I love when Anet makes this game more difficult

people that want to get rid of 55hp build are greedy w/ farmers that are angry that there is in fact something they are not able to do. this being the case, create and play a monk yourself, get to ToA and try to survive alone in UW. it is hard as hell these days, good drops there are rare and it's very time consuming. long story short - playing a 55hp monk in UW is not any different from any other places, it's just a whole different approach.

whining about 55hp monks is the same as whining about iway. and we all know that iway is far worse than invincimonks.

I have a 55 Monk and I just don't ever use it for UW Farming because I'm not the grinding kind of guy, it bores me to death. Sure, it helped get stuff I wanted but now with everything unlocked there's no much point in farming.

I've said it already and I'll say it again, if you wanna counter the 55 Monk add a level 24-25 monster with a double Vampiric Touch. GG monk

Just one VT should be enough, shouldn't it?

Lets face it -- most gamers are average gamers. Make it too hard for them, and there goes the customer base, and with it the game. It's not like a FPS where you can set difficulty level or kick it into god mode to get past a really tough spot. A-net can't please everybody, but if they are watching the bottom line, which I'm sure they are, they have to please as many as they can.

Any mesmer or necro really, in random arenas, alot of the time the enemy monk will quit as soon as they see a mes or necro on our team because anything other than brute force > them. Of course, I bring enchant strip just to punish them for trying to waste our time ^_^

I gotta say that I love the henchmen fix.

I thought it was lame that henchies and monsters would just hang out in a AoE spell. Honestly, unless you are a moron, no one sits in an AoE for the duration of it!

I also found that AoE's have a new role when fighting monsters (similar to what their role can be in PvP), you can fire off an AoE to keep monsters away from a soft target. I find that with my monk, AoE's keep me from getting killed much, much better than they did in the past. Monsters run away from me and leave me alone. I also love that my henchie partners don't hang out and die in an AoE, makes the game less stressful when they are doing what they are supposed to do.

I say keep the more intelligent monsters and henchies coming. As for the nerfs on "special" builds, they can do whatever. No matter what they do people will come up with another invinci-something build. I don't have an invinci-anything character (although sometimes I wish I did), but that's mostly because I don't want to take the time to figure one out or waste the money making one that someone else has figured out.

I love playing this game, and it has only gotten better since I started.

finally more poeple want this game to get harder instead of whining about how they can't make easy money or finish the game fast. funny thing is, if people get that money and/or finish the game they start complaining about nothing to do while before finishing the game they were whining how its too hard to finish.

destroy the 55 builds! 500 builds FTW!

I think that A.Net should nerf the gear/book/keg trick.

It makes things too boring and easy, and I can't see why all of the enemies should change from the normal pattern to attack the party member who is holding an item!!!

I have a couple of opinions on this topic. I like to fight AI that's going to try to give me a run for its money and think it's great that arenanet have been making changes.

Particularly I agree with those that say the 55 build should be finally fixed. I don't care about what mechanism they use to do this (a skill ajustment or mixed monster types - something tougher than dying nightmares) but it would be a pity to cripple protective spirit for 'normal', that is to say, a protector's use. I base this on the absurd number of 55 monks in the euro districts apparently 24 hours a day - and i'm talking about ToA as well as Augury and it's quite ridiculous to allow such one dimensional play. I'm no stranger to farming but this build is skewed. For the record I've had a level 20 monk for some months, but never felt it necessary to make a 55hp build. It's worth saying that at the time I bought it, superior healing cost 24k. These 55hp monks may play by themselves but they are in such numbers it affects the game economy, and therefore, everyone else.

That rant concluded I have one more, against "keg" tricking in sorrow's furnace. This may be just be me but I find this outrageously dull. I'll never go down there as my warrior now, as that's what I'd have to do to get into a team - no thanks. As far as I can see, it facilitates groups of 5 with players who could never dream of going around without exploiting this, which naturally explains its popularity and all because it lets bad tanks get agro no matter what. I think I could make a case that it produces bad (insert caster class here) too because they run around like they're immortal, as they get used to not taking damage. I find this combination no fun playing with no matter what class I myself use. Though SF being SF, I'd be waiting a long time if I were to ever try with mesmer. This change mostly became popular around start of december if I'm not mistaken and it's a pity as now there's nowhere fun and rewarding to go when there's no favour.

