Without another expansion would this be feasible?

[Acheron.4731]

I was just thinking about this as I was replying to another thread ....but,Would people enjoy unlocking new "skills" 6-0 if living world episodes are all we can hope for the immediate future of the game?I know there is some hope for expansion-like content to drop with elite specs and other bells and whistles but would it be easier to implement new unlock content such as skills (even racial skills or possibly skills that already exist for other classes) that can opened up for use... similar to unlocking mount masteries but become part of your skill window for selection.Don't know if that is just as difficult to develop as elite specs but just a thought.Whaduyathink?

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

Well, they released new skills (at least one) previously during Living World. So, it seems they could.

[Fenom.9457]

Hmm, that could be interesting. I would especially like some manner of progression to unlock the skills (hero points probably), but it’s free of an elite specialization - aka you can mix and match these new skills as you wish. My main gripe with specialization is the locking things away. I get that it makes balancing easier, but I think it would be well worth the increased effort for more freedom. I would love to use tempest overloads and a sword. Or a rifle and staff for thief. Or berserker skills and dual daggers. You get the idea - maybe new “tracks” that cost hero points allow you to further master certain weapons so that you can use them independently of a certain type of magic (AKA use them outside their specialization)

[Acheron.4731]

Yeah, and they had the wvw event where you could pick up an orb of other classes but instead of taking on "only their skills" you could mix and match...nothing game-breaking or class evaporating but a nice selection for variety.

[DeanBB.4268]

Many skill lines lack entries, so it would be good if those were filled out completely. Example: Ranger's have traps for all slots except the elite, and no healing or elite signet.

But I don't see why Anet would have to limit new elite specs to expansions, if LW is to be their new content delivery standard.

[edit] Oh, and what about revenants? How would they benefit?

[starhunter.6015]

@Inculpatus cedo.9234 said:Well, they released new skills (at least one) previously during Living World. So, it seems they could.

And they took it away from us as well with no refund....

[Crab Fear.1624]

@DeanBB.4268 said:Many skill lines lack entries, so it would be good if those were filled out completely. Example: Ranger's have traps for all slots except the elite, and no healing or elite signet.

But I don't see why Anet would have to limit new elite specs to expansions, if LW is to be their new content delivery standard.

[edit] Oh, and what about revenants? How would they benefit?

This is a good point.

For revenants, they will just learn a new skill for each legend. Maybe one or two, it depends how.

Now instead of only be able to rearrange skills, they will have an optional skill that they can put into 7-9 instead.

[Knighthonor.4061]

@Inculpatus cedo.9234 said:Well, they released new skills (at least one) previously during Living World. So, it seems they could.

how would that work for Revenants though?

[Turkeyspit.3965]

Sure, but there are two problems here:

1. Anet is struggling to balance the utility skills we currently have from Core + 2 elite specs
2. Several utility skills across every profession are just never used...like ever.2a. Several utility skills across every profession work poorly / just don't work under water

So if a player wants something "new", I guarantee that most of the professions you play have utility skills you've never used or never use, and if changes were made to those, it would be like you had a new skill added to the game.

[Asum.4960]

I'll take anything new at all in any from I can get it at this point.

But I agree with

@"Turkeyspit.3965" said:Sure, but there are two problems here:

1. Anet is struggling to balance the utility skills we currently have from Core + 2 elite specs
2. Several utility skills across every profession are just never used...like ever.2a. Several utility skills across every profession work poorly / just don't work under water

So if a player wants something "new", I guarantee that most of the professions you play have utility skills you've never used or never use, and if changes were made to those, it would be like you had a new skill added to the game.

So many utility skills are outdated, with most not really having been used much or at all since launch even.I would like to see the Thief Trap to Preparations treatment for many more underused Utility lines, if that comes in tandem to additions to fill out some of the categories we have that would obviously be great.

[Acheron.4731]

@"Turkeyspit.3965" said:Sure, but there are two problems here:

1. Anet is struggling to balance the utility skills we currently have from Core + 2 elite specs
2. Several utility skills across every profession are just never used...like ever.2a. Several utility skills across every profession work poorly / just don't work under water

So if a player wants something "new", I guarantee that most of the professions you play have utility skills you've never used or never use, and if changes were made to those, it would be like you had a new skill added to the game.

True, it would be nice to see some of the utility skills revamped. No doubt.I was just trying to think of some kind of 'gap filler' project that ANET already had resources for if xpacs are out of the mix (or between now and an xpac). I still think expansions are the best route for keeping players and making profit. I was just trying to offer a reasonable alternative if they are far off.

