Anyone else hate having the need for infinity equipment/build slots?

[Holgarf.6581]

I have quite a number of build slots for my main but because of the number of specs, game modes, builds, equipment, etc, it seems I am constantly having to pick and choose what to swap out with my paid slots or what to throw in the bank (along with a stack of equipment).

I can't go back to Core classes or if I want to play DH without first having to buy even more slots, I always have to obliterate one of my PVE/Raid/WvW builds just to keep things fresh, instead of having to make a new class entirely or having to stick with Fireband and WB when playing Guardian.

I really wish each dedicated game mode had it's own equipment slots, like PvP has, so that PvP setups were free of other mode clutter. Anyone else feel the same, or do you just like buying 8 slots per character?

[Keymaster.7362]

No, I don't have this Problem at all.

But I am a person that has 27 Charakters, 3 per class. So i can easily split all elite specs and their builds between them up.

Sine the build slots and the equipment slots cost 300 and 400 gems, and per 800 gem character slot you get both of them twice, in most cases this is the cheapier way.

Edited July 24, 2023 by Keymaster.7362

[Danikat.8537]

I usually don't switch their equipment. I have 1-2 sets per character and make it work for whatever I'm doing. If I plan to use them for something where it really matters I'll pick stats for that (for example both my elementalists are set up for WvW and my ranger for raids/Fractals) but I like to choose which character I'm going to use along with choosing the activity so they all need to be fairly flexible (and they all do the story).

I think the most builds I have for one profession is 5 or 6 for ranger. Sometimes I'll swap a skill or a trait around because I know something I normally use will be useless and/or something else is better but I'm not going to use a build slot for it unless there's a lot of changes, if it's just 1-2 things I'll change it then change it back afterwards.

I do have some fairly specialist builds, like one just for farming the Labyrinth at Halloween, but if I don't use them often I keep them as chat codes in a spreadsheet.

[Parasite.5389]

no

[Shadowmoon.7986]

Before anet killed 3rd party template's, i had a friend who min maxed every encounter in fractals and raids. Mainly it was for his weapons, using night and slayer sigils for individual fractal. He ultimately left for ff14 because anet killed this play style for him because he told me he had 50 presets that we switched between on the fly.

[Holgarf.6581]

On 7/24/2023 at 10:14 PM, Keymaster.7362 said:

No, I don't have this Problem at all.

But I am a person that has 27 Charakters, 3 per class. So i can easily split all elite specs and their builds between them up.

Sine the build slots and the equipment slots cost 300 and 400 gems, and per 800 gem character slot you get both of them twice, in most cases this is the cheapier way.

I'm not one who likes to have an infinite number of characters (at great cost) to combat a design issue that is centred around encouraging more sales. The fact that there is so many modes each of which require their own build, aside from wanting to play different specs of a particular class is kinda annoying and it is obvious why it was done this way. I know you can restrict yourself by omitting playing certain game modes entirely or skipping entire specs or playing entirely different classes, but that just ruins the experience. Most people are going say "aww... I'm limited. Oh no. What do I do? Here you go Anet" *sprinkles money* and the problem is gone, but to me that just seems like a kitten take given how much time and money I've spent on the game over the years (and I'm far from being a W word).  Also, playing another new character wouldn't feel right to me, just to get 2 slots? In my mind that's a wasted character slot for just keeping things fresh, only to be discarded later, so overall it's a waste of time. I'd then not be playing my main, which is weird I know but in my mind the spec I'd be playing should be playable under my own current class if slots weren't designed to gouge you. I have about 5 characters I think, all of them different races and classes. They need to have purpose and relevance in order to exist, not be used merely as utility to circumvent excessive nickel n' dimin'.

