Guild Wars

[Jamski]

Free > cheap

[Snotty]

This noob area is huge. I hope I finish exploring it before level 10 so I can go and pvp in the first arena!

[DrSpike]

I explored a lot in my first game. It's fun once, but there isn't much need as only the core quests and missions are polished.

[snoopy369]

Originally posted by Snotty
This noob area is huge. I hope I finish exploring it before level 10 so I can go and pvp in the first arena!

You *could* make level 10 in the noob area (even without just melee-experiencing up the early levels), but I'd leave by 7. Level 7 is pretty much the highest I've seen anyone leave, and that's generally myself ...

About Heal Party - From what I recall (not sitting at a GW-enabled comp right now), HP does exactly the same healing as Orison, to all of the party. You have of course divine favor affects to take into account, but I'm a healspec monk - so I have a max healing, and about 2 points short of max on the DF. That means, iirc, about 80 hp/Heal Party or Orison. Add what, 12 or so DF points in, and for 3 orison's, you get 92*3=276 hp healed. HP therefore has to do 4 full heals to be technically worth it compared to Orison, EP only; assuming you're not using divine boon and assuming you don't care about casting time, distance, or the (surprisingly relevant) time it takes to target the right party members. I'd still use it, because of the time factor, to heal 3 people even if I lose the divine favor bonuses. (WoH of course is better than Orison, and I'd use it over Heal Party with 3 people, unless time was an issue).

I'm not sure what you're talking about with conjure flame + wand ... I don't use it, primarily because I can't *hit* with my wand to begin with, while Flare hits always. I honestly don't use flare much either, except when I have energy to burn (ie i'm acting as backup healer in a not-too-tough battle); but it's a nice little spell for when that comes up, or when we need a little more damage power.
Secondly, my wand casts for what, 11-17 damage, plus say 13 damage from CF at max fire, giving me 24-30 ... Flare does 16..40, so 40 hp damage, nearly double, with a 1 sec total casting time (no recharge)... that's more, even discounting the fact that I am blocked on 80% of my attacks anyway and evaded on most of the rest. Yes it's more energy-costing, but at least it hits every so often. And CF requires recasting all of my enchantments - anywhere from 1 (Divine) to 4 (Divine Boon+ Essence Bond + Balth's Spirit x2) depending on my build.
In PvP, I don't know what would happen; but in PvE, I don't bother engaging in melee at my-level combat.

[Jamski]

Well two issues with heal party where it is handy are time management and distance management. If there are 3+ people who NEED that heal... its a good option. If you have 2+ people need healing who are a LONG way apart, or a long way away from you... Heal Party has a wonderful infinite range.

And then its great for replying to monster skills like Giant Stomp and spells like Earthquake that knockdown and injure the whole party.

(BTW Divine Favour of 12 = 36 points of extra healing per cast)

* * * * * *

Ok, it seems aeromancers are going to be replaced by geomancers as the flavour of the month in Tombs. Earthquake + Aftershock. Whole party takes about 200 damage and is knocked down, interrputing casting. And the the second Earthquake + Aftershock is timed to hit just after you get up. And then the third. And the 4th. Devestating. I guess each geomancer starts casting his Earthquake about a second after the previous one. Unless people simply spread out, or the monks happen to remain standing by being out of the AoE and can heal through the quakes.

-Jam

[Snotty]

I think I got offered a quest by 'Devena (sp?' that offered me a skill point as part of the reward....are there any more of those quests knocking about the noob area?

[DrSpike]

No.

[UnOrthOdOx]

Originally posted by Jamski

* * * * * *

Ok, it seems aeromancers are going to be replaced by geomancers as the flavour of the month in Tombs. Earthquake + Aftershock. Whole party takes about 200 damage and is knocked down, interrputing casting. And the the second Earthquake + Aftershock is timed to hit just after you get up. And then the third. And the 4th. Devestating. I guess each geomancer starts casting his Earthquake about a second after the previous one. Unless people simply spread out, or the monks happen to remain standing by being out of the AoE and can heal through the quakes.

