"Fun surprise" for the next expansion: Speculation edition

[Thevaultdwellinggamer.4267]

On 2/27/2024 at 2:27 AM, ZephidelGRS.9520 said:

It’ll distract the playerbase’s attention span long enough for them to come up with which old content to re-package next and sell as 5th expansion

I can promise you that Elite utility are up for grabs in the new expansion. If you look back on their wording on how they're balancing In the future, and if you look at what they're doing now, anyone with a half a brain can put to and to together to see what they're doing.

 

Elite spec are slowly getting deconstructed and parts of it is being resold as features, to the detriment of the game because if weapon master has already screwed balancing in this game, can you imagine the damage Elite utility to core would bring?

[Angesombre.4630]

Anet have another definition of fun, and for them it's called nerve. Getting players to produce more and more salt. Fun is in a sense theirs. Removing functionality from a class to make it a relic, for example. Nerfing a profession to force it to use new content, as has been the case with every expansion.

Edited March 2 by Angesombre.4630

[Dadnir.5038]

15 hours ago, Thevaultdwellinggamer.4267 said:

I can promise you that Elite utility are up for grabs in the new expansion. If you look back on their wording on how they're balancing In the future, and if you look at what they're doing now, anyone with a half a brain can put to and to together to see what they're doing.

Elite spec are slowly getting deconstructed and parts of it is being resold as features, to the detriment of the game because if weapon master has already screwed balancing in this game, can you imagine the damage Elite utility to core would bring?

The answer is simple: a lot of powercreep. That's the damage elite utility to core would bring. This would be absolutely impossible to balance.

I don't think they will do that, thought.

Now, granted the balance "issues" they currently focus on dealing with, I wouldn't be surprised if their roadmap for the futur was something like:

• Move Quickness share and Alacrity share out of the various professions.
• In the subsequent holes left, introduce traits/effects that are compatible with the mechanics of the weapon they introduced with the "weapon proficiency".
• Introduce new PvE, sPvP and WvW specifics masteries that make the player attune to "aspects" that allow the player to conjure a weapon (of course those aspects can't be switched while in combat).
• Amongst those new conjured weapons, some will take on the job of providing either Alacrity or Quickness in PvE and you could have conjured weapon dedicated to boon hate in WvW.

This way they can confine Alacrity and Quickness share out of the competitive modes and encourage players to buy their various new x-packs (they could even brag that sPvP masteries are sPvP specific content). Best of all, we could have land spear/trident, great axe, gauntlets, katars, whips, kriss, boomrang, slingshot, lazer guns... etc without any true limitation. This could even work as a weaponswap for Elementalist and Engineer providing them with flexibility without monopolising an utility slot.

[Sythus.2396]

Unrelated perhaps but I'd love a new profession tbh although very unlikely. Doubt they have the resources to create a new profession and it would also mess up the current combo of 3 Light/Medium/Heavy. Would be a nice surprise though!

[Mini Crinny.6190]

maybe he means Ele gets Longbow

 

[Bunny.9834]

Been wanting this for years. 
 

 

[VocalThought.9835]

I suspect they do a new weapon in 2024 and a new elite specialization and weaponsl for 2025. I hope they stop at that point and focus on other aspects other than skills. How many skills your gonna add to the game, yet still only access 10- 15 at a time?

They could add more combat to mounts, add new races, improve rpg elements, etc.

[Malus.2184]

My unrealistic dream wants it to be a total revamp of the performance system (the combat system is fine) so that it goes away from this ridiculous max of 25% player power and 75% Boon Power to a max of 75% player power and 25% Boon Power. 

The current level of top performance without Boons gets a small bump and becomes the benchmark for the 75% player power. As collateral, a lot of content sees a rebalance of how much health the encounter has, and the Jade Protocols get yeeted from the game since they're monumentally bad for game balance.

[igmolicious.5986]

I somewhat suspect we'll wind up having a "weapon mastery" equivalent to utilities, allowing mixing and matching of those.

[andreiblue.8231]

On 1/10/2024 at 12:40 PM, Uete.3805 said:

Before winter break Game Director Grouch gave us this amazing interview (https://wccftech.com/guild-wars-2-qa-arenanet-on-switch-to-yearly-expansions-secrets-of-the-obscure-learnings-and-2024-update/) where he states: "We plan to focus on weapons for our next expansion, but we have a fun surprise in store to keep things fresh and exciting."

What do y'all think that "fun surprise" will be?

