Destruction of Protective Spirit as a farming tool is inevitable

ss1986v2

ss1986v2

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Apr 2006

Mo/

anet gets around to "fixing" ps over two years into the game? yeah, thats gonna be a no.

you could remove ps from the game entirely and it wouldnt put a dent in botting. they will just be replaced with one of the many other tanking builds in gw (e/d tanks just to name one). so now you have caused a hit to pvp play for no reason, and botting is just as much of a problem. good call...

ryanryanryan0310

ryanryanryan0310

Desert Nomad

Join Date: May 2006

Scars Meadows [SMS]

PS will not be nerf cause there's going to be alot of rage quitters, i mean alot of rage quitters. Mystic Regen will be move to Mysticism, which will make farming alittle harder.

TideSwayer

TideSwayer

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jul 2005

We Farm Your [?????????s]

Quote:
Originally Posted by boko
please sort out your problem with farmers on your own and stop crying to Anet to nerf everything that you don't like.
Excuse me for starting a random topic. Why are you assuming I have a problem with farmers or farming or anything of that sort just because I started a thread about Protective Spirit? Why are you assuming I don't like Protective Spirit? I was just raising the question as to whether or not people thought it was overpowered and could use a hit.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Sk8tborderx
All this really comes down to, is someone is making more gold then you, and you are jealous. Get over it. I don't see why you infer that. They are making more gold than me, with the same build, in the same areas? Does that even make sense?



Anyone else want to come here and attack my character, my guild, etc., but not the subject matter?

gone

Guest

Join Date: Jan 2007

Quote:
Originally Posted by ryanryanryan0310
Mystic Regen will be move to Mysticism, which will make farming alittle harder. it won't make it any harder than it is, all it will do is make it so fewer spots are farmable. that is it (In the farm camp)

as far as PvP and mystic regen, there are plenty of counters, you just need to use them.

boko

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: May 2006

Quote:
Originally Posted by TideSwayer
Excuse me for starting a random topic. Why are you assuming I have a problem with farmers or farming or anything of that sort just because I started a thread about Protective Spirit? Why are you assuming I don't like Protective Spirit? I was just raising the question as to whether or not people thought it was overpowered and could use a hit.
You are the one that told me that you have a problem with farming. Was that not what you wrote in the OP?

Quote:
Originally Posted by TideSwayer
Destruction of Protective Spirit as a farming tool is inevitable

One of these balance updates is going to bring the destruction of Protective Spirit as a farming tool. Let's face it - it's at the center of most farming builds nowadays (especially hard mode builds). Bots abuse it. Hell, even the abuse of it by the casual farmer is bad for the economy as a whole. Hence, my phrase : "Go sort your problem with farming on your own.". Your post obviously lacks thoughts. You admitted that you don't know much about it in PvP. And so, you don't really know how overpowered/underpowered it is in reality. You are just assuming that it is overpowered from a farming point of view. In that same way, we can conclude that mending is overpowered!

And last thing we need is that ANet listens to a badly thought idea. So, excuse my harshness, but i prefer to shoot down your idea now that have to face it when Anet starts thinking about it. Lately, they been giving in way too easily to whiners.

-Loki-

-Loki-

Forge Runner

Join Date: Oct 2005

Prot Spirit won't get nerfed because it's used in farming builds. It's been the same for how long? How many balances have gone by and it's not been touched? Quit being paranoid.

fenix

fenix

Major-General Awesome

Join Date: Aug 2005

Aussie Trolling Crew HQ - Event Organiser and IRC Tiger

Ex Talionis [Law], Trinity of the Ascended [ToA] ????????????????&#

W/

Quote:
Originally Posted by -Loki-
Prot Spirit won't get nerfed because it's used in farming builds. It's been the same for how long? How many balances have gone by and it's not been touched? Quit being paranoid. That isn't why it won't get nerfed. It won't get nerfed because it's an integral skill in PvP (in ALL forms of PvP).

