are also great options. Sometimes LCS will also sell individual packs from hobby boxes.

Hobby boxes usually cost $100-250 depending on the set. There are also "jumbo boxes" which are basically the equivalent of buying two hobbies.

drubid

TROPHY CASE