New WvW Abilities

[AikijinX.6258]

So I have a ton of WvW points, I've got my ram mastery, catapult, golem, ballista, etc. It's been years. How about we get a couple new abilities to master.

Maybe Sentry Master: Killing a Sentry reduces the amount of reveal debuff ? The faster you kill the sentry the lower the debuff will be?Kill sentry in 3 seconds> Reveal debuff decreased to 5 seconds, and so on, etc. I'm not a numbers guy, so I can't do all the calculation stuff, but you guys get the point

I must say I do miss the old gen guard buffs, Extra vit and power, but I am aware of the power creep this meta has shifted to.

Anyone have any idea's for new WvW Abilities?

[clone wars.9568]

More WXP & Karma gain or higher MF while in wvw. They really need to decrease the turning time of trebs/cats/mortars etc but its probably fairer not to link this to rank and ability tabs and instead roll out that update to all. Apart from that then may siege skins like the ability to fire presents are xmas on catas, currently, you can only do this if you don't have cata master. Higher chance or ascended drops? I'm sure they'll add more with the 2019 xpac, unlikely anything we want though.

[Justine.6351]

Something weird going off the mf idea,

Treasure Hunter, 100 pts total+10pts: increased mf by 100% while in wvw+20pts: participation in successful capture or denial of capture of bloodlust for your server now spawns a chest on the center island ruins for 5 minutes. Can be seen and looted once per skirmish 5 minute window.+30pts: tier 3 objective guards now drop salvagable scraps at an improved 100% rate.+40pts: when a camp is not on RI, you can see and loot a chest. Chest looting resets the next time camp is flipped. Rare chance at grandmaster mark shards. T1/2/3 chests are better and respawn when a new tier is reached.

[Hesacon.8735]

I wouldn't want to see anything that affects how the game is played because of power creep. I wouldn't be upset with buffs to other things like extra progress on rewards tracks (+3% 5 times would be in line with enchantments), karma, wxp, etc, though.

Requiring a certain level of wvw abilities to do things like use tactivators could cut down on some trolling. So there's potential to use wvw abilities to introduce some quality of life changes in certain situations.

[shortcake.8659]

whole system needs a rework imo. cap the points you can earn and make the skills more powerful. make them more like wvw/siege-related traits instead of a collect-em-all. make them strong for various roles that people like to play so they can specialize. having everything is boring, especially when everyone has everything.

[Klipso.8653]

I'd be happy if they just make some non-cap trait lines to spend them on like +magic find, or +gold find that only applies in WvW.

At least then I can spend them on something only slightly useless instead of nothing at all.

[TheBravery.9615]

@Ben Phongluangtham.1065 said:

@TheBravery.9615 said:

@Ben Phongluangtham.1065 said:

@Ben Phongluangtham.1065 said:

@"hunkamania.7561" said:When is this happening? What was the point of this post if you're not gonna do anything anytime soon? AC's are still OP. 11111111111111111111111 for the win

The point of the post was to put it up early to look at feedback. We did make one additional change to oil as a result. The user of boiling oil will now be immune to cc effects.

The changes are done, just going through QA now. Assuming nothing goes wrong with the planned release, the changes will be up by the end of the month.

One additional note. I should be more clear that the extra oil change requires oil mastery 3.

Speaking of which, are there any works in progress to update the wvw mastery system? It's a bit outdated - earning useless points unable to spend on and all that

We talk about it from time to time, but it hasn't yet bubbled up to the top of our priority list. You should make a new thread about it. I'd love to see suggestions on new masteries people would like to see.

OK

Just a thought, but how about we change the WvW abilities to something similar to character trait specializations? Create WvW specializations/Jobs?

• Can make for some interesting mix-ups in this game mode, give all professions a role and place in WvW
• Provide a refined sense of WvW progression, allow new players in WvW to be equally as effective in combat compared to a veteran with thousands of wvw playtime.