TideSwayer

TideSwayer

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jul 2005

We Farm Your [?????????s]

Quote:
Originally Posted by boko
You are the one that told me that you have a problem with farming. Was that not what you wrote in the OP?
I don't have a problem with farming. I said that I wouldn't be surprised if ANet decided to do something about Protective Spirit in some future skill balancing update, and brought up the question as to whether or not it should be changed for whatever reasons.


Quote: Originally Posted by boko Hence, my phrase : "Go sort your problem with farming on your own.". Your post obviously lacks thoughts. You admitted that you don't know much about it in PvP. And so, you don't really know how overpowered/underpowered it is in reality. You are just assuming that it is overpowered from a farming point of view. In that same way, we can conclude that mending is overpowered! Which is why I started this thread wondering if a hit to PS from a farming POV (ie. some sort of change that leaves it fully intact for PvP play) would come sometime in the future.


Quote:
Originally Posted by boko
And last thing we need is that ANet listens to a badly thought idea. So, excuse my harshness, but i prefer to shoot down your idea now that have to face it when Anet starts thinking about it. Lately, they been giving in way too easily to whiners. If it's truly overpowered from a farming point of view, and something is done about it, wouldn't this whole topic be justified? After all, that's the whole question I'm raising here. Not something I'm demanding to be done because I'm out of favor with PS or anything. You are correct in that maybe I shouldn't be giving ANet any funny ideas though. It's certainly not ruining my day if PS gets left alone. I was just wondering what people thought.

Miral

Miral

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Apr 2005

Hell. AKA Phoenix, AZ

The Gear Trick [GEAR]

W/A

I'd give protective spirit the same treatment I would give stoneflesh aura and mystic regeneration: make it an elite.

the_jos

the_jos

Forge Runner

Join Date: Jun 2006

Hard Mode Legion [HML]

N/

I don't think PS is overpowered.
For PvP: it's an enchantment. Remove it or switch target.

PvE is a different story.
PS has good uses, specially in HM.
The 55 monk bots can be a problem, but randomizing spawns and putting some mesmers/necro's in the group solves this problem.

I think the skill is fine as it is and if A-net wants to solve the botting problem they should take more fundamental actions, like randomizing mobs.
The recent loot scale was also a good fundamental action.

Chieftain Heavyhand

Chieftain Heavyhand

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Aug 2006

wpg

I know why don't we just shut the servers down that would stop the bots.

This bot hysteria is really getting old and quit silly.

Prices are sort of high on things but there is still farming to make some cash. I say some because the most harmful thing to my economy in game has been the nerfs Anet has dished out to stop bots. So why don't we just stop dicking around and shut the servers down. That way there will be no more bots. We can all just set around and wait for GW2 to come out and pray to the gods of games that the bots will not intrude on our peaceful utopia.

As I've said since the nerfs have started coming down the line to hinder boters. All any nerfs to stop bots do is hurt real players, the boters find new ways to exploit the game. Look at the latest attempt. Loot scaling has not stopped them if anything it has multiplied them.

If everyone would ignore them then they would go away. If no one would buy gold from them then they wouldn't be here. There is nothing Anet can do but continue to destroy the game for the gamers. The player community is the answer to the bot problem not Anet. If we stop using them (not that I've ever bought gold but you get the point) then they will have no reason to be here.

So drop the farmer hate, play the game, and ignore the bots.

Danax

Danax

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jun 2007

Ontario

R/Mo

Yeah, Like I really want my survivor skill to be nerfed -_-

Go hard mode a 4 man area where Ele's and Rit's are without protective spirit on a hero monk, then hard mode again with protective spirit. Then tell them to nerf it.

This skill is being used for its intended use by me. I dont want it nerfed because of some farming factory abusing it.

gone

Guest

Join Date: Jan 2007

lol..

want to know what is even better?

GET RID OF SECONDARIES...of course the characters will then be boring, but it is "the final solution" that will be implemented in GW2.

remember folks, you read it here first.

Lonesamurai

Lonesamurai

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Apr 2006

Cheltenham, Glos, UK

Wolf Pack Samurai [WPS]

R/A

Quote:
Originally Posted by flubber
lol..

want to know what is even better?

GET RID OF SECONDARIES...of course the characters will then be boring, but it is "the final solution" that will be implemented in GW2.

remember folks, you read it here first. What the hell are you talking about?

