I see this alot in this game but I think HR is probably the biggest offender here where there is a build which is the best and everyone just plays that build because the other builds are just useless. In a good game, each build should have their strengths and weakness. For example, if I'm a GF and I want to do more dps, I should suffer tanking penalties. Or if I'm a CW and want to buff/support, I should suffer dps penalties. As of right now, HR trapper doesn't seem to have any of these penalties. Trappers can basically just run in, deal a ton of damage, and keep everything dazed and rooted. There is no reason to pick any of the other trees. It is the best dps and the best CC. Here's my suggestion.
Archery: because range is a less risky gameplay, it should deal slightly less damage but more than trapper but have less utility such as CC or buffs
Combat: this should deal the most damage because melee combat is riskier. If a HR becomes just another TR, it should have dps on par with TR's
Trapper: this should be less damage but high CC and buffs thereby filling the role of support - the final ability in this build could be something like adding some kind of effect to all HR's buffing abilities or doubles their effect
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The DC kind of had three lines of use, but now its more knocked down to 2. Since virtuous is no longer useful for the most part and the big reason to go virt was full battery build, is now removed. So if you want to heal just go faithful and if you want to buff, go righteouss.
Dont think at all this is a HR only issue.
The issue here is trapper is the only real way to compete via dps with other dps builds, archery sucks.
Combat was the BEST.. the VERY most FUN thing in this entire game back in mod 2... With the movement speeds and the profound sets.. OMG.
Oh well.. dont get used to any one build.. they always change anyways.
The most important thing in life is to be yourself. Unless you can be Batman. Always be Batman.
Archery - less damage and less utility because its ranged? How is this supposed to be enticing to use? Ranged classes are almost always HIGHER damage than melee, but that is usually countered by the fact that they have little survivability if the opponent moves to melee. Here, that doesn't matter as I can shoot arrows point blank and at a certain point, survivability doesn't really come in to play.
I'd say Archery needs more damage and more buff mechanics. Maybe not much CC or high DR on CCs to allow soloing. BUT, once an opponent closes the gap, they are in trouble (perhaps a bonus to damage against them, or their abilities take a serious range related damage reduction).
Combat: A combat HR should be the most durable of all the trees, and perhaps provide the group with more offensive bonuses. I could agree that overall, Combat should be the high DPS tree overall, with archery a close second (higher at range, lower in melee).
Trapper: Less damage than combat, less survivability, but more control and maybe buffs than the others. Should be the sneaky, kill with a thousand needles tree.
That all said, DPS is king and survivability is easily attained, so no matter what happens, people will go to the high DPS tree until they have a reason not to.
Good luck making more than 1 tree viable.
IFthey play there toon to max potential as I do! GWF, TR, SW and CW all will beat my dps. in PVE and You can forget PVP. So Trapper is not competitive either . I do get beat in Dps a lot from some of the top shelf Archers in Game During Tia so not sure how You can say Archer is so weak. Fortunately for me more and more players don't realize the full potential of HR or any of the other Classes either so those that have figured it out do quite well. I will say that running cookie cutter trapper builds does not help any more you have to master your playstyle and spect your toon correctly focused around a few specific goals to be top shelf .Ara
Character: Vendetta
I'd love more diversity, but the game seems to be actively trying to disuade people from it.
Rangers have such a bad reputation for dps and it might be a good thing for flying under the radar. A Ranger has potential to out dps GWF's with ease and even most SW's that have super buffs. All the information is out there, just not in the same guide.
The other two trees just need a major buff. @oldbaldyone statement couldn't be more correct about everyone flocking to the highest dps tree.
Character: Vendetta
Before Sume proved and showed people how to do massive dps with a hunter ranger, people kept complaining on how useless HRs are, and now that he shared his secrets in the open, (i think most) people then followed to try and do more dps, and now people are complaining that there is only 1 viable build, like that build was so obvious from before(?) when there were just a few people who figured this out before the videos even came out, and so this is getting repetitive and once again depressing.
If you are unsatisfied with your HR, and you think you have done everything possible to further improve on it, then i suggest deleting it and make a new one. If you are gonna argue that he is BIS, and you are not, well then get those gears to BIS too and then try to compare your overall output, not now when you are NOT BIS because you are looking down on them when you dare compare your overall output to those who are near BIS and most likely have had played and mastered their toons mechanics for quite some time.
Ara
Crit sev 200-Oh. not a full trapper. nevermind.
and no, sorry to say, but you are not getting everything there is out of a trapper.
Character: Vendetta
Then Constricting is followed by Hindering which does not stop the Thorned Roots from Consticting. Hindering Shot is also refilled pretty quickly if you connect with a Gushing Wound (I very rarely have 0 shots left in my rotations).
For Melee Hindering Strike is my main damage dealer with all the stacks/buffs applied... When it applies Thorned Roots it actually seems to work off the Main Hand and not the Off-Hand which is weird.
I prefer 1 Strong and 1 Weak Root for the Ranged... then 1 Strong Root for the Melee. All buffed by Longstriders if possible etc. I have already posted a number of videos of this rotation soloing all the SH 15 man HE's etc. I`m not at the level of some of you guys though who can solo things like CN (I can solo the last 50% of Orcus HP but have not been able to get through the whole dungeon without dying).
Then I switch to survivability mode for Orcus... I have made a new video yesterday on the X1 for the survivability mode. We finished off Orcus with 2 HR and a GF as the others died http://xboxdvr.com/gamer/wdj40/video/19517216
Survivability mode switches to Fox's > Binding > Hindering. Oak Skin is buffed from the 2 Magistrates Mount bonuses + High Power, HP and Crit. Even in Survivability I have 1 Strong and 1 Weak Root on Ranged and 1 Strong Root on Melee.
Personally I think Archery and Combat need buffs to meet the level of the Trapper. The whole class needs buffing with regards to PvP... I don't even bother with it, it is like I am hitting enemies with a feather and not an arrow.
Alts :
Storm (SW70), Edge (TR70), AD Farm (CW70), Grunt (GF70), Rosa (DC70), AD AD AD (GWF70), Your Mum (OP70)
Member of Q-Snipe
Now for above . I am aware small changes would increase my PVE dps probably as much as 8%. BUt I PVP a lot as well. Thanks for the tips these all prove every one has adapted to a play style that is what works for them and from reading there are several difference encounter mixes that are working. How ever with high crit build and you are not using cordon you are loosing big dps in 1st 5 seconds of dragon flight 3 cordons do 1.6 mil dps nothing else we have does this .
As far as my companions right now they give me extra 25% crit severity and 17% damage the only one that does not is shadow demon but my deflect is over 50% and when I deflect I take no damage period due to shadow demon ability, so better than 1/2 of all incoming damage is negated. this allows me to max every thing else in to dps.
I am a full trapper you can get 189% crit ser with right companions and trans dread. My build and enchants are geared PVP and PVE so I tend to load a little more power over crit but I hit 100% crit rating so I stopped once there and went more power. I prefer seekers to aspect of pack in Dragon Flight it gives me 19% more dps and I can float around back of dragon easily and keep the combat advance as well with out having to be near other players for a constant 8% buff of pack don't underestimate rapid strike its 3 rd shot is a great increase of DPS and weak roots become strong roots with trapper feat.