Elite Specializations and LW Episodes

With the latest advent of information of the Living World Season 4 rolling right into Season 5, it might be safe to say that we have some time ahead before expansion 3. Arenanet made it clear in the 6th anniversary video that they are eager to create and roll out new and exciting content with Living World releases. Rolling out things like the Roller Beetle, (pun intended :D) as well as new ways to experience maps and content stretching across raids, fractals and the open world of Tyria. With that in mind it got me thinking on what other kinds of content we could and would like to see in the near future.

One big one that came to mind was Elite Specializations. Yes it's true that one of the biggest motivators in selling units is the specializations themselves, but what if we stop thinking about them in that way and consider them candidates for LW episodes? One of the biggest complaints with Heart of Thorns was the way Elite Specializations were implemented. They had little to no connection to the lore and world around them, earning them felt slow and tedious which prompted Arenenet to lower the required skills. Some well received improvements were made with Path of Fire and how some representatives of the professions were scattered around the world and talked about who they were and how they got there.

I would like to see this taken a step further and expressed through episodes. Perhaps two or just one Elite introduced in a single episode. Let's say we have a new map that focuses heavily on Asuran and Inquest technology like the Sandswept Isles. Here we are introduced to the Olmakhan and their devotion to nature and magic. What if we were also introduced to a new Elite Specialization that utilized the Olmakhan magics and rituals?

This could work as a way of building excitement for each episode as we as players wonder what could be next, and how the new specialization plays. In terms of balance this could help players ease more readily into the new and shifting meta while also allowing Arenenet to fine tune the latest spec as they also consider the others that they work on in house and behind closed doors as they are released one-by-one.

Of course there are some major issues if things were done in such a way. One such issue being what happens to players that may or may not have purchased the most recent expansion ordoesn't have the latest episode. Does that player get locked out of the Olmakhan ritualist then or do that have to purchase just that episode for just that profession? What about Season 5 for that matter?

Really I just want to bat around the idea of staggered release of Elite Specs and hear what sort of content we want and expect from the seasons and episodes to come. Thoughts?

Elite specs are one of main expanion selling points. Why would they give it for free?

Won't happen because if they release one elite spec then ppl that don't play said class get nothing and let's be honest 9 elite specs are a bit much for one LW episode.

@derd.6413 said:Won't happen because if they release one elite spec then ppl that don't play said class get nothing and let's be honest 9 elite specs are a bit much for one LW episode

Sure it doesn't feel good if an episode comes out and has one or two specs for cores you don't play at all. It can feel like you're getting slighted, but on the other hand it could motivate players to play them.

Also I never suggested that all 9 be released in a single episode. I agree that would be asking far too much. I just suggested 2 at the most.

Theyd either have to release all at once or none at all, the outrage from players would be to great. Forcing players to play a class because ooo it got a new shiny is an awful idea.

@rrusse.7058 said:

@derd.6413 said:Won't happen because if they release one elite spec then ppl that don't play said class get nothing and let's be honest 9 elite specs are a bit much for one LW episode

Ppl won't try new classes because they've more elite specs, most ppl will just complain on forums that anet has abandoned their class or some other hyperbole, leave the game or just not care.

@segman.3560 said:Elite specs are one of main expanion selling points. Why would they give it for free?

I would normally say the same thing, and honestly the elites and story + maps are what motivate me to buy the expansions more than anything else. Still modern gaming convention seems to point towards releasing content in smaller bite size pieces over time. Look at games like Fortnite where the game is supported off of cosmetics and microtransations.

Yes Fortnite and Guild Wars are two totally different games, but I mention it just to consider what might be better for game and the future. Is units sold in bulk at release better or is it better over time? I'm not going to pretend I know the answer, just want to consider other options and ideas.

@rrusse.7058 said:

@segman.3560 said:Elite specs are one of main expanion selling points. Why would they give it for free?

