Norn Elite Modification Idea?

[RavenStar.1206]

So, I love the flavour of the Norn lore, and I'm particularly fond of my Norn Necro. Becoming the bear or raven or whichever spirit they choose, is such a big part of their lore and flavour. Sadly I NEVER get to see my norn transform. The skills have such a long cool down and takes away from the profession flavour.

I was thinking that the 4 forms could be changed to Signets with the passive effect of every so often (but kinda often) in combat you transform into your chosen form with full access to your Profession skills. Toughness/vitality for bear, condi damage for raven, percision for Snow leopard, power for wolf would be gained while temporarily transformed (or hell just make it purely aesthetic still totally worth the slot in my opinion)

Then on the signet active, you could just have the current ability to fully transform and gain their skills.

I just think that NEVER seeing your form ever as a norn because its locked behind a really long cd elite is so saddening. You also almost never see npc's change as well. I'd be down for non-elite signets that add purely the aesthetic change as well.

Anyway thats my idea. I hope maybe one day we can all transform as norn a little more often.

[starlinvf.1358]

They kind of already have that..... the Tonics. The body types are the same as Kodan... but its a known issue that Kodan don't have Espec animations. Which kind of brings everything to a dead stop, unless Anet updates them.

There is some potential for exporting the Charr animations for this purpose, but it also means betting on the posture change not looking weird with the slightly different body stature.

[derd.6413]

Anet doesn't want race skills to be good so they'll never make them give passive stat boosts (aka make them signets)

[RavenStar.1206]

I don't really care about the stats, just making it passively transform you with 0 stat increase would be enough to make me use it all the time.

[joneirikb.7506]

Still want them to just make then enable/disable, so I can stay in Bear form until I disable it. Considering you're typically get weaker for being in any shape form anyways, and you're locked out from most of your skills, I don't worry that it would make them very much stronger. (Keep the change PVE only if you're afraid we will get too much mobility in WvW).

Activate to become Bear, stay in bear until you Deactivate elite again, then put it on normal cooldown.

[Brother.1504]

@joneirikb.7506 said:Still want them to just make then enable/disable, so I can stay in Bear form until I disable it. Considering you're typically get weaker for being in any shape form anyways, and you're locked out from most of your skills, I don't worry that it would make them very much stronger. (Keep the change PVE only if you're afraid we will get too much mobility in WvW).

Activate to become Bear, stay in bear until you Deactivate elite again, then put it on normal cooldown.

So your suggesting the transforms be changed to a toggle like an engineer kit, I really like that idea. I would add racial summons like warband and asura Gollum’s be toggles also. If the summons die they put the ability on cool down. At the very least the entertainment value of the racials would be immensely improved.

[infrequentia.3465]

@joneirikb.7506 said:Still want them to just make then enable/disable, so I can stay in Bear form until I disable it. Considering you're typically get weaker for being in any shape form anyways, and you're locked out from most of your skills, I don't worry that it would make them very much stronger. (Keep the change PVE only if you're afraid we will get too much mobility in WvW).

Activate to become Bear, stay in bear until you Deactivate elite again, then put it on normal cooldown.

perma leopard?

no thanks thats alot of mobility making Norn better then every other class .makes Leopard even a must in dungeons/fractals for skips.

[Felipe.1807]

@infrequentia.3465 said:

@joneirikb.7506 said:Still want them to just make then enable/disable, so I can stay in Bear form until I disable it. Considering you're typically get weaker for being in any shape form anyways, and you're locked out from most of your skills, I don't worry that it would make them very much stronger. (Keep the change PVE only if you're afraid we will get too much mobility in WvW).

Activate to become Bear, stay in bear until you Deactivate elite again, then put it on normal cooldown.

perma leopard?

no thanks thats alot of mobility making Norn better then every other class .makes Leopard even a must in dungeons/fractals for skips.

I dont think you have racial skills unlocked on WvW, so that wouldnt be a problem...as for Leopard Norn Meta lol, that would be funny, I remenber that Bear form used be a thing when you didnt have flame greatsword from ele lolBut I think would be cool, 240 cooldown is brutal lol transforming into beast form is a downgrade allready, see no issue with having zero cooldown.