Esprit

Esprit

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Jun 2005

Dvd Forums [DVDF]

E/

Don't change the skill, change the enemies. Give them variable builds, and put one in rotation that deals with Enchantments or a build that has interrupts. If the AI was made "smarter" with different builds, so that aren't guaranteed a group with the same set of skills as your previous run, then that would be a better solution. It would not necessarily stop farming, but it would make it a little more annoying.

gone

Guest

Join Date: Jan 2007

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lonesamurai
What the hell are you talking about? put your helmet on and get in the game....

if there are no secondaries there are tons, and I mean tons of balance issues solved.

being able to use so many secondaries is the bane of GW. it is a great thing for us players, but a nightmare for a dev team. see, anet devs bit off more than they could chew throwing out so many skills in a short time. now they can't seem to keep up with them. which is why we see soooooooooooo many nerf this nerf that threads.

Cebe

Cebe

The 5th Celestial Boss

Join Date: Jul 2006

Inverness, Scotland

The Cult of Scaro [WHO]

E/

Quote:
Originally Posted by TideSwayer
Sooner or later ANet is really going to see the light and realize that the tool to stopping the bots is to stop the actual tool of the bots. Protective Spirit may not get the nerf hammer this time around (ie. with the forthcoming balance update), but you have to see the eventual writing on the wall for this skill. It's inevitable.

Anyone disagree? You know, there is a way ANet could stop bots ( and consequently most farmers) by doing one thing. Not by nerfing spells...but by the addition of one skill. One skill to be used by all monsters:

Monster's Cunning
0 energy, 1/4 second cast, 1 second recharge
Target foe looses all enchantments. If enchantments are lost in this way target foe takes 55 damage.

At least this way PvP wont be affected...yet also PvE will be destroyed...just what ANet loves to do!

majoho

majoho

Forge Runner

Join Date: Jul 2006

Denmark

Well as some have said it's pretty late in the games life to suddenly change, although I would be all for it being "target other ally"

But I'm more for adding random pop-up mobs in ALL area of the game that have enhancement removing skills.

zwei2stein

zwei2stein

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Jun 2006

Europe

The German Order [GER]

N/

Anyway, its simple:

If anet wanted to hurt 55hp builds, they had more than enough opportunities and tools. Remember griffon nerf?

All anet needed was to take Wind Rider (monster with perfect 55hp killer skills, and bonus they group with jungle trolls, so one grouping with other trolls wouldnt be unapropriate) and have it visit trolls.

Of anet wanted to only lower efectiveness, they can put ranger with spirit like natures renewall in there (trolls are kinda W/R anyway).

Adding monk with healing seed and some other good skills would seriously slow down most of farming.

Anet didnt do that. Why?

Narcism

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Feb 2005

Ottawa, ON, Canada

Mostly Harmless

W/

Just give it the same treatment as Spirit Bond.

Destinyy

Banned

Join Date: Mar 2007

Faction of War [ARES]

Quote:
Originally Posted by TideSwayer
Dude, it's just a topic. It's not a campaign to get anything done. I was just seeing what others thought about it, and save for the few asinine comments about my guild, etc., I think there have been some good points brought up. Early-morning discussion, nothing more.


I'm going to have to agree with Evilsod about how much extra oomph Mystic Regen adds to a 55 build. The bar doesn't move, man. I am guessing that is a resounding "NO"...

As for mystic regen, I get a full 10 pips with mending and HB, I never use mystic cos I mainly 55 with my necro...

And to the dude who said make it target other, You'd see dual running then... You go 55, and I will PS you with my SS/PS necro...

Roshi_ikkyu

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Apr 2006

Mo/W

Yet another BOT INVASION hysteria thread
Just because you package it in a skill nerf-age wrapper, you can't hide the fact that you main point is about bots, and to a lesser extend nerfing the 55 farming build.

And all this coming from a farmer... Me and some of the other farmers were chatting and we're gonna have to ask for you to turn in your membership card!

