End of Dragons elite spec preview

[hash.8462]

56 minutes ago, Ezrael.6859 said:

Umm why? Soulbeast only got 1 dagger in their mainhand from their elite specialisation.

 

They've had off-hand dagger since 2012.

Indeed, if this is a gaurdian (very high chance) why it show the main sword that they already have since 2012?

Exactly like Souldbeast the picture should just show the off-hand sword if that is the only one added.

Firebrand picture for example show an axe and a tome, so I can only presume that 2 swords are "required" for the specialization to work, or at least needed for a branch of the new traitline.

 

Edited August 8, 2021 by hash.8462

[draxynnic.3719]

2 hours ago, Dadnir.5038 said:

I don't think so, there is not much more evidence for guardian than there is for revenant, elementalist or thief. All 4 of them get some pieces of evidence with pro and cons.

- Elementalist's evidence would be the shade of blue and red. But the armor feel a bit to "heavy" and the character is definitely a "male" while elementalist is usually represented by a "female" character.

- Guardian's evidence is mainly the shades of blue and the heavy looking armor. But at the same time, one can argue that this blue is to "deep".

- Revenant's evidence would be the color shades and the heavy looking armor. However seeing that the character wield 2 swords make us rule the profession almost unconsciously.

- Thief's main evidence is the helmet which seem to look like the WvW intermediate armor helmet. The main issue being the color scheme that seem to "flashy".

- There is no hints of green shades so it's neither the ranger nor the necromancer.

- The picture is just not gold/brown enough to be engineer or warrior.

- And, well, Mesmer is set in stone now with the virtuoso.

The armour doesn't just "feel" heavy. It's heavy Warlord's, apart from the shoulders. The specific skin it's based on has been identified. It might actually be the closest match to an existing set we've HAD in one of these artworks (there are bigger differences between the original core Guardian art and in-game Protector's, for instance).

 

So we can rule out elementalist, thief, or anything non-heavy outside of pie-in-the-sky theories about opening up heavy armour for a profession that currently doesn't use it. 

 

Within that set, rev and war already have double swords. So outside of taking an unprecedented - and probably controversial - approach of changing existing weapons rather than adding a new one, that leaves Guardian.

 

At present, we have no reason to believe that "breaking rules" means that they'll be giving heavy armour to a non-soldier profession or that they'll be changing an existing weapon set on a profession instead of offering a new weapon apart from people wanting the silhouette to be something other than guardian.

[Acyk.9671]

deleted

Edited April 3, 2022 by Acyk.9671

[draxynnic.3719]

1 hour ago, Acyk.9671 said:

That's the only thing I could think about to try to tie shinobi to the 2 swords icons. Yes it's quite absurd.

Which leads me to believe either this icon is not about thief or thief won't be about eastern Asia at all. I don't remember any South Asian influence in GW1 Cantha but Anet could attempt to turn Luxons into khmers or South China Sea Pirates alike. It seems far fetch but why not. Which brings me back to mechanics? Would Anet give an assassin shadow step to a pirate themed off hand sword? 

Well, the direct reference wouldn't be to anything historical, at least not directly. It'd be to Guild Wars' own past. 

 

The GW1 assassin symbol is an icon of two crossed blades, very similar to icon #3 except that the blades are straight instead of curved, and that the assassin symbol lacks the diamonds - however, if the diamonds do symbolise initiative, then they're symbolising something that is present in GW2 but wasn't present in GW1.

 

While assassins formally used daggers rather than swords, some of those "daggers" were sword-length. Shiro also explicitly uses paired swords, and while he's something that goes a little beyond a regular Assassin (by the time we fight him, he has Envoy powers, the power that gave him the Jade Wind, and other stuff from Abaddon going on), it seems to be something that has carried forth from the time when he was a regular, if exceptionally skilled, Assassin.

 

So with respect to Guild Wars history, dual swords for an Assassin-themed elite specialisation fits. Doesn't matter if it's not an accurate representation of historical East Asian assassin-like agents. The precedent is in Guild Wars canon itself. 

1 hour ago, Acyk.9671 said:

 

I won't bother answering the rest. You quoting youtube videos and wikipedia. Me trying to draw parallels between an European era, given it's anachronism and it doesn't make much sense, where the difference of equipment between the aristocratic warriors and peasants was somehow equal to the difference between samurai and shinobi. We don't seem to understand each other intentions.

No point going further about this historic parenthesis as our disagreement is quite minor after all and we are running in circles at this point.

I'm at least providing numbers and sources rather than making assertions and expressing contempt, even if I'm not invested enough to spend hours of additional research when there are other people who've done it for me, and whose findings are in line with what I've found in the past.

