[merged] Suggestions about Guild Wars 2 Templates

[Knighthonor.4061]

Suggestion: Rename the Equipment "Template" to Equipment "Closet". Will create less confusion between the terminology of the new Equipment Templates and Build Templates. Despite being two distinctly different mechanics, I seen a few people confuse the two, which is causing more confusion overall. Seem like a simple fix to a small problem.

[Randulf.7614]

Equipment template is fine

[Ashantara.8731]

@Randulf.7614 said:Equipment template is fine

...but misleading. Those are loadouts, not templates.

@"Knighthonor.4061" said:Suggestion: Rename the Equipment "Template" to Equipment "Closet".

Doesn't make sense. If anything could be referred to as "closet", it would be the so-called Equipment Storage.

[Knighthonor.4061]

@Ashantara.8731 said:

@Randulf.7614 said:Equipment template is fine

...but misleading. Those are loadouts, not templates.

@"Knighthonor.4061" said:Suggestion: Rename the Equipment "Template" to Equipment "Closet".

Doesn't make sense. If anything could be referred to as "closet", it would be the so-called Equipment Storage.

dont really care what they call it. But something other than "Templates" would cause a lot less confusion for some players that are confusing the two features despite being totally two different things.

[Zahld.4956]

Making things less confusing is usually always a good thing.

[Mewcifer.5198]

It would remove some of the confusion people have.

[Dalec.9853]

I had a great idea, it would be great to add a gem store item for allowing us to mark a build loadout as auto-swap, maybe 80000 gems each? It's not like the feature existed before this abomination of a patch.

Seriously ArenaNet, please shove this failed awful excuse for an attempt at template where the sun doesn't shine. Not even counting all the bugs with it, it's literally worse than what existed already in-game.

[Knighthonor.4061]

/facepalm..............

this is something they will likely patch in. not that big of a deal.

[Dalec.9853]

@Knighthonor.4061 said:/facepalm..............

this is something they will likely patch in. not that big of a deal.

Patch in and monetize it?

No, how about not releasing something so flawed until it's ready?

[Stephane Lo Presti.7258]

There's been quite a few threads making suggestions to improve Guild Wars 2 Templates. So I'm merging them together here to avoid those discussions cluttering the Guild Wars 2 Discussion subforum.

[Lunateric.3708]

Lemme start by saying this was one of the most expected QoL additions to the game for me and I envisioned at the very least similar functionality to previous admittedly third party solutions.

That isn't the case, there are several grievances with current implementation of build "templates" and I'll list them here:

1. They aren't really templates, any modifications you apply to your current loadout alter the loadout itself, it doesn't save it as a real template, so to speak.
2. Their monetization is too aggressive. I expected them to cost gems but their current prices make them equally worth to a couple years of MMO subscription (see FF and perhaps WoW) assuming I go for them on every class.
3. Their release is currently plagued with bugs, it's particularly obvious on revenant and its utility skills, they get their order changed constantly. There are more egregious one like funky interaction with infusions but those are in some instances borderline exploits. It can actually eat infusions.
4. The base number of gear templates is too low for people that PvX. It's a non issue for people running fewer builds but here I'm talking from my side of the road.

There are probably more things to point out but overall I feel like this release isn't the kind of QoL release we normally get from the company, expected more, could say I personally hold you in a higher regard.

[Koen.1327]

Templates in the pvp build menuDedicated templated fot each game mode (to prevent accidental pve build in pvp for example)

[Donari.5237]

Tweaks that would improve things greatly:

• Give three equipment tabs per character to at least cover all three game modes or make further tab purchases account wide, so when you buy a third slot, all your alts get a third slot. OR, possibly, and I don't know how hard this would be to code, make the tabs transferable between characters so if you want to move to another one as your main, or delete one you're using, you don't lose the cash investment in the specific alt so long as you remember to transfer the slots. (Bonus points: apply this to bag slots as well). Maybe make slot items (like the bag slots you buy in the gem store then consume on the desired alt) a two-way item so it can be converted back into an account bound item to trade to another character? With caveats such as you must empty it out first and pull it back into inventory before conversion.

• Give an option to "lock" a template so you can swap things in and out of it but one-click return to the locked version.

