Guild Wars 2

A shapeshifter profession that allows the player to shapeshift into various forms, which each allow a different style of combat, would be super cool.

Although the Norn can already do something similar, its a racial ability, not a profession, and is a gimmicky skill that can go on cool down.

Anet can expand on the Norn shapeshifting ability and create a profession out of it that all players and races can use.

Something that is kinda similar would be the elementalist utilities where they spawn weapons. Not exactly shapeshifing (which would be interesting) but you can switch combat styles easily (bow, axe, sword, etc)

Ethics.4519:

Something that is kinda similar would be the elementalist utilities where they spawn weapons. Not exactly shapeshifing (which would be interesting) but you can switch combat styles easily (bow, axe, sword, etc)

That would be a great idea for a mercenary class, what I would like to see is a shapeshifting profession, were each form has a unique combat style.

Well, the engineer kits pretty much already do this. It’s a skill that changes the main powers, and makes the class play differently. It would be that plus a change in the model to change how it looks.

Not sure we need another class. Other than the shapeshifting, what role would you like it to play that would make it different from other classes? If it is too similar to another class, there would be little point in adding it…

Kal.2376:

Well, the engineer kits pretty much already do this. It’s a skill that changes the main powers, and makes the class play differently. It would be that plus a change in the model to change how it looks.

I could also say that a warrior switching from a melee weapon to a ranged weapon also does this, but that would be stupid of me to do so.

Kal.2376:

Not sure we need another class. Other than the shapeshifting, what role would you like it to play that would make it different from other classes? If it is too similar to another class, there would be little point in adding it…

Every class has some similarities to another class in this game.

The point is to create a dynamic class that utilizes different forms, which in turn offers unique skills and abilities expanding on the idea the game already offers with the Norn racials.

Expanding on the Norn racial abilities and making it a class of its own instead of a limited spell with a 4 min cool down, would be the first step needed to develop this idea.

Call them Beastmasters and give them heavy armor to fill in the missing soldier spot. Weapons could be greatsword, hammer, mace, axe, dagger, and focus.

They can collect juvenile animals as well but use them much differently than rangers. They’ll call these animals to fight for them or shapeshift into the animal but only for a limited time. There should be a viable shapeshifting build and melee w/pet build.

Their professional mechanics would include 3 preset pets (f1, f2, f3). When f1 is used it will call the pet to fight for you for 30 seconds. If you hit f1 again, you will transform into the animal.

Their utilities could include; shapeshifting into a spirit form of an animal, pet and master attacks, signets and territories.

The pet types it could tame and shapeshift into would be;

• Bear
• Bird
• Boar
• Canine
• Drake
• Feline
• Shark
• Armor Fish

Norn are shapeshifters. There is no need to add something similar.

Except A-net’s never been good at beast mastery, Rangers already have beast mastery, and norn rangers already have shapeshifting and beast mastery. They still don’t fit anywhere in the lore of the game, and instead of stepping on the toes of just the second most popular race in the game, they step on the toes of the second most popular race, and the second most popular profession.

How about, we stick to WoW for our shapeshifting druids?

I have to say, I really like the idea of a shape-shifting class.

Here is my thought, they collect animals like Rangers do, but instead of calling them as pets OR shaping changing into them like Mojo suggests, just shape change into them. They can select a number they can have “equipped” like many classes can do with weapons. They switch with the hot keys say F1-F4 if they can equip 4 forms. Each form grants unique abilities dependent on equipped weapons. Like the Experimentalist, they shouldn’t be able to hot swap weapons, just forms, in combat. Due to the large number of possible forms each animal could fall into a set that determines what abilities they get. Each form “slot” would be of a specific type that you could only equip a form of the same type into. Different forms within a slot are primarily for aesthetics. If feasible, it would be nice for different forms to grant at least one unique ability but with the number of possible forms that could be collected this may not be reasonable.

Possible Form Types could include:

Quickness Forms
Durability Forms
Damage Forms
Utility/Healing Forms

Nels the Cornwhisperer.8025:

How about, we stick to WoW for our shapeshifting druids?

WoW should never be used as a comparison for anything, they stole just about every concept within the game from another game.

Shapeshifting druids? Try every druid in every game that ever came before it, for MMO’s try EverQuest.

Nels the Cornwhisperer.8025:

Except A-net’s never been good at beast mastery, Rangers already have beast mastery, and norn rangers already have shapeshifting and beast mastery. They still don’t fit anywhere in the lore of the game, and instead of stepping on the toes of just the second most popular race in the game, they step on the toes of the second most popular race, and the second most popular profession.

How about, we stick to WoW for our shapeshifting druids?

I know, I KNOW.. it’s ciche to add a shapeshifting race. I understand and respect that.

Although I was thinking more of The Beastmaster, that’s 80’s film where the dude sees what his animals see. I figured it could function similar to a DaoC class that played as his pet while his body was unattackable. Either that or something like warhammer’s white lion class.

With the option to play melee w/pet or shapeshifted, I thought it had enough merit to stand apart from a simple wow druidz.

I don’t know, I tell a lot of people to go back to WoW, Drake. It seems to be where most of these ideas come from.

In any case, the suggestion you’ve got is exactly this: Shapeshift in to Ranger pets. One unique slot, then generic for each main type of animal, general types of animals being more durable, faster, doing damage, or having heals...

So... a whole class based on being a ranger pet.

Nels the Cornwhisperer.8025:

I don’t know, I tell a lot of people to go back to WoW, Drake. It seems to be where most of these ideas come from.