 

Either way, though, by the late Middle Ages, swords were far from being something that was so expensive only the aristocracy could afford them. Even in Japan, access to swords among the lower classes was more a matter of law than expense (although obviously poorer people wouldn't be able to afford the highest-quality blades). Swords might have been restricted to the upper classes when talking about Germanic tribes, but Guild Wars 2 is a period where the least advanced playable races are at least around Renaissance level technologically, culturally, and economically.

 

Again, though, the primary consideration here is that the EoD thief specialisation is likely to be some descendant of the Assassin. And the dual-swords icon looks very similar to the Assassin icon, and in consideration that dual daggers is already present, dual swords for an Assassin-descended elite specialisation is something that has some precedent, while there's no such precedent for an axe offhand.

[Klypto.1703]

On 8/4/2021 at 1:04 PM, Lan Deathrider.5910 said:

I think this one got delayed and that they are doing both on the 13th.

 

[Daniel Handler.4816]

https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/youre-invited-to-the-first-elite-specialization-beta-event/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=news&utm_campaign=rss

 

They filled in the silhouettes colour. Its guardian. 

[Curunen.8729]

There we go then. Guardian, double sword icon (unless it is double sword ranger in heavy armour because of the green...).

 

And I reckon thief will be offhand torch with the flame icon. Edit - either that or the angry mask, though no idea what weapon in that case.

Edited August 10, 2021 by Curunen.8729

[LadyEden.7519]

On 8/8/2021 at 1:37 PM, draxynnic.3719 said:

The armour doesn't just "feel" heavy. It's heavy Warlord's, apart from the shoulders.

 

It has a Samurai feel to me, except for the headwear. Still, I am disappointed already as I was hoping to see a return of the Monk in the form of a Shaolin elite spec (with armor penalties for the heavy-class Guardian).

 

Edited August 10, 2021 by LadyEden.7519

[draxynnic.3719]

52 minutes ago, Daniel Handler.4816 said:

https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/youre-invited-to-the-first-elite-specialization-beta-event/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=news&utm_campaign=rss

 

They filled in the silhouettes colour. Its guardian. 

Yeah, I was looking at that and thinking "anyone still think it's the wrong colours to be guardian NOW?"

[draxynnic.3719]

15 minutes ago, LadyEden.7519 said:

 

It has a Samurai feel to me, except for the headwear. Still, I am disappointed already as I was hoping to see a return of the Monk in the form of a Shaolin elite spec (with armor penalties for the heavy-class Guardian).

 

Wouldn't exactly be a return of the monk, since the GW1 monk was primarily a spellcaster. If such a concept were to appear, I'd expect it to be on a lighter-armoured profession... although I suspect that staff daredevil might be as close as we're really realistically likely to get.

Edited August 10, 2021 by draxynnic.3719

[LadyEden.7519]

5 minutes ago, draxynnic.3719 said:

Wouldn't exactly be a return of the monk, since the GW1 monk was primarily a spellcaster.

 

That's not a problem. Offensive spells, a staff for a weapon, a penalty to armor class, and you have a perfect adaption of the Monk for the Guardian class. 😉

[draxynnic.3719]

1 minute ago, LadyEden.7519 said:

 

That's not a problem. Offensive spells, a staff for a weapon, a penalty to armor class, and you have a perfect adaption of the Monk for the Guardian class. 😉

That'd be quite different to a Shaolin theme if you were going back to focusing on spells - that's a theme I normally associate with martial arts.

 

Staff is already on guardian, and given that it's their main support weapon already, I probably wouldn't be inclined to change it for a monk spec. Instead, I'd probably be inclined to introduce a new weapon that can be made as a spellcasting focus, such as dagger or warhorn. Evidently not happening right now, though.

[Murdering Mike.2874]

Well, with today's news, and the color schemes revealed,it's mesmer Necro and Guardian for sure. 

[Jack Swiftclaw.9076]

From Twitter on the preview of the beta next week we had virtuoso, dark green pistol user asura with a Pirate look which I think we agree is Necro, and the dual sword user which has the light blue guardian color. So I'm guessing Guardian.  

 

Necro pistol- maybe they can get something similar to spirit weapons as kinda a link to ritualist.

 

Guardian- maybe physical skills and stances?  

[Jski.6180]

Something i am realizing there seems to be as of yet no uniquest effects for EoD for combat. HoT had a massive add on to combat though elite spec new boons even a new class, and PoF only had barrier for the most part but that was a big effect. There seems to be nothing new all though we just saw one elite spec so far. If there is any thing i hope we see it on the 13 if there is nothing these elite spec are going to feel underwhelming.

