Some good things couple bad things

[LessonOne]

Hello, I've been lurking on the forums since release, as I've been excited for this game for a long time. I've played and competed in most MMOs and older games(I'm 28 now) since I've been 12. Having reached top levels(glad in WoW, top in GunZ, good in most fighting games in my region, top 100 s1 gw2) I have to say the PvP in this game is a step in the right direction. I've noticed a lot of complaints about CC, damage, and class balance, but I disagree. This game plays very similarly to fighting games in which you need good neutral play, and if you get punished by whiffing or wasting a move, you eat a combo. Now watching an opponent execute a combo on you isn't the funnest aspect, but you at least have options while they're hitting you. Every time I've lost a 1v1 in this game, I know it's because I didn't play it optimally, or I was outplayed. It's never because of class imbalance. 

Now, there are two things I think can be improved: 

1. Translations: I feel I would have a much easier time learning and mastering my class if I knew exactly what my abilities did. The translation for skills is very poor, and I have to scour the internet and do lots of studying from outside sources(which is nothing terribly new for mmo pvp) just to understand what basic abilities my class has does(flame/frost orbs for FM for instance). When you're grappled, you have your 1 and 2 ability which either stand you back up or break a grapple and stun, but there's no instance in the game in which you're given a demonstration or told what and how to use them. You have to watch streams or find information elsewhere. It can be very disappointing and stressful for people who aren't familiar with looking elsewhere for PvP information and can itself be a barrier to having lasting pvp participation. 

2. Actual RNG: I'm not talking about from familiar sources such as crit. I'm talking about dodge and resists. I play FM, and sometimes getting a 30sec cd dodged or resisted purely on passive stats and not on an opponent's reaction can decide a match. In a game where outplaying your opponent is rewarded by life leads, this sort of RNG is counter intuitive, because you are outplaying yourself against some dice rolls behind Oz's hidden curtain. While I understand sometimes having divine intervention in making a comeback can be spectator friendly, I feel at the highest level of play, if I'm watching two top players play one another, and I see a glacial beam get "dodged" passively, I'm going to change the channel. 

That's all I have to say. Overall, I'm enjoying the PvP, and I'm looking forward to patches and content. I hope it doesn't take as long to patch PvP as Gw2 does, but those are my only two big complaints right now. 

[Naab]

3 hours ago, LessonOne said:

2. Actual RNG: I'm not talking about from familiar sources such as crit. I'm talking about dodge and resists. I play FM, and sometimes getting a 30sec cd dodged or resisted purely on passive stats and not on an opponent's reaction can decide a match. In a game where outplaying your opponent is rewarded by life leads, this sort of RNG is counter intuitive, because you are outplaying yourself against some dice rolls behind Oz's hidden curtain. While I understand sometimes having divine intervention in making a comeback can be spectator friendly, I feel at the highest level of play, if I'm watching two top players play one another, and I see a glacial beam get "dodged" passively, I'm going to change the channel.

 

This might be also caused by some skills, specced certain way. Assassin, for example, will usually put 3 points in their Shadow Step, which states:

 

"Increases Evade Chance by 99% for 1 attack on failing to enter stealth"

"Increases Evade by 10% for 8 sec on failing to enter stealth"

 

Pretty sure there are other skills like that.

[Kutsuu]

Passive evasion and block are 0% in Arena PVP. They do not count. If you get an ability evaded or resisted, it was due to an ability that they used to do so.