Guild Wars 2

There are those who want to have new classes in GW2. But considering that we have every role filled out for light, medium and heavy armor types, I suggest that we upgrade the classes in a similar fashion as Ragnarok Online. The classes themselves do not need to be overpowered compared to the originals but they would have flashier moves, access to certain weapons that would otherwise be unavailable to them and so on. To access them, there would be quests that are class exclusive (say, speak to a Profession Trainer) and be triggered at the cost of certain skill points. The quests themselves would naturally have to be very tough to pull off to give players a sense of accomplishment to reflect their prestige class.

Assuming you guys are planning an expansion at some point, I’d suggest you look into this as a possible feature.

I like prestige class systems but I doubt that they fit into this game.

kokiman.2364:

I like prestige class systems but I doubt that they fit into this game.

Why not? Think of it as progressing or ascending your characters now that they have unlocked all their skills.

This is a great idea. This would be an excellent way to give players a strong sense of progression after reaching level 80 without negating the usefulness of their level 80 gear. It would also give people something else to do between updates, assuming they have more than one character, which is always good. I officially want this more than Tengu now.

I agree that we should be seeing some kind of development of this matter. here’s my thread on the subject. you might like it

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/Inspiration-for-Arena-Net/first#post4370627

I would disagree to use the Ragnarok Online system, because it prevents your first job from leveling after you gained second job and you second and third jobs are so much stronger than your first job.

I do however like the idea of furthering character development and character remodeling in a similar fashion.

If you mean, Prestige by “an existing one in your main/alt” ascending into a different path, like for exemple: “Warrior → Fighter”, “Guardian → Dark Knight” , “Elementalist → Dragon Mage” “Ranger → Arcane Archer”

Ok, i would like to see that, otherwise, creating a prestige class from the character creation and starting at higher lvl with “special skills”, no… that ruins everygame! Successful games killed themselves doing this past years.

the idea of prestige classes has appeared already in a previous CDI and although deemed “not priority” was given some chance of appearing as potential matter of discussion for a future dedicated CDI.
So, let’s just cross fingers and hope…

Grevender.9235:

the idea of prestige classes has appeared already in a previous CDI and although deemed “not priority” was given some chance of appearing as potential matter of discussion for a future dedicated CDI.
So, let’s just cross fingers and hope…

But how do we keep tuned in with the CDI’s? how do we know when they happen and how often?

“Nothing is off the table”, namely a necromancer will someday be able to control Orr’s undead population. Same goes for prestige classes I assume.

Yet, I wouldn’t mind seeing an upgrade in the current classes, it could add some variety.

Zelanard.5806:

But how do we keep tuned in with the CDI’s?

checking forum often is a good start, when they are about to happen they usually gather a lot of posts and are quite visible

how do we know when they happen and how often?

I’d like to help on this but I am not the right person to do so; if Chris is reading and have time to do so, he will answer for sure.

Devs usually post when a new CDI will happen, like the current Guild CDI was announced a week before.
How often is not certain, they are now making CDIs when seem necessary.

Also, I love the idea of prestige classes, in D&D it worked really well, it added a flavor to the regular classes and here in GW2 I think it could work for sure.
The mechanic I see would be add new traits and a few utilities unique to the prestige class and maybe even unlock a weapon based in the prestige you pick, like ranger → duelist could unlock sword off hand and dagger mh.

I thought about some really neat names for Prestige classes. Let me know what you guys think of it:

1. Necromancer = Summoner or Warlock (Cliche, I know.)
2. Mesmer = Trickster
3. Elementalist = Thaumaturge
4. Engineer = Geneticist
5. Ranger = Beast Lord
6. Thief = Assassin
7. Guardian = Crusader
8. Warrior = Warlord

Without looking, don’t most of those appear in the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Players handbook first edition? With the exception of Geneticist maybe.

From what I recall the Prestige classes from way back then were

• Paladin
• Illusionist
• Druid
• Assassin
• And the somewhat disputed Psionic

Ahhh those were the days

Yeah, I know they don’t seem very original but that’s the best I can think of. Geneticists would be a good transition for Engies focusing on making different types of slimes for combat.

Malkavian.4516:

3. Elementalist = Thaumaturge
4. Engineer = Geneticist

From what I can find about Thaumaturge, they are more miracle workers, which to me would mean healers. Healing is only part of what Elementalists do. It would be much more fitting for a straight healing class.

Why Geneticist? Engineers are tinkerers and inventors not people that manipulate genes.

Malkavian.4516:

kokiman.2364:

I like prestige class systems but I doubt that they fit into this game.

Why not? Think of it as progressing or ascending your characters now that they have unlocked all their skills.

Post level 80 advancement has been missing from this game since launch, I think prestige classes would give specializations something that doesn’t exist here. Rift has done it and other games have and it’s worked out very well. They’ve included options like increases for damage types, increased movement speeds, increased crits, specializations in certain roles, improved healing by adding affects to healing skills.

I think this title could totally use some of that especially for post level 80. We’re gaining levels might as well put them to some use outside of just farming karma and coins.

Yalora Istairiea.6287:

Without looking, don’t most of those appear in the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Players handbook first edition? With the exception of Geneticist maybe.

From what I recall the Prestige classes from way back then were

• Paladin
• Illusionist
• Druid
• Assassin
• And the somewhat disputed Psionic

Ahhh those were the days

indeed. It’s not like I am in a hurry to climb the library to grab D&D v1.0 (which I proudly own in a semi-perfect state, along with various subsequent versions) but I am almost sure that Psions were collected into “classes” and not “prestige classes”.

Btw, it would be almost pointless to have “one” prestige class introduced for each class, because that’s not what prestige classes are meant for: the goal of a prestige class is to highly specialize into some area. So, being VERY optimist, devs should introduce a minimum of three prestige classes for each class to allow specialization into very well defined areas.

Imho that’s is not possible in GW2, too many resources would be required for such a task, so at the very best we may get the ability to build our chains of skills regardless of the original class.

I would love to see this and have recommended it several times to no avail.

I would however like to see this type of thing locked behind a quest like in RO.
Maybe one that requires 200 Skill points and 100k karma to start. Those job quests were very memorable to me and gave the game a lot of perspective from your classes POV.

Also I would love to see multiple paths for each class. (names are examples.)

Warrior TO →Blademaster —OR-- Warlord TO →(Warlord previously)Balthazar’s Hand —OR-- (Blademaster previously)Fury

Guardian TO →Kataphract —OR-- Paladin TO → Neophite —OR-- Templar / Temple Knight.

Thief TO → Vagabond —OR-- Assassin TO → Shadowstalker —OR-- Reaver.

Each class should open up CLASS specific skills that