Guild Wars 2

Hello,

So I’ve played since release and thought about this a lot (posted about it a few times again) and with more balance changes on the way, I thought I’d discuss this games skill system and how it affects variety.

So first, why the current meta is the way it is. The fact of the matter is that there just aren’t a lot of “meta” or great builds out there for classes. You may see 1-2 builds (variations of them, but very similar) being played out in serious PvP. So the question is why.

I’d like to discuss that.

So I believe the reason that the meta and variety of builds is in the position it is, it is because for a build to be good it must met a very narrow set of requirements. Doing any build that doesn’t meet these requirements is very punishing for the player. More punishing than most games. Builds must account for SO much in the game that it kills variety in the builds because most of them do not achieve this to the most optimal standard. So what are these requirements

1. Defensive damage negators being used consistently by the enemy. These are your blocks, your invurnables, your evades, and it includes perceived damage negation (stealth).

2. Blinds being used consistently. Almost every class can apply blinds. Guardian, Necro, Thief, and Engineer are the most popular classes that utilize blind.

3. Dealing with multiple sources of condition application

4. Managing many conditions consistently through a battle

5. Dealing with multiple sources of high burst/phyiscal DPS

6. Dealing with multiple sources of CC

7. Dealing damage against targets consistently and in big numbers

Those six things are basically what most builds need to meet in PvP battles. Now think, in a game where each class has access to only 27 skills, how many combinations of 1 heal, 4 utilities, and 1 elite can be made that meets those six things to the most optimal level. Usually its only one build. If a class doesn’t meet even one of those requirements, he falls apart in a battle against builds that do. Now this issue is what I believe led Anet to not want to do TDM type of battles and always have a secondary objective. This leads me to my next point

Artificial Build Variety.

So what is this? Basically it’s the developers utilizing outside mechanics (outside being not in the players direct control) to enforce other builds. An example of this is Conquest. Because of the point capture mechanics and how they are the main factors to winning, Bunker builds rose up. Although these builds may be considered as “lame” by some, it did offer more build variety in that now there were bunker builds that mostly specialized in just surviving, allowing the damage focused requirements to be obsolete.

Sadly though, the meta hasn’t changed much since release. It’s been roughly the same in terms of how classes play. Usually they either are bunkers, or physical/condi DPS. Anet has did balance passes, this is no lie. However they didn’t change the meta significantly in any way. So the question becomes, how can we see more build variety in this game?

For me, I see two possible routes

Route #1: You redo the skill system. Make it harder for classes to achieve multiple aspects of the battle alone. Harder for them to achieve the survivability, damage, and other aspects that we see in the current meta. This could help enforce players using teamwork to achieve those aspects and working together, instead of passive support during combat.

Route #2: More artificial build variety. Start putting in more game modes that enforce build variety. That present players with a new objective for a build that they can work to making.

At least those are my thoughts on the whole situation.

I’d be up for some death match, team death match, king of the hill, 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, 4v4, and capture the flag game modes….
Who’s with me?

TDM would just result in basically the conquest meta, just without bunkers. So I personally would rather not have tdm. However if the community would like one so badly, I wouldn’t go over 3v3 with it.

King of the hill, meh. Would again result in the same meta as conquest

Capture the flag maybe. Mobility/survivabliity would be a huge factor. If they do a CTF mode, I’d like to see it based more around classes using each other to survive and relying on each other to survive/capture the flag.

Deified.7520:

Capture the flag maybe. Mobility/survivabliity would be a huge factor. If they do a CTF mode, I’d like to see it based more around classes using each other to survive and relying on each other to survive/capture the flag.

All mobility skills/swiftness and invunerability, stability and blocks should be disabled for the flag carrier.

Deified.7520:

TDM would just result in basically the conquest meta, just without bunkers.

Lets asume its like WoW 3v3 arena. In a similar mode I would see room for alot of supportive bunker builds like heal guardians or turret engis.

Seeing that ToL teams win due too bunkers I think it would be nice to have a game mode where bunkers are useless. It would only be about killing others and teamwork. I’m sick and tired of the circles where you stand in them….

Holl.3109:

Seeing that ToL teams win due too bunkers I think it would be nice to have a game mode where bunkers are useless. It would only be about killing others and teamwork. I’m sick and tired of the circles where you stand in them….

If its about killing others condition bunkers would be very effective.

Another detriment to build diversity is how weapons are primarily designed to fit a role.

For example: The Engineer Profession has a Rifle for power builds and a Pistol for Condition Builds, That’s it.

If they made traits that could open up the possibility to change the roles of these weapons you would see much more unique variants across all professions.