Guild Wars.

[Roland]

Lack of skills IS a real issue, yes. Lack of unlocked items is one overblown by naysayers.

Yeah, and this is my problem. For all the skills I've unlocked, they amount to jack compared to the ones I haven't unlocked. It's actually depressing. :P Trying to PvP in GW where I am is like trying to PvP in Diablo II with a level 12 character versus a level 60 character. I just don't have the available SKILLS, not counting the available SKILL (which I definitely need to work one, but that's the whole point of playing, now isn't it? :)).

If there was an easier way to unlock things in the game, I'd do it. :P But since there's not, and the game just gives me too many headaches, I'm shelving it for awhile. My g/f made me pull out the Cube due to us playing in a quick SSBM tournie at the local Gamestop, and so we've been busting each other up in that. That, and I have Monopoly for it, so she's been playing that whenever we aren't playing SSBM. Oh, and she grabbed the wrong bag the last time we were at our weekly Halo 2 gathering, so we're left without ANY cables to hook up the XBox, so no Halo 2 for us for a little while. :(

[Minionman]

Take the end of Althea's Ashes, for example. By the time I even get there, I've always died 3+ times because of my henchmen screwing around too much, and me being unable to get off damage spells in time to save their hides (Alesia is almost USELESS when it comes to healing; too many times I've seen myself or the Warrior get below 20%, only to be healed 10 seconds later when the mobs we were fighting are finally dead :P), thus they crumple and I'm left to pick up the pieces. A R/E cannot do jack against three warriors who can knock me down and counter EVERY one of my spells at will. It's like stunlock in Diablo - it's just unavoidable sometimes.
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Just skip this quest if it causes too many problems. All the times I've done it I got down to 60% dp from the people on the pyramid.

You and I must be playing with different Alesias. She heals pretty good for all my characters.

[Roland]

Well, at what specific point in battles do you have problems?

Do you get completely overwhelmed by the number of monsters coming? If so, then I second the "Wait for two groups to seperate, and then take a pot shot at one of them, then move back, so as to pull it away from its buddy group" idea.

Sometimes. I'll have to experiment with this more. I'm still not ready to go back to the game yet, but maybe in another week I'll give it one last try before shelving it for hibernation. :P

Usually, I don't get overhwelmed so much as my Henchmen just get slaughtered, and THEN I get overwhelmed. Before, I could overcome this because I was so much stronger, but now that I'm facing mobs in the 8 - 10 range (IIRC I'm 11), they're getting too tough for me to take down in seconds, and Healers only make this situation worse. More often than not, I end up dying trying to save my henchmen, or because I get caught up inbetween a pair of ass-kicking meleers that knock me down over and over - one does it, then the other does it, back and forth like I'm a damn ping-pong ball. That's a surefire death for me, and I usually can't get out of it, or if I do, I die running away. :P Of course, at this point the Warrior is usually dead, which is why I'm getting nailed so bad in the first place, so it's just a matter of seconds before the rest of the henchmen crumple like wet paper bags in a hurricane.

Right now, though, it's more a matter of mobs being too closely clumped together than patrols. Patrols I have learned to deal with, through much hard-earned experience (read: I died a LOT). But when there's three groups of mobs all within a very small radius, each comprising of 3 - 4 mobs themselves, it can get VERY tricky to pull them apart, especially if the Warrior rushes off to hit them. Worse, if they're ranged, then it's almost a certainty that the Warrior will end up aggroing the rest if I'm not careful. So, it's more a limitation of my party and the setup of the monsters than anything else. I can't do anything about that - it's part of the challenge of the game, and poor henchmen... well, that's not MY fault. :P I need to try more to get a PuG, but got sick of waiting around trying to get one when no one wanted to go.

Is it that? Powerful monster self-heals? Maybe the mission you are stuck on has an easier path to take.

There is such a thing? Besides, I'm at the end of the quest by the time I hit the biggest wall right now. The problem is I die too many times getting there that me and my whole party die in 3 hits, period, because we have -60% on us. :P I need to try that quest more (Althea's Ashes) to try and make it through alive more. Maybe gain some levels first so I'm tougher?

