Guild Wars 2

I’m glad there’s a new universal heal coming that cleanses conditions… Thank you ANet for finally adding in a good way to remove some conditions without having to spec heavily into a particular set-up

In most excited about what “toxin” could be, but yes, it’ll be nice to have a dedicated condition removal heal for a class like mesmer, or engi.

This update looks pretty promising in content, and possibly lore ramifications

I for one do not like it. This is just the first of what will surely be many more universal skills to come. If we start adding universal skills, then what is the point of having professions?

Neverender.7581:

I for one do not like it. This is just the first of what will surely be many more universal skills to come. If we start adding universal skills, then what is the point of having professions?

You do realize there are already tons of skills that aren’t specific to professions right? Further, the point to professions would be their class mechanics, utilities, and weapons. Having universal skills doesn’t remove the other utilities/heals that you do have, it’s just more choice. Further, no universal skills will get rid of the primary class mechanics behind each class (Necro DS, Mesmer Clones/shatter, Elementalist attunement, etc…).

I’m surprised you’re giving that argument, considering you could make one of every class using the same race, and make the same argument. They’re universal because odds are this tech was made by the Orders of Tyria to combat a new threat, and passed out equally amongst all the armies.

Neverender.7581:

I for one do not like it. This is just the first of what will surely be many more universal skills to come. If we start adding universal skills, then what is the point of having professions?

Yeah, universal skills are a bad way to go. This isn’t the “new skills” people were asking for…

I imagine it’s only going to be for this dungeon, like toxin will just be the new “agony” or w/e.

I bet the skill lies in a bundle item and not in the skill list of your character. Leave the instance, toodles skill.

Knote.2904:

Neverender.7581:

I for one do not like it. This is just the first of what will surely be many more universal skills to come. If we start adding universal skills, then what is the point of having professions?

Yeah, universal skills are a bad way to go. This isn’t the “new skills” people were asking for…

I imagine it’s only going to be for this dungeon, like toxin will just be the new “agony” or w/e.

Some universal skills are not a bad thing, and while a universal skill may not be what you specifically had in mind, it’s still a skill. 1 more to add to the list of choices, if it does indeed turn out to be a true skill, and not a dungeon only item.

I think it would be nice to see them make ‘toxin’ an environmental effect. Similar to how the various maps in torment had their own environmental affects. It adds an additional dynamic to the game play that you need to counter and, depending how it is done, could actually require strategy in order to beat. It’s a lot to ask for, I know, but here’s to hoping.

Malleus Maleficarum.2603:

In most excited about what “toxin” could be, but yes, it’ll be nice to have a dedicated condition removal heal for a class like mesmer, or engi.

This update looks pretty promising in content, and possibly lore ramifications

I am very much not looking forward to that one. Mostly because I suspect toxin is going to be a thing in the tower and this is the only way to get rid of it forcing you to use this or else. This is one of those times where I would be extremely happy to be wrong.

I also wonder about using the toxin. Is this something we have to open our inventory for or are the new “universal” abilities going to be added to our hot bars? Or will this take a spot of a current heal skill?

camerrell.1963:

I also wonder about using the toxin. Is this something we have to open our inventory for or are the new “universal” abilities going to be added to our hot bars? Or will this take a spot of a current heal skill?

It would be a new skill you can choose to replace your #6 with.

Neverender.7581:

I for one do not like it. This is just the first of what will surely be many more universal skills to come. If we start adding universal skills, then what is the point of having professions?

This!

morrolan.9608:

Neverender.7581:

I for one do not like it. This is just the first of what will surely be many more universal skills to come. If we start adding universal skills, then what is the point of having professions?

This!

Besides the obvious of weapons skills, traits, class mechanics, different hp pools, different armor levels, and non-universal skills/elite skills? I don’t see a problem with providing an option for more cleanse for every profession. Besides, if universal skills are on par with racial skills then I don’t think we have anything to worry about.

And if they do make universal skills a thing it still won’t change that some classes are better with certain types of skills. An ele won’t be able to use a shout as effectively as a warrior or a guard, but it will be able to use glyphs a lot better. Though, that all assumes that if there are more universal skills that they will have subtypes.

So instead of Agony resistance (where ppl didnt gearfarming) , they introduce this mechanic (or anything rlse in the future) to complicate the istances ?
Hmm… sound nice :P

Yea, I’d bet money that Toxin will end up being similar to agony. Some hard hitting poison dot you’ll need to cleanse.

Knote.2904:

Neverender.7581:

I for one do not like it. This is just the first of what will surely be many more universal skills to come. If we start adding universal skills, then what is the point of having professions?

Yeah, universal skills are a bad way to go. This isn’t the “new skills” people were asking for…

I imagine it’s only going to be for this dungeon, like toxin will just be the new “agony” or w/e.

No, I suspect people just wanted skills to make their own, preferred class stronger.

Substance E.4852:

Knote.2904:

Neverender.7581:

I for one do not like it. This is just the first of what will surely be many more universal skills to come. If we start adding universal skills, then what is the point of having professions?

Yeah, universal skills are a bad way to go. This isn’t the “new skills” people were asking for…

I imagine it’s only going to be for this dungeon, like toxin will just be the new “agony” or w/e.

No, I suspect people just wanted skills to make their own, preferred class stronger.

Um… no, people want skills that make their class more varied.

Universal skills is a stupid way to add new skills to the game by itself. It’s fine if you just want a few.

what pocket is this skill gonna be in … we getting new Batman Utility belts too?

Neverender.7581:

I for one do not like it. This is just the first of what will surely be many more universal skills to come. If we start adding universal skills, then what is the point of having professions?

Pretty much this. I was actually a little bit shocked when I read the announcement.

I am not against players getting more options to cleanse conditions or whatever, but I want each profession to have their own and unique take on achieving this. Universal skills are just the most boring way of adding new skills to the game. They were already a bad idea in GW1 Nightfall/EotN (where in EotN they also happened to be OP and broke game balance completely).

I understand that universal skills might be a more cost efficient way of adding skills to game (i.e., design and implement 1 skill to please 100% of your player base, instead of just ~1/8 of it) but I hope ANet will not go this way for adding new skill, maybe beside some minor “just for fun or flavor skills”. Also, I am seriously hoping that these universal skills will be PvE only (and here for once I even mean “not allowed in WvW”).

~MRA

I had thought that the skill progression Colin was describing was the traditional one that would contribute to class uniqueness and diversity. Universal skills are not that and not a method of character progression. After GW1, is it possible they actually don’t get horizontal progression? Or, is this new skill not a part of what Colin was addressing in his blog post?

Raine.1394:

I had thought that the skill progression Colin was describing was the traditional one that would contribute to class uniqueness and diversity. Universal skills are not that and not a method of character progression. After GW1, is it possible they actually don’t get horizontal progression? Or, is this new skill not a part of what Colin was addressing in his blog post?

It is doubtful that this is the only new skill that will be introduced this year. Some have already speculated (myself included) that they may not want to introduce a bunch of new skills/traits that will need multiple patches to fix any bugs/nerfs/buffs that we find when they are released during Season 1 of WvW. As they’ve stated they don’t want to effect the current builds in the middle of it.

That means any new skills will either:
1) not be usable in WvW
2) be of this nature (open to all classes/not very good compared to current options) and not really effect any balance
3) Come out in either December patch after Season 1 ends