• Bring down the gem costs considerably. You might get whales willing to spend tons on the system, but you're generating a lot of ill-will and lost sales from everyone else (I am a whale by most definitions, I cheerfully buy gems for all sorts of things, but like with the ESO outfit slots, these prices combined with character-binding the purchases means I'm going to buy far fewer slots, if any at all, due to the exorbitant charges).

• Give optional linking between build and gear templates so one click changes everything. If it makes coding easier, I'm fine with this being account-wide as a keybind so Build 1 and Gear 1 always link no matter what a particular alt has in those slots.

• While this part doesn't affect me, I agree with those who swap modes that there should be a means by which they can auto-load a chosen build/gearset based on which mode they are in.

[Gaab.4257]

Maybe revert this feature? Or make it optional?

[hugo.4705]

1.We must have the ability to link an equipment template to a build template, that way, only one key is needed to swap between build of different specialization.

2.When activating a build, it should display the name of the build.

3.The price is too high. If only it was 500 gems to unlock an equipment/build template on all of our characters I wouldn't complain! Still... 500 5 0 0 really? Half of a character slot price for that? It doesn't worth more than 100 each...

4.It feels clunky and nonintuitive see point 1. I press a key to swap build then I don't have the correct weapon.... I press a key to swap weapons then I don't have correct build... pfffff and i'm lost with all those buttons with only numbers on them...

[Yuffi.2430]

There are areas that need improving, and there are plenty of suggestions in the official feedback thread, but basically it comes down to one thing: you (Anet) need to improve your template system so that it is at least equal to the functionality of the ArcDPS version or better than it. You've known about, and accepted, the Arc version for long enough that you already knew what a template system needed to do.

[Blood Red Arachnid.2493]

There needs to be a save and load button for gear and builds.

The way I play the game is I use the raid build, but make minute changes for general use everywhere. What I'd like to do is save the gear and build, then make minute changes for whatever is needed, then when I go to do fractals I can just click the "load" button to change my gear and traits back.

[Game of Bones.8975]

Too late, I think many things people were asking for or were worried about should have been addressed prior to roll-out.

Here are some individual suggestions, not a package deal

• have people buy account-wide "licenses" for characters to keep templates. If they don't buy the "license" they use their old method and don't have access.
• Create a catalog for each player's individual professions (ranger, necro, mesmer, etc) containing all saved builds, no limits for the number of builds that may be stored.
• Instead of Weapon Builds, purchase additional weapon swap slots.
• Look at the cost of what you are providing versus gaining the same thing through alternate means (high cost of new build system vs cost of new character slot).
• I'm also a big fan of account-bound vs character bound items

[Mithos.9023]

Now with the build templates life and a chance to test them I have just one questions: Why were they made the way they are? I really can’t understand why they were made as gear slots or load outs while there would have been a much better system for it. The current iteration is clunky, and it feels like nothing fits together. Gear without the proper weapon and traits is useless and traits and weapon are useless without the right attributes to back it up. So, I can’t understand why it was separated. A build includes everything. Even an arena net employee once stated that you wanted this feature right and include gear, skills, traits and weapons and now its separated? This feels wrong. Not to mention all the other downsides it brings. Changing anything within the gear template is a huge hassle. It is counter-intuitive and bloated and form what I have seen inventory wars will probably continue to prevail.

I still can’t understand why this feature was not done with a wardrobe approach. Everything that is currently criticized could have been avoided or can be solved with a future work over. The basic approach is already in the game. The pvp editor shows how it is done so much better. An editor where you choose what you want, and it temporarily overwrites your equipped gear and traits. No interaction with the inventory no confusing UI, just a plain editor that in contrast to PVP has slots for every gear type (helmet, shoulders, trinkets etc.) where you choose your attribute combinations and runes for every type.

This was my proposal I posted already month ago: A wardrobe is put in place that stores attributes like berserker, vipers etc. for each armor category (the 6 categories for armor and the trinkets). You can unlock the attributes by destroying items with said attributes. Sounds harsh first but it would be troublesome otherwise. As you could select the attribute now for an infinite number of times it should come with the cost of removing the item from the game to balance the market. Otherwise, prices might spiral out of control. But it comes with the huge advantages:

• Unlimited number of applications
• No items need, items removed from your inventory
• We could bind skills/traits together with attributes and get a single system that could also include “gear” in the post able strings
• Also, I believe real templates would be possible. As no item is needed and the wardrobe entry is just code we could completely save and load it. Therefore, temporary changes would not change the original template.