Healers usually only prove a problem if I can't take them down easily. "Named Mobs", or what I think are, generally are nigh-impossible without help due to self-healing. Otherwise, sooner or later they will crumple to the Warrior's blows backed by my repeated use of Lava Font and Flare. The problem is getting to them, when they're perched on ledges surrounded by un-aggroed mobs, as my arrows don't do enough damage (even enchanted) to outweigh their healing.

And as for the monster target selection AI - it tends to follow the following rules (Which are consistent with what you have observed.)

If possible, attack the softest targets.

If possible, attack the target with the most -% Death Penalty.

If there is a meleer preventing you (The monster) from getting to the target, by physically blocking you, select the next best target, or attack the meleer.

If you are currently engaging the meleer, and he does not move, do not peel off to attack any other target, unless it comes within melee range.

If attacks cause conditions, try to spread them out.

If you have interrupts, use them whenever you can.

If the target carries an item in its hands, make it your #1 priority, regardless of anything else.
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See, THIS is the kinda stuff I like to know. :) It explains why sometimes they'll run around me, and sometimes if I block them they'll pick on me instead (which is generally what I want, expect when they start knocking me down over and over :P). And why I can hardly ever get them to not target my softies. :P PITA mobs. I need more skills.

[NiteFox]

You and I must be playing with different Alesias.  She heals pretty good for all my characters.
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Hmm, you must be playing with different Alesias to the rest of the player base. I've observed (and this observation is agreed on by practically everyone I've asked) that Alesia will only start healing in combat when her own health is less than 50%, otherwise she just attacks.

She will throw healing your way if you get to dangerously low health (10%, if you're lucky), but otherwise the whole party can rot until she actually gets hurt.

[Minionman]

Hmm, you must be playing with different Alesias to the rest of the player base.  I've observed (and this observation is agreed on by practically everyone I've asked) that Alesia will only start healing in combat when her own health is less than 50%, otherwise she just attacks.

She will throw healing your way if you get to dangerously low health (10%, if you're lucky), but otherwise the whole party can rot until she actually gets hurt.
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huh, she seems to heal fine with me, but I haven't checked whether she's always under attck, though I would be surprised if she was. I have had situations where the monsters do all pile on one of the warriors, and they have been healed fine.

[Roland]

Hmm, you must be playing with different Alesias to the rest of the player base.  I've observed (and this observation is agreed on by practically everyone I've asked) that Alesia will only start healing in combat when her own health is less than 50%, otherwise she just attacks.

She will throw healing your way if you get to dangerously low health (10%, if you're lucky), but otherwise the whole party can rot until she actually gets hurt.
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I think you're much closer to the truth Nitefox. I haven't observed her nearly enough to notice her full habits, but she DEFINITELY does not heal well enough for much of the time. She certainly does wait until you're low on health to begin healing; that much I know for a fact, although I don't know exactly what triggers the behavoir. Once she starts healing, she seems to be semi-OK at it, but oftentimes she'll top me up when I'm barely scratched, while ignoring the Warrior or Mage who's below 40% health. :P

I don't know what Minionman has been observing, but it sure as hell ain't the Alesia I know and loathe. :P

[Roland]

Just skip this quest if it causes too many problems.  All the times I've done it I got down to 60% dp from the people on the pyramid.

Can't. Need the skills. It has some nice skills to unlock not only for my current character, but also for PvP. Dodge is one of them, IIRC, which will help me out immensely in surviving this slugfest.

I'm done with it for awhile anyway. SSBM has gotten me for awhile, and of course Halo 2 will be back before long, so I'm just gonna take a breather.

[Minionman]

Can't. Need the skills. It has some nice skills to unlock not only for my current character, but also for PvP. Dodge is one of them, IIRC, which will help me out immensely in surviving this slugfest.

I'm done with it for awhile anyway. SSBM has gotten me for awhile, and of course Halo 2 will be back before long, so I'm just gonna take a breather.
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Althea's ashes gives skills? This is new.

[Roland]

Althea's ashes gives skills?  This is new.
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Maybe I'm referring to the wrong quest? Or maybe that one doesn't give skills. I don't recall anymore, but I THOUGHT I was still focusing only on the ones that give skills. Maybe I exhausted them already...