They've kind of confirmed we aren't getting elite specs (yet), but I'd be glad if they added new Utility skills. I could see them going with:

1. Adding the missing healing and elite skills to some type of utilities (for instance Ele's conjure weapon or Mesmer's glamour healing skills). This could mean getting a new 4th utility option for each Revenant legend to give some needed flexibility to their kit.
2. Adding a new type of utilities (including healing and elite skills). We could finally get glyphs for Necro, that could be used inside of shroud for a different effect, or a new legend for Revs (Jora, Snaff or Gwen could be fun).

Since they seem to be adding a new weapon for each profession as well I doubt they'll do both, but I can still dream. Future expacs could add a new utility set for each elite spec, Willbender could get manipulations, Catalyst wells or elixirs, Untamed could get minions, Vindicator could get another double legend in Jora and Svanir, etc.

Or maybe the surprise is just an overhaul of underwater combat (kidding! or am I?)

I think it would be nice if revenant also got another utility skill for each legend. It doesn't have much variety there.

[Astralporing.1957]

On 1/10/2024 at 11:40 AM, Uete.3805 said:

Before winter break Game Director Grouch gave us this amazing interview (https://wccftech.com/guild-wars-2-qa-arenanet-on-switch-to-yearly-expansions-secrets-of-the-obscure-learnings-and-2024-update/) where he states: "We plan to focus on weapons for our next expansion, but we have a fun surprise in store to keep things fresh and exciting."

What do y'all think that "fun surprise" will be?

Based on their recent design direction? Probably level cap increase 😛

[nobleboivin.4102]

1 hour ago, Astralporing.1957 said:

Based on their recent design direction? Probably level cap increase 😛

Please no

 

[Iustitian.9176]

On 1/10/2024 at 11:40 AM, Uete.3805 said:

Before winter break Game Director Grouch gave us this amazing interview (https://wccftech.com/guild-wars-2-qa-arenanet-on-switch-to-yearly-expansions-secrets-of-the-obscure-learnings-and-2024-update/) where he states: "We plan to focus on weapons for our next expansion, but we have a fun surprise in store to keep things fresh and exciting."

What do y'all think that "fun surprise" will be?

They've kind of confirmed we aren't getting elite specs (yet), but I'd be glad if they added new Utility skills. I could see them going with:

1. Adding the missing healing and elite skills to some type of utilities (for instance Ele's conjure weapon or Mesmer's glamour healing skills). This could mean getting a new 4th utility option for each Revenant legend to give some needed flexibility to their kit.
2. Adding a new type of utilities (including healing and elite skills). We could finally get glyphs for Necro, that could be used inside of shroud for a different effect, or a new legend for Revs (Jora, Snaff or Gwen could be fun).

Since they seem to be adding a new weapon for each profession as well I doubt they'll do both, but I can still dream. Future expacs could add a new utility set for each elite spec, Willbender could get manipulations, Catalyst wells or elixirs, Untamed could get minions, Vindicator could get another double legend in Jora and Svanir, etc.

Or maybe the surprise is just an overhaul of underwater combat (kidding! or am I?)

With the focus on weapons i think anet will bring us one or more of the following possibilities: 

• More chain skills for many or all weapon skills (like Necromancer Swords)
• More special weapon buffs (like Ranger Maces or Elementalist Pistol Bullets)
• Selectable Weapon Slot Skills (like Ranger Hammer; a more offensive and a defensive option)
• Special weapon trait system to improve weapons or single weapon skills
• More bundle weapons for special game instances or game modes (e. g. "Use mobile mortars to defend the castle from attacking siege turtles)

Edited March 21 by Iustitian.9176

[Batalix.2873]

On 3/2/2024 at 12:57 AM, Dadnir.5038 said:

The answer is simple: a lot of powercreep. That's the damage elite utility to core would bring. This would be absolutely impossible to balance.

I don't think they will do that, thought.

Now, granted the balance "issues" they currently focus on dealing with, I wouldn't be surprised if their roadmap for the futur was something like:

• Move Quickness share and Alacrity share out of the various professions.
• In the subsequent holes left, introduce traits/effects that are compatible with the mechanics of the weapon they introduced with the "weapon proficiency".
• Introduce new PvE, sPvP and WvW specifics masteries that make the player attune to "aspects" that allow the player to conjure a weapon (of course those aspects can't be switched while in combat).
• Amongst those new conjured weapons, some will take on the job of providing either Alacrity or Quickness in PvE and you could have conjured weapon dedicated to boon hate in WvW.

This way they can confine Alacrity and Quickness share out of the competitive modes and encourage players to buy their various new x-packs (they could even brag that sPvP masteries are sPvP specific content). Best of all, we could have land spear/trident, great axe, gauntlets, katars, whips, kriss, boomrang, slingshot, lazer guns... etc without any true limitation. This could even work as a weaponswap for Elementalist and Engineer providing them with flexibility without monopolising an utility slot.