In any case, the suggestion you’ve got is exactly this: Shapeshift in to Ranger pets. One unique slot, then generic for each main type of animal, general types of animals being more durable, faster, doing damage, or having heals…

So… a whole class based on being a ranger pet.

Humm… I get where you’re going, it is working off of beast types. If it’s to be added in game I would hope it is understood that it would have to be developed by professionals to be a balanced profession.

Nels the Cornwhisperer.8025:

I don’t know, I tell a lot of people to go back to WoW, Drake. It seems to be where most of these ideas come from.

It’s hard for ideas to NOT come from WoW when WoW has taken the better ideas from all the fantasy MMOs out there.

Please no, Norn are the shapeshifters and thats why I picked them (nothing like morphing into a wolf and eating your enemy’s health away) This profession idea would basically ruin the fun of Norn for a lot of people.

The Norn are a race NOT a class. So as far as I am concerned there is no shapes shifting class in the game. Norns get to shapeshift for a few seconds through racial abilities that have a 4 minute cool down.

A class that can do this permanently instead of a few seconds, is what the topic of discussion is about. If players are defensive because they want their Norn characters to be special or what ever, this shapeshifting class would also give the Norn a shape shifting class they could utilize.

People should look at it this way, take the concept of Norn racials, expand on its idea, make them permanent, and we now have a new dynamic class.

Take the concept that makes the second most popular race in the game unique, and give it to everyone. Why don’t we make dervishes, by taking all the unique mechanics of humans and guardians and turning it in to a whole class? Why don’t we make snipers, taking half of the thief mechanics, and half of the ranger mechanics to make a new class?

In any case, the discussion at hand is the shapeshifting class. Whether Anet decides to make race specific classes in the future is up to them.

The matter at hand is the class, not whether people want it exclusive to Norns or whatever.

Why would you want a shapeshifting class? How would you be epic to show off your gear? Imagine taking the time to get a legendary, then transforming into a cat that looks like everyone else?
I would be ready to kill someone….. good thing i bought this game then .

SilverRule.7426:

Why would you want a shapeshifting class? How would you be epic to show off your gear? Imagine taking the time to get a legendary, then transforming into a cat that looks like everyone else?
I would be ready to kill someone….. good thing i bought this game then .

This is totally pushing it but I’d like to see some of my gear on my shapeshifted forms. Even it it’s just the shoulders or something.

What about a Shape Shifting Class That swaps between Soldier/Adventurer/Scholar play-style. Rather than turn into animals they could Make themselves into an Avatar of Might/Cunning/Magic. Make them like a magical warrior class that stemmed off the Dervish idea. It would be fun all that would be needed is a look at what they would actually wear. Maybe Ill work on this Idea a little.

Mojo.2691:

SilverRule.7426:

Why would you want a shapeshifting class? How would you be epic to show off your gear? Imagine taking the time to get a legendary, then transforming into a cat that looks like everyone else?
I would be ready to kill someone….. good thing i bought this game then .

This is totally pushing it but I’d like to see some of my gear on my shapeshifted forms. Even it it’s just the shoulders or something.

I too would like to see armor on the forms.

Dragonhero.1852:

What about a Shape Shifting Class That swaps between Soldier/Adventurer/Scholar play-style. Rather than turn into animals they could Make themselves into an Avatar of Might/Cunning/Magic. Make them like a magical warrior class that stemmed off the Dervish idea. It would be fun all that would be needed is a look at what they would actually wear. Maybe Ill work on this Idea a little.

I like your idea, but I still would like this style with animals. I wouldn’t mind if the animal forms wore armor which would be really cool itself, and what I mean by animal forms is similar forms to what the Norn use, not actual animals.

Shape shifting class would be a novel idea. But instead of using the animals the Ranger uses why not use the shapes and forms of those that are not. Rock Dog, Wind Walker, Raptor, Barricuda, .. well you get the idea. In the higher maps you’ve got all types of creatures infected with the Brand. Figuring out how the brand infects creatures leads to the insights of self transformation usually only available those who are supported by the Norn Guardians.

I don’t know if any of you actually play Norn Rangers, but two things…

First, the shapeshifting ability… not so terribly useful. For an ultimate skill, I would have hoped for something that would make my character better, not worse.
Second, there really isn’t much difference between all the various pets. I have collected them all by now, but truthfully— they all have one of two sets of stats, with but a few exceptions their skills are hardly battle-swinging (I use the hyena mostly because summoning another ally seems more useful than anything else), and whatever they might do to the mobs in the world… well, frankittenhey all seem to kill everything at about the same rate unless you do a mismatch (use something that relies on poison against something immune to poison for instance).

There are a few pets whose attacks have elemental properties, but those are only their special skills. Assuming mobs have elemental weaknesses (again, haven’t really tried it out much) then maybe there is a strategic reason to use one over another, but the elemental properties are tied to their special skills with long recharges only.

What I am trying to get at here is simply this— even if you went around and collected all these different animal forms, there wouldn’t be any good reason to ever choose one over another. There wouldn’t be enough actual functionality difference between these different forms. Now, I would assume the idea of this class would be that it would still draw your stats from your armor and tokens, maybe even your weapons even though their functionality would be ignored. If that were the case then, just like with the pets, there wouldn’t even be that much difference between the forms.

If one wanted to add some sort of shape-shifting functionality to the game, I would think it would be better off for it to be an expansion of the elementalist (stone form, water form, fire form and wind form one would imagine would all have very different stats) than based on basic animals.

No… It’s silly and we don’t need it.