Or I should say this is a thread between something I strongly suggest that Guild Wars 2 lacks (opposed to Guild Wars 1) mixed with my first impressions regarding where Guild Wars 2 fails and where Guild Wars 2 excels.
NOTE: The mock-up image attached to this thread is an example of my suggestion.
Even though this has probably been suggested before — I am two weeks in playing Guild Wars 2 as of me writing this — please give players the ability to unlock up to 5 additional Skills per weapon type every 10 levels at the cost of nothing to players except time played for leveling instead of just giving players 5 additional Skills per weapon type to utilize right away.
That will not only give players a goal to work toward to unlock all 5 Alternate Weapon Skills at Level 50, but it will also add much more fun to the game. Isn’t that what it’s all about?
When I played Guild Wars 2 for the first 2 hours, I immediately said to myself after figuring out the Skills & Traits Window, “This is it? This is the extent of my main Skills per weapon since there are no Alternate Weapon Skills shown in this window?”
And the disheartening thing about it all? None of what I am trying to bring to the developer’s attention regarding more Alternate Skills per weapon type is being addressed in the new Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns expansion.
If it is one thing Guild Wars 2 has plenty of it is eye-candy, yet the older the game gets, the more the eye-candy will wear off, and the more it will become apparent (hopefully is soon acknowledged as very important) that gameplay improvement is what is going to keep players around for years to come because gameplay is something players do at least 95% of the time whether we are playing PvE or WvW.
The reason I suggest at least 5 more Skills for each weapon type is because I simply cannot see players continuously using the same default 5 Skills for each weapon type for the entirety of Guild Wars 2’s existence. Sure, the game visually looks great, has an awesome Trade System, etc. yet the thing that matters the most is gameplay (in my honest opinion).
Know how I know gameplay outperforms graphics, etc. at the end of the day? Just look back at all those 8-bit games of the past that are to a great many of us still fun today. Why? Gameplay!
I get to thinking to myself, “Why does Guild Wars 2 have almost everything anyone could ever want in an MMORPG, except build creativity, that which made its predecessor so much fun in the first place?”
It is not just Guild Wars 2 that has gotten me into that mindset. Where games like Guild Wars 2 excels in explorability in an open, seemingly ‘living world’, an awesome Trade System, etc. games like Path of Exile excels in build creativity and character customization with its Skill Tree and Skill Gems and Support Gems you can link together to make other gems more powerful.
Every good game I play always seems to miss something greatly desired, oftentimes because what desired was stripped away where its predecessor excelled.
I am all for smart innovative changes, yet there is a difference between smart innovative changes and leaving players deprived of more Skills to utilize in combat, and that is truly my ONLY gripe with Guild Wars 2.
Thank you for looking into this.
Eidolonemesis