Lol. As if powercreep didn't stop them yet, after EoD, then the balance patches, then the weaponskills.

* Why would they move quickness share and alacrity share out? They just spent an entire balance patch *adding* them to every profession.

* Why would they introduce weapon-specific traits/effects when they have been deliberately removing or crippling those traits that already exist?

* Why would they have weapon "conjuring"? What would that possibly add? And not like profession identity means jack-kitten anymore, but why are we looking at this avenue specifically when Guardian and Ele are somewhat defined by weapon summoning?

Overall this is an extremely niche, convoluted solution that completely opposes the devs' apparent design trajectory.

[sanguigasm.1325]

Stealth for all! 

[Dadnir.5038]

16 hours ago, Batalix.2873 said:

Lol. As if powercreep didn't stop them yet, after EoD, then the balance patches, then the weaponskills.

* Why would they move quickness share and alacrity share out? They just spent an entire balance patch *adding* them to every profession.

* Why would they introduce weapon-specific traits/effects when they have been deliberately removing or crippling those traits that already exist?

* Why would they have weapon "conjuring"? What would that possibly add? And not like profession identity means jack-kitten anymore, but why are we looking at this avenue specifically when Guardian and Ele are somewhat defined by weapon summoning?

Overall this is an extremely niche, convoluted solution that completely opposes the devs' apparent design trajectory.

Why?

• It remove a part of their balance issue in competitive modes.
• It make the next few x-pac features somewhat easy to design.

But, yes you are right, the devs' design trajectory don't seem to go in this direction. They've always been good at pointlesssly tweaking numbers around the various balance issues instead of eliminating the source of the problems.

[igmolicious.5986]

I want to change my speculation to: allowing players to mix and match fashion from other armor weights with the one their profession uses, since mixing and matching heavy/medium/light styles has been something people have wanted since pretty much ever, and people have shown that they don't really care about armor clipping issues as much as anet thought.

[nobleboivin.4102]

To add onto that, ability to wear the armor of other races.  There's dozens of npcs that wear armor their races don't have available like Gorrik for example who's wearing human armor

[Lan Deathrider.5910]

Land spear confirmed. Also, I'm guessing player housing.

[nobleboivin.4102]

I've heard housing in a few servers.  Spears I can buy but housing I'm not sure about.  I would love housing but I'm not sure

[FrancisN.9276]

Housing and the ability to give other players a tour of your house, because I imagine that will help with gemstore sales.

[Jobber.6348]

16 hours ago, Lan Deathrider.5910 said:

Land spear confirmed. Also, I'm guessing player housing.

Hope it's not some "EVERYONE GETS A SPEAR" situation but "Everyone gets to use their underwater weapon as part of a land terrain set" 

Some underwater weapons are actually rather powerful so that's gonna be something nailed down but I don't want these nerfed just because they are bringing it to land. At the same time, I also don't want LITERALLY EVERYONE WITH SPEARS! 

[draxynnic.3719]

45 minutes ago, Yasai.3549 said:

Hope it's not some "EVERYONE GETS A SPEAR" situation but "Everyone gets to use their underwater weapon as part of a land terrain set" 

Some underwater weapons are actually rather powerful so that's gonna be something nailed down but I don't want these nerfed just because they are bringing it to land. At the same time, I also don't want LITERALLY EVERYONE WITH SPEARS! 

I'd be surprised if they give spears to everyone right away. There are some professions, like warrior, that were running out of suitable weapons, which might be part of the motivation, but there are some that have a wide range of possibilities left.

I'll be curious to see how the mechanics work in practice, since that might hint at what else might be moving into the window of possibilities.

[Jobber.6348]

25 minutes ago, draxynnic.3719 said:

I'd be surprised if they give spears to everyone right away. There are some professions, like warrior, that were running out of suitable weapons, which might be part of the motivation, but there are some that have a wide range of possibilities left.

I'll be curious to see how the mechanics work in practice, since that might hint at what else might be moving into the window of possibilities.

Some people also noticed that the Spear was wielded in a one handed form on land. Could be an early testing visual which could be changed later but I hope some spears get to be one handed. God knows some classes need more Main Hands. 

[Lan Deathrider.5910]

1 hour ago, draxynnic.3719 said:

I'd be surprised if they give spears to everyone right away. There are some professions, like warrior, that were running out of suitable weapons, which might be part of the motivation, but there are some that have a wide range of possibilities left.

I'll be curious to see how the mechanics work in practice, since that might hint at what else might be moving into the window of possibilities.

Because Dwayna forbid that they actually give warrior a new MH or 2H range weapon right?