Guild Wars 2's Classes and class difficulty

[BenaSPACE.6028]

Recently I had returned to the game, and I worry that perhaps too much attention is at times payed to making the game easier to play in ways that come at a cost of making class features interesting.

I'll begin with a disclosure: I'm an Engineer main, and I feel like we tend to be the most disgruntled with our class; so when I speak it may be from a place of bias.

 

When I first began playing Guild Wars 2, it was in its infancy during some of the betas. During these times, classes were a lot wilder, I think, and I feel like the devs were a lot more willing to be a lot more blue-sky (as in, taking even crazy ideas and implementing them) with how abilities worked. Warrior banners were things you could pick up and use as environment weapons, as an example, versus now where interacting with them simply just lowers the cooldown. Both ideas have merit, in my eyes, but I'm sure there's more than a few warriors out there nostalgic for the way banners used to work. I'm not that experienced in all of the classes, of course, but I'm sure there's a few more things like this that each class has.

 

At the same time, however, an approachable game is just a good idea. Simplifying mechanics is an easy way to make the game new player friendly, and new players is just a fundamental need for any multiplayer game; especially MMOs like GW2. I'm not against the idea of having homogeneous playstyles starting out to get players' feet wet, but after a while, if everything feels the same, it just gets... Well... Dull.

 

I honestly think the best solution is to, after some time of playing the game (perhaps by unlocking masteries for classes), players be given a few more options on how to customize how they play. Take a few of these crazy ideas and throw them out there for players to experiment and make fresh what was once overly understood. Maybe even add in weapon slot skills via this system (IE, trading in certain slots of the weapon skills for similar, but reflavored versions). Likewise, this could be a nice way of using those excess hero points that players accrue but don't use that much over time. Aside from elite specializations coming out, they don't see use otherwise.

[Mungo Zen.9364]

19 minutes ago, BenaSPACE.6028 said:

I'll begin with a disclosure: I'm an Engineer main, and I feel like we tend to be the most disgruntled with our class; so when I speak it may be from a place of bias.

hahahaha go check out the Mesmer forums, or perhaps the Elementalists.....or anything that isn't Necros or Guardians really.  

On topic though, this is partially (mostly?) the function of eSpecs; providing different ways for the professions to be used.  One could argue that 3-4 years between eSpecs is a long wait, and I would agree, but eSpecs are the already baked in way of changing the way different professions play.

If you haven't yet, do check out the EoD eSpecs and the new mechanics or twists on old mechanics they offer.  and if you stay Engineer, enjoy Mechanist, it looks to be fun!

[BenaSPACE.6028]

1 minute ago, Mungo Zen.9364 said:

hahahaha go check out the Mesmer forums, or perhaps the Elementalists.....or anything that isn't Necros or Guardians really.  

On topic though, this is partially (mostly?) the function of eSpecs; providing different ways for the professions to be used.  One could argue that 3-4 years between eSpecs is a long wait, and I would agree, but eSpecs are the already baked in way of changing the way different professions play.

If you haven't yet, do check out the EoD eSpecs and the new mechanics or twists on old mechanics they offer.  and if you stay Engineer, enjoy Mechanist, it looks to be fun!

 

While I adore the Elite Specializations, it's more about what's in the game already that I want to see be more customizable. Elite specializations in my mind take the core mechanics of the classes and flips them to a new perspective. Very cool, but doesn't change what banners do for warriors or how Thief guild dudes work for Thieves (a class that I forget is in the game sometimes, haha).

[Mungo Zen.9364]

Just now, BenaSPACE.6028 said:

 

While I adore the Elite Specializations, it's more about what's in the game already that I want to see be more customizable. Elite specializations in my mind take the core mechanics of the classes and flips them to a new perspective. Very cool, but doesn't change what banners do for warriors or how Thief guild dudes work for Thieves (a class that I forget is in the game sometimes, haha).

I think, at least for my understanding of what you are asking, you should provide more clarity in a general sense. 

You mention warrior banners but, that was a change 3 years ago, and a single mechanic change in a game with thousands of mechanics.  If you wanted that specific change reverted, okay, but it sounds like you want something broader and affecting many professions.

[BenaSPACE.6028]

1 minute ago, Mungo Zen.9364 said:

I think, at least for my understanding of what you are asking, you should provide more clarity in a general sense. 

You mention warrior banners but, that was a change 3 years ago, and a single mechanic change in a game with thousands of mechanics.  If you wanted that specific change reverted, okay, but it sounds like you want something broader and affecting many professions.

I do, honestly. Engineer, is, as always, my first love in terms of professions and always where I start when I have ah... Complaints with the game. Turrets are braindead and kinda dull, I feel for example. A similar change where they only overcharge when dropped hit them and I feel like they're ruined forever now-- If you drop them it's to get the boon they throw, the shield they have, and then blow them up. They're like... Bomb kits with extra steps now. Gyros are weird and honestly, I kinda wanna say they should have basically copy-pasted minionmancer for them; but I can understand not wanting them to be the same thing. The well things they do now, I'm not terribly against, but it doesn't feel that flavorful anymore.

[Xenesis.6389]

On 2/10/2022 at 8:01 PM, BenaSPACE.6028 said:

Gyros are weird and honestly, I kinda wanna say they should have basically copy-pasted minionmancer for them; but I can understand not wanting them to be the same thing. The well things they do now, I'm not terribly against, but it doesn't feel that flavorful anymore.

Eh? scrappers got like the best rework on their gyros which turned them into pbaoe wells and provide a good source of group superspeed and quickness, one of the top meta classes for wvw with all the tools they have. In no way it should have been copy pasted minionmancer. If you really want a pet on the engineer well Mechanist coming at the end of the month.

 

Turrets are indeed pretty terrible.

 

Also another weapon slot idea was recently discussed..