We have these lovely equipment/build slots... and sometimes it's just nice to right click and swap from Firebrand to LB DH and just pew pew kitten, then later, or on a different map, swap back to FB or even give the ol' core Guardian a spin. Only, now you can't go to Guardian or WB because some of those slots are reserved for Raids/Fractals/WvW. Shame. Out of principle I've already stopped supporting Anet outside of major expansions or significant expansion discounts, so I'll guess I'll have to omit playing certain modes to save on equipment slot space.

I really ought to go to GW1. The golden era.

Thanks for your replies.

[Doggie.3184]

I'd have more if I didn't have to waste some equipment templates on a copy of a build but with Agony infusions instead of WvW ones.

Wish there was a way to slot them all at once like you can runes/stats in leggy armor.

[Holgarf.6581]

3 minutes ago, Doggie.3184 said:

I'd have more if I didn't have to waste some equipment templates on a copy of a build but with Agony infusions instead of WvW ones.

Wish there was a way to slot them all at once like you can runes/stats in leggy armor.

Oh god, yeah there's that too.

I really must get back into WvW and continue my slow trudge towards Legendary armour (I'll never have the trinkets), but sadly that won't alleviate equipment/buid slot issues. HotFuzzShame.gif.

[Khisanth.2948]

Different guild buffs for PvP/WvW/PvE means I was never going to use one character for all anyway. Also got a fishing character. Of course I would prefer to have unlimited everything for free but that is never going to happen.

[robertthebard.8150]

We have equipment/build slots?  😛  I think I have the default that comes with a character, and I haven't felt the need for even an extra one, let alone "infinity".

[Holgarf.6581]

On 7/27/2023 at 12:52 AM, robertthebard.8150 said:

We have equipment/build slots?  😛  I think I have the default that comes with a character, and I haven't felt the need for even an extra one, let alone "infinity".

Good for you, then this post is irrelevant and you needn't be here.

Glad to see you're satisfied with the same paint-drying limited rotations on a select few specs / classes. If I only I had the same multi-year patience, I wouldn't be posting now.

[robertthebard.8150]

26 minutes ago, Holgarf.6581 said:

Good for you, then this post is irrelevant and you needn't be here.

Glad to see you're satisfied with the same paint-drying limited rotations on a select few specs / classes. If I only I had the same multi-year patience, I wouldn't be posting now.

What, you mean this is a serious thread?  I read the title, and the opening post, figured it was a joke, and added my own.  🤷‍♂️

[Ashen.2907]

I may not agree with the two exaggerations in the title, and would rather see something like this monetized than other options, but would at least have liked to see additional slots be account bound.

[Hashberry.4510]

OP there is no game left for you here, geez.

[Holgarf.6581]

5 minutes ago, Ashen.2907 said:

I may not agree with the two exaggerations in the title, and would rather see something like this monetized than other options, but would at least have liked to see additional slots be account bound.

One collective exaggeration, not two, and blindingly obvious exaggerations are never meant to be taken seriously, but still illustrates my point. It also conveys excessiveness beyond what is acceptable.

I think, since GW2/Anet (along with almost every other business) is all about monetising as much as possible while being careful not to cross a line where too many folks start getting irritated, that monetising the slots so that you get one for each game mode for 800 gems would have been a better idea? Or individualised ones? Maybe in future we'll see WvW build slots being separate? Who knows?

[Ashen.2907]

11 minutes ago, Holgarf.6581 said:

One collective exaggeration, not two, and blindingly obvious exaggerations are never meant to be taken seriously, but still illustrates my point. It also conveys excessiveness beyond what is acceptable.

I think, since GW2/Anet (along with almost every other business) is all about monetising as much as possible while being careful not to cross a line where too many folks start getting irritated, that monetising the slots so that you get one for each game mode for 800 gems would have been a better idea? Or individualised ones? Maybe in future we'll see WvW build slots being separate? Who knows?

Ahh, I saw expressing a desire as a need and the reference to infinite slots as two distinct exaggeration. Obviously not to be taken seriously.

