If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a Lightning Orb.

So people have been talking about maybe playing some dodgeball. I did some searching around and have found what I can regarding the game. Playing it will take a little preparation, but nothing terribly demanding.

Builds:

There are several different builds used to play this game, so I'll list a couple possible ones. The important thing is that we choose one of these builds to use and everyone uses it. If people use different builds, it would give an unfair advantage.

First, the simplest of the builds:

[build prof=Me/E fas=12+1+3 air=12][lightning orb][/build]

This is the bare-bones of what is needed to play dodgeball. As a mesmer with 16 fast-casting and 12 air magic, your orb will cast in ~1 second and hit other mesmers for 108 damage. Lightning Orb is a projectile attack and can be dodged by strafing or blocked by pillars and stuff.

However, dodging without a speed buff can be tough, so some builds add a speed buff:

[build prof=Me/E fas=12+1+3 air=12][lightning orb][windborne speed][/build]

With a 33% speed increase, orbs are much easier to dodge, which means matches will last longer and people are more likely to live through at least 1 or 2 shots. :p

Some people add in a res signet, like this:

[build prof=Me/E fas=12+1+3 air=12][lightning orb][windborne speed][resurrection signet][/build]

Basically, it's the equivalent of tagging back in a teammate, but it's dangerous because you stand still for a while.

The more "advanced" builds add in two other enchants:

[build prof=Me/E fas=12+1+3 air=12][lightning orb][windborne speed][elemental attunement][air attunement][resurrection signet][/build]

With both of those enchants up, your spells cost practically nothing, which means you can spend more time playing the game and less time waiting for energy.

Equipment:

To play dodgeball, everyone needs to use the same equipment. Luckily, it's all very easy to get. It's even easier if you make a PvP-Only character and have these runes unlocked.

Your Mesmer headpiece should be +1 Fast Casting and should have a +3 Fast Casting rune on it. All your other armor pieces should have a +3 rune on it as well (of any type, just use the cheapest if you aren't a pvp char). Do not use any armor or health boosting Insignias.

With 5 Superior runes (each with -75 HP), you'll have 105 HP and 60 armor. Against 60 armor, Lightning Orb will hit for 108 damage, killing you in one shot.

For weapons, the easiest option is to use no weapon at all. However, as we play more, we might want to get some upgrades. If we use a weapon, a sword/axe with a 20% enchanting mod and an offhand that give extra energy as well as giving 20% chance of faster recharge and 20% chance of faster casting are ideal. Nothing that provides added armor or health. The reason a sword/axe is used is because a wand or staff could be used to attack people at range, but we don't want that because Lightning Orb is supposed to be the only attack.

Rules:

Rules are pretty simple.

• Form even teams and start a GvG scrimmage. Big, open guild hallls are the best places to do it, but ours is actually not bad either. Tsk Tsk Tsk has a GREAT guild hall for this.
  
• Meet at the center flag stand. This is the "midfield line". Anyone crossing it is disqualified.
  
• Use your orbs to kill the other team.
  
• Use your enchants and strafing to dodge the enemy orbs.
  
• Either the last team standing wins OR the team with -60% DP first loses. (optional victory conditions)
  
• Have fun!

Any questions?

Thanks Jonathan,

Now all we have to do is get people to think seriously about making a PvP character to do this. I will look at pulling a dodgeball game with TSK that way we can have a larger team to throw those orbs!

Lady

Just like any other pvp event we've had so far....sounds like fun. lol..count me in if it happens, but know that I might end up asking tons of questions.

Bump for great justice!

I might do it as well.

Also want to say you can buy superior runes with a PVE character put it in your bank and use them on a PVP character this is a quick way of getting them. Hopefully this info will help more people get the stuff they need to come.

-ternnel

All of the stuff you need can be easily unlocked on a PvP character too.

Assuming you have no skills or runes unlocked, you'd need 7500 Balthazar faction to unlock the 3 spells and Mesmer Rune of Superior Fast Casting (of which you can just use 5). That faction is easily gained by z-farming on two different days. Also, you can unlock several of the elementalist skills simply by making a PvP elementalist character and then deleting it (I think).

-Jonathan

Well apparently I cannot dodge wrenches since I was killed several times!!

But it is indeed super fun!

I hope you all get the skills and let's go do it!

Perhaps the guild can donate a prize to the winning team or something???

Nicolette
(Game Nurse)

Yes this is a lot of fun. We should get anyone who needs the skills and runes together to get them so we can set up a time to play. Although our Guild Hall is a little small for an 8 vs 8 match. The imperial GH works really well for this because of the big open area in the middle.