[Lan Deathrider.5910]

52 minutes ago, Jack Swiftclaw.9076 said:

From Twitter on the preview of the beta next week we had virtuoso, dark green pistol user asura with a Pirate look which I think we agree is Necro, and the dual sword user which has the light blue guardian color. So I'm guessing Guardian.  

 

Necro pistol- maybe they can get something similar to spirit weapons as kinda a link to ritualist.

 

Guardian- maybe physical skills and stances?  

If other classes keep getting Warrior's Physical and Stance skills while making them OP, then can Warrior get things like Deceptions, or Elixirs and make them OP as well?

[MrForz.1953]

1 hour ago, Lan Deathrider.5910 said:

If other classes keep getting Warrior's Physical and Stance skills while making them OP, then can Warrior get things like Deceptions, or Elixirs and make them OP as well?

It is indeed upsetting when Engineer is a much better sword and shield user than Warrior will ever be.

 

A part of the reason I'm not much of a fan of giving away GS and "combat" skills like candy is for the sake of Warrior keeping an identity. A majority of players want to do epic warrior things without playing warrior.

Edited August 10, 2021 by MrForz.1953
I'm not a really a cat person.

[LadyEden.7519]

10 minutes ago, MrForz.1953 said:

It is indeed upsetting when Engineer is a much better sword and shield user than Warrior will ever be.

 

Yes. The original Guild Wars had a much cleaner cut profession and skill system. Completely redesigning a system doesn't necessarily lead to better results. I wish they had kept that and other aspects of the original game.

[Lan Deathrider.5910]

58 minutes ago, MrForz.1953 said:

It is indeed upsetting when Engineer is a much better sword and shield user than Warrior will ever be.

 

A part of the reason I'm not much of a fan of giving away GS and "combat" skills like candy is for the sake of Warrior keeping an identity. A majority of players want to do epic warrior things without playing warrior.

They should give warrior pistol/pistol and a bunch of 1200 range utilities that do AoE big D damage without being projectiles and end up being top DPS in all game modes.

[Kodama.6453]

33 minutes ago, Lan Deathrider.5910 said:

They should give warrior pistol/pistol and a bunch of 1200 range utilities that do AoE big D damage without being projectiles and end up being top DPS in all game modes.

Top ranged dps without using projectiles so the big majority of range defense mechanics don't work.

 

Yeah, let's not do that please.

[Lan Deathrider.5910]

7 minutes ago, Kodama.6453 said:

Top ranged dps without using projectiles so the big majority of range defense mechanics don't work.

 

Yeah, let's not do that please.

You do realize I was not entirely serious right?

[Obtena.7952]

On 8/8/2021 at 4:38 AM, hash.8462 said:

Indeed, if this is a gaurdian (very high chance) why it show the main sword that they already have since 2012?

Exactly like Souldbeast the picture should just show the off-hand sword if that is the only one added.

Firebrand picture for example show an axe and a tome, so I can only presume that 2 swords are "required" for the specialization to work, or at least needed for a branch of the new traitline.

 

Well, frankly, that would look silly if they didn't put SOME mainhand weapon on the artwork. For all we know, some of the sword mainhand skills could change with the espec as well. No one knows enough to question why things are this or that. 

Edited August 10, 2021 by Obtena.7952

[ChronoPinoyX.7923]

On 8/8/2021 at 9:38 AM, hash.8462 said:

Indeed, if this is a gaurdian (very high chance) why it show the main sword that they already have since 2012?

Exactly like Souldbeast the picture should just show the off-hand sword if that is the only one added.

Firebrand picture for example show an axe and a tome, so I can only presume that 2 swords are "required" for the specialization to work, or at least needed for a branch of the new traitline.

Artistic presentation doesn't always count for the final product. Besides, it would be absolutely dumb of ANet to break the one essential part of the E-Spec system which is the fact that it works on all core weapons available to the profession along with the added weapon when accessing the E-Spec. This was most likely done to give a more symmetrical feel to the artwork, but it's not essential to the actual E-Spec.

[Grand Marshal.4098]

And people rly doubted my first comment on heavy warlord 🥱

[Kodama.6453]

2 hours ago, Grand Marshal.4098 said:

And people rly doubted my first comment on heavy warlord 🥱

I doubted it since I didn't expect from Anet to use the colour theme of thief on a guardian teaser. Turns out they did it, most likely to create discussion and confusion, just like what happened with people arguing on both sides if it is thief or guardian.