I guess that getting a slot for each game mode on one character would work better for some, but I would still prefer getting a slot for each of my characters for those same gems. 

[Holgarf.6581]

26 minutes ago, Hashberry.4510 said:

OP there is no game left for you here, geez.

Thanks sunshine.

If Anet refund half of the money I've invested in GW2, adjusted for inflation, I'll delete my account tomorrow. 🙂 Same goes for GW1. I'm not a yes-man you see, I won't sing to Anet's tune when the entirety of their game design comes at the cost of whether or not you're willing to open your wallet or to be hammered with excessive, heavy inconveniences every step of the way. Now at first, in the early years it was understandable, but as time has gone on it has become more excessive, and some features seem to have been delayed or unthought of (build slots, available in GW1), including capes, until very very late into the game's life.

Considering one of my biggest complaints over the decade has been the sheer neglect of everything technical, and the bare minimum has been done to improve it, I feel that, despite being in a viper's pit owned by Anet (aka the snake charmer), that my opinions are valid and can be shared, even if people can't differentiate themselves from their own bias in a discussion.

See here, I enjoy the game, but not all of it. Does that mean I'm a diehard fan of Anet and I'll fight anyone over the interwebs because they're not agreeing with me? Nope. I'll criticise anything I invest in, financially or otherwise, if it has been A) manipulated in a way to cash-grab beyond what is reasonable and B) the product is not getting the technical improvements it has had a huge number of years to have received in the face of its profit. It doesn't hurt my ego or plant any sort of fear in my mind that people won't like me if I share perfectly reasonable and valid opinions. I'm not here to sway anybody to my way of thinking, discourage sales or create further discord. I'm just trying to see if there were any others out there who thought along the same lines as I, but... being where we are, it's not surprising that if you're not playing the game you'll be here defending it. That said, this isn't supposed to be about arguments, so one-linners used to bait aren't welcome. Opinions are one thing, baiting is another. To make it obvious to you why I am here in the first place is because I have enjoyed the game, despite the rides and neglect. Still doesn't mean I'm happy with that neglect and as a result you will from time to time see me in other posts, not singing other people's tune, not for the sake of being different or disagreeable, but because often times I can pick out what isn't quite right without emotions being attached to it.

Still though @Hashberry.4510, I'm glad you're able to fully enjoy the game and agree with any decision ANet throws your way. Power to you.

Edited July 28, 2023 by Holgarf.6581

[Holgarf.6581]

3 minutes ago, Ashen.2907 said:

Ahh, I saw expressing a desire as a need and the reference to infinite slots as two distinct exaggeration. Obviously not to be taken seriously.

I guess that getting a slot for each game mode on one character would work better for some, but I would still prefer getting a slot for each of my characters for those same gems. 

Yes, it seems that way. It's not a one-size-fits-all approach, unfortunately.

[Ashen.2907]

3 minutes ago, Holgarf.6581 said:

Yes, it seems that way. It's not a one-size-fits-all approach, unfortunately.

One approach that might have worked for both of our preferences would have been to make them much cheaper. At 200g each I might have bought dozens, but wasnt willing to buy more than a handful at the current price. Overall ANet would have gotten much more money from me by either making them account bound or by making them cheaper.

[HnRkLnXqZ.1870]

When the feature was released, I thought this could become a problem for me. But it turned out that two gear- and build-templates are sufficient for most of my characters. On my main-character, I have 3 gear-sets and 4 build-templates. I have almost every profession twice in my account, so I can experiment as much as I want. In addition, ANet keeps the balancing challenging, which means a working build today might be a useless tomorrow. Except for my main, I never ran into a situation where I had more functional builds than slots/characters. Although I craft my own builds.