Rules

• Characters may only have one WvW specialization at a time, only able to change "traits" (e.g. master 1/2/3) using the ability reset guide from the world ability master for 25 spirit shards.
• May change traits (major traits) unlimited times for 25 spirit shards, but can only change wvw specializations once per reset for 100 spirit shards and some number of wvw badges.
• All traits will need to be unlocked separately, specific to each character (not by account). Traits are unlocked as your character 'trains' in a WvW specialization, unlocking minor traits every 5 levels gained and a set of major (1/2/3) every 10 levels gained. Legendary traits are unlocked through prerequisites and a vendor purchase.
• It will be assumed that all current wvw abilities are null when applying these changes with the exception of provisions mastery, in which all players will have access to in full from the start.
• Some parts of siege mastery may be created baseline, basic gliding abilities may be baseline as well.
• WvW ranks will change to something like.. Adept Commander, Grandmaster Sapper, Legendary Scout, etc instead of bronze/silver/gold/plat footman etc
• Add Skimmer as a mount usable in wvw, with modified characteristics. moves at a slightly slower speed than the PvE variant. Can only mount outside of combat, can only move a certain distance before dismounting (moving will use up endurance, will dismount when endurance goes to 0) and going on cooldown. CC knocks players off mounts.

Commander

Theme: Siege supply, team support

• Minor Adept: You can throw siege while moving now. Thrown siege blueprints deal damage and knocks down foes.
  • Major Adept 1: Gain all effects of defense against guards / guard killer
  • Major Adept 2: You are able to purchase soulbound siege at discounted prices
  • Major Adept 3: Siege you drop have 20% more health.
• Minor Master: Throw siege faster, gain all effects of supply master.
  • Major Master 1: Allied NPCs in a radius around you are granted a level increase (deal more damage, receive glancing blows more often), and will assist in reviving the player you are reviving.
  • Major Master 2: Allied dolyaks near you are granted superspeed, Gain protection and deal +15% damage / condi damage when you are near an allied dolyak.
  • Major Master 3: Nearby ally players are granted a movement speed increase outside of combat and build the siege build sites you drop faster.
• Minor Grandmaster: Increase supply capacity by 5
  • Major Grandmaster 1: Tactivators are set to a shorter cooldown when you activate them.
  • Major Grandmaster 2: Squad markers / targets on enemies will remain even if your target stealths. Markers/targets set on enemies will disappear if you haven't attacked the target in 10 minutes.
  • Major Grandmaster 3: Your squad rallies, gains all boons for 10 seconds, and refills endurance when you successfully stomp the enemy commander. Become immune to CC when stomping an enemy commander.
• Legendary: You become able to see nearby enemy commanders on the mini-map. Deal 20% more damage/condition damage to enemy commanders as long as you are a commander. (Unlock prerequisite: 25,000 kills while training, 50 legendary spikes, all previous traits unlocked)

Scout

Theme: Surveying the enemy and defense

• Minor Adept: WvW traps use less supply. Uses no supply if outnumbered.
  • Major Adept 1: Gain stealth when using a trap, trap effect radius is doubled and more effective.
  • Major Adept 2: Gain stability when throwing a siege disabler trap. Successful siege disablers inflict a 'rot' effect, increasing the dealing damage over time to the siege while it's disabled.
  • Major Adept 3: The stealth / supply trap sets instantly, has combined effects, and deals damage/stuns when triggered.
• Minor Master: Gain all effects of war gliding mastery.
  • Major Master 1: Gain all effects of mortar mastery / cannon mastery / burning oil mastery.
  • Major Master 2: Gain all effects of repair mastery / build master / Mercenary's bane
  • Major Master 3: Gain superspeed when you kill a dolyak or lord.
• Minor Grandmaster: Gain all effects of arrow cart mastery, ballista mastery, and shield generator mastery.
  • Major Grandmaster 1: When you are defeated in combat, you will create a waypoint only party members can see and use it (5 players maximum teleported per waypoint, 120s cd)
  • Major Grandmaster 2: You are granted combat abilities while gliding. (4 bomb drops, and 1 dive bomb, each skill able to be used once per glide, recharges when on the ground)
  • Major Grandmaster 3: Allied players in your squad/party deal 5% more damage / condition damage to your target (Stacks to maximum of 25% in a party of 5 similar spec players)
• Legendary: Gain the ability to camouflage if you haven't moved in 15 seconds. Receiving damage or moving will break camouflage and reveal you. Enemies nearby you within controlled territory while camouflaged are marked for ally players. (Unlock prerequisite: 25,000 kills while training, 50 legendary spikes, all previous traits unlocked)

