in future if new expansion will come, what option you prefer more of that 2 options?

[Brandon Uzumaki.1524]

I think they should/could just add new weapons to the classes, but, since there's no elite spec atached, that weapon would be available to core and all previous elite specs.
This could create a lot of interesting builds, would probably create a lot of problems as well, but hey, that's what's balancing is for hehe.

One problem that comes to mind is, how they would go about implementing that weapon, is it locked to expansion owners? or available for everyone? Because since you are going to use that weapon on core and other specs, being locked to the new expansion would be weird, on the other hand, just enabling the weapon for everyone reglardles of expansion or not could lead to some people not buying it, since new elites and weapons is the only thing some people want from expansions.

[Valfar.3761]

I am attached to my Ranger main so selfishly I'd wish for new elite specs, as it would give me more playstyle and aesthetic options without having to reroll and build up a new character from scratch.

 

For the well being of the game, a new class could appeal to new players as they might find something they like that GW2's existing classes didn't offer before.

[Westenev.5289]

1 hour ago, Fueki.4753 said:

All nine professions we have now have three elite specializations each, so new professions would need them as well to stand on equal footing (at least concerning the number of available tools).

 

3 x 0 is still zero, as you well know. Creating empty specs for the sakes of creating specs is just pointless (although if Dev's have ideas, that would be another thing). So long as a new class has innovative gameplay that wouldn't make sense on any other class (IE. Dervish - or a concept like Bladesworn), I think it could get away with having less e-specs.

[kharmin.7683]

38 minutes ago, Valfar.3761 said:

 

 

For the well being of the game, a new class could appeal to new players as they might find something they like that GW2's existing classes didn't offer before.

Wouldn't elite specs do that for new players already?

[Valfar.3761]

3 minutes ago, kharmin.7683 said:

Wouldn't elite specs do that for new players already?

 

Elite specs have the barrier to entry that you have to have a level 80 class that has unlocked all core abilities, and you have to have ventured into an expansion and obtained most of its hero points. A veteran player has tomes and level skips and knows how to breeze through this but a new player doesn't have that. By that point you are dozens of hours into GW2, and you run into the problem where you might have to put up with a class fantasy or playstyle you do not enjoy, hoping to reach the elite spec and then hoping that you actually like it. A new class is a fantasy that a new player can experience right off the bat as soon as they finish character creation and find out whether or not they actually like it right away.

Edited October 30, 2022 by Valfar.3761

[Omega.6801]

This game does elites, not classes. It's just the way it is and there's no need to change what kinda works only to be more like the other games or the games OP knows/plays. Elites are fine. GW2 doesn't need new professions.

[Elricht Kaltwind.8796]

I don't really think there's any archetype they could introduce to the game that wouldn't neatly fit into an elite spec for one of the established professions. Elite specs are better and more fun than new classes because after all you still have access to all of the non-elite aspects of each class; a class that grows and grows in ability and offers more and more diversity in playstyle with each expansion is way better than a new class. When the novelty of a new class wears off, you play something else. When the novelty of a new elite spec wears off, you can simply change your build.

[Fueki.4753]

9 hours ago, Westenev.5289 said:

 

3 x 0 is still zero, as you well know. Creating empty specs for the sakes of creating specs is just pointless.

The same goes for professions.

I can't see any theme for a profession that can't be used as an elite specialization. What kind of professions do you envision?

Bard? That could be a Mesmer specialization.

Pirate? That could be put on Thief.

GW1's Monk? That's already sufficiently covered. And the God for two of its three Prayer Attributes has been murdered.

GW1's Paragon? That's basically a ranged support Warrior.

GW1's Dervish? That could be a Varesh Ossa specialization for Revenant, or an Earth and Air focused Elementalist.

Dragoon? Vindicator basically already is that.

Fist Fighter? This idea already is spread among multiple specializations.

8 hours ago, Valfar.3761 said:

Elite specs have the barrier to entry that you have to have a level 80 class that has unlocked all core abilities.

If someone considers leveling up and learning the basics as a barrier to entry, maybe RPGs aren't the right type of game for that person. That aside, Leveling up and unlocking core things doesn't take too long, especially with the exp vomit from the new'ish achievements.