Once the attributes are in the wardrobe, you could use the editor to tailor your build. Select the statts you want, runes and infusions. Then you should be able to save the build and with another button apply it. When you do so just like in the PVP editor your current skills/traits are changed and your attributes change corresponding. The normal armor is not touched in any way. Just for clarifying you would still have your original armor slot as you do now. Gear that is in this placed can be put in your inventory as you always could.With this the only negative point this system has, is if the wardrobe is character based you could no longer switch gear between different alts unless you don’t unlock it and change gear as you do now. The exception would be that the wardrobe would be account bound, but I believe that this might not be the best case as gear would then become devalued too much.Also, this could easily include legendary armor. While I am one of the people who think that the statt select ability would best be forgotten as legendary should be about the skin and not add any additional value at all, I think it could be included. While you equip legendary armor in for example the head slot of your normal armor slot, now all attributes are select able in the editor as long as the helmet is in place.Just to add runes would be handled correspondingly. You unlock them by destroying them, and they are added to the editor. Lastly, I want to speak about weapons. While changing attributes with this system would be easy changing weapons could be a problem. My idea here is that you get a new slot in the hero menu for every weapon type your class can use. Main hand and Off hand. For Ele as example: One staff, dagger main hand and offhand slot, war horn, focus, scepter and sword. Once you gave one weapon in every slot the editor can then access them to form your weapon choices for your builds.

Edit: Deleted last sentence. Now that I had some time it seemed unfair for the devs that probably spend a lot of time and effort to build this system.

[Pifil.5193]

I'm confused, how are posts giving suggestions on how to improve in this thread not feedback? Why aren't they merged into the feedback thread?

[Dante.1763]

One suggestion. Add a separate FREE WVW AND PVP Build slot, that way we can at least have what we had before.

[Kampfbaer.2680]

Dear Arenanet an other point to improve in addition to my already mensioned pointsOn my elementalist in the equipment build its not possible to have different colours in the different templates.Im using an legendary armor and i want on template 1 and 4 different colours but thats not working. Would appriciate if this would work.

You have to improve the legendary experience otherwise people will not anymore spend the money and time to make it.Kind regardsKampfbaer

[starhunter.6015]

They are fine for me, but the gem cost is to high. It is just easier and cheaper to buy a new character slot and call it good.

[Stephane Lo Presti.7258]

@"Pifil.5193" said:I'm confused, how are posts giving suggestions on how to improve in this thread not feedback? Why aren't they merged into the feedback thread?

It's worth explaining my reasoning around Template-related forum threads: we're trying to keep the "official feedback" thread focused on players who expressed what they think after using the feature or its related aspects; this thread is focused on suggestions from players, not their experience. I know (firsthand) that some posts fall in both categories, and there are other threads discussing other aspects of the feature. It's all about trying to balance all of this content so that it ends up in the appropriate bucket, rather than having a chaotic forum environment where everything is mixed.

[PurebladeProductions.4875]

Prior to the addition of build templates, changing game mode would automatically swap you to another build made in that game mode. While those builds were converted to build templates, the auto-swap functionality no longer exists. Since this functionality is no longer present, options on each build template to automatically be swapped to when entering a specified game mode would be great.

Quick UI mockup using existing icons:

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The first example has the terrestrial and aquatic buttons moved down, and a checkbox for each game mode added above those buttons. Checking a game mode's box would cause the build to automatically be loaded when you change to the corresponding game mode, as well as disable the checkbox on other build templates on that character.

The second example has icons for each game mode in the bar of the template's name instead. The icons would be grayed out by default and become highlighted when selected, with the same functionality as the checkboxes—automatically loading the build when changing to one of the highlighted game modes, and disabling them on other build templates on the same character.

Being able to check/highlight multiple game modes would allow one build to be automatically equipped in, for example, both WvW and PvP without using up two templates for the exact same build. Checking/highlighting none of the boxes/icons would naturally also be an option.

The checkboxes/icons would also allow players to see at a glance in which game modes a build would be automatically equipped.

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I don't know how hard it'd be to actually implement, but it'd be great to have this feature return. I just know I'm going to enter WvW with the wrong build at some point and not notice before it's too late...