-Jam

Then one can expect allot of Warrior/** and **/Warrior in the comming month utilizing balanced stance?

Only logical counter to knockdown that immidiately comes to mind.

[DrSpike]

There are other counters - Dolyak Signet springs to mind, and you can use that with any stance you want as long as you don't want ot run anywhere fast.

[Jamski]

Or simply spread out - the AoE for earthquake isn't THAT big.

[UnOrthOdOx]

Originally posted by DrSpike
There are other counters - Dolyak Signet springs to mind, and you can use that with any stance you want as long as you don't want ot run anywhere fast.

Still needs a warrior class, though...

[snoopy369]

Hmm, 36 extra? Never noticed I guess... thought it was one bonus per point

[Jamski]

Nope, its 3 per point

[Ellestar]

Originally posted by snoopy369 I'm not sure what you're talking about with conjure flame + wand ... I don't use it, primarily because I can't *hit* with my wand to begin with, while Flare hits always. I honestly don't use flare much either, except when I have energy to burn (ie i'm acting as backup healer in a not-too-tough battle); but it's a nice little spell for when that comes up, or when we need a little more damage power.
Secondly, my wand casts for what, 11-17 damage, plus say 13 damage from CF at max fire, giving me 24-30 ... Flare does 16..40, so 40 hp damage, nearly double, with a 1 sec total casting time (no recharge)... that's more, even discounting the fact that I am blocked on 80% of my attacks anyway and evaded on most of the rest. Yes it's more energy-costing, but at least it hits every so often. And CF requires recasting all of my enchantments - anywhere from 1 (Divine) to 4 (Divine Boon+ Essence Bond + Balth's Spirit x2) depending on my build.
In PvP, I don't know what would happen; but in PvE, I don't bother engaging in melee at my-level combat.

Best staff/wand deals 11-22 damage + 13 from Conjure = 29.5 average damage, 1.75 sec refire rate
Flare - 40 damage, 1 sec casting time+0.75 spell aftercast animation = 1.75 sec refire rate
Flare is good at the start when there aren't a lot of skills around, but later i prefer to use Meteor Shower, PBAoE fire spells, Fire Storm etc. In PvP Flare deals 40- damage for 5 mana, healer heals for 100+ damage for 5 mana.
AFAIK Conjure removes enchantments that are on a caster only.
On a healer in PvE IMHO it's better to use something like Armor of Earth or one of the Wards.

Divine favor gives 3.2 HP/attribute point. Other than that, you're right about Heal Party. But it uses a valuable skill slot, so does it really worth it to heal for several HPs more when you're healing 4 people or it's better to have another skill slot free for something else?

**
Jamski, Geomancers are losing to Air Spike team and to a ranger team most of the time (that is if both parties play right). So, it loses to two most popular builds and it's hard to coordinate attacks, especially to PUGs. I doubt that anyone will use it on a constant basis. Ranger spirit spam team is THE FotM at that moment. Very easy to play so every noob can use it and it's strong.

[snoopy369]

I'd never use flare in actual PvP combat. OTOH, the argument was that flare is a good thing to use for PvE when you have extra energy to burn, and it hits where CF+spell doesn't.
I can't use FS or MS or Meteor because ... well, that would mess up my healing pretty well, especially the meteors (exhaustion). I bring those when I'm going Firespec, though . I can't bring armor of earth because, well, I'm firespec not earth spec, and I use enough of my refund points anyway changing between 100% healing and the occasional protecting or smiting (balth's aura) that I'm asked to do ... perhaps after I finish hell's precipice and I get into that underworld fissure stuff (when I am led to understand refund points matter not) I'll look into that sort of thing.

Heal Party is worth the spot because of time+distance considerations, energy aside ... so yes, it's worth it to heal those 4 players.