SirJackassIII

SirJackassIII

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Oct 2005

Belgium

none

N/E

Quote:
Originally Posted by fenix
That isn't why it won't get nerfed. It won't get nerfed because it's an integral skill in PvP (in ALL forms of PvP). How would a change like the following:

For 5...19 seconds, target ally cannot lose more than 10% max Health due to damage from a single attack or Spell. When triggered, Protective Spirit can not prevent less than 20 damage.

Affect PvP?

Rephrasing the change, is that PS does the same as it does now. However, if your Max HP is below 200 (which would mean ~60% DP in PvP, meaning you and your team are basically screwed anway), PS will still not prevent less than 20 damage.
So, your HP is 150, PS caused you to take 15 Damage -> You now take 20. Likewise for 55 Monks, it goes from 5 to 20, making it a lot harder for bots to outheal that with the current skills, they'd basically die in 3 hits without healing.

Miral

Miral

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Apr 2005

Hell. AKA Phoenix, AZ

The Gear Trick [GEAR]

W/A

Quote:
Originally Posted by Celestial Beaver
At least this way PvP wont be affected...yet also PvE will be destroyed...just what ANet loves to do! bolded is too true
of course, they've already started that with dying spirits and chained souls in underworld areas....

also, keep in mind that theres more to PvE than 55 farming.

makosi

makosi

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Mar 2006

"Pre-nerf" is incorrect. It's pre-buff.

Requirement Begins With R [notQ]

Me/

If it was going to be done it would have been done ages ago. They nerfed Protective Bond for the very same reason and now Protective Bond is absolutely useless. People started using Prot Spirit to farm right after Prot Bond died and I guess Anet accepted defeat and that we were going to farm their game with it because there's only so much nerfing they can do before it makes PvP to restricted.

It's too late in the game's lifespan to do something about Prot Spirit when the alleged 'damage' is already done.

Sk8tborderx

Sk8tborderx

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Nov 2005

PA

Us Are Not [leet]

W/

Quote:
Originally Posted by SirJackassIII
How would a change like the following:

For 5...19 seconds, target ally cannot lose more than 10% max Health due to damage from a single attack or Spell. When triggered, Protective Spirit can not prevent less than 20 damage.

Affect PvP?

Rephrasing the change, is that PS does the same as it does now. However, if your Max HP is below 200 (which would mean ~60% DP in PvP, meaning you and your team are basically screwed anway), PS will still not prevent less than 20 damage.
So, your HP is 150, PS caused you to take 15 Damage -> You now take 20. Likewise for 55 Monks, it goes from 5 to 20, making it a lot harder for bots to outheal that with the current skills, they'd basically die in 3 hits without healing. Then everyone would use duo 600 smite, which is more effective anyway. Then people will complain about that.

If it happens, people will use a few of the prot bond builds that still work, and then people will ask for yet another nerf for that. Plain and simple, nerfing it would only annoy people, it would do nothing else because there are other options.

Moone

Moone

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Aug 2005

Germany

Theres A New Sherrif In [Town]

W/E

The best solution for that problem is, that they put a Hitcount for Prot Spirit in PvE and ONLY in PvE, not in PvP.
In general it would be way easier if some skills would be different in PvE and PvP, eventhough it wouldn t be that easy to make it.

drupal

drupal

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Sep 2006

Maybe this is meant by "PvE Skills"?

Sk8tborderx

Sk8tborderx

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Nov 2005

PA

Us Are Not [leet]

W/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Moone
The best solution for that problem is, that they put a Hitcount for Prot Spirit in PvE and ONLY in PvE, not in PvP.
In general it would be way easier if some skills would be different in PvE and PvP, eventhough it wouldn t be that easy to make it. If they did that with 1 skill, they need to do that with the rest. Definitely not a good option.