[Swiss Mercenary]

Maybe I'm referring to the wrong quest? Or maybe that one doesn't give skills. I don't recall anymore, but I THOUGHT I was still focusing only on the ones that give skills. Maybe I exhausted them already...
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Althea's Ashes does NOT give skills, and it is very much intended to be quite a difficult quest for level 10 characters. (Equivalent to trying to beat Leoric when you first get to DL 3, as a single-player warrior with an axe). It does give 2000 experience. Don't feel bad about skipping it - you can always come back in a few levels.

As a R/E, the skill-giving quests in the area around Ascalon include two quests from Ranger Nente (Which you have probably done), a quest to ambush the charr supply lines in Piken Square (Which you must have done), a quest from Elementalist Asure + another quest from a hermit, and two more quests in Serenity Temple (The place where you should deliver the Eldritch Sextant to in "A troublesome Artifact."

I was really under the impression that you were much further in the game, but this cleared it up for me.

I haven't played with low level henchmen much, due to their insignificant contributions to the battle, but what you have described matches up most of my observations with them. I suppose due to the lack of spells that they can cast, they don't cast them nearly as often.

All the way from mid-game to early-late game, Alesia actually becomes sufficient for the party's primary healer.

Incidently, I've got a R/N in the same level range as you do. I'd be happy to help out with whatever - if you can get me when I'm on. In-game name: "Aye Farm Faction"

As much as I disbelieve it, the entire game has been balance-tested to be doable with just henchmen...

Ah, one more thing: Which missions have you done? "The Great Northern Wall"? "Fort Ranik"? "Ruins of Surmia"? "Nolani Academy"?

[Swiss Mercenary]

Sometimes. I'll have to experiment with this more. I'm still not ready to go back to the game yet, but maybe in another week I'll give it one last try before shelving it for hibernation. :P

Usually, I don't get overhwelmed so much as my Henchmen just get slaughtered, and THEN I get overwhelmed. Before, I could overcome this because I was so much stronger, but now that I'm facing mobs in the 8 - 10 range (IIRC I'm 11), they're getting too tough for me to take down in seconds, and Healers only make this situation worse. More often than not, I end up dying trying to save my henchmen, or because I get caught up inbetween a pair of ass-kicking meleers that knock me down over and over - one does it, then the other does it, back and forth like I'm a damn ping-pong ball. That's a surefire death for me, and I usually can't get out of it, or if I do, I die running away. :P Of course, at this point the Warrior is usually dead, which is why I'm getting nailed so bad in the first place, so it's just a matter of seconds before the rest of the henchmen crumple like wet paper bags in a hurricane.

One thing I forgot to mention is reponse to the AI - when the target they are chasing is faster then they are (Read - when you use Dodge), they switch to their next target.

Which is why I always try to bring a speed skill on my character - if I am getting hammered, but the rest of my party is allright, I use it to run away a few meters, the monsters switch target, and I use my self-heals.

You sound as if you are (When you weren't trying to do Althea's Ashes) in the... Shiverpeaks? Yak's Bend? If so, then there's a few basic things to note:

The ice golems are a joke. You can largely ignore the damage they deal.

The Stone Summit Sages really like casting Empathy, which deals BIG (For your level) damage whenever you attack... Since you aren't a monk, and you can't remove it, you are best off not plinking your bow when its on you.

The Stone Summit... Necromancers... Have nasty health-stealing skills that they use when they are injured - so, kill them last.

The rangers and warriors deal average damage. The Snow Ettins deal quite a lot of damage.

The Dolyak Masters can heal others, but not themselves. Two of them can be a problem, but they tend to not use their healing spells very often.

The Beastmasters use an area-of-effect knockdown early in the battle, AND have attacks that knock you down if you try to run away. So, ah, either don't run, or time your escape to be right after they use "Bull's Strike".

