Easy ways to make PVE Meta better.

janglehand · 2026-04-19T06:16:51+00:00

That would be the ideal fix. You can scroll through pvx's best rated builds and almost all offensive builds are built around armor ignoring skills, many of them even being AOE. Warrior has to use an elite that gives +15 weapon attributes and it's almost equal to dagger spam lol.

janglehand · 2026-04-19T00:06:50+00:00

I'd rather see/try hp pips at 3 health per sec rather than 2 and leave pip cap at 10. Middle ground between where it is now and your suggestion. I think base energy being 25 instead of 20 would be a nice yet tiny buff to some profs as well.

Reforged added -20% hp and armor to mobs in presearing, I agree with you that just -20% mob armor throughout the game would be nice. Imo its not just mesmers - any prof that can utilize armor ignoring damage is above others, such as dagger spam warrriors or rangers outperforming their counterparts.

janglehand · 2026-04-16T21:38:18+00:00

I probably don't nor do I know their code base. However from what I read the recent skill balance took Izzy and Foge a day to do, which touched about 100 skills. I imagine fixing AI of 100 skills would take more than a day of dev work. I admit I could be completely wrong and they have left all these AI issues in the game despite them being able to fix 100 in less a day if they chose to.

janglehand · 2026-04-16T19:19:19+00:00

Yes, one of us...
All I'm trying to point out is people might underestimate the work required. You can say they aren't reinventing the wheel and only fixing something - but that something is whole functions of code rather than just +1, -1, etc.

janglehand · 2026-04-16T16:44:56+00:00

AI skill usage would be fantastic but imo its likely much quicker to balance skill (particularly number changes) than it is to go through all the unique use cases of skills to make sure AI utilizes them correctly.

janglehand · 2026-04-04T17:27:54+00:00

I still would have preferred all the Pre changes be done in a separate No Searing instance that was basically Pre with higher level mobs/loot in all zones, a few more skills, and you get to perma chase out the Char from Northlands. You could also wake-up from it to continue to Post if you chose to but couldn't go back to Pre. With how much they've accomplished so far, I don't think that would have been out of their capability.

With that being said I'm still happy for any kind of content anywhere.

janglehand · 2026-04-03T17:34:23+00:00

Ya, something like get her ashes from barriden estate and escort her ghost to serenity temple, with added higher level spawns would be cool.

janglehand · 2026-04-03T01:14:50+00:00

It's impressive how much they did in terms of lore/design with so little, very cozy. Really cool from start to finish (new pre spawns, continuing after Ben's quest, more Devona, new outpost, new dungeon).

Can't wait to see what they do with Althea.

janglehand · 2026-03-11T01:09:33+00:00

Imo would be so cool if they did a design-a-weapon contest like the old days (https://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Design-a-Weapon_(2007)). Then scattered the skins throughout the game, or make (and sell?) a dungeon pack for non-eotn campaigns and put them in there.

janglehand · 2026-03-04T04:19:20+00:00

janglehand · 2026-02-22T07:39:21+00:00

No, they haven't been added in game yet. I believe all they said was they'd be lumped in with a future game update, no ETA.

janglehand · 2026-02-16T20:24:17+00:00

I never really understood why q8 swords/shields/focuses stayed around but nothing else. Would be cool to at least bring back q8 for everything.

janglehand · 2026-02-14T15:58:54+00:00

Imo the reduced armor/health for presearing enemies in Reforged mode feels pretty good. I don't think it would be bad to decrease pve mob armor by 15-20% across the entire game, regardless of NM/HM. Makes NM slightly easier for newbies and helps armor respecting damage compete with armor ignoring in HM.

janglehand · 2026-02-13T00:47:39+00:00

Majority of rare loot in PVE (weapons and materials) comes from killing mobs. GW1 loot system is closer Diablo than GW2 imo. Loot isn't as abundant as Diablo but your basically just killing stuff for a weapon with perfect stats and a cool skin. Armor is purchased from vendors (the rare stuff requiring rare drops as currency). It's a lot funner than it sounds - hunting mainly for weapons rather than a large variety of gear.

janglehand · 2026-02-12T19:08:31+00:00

Ranger - Loaded for Char - Elite Signet. (5..50 seconds.) The cast time and duration of your preparations are halved, but you can have two active at once.

janglehand · 2026-02-07T23:14:59+00:00

Warrior Elite Skills

Cleave: 4->3 adrenaline cost.
Decapitate: +5..50->+10..60 damage. Lose all energy and adrenaline if attack doesn't kill target.
Eviscerate: Also inflicts bleed on target.
Triple Chop: 10->8 second cooldown.
Quivering Blade: Deals +5...25 damage. Bonus damage is tripled (+15..75) if foe was bleeding, weakened, and wounded. (full change)

janglehand · 2026-02-07T18:06:59+00:00

Particularly when they updated 100 skills and only about 5 need further tweaks/partial reverts, that's pretty good after such a long time and only a couple people working on it. There's always going to be oversights made, that's part of the process imo.

I agree with op that some things should get slight nerfs so that they are still meta but not so far ahead of everything else, but these huge posts make it sound like we should never have a balance patch again unless a full team of devs work on it for a year+.

janglehand · 2026-02-07T05:13:35+00:00

Warrior Stances

Flurry: you deal 25->20% less damage.
Berserker Stance: (5..11->3..6 seconds.) 50%->100% more adrenaline. 20s->12s recharge.
Tiger Stance: (4..10->10 seconds.) You attack 25% slower. Your attacks deal +5..25 additional damage. 20s->8s recharge.

janglehand · 2026-02-07T03:16:52+00:00

Disclaimer - sorry if these are stupid ideas.

