Guild Wars

[snoopy369]

Originally posted by DrSpike
Btw I'm also up for a coordinated alt creation if anyone on Euro servers is.

lol ... we're all on the same servers sir don't forget Just change districts to Int'l districts.

I'm at level 6 on a W/Mo, about to Sear ... I'd be glad to play a bit with you all on that, especially since i'm not a very active player (3 days/week maybe) i'd probably level slower anyway Cpl Carrot is that character.

Or I could start an E/N (necro curse spec). (40% Energy, 30% Blood, 30% curses) ... basically it is a great weakener / curser, more effective at higher levels but not bad at low levels either. (Could also go N/Me, curses/blood/domination or curses/blood/inspiration, also.)

[Dis]

so I was reading this review on this game at CNN.com, and they mentioned something about henchman (or hirable characters to help you). How do they work? Can you get through the tough areas of the game with just them? Or do you absolutely need a party?

what can I say? I'm an antisocial git who doesn't like annoying players . sometimes I like to play wi I mean play by mysyelf.

[snoopy369]

Originally posted by Dissident
so I was reading this review on this game at CNN.com, and they mentioned something about henchman (or hirable characters to help you). How do they work? Can you get through the tough areas of the game with just them? Or do you absolutely need a party?

what can I say? I'm an antisocial git who doesn't like annoying players . sometimes I like to play wi I mean play by mysyelf.

They are not as good as a good real human player, but are not necessarily horrible. I wouldn't play the hard missions with them; but I play a lot of easier missions with them, and some of them can be useful. They're not very smart, and often a lower level than the human players, but they perform their designated role; a healer will heal, a fighter will melee. Just don't ask them to be smart about *who* they fight.

It also depends on your personal character and build. I play a Mo/E who is fire spec and heal spec - so I can do okay with henchmen, taking (out of a group of 6) one healer, 2 fighter types, one ranger, and one elementalist. Then I bring my fire spec skills, and a few healing spells, but mostly let the healer henchman heal, and firebomb the suckers. Also, take it slowly... but henchmen do that fairly well, although they attack anything in their range (so keep them out of range).

[Jamski]

Originally posted by DrSpike
I think you guys are missing the main benefit of W/Mo. Taken by itself Monk is the 'best' sublass for warrior, but if there is a real monk in the party it's pretty even IMO, and I just take more dmg skills rather than expensive healing skills when that is the case.

W/Mo just gives you that extra flexibility given that each party is different, and also makes you better at soloing.

Of course the main reason to take a W/Mo is to have Balthazar's Blessing running constantly. +1 Adrenaline and +1 Energy with each hit at a cost of -1 Energy regen? YES PLEASE. Let's have Mending running constantly too, or Retribution, and get ALL of our energy just from hitting people in melee! There's probably time for 5 attacks before Power Attack cycles. Fill up the other slots with Adrenal skills to spam with all the excess Adrenalin this build gets. Either that or make it a more defensive build and put Bonetti's Defense as well as Power Attack, so you can gain more energy that way for skills.

[snoopy369]

Originally posted by Jamski


Of course the main reason to take a W/Mo is to have Balthazar's Blessing running constantly. +1 Adrenaline and +1 Energy with each hit at a cost of -1 Energy regen? YES PLEASE. Let's have Mending running constantly too, or Retribution, and get ALL of our energy just from hitting people in melee! There's probably time for 5 attacks before Power Attack cycles. Fill up the other slots with Adrenal skills to spam with all the excess Adrenalin this build gets. Either that or make it a more defensive build and put Bonetti's Defense as well as Power Attack, so you can gain more energy that way for skills.

That's one option ... though it shouldn't be necessary with a competent healer in the group. I'm probably going to keep a token healing ability; but a whopping +3 health regen from Mending doesn't make a shred of difference, as far as i'm concerned, when the heavy hitters start going at you. Unless you are using a vampiric weapon (god forbid), don't bother with it. Balthazar, sounds good - if you're not using the energy otherwise, it's a great idea certainly.

Another option, probably mine, is to run protection prayers alongside your attacks. I'm not familiar with protection as a genre - but at minimum Shielding Hands should be fairly useful early on (when the big danger is 10 guys each hitting for 3hp each hit); and Reversal of Fortune is useful later (healing you for the damage done instead of damaging you, and it's instant). You can also use Life Bond to make yourself a more effective tank - the most effective possible - to cause 1/2 of damage dealt to, say, your healing monk, to be redirected to you...