The order in which I kill them:

Dolyak Masters
Stone Summit Sages
Snow Ettins
Beastmasters
Rangers
Warriors
Necromancers

Right now, though, it's more a matter of mobs being too closely clumped together than patrols. Patrols I have learned to deal with, through much hard-earned experience (read: I died a LOT). But when there's three groups of mobs all within a very small radius, each comprising of 3 - 4 mobs themselves, it can get VERY tricky to pull them apart, especially if the Warrior rushes off to hit them. Worse, if they're ranged, then it's almost a certainty that the Warrior will end up aggroing the rest if I'm not careful. So, it's more a limitation of my party and the setup of the monsters than anything else. I can't do anything about that - it's part of the challenge of the game, and poor henchmen... well, that's not MY fault. :P I need to try more to get a PuG, but got sick of waiting around trying to get one when no one wanted to go.
There is such a thing? Besides, I'm at the end of the quest by the time I hit the biggest wall right now. The problem is I die too many times getting there that me and my whole party die in 3 hits, period, because we have -60% on us. :P I need to try that quest more (Althea's Ashes) to try and make it through alive more. Maybe gain some levels first so I'm tougher?

Each level is +20 health, and a few attribute points. Insignificant. What skills you have access on will make the biggest difference, character-power wise, and the tactics you use will have to make up for the rest.

Healers usually only prove a problem if I can't take them down easily.

Distracting Shot - if this shot hits, it deals 1-9 damage, and disables the skill the target is using for 20 seconds.

You should really look into this skill. It should have been given to you after you completed the Charr Supply Lines quest in Piken Square.

Takes care of Healing Signet and Heal Area - the two most powerful self-heals that you will encounter in this point of the game.

"Named Mobs", or what I think are, generally are nigh-impossible without help due to self-healing. Otherwise, sooner or later they will crumple to the Warrior's blows backed by my repeated use of Lava Font and Flare. The problem is getting to them, when they're perched on ledges surrounded by un-aggroed mobs, as my arrows don't do enough damage (even enchanted) to outweigh their healing.

Hence, rather then trying to overcome their healing, try to use what I have outlined to disable their healing.

Note - Althea's Ashes is a special case. It's a very, very evil level design. It really is. I once again implore you to return later.

As another note, I do not advise using Flare on a R/E. It's really a second-rate damage skill for a primary elementalist, let alone on a character with less mana, and natural bow attacks. I do recommend Fire Storm. Lava Font is nice at this point in the game.

If for whatever reason you want something else, then get Pheonix from a trainer in Grenditch Courthouse - an outpost a little ways west of the entrance into the Charr Flame Temple (Where Althea's Ashes are kept). Don't be afraid to buy it - I do not believe any of the skills there can be gotten for free through quests.

If you want to take a look at where it is exactly, there is a map of the area surrounding Ascalon here:

*SPOILER - EVERYTHING AROUND ASCALON IS FULLY UNCOVERED - SPOILER*

http://www.gwonline.net/images/cartography...lonoutlined.php

[ceolstan]

Roland, it might not be the game for you. That doesn't make it a bad game. The PvE segment is much shallower than in a game like WoW. If you want to load up your skill bar with every skill--again very much like in WoW--you'll not like this game. If you want to spend time crafting the highest, most uberest items, you'll not like this game. End game armor is fairly cheaply available by Droknar's Forge, about 2/3 through the game. Anything else is more distinctive-looking, but carries the same stats. It's not a good game for people who want to "develop" their characters via gaining rare items. If you liked farming in D2, you'll hate playing GW. That's not saying that one game is good and the other isn't, but it is saying that maybe GW isn't consistent with your own gaming temperment.

Pathing is on par with Neverwinter Nights. I don't notice it as being particularly poor. It's not like WoW, where you can fall over cliffs or off towers. It's also not like D2, which really doesn't have pathing, given that the entire game is played in a fairly open field with only a few narrower openings.

You can be blocked, however, and that's part of the PvP dimension. Bodies take up space, and you need to develop not only the situational awareness to avoid being blocked or develop the awareness to do the blocking. Blocking, in fact, is crucial in PvP where the only way to take down the pesky runner is to use blocking, or in that last 30 seconds of the HoH battle to keep the other side's Ghostly Hero from capping the altar.