I like that arenanet have made fixes like the "AoE nerf" and adding some wimpy nightmares. But from my perspective, it looks like they're not keeping pace.

I'm not sure what you're all talking about with improved AI. Mobs were given AoE detection, which didn't make them smarter. They'll also run away from you even if they're at full health and you're about to die if you trigger one, so when you consider they take quite a beating the patch made them even more stupid.

If you found it a challenge, it's because somebody in your group decided to break agro away from the tanks on to the soft targets. It's a player mistake, not an improvement to AI.

Nerfing the 55 isn't the answer, its a great build. The mares never where intended to stop it either, just give its a bit of randomness to give bots a harder time. But I'm not opposed to wiping the spawns in UW for a few days and coming up with a whole new spawn so we can spend a few weeks to find another great build.

As for FoW and it being harder. Far as I know, nothing leaves aggro unless the players cause it. Therefore its you're party that is making things harder, not Anet.

Book/Gear trick should be fixed.

Make the game harder, a lot harder. Just boring now, especially with GvG locked.

this game is too easy. although im tired of hearing people whinning and crying about the 55 build. big deal. it dont have to be "nerfed" 1) because you cant afford to start this build 2) you dont have the skills to do it 3) you are to impatient to do it 4) we have all the ecto and you dont. by being a 55 build i got all my materials for my full fow armor in less than 2 weeks. the whole solo deal isnt gonna stop with an update. its just like a cracker, it will take a couple of days but the new update/program will be dealt with fast and easily

i love this too.

have you ever played runescape?
they have so many complaints that its "hard" to do things, so they make it easier for them.
honestly, its bullshit, and it pisses me off.
if you dont know how to play the game for real, you shouldnt be playing at all. I quit because that game pissed me off so much.


Im not sure whether Anet made the game itself harder. they just make monster AI more intelligent to match our playing skill.

Yet, they haven't...

If you're referring to the 'AI improvement' patch, it was to make farming more difficult. It hit elementalists so hard because they didn't even stop to think about the actual design of many skills or how it could be exploited to make mobs flee in terror for 1 point of damage per second.

They called it AI improvement, and you believed them.

look, you definitely do not need an IDS to be successful in pvp or pve. any casual player (the type they marketed to) can buy a sword from drok's, which is what i did. u definitely do NOT have to farm to get to drok's, just play the game through.

as someone said before all you need is a monk to cast mending on you...

It isn't because of any of that...I actually have all I need to make a 55 build but can't seem to force myself into being that desperate to make more money/FoW armor. under 3 days and my lvl 13 pre searing monk could be ascended with all runes that silly -50 focus and an Hod...if I can get one for around 300k(not pay 450k+ for the damn thing).

this is what's annoying...why should you have what many idi...*cough* people consider the best armor in the game with so little effort. It should mean something more then just some bots running all night for a couple weeks..because if all you did for those 2 weeks is farm for ecto you might as well be a bot.

Why should loyal players be punished with nerfs because of bots? Hmmmm?

How is having to actually play the game as intended instead of repeatedly going into the same area alone for the sole purpose of getting more wealth a punishment. That's like joining track and saying that having to run the whole 440 instead of cutting accross field is punishing you.

What benefit do you bring to the gaming community as a whole in GW if all you do is solo farm UW? If anything your a detrement...in numerous ways I won't waste my time repeating.

woot made councillor...

I have similar complaints with GW. I spent my first two retail months building my W/Mo up as a sword-warrior, finally get my last piece of Drok's armor, then get to enjoy it for a VERY short time before they nerf the sword-warrior. Why was it nerfed? PvP complaints! Thing is, I now suffer in PvE and NEVER play PvP because I don't enjoy it. Couple of months down the tube.

The AoE nerf initially sucked and does to an extent, but it is partially manageable now. At least they take two or three hits before running. I think maybe the radius of the AoE spells should be enlarged a little to compensate, so that the area affected is a tad larger and those that run the second the spell goes off will take two or three hits.