Sapper

Theme: Destruction of enemy objectives

• Minor Adept: Gain all effects of siege might / Siege bunker
  • Major Adept 1: Siege weapons recharge faster and deal burn damage to structures.
  • Major Adept 2: Deal more damage to enemy siege engines, your attacks inflict 'rot', dealing damage over time to siege engines.
  • Major Adept 3: You are able to repair siege.
• Minor Master: Gain all effects of siege golem mastery. Alpha/guild golems now use omega golem abilities.
  • Major Master 1: You become able to see enemy traps on the mini map and disarm them by interacting nearby.
  • Major Master 2: Steal supply off enemy players when you successfully stomp them.
  • Major Master 3: You are able to upgrade placed siege as long as the siege engine is at full health.
• Minor Grandmaster: Gain all effects of catapult mastery, flame ram mastery, and trebuchet mastery.
  • Major Grandmaster 1: When you are defeated in combat, your corpse will activate a hidden bomb and detonate after a few seconds, dealing high damage.
  • Major Grandmaster 2: You are able to deal damage to lords / NPCs with righteous indignation, but receive 25% more incoming damage from them.
  • Major Grandmaster 3: You are able to sabotage enemy tactivators, in which when an enemy pulls them will trigger a large explosion, dealing massive damage and launching enemies away before being set into a short cooldown.
• Legendary: You become able to convert enemy siege to allied siege. Interacting with allied siege engines grant a double decay timer (2 hour) and sabotages it to explode whenever it is destroyed dealing heavy area damage to nearby enemies. (Unlock prerequisite: 25,000 kills while training, 50 legendary spikes, all previous traits unlocked)

Calvary

Skimmer Mounts, Naval combat

• Minor Adept: Underwater abilities recharge faster, move faster in or underwater.
  • Major Adept 1: You are able to build and man siege underwater.
  • Major Adept 2: Going in water removes the burning condition, you become immune to burning while in water.
  • Major Adept 3: Ghostly piranhas surround you while underwater, dealing damage to nearby enemies.
• Minor Master: Unlocks the skimmer mount, which moves at a slightly slower speed than the PvE variant. Can only mount outside of combat, can only move a certain distance before dismounting (moving will use up endurance, will dismount when endurance goes to 0) and going on cooldown. CC will knock you off the mount.
  • Major Master 1: Unlock Skimmer mount ability 1: Fire a long range arcing projectiles that chills enemies
  • Major Master 2: Unlock Skimmer mount ability 1: Fire long range arcing projectiles that deal area damage
  • Major Master 3: Unlock skimmer mount ability 1: Rapidly fire short range projectiles in a spread that chills enemies
• Minor Grandmaster: Skimmers are able to move indefinitely on water/lava without using endurance.
  • Major Grandmaster 1: Unlock skimmer ability 2: Dismount ability: Barrel Roll (Same as PVE)
  • Major Grandmaster 2: Unlock skimmer ability 2: Dismount ability: Barrel Roll (instead of healing, knocks back enemies)
  • Major Grandmaster 3: Unlock skimmer ability 2: Dismount ability: Barrel Roll (instead of healing, inflicts chill)
• Legendary: You become able to glide in the air. You become able to ferry up to 10 players on your skimmer mount. (Unlock prerequisite: 25,000 kills while training, 50 legendary spikes, all previous traits unlocked)

[syszery.1592]

@TheBravery.9615 said:...

I like the idea of that trait-like system and that everyone has to specialize but: Don't you think that most of your suggestions are way too powerful?

