Character Progression - Merge Elite Specs with Masteries

What kind of advantage would it have to merge these two Systems together, and what exactly has this merge to do with Character Progression, you might ask yourself now, right?

Merging these two Systems would have a great advantage for the game, giving us a better feeling of getting Character Progression for our Core Classes.By mergign these two Systems togethe,r Anet could make it possible for the Core Classes to become able to use the Weapons, Healing and Utility Skills from Elite Specializations as well.thus we will feel like our Core Class has progressed, not only because we have learned only a new Elite Specialization, but also because we HAVE MASTERED that said Elite Specialization, have gone to a Grand Master NPC, which teached us, which put us under hardships and trials to test our wisdom and skills as a said Elite Specialization, so that we can call us truly after all these tests a true Elite of our Class and Master of our Profession...

And as Masters of our Professions, there shouldn#t exist anymore any borders between the Core Class and the Elite Spec, when it comes down to the Basics.The Basics of an Elite Specialization are its Weapon, its Healing and Utility Skills. That are the Basics of each Elite Specialization, while the advanced techniques of an Elite Specialization are it's Traits and its Elite Skill, that should stay unseable only, when you decide to play as said Elite Specialization, cause the Traits and the Elite Skill basically symbolize the Elite Specialization's Gameplay and Style - not only its own unique icon.

People complained ever since the introduction of Elite Specializations, that the weapons they add to the Core Class, are limited to the Specialization only - and personalyl I have to agree with this sentiment of those complaining players - it feels just like a non thpought out concept by ANet to make it not as part of Character progression possible for Core Classes to use these new Weapons as well too, because thats essentially the main reason of what is meant for Character Progression - that your Character grows and learns new things to use and to do, but this shouldnt come together with technical limitations as well, that these new thigns you can do are permanently locked behind mechanics.

So far you get as player the impression in GW2, that our characters basically just learned only the Elite Specializastinos, but we haven't really mastered them. And its a mighty difference, if you just have learned only somethign a while ago, or if you are a true master of something on an Elite Level - and this connection between having learned the Specializations and having mastered them is totally missing in my opinion in GW2We just grind only Hero Points and et voila, we are instantly said Elite Specialization.Do you really call this Character Progression Anet??

I would have expected more from this, back then in the Character progression CDI from you Anet to make out of the idea of Sub Classes, than just this simple minded form of changing our Classes.Yes, i admit, I got surprised by Masteries becoming part of the game, that you kind of split the general idea up into two own systems.. but I think it would be better for the overall game, if just both systems gewt merged together.

What do you guys think about this?Would you like to get to see both systems gettign merged together, when this makes it possible for us to use the Weapons and Skills (except Elite) of the Elite Specializations, after we have truly mastered them first? Because what we have right now, is simply having them learned only.. which is why I can agree with it, that under the state of havign frshly learned only the Specs, shouldn't OCre Classes be able to use the Weapon and Skilsl of E Specs, but if we truly master the Specs as part of the Mastery System, it should be different!

Wanted this since... well since I got my 1st elite class.I would really like to play as a level 1 deadeye or scourge and just level through the game all over again and explore.I think it would be a fun experience.

And no, it's not as fun as going back after unlocking the elite.

I don't like it.

Weapons tied to the elite spec is one thin that makes the elite spec so special. I wouldn't wanna fight an Holosmith with a hammer for example.

Also masteries are exactly the same thing as hero points, the only difference is that mastery leveling is locked behind and experience gate. It would make mastering an elite spec more tedious than it already is. Both when HoT and PoF was released people complained that they had to get HPs to level up the elite spec.

In my opinion what makes elite spec boring to level up is that you waste a full specialisaton slot if you want to use the elite spec before you have leveled it upp quite a bit which makes me rather go with another elite spec or spec and wait until I have mastered the new elite spec before I can use it.So my idea for elit specs, don't lock it behind HP or MP, lock it behind some kind of only experience and let us have all traits unlocked from the start but let us level it up for skills and cosmetics. And to level it up, you have to have the elite spec active.

@"Orpheal.8263" said:What do you guys think about this?

So you're basically asking "What do you guys think about more power creep?"

How about addressing any balance concerns that will arise when you unlink specializations from their traitlines so I can't go around using Full Counter all day in my Berserk mode or making a use for Mercy if my Thief doesn't have malice among other examples?

I like the idea of mastering your class but I think that your suggestion would not be possible and required a lot of rebalancing and stuff.

@Ayumi Spender.1082 said:Wanted this since... well since I got my 1st elite class.I would really like to play as a level 1 deadeye or scourge and just level through the game all over again and explore.I think it would be a fun experience.

And no, it's not as fun as going back after unlocking the elite.

The only thing I don't like about elite specs is that you can't level them while leveling. You level up to 80, slowly unlock your elite spec, and only then do you start playing as you will for the rest of the game. It makes leveling(which used to be my favorite part) seem like a chore rather than a learning ground for your class.

As for mixing elite specs with masteries, I'd prefer they remain separate. I don't see anything to be gained by merging them that can't be gained without merging them. I think allowing elite weapons outside of their spec could be ok, but keep their utility skills for the elite spec. Using elite tools outside of the spec should be a rarity, in my opinion. Allow it without encouraging it.

Going to an npc to train just reminds me of when the game first released and we had to go buy a book at the npc to train, I rather it just stays as it is right now, it works fine.

While i support something like this for Elite weapons, especially because that would open the door for them to add new skills for old weapons (like a "battlemage" ele spec with melee staff skills) at the same time keeping the option for us to use the old skills with that specialization, by equipping or equipping the "weapon specialization" independently of the elite specialization.You'd have to forfeit the weapon specific traits when using a elite weapon on a different elite spec than the one that specializes on that weapon, but the pros might outweigh the cons.

Utilities and heals, on the other hand, very much tied to Elite Spec identity, and it wouldn't really work.I mean, for example, Glyphs on a Core Ranger would be USELESS, since the whole point of Glyphs is having a secondary effect under Celestial Form. Having them work with Beastmode would require a ton of reworking, and whenever they added a new elite without a special form they'd go back to being only half used.

Rage skills would be a bit OP on core warrior because of the insane Adrenaline regeneration. It works on Berzerker because Berzerker mode has its own cooldowns and idiosyncrasies, in Spellbreaker and future elites it could go either way since there's no telling what all that adrenaline would do...I could go on, but i think i've made my point.

I kind of like Ayumi's point about leveling but know there are issues with dependency on hero points. Maybe a boost could be sold that would allow unlocking of all hero points, separate from the level boost, provided the expac's were purchased. That way people could level and map with elites.

@Anchoku.8142 said:I kind of like Ayumi's point about leveling but know there are issues with dependency on hero points. Maybe a boost could be sold that would allow unlocking of all hero points, separate from the level boost, provided the expac's were purchased. That way people could level and map with elites.

Play WvW.

@ReaverKane.7598 said:Play WvW.How many hero points do you get in WvW or PvP toward elite profession use in PvE?

@Anchoku.8142 said:

@ReaverKane.7598 said:Play WvW.How many hero points do you get in WvW or PvP toward elite profession use in PvE?

In WvW? All of the expansion ones...