What prevents me from buying additional slots is only the fact that these are all character-specific unlocks. If there was an account-version, that e. g. would cost more but apply to the whole account, I would probably have at least 5 gear- & build-template slots by now. Same goes for additional inventory-bag slots. I rather figure out a few work-arounds and get my stuff done with the limitations before wasting money on character-only upgrades. I became quite efficient with inventory-management. For my build-templates, I use a simple .txt file on my desktop. A set of frequently used stat-gear, like diviners rests in the invisible bag slots of certain characters. Can be switched out for the current gear when ANet decides to pull another chaos-patch or I get an idea for a new build. Not a huge change for me, since I had this situation before the build- & gear-templates were introduced anyway.

[Holgarf.6581]

2 hours ago, HnRkLnXqZ.1870 said:

When the feature was released, I thought this could become a problem for me. But it turned out that two gear- and build-templates are sufficient for most of my characters. On my main-character, I have 3 gear-sets and 4 build-templates. I have almost every profession twice in my account, so I can experiment as much as I want. In addition, ANet keeps the balancing challenging, which means a working build today might be a useless tomorrow. Except for my main, I never ran into a situation where I had more functional builds than slots/characters. Although I craft my own builds.

What prevents me from buying additional slots is only the fact that these are all character-specific unlocks. If there was an account-version, that e. g. would cost more but apply to the whole account, I would probably have at least 5 gear- & build-template slots by now. Same goes for additional inventory-bag slots. I rather figure out a few work-arounds and get my stuff done with the limitations before wasting money on character-only upgrades. I became quite efficient with inventory-management. For my build-templates, I use a simple .txt file on my desktop. A set of frequently used stat-gear, like diviners rests in the invisible bag slots of certain characters. Can be switched out for the current gear when ANet decides to pull another chaos-patch or I get an idea for a new build. Not a huge change for me, since I had this situation before the build- & gear-templates were introduced anyway.

Some useful info in there. I like the text file idea. I have 220 inventory (maybe a touch more?), so I could make that work on my main. Sadly account-wide upgrades, outside of shared slots, seems like a big no from a business standpoint. I remember when people weren't too happy at one time with perma-tools, at that time at least, carrying a hefty price but only being character specific. Of course you could swap them to some other character, but that involved either using the bank or shared inventory slots. I have no faith that more frequent account-wide upgrades will come our way because it effectively cuts that part of the revenue stream out from Anet.

Would be nice if Anet allowed us to name bank tabs (separate concern) and search highlighted the square the item was in as opposed to hiding everything else first (this is more about sorting efficiency than anything else tbh). 😉

[Lucy.3728]

On 7/24/2023 at 9:46 PM, Holgarf.6581 said:

I really wish each dedicated game mode had it's own equipment slots

I really wish they'd taken their GW1 system. There was no limit and you could categorise builds.

Sometimes I wonder whether there were any devs in GW2 that do know GW1, since many good things of GW1 got forgotten.

As for your problem. I also solved it with more characters instead of buying more build and gear slots. Like WvW chars and PvE chars. And, if needed, PvE chars further split. I've each class 2-3x (22 chars). More work and gold though.
With legendary gear it gets a bit easier to change stats. Not on the fly unfortunately. Piece by piece.

[kharmin.7683]

2 hours ago, Lucy.3728 said:

I really wish they'd taken their GW1 system. There was no limit and you could categorise builds.

Sometimes I wonder whether there were any devs in GW2 that do know GW1, since many good things of GW1 got forgotten.

 

I don't think things were forgotten.  They've just been monetized to make a profit since the game is almost free.

[Lucy.3728]

18 minutes ago, kharmin.7683 said:

They've just been monetized to make a profit since the game is almost free.

And GW1 was not?

[Holgarf.6581]

55 minutes ago, kharmin.7683 said:

I don't think things were forgotten.  They've just been monetized to make a profit since the game is almost free.

This.

34 minutes ago, Lucy.3728 said:

And GW1 was not?

I don't recall seeing a shop in GW1. Bearing in mind I didn't play a huge amount of it.

There's monetisation in games, then there's too much at the expense of good design.