ArKaiN

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jan 2007

Lotus Branca[Lbr]

Mo/Me

They'll never nerf PS. It's one of the pillars of the game, almost every prot build plays it. It'd be like removing apply poison or Blood of the Master. It'll just never happen.
EDIT:
This is how it'd go:
Nerf PS.
Everyone starts using VwK rit builds.
Nerf VwK
Everyone starts using Splinter weapon/Triple Chop
Nerf Splinter Weapon
.
.
.
Nerf ARMOR in general
Everyone quits GW

Abnaxus

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Nov 2005

Europe

Keepers of Chaos

Quote:
Originally Posted by TideSwayer
Destruction of Protective Spirit as a farming tool is inevitable

One of these balance updates is going to bring the destruction of Protective Spirit as a farming tool. Let's face it - it's at the center of most farming builds nowadays (especially hard mode builds). Bots abuse it. Hell, even the abuse of it by the casual farmer is bad for the economy as a whole.
Can you explain better why the "abuse of it by casual farmers" hurts the economy?
You can't say that now, after loot scaling, bots and casual farmers produce excess gold and cause inflation.
There's less and less cash in the game, and a bot or casual farmer is able to produce slightly more than the cash normally produced by a player who adventures with a team or with h/h.
Proof is that the prices of everything are as low as never I can remember (and I play since June 2004), we have superior vigors at 13k, ectos at 6k and so on. And also the prices of most rare skin weapons are 1/3-1/4 of what they were before loot scale.

Quote:
Originally Posted by TideSwayer
Sooner or later ANet is really going to see the light and realize that the tool to stopping the bots is to stop the actual tool of the bots. Probably the best way to stop bots is to change the way of acquisition of armors and items.

Example: 15k or FoW armor.
Provided you have enough cash, you can get one of those playing 15-20 hours or less with a new character, just the time to reach Command Post, or ascend and reach ToA-Chantry-Zinju.
Then you enter FoW, do a couple of quest and it's done.
So buying money from bots is actually the fastest way to get some of those "high end" items, and that's the reason why bots exist.

There's should be a different system, that requires players to actually play the game, in order to have the possibility of getting high end items.
PvP is a good example, you can get a 15k armor playing and winning. You can't buy points from a bot to cheat the system.

Something like that should be done in PvE too. For instance, you can't access 15k armors before completing the campaign. Or you must have protector. By the time you get that title, normal play and adventuring will give you more than enough to buy the armor, with nearly no need of farming.

For FoW armors, there could be a similar system of gemstones, you should have quests to do in FoW/UW and at the end of the quest a chest spawns which contains ectos/shards.
And the forgemaster should be located deeper in the FoW, and not reachable nearly immediately.

This would destroy the reason for bots to exist, because players would be required to actually play the game, and not only to have some gold/materials in their storage.

Gimme Money Plzkthx

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jul 2006

They won't nerf PS, it'd kill the economy and PvP. I'm not going to bother explaining why/how, it should be obvious.

onerabbit

onerabbit

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Mar 2006

Thanks to all the guru [mods]

then we all, and the bots will use earth tank farmers, then you will want to nerf them, and so on, until solo play is dead.

keep dreaming, if they was going to nerf PS they would have done it ages ago.

Levi Garett

Levi Garett

Old School Nub

Join Date: Jun 2005

ABQ, NM

Guildless

Mo/Me

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gimme Money Plzkthx
They won't nerf PS, it'd kill the economy and PvP. I'm not going to bother explaining why/how, it should be obvious. Last I checked Anet already destroyed the economy with HM + Loot Scaling.

Nerfing PS at this point would be plain silly as the market is already trashed.

Botters are better off now with loot scaling since gold is actually more valuable than before.

Botters are now just grouping to ensure they get 100% drops. Botters always adapt and even if they nerfed PS they would adapt to that. All you need is Life Barrier + Life Bond in a duo group to solo farm pretty much anything a 55 build can. With Loot Scaling it's actually the same rewards in drops having a two person group vs. solo farming so the botters are now adapting.

There's no nerfing low hp builds (via rune stacking) since people can just farm with 60% DP and achieve the same thing. It would just make farming more annoying.

Too many PvPers would rage if PS got nerfed. ANet is already walking on eggshells with their community so I don't see them doing anything this drastic before an expansion release and GW2 right around the corner.

Nerf PS then everybody will demand fairness...Then you can say goodbye to Stoneflesh Aura, Doylak Signet, Shadow Form, VwK....you get the idea. At that point there won't be much of a reason to play anymore.

