A Way to Bring Back Dual Professions for Expac 4?

[LuckyThirteen.4576]

Dual classing was one of the iconic features of GW1, and while there's a lot to like about the current professions, the return of Cantha makes me feel like the devs should take another opportunity to bring back even more of what made the original game great. 

 

The thing is, I think it can be done without actually changing the current specialization system. Here's my idea:

1. Give each core profession a new weapon to use from the existing weapon pool, usable on that profession regardless of elite specialization.
2. Design a new elite specialization for each class, but not for that class to use; instead, you design one elite specialization inspired by the core mechanics of all 9 professions.
3. Make all of these elite specializations, usable by every other profession except for the one inspired by their main profession.

 

So, for example, a Warrior might choose to take the Thief elite specialization, maybe granting access to the steal mechanic, some thief utilities, and a set of traits inspired by the thief. 

Maybe an Elementalist could take the Mesmer elite specialization, and gain a limited ability to make clones. Obviously, the profession mechanics are where things get tricky, and I don't have a concrete solution in every scenario; but then, I'm not a game developer. 

 

I do think 3 normal elite specializations is enough per class right now, and this could be an interesting way to deliver something different on the same note, while still only have to develop 9 new elite specializations.

 

Just a thought.

Edited April 6, 2022 by LuckyThirteen.4576

[Game of Bones.8975]

GW1 was built around dual specialization from the beginning. 

GW2 was build around the ability for each character to play multiple functions. 

 

I think I understand what you envision: An elite spec designed to cross-train to another profession. 

 

I like the idea of characters able to swap elites with other professions (as long as PvP and WvW are excluded).

 

So each time you wanted a new "secondary" you would train for that one specifically.

 

It's not a bad idea...on paper. 

 

[LuckyThirteen.4576]

16 minutes ago, Game of Bones.8975 said:

GW1 was built around dual specialization from the beginning. 

GW2 was build around the ability for each character to play multiple functions. 

 

I think I understand what you envision: An elite spec designed to cross-train to another profession. 

 

I like the idea of characters able to swap elites with other professions (as long as PvP and WvW are excluded).

 

So each time you wanted a new "secondary" you would train for that one specifically.

 

It's not a bad idea...on paper. 

 

 

Yes, that. I was having trouble explaining the idea properly.

[blp.3489]

I think it would be challenging to come up with traits that had synergy with the traits of all the other professions but you might be able to come up with stand-alone traits.

I wonder if it might be possible to create a few universal specializations rather than one for each class.  For lack of imagination, say a healing specialization that any profession could use.  Given the way that the meta has been dominated by a few very versatile elite specializations, e.g. firebrand, based on their ability to share boons, maybe you could come up with one or more boon-oriented specializations that would allow players to play their preferred profession while sharing some of the boons that are now considered "essential" for "serious" play, such as quickness and alacrity.  Just an undeveloped thought.

Going in a slightly different direction I wonder if you could, perhaps through the mastery system, add additional healing, utility, elite skills that would allow you expand your build options, perhaps by offering skills that are currently associated with existing classes, or perhaps altogether new skills, perhaps based on roles.  That would likely be much simpler to implement.

Edited April 6, 2022 by blp.3489
Added skill-based idea.

[kharmin.7683]

Game balance is bad enough as it is now.

[mindcircus.1506]

2 hours ago, LuckyThirteen.4576 said:

Dual classing was one of the iconic features of GW1, and while there's a lot to like about the current professions, the return of Cantha makes me feel like the devs should take another opportunity to bring back even more of what made the original game great. 

 

The thing is, I think it can be done without actually changing the current specialization system. Here's my idea:

1. Give each core profession a new weapon to use from the existing weapon pool, usable on that profession regardless of elite specialization.
2. Design a new elite specialization for each class, but not for that class to use; instead, you design one elite specialization inspired by the core mechanics of all 9 professions.
3. Make all of these elite specializations, usable by every other profession except for the one inspired by their main profession.

 

So, for example, a Warrior might choose to take the Thief elite specialization, maybe granting access to the steal mechanic, some thief utilities, and a set of traits inspired by the thief. 

Maybe an Elementalist could take the Mesmer elite specialization, and gain a limited ability to make clones. Obviously, the profession mechanics are where things get tricky, and I don't have a concrete solution in every scenario; but then, I'm not a game developer. 

 

I do think 3 normal elite specializations is enough per class right now, and this could be an interesting way to deliver something different on the same note, while still only have to develop 9 new elite specializations.

 

Just a thought.

The original game was:
1. A balance nightmare
2.Not as open buildcraft-wise as the proponents of the system would have you believe. The number of truly effective traits/interactions was much smaller than even the sequel.

