Using Surplus Skill Points to Level Alts

Using Surplus Skill Points to Level Alts

in Suggestions

Posted by: TwoBit.5903

TwoBit.5903

The Problem:
One of the greatest weaknesses of the GW2 experience is leveling alts. I believe there are several reasons for this. The obvious one is that the exploration element of engagement in lower levels wears off quickly with subsequent playthroughs. By starting off at level 1 again, players who have had access to the entire map are once again locked into a few zones. It’s not surprising how detrimental it is for a player to lose this kind of freedom in an experience that focuses so much on exploration. Another reason is that GW2 uses many deck-building elements. If a player goes from 70 trait points to 0, that player loses all of their ability to decide what goes in their deck, and the process of regaining that ability is unsurprisingly sluggish.

Solution:
Allow players to convert surplus skill points into levels for alts. Something along the lines of 4-5 skill points to exchange for an item that grant 1 level. This item can only be used up to level 40 and outside of combat (in order to avoid abuse in WvW and PvE since leveling restores all health).

Reasoning:
By allowing this, players who wish to level an alt can do so in a more engaging manner through their maxed out characters. A cap of level 40 allows the player the freedom explore a good potion of the map and enough trait points with which they can build their character. It also ensures that the player must play through a good portion of the game to max out their character and, therefore, be better prepared for endgame content.

Do it, ANet.

Edit: An important point was brought up about new players using the systems to rush through levels. In order to avoid this, ANet could simply restrict the conversion to level 80 characters and make the items account bound.

(edited by TwoBit.5903)

Using Surplus Skill Points to Level Alts

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Posted by: runeblade.7514

runeblade.7514

No.

If you want to fast-level. You’re going to have to pay for it instead of being handed to you on a silver platter.

It means, go craft stuff. It’ll cost you around 33 gold according to this site: http://gw2crafts.saladon.net/cooking_karma.html

Do it, TwoBit.

5x Warrior, 5x Ranger, 4x Elementalist, 4x Engineer,
4x Necromancer, 3x Mesmer, 4x Guardian, 4x Thief, 4 Revenant

Using Surplus Skill Points to Level Alts

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Posted by: TwoBit.5903

TwoBit.5903

I already know the trick. In fact, that’s how I leveled my alts. The problem is that it’s an incredibly boring method, and players unaware of the crafting trick would be quick to turn away from leveling alts.

Using Surplus Skill Points to Level Alts

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Posted by: runeblade.7514

runeblade.7514

It is a good thing that it is boring, it’ll make playing the game a better experience if you actually tried to play the game.

5x Warrior, 5x Ranger, 4x Elementalist, 4x Engineer,
4x Necromancer, 3x Mesmer, 4x Guardian, 4x Thief, 4 Revenant

Using Surplus Skill Points to Level Alts

in Suggestions

Posted by: TwoBit.5903

TwoBit.5903

That is incredible backwards logic you’re using there. Developers need to create systems in order to enhance the overall experience. In both cases crafting and actually playing the game with an alt are both boring experiences. You can’t substitute something boring for something also boring. Actually playing the game with a maxed out character isn’t a dull experience, and using that to enhance alt leveling makes it all the better.

Furthermore, there are to many intermediary steps and decisions to earning gold with a higher level character, looking up crafting tables and guides, using gold to buy ingredients and then, finally, earning experience by leveling the craft. Most players won’t be tuned to following these steps. Couples with the the fact that leveling low level alts is likely to be an unengaging experience for them, they will be even less likely to keep on playing after they’ve reached their goal with their main character.

(edited by TwoBit.5903)

Using Surplus Skill Points to Level Alts

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Posted by: runeblade.7514

runeblade.7514

Developers don’t need to implement a legitimate cheat code to get every whiners to max level though.

If you don’t want to level an alt, then don’t level an alt.