[Barinthus]

Originally posted by Dissident
what can I say? I'm an antisocial git who doesn't like annoying players . sometimes I like to play wi I mean play by mysyelf.

You can just roleplay that way - that certain brooding silent fellow who's always muttering to himself and darting his eyes around

[Barinthus]

Originally posted by DrSpike
Try it now! How can you resist it's tempting goodness?

Argh I can't wait for my copy to arrive.

[DrSpike]

Originally posted by Dissident
so I was reading this review on this game at CNN.com, and they mentioned something about henchman (or hirable characters to help you). How do they work? Can you get through the tough areas of the game with just them? Or do you absolutely need a party?

what can I say? I'm an antisocial git who doesn't like annoying players . sometimes I like to play wi I mean play by mysyelf.

Henchies are fine for easy missions, but you need to party for tougher ones and when you move to a new area and are too low to carry the party.

[Dis]

actually I shouldn't say I don't play with other players. In Diablo 2, about 50% of the time I would be with a party, and 50% time I play solo. Parties are fun, but people are always in such a hurry, I like to completely clear out levels, not race to the end. oh well.

[snoopy369]

Well, you can often play with henchies if you are careful to keep your char at a relatively high level to the area you're in. IE, play EVERY side quest and do a ton of side quests before you even start the main quests...

There are definitely a lot of people who prefer the race-to-the-end method (often including myself); partially that's because if you die doing something unnecessary, you not only wasted a lot of time but often the party will break up and you'll waste even more replacing the missing people ...

But there are also a lot of folk who are "bonus hungry" - and the Bonus is essentially 'clearing out the level' in a lot of missions, ie it's the only part you don't have to clear out to complete.

[Main_Brain]

Originally posted by snoopy369
There are definitely a lot of people who prefer the race-to-the-end method (often including myself); partially that's because if you die doing something unnecessary, you not only wasted a lot of time but often the party will break up and you'll waste even more replacing the missing people ...

Also quite a lot of people are repeating the same Mission over and over 'gain (Failing it) [Thirsty River anyone ] and just want to get over with that §/"%/§" Mission.
Their knowledge of the Map tends to send them
speeding away at the very first second they enter the Area, which leads to the usual problems.

[DrSpike]

Originally posted by snoopy369
Well, you can often play with henchies if you are careful to keep your char at a relatively high level to the area you're in. IE, play EVERY side quest and do a ton of side quests before you even start the main quests...

There are definitely a lot of people who prefer the race-to-the-end method (often including myself); partially that's because if you die doing something unnecessary, you not only wasted a lot of time but often the party will break up and you'll waste even more replacing the missing people ...

But there are also a lot of folk who are "bonus hungry" - and the Bonus is essentially 'clearing out the level' in a lot of missions, ie it's the only part you don't have to clear out to complete.

I've done everything on my first char. I'm at level '25' with 2 missions and 2 quests to go + underworld/fissure.

The next char I'm only doing story missions and quests that give skills.

Btw I started being a bonus whore but some of the later ones are just cruel, and I've stopped. If you take 90 mins slowly and painstakingly clearing a packed level (and probably another few runs getting a good team) you don't want to risk the mission to get the bonus, which is what you have to do on some of the later ones.

[DrSpike]

Originally posted by Main_Brain


Also quite a lot of people are repeating the same Mission over and over 'gain (Failing it) [Thirsty River anyone ] and just want to get over with that §/"%/§" Mission.
Their knowledge of the Map tends to send them
speeding away at the very first second they enter the Area, which leads to the usual problems.

Thirsty River is probably the easiest of the 3 desert missions.

There are tougher ones coming up too. When you get to this stage 1 asshat (from 8) means almost certain death.

A good leader is essential.

[Dis]

Originally posted by DrSpike


I've done everything on my first char. I'm at level '25' with 2 missions and 2 quests to go + underworld/fissure.

The next char I'm only doing story missions and quests that give skills.

Btw I started being a bonus whore but some of the later ones are just cruel, and I've stopped. If you take 90 mins slowly and painstakingly clearing a packed level (and probably another few runs getting a good team) you don't want to risk the mission to get the bonus, which is what you have to do on some of the later ones.

why would you risk the mission? What happens if you die in this game.

[DrSpike]

A couple you have to defend stuff, and doing the bonus means a group going off and doing their thing. Strangely, the enemy waves increase at that point without fail, and the split party can die.

Also some of the later bonuses are a real pain in the ass to find if you don't read up on them online. You don't want the mission to take too long because someone dropping on a tight mission can mean the difference between winning and losing.