Don't apply F2P logic to B2P games like GW2, please. Anet is making money on both cosmetics and expansions. They believed they can survive without expansions during LW1 and they needed to change their stance. I don't see anything happening recently to justify changing this model. Also, Anet didn't announce any change in game bussiness model, only that LW5 happens directly after LW4. Since we are only a year after last expansion it's very likely they just need more time to make new one and want to fill this gap with another season (to avoid more accusations about content droughts).

Seriously I don't understand all these threads suggesting like something is going to change. I blame WP for this, especially his suggestion Anet may charge for LW5. Ridiculous.

@derd.6413 said:

@rrusse.7058 said:

@derd.6413 said:Won't happen because if they release one elite spec then ppl that don't play said class get nothing and let's be honest 9 elite specs are a bit much for one LW episode

You have a point there. People will complain for sure. We see a ton still even with the current iteration, but do we have to follow along with whatever plan will garner the least amount of complaints? I feel like people will complain either way. So why not weigh the pros and cons of releasing content as it done now, or some other way?

No offense to any Necro mains out there (I play Necro as well) but there is a fairly vocal part of that community that feels they are always dealt a bad hand. Granted I haven't read as much on that forum recently but from what I understand the latest patch has been fairly generous to Necro.

At this point, are we sure Anet still have plans for 3rd expansion?

I like the concept. It would be a matter of figuring out how to monetize it via the Living World stories.
Perhaps the Living World storyline could have decision points. At a certain decision point, one branch continues along the main story, while the other sends a player off to seek their elite specialization, then return to resume the main story. And that alternative branch is only available via the expansion pack.

@"bOTEB.1573" said:At this point, are we sure Anet still have plans for 3rd expansion?

What is your reason to think otherwise?

@Thedenofsin.7340 said:I like the concept. It would be a matter of figuring out how to monetize it via the Living World stories.

Perhaps the Living World storyline could have decision points. At a certain decision point, one branch continues along the main story, while the other sends a player off to seek their elite specialization, then return to resume the main story. And that alternative branch is only available via the expansion pack.

Pursuing an Elite Spec is something I am a big supporter of. A quest or collection of some kind that the player is taken on to achieve the newest spec as oppose to just clicking skills on a wheel.

Arenenet has done much better with PoF but there has to be room for improvement in regards to how we move to the next profession.

@rrusse.7058 said:

@Thedenofsin.7340 said:I like the concept. It would be a matter of figuring out how to monetize it via the Living World stories.

Perhaps the Living World storyline could have decision points. At a certain decision point, one branch continues along the main story, while the other sends a player off to seek their elite specialization, then return to resume the main story. And that alternative branch is only available via the expansion pack.

Another thing i am against when it comes to elite specs: I want to play the expansion with the new elite spec so i can learn it, figure out whats good and whats not. I do not want to unlock it via story first and then play it later after ive already done the vast majority of the story and exploring of the maps, no thank you, again the outrage would be to great. Much like the cost of elite specs was with the initial launch of HoT, though that could be increased now, as the amount of Hero points you can earn is so great i can unlock the next elite spec and a half of another on my SB before running out.

Since there won't be an expansion I suppose S5 is going to be "core" content. I'd like the idea of core elite specs especially since they already said during the interview "LW can do anything an expansion can do" which of course would include adding more e-specs. They don't even need to bring new weapons to the table (this doesn't mean that they shouldn't be focused around existing ones) but instead use it to fix some of the old stuff (like a proper gunslinger e-spec for P/P thief) since many weapon sets (especially those based on dual wielding) tend to have some severe synergy issues / could use a rework.

@segman.3560 said:Elite specs are one of main expanion selling points. Why would they give it for free?It's only free for those who played during the specific time window, everyone else has to buy the episode.

I‘d rather have them introduce an entirely new class with a LW episode. They said anything that comes with an expansion can also come with a new LW episode. Gimme the ritualist already (then again I would want the ritualist to come with the canthan expansion (if that’s gonna happen))

@rrusse.7058 said:

@derd.6413 said:

@rrusse.7058 said:

@derd.6413 said:Won't happen because if they release one elite spec then ppl that don't play said class get nothing and let's be honest 9 elite specs are a bit much for one LW episode

The lashback of your system will outweigh what little benefit it has.