 

Edited October 31, 2022 by Fueki.4753

[Cronospere.8143]

On 10/29/2022 at 2:33 PM, erapago.4387 said:

None of the above.

Exactly... 

I want something new instead of shuffeling away elite specs i like. And we already have almost every type of play, what new profession would add something very new? Only thing i can imagine is the good old monk. 

 

Jade bots, although very very small, added a new way to improve your character without the need for a higher armor type or new elite spec. Masteries did the same. 

Add something like that. 

 

[Nash.2681]

On 10/29/2022 at 2:44 PM, Farohna.6247 said:

You need a third option...neither of these.  I'd prefer they create a beautiful, immersive open world with new maps, an interesting and engaging story, add instanced content for those who like it, and work on WvW and PvP.  Content, in other words.  

So much this. If there's anything to be learned from Guild Wars 1, than that artificially bloated amount of classes, skills and traits lead to a balancing nightmare. GW2 is already incredibly hard to balance, no need to make things even worse.

[Mythego.8679]

From the choices given i would say new elite specs, maybe with the option that the spec changes the armor.
I dont think they would add 3 new base classes with all the linked elite specs in one step.

 

But above that i would prefer that they extend the existing specs some more.
- Let the Specs chose between more elite and normal skills that are made for them.
- Give the base class some unique skills that they loose when changing to a spec.
- Add some new weapons

[kharmin.7683]

1 hour ago, Mythego.8679 said:

 

 

But above that i would prefer that they extend the existing specs some more.
- Let the Specs chose between more elite and normal skills that are made for them.
- Give the base class some unique skills that they loose when changing to a spec.
- Add some new weapons

Balance is already a nightmare and you want to add this?

[Cronospere.8143]

33 minutes ago, kharmin.7683 said:

Balance is already a nightmare and you want to add this?

Whatever they add. It will and shall always be a growing nightmare...

[TheLadyOfTheRings.9148]

New elite specs. New classes mean I can't add anything new to my main. 

[Bladestrom.6425]

8 hours ago, Nash.2681 said:

So much this. If there's anything to be learned from Guild Wars 1, than that artificially bloated amount of classes, skills and traits lead to a balancing nightmare. GW2 is already incredibly hard to balance, no need to make things even worse.

 

good point, 5 big zones and ESO/Wildstar quality personal housing and more time to balance existing specs.  I would pay for that for sure.

[Gehenna.3625]

10 hours ago, Nash.2681 said:

So much this. If there's anything to be learned from Guild Wars 1, than that artificially bloated amount of classes, skills and traits lead to a balancing nightmare. GW2 is already incredibly hard to balance, no need to make things even worse.

To be fair, GW1 had the added issue of dual classes, which made things that much harder to balance. The dual class system was a nightmare from the start and that's why they didn't do it in GW2. 

Although, when I think about it, elite specs are the dual specs of GW2 as it turns out. I think that the worst thing they can do is bring out more elite specs. I mean, how much more inventive can they be within the same classes? The issue with new elite specs is that they do have to take the core classes into account and follow that pattern to at least a certain extent. 

That's why I think that if we do have to choose between the two that new classes are the better choice, because at least it gives the devs the freedom to start from scratch and think up something entirely new. Though 3 new classes would be a bit much. I would say one new class, so that quality can be maintained. It means that there will be fewer new skills than 9 elite classes as well, which frees up resources also to focus on something else.

More elite specs just makes things that much harder to balance because it's more complex than adding new classes, because you have to work within the framework of the core classes and I think that with some elite specs Anet already proved that they reached the end of their creativity...just like with the mounts. Whatever they do, it has to be something entirely new or nothing at all...imo.

[Westenev.5289]

14 hours ago, Fueki.4753 said:

The same goes for professions.

I can't see any theme for a profession that can't be used as an elite specialization. What kind of professions do you envision?

Bard? That could be a Mesmer specialization.

Pirate? That could be put on Thief.

GW1's Monk? That's already sufficiently covered. And the God for two of its three Prayer Attributes has been murdered.

GW1's Paragon? That's basically a ranged support Warrior.