Why does everybody attack the Monk class for nerfs anyways? Monks are still the most versitale farmers, but they are hardly the most efficient. If you want to talk about overpowered skills let's bring Shadow Form front and center. What about these earth magic invici-ele builds? You don't think these are overpowered? Why not scream nerf on these? Don't you think it's overpowered that an earth ele can reduce all damage to zero and they don't even need a low hp build?

We should be talking about un-nerfing instead of nerfing IMHO. Nerfing farming with the current state of the economy would be the worst possible move Anet could make for itself.

lennymon

lennymon

Forge Runner

Join Date: Nov 2005

Seattle

Odin's Hammer [OH] - Servant's of Fortuna [SoF]

R/

Spot on Levi.
Anyone else noticed the slew of E/A and occaisoinal N/A bots in Rilohn?
The point here is no PS in any of those skill bars. There are plenty of other builds and locations. PS will never get significantly nerfed without a mass exodus.

attackofthecold

Academy Page

Join Date: Nov 2006

Mo/

Quote:
Originally Posted by SirJackassIII
How would a change like the following:

For 5...19 seconds, target ally cannot lose more than 10% max Health due to damage from a single attack or Spell. When triggered, Protective Spirit can not prevent less than 20 damage. Stoneflesh Aura absorbs 20 damage so that wouldn't work.

And Anet would never nerf protective spirit. If they did they would loose thousands if not hundreds of thousands of users. And guess what, the bots would still be there =/ farming away with other builds. Even if they only get 1 item worth 25g a run its still a profit to them since most botters run lots of bots at once, and run them for a long. As for enchantment removal, Anet would have to add it to every part of the game to remove botters, and at that point enchantments would be completely useless.

gene terrodon

gene terrodon

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jul 2006

Maryland/DC Area

Farmers Unite [FU]

W/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Roshi_ikkyu
Yet another BOT INVASION hysteria thread
Just because you package it in a skill nerf-age wrapper, you can't hide the fact that you main point is about bots, and to a lesser extend nerfing the 55 farming build.

And all this coming from a farmer... Me and some of the other farmers were chatting and we're gonna have to ask for you to turn in your membership card! Who made you the "farming authority?" You can take your "membership card" and....



Nerf PS...take a big fat bat...preferably used by the HGH freak known as Barry Bonds and smash it into McCovey Cove.

Make it so it cannot be self cast.
Increase the recharge time.
Make it unable to be stacked.
Move it into divine favor.
Just do something.
55 farming is horribly boring and to easy to be setup in a bot program.


As for Abnaxus, think of loot scaling as the fed raising the interest rate to quell inflation.
Alot of the casual farmers these days farm for items, not gold.
The fact that there is less gold and more items, in combination, caused prices to drop.
Not one or the other.
It really is simple economics, supply is up, demand is low, funds are limited and rare items aren't rare anymore. Those factors have caused rock bottom pricing for everything, from "rare" skins and boss weapons, to materials and runes.

The notion that taking away the "tools" needed to do a deed is the simplest and most effective way to stop anyone or group of people.
So I would agree with taking away the tool that is the cornerstone to most of the solo farming builds.

NEOgeo

NEOgeo

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Nov 2005

Im Paper nerf Scissor Rock is [fine]

there is nothing at all wrong with ps, or any other farming skills in the game right now, none are really overpowered and none will ruin the economy (as previously stated its ruined anwyay )


if u want a good economy + trading market back then we all just have to wait for the next chapter im afraid, and hope it sticks, as right now gw is completly broke and i find nothing but rage and frustration in this game now, i keep telling myself to quit the game at least until the next chapter is out, but its a habbit now and i keep logging on to try and find some new farmingplace + build to make some half descent cash and it just doesnt happen , so im now officially giving up

AOD_EaSyKiLL

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Nov 2006

Angels of Death

Mo/

OMG 4 pages of flame bait, just close this topic already.

WarKaster

WarKaster

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Dec 2006

Los Angeles

SlingBlades

D/Mo

don't know if has been stated or not but if they really wanted to end all the 55/ what ever builds all they had to do was change PS to Target other Ally. And BOOM you still have the everything except the ability to cast it on your self.