I am sick of the drop-nerfs that apparently take place on a weekly basis. You know it's been over three months since I got a dye drop?! My first one in three months was last night, and it was a crappy yellow dye. I also rarely see any drops worth a damn. I shouldn't have to go to RoF just to get a weapon that does OK in Augury. I'd also like to get a dye at LEAST once a day.

I am also a firm believer that the reason you're seeing more smite-monks with the 55hp build is because the devs have nerfed every other build to the extreme. I miss being able to solo with my warrior. I myself am taking time building a smite-monk simply so I CAN play the game again. You have to remember that not everybody plays the game all day every day, and people like me MIGHT get 4~8hrs a week in. If we need some fast cash for something, that means farming for a while.

I also find it HIGHLY enraging to come across a monster that can do 150+ damage every hit (yes, with Drok's armor and max level) and the devs didn't use it as a boss, but put six to eight in a freaking group! The game is too damned hard when the only way to clear an area is to fight to the death repeatedly.

I feel that the game is WAY too biased on deaths. You have to kill five bosses, that's five big bad-asses to get a measly +10% boost, but then you lag or just screw-up and you not only lose it all, but also go into the negative five percent?! The game is WAY too unforgiving in that aspect. If four deaths mean -60%dp, then four bosses should be +20% or so.

I don't think it's fair to continue to nerf builds based on PvP complaints and make those of us who prefer the PvE experience suffer. The most ideal setup for each class was at initial release. Everything was balanced. Warriors could easily meet ther end by a good elementalist or mesmer, and likewise if thsoe two let him in close, they'd be dead fast. Now warrios are weak as hell unless you're a hammer-warrior and nothing has been done to counter this with the other classes.

While using a farm-bot should be punished, I don't think you should be punished for farming legit. If I need 100plat and choose to farm hydras until my eyes fall out, why shouldn't I be able to? I am not here to disrupt the market, I want some armor or something, that's all.

I am sick and damned tired of being forced down a one-way street. This is an MMORPG correct? Then why am I not allowed to role-play?! I wanted to be a warrior so they nerfed warriors. If I want to farm for materials or gold, why shouldn't I be able to? If I want to do PvE only, why should PvP changes screw me up? If I want to solo or only party with a single friend or two, why should I be forced to be a monk with the 55hp build? And even though I am against it, if I want to run somebody somewhere so they don't have to do a part of the game, why shouldn't I be allowed to?

ArenaNet has FORCED me into doing a smite-monk 55hp build simply because it's the ONLY build that caters to my style of play. Yes I used to love elementalists and warriors, but I can't play how I like with them. They need to stop changing the damned game, revert the warrior to be the most powerful class as he should be (he has to get in close to do this damage for Christ's sake!) and fix it so those of us who only play on weekends can actually play the game, especially if our friends are not on. I personally hate what the game is becoming right now and I am furious just thinking about it. ANet has earned nothing but hatred and anger from me since they started nerfing things.

*EDIT*

That is the dumbest god-dang comment I have ever heard and it is ANet's thinking. That is what is ruining this game. It's the attitude that the game should be played "this way" or "that way". Sorry for the language here, but F*CK THAT! If you're supposed to do only one thing, then they need to stop advertising this as an MMORPG. If you can't role-play, it isn't an MMORPG.

*EDIT2*

One thing I left out. The game is VERY unrewarding as hard as it is. You rarely get any really good drops, dye almost never drops, and even if you explore the farthest reaches of the maps, you get NOTHING for it. That's total BS! If I spend three hours exploring some far-out place, what's wrong with a random high-end drop? Not a specific item, or at a specific place in that far-out area, just a random item that is high-level for the area. Like, how about a Kryta-level drop out in Dragon's Gullet (or whatever it is behind the place you get Althea's Ashes)? I found that area and cleared it once all pumped about getting a good drop, and I got JACK-$HIT for my wasted time. Hell when you kill a hard mob or do a hard mission, why not a special high-level drop or something? The game just does NOT reward you.