GW1's Dervish? That could be a Varesh Ossa specialization for Revenant, or an Earth and Air focused Elementalist.

Dragoon? Vindicator basically already is that.

Fist Fighter? This idea already is spread among multiple specializations.

 

 

You're listing concepts and themes, not mechanically different profession mechanics. While the 9 professions do have different flavors of gameplay, and Elite Specs generally add a new play to enhance or circumvent that mechanic, you can't say this is the ONLY formula the dev's could incorporate into GW2.

Edited October 31, 2022 by Westenev.5289

[Asum.4960]

On 10/29/2022 at 2:44 PM, Farohna.6247 said:

You need a third option...neither of these.  I'd prefer they create a beautiful, immersive open world with new maps, an interesting and engaging story, add instanced content for those who like it, and work on WvW and PvP.  Content, in other words.  

On 10/29/2022 at 3:27 PM, Farohna.6247 said:

Absolutely, which is my reasoning.  Spend full time devoted to that, not just to designing new specs/professions and leaving the rest as an unfinished afterthought.

I'd argue if anything the Elite specs were a mostly unfinished afterthought with EoD especially (personally I find their design and theme overall fairly lacking). We still don't even have a set of Elite Spec Runes for them.

 

I'd also argue an increase in player tools diversity, such as Elite Specialisations (or reworks and -balance of underused existing tools), is the biggest value proposition - as they freshen up not only all of the new content to be experienced, but also everything that came before. 

Unless I'm playing on that new map, or am in the process of playing through that new Story (once or twice), it provides zero value to me. A new, fun, well themed and mechanically interesting Elite Spec I can bring everywhere, generating value for years to come. 

 

But besides that, the team making Elite Specialisations hardly are the story writers, voice actors and environment designers, etc., so no elite specs = more story and maps isn't really how video game development works anyway.

[Infusion.7149]

Even the specializations we have now are not balanced properly. Does Arenanet really want to add to that burden?

[Ausar.9542]

I would like a Shape Shifter class

[Fueki.4753]

8 hours ago, Westenev.5289 said:

You're listing concepts and themes, not mechanically different profession mechanics.

The theme that defines what the new profession is obviously comes first.

One can't start designing a new profession without knowing what it is.

Edited November 1, 2022 by Fueki.4753

[Westenev.5289]

52 minutes ago, Fueki.4753 said:

The theme that defines what the new profession is obviously comes first.

One can't start designing a new profession without knowing what it is.

 

I disagree. Themes are great for initially hooking people, but if the gameplay isn't there, it doesn't matter how cool you think your gs groundpound is if another class can do your job better and easier.

 

[Fueki.4753]

31 minutes ago, Westenev.5289 said:

I disagree. Themes are great for initially hooking people, but if the gameplay isn't there, it doesn't matter how cool you think your gs groundpound is if another class can do your job better and easier.

So you just want new mechanics to play around with? Do you have any specific idea? And do you have a reason why it can't simply be put on an elite specialization, replacing core profession mechanics (like the goo robot does with Engineer's Toolbelt)?

Edited November 1, 2022 by Fueki.4753

[CrashTestAuto.9108]

4 hours ago, Westenev.5289 said:

 

I disagree. Themes are great for initially hooking people, but if the gameplay isn't there, it doesn't matter how cool you think your gs groundpound is if another class can do your job better and easier.

 

I agree with the broad message of this, but I think there's a limit, and for me personally EoD really missed the mark on theming to the point that I just do not care about most of the elites, even if mechanically they're effective.

 

The hammers for Ranger and Ele were good examples for theming really killing a specialisation for me.  It's great that there's now that option for players who want it, but I just have no interest in playing a light/medium class with a massive fantasy warhammer, and therefore I'm not going to spend much time on those specs because they're just not something I'd enjoy regardless of mechanical utility.  It was especially disappointing because hammer is so core to the Catalyst as well, so you can't just take the spec and play another weapon easily.

[Gibson.4036]

7 hours ago, Fueki.4753 said:

The theme that defines what the new profession is obviously comes first.

One can't start designing a new profession without knowing what it is.

They seem to have tried with Virtuoso.

Theme: Music based mesmer

Mechanic: Phantasmal blades instead of phantasms.

???????