While it is true that you will have over 150 skills per profession yet can take only 8 into a mission or battle, that's really where the game comes alive. No character is strong enough to go it alone. Every character is designed to play in a team. The henchie team is not going to be as good a team as human players, but if you can find one or two humans on your team, then you're likely to breeze through the missions.

ergates suggests you check out The Basin. AB has some strong PvE proponents. There are also some regular gatherings, if you look at the calendar. Just mention that you're with the LL. Hopefully there will be enough D2 players to know what LL means. ;) Some of the gatherings may be somewhat disorganized as a result of school. However, AB has close to 300 people playing in its in-game guild divisions. PvP is growing, and a lot of Basiners like to hop from guild division to guild division, depending on where the action is.

I would also strongly recommend United Legit Gaming Guilds of Guild Wars, which plays all aspects of Guild Wars and is allied with several guilds who've pledged to a mature level of behavior, including Spirit of War, a PvP guild that is about as classy a group as it's possible to find.

Generally speaking, the larger the guild you join, the better a time you'll have as you can find people playing the same time you do. The only time it's advantageous to play with a small guild is if you are playing with people who commit to the same times each week and plan to play competitive PvP. The game favors the small guild in terms of competitive success, but in terms of social success, the larger the better.

--ceolstan

[Wyrm]

The Stone Summit... Necromancers... Have nasty health-stealing skills that they use when they are injured - so, kill them last.

Stone Summit Howlers are the necros. And yes, Vampiric Touch and Soul Feast (corpse skill) are annoying.

The rangers and warriors deal average damage. The Snow Ettins deal quite a lot of damage.

The Stone Summit warriors that use axes will use Distracting Blow when it's available to them, which is a real pain if you're casting constantly.

The order in which I kill them:

Dolyak Masters
Stone Summit Sages
Snow Ettins
Beastmasters
Rangers
Warriors
Necromancers

I agree for the most part, except I've always wanted to take out the necros after the mesmers since leaving them to the end always ensures them of quite a few corpses with which to (basically) spam Soul Feast.

Each level is +20 health, and a few attribute points. Insignificant. What skills you have access on will make the biggest difference, character-power wise, and the tactics you use will have to make up for the rest.

True, but if you can get your Marksmanship score up to as close to 12 as you can early on, you'll deal a lot more damage on a consistant basis. I've found it more desirable with a low level character to get the weapon attribute as high as possible and worry about the secondary skills later. This is a bit harder for Rangers, as before you really settle into a build, you'll find yourself spreading points across 3-5 attributes, depending on your current build. However, now that they're on the cheap again, you can buy minor Runes in Ascalon to help out with attributes early on.

Note - Althea's Ashes is a special case. It's a very, very evil level design. It really is. I once again implore you to return later.

I really don't know why everyone has so much trouble with this quest. I did the quest with just myself and one other person, both of us around level 10-15, and only died a couple times when we got stupid (and this was early on in my GW experience before I actually knew what I was doing). If you try to rush in head-on, you're more than likely going to fail unless you bring people with their 20s and high end armor/skills. If you take the side paths you can avoid more than half of the Charr in the area.

Don't be afraid to buy it - I do not believe any of the skills there can be gotten for free through quests.

You're right. None of the skills at the out-of-the-way outposts can be aquired through quests. Bear in mind though, that if it's an outpost you're taken to as a part of the game storyline (i.e. Yak's Bend) then you can get the skills in quests.

Henchmen AI is set up so that they will focus fire on the most recent target of a player. That means that if you switch targets, they will too. It also means that if you're playing with someone else that targets something other than what you are, you can get them to target with the other player. You start attacking your enemy, then the other person starts attacking theirs. As long as neither of you switches targets, the henches will stay locked on to the other persons.

There are times further in the game where the henches ability to focus fire will be better than grouping with players who can't stay on target.

Speaking of AI, the enemy ai will target whoever has the lowest armor level and stuff like that. There's actually some pretty good posts on the RB forums about AI targetting in the "Random notes to help new players" thread. You'll just have to scroll to near the end of the thread (although there's some good advice throughout the whole thing) to find it.

I know it's been said before, but this is not D2. You can't just max Blizzard and it's synergies, and steamroll through the game, teleporting past anything that's Cold Immune.

I haven't left to my knowledge, although I haven't found too many helpful faces, either.

