Guild Wars 2

Many classes have traits that are almost core to playing the class, especially in pvp settings, due to their interaction with class mechanics. These traits are very strong, arguably stronger than almost any other trait in their tier, but also essential for playing the class. When I think of such traits, the following come to mind absolutely:

Elementalist:
Elemental Attunement
When swapping attunements, you and nearby allies gain the following boons:
Fire: Might (15s)
Water: Regen (5s)
Air: Swiftness (5s)
Earth: Protection (5s)

Mesmer:
Deceptive Evasion
Create a clone at your current position when you dodge

You could also argue the following traits
Engineer:
Incendiary Powder
Critical Hits inflict burning (4s), 10s ICD

Warrior
Fast Hands
Weapon-Swapping recharges faster (5s)

I can’t think of any other for other classes at the moment.

Now REGARDLESS OF HOW STRONG THESE TRAITS ARE, I feel like when something is so integral to playing any builds, they should almost be integrated into the class mechanic, with the trait used instead to buff its current effect. This should be done in such a way that the current top-meta builds are UNCHANGED, but other builds don’t feel as handcuffed into taking them.

As an example, for elementalists, they could get the current boons at 66% of their current duration baseline, and only for themselves. If they take Elemental Attunement, it becomes AOE (like now) and increases the duration by 150% (to the current duration)

For mesmers, clone-on-dodge could be on kitten ICD, and the trait removes that ICD.

For warriors, weapon-swap could be a 7.5s ICD base, and the trait makes it 5s.

For engineers, they could get a 2s (50% current duration) on 15s ICD, and the trait making it 4s on a 10s ICD. (I personally disagree with the current duration/ICD, but that is a topic for another thread).

What do you guys think? Are there other “necessary traits”? Should reliance on them be reduced by partially integrating them and having the traits strengthen the effects? Do you agree these traits are necessary?

These are definitely good ideas if/when they do a huge patch/revamp of a lot of stuff. As of now only changing these things would affect balance quite a lot, even though it would open up trait diversity.

Seems like a good idea.

For things like: Elemental Attunement, Evasive Arcana, Cleansing Ire, Empathic Bond, Sleight of Hand, Incendiary Powder, Grenadier, Deceptive Evasion, I feel like they should be less of a no-brainer to pick up.

There’s no reason to largely affect balance, so, any power gains to builds that all of a sudden no longer had to pick up these ‘must have’ traits, those builds will have to be checked for balance. Even though it’s likely to still be the same traits everyone uses, it could help engineer a closing of the gap between really good and really bad trait lines.

But honestly – if some of the god tier traits had some of the godliness shifted away from the trait itself and toward the abilities, it would definitely be enabling in the creation of new builds.