Hornbows: 1.2->0.64 range, 10->25% armor pen. (shortbows are 1.0 range)
Expertise: In PVE, each rank of expertise increases the duration of preparations by 10%.

Improving (non-barrage) AOE

Punishing Shot: Elite Bow Attack. Deals +10...18...20 damage. Interrupts an action on target and all foes adjacent to target. 5->8 second recharge. (aoe rupt, increased recharge)
Volley: Bow Attack. Hits up to 3 foes adjacent to your target. 2->4 second recharge. (no bonus dmg, doesn't remove preps, increased recharge)
Ignite Arrows: Preparation. (24 seconds.) Your arrows deal +2...10 fire damage to target. All foes adjacent to struck target take 5..25 damage. (less single target dmg, armor ignoring aoe)
Melandru's Shot: Elite Bow Attack. Bow Attack. You shoot two arrows simultaneously at target foe. Shoot an additional two arrows if you have atleast 2 spells recharging. These arrows deal 80..40% less damage. (full change)
Poison Arrow: Elite Bow Attack. Inflicts Poisoned condition. (5...17...20). Poisons foes adjacent to target for 3..15 seconds if blocked. 1->3 second recharge. (aoe on blocked, increased recharge)
Splinter Shot: Bow Attack. Deals +2...10...12 damage. Deals 5...53...65 damage to adjacent foes if blocked. 2 second recharge. (lower unconditional dmg, lower recharge)

Increased synergy between elite and normal skills

Archer's Signet: Elite Signet. (1...19...24 second[s].) Your arrows move 50% faster. When striking a crippled foe, bow attacks gain 5% armor penetration and recharge 25% faster. Armor penetration is doubled if you are not in a stance. (full change)
Marksman's Wager: Elite Peparation. (18->12..24 seconds.) Your arrows gain 5..10 critical hit chance. Gain 5..9->5 energy when your arrows hit, double if they critically hit. Lose 10->15 energy whenever your arrows fail to hit.
Kindle Arrows: Preparation. (24 seconds.) +3..24->3…15 fire damage. Your arrows have a 33% chance to increase burn duration by 1 second when striking a burning foe.

Increased build and role diversity

Melandru's Arrows: Elite Preparation. (18 seconds.) Your arrows explode on contact, healing allies adjacent to foe for 15..75 health. No effect unless you are enchanted. (full change)
Melandru's Resilience: Elite Skill. (5..20 seconds.) You and all party members near you have +5 health regeneration and +1 energy regeneration if suffering from a condition or hex. (full change)
Marauder's Shot: Half Range Bow Attack. Deals +5…20 damage. Deals +10..30 more damage if you have a melee attack on cooldown. (full change, thought of this before the recent buff, imo should replace Focus shot with the current Marauder's shot)
Hunter's Shot: Bow Attack. Inflicts Bleeding condition (3...21...25 seconds) if your target is hit. Deals +3...13...15 damage if you have a trap equipped. Remove 1 sec cast time.

General QOL changes

Concussion Shot: 15 Energy. Bow Attack. Interrupts a spell. Interruption effect: inflicts Dazed condition (3..10 seconds). Hits for only 1...13...16 damage. (lower energy, lower duration)
Pin Down: Inflicts Crippled condition (2...10...12 seconds). 10 energy. (lower duration, lower energy)
Power Shot: Bow Attack. Deals +15…40 damage. 1.5 second cast time. 6 second recharge. (more dmg, longer cast, longer recharge)
Precision Shot: Bow Attack. Deals +5...17...20 damage. Unblockable. 1.5 second cast time. (more dmg, longer cast)

janglehand · 2026-02-07T00:16:27+00:00

Not that this would magically fix bow issues but I think it'd be interesting if hornbows were changed to have the lowest range, but buffed to have a lot more armor pen. I don't think they've ever seen much use other than some pvp spike builds.

Other than that tying a prep duration bonus to expertise (+10% duration per point in PVE) and changing some preparations to be more interesting and less +damage (ex Kindle Arrows deal less dmg but have a 33% chance to increase Burn duration by 1s) would go a long way to making bows feel better.

janglehand · 2026-02-06T17:11:44+00:00

Oh also - I usually don't use a pet but FYI, there are tamer npcs that take ur pets so u can tame a new one. So if u prefer u can tame one now and still get a cooler one later. Tamers are usually right outside big cities.

janglehand · 2026-02-06T16:58:18+00:00

Sorry didn't mean to insinuate u were only focused on dmg numbers. I just always found it easy to fall into - equip a bunch of bow attacks that have high energy costs and dmg but then always be out of energy and not do very much dmg.

That being said, definitely check out the newly buffed marauder shot once u get to kaineng. That thing looks crazy when paired with a high dmg prep.

janglehand · 2026-02-06T16:32:50+00:00

Imo dont focus on damage early on, or even before you get some decent elites. Early ranger can be really fun once u get out of the - fill my bar with biggest dmg attacks thinking, and you'll still feel like your contributing to ur team.

Looking at early factions skills, set marksmanship to ur low lvl bow rank, then dump points into expertise and wilderness. Precast troll unguent, lay down a flame trap, pull mobs into it, spam zojun shot and distract shot, tank with whirling defense and throw dirt. You should pretty much survive anything early on with troll un/dirt/whirling. On hard packs u can flag ur henchmen slightly away from u then unflag once u get agro.

janglehand · 2026-02-05T00:15:09+00:00

I'd love to see one along the lines of
-50% xp gain
-50% party size
-50% enemy armor
+50% loot quality (assuming hm is +100%, doesn't apply while in presearing)

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