Along with what you said...just imagine 'fear me' that is very rarely used by a warrior but on a necro or ranger it just fits...they already have traits or skills similar (at least a pet skill for ranger or sb) and it doesn't really have to be 'tuned'.

[Tiviana.2650]

I dont think so, because expansions are so much more than skills. They are these huge content drops that open up new zones, possibly new races/classes/specs, new everything really. You cant compare the two.

[Danikat.8537]

I think Anet are perfectly capable of releasing new skills, or new elite specs or anything else they've made previously without bundling it up as an expansion. I'm no expert but from what I know of the games industry making stuff for a game and deciding how it will be marketed and released are two entirely different jobs, although there should be some interaction in the form of people more senior than both teams keeping them both on track (e.g. holding back completed features from being released so they can be included in an expansion or making sure the developers prioritise what's required, like elite specs, and other projects are delayed until later). So the developers are just as capable of making skills or elite specs or whatever else during a living world cycle as an expansion cycle, as long as they're given the time to do that.

As for whether I'd want them to make new skills that depends entirely on what those skills are. If they're boring to me or basically duplicates of existing skills (like so many GW1 skills were) then I'm not going to use them and they're irrelevant, no matter how they're released. In general I'm not opposed to the idea but it's hard to have any real opinion without knowing what I'd get.

[Sugar Min.5834]

LW contents, no matter how hard they try to make them good, are always many notches inferior to expansion contents.

Free contents can never be better than paid ones. Money is everything.

[Acheron.4731]

Perhaps extension on class specific skills (like add a shouts row to a class that lacks) or a mixture of skills from one class to another. Whether they be completely new or a mixture of some borrowed...I would just like to see something added b/w expansions..something to progress a character.I did not play much gw1...just dabbled in to it when I played Archlord...but I heard guildwars 1 use to have dual professions, so perhaps something like that or even double-down on your own profession like a 'purist' trait could open.Dunno, just an idea for ANET.

[DeanBB.4268]

@Mil.3562 said:LW contents, no matter how hard they try to make them good, are always many notches inferior to expansion contents.

Free contents can never be better than paid ones. Money is everything.

What if that LW content comes out multiple times per year, rather than once every two years? We are in unknown territory right now with Anet's current delivery method, so maybe we should wait and see what they have in store for us?

[Thornwolf.9721]

How about racial skill lines which offer augmentation to current skills; Basically making them function differently and having different effects based on class. (An example lets say is engineer. Your racial skill line/spec could change how your turrets look and function; Perhaps they offer different effects to the norm. ) This would mean having one of each race on each class could be cool; Your charr warrior vs human warrior would have different cosmetics on skills and functionality.

Or heck how about just Racial specs which are unique to the races. (Norn get havroun which is all based around the spirits of the wild, Charr get legionnaire, humans get dervish, Sylvari get Wyld hunt valiant and the asuran get golemancer.)

[DeanBB.4268]

@"Thornwolf.9721" said:How about racial skill lines which offer augmentation to current skills;

Isn't that exactly what Anet was avoiding by making the racial skills weaker than regular skills? To avoid LFG "charr warrior only" syndrome?

[Acheron.4731]

@DeanBB.4268 said:

@"Thornwolf.9721" said:How about racial skill lines which offer augmentation to current skills;

Isn't that exactly what Anet was avoiding by making the racial skills weaker than regular skills? To avoid LFG "charr warrior only" syndrome?

We kinda already see that with classes :)

[Dante.1763]

@Acheron.4731 said:

@DeanBB.4268 said:

@"Thornwolf.9721" said:How about racial skill lines which offer augmentation to current skills;

Isn't that exactly what Anet was avoiding by making the racial skills weaker than regular skills? To avoid LFG "charr warrior only" syndrome?

We kinda already see that with classes :)

Yea, but youd see it by RACE + CLASS.

Which i dont want to see in this game.

[Hashberry.4510]

Balance can't be reached in this game, no good reason for that to hold anyone back. New skills, specs etc would be refreshing, the current ones are getting stale.

[Thornwolf.9721]

@DeanBB.4268 said:

@"Thornwolf.9721" said:How about racial skill lines which offer augmentation to current skills;

Isn't that exactly what Anet was avoiding by making the racial skills weaker than regular skills? To avoid LFG "charr warrior only" syndrome?

