Mysterious Present -> Princess Doll: Your experiences?

[Nemeon Lion]

I attack enemies, suddenly I'm dead. What part of the screen shaking and flashing should have told me "You are under a spell that drains your health every time you use a skill" ?

Because a condition appeared in your UI. If you're someone who doesn't know what confusion, what it does and how to recognize it I still don't understand how you didn't BOTHER (as you've said multiple times) to read what that icon does.

Once again, we go back to my earlier point. You're specifically looking for the game to tell you everything about everything without you even asking for it when the game was designed to NOT do that. Instead the game tells you the stuff IF you go look for it (all the information is there) and once you understand the basic mechanics provides you with ways to quickly discern and react to those very same mechanics (screen shaking, effects, shouts, etc).

In other words, you want handholding, the game has none.

[Cyberman]

All the times I got hit with confusion, I was dead long before I even knew there was a new icon, because auto-attack was killing me.
When should I have looked at that icon? Should I stop fighting whenever something new happens, to examine the screen and read all the information?

I want the GAME to explain its mechanics to me - that isn't handholding.

[edit]I can only look for information that I know about. If it is something I haven't ever seen before, how can I ask about it?

[Nemeon Lion]

All the times I got hit with confusion, I was dead long before I even knew there was a new icon, because auto-attack was killing me.

Oh c'mon, don't tell me you NEVER encountered confusion outside of the princess dolls? Seriously? Confusion only really poses a threat at large stacks. If it's only 1 (or even 5) stacks there's no way you can't react fast enough for you to notice your hp droping like mad. Unless you're a glass cannon, and even than it will be hard.

Unless your reaction time is somewhere along the lines of "10 seconds later I noticed something" also known as "punch first, ask later".

Of course, all of this outside the fact that you can learn what each confusion/effect/boon is by studying your own skills. Most of the time they inflict these effects which is explained.

[Cyberman]

Oh c'mon, don't tell me you NEVER encountered confusion outside of the princess dolls? Seriously?

At least I don't think so - where would I have encountered them? I'm still mostly in the beginners area, grinding daily achievement for XP.

If it's only 1 (or even 5) stacks there's no way you can't react fast enough for you to notice your hp droping like mad.

Might be - but all I'd notice was my HP dropping and my enemies not dying. So I'd try harder to kill them, as I'd assume that their attacks are killing me, not that I'm losing HP because I'm using skills.

Of course, all of this outside the fact that you can learn what each confusion/effect/boon is by studying your own skills. Most of the time they inflict these effects which is explained.

Does Ranger even have a skill that produces confusion?
I've read the skills/traits/whatever, but I can't say I find the descriptions satisfactory. I'll read through them again.

[Nemeon Lion]

I don't beleive that rangers can apply confusion but engineers, mesmers and warriors (through traits) can.

However, if an enemy applies confusion to you and you use a skill, you can actually see a pop-up dmg besides your in-game model (not in the UI) with a purple cloud. That's confusion.

[shawn]

I'm sensing a trend here. Why is it that people who call others out and insinuate that gw1 is a better game don't know how to play gw2 properly? I think it's come to light that Ora and crew have a skill level which amounts to "I pushed buttons on recharge and die all the time, therefore gw1 is better because I could c+space and not ever die."

[Cyberman]

However, if an enemy applies confusion to you and you use a skill, you can actually see a pop-up dmg besides your in-game model (not in the UI) with a purple cloud. That's confusion.

I'll try to look for that - but I doubt I'll be able to recognize it fast enough, the area around my character too often is a blurr.
Should be better with Ranger than in GW1 with Warrior, though.

--

For the record - I'm about as bad in GW1 as in GW2. I'm more used to the system of GW1 though, so it seems "easier". No doubt it is just as confusing as GW2.

[sorudo]

I'm sensing a trend here. Why is it that people who call others out and insinuate that gw1 is a better game don't know how to play gw2 properly? I think it's come to light that Ora and crew have a skill level which amounts to "I pushed buttons on recharge and die all the time, therefore gw1 is better because I could c+space and not ever die."

then why do you belittle ppl who like GW1 more, is it because it's not in your liking thus it's bad?

[shawn]

You might want to re-read that, as I think something got lost in translation there.
You do know what I've done in gw1, right?

[sorudo]

making fun of ppl who don't like HM and belittle ppl who don't stand in your standards?