[Elva.6372]

@derd.6413 said:Anet doesn't want race skills to be good so they'll never make them give passive stat boosts (aka make them signets)

ANet, playing it safe, but boring.

It's not impossible to have racial skills that are viable at 80 without wrecking the game, ANet just decided not to try. And my point is less about knocking ANet and more about why even bother to have the flavor skills in the first place? It's not very gratifying from the player's perspective and disappointing for players who like game-play and rpg elements to work together.

[infrequentia.3465]

@Elva.6372 said:

@derd.6413 said:Anet doesn't want race skills to be good so they'll never make them give passive stat boosts (aka make them signets)

ANet, playing it safe, but boring.

It's not impossible to have racial skills that are viable at 80 without wrecking the game, ANet just decided not to try. And my point is less about knocking ANet and more about why even bother to have the flavor skills in the first place? It's not very gratifying from the player's perspective and disappointing for players who like game-play and rpg elements to work together.

its not about being safe

its about making 1 race stronger then the other

[Elva.6372]

@infrequentia.3465 said:

@Elva.6372 said:

@"derd.6413" said:Anet doesn't want race skills to be good so they'll never make them give passive stat boosts (aka make them signets)

ANet, playing it safe, but boring.

It's not impossible to have racial skills that are viable at 80 without wrecking the game, ANet just decided not to try. And my point is less about knocking ANet and more about why even bother to have the flavor skills in the first place? It's not very gratifying from the player's perspective and disappointing for players who like game-play and rpg elements to work together.

its not about being safe

its about making 1 race stronger then the other

How do you not think that doesn't mean playing it safe, should be fairly clear especially if you read the next sentence:

It's not impossible to have racial skills that are viable at 80 without wrecking the game...

It's no more difficult to create Profession skills that avoid "making" one Profession stronger than the other Professions than it is to have a racial specific skills and abilities. It's the same challenge.

[Biff.5312]

I agree they need to rework the racials, particularly for Norn. They're useless.

[Thorfinnr Sleggja.1209]

As a long time Norn main player. I have to agree, something needs to be done for this. I do NOT want them to be some kind of OP racial ability...but I want to be able to use the forms, as they are a revered part of Norn culture.

I don't think the signet idea would fly, but I do like the idea of a "toggle" like an Engi kit for cosmetic only application. Maybe a button like where a Ranger would have a pet, let us select what cosmetic form to have there. Leave the Elite with skills as an Elite with the skills...but maybe shorten the CD a bit...its always been waaaay too long for what you get out of it.

Now, I understand the possible challenges and drawbacks here. You would have to do weapon animations for all the Norn Forms. Again, I would hope using the Charr/Norn/Kodan wire model animations might be possible and make modifying and applying them a bit easier. But, I am not an ANet designer, so I understand it could be a bigger challenge than I can possibly know...but doesn't make it any easier to NOT want this to be available. :)

Glad to see someone else (I had started and/or commented on many threads on ideas like this on the old forums) really wants to see this as a part of the Norn.

You listening ANet? (Keep up the good work guys! This is a wish list item and has been since launch, speaking only for myself, so just add it to thte ever growing list...or maybe bump it up closer to the top of the list as something that Might, I say again MIGHT, be possible. lol :) )

[ugrakarma.9416]

@Elva.6372 said:

@derd.6413 said:Anet doesn't want race skills to be good so they'll never make them give passive stat boosts (aka make them signets)

ANet, playing it safe, but boring.

It's not impossible to have racial skills that are viable at 80 without wrecking the game, ANet just decided not to try. And my point is less about knocking ANet and more about why even bother to have the flavor skills in the first place? It's not very gratifying from the player's perspective and disappointing for players who like game-play and rpg elements to work together.

completely agree.

is kinda nonsensical to have mechanically implemented skills, but nerfed to the point to make no difference and therefore not be used.