For example the Scout which seams to be the specialization for roamers. If traps will become so powerful you probably also have to add traits to spot them for roamers or it will be no fun anymore... Or:

@TheBravery.9615 said:Major Grandmaster 3: Allied players in your squad/party deal 5% more damage / condition damage to your target (Stacks to maximum of 25% in a party of 5 similar spec players)

This will increase the damage even more and people already complain about how much damage everything deals..

[TheBravery.9615]

@syszery.1592 said:

@TheBravery.9615 said:...

I like the idea of that trait-like system and that everyone has to specialize but: Don't you think that most of your suggestions are way too powerful?

For example the Scout which seams to be the specialization for roamers. If traps will become so powerful you probably also have to add traits to spot them for roamers or it will be no fun anymore... Or:

@TheBravery.9615 said:Major Grandmaster 3: Allied players in your squad/party deal 5% more damage / condition damage to your target (Stacks to maximum of 25% in a party of 5 similar spec players)

This will increase the damage even more and people already complain about how much damage everything deals..

Aware there are some bad ideas in there that need tuning, but also aware that Anet is more likely to implement bad ideas than good ideas ;)

[schokelmei.8271]

Frontline Tank:You take no siege damage at all.

[syszery.1592]

@TheBravery.9615 said:...Aware there are some bad ideas in there that need tuning, but also aware that Anet is more likely to implement bad ideas than good ideas ;)

Don't get me wrong man. Cheers for your detailed ideas and the effort put into it. As I said: I really like the basic concept and maybe I just typed too fast. I have to admit that it reads much more critically than it was meant to be. Your ideas are definitely not bad. It's a really good starting point and with some tweaking I would like to try this :+1:

[AikijinX.6258]

Wow those ideas seem pretty great in my opinion!

Another idea I thought of was

• Guard Whisperer: Upon death if a guard is within 300-600m radius, click on them to call them over to revive you. This action can only be performed once every hour.
• With each level of the mastery the radius increase, thus more of an ability to potentially call on resuscitation help.

Guards used to revive us in the early years of Gw2, but anet took that feature on guards out.

• Dolyak Calling- Upon giving supply to Wall repair, Siege Build, Etc, when that precast yellow bar appears gain access to a special skill which calls 2 dolyaks at your side to deliver 5 supply each, This action can only be performed once every 10 mins.

Can we all agree to disagree that the retalliation that we get from being attacked from Vet guards need to be increased substantially, or be removed in general. It serves little to no purpose.

[Celsith.2753]

I don't think dying should be rewarded in any way, so I would have to say no to any tactic enabling something on death. To be honest i'd rather see skin unlocks and other things that won't unbalance a fight.

[Dawdler.8521]

@TheBravery.9615 said:

Calvary

What's calvary?

Because if you meant to say cavalry, you and I have very different views on what constitute cavalry...

[AikijinX.6258]

@Celsith.2753 said:I don't think dying should be rewarded in any way, so I would have to say no to any tactic enabling something on death. To be honest i'd rather see skin unlocks and other things that won't unbalance a fight.

You're not helping Cel ! Go back home ! hahahVet Guards used to revive us, until they removed that guard feature. D:

[Shroud.2307]

I like this idea

@AikijinX.6258 said:Sentry Master: Killing a Sentry reduces the amount of reveal debuff ? The faster you kill the sentry the lower the debuff will be?Kill sentry in 3 seconds> Reveal debuff decreased to 5 seconds, and so on, etc.

Many of the others here however, I'm not very fond of. WvW abilities shouldn't be game changers. It's nice to have slight advantages, such as NPC guards doing less damage to you like we currently have, but anything that provides a significant advantage should not be an option. For players who; don't have the time to grind out the necessary ranks, are new to the game or are just WvW casuals, all it is is more power creep.

Aesthetic rewards like skins or titles that are rewarded at realistic ranks like 2 - 3k or more insignificant buffs like the one you've suggested would be welcome though. There are lots of players with very high ranks and an excess of ranks with nothing to spend them on. Although no one really needs anything to spend them on, there's also no reason not to.