5x Warrior, 5x Ranger, 4x Elementalist, 4x Engineer,
4x Necromancer, 3x Mesmer, 4x Guardian, 4x Thief, 4 Revenant

Using Surplus Skill Points to Level Alts

in Suggestions

Posted by: TwoBit.5903

TwoBit.5903

Several problems with your argument.
1) It’s not max level. It’s up to a level where the game becomes engaging.
2) It’s not a cheat code. Players will still have to play the game in order to level alts. Doing so through high level characters is simply more engaging.
3) If players aren’t engaged enough to level alts, there’s less of a chance that they’ll keep playing the game. With their implementation of Ascended items, it has been made clear that players not being engaged enough to keep on playing is a problem for ANet.

(edited by TwoBit.5903)

Using Surplus Skill Points to Level Alts

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Posted by: kenshinakh.3672

kenshinakh.3672

I had a good time leveling alts on GW2 o.O. There’s so much to see. Of course, I didn’t do map completion on any character yet (saving legendaries and map completion for last).

I think 5ish skill points for a level is a bit too little? One level at level 10 is nothing like a level at level 70. Maybe XP jugs instead? But something that definitely costs a ton of points so like maybe 300+ points to even get a low level past the halfway point. It’s even more boring to level via clicking a bunch of jugs though than crafting lol.

Using Surplus Skill Points to Level Alts

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Posted by: TwoBit.5903

TwoBit.5903

I had a good time leveling alts on GW2 o.O. There’s so much to see. Of course, I didn’t do map completion on any character yet (saving legendaries and map completion for last).

I think 5ish skill points for a level is a bit too little? One level at level 10 is nothing like a level at level 70. Maybe XP jugs instead? But something that definitely costs a ton of points so like maybe 300+ points to even get a low level past the halfway point. It’s even more boring to level via clicking a bunch of jugs though than crafting lol.

Most of my guild members quit due to how abysmal the experience of the game is after getting 1 maxed out character. This included both the legendary grind and alt leveling. I only speak because of my experience with them.

SP isn’t a problem with fractals, but I can see your point if you’re a player that doesn’t run them often. I think XP jugs would work too, but there needs to be a limit in order to avoid abuse and bypassing the entire leveling experience.

Using Surplus Skill Points to Level Alts

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Posted by: Modimor.4319

Modimor.4319

Ok, if you would be able to hand out skillpoints as lvls, for alts, then there would be NO players in the lower lvl areas wich would make the experience really crappy for new players. It’s empty as it is in lowe/mid lvl areas. Imo they should add timed event chains on ALL maps with good rewards for lvl 80 characters so they could get more people on all maps to get a more sence of activity in the world.

Using Surplus Skill Points to Level Alts

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Posted by: Cake Monster.7496

Cake Monster.7496

No on this. It is easy to obtain extra skill points and this idea would make the game less fun for new players. If you want quick level without exploring, do crafting, should be easy enough to obtain around 40 gold if you are maxed level and bored with your character.

Using Surplus Skill Points to Level Alts

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Posted by: TwoBit.5903

TwoBit.5903

@Modimor:
The problem’s recursive. There are few players in lower level areas because leveling alts is tedious and boring. Lower level maps will still be relevant because of scaled up rewards and downscaling of players. In fact one of the more popular methods of leveling in some servers is for players to go to Queensdale, and spam those events because they’re so easy for the exp they yield. I can name a few servers that do this methodically.

It’s better to encourage veteran players to explore the world than not at all, I’d say. Although more engaging content in lower zones can only help as well.

@Cake Monster:
The processis really meant for level 80 characters with no way to spend their SP and also lack the willpower to muster through the boring parts of the content again. ANet could always limit the process of converting SP to level 80 characters alone to prevent new players from blazing through the content, make the items account bound, etc. A high exchange rate ensures that players can’t constantly spam SP to level alts and a cap prevents them from not playing the content at all with their alts. Futhermore, leveling through crafting can be a very convoluted and esoteric process, making less attractive than a simple conversion. As an anecdote, I have a necromancer that I could simply buy to level 80 but doing so requires so much tedium that I’d prefer not to play him at all.

(edited by TwoBit.5903)