The Sundering of the Community - UB Anet's Double-Edged Sword

I’ll explain. This may sound patronizing, but I really don’t mean it in that way. Patriots = Player, Redskins = Environment (aka monsters), UB = Brady. You use your strongest tool and steamroll your opponent. If it was used in PvP, yes, it should absolutely be nerfed. But it’s not being used in PvP. It’s a useful skill that helps PvE players beat their enemies.

Disclaimer: Maybe another reason I don’t see a problem with it is because I’ve only played H/H since GW:EN. So, to be fair, I haven’t been on a team of 6 Bears and 2 monks….but I sure would like to try it.

Interesting how people are so concerned with this when Para's have been making it easy mode for a looong time now...

Except that is basically the most inefficient way of completing DoA and it always has been. That build was only the accepted way of playing because nobody could think of anything better; a flaw of the PvE community, not the game. Let's also not forget that the only way those groups could succeed was with cheap gimmicks and exploits, so in a way I guess the bear is a good thing because now they don't have to feel guilty.

Ursan Blessing?

More like Shortbus easy mode.

Exactly. The main worry that I have about UB is the potential impact it has of substantially eliminating the creativity in PvE build creation in these tougher areas. If you wipe out 50% (or more) of the players trying to use builds (and making them better), innovation takes a big nosedive. Kind of like Costume Brawl for PvE...

Ursan Blessing? Ah yes, now I recall, breaking down petty wooden gates with my ele so I could kill charr on the other side. Meh.

Outside of that quest I've never used UB. Personally I'm not fond of any of the blessings. I don't even use any of the PVE only skills much. Mindbended for the boost in casting MS in FoW, or 'Finish Him!' when I'm killing the Great Destroyer (again). Other than that, the only 'pve skill' on my bar is my cap sig.

However, I have guildies that use pve skills, and the blessings and I'm perfectly fine with that. To each their own. I don't generally group with people outside my guild anyway. They grate on my nerves and I end up losing my temper. I'd rather just customize my heros and slaughter my way through whatever I'm doing that way. Heros are my friends, they are smarter than ppl I PuG with 90% of the time.

Once more into the breech ...............

Using the skill is an OPTION

Don't like it? Don't use it!

Good grief....

I have used UB and yeah it is fun, but after a while I find myself missing real skills and thusly go back to them.

Like someone said, people are either going to be kicked for not using the cookie cutter or not using the UB and its no different than before.

Is the skill overpowered? Yes to some degree, but it has its drawbacks just like any other skill. Degen works mad wonders on a team of UBs. It has its counters, so imo it's fine!

True players of games will always go back to real skills, so I am not worried at all about one single skill set.

Like my guild is going to clear UW this weekend and one of our rangers asked if we would be doing UB and the response was NO you will go as trappers!... How is that not just as overpowered?

The only SAFE way to nerf this skill would to make it where your HP and Energy were not altered but continue with the energy degen (which there are ways around of course) but leave everything else as it is.

Rage is not spammable, unless your team times itself so that you use them slightly spread apart so that by the time yours is near done recharging someone else has just gotten theirs off in the chain.

In the end, even though I like to farm and use what is deemed "God Mode" on occassion I still prefer REAL skills. Any real player would be the same.

This is no different imo than the 55 monks.

Yeah, but your average PUG's midset is "OMFG NONONO PARA SUCKS /kick paragon". Your average PUG also wipes at the first group in FoW (and if not, at tower).

I use and love the ursan blessing.
The thing is.... Ursan is pve only. And that is what makes it great.
Many of us have been playing GW for at least a year now, and really want to max some titles. But trying to do so before was to much trouble. Finding groups, and extra time taken made the idea of vanquisher and guardian not worth it to me (school and work come first).

Since I started using ursan I have started my guardian and vanquisher tracks in all campaigns. And I am loving it.

If you dont like it dont use it...... its that simple

Yeah thats my worry as well, its seems to have started already tbh I have seen a lot of ursan only groups forming recently.

True to some extent, but lets not forget the 99% of those ~50% of players running UB couldn't make a good build by them selfs if their life depended on it, so we aren't losing much innovation there to start with...

Next time I play I will look for 5 bears. Maybe it will be the first time I get anywhere in the elite areas.

Leave my bear alone

Extreme example... but sure.
The only thing standing in the way of that is the general drone mentality that people have that they MUST make things easier for themselves despite wanting it harder.... but then people shouldn't be so damned silly. If they want something so badly, they shouldn't be pushing it further away from themselves.


Overexaggeration much.
#1. Some thought is required. I managed to die under Ursan Blessing at least three times before in the Blood Washes Blood mission.... due to rampaging brainlessly. I learnt my lesson.
#2. Except for when Ursan Blessing runs out.
#3. If you want to be challenged... don't use Ursan Blessing... Duh. ¬_¬ ... The two are generally incompatible. Those who want one shouldn't use the other.
#4. See #1.
#5. Except the ones on the Ursan bar... oh, and see #2.
#6. Fails at truth. Care to know how long I'd last in PvP if I had exclusive rights to use Ursan Blessing there? .... Not very long, let me tell you.
#7. Based on what? I've not seen anyone using it in PuGs I've been in nor even talking about it in outposts. I have seen NO sign of it whatsoever.

-_-;

I hope people stop saying that there's an effective counter in pve to bears. PvE doesn't really "counter" you. You know what you're getting into so how is it a counter.

Besides, there are few mobs that do a really good job of draining energy. 99.9% of the time nothing is going to un-bear your party effectively. Realistically speaking, there is no counter for a party of bears.

Don't like it?
Don't use it.
Don't team with people who use it.

Can't find people who don't use it?
Come to another server.
The servers I go through on a regular basis pretty much have no sign of UB users...

Oh.... and guess what:
HEROHENCH CAN'T USE URSAN BLESSING.
^_^

I almost wish they could.

UB is just no fun for me. Sure it works, but it is just not Guild Wars.

If all you care about is the end result, use UB; but for me getting there is all the fun and I think UB totally removes the fun and satisfaction of achievement from the game.

#1 - If you died on that mission, well you were rank 0 or rank 1 in Norn. And you played poorly. So you have no point here.
#2 - Ursan stays on indefinitely unless you stop attacking and let it run out. So you have no point again.
#3 - You agree with me here.
#4 - Okay, if you're *really* trying to be stupid, you will mess up. Got it.
#5 - I was unclear. I meant skill as in aptitude, not skill buttons.
#6 - Not talking about PvP. Your point is irrelevant. But 8 are you suggesting that 8 bears in PvP wouldn't be damn effective? Ping a target, drop 1000 armor-ignoring damage on a target, repeat in 3 seconds. And everyone on your team has 800 hps and nice armor (plus knockdown interrupts, etc). if you think this wouldn't be effective, you're a fool.
#7 - It's happening with increasing frequency.

Really, this statement says a lot. If you thinks it's fun do it, if not then don't. Wilebill doesn't have fun using UB, but I do. He plays his way, I play mine. Is either way really wrong? It's all about what you think is fun.

That's actually problem the bigger problem here...