loopgru

joined 1 year ago
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These mini expacs really aren't doing it in c/guildwars2@lemmy.wtf
[–] loopgru@slrpnk.net 4 points 2 weeks ago

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Guild_Wars_2:_Janthir_Wilds#Additional_releases

There's a raid/convergence and a legendary spear releasing in November. Another map in Q1, and at some point (TBA) a legendary back, another raid/convergence, and another map. So maybe something to start working on in a few months (spear) and sometime another project (back), though that TBA seems like it's getting close to the next expac release.

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These mini expacs really aren't doing it (slrpnk.net)
 

So to preface/disclaim, I love the new zones. JL is a gorgeous zone with great music and reminds me strongly of Grizzly Hills from WotLK back in the day (still one of my favorites there), and JS has serious Diablo vibes, which I absolutely adore. The encounters are interesting, and at least the first of the antagonists was interesting. There's a lot to like here.

That makes it worse, then, to say I am done with them after just a few hours. Story quests done, map complete, got my Falling Star, did the meta. Could always grind more mastery XP, but I've got the ones that mattered to me.

With the old "full" expacs, you had elite specs and hero points that pulled you back to those zones on alts, some- eg guano, frogs, shroom, chak- that were actually fun challenges to tackle. I've been back to HoT / PoF / EoD a dozen times and more over the years.

It just really seems a shame, then, to spend all of this time on awesome art and music and encounters for it to be rendered pointless so quickly. There will be a legendary back at some point in the cycle that will be interesting for a bit of poking like the living world legendaries, but even that's just a 1-off.

At least in SotO there was the prospect of obsidian armor to give it some legs, but unless interior decorating is your thing, this one really just doesn't have a shelf life. I finished up, looked around, and immediately went back to working on stuff elsewhere in the game.

how do people feel about spears? in c/guildwars2@lemmy.wtf
[–] loopgru@slrpnk.net 2 points 2 weeks ago

I've tried a few of them and they seem a mixed bag. Mostly talking from a WvW perspective here.

Rev's is stupid strong, like 53k on the dummy and going to get severely beaten by the nerf bat strong. The kit is a bit awkward though- the AoE of the 5 is really a bit too small to be usable in any situation where there's lag, though, so blob fights are right out. It could be an OK replacement for M/A in a pure condi build, but I think you'll still wind up mostly on SB anyway. For a cele build it will have trouble displacing either the range and area denial of SB or the mobility of GS.

Ranger's is a really fun, slippery kit with a lot of snares, and all the stealth is very silly with Relic of the Unseen Invasion (600 range AoE superspeed for 2s on stealth). Downside is that the damage just isn't there for it to be a threat.

Warrior's is solid, great upgrade from rifle for a ranged kit. Still some issues with lag and it's all projectiles so it ain't it for blobs, but I could see it seeing some use in a roaming kit. Tough to give up the sustain of staff or the mobility of GS, though.

Necro is really just sword with a different coat of paint and more to manage. I like the idea of it as a ganking / engage-and-burst option, but I've had the 2 dodged enough times now to be grouchy about having that much of the damage bound up in a single ability. I could see it being useful to land the 4, precast either the 5 or CttB, then port on and swap to shroud to finish the burst.

Seriously, where do I go? in c/asklemmy@lemmy.world
[–] loopgru@slrpnk.net 12 points 2 months ago (4 children)

Portland or Seattle would for those criteria well as long as you don't mind rain. Both very progressive cities, weather is generally mild (rarely above 85, rarely below 30, usually less than 2 weeks a year with snow).