Even the 2 classes that have the most in common at lvl 10 are very different. At lvl 10 warlocks have voidwalker, 3 dots(i think), life tap etc. Mages slows down enemies with frostbolt and freezes them with frost nova. They feel very different. It's much more like you described it at lvl 1.
The kind of differences I'm talking about is the ones that lets your class do stuff no one else can. Doesn't really seem like gw2 has much of that
Well
My elementalist feels very different from my warrior which feels very different from my engineer. Just three examples there. I'm not sure what you want here.
Can you teach me how I create clones as a ranger? I though only mesmers could do that...It doesn't seem like my class can do something no one else can.
~Former Priest/Guild Wars 2 Moderator~
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The point is that clones doesn't allow you to do anything other classes can't...
Again, I'm not sure what you want here, specialized roles?
An actual visual distraction that has them being swung at instead of you. Works in both PvE and PvP. Hell even in WvW running from the zerg.
Pushing Distortion (F4) is an ability that gives me 1 second per clone of complete immunity from everything, on demand. The ability to just walk through a huge mess and take no damage OR additional effects, while still keeping your full damage output. That's very unique that other classes can't do.
As pointed out, Portal can traverse entire groups around. Drop a bunch of people inside of a keep past the walls, epic lulz ensue.
Time Warp is an AoE Quickness (think bloodlust), no other class can do that. Moa Morph is a 10 second Polymorph that doesn't break on damage (but does give full movement), no other class has that. Mass Invisibility as an on the move spell radiating from yourself rather than a puff of smoke on the ground, to either engage or disengage. No other class has that.
What else are you looking for, here?
Last edited by Kelesti; 2012-10-17 at 05:41 PM.
~Former Priest/Guild Wars 2 Moderator~
Now TESTING: ArcheAge (Alpha)
Now PLAYING: MonoRed Burn (MtG Standard)
Twitter: @KelestiMMO come say hi!
~When you speak, I hear silence. Every word a defiance~
I'm a bit confused. Earlier you said "in vanilla WoW classes were different!" And someone pointed out that in vanilla, at level 10 you barely had anything at all. Now you cite how it is today.
In vanilla WoW a level 10 warlock would be getting his Imp quest, and depending on if they instantly did it or not not even finnish it until level 11 or 12. I do believe that the mage did get frost nova that early, so you might have been correct on that. Otherwise it was the flame spell with no cast time they got.
This makes absolutely no sense. There is no way that one can equate an Engineer with a rifle to say an Elementalist. They play completely differently. By level 10, you will still have a tough time matching an engineer with dual pistols to a engineer with a rifle.
Of course the all do the same job, killing things but that is really stretching it.
What the OP is asking for, if I understand him correctly, are classes that are specifically distinct from one another.
Class A only deals in dots.
Class B only deals in direct damage.
Class C is the only class that can absorb massive damage.
ect...
Thing is, GW2 does allow for a large level of customization. A condition based Thief plays different than a burst thief. Glass cannon Thieves play different from tankier Thieves. Backstab Thieves play different than Death Blossom Thieves. Same thing with other classes. And there ARE some simlarities. A 100 Blades Warrior and Pistol Whip Thief are similar, not exactly but similar.
So I understand what the OP is asking, but I can't see how wanting those sorts of things is any good if you are a fan of customization and varying playstyles.
I really disagree with that o.0. I won't say (and can't say) that you play it.."not right"...but knowing the class and even what weapons the enemy has is very important to know how to deal with them. You don't fight a mesmer like you fight a warrior. Hell you don't fight a hammer warrior like you fight a sword warrior or a great sword warrior. Fighting is still fighting...you still need to get the opponent down xD..you still need to kite or persue. That doesn't change...and for one dodging makes it feel...constant "the same" but in the essence of strategy it really isn't. That's how I play/feel anyway.
I'm starting to get the feeling you just don't enjoy the game o.0. You make no sense on what you ask for. You are putting arguments that aren't in ANY kind of games really. It's not like your arguments are asking for something, your arguments come from the absence of something that you are not explaining it well, and by what you are explaining, doesn't exist.
Clones are a unique mechanic that helps you control the enemy, confuse the enemy, damage the enemy, or help your survival. By choosing the right traits and good utility skills (which by what you said, you haven't even achieved) you can focus in a better dps burst, or survival or control. It IS a unique not only mechanic but also a good characterization of the class. Mesmer is the above most the perfect "class differentiation".
Now, I think you are setting yourself in a trap by asking that the classes don't feel different, when they all have different mechanics, but then again asking what can you do with those...It's kinda of asking "The druid heals are the only heals in the game" but you still have paladin, priest, monk heals. You are asking for something that doesn't exist o.0. And Gw2 is it's own game mind you, where there is no roles, no tanks, no heals. Everyone can kinda go that way for a better support, but those who don't can still support just as well. And even so they do it in their own flavour, be it in the form of a healing spring, a pet that will revive you, a banner that will boost you and more.
I see that you said about the conjuring food and portals but, in reality who really uses that? Anyone put cooking food, the best I've seen is conjuring food when you the healer is too low on mana (maybe new toon not geared). I will agree that gw2 doesn't have unique class "out of combat" stuff, I think.
And about roles:
As far as dot goes.
A ranger will make you bleed thru arrows, and they only work when he is positioned on the side or on the back. The shortbow is quick.
The mesmer will have a staff that inflicts random "dots" on the enemy, it's quite different than the bow, and has nothing to do with positioning.
The warrior will make you bleed with nice fast paced sword attacks, I mean it makes sense....
And so on.
You should not see the game as with 8 classes. You should probably see a game with classes with different weapons choices that are much more like real sub-classes of it's own.
I dunno, I sPvP as an easymode Pistol Whip Thief. My strategy vs. every class is the same. =)
How am I supposed to level without doing damage? How am I supposed to level if I can't stay alive? This statement makes no sense at all. Your sense of uniqueness is completely biased.Every class has different skills, the question is what are the clones good for? DPS/survival? Every other class has that.
In WoW, if mages do damage by high crits and warlocks by dots, you worship them because it is "a unique kind of damage!!! so different from each other!!!"; in GW2, if a mesmer does damage by using clones, a ranger does damage by commanding a wild pet, and a thief does damage by hiding in shadows and surprising his foe, you say "they all do the same thing, it is just damage!!!". Nice double standard.
I don't like to play the captain obvious, but the clones allow you to trick your opponent about your position... at least.The point is that clones doesn't allow you to do anything other classes can't...