The Elite spec system is made to offer the same benefits of the Main Class/Subclass system, in that they offer the ability to brand one class' playstyle to another class.
Mechanist is Engi/Ranger
Harbinger is Necro/Engi
Firebrand is Guardian/Ele
ect...
There is still design space for 6 more elite specs per class.

These requests to limit the elite spec system based on some arbitrary armchair developing are always a result of Dunning-Kruger.

[Deihnyx.6318]

2 hours ago, LuckyThirteen.4576 said:

Dual classing was one of the iconic features of GW1, and while there's a lot to like about the current professions, the return of Cantha makes me feel like the devs should take another opportunity to bring back even more of what made the original game great. 

 

The thing is, I think it can be done without actually changing the current specialization system. Here's my idea:

1. Give each core profession a new weapon to use from the existing weapon pool, usable on that profession regardless of elite specialization.
2. Design a new elite specialization for each class, but not for that class to use; instead, you design one elite specialization inspired by the core mechanics of all 9 professions.
3. Make all of these elite specializations, usable by every other profession except for the one inspired by their main profession.

 

So, for example, a Warrior might choose to take the Thief elite specialization, maybe granting access to the steal mechanic, some thief utilities, and a set of traits inspired by the thief. 

Maybe an Elementalist could take the Mesmer elite specialization, and gain a limited ability to make clones. Obviously, the profession mechanics are where things get tricky, and I don't have a concrete solution in every scenario; but then, I'm not a game developer. 

 

I do think 3 normal elite specializations is enough per class right now, and this could be an interesting way to deliver something different on the same note, while still only have to develop 9 new elite specializations.

 

Just a thought.

 

That was one of the things I loved most about GW1, the problem is that it made balancing really complicated, and when we know how much trouble they have balancing GW2 as is...

[Aridon.8362]

I don't want my Guardian to act like a thief, thanks, but hard pass! ;c

[aspirine.6852]

3 hours ago, Aridon.8362 said:

I don't want my Guardian to act like a thief, thanks, but hard pass! ;c

Willbender says Hi...

[Gerrick.7489]

Changing the base professions like that seems like it would be a balancing nightmare. I wish they would do something like SWTOR did and essentially have two professions you can switch between. Basically have your profession pick another profession that you could then toggle between outside of combat.

[Redfeather.6401]

Dual professions in guild wars 1 allowed character progression to be exponentially deeper than other games. In guild wars 1's system, a Monk/Mesmer did not play the same as a Mesmer/Monk despite them having access to all the same skills. So if I had a mesmer character, and I had a monk character, I was motivated to seek out and collect every mesmer skill, and every monk skill on BOTH characters. And that was a whole lot of stuff to hunt down and play with.

But it doesn't necessarily mean that the only place to find such progression depth is in dual character profession systems! There is a layered progression mechanic hiding in there that could appear in other kinds of things!

Never give up hope.

Edited April 11, 2022 by Redfeather.6401

[Aeon.4583]

I will not mind if one character could swap between two professions, not half that and half this, but for example: i created Thief, but then i could swap it to Mesmer.

In this case character will keep it's original Armor Type, but skills weapons etc will of a Mesmer.

It will help not to create another character of same\new profession, but learn 2nd profession instead on existing character. Also Mesmer with skins of Medium armor!

Edited April 11, 2022 by Aeon.4583

[IndigoSundown.5419]

Oddly enough, the topic came up in my guild the other day, in terms of where the next expansion would take us.  A very close friend said something like, "I'd like to see something new, someplace different than the locales from Guild Wars."  I found myself agreeing.

 

I understand the push for nostalgia.  I really do.  However, my friend's sentiment need not stop at locale.  I'd like to see something different in other respects from XPac 4 as well.  I've no idea what that would, or could be.  However, that's what I'd like.

[Eekasqueak.7850]

I wouldn't mind masteries that revamp racial skills and give everyone access to all of them similar to eye of the north. Or just masteries that give faction themed skills to use in general. Though it might be hard to implement them to work with Revenant. 

[Geckoo.6018]

Honestly, it seems like too much effort for very little gain. I'm not against elite specializations getting some inspiration from some other class in terms of mechanics, but directly mixing them comes with a big problem in my opinion: the true gameplay definers are the elite specializations so if you get access to 8 new elite specializations that are essentially some other class abilities and mechanics what you end up loosing is precisely your class identity.

[Ashgar.3024]

On 4/6/2022 at 10:44 AM, Game of Bones.8975 said:

I think I understand what you envision: An elite spec designed to cross-train to another profession. 

 

That's already what Elite Specs do to varying degrees though. Specially EoD ones.