Eh... the few times I was online at the same time you were, you didn't say a thing on the guild channel. Yes, there are a few people in the guild who generally stick to themselves and won't say much of anything, but I've never had any problem finding someone to do something with. My warrior skipped all of the early missions and is now going back through them all to get skill points (while using the time to experiment with builds). If you don't mind me powerhousing through most enemies (some people like their first run-through to be sans high level help), I'd be more than willing to go through them with you.

[SwissMercenary]

Stone Summit Howlers are the necros.  And yes, Vampiric Touch and Soul Feast (corpse skill) are annoying.

Thanks.

The Stone Summit warriors that use axes will use Distracting Blow when it's available to them, which is a real pain if you're casting constantly.

Too little, too late. Unlike Distracting Shot, Distracting Blow is hardly guaranteed to land. They are very much a low, low priority target.

I agree for the most part, except I've always wanted to take out the necros after the mesmers since leaving them to the end always ensures them of quite a few corpses with which to (basically) spam Soul Feast.

Killing them after the sages means they can still consume a corpse, while spamming touch spells on your fighters.

If you aren't doing damage to them, they won't cast any life stealing spells.

If you aren't in meelee to them, and aren't damaging them, they'll just stand there, plinking away with their 9 damage wands.

I think I'd rather take out all their buddies, then try to kill a self-healing armour-ignoring 500+ health (Soul Feast) Howler, when there's two snow ettins and a beastmaster knocking the party around like rag dolls.

When howlers are the only ones left, sure, you may have to burn through 800 or so health, but the only damage you will be taking will come from their touch skills.

[Roland]

Althea's Ashes does NOT give skills, and it is very much intended to be quite a difficult quest for level 10 characters. (Equivalent to trying to beat Leoric when you first get to DL 3, as a single-player warrior with an axe). It does give 2000 experience. Don't feel bad about skipping it - you can always come back in a few levels.

As a R/E, the skill-giving quests in the area around Ascalon include two quests from Ranger Nente (Which you have probably done), a quest to ambush the charr supply lines in Piken Square (Which you must have done), a quest from Elementalist Asure + another quest from a hermit, and two more quests in Serenity Temple (The place where you should deliver the Eldritch Sextant to in "A troublesome Artifact."

Yeah, as soon as you mentioned it before, it came back to me that I was doing it for quick exp, because I was done getting skills in the area. I have not done Serenity Temple though, I don't think. Although maybe I did? I know I had that sextant for awhile, so who knows anymore?

I was really under the impression that you were much further in the game, but this cleared it up for me.

I haven't played with low level henchmen much, due to their insignificant contributions to the battle, but what you have described matches up most of my observations with them. I suppose due to the lack of spells that they can cast, they don't cast them nearly as often.

All the way from mid-game to early-late game, Alesia actually becomes sufficient for the party's primary healer.

Good to know.

Incidently, I've got a R/N in the same level range as you do. I'd be happy to help out with whatever - if you can get me when I'm on. In-game name: "Aye Farm Faction"

As much as I disbelieve it, the entire game has been balance-tested to be doable with just henchmen...

Ah, one more thing: Which missions have you done? "The Great Northern Wall"? "Fort Ranik"? "Ruins of Surmia"? "Nolani Academy"?

IF I choose to go back, it probably won't be anytime soon. But you never know. I'll keep my eye out for you if I do go back. As for quests, I'm pretty sure I've done Northern Wall, and possibly Fort Ranik, but the other two I'm sure I haven't done yet.

[Roland]

Roland, it might not be the game for you.  That doesn't make it a bad game.  The PvE segment is much shallower than in a game like WoW.  If you want to load up your skill bar with every skill--again very much like in WoW--you'll not like this game.  If you want to spend time crafting the highest, most uberest items, you'll not like this game.  End game armor is fairly cheaply available by Droknar's Forge, about 2/3 through the game.  Anything else is more distinctive-looking, but carries the same stats.  It's not a good game for people who want to "develop" their characters via gaining rare items.  If you liked farming in D2, you'll hate playing GW.  That's not saying that one game is good and the other isn't, but it is saying that maybe GW isn't consistent with your own gaming temperment.