@Acheron.4731 said:

@DeanBB.4268 said:

@"Thornwolf.9721" said:How about racial skill lines which offer augmentation to current skills;

Isn't that exactly what Anet was avoiding by making the racial skills weaker than regular skills? To avoid LFG "charr warrior only" syndrome?

We kinda already see that with classes :)

@Dante.1763 said:

@Acheron.4731 said:

@DeanBB.4268 said:

@"Thornwolf.9721" said:How about racial skill lines which offer augmentation to current skills;

Isn't that exactly what Anet was avoiding by making the racial skills weaker than regular skills? To avoid LFG "charr warrior only" syndrome?

We kinda already see that with classes :)

Yea, but youd see it by RACE + CLASS.

Which i dont want to see in this game.

I mean this game is already human dominant so I mean does adding racial bennefits really matter? Answer is no, its just people who wana min-max complaining that it gives other races a chances to be run by people who would maybe ignore them. Cosmetics are fine; But frankly we already have X race is superior, which is primarily a human players mentality.

Cosmetics or maybe unique takes on current classes could be a way to change this ~ which the community is against. Like everything else it seems

[Dante.1763]

@Thornwolf.9721 said:

@DeanBB.4268 said:

@Thornwolf.9721 said:How about racial skill lines which offer augmentation to current skills;

Isn't that exactly what Anet was avoiding by making the racial skills weaker than regular skills? To avoid LFG "charr warrior only" syndrome?

@Acheron.4731 said:

@DeanBB.4268 said:

@Thornwolf.9721 said:How about racial skill lines which offer augmentation to current skills;

Isn't that exactly what Anet was avoiding by making the racial skills weaker than regular skills? To avoid LFG "charr warrior only" syndrome?

We kinda already see that with classes :)

@Dante.1763 said:

@Acheron.4731 said:

@DeanBB.4268 said:

@Thornwolf.9721 said:How about racial skill lines which offer augmentation to current skills;

Isn't that exactly what Anet was avoiding by making the racial skills weaker than regular skills? To avoid LFG "charr warrior only" syndrome?

We kinda already see that with classes :)

Yea, but youd see it by RACE + CLASS.

Which i dont want to see in this game.

I mean this game is already human dominant so I mean does adding racial bennefits really matter? Answer is no, its just people who wana min-max complaining that it gives other races a chances to be run by people who would maybe ignore them. Cosmetics are fine; But frankly we already have X race is superior, which is primarily a human players mentality.

Cosmetics or maybe unique takes on current classes could be a way to change this ~ which the community is against. Like everything else it seems

Youll have to forgive me for saying, but it does matter. I play soley charr, i dont like playing as humans, norn, sylvari, or asura. If i was forced into playing them just to do content i would be very displeased with this game. Race should never matter, period, sorry if you disagree, but overall(as in spread among the other 4) there are more players who play the other races than those who just play soley humans.

Humans consist of 40% of players by themselves. The other races put together = the remaining 60%.https://gw2efficiency.com/account/player-statistics

Do you play male characters? cause we should give the players who play female characters boosts as well, they are the majority afterall.

Im not against unique takes on current classes, so long as they arent race specific unique takes.

[zealex.9410]

If you mean class skills outside of elite specs then prob not. One of the main pros of elite specs is that they dont interact with each other, u can either be this or that at any given time, giving a normal class skill or more would be more akin to gw1. If mesmer got a new skill then all classes got that new skill as well in gw1 which made balance tricky.

[DonArkanio.6419]

@Thornwolf.9721 said:How about racial skill lines which offer augmentation to current skills; Basically making them function differently and having different effects based on class. (An example lets say is engineer. Your racial skill line/spec could change how your turrets look and function; Perhaps they offer different effects to the norm. ) This would mean having one of each race on each class could be cool; Your charr warrior vs human warrior would have different cosmetics on skills and functionality.

Or heck how about just Racial specs which are unique to the races. (Norn get havroun which is all based around the spirits of the wild, Charr get legionnaire, humans get dervish, Sylvari get Wyld hunt valiant and the asuran get golemancer.)

I can almost imagine as if it worked this way.Basically all classes play the same, but thematically, they are very different, so here is some:Engineer:

• Shaman (Norn): - You don't spawn turrets, just the norn effigies
• Engineer (Charr): You set normal turrets
• Technician (Asura): You set asuran cube turrets
• Occultist (Human): You summon lesser god-like elementals
• Summoner (Sylvari): You can summon Sylvari constructs.

Functions the same, looks differently. This adds to the visual clutter but it would be so cool.