Guild Wars 2

This is a topic describing my opinions on the current system for aquiring gear in Guilds Wars 2, what I don’t like about it, and my suggestions for how to improve it. The Three things I want to address are::

(1) : Incomplete Armor Sets
(2) : New Upgrade Suggestion
(3) : New Stat combinations

So first, I want to talk about Incomplete Armor Sets, because there is alot of them in the game. First we need to define what a complete armor set is. I would define a complete armor set, as one where you can fully optimize the three stats that particular armor set has. In order to do this, you need to have :::

• Weapons
• Armor
• Trinkets
• Back Item
• Jewels (Exotic Jewels for trinkets)

This is only in Exotic gear. I’ll address Ascended later. The only Gear Stat in the game that can meet the definition of a full armor set, is Berserker’s. Some of the other most commonly used gear stats in the game such as Cleric, Assassin, and Rampager, lack a Back item, while other Gear Stats like Magi, Dire, and Settler have Back items, but do not have an equivalent Exotic jewel.

Because of this, it becomes difficult to fully, 100% optimize my stats. If I equip all Cleric stats, then, I have to use the Magi Back item to maximize my healing power, even though there is 16 precision and 16 Vitality that mean nothing for my stats, and I don’t want to use it. If I equip all Magi gear, then there is no equivelant jewel, so, the only way to maximize my healing power is to equip Sapphire(Cleric) jewels, but then, thats 84 Precision and Vitality that I lose (14×6), and instead I gain 90 Power and 90 Toughness(15×6), neither of which I even need for my build, so I am forced to equip Crests of the Magi, which has less overall stats than Jewels do, meaning, my build is not optimized.

I didn’t mind having had to spend half a million Karma to buy the full Magi set in Orr. That’s why I wanted it. I didn’t have to craft it, and that gear combination was hard to get, and the things you can do with it (especially as a Ranger), is Amazing! but, there wasn’t a full set, because there was no upgrade components for Magi that matched the other gear stats.

It gets even worse when you see that some equipment stats (like Magi again), don’t even have any ascended Trinkets to use, so, currently, my build that uses all Magi gear, isn’t even close to being optimized. The way it stands right now, all the gear stats, except for one, cannot be 100% built to the max, because the items just do not exist in the game for them.

there are other minor things as well, such as the Knight stats not matching up with its Jewel counterpart.

(2) – New Upgrade Suggestion

Obviously, suggestion number one, is to make a back items for all gear stats. Its just makes sense to do it. That would fix Optimization for Valkyrie, Rampager, Assassin, Sentinel, Carrion, Cleric, Apothecary, and Celestial stat combinations. That’s 8 armor sets fixed right there.

Next, we need to do something for Soldier, Rabid, and Magi armor. These armors are almost complete, but they do not have Jewels in which to fully maximize their stats with. Instead we have Crest of the Soldier, Crest of the Rabid, etc. For these three, I suggest that we be able to craft a superior item above Crest that we can only put in our Trinkets and Back item, so 1, their balanced, and 2, that way these stats are equal with all the others in terms of how optimized you can get them. You could call them for example Soldier’s Escutcheon, Rabid Badge, or Order of the Magi.

Now we get to the more incomplete armor sets, such as the ones with no crest or Jewel (Dire, Settler), and ones with no back item or Jewel (Shaman), and those with no equivelant Crest or Jewel, or Back Item (Knight see above). We also have very incomplete armor sets like Cavalier. My First suggestion is to make a back item for those that need them, as well as fully completing the Cavalier set of stats to give them weapons and armor. Next, you should introduce Universal upgrades for those stat combinations (Seal of the Dire, Medallion of the Dire, Crest of the Dire, etc.), then make the superior version of that item to be put in jewels. (Dire Badge, etc.).

Basically, if this is too long; Didn’t read. The one idea you should get from this, is that….

“Anet, Please complete all the armor sets!”

(3) – New Stat Combinations!
This section is more for fun, so, you can stop reading here, or feel free to reply and add your own, I’ll add them to this list. The question here is “What new Stat Combination would you like to see in Guild Wars 2?” They can be any of the traditional Stats that are already on armors, or you can add in new ones

Druid’s
Primary : Precision
Secondary 1 : Toughness
Secondary 2 : Healing Power

Reason – I want this armor set because as a Ranger, I can use the high precision to almost permanently have 25 stacks of might on my pet, as well as keep effects from on-crit sigils going constantly whenever they recharge. The Toughness and Healing Power is for survival, healing my pet, and using the higher toughness to keep enemy attention on me instead of my pet so they can keep dealing damage for longer without dying. Also, I would take toughness over vitality any day, since on a point to point basis with professions with already higher health, its more effective. (also healing is easier with toughness over vitality)

Expert’s
Primary Profession Attribute
Secondary Power, Precision, Toughness, Vitality, Condition Damage, Healing Power

Reason – This Stat Combination is actually the same as Celestial, but Critical Damage is replaced with a Profession Attribute bonus, cut in half. That is roughly a 30 point bonus to your Profession attribute. Thiefs steal can recharge 30% faster, Engineers can use their toolbelts 30% more often, Ranger pets get an additional 300 point bonus to all their attributes, etc. Its probably way too impractical, but it would be kind of neat to see an armor set like this in the game.

Explorer
Primary Movement Speed
Secondary Power, Precision, Toughness, Vitality, Condition Damage, Healing Power

Reason Okay, I guess my originality is running out…. I think it would make sense though, to replace Critical Damage (or another stat) with Movement speed. Across all armor sets, it shouldn’t go higher than 25% so it is balanced, and doesn’t stack with other sources. I want to see this so it gives us another option to pick over Signets or Runes that increase movement speed.

Sorcerer’s
Primary Vitality
Secondary Power
Secondary Precision

Reason This stat combination is like Knight’s armor. Even though I prefer Toughness, sometimes it makes more sense to have high Vitality instead, such as when fighting enemy’s that deal alot of condition damage. Also, we only have two armor options with high vitality, both of which are hard to get (one being nearly impossible). We should have more!!!!

Stalwart’s
Primary: Vitality
Secondary: Toughness
Secondary Healing power

Reason : The is very similar to sentinel, but instead of having damage, get healing.
i know it would inherently create bunker for warriors…. but for a guardian… this stat combination seems like it should already be in place.(having the lowest health pool and having a dependency on toughness and healing power to make the tools (virtue/meditations) do the job that they are there for.