So, how did your builds change after the patch?

[4KhazModan]

The patch brought huge specialization changes, so I must ask you guys, how did your builds change(if at all)?

For the most part, my characters remained the same, with the exception of my Thief and Ranger. My thief was previously a zerker build variant with Critical Strikes/Deadly Arts/Acrobatics but with the patch, I switched out Deadly Arts for Trickery to give more utility as I don't really care for the poisons or traps. My Ranger changed a lot more though, previously a spirit of nature build, I was forced to branch out into other aspects like more condi damage

[carnifex2005]

For my PVE engineer build it changed a bit. Not as much focus on grenades and more a focus on overall damage (since Mortar Kit and Orbital Strike is now an important part of the rotation). Basically still use Healing Turret, Grenades, Flamethrower and Elixir Gun as before but have substituted out Supply Crate for Mortar Kit. As well, Static Shock got added to the build.

[zito]

Mesmer pve opened up alot. Previously the only thing viable was reflect glamor. Even though half of our traits are still useless cause defiance I can go back to my confusing pve build

[4KhazModan]

Mesmer pve opened up alot. Previously the only thing viable was reflect glamor. Even though half of our traits are still useless cause defiance I can go back to my confusing pve build

Really? I've been running zerker phantasm build myself for around a year.

[zito]

Really? I've been running zerker phantasm build myself for around a year.

Ya zerker phantasm was the meta. What I mean with glamor reflect is using focus with reflect traits and glamor. It was sword focus great sword phantasm with glamor for combo

[Rukh]

I thought everyone was running shatter.

[zito]

I thought everyone was running shatter.

Pre patch PvE shatter was useless. The only thing people ran was phantasm usually with iwarden and glamors in groups.

[Deleted]

Well... on my mesmer I know have phantasms that heal everyone, provide boons, debuff the enemy and when they die they heal everyone and provide more boons. Essentially I have buff-dispensers that deal damage. Which is amazing!
On my engineer there aren't that many changes... more fire damage and that's about it.

[Edge-]

I have to look up some builds, I haven't even looked at all the new traits and such -_-

[Fencers]

Nah. Power, crit and lots of it. Same old, same old.

[Rukh]

Pre patch PvE shatter was useless. The only thing people ran was phantasm usually with iwarden and glamors in groups.

Oh are people still pretending PvE needs a meta?

[Rukh]

Some people seem to take "speedrunning dungeons" pretty seriously.

I'll admit to not really understanding it - since the whole focus of it seems to be taking all the gameplay out of it (skipping most of the mobs, zerker'ing bosses down before they can even do much, exploiting certain pathing stuff or whatever) - but to each their own.

If the game doesn't give people stuff to be elitist about, they invent it.

[Christonya]

Being a thief player. It didn't.

I gained access to more trickery tools, pmuch just QOL more then any thing else.

In pvp... I got well, nothing really except that they gutted acro hard. So far, the changes made to thief feel no where near as awesome as the changes made to many of the other classes.

[zito]

Oh are people still pretending PvE needs a meta?

PvE had and always had a meta and forever will. Which is the most optimal set. Sure the game doesn't need you to be optimal. I've already established this before hand. But pretending it doesn't exist is ignorant.

[4KhazModan]

Any online game will always have a meta as there is always an optimal way to play.

[Rukh]

Any online game will always have a meta as there is always an optimal way to play.

The thing is GW2 has a few issues with that. The main one being there's very little in way of measuring what is "optimal". You can isolate certain things, but with active combat, a lot more affects damage than just straight output. If you do everything to optimize output and end up dead at the boss's feet for instance, you are doing 0 dps.

But that combines with the second issue. GW2 PvE is basically broken. Any actual mechanics get bypassed by exploiting bad design so people just burn everything down.

So when people talk about "PvE meta" they mean finishing incredibly easy content a minute faster than otherwise.

[Arlee]

My Ranger has stayed mostly the same, though I'm actually changing how I am traited in Skirmishing depending on what I am doing which is cool. I haven't even looked at my Guardian and Ele yet to see what I want to do there. My Necro has changed up a lot. been messing with a Death Shroud focused build and that's been fun. I've also actually been having fun leveling my mesmer finally, but idk if that's related to the changes at all