Definitely interested in this. My old (old, old, old, probably dead by now) guild used to have regular dodgeball matches and it was always fun.

Paravell wrote:Although our Guild Hall is a little small for an 8 vs 8 match. The imperial GH works really well for this because of the big open area in the middle.

The open space available in Druid's Isle is pretty thin. There won't be a lot of room to run around so this might come up as an issue once we get more people involved. The Imperial Isle area is perfect, though (Isn't that what they use for Dragon Arena? Never played it), but I don't think getting a new GH is really an option, so we might have to specify a fighting area. Only spots I can think of off the top of my head are the areas near the Guild Leader, but that's obviously a bad area with all the NPC's there, and getting a midfield line would be pretty difficult, but the space near the flag stand is kind of limited.

Rehwyn wrote:Also, you can unlock several of the elementalist skills simply by making a PvP elementalist character and then deleting it (I think).

They're not unlocked, just sort of "loaned" to you. When you make a PvP Char, you get access to a few skills and an elite from your primary profession, but they're not unlocked. Since we're playing as primary Mesmers, you'll still have to unlock the others. Anyone who's gotten Vekk, though, already has some of the skills unlocked, which are Air Attunement and Lightning Orb. Elemental Attunement can be a hard/easy capture depending on which campaigns you own, if you don't feel like getting the Balth faction for it.

Anyway, I'd love to play this. Would be a fun weekend event. We could get a prize for the Last (Wo)Man Standing or something of that sort to make it more interesting. People with -60 DP stop ressing right?

If opting to go with attunement, air attunement should be just fine. The cost of the spell would be 9 under air attunement with 7 energy regenned in the 5 seconds plus casting time between casts. This is a net loss of only 2 energy leaving you 20+ shots before energy should even become much of an issue.


Pampered

Curatio Animus wrote:...but I don't think getting a new GH is really an option, so we might have to specify a fighting area.

Mooshy has an account with a completely empty guild in it I believe. Last time we talked about this, we considered trying to get it added to the alliance as a 'PvP Scrimmage/Arena' guild. :p

Curatio Animus wrote:They're not unlocked, just sort of "loaned" to you.

Ah, I wasn't sure on that comment, was just a hunch. Thanks for clearing it up.

Curatio Animus wrote:People with -60 DP stop ressing right?

Yup, most games are played until one team cannot res anymore because everyone on it has -60% DP. That way the matches last a little bit longer and everyone has at least 4 deaths before they're out. Note that you can still use a Res Sig on someone with -60% DP, which can make it a strategy to save your sig until someone needs it and keep the team alive.

Pampered One wrote:If opting to go with attunement, air attunement should be just fine.

Air Attunement is fine for the most part, just waiting a few extra seconds between orbs easily makes up the difference. Having both just lets you spam orbs and the speed enchant with no energy problems.

Again, if *anyone* wants to play Dodgeball but lacks the skills or runes, let me know and I'll be glad to help you unlock them on a PvP char.

-Jonathan

EDIT: After testing some a week or two ago, I suggest everyone use this build:

[build prof=Me/E fas=12+1+3 air=12][lightning orb][windborne speed][air attunement][resurrection signet][/build]

All are easy unlocks and make for a fun match.

So when are we gonna try this?

I heard this upcoming Saturday. However, I could be wrong. All I know is that Gunter is desperate for some storage space lol.

This Saturday night Moosh!!!

5pm PST is the hopeful start time! Be there or be square!

Those that participate are up for some super goodies from the guild bank!!!

(And besides, who HASN'T secretly wanted to lob a fireball at Scion, Gunter or ME??? without recrimination. What could be better?? *grin*)

Nicolette
(Game Nurse)

Game Nurse wrote:(And besides, who HASN'T secretly wanted to lob a fireball at Scion, Gunter or ME??? without recrimination. What could be better?? *grin*)

Technically it's Lightning~

For those of you using PvP characters (which I highly suggest you do, since all the runes and stuff are free), here is an equipment template with the correct runes and insignias. You can change the armor style and color after loading it up pretty easily.

Equip Template: PkZFvUGZTmvUGZTIQUGpS6uUGZTcvUGZTA

-Jonathan

Did this ever happen? I would play this if you try it again...if its because not enough people were on...we might pull some TSK people in...since they seem to have only a few playing there.

Lady

I dont think it has happened yet. Why doesnt someone post a date on the calender. *HINT* *HINT* *NUDGE* *NUDGE* Nurse *cough*