Funny how NONE of this applies to me. I was actually looking forward to all these elements, and yet none of them do I have any gripes with. Might help for you to read a bit more about what my actual gripes are, rather than assume I hate the things that are actually good and unique about the game.

Oh, and BTW - for the record, again, I bought this game almost exclusively to play the PvP aspect; if it wasn't for the fact that I have to unlock everything in PvE just to get any use out of PvP, I probably would have skipped PvE entirely, especially after I found how bad it is. :P

Pathing is on par with Neverwinter Nights.  I don't notice it as being particularly poor.  It's not like WoW, where you can fall over cliffs or off towers.  It's also not like D2, which really doesn't have pathing, given that the entire game is played in a fairly open field with only a few narrower openings.

You can be blocked, however, and that's part of the PvP dimension.  Bodies take up space, and you need to develop not only the situational awareness to avoid being blocked or develop the awareness to do the blocking.  Blocking, in fact, is crucial in PvP where the only way to take down the pesky runner is to use blocking, or in that last 30 seconds of the HoH battle to keep the other side's Ghostly Hero from capping the altar.

I find it difficult to swallow that you've never noticed a problem with the pathing. I can understand the tactical advantages of blocking someone in PvP. I cannot understand being blocked into a corner by my own pet, or being unable to leave town because a signpost is right in front of me. THAT is purely ridiculous.

While it is true that you will have over 150 skills per profession yet can take only 8 into a mission or battle, that's really where the game comes alive.  No character is strong enough to go it alone.  Every character is designed to play in a team.  The henchie team is not going to be as good a  team as human players, but if you can find one or two humans on your team, then you're likely to breeze through the missions.

Did you read ANYTHING I wrote? I beta tested this game. I know all about the skill limit. I was one of the people who DIDN'T bitch about that - I thought it was incredibly unique and tactical.

You know, it's not even worth replying if you're not going to actually READ anything I say.

[Minionman]

I find it difficult to swallow that you've never noticed a problem with the pathing. I can understand the tactical advantages of blocking someone in PvP. I cannot understand being blocked into a corner by my own pet, or being unable to leave town because a signpost is right in front of me. THAT is purely ridiculous.
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There are a few things like this, sure, but otherwise the pathing is great. The henchmen have only gotten stuck somewhere 2 or 3 times in my playing, way better than other games I've played, they will pretty much stay together, (for example, when fighting creatures on a cliff, the warrior henchmen will run a little away, but will than stop as ranged characters and spellcasters attack, instead of running far away to find a slope up. They have tried finding slopes very few times)they can often find ways to get places that I can't. The few times signs or buildings have blocked me and goofed with myway of getting somehwere are more than made up for by the pathing in general being way better than other games I've played.

[roguebanshee]

Oh, and BTW - for the record, again, I bought this game almost exclusively to play the PvP aspect; if it wasn't for the fact that I have to unlock everything in PvE just to get any use out of PvP, I probably would have skipped PvE entirely, especially after I found how bad it is. :P
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Try asking on the guild channel for help powering through missions, skill quests and getting to outposts with skills if you're going back to GW. State why you want to do so and you'll likely find some help. The AB guilds may offer a better chance of finding someone who can/will help, no one is going to begrudge you jumping over to them.

Another option is using a premade PvP build, though most need serious tweaking to be actually good they're all usable. Winning in PvP earns you faction which can be used to unlock skills, upgrades & runes for PvP. Currently faction comes in at a very slow rate unless you win in GvG but an increase in rewards is comming at some point. If you know what skill(s), runes & upgrades you need to tweak a certain PvP premade you should be able to get help to acquire that much more easily.

[Wyrm]

no one is going to begrudge you jumping over to them.[right][snapback]88317[/snapback][/right]

I would.

I cannot understand being blocked into a corner by my own pet, or being unable to leave town because a signpost is right in front of me. THAT is purely ridiculous.

Heh. You ain't seen nothing yet. I've had the melee henches stand there doing nothing during combat because the called target was around a corner from them. A corner blocked by another enemy. I had to switch off the preferred enemy in order to get them to do anything.

[SwissMercenary]

In regards to the pathing, Roland - it does get better later in the game. Ascalon is pretty much littered with rubble - not so in other areas, where there's only the occasional bridges or corners.