Also what does necro have to do with this?

@Dante.1763 said:

@rrusse.7058 said:

@Thedenofsin.7340 said:I like the concept. It would be a matter of figuring out how to monetize it via the Living World stories.

Perhaps the Living World storyline could have decision points. At a certain decision point, one branch continues along the main story, while the other sends a player off to seek their elite specialization, then return to resume the main story. And that alternative branch is only available via the expansion pack.

Why not have obtaining the elite specialization be one of the first things that you can do in the story line?

I'm all for whatever brings us additional elite specs. Maybe they could be part of the finale for one of the LW seasons? I'd not want to see them trickled out though, adding any kind of (real or perceived) profession imbalance. Whatever method is used to introduce additional e-specs, it needs to be all professions at the same time.

@segman.3560 said:

@"bOTEB.1573" said:At this point, are we sure Anet still have plans for 3rd expansion?

Because we all expected expansion after LS4 - this was the previous pattern. And the need for them to tell us that after LS4 comes LS5 shows that players were expecting expansion. Also, with the mounts skins (and in the future other similar content with skins or housing, or anything that can find its addictive spot in the gemstore etc..), they have stable revenue while keeping the resources cost of development relatively low with 1 episode per 3-4 months. Not that episodes aren't content, they are just not massive content like the expansions - new elite specs, brand new game-changing mechanics like mounts and gliding - all these and more weren't introduced in LW content ever. These are the most exciting things and we haven't seen them in LW releases. Not to mention that the story of an EXP is way more epic than the story in LW.You asked what is the reason to think otherwise? This is it, even if these are just speculations they are still legit concerns.

I hope we don't get new elite specs but get new weapons for core classes instead.We do have throwing spear animations in the game already. With the paragons in istan.I'm thinking we will get a shake up but it wont be elite specs.

@Thedenofsin.7340 said:

@Dante.1763 said:

@rrusse.7058 said:

@Thedenofsin.7340 said:I like the concept. It would be a matter of figuring out how to monetize it via the Living World stories.

Perhaps the Living World storyline could have decision points. At a certain decision point, one branch continues along the main story, while the other sends a player off to seek their elite specialization, then return to resume the main story. And that alternative branch is only available via the expansion pack.

Because if we are going after dragons it makes no sense to go out of the way in the story to learn a new elite spec, that will have no bearing on if the rest of the story continues unless they force it down your throat which would be awful IMO. The way PoF did it is perfect to me, you want to learn about the spec go talk to the lore keeper npc that explains it, i hope they keep it that way.

@Artyport.2084 said:I hope we don't get new elite specs but get new weapons for core classes instead.We do have throwing spear animations in the game already. With the paragons in istan.I'm thinking we will get a shake up but it wont be elite specs.

this i would like to see honestly, if LW added in a new weapon/s to all the classes(either spears on land could also use tridents for mage classes) i would be ecstatic.

@Tails.9372 said:

@segman.3560 said:Elite specs are one of main expanion selling points. Why would they give it for free?It's only free for those who played during the specific time window, everyone else has to buy the episode.

Somehow I feel majority of players will get them for free this way, making it big revenue loss :)

@"bOTEB.1573" said:

@segman.3560 said:

@"bOTEB.1573" said:At this point, are we sure Anet still have plans for 3rd expansion?

What pattern exactly? There is no pattern.

Core > LW1 > LW2 > HoT > nothing > LW3 > PoF > LW4

I was surprised they said there are 2 seasons back to back but timewise it makes all the sense. Unless you expected next expac early 2019, which would be ridiculous. There is no difference in makin LW4+LW5 or making LW4 12 or more episodes if they need time to complete expansion before release.

All the patterns and expectations (based on nothing) are created by players only. All those panic threads "anet leaving expansion" are pathetic.

@segman.3560 said:

@Tails.9372 said:

@segman.3560 said:Elite specs are one of main expanion selling points. Why would they give it for free?It's only free for those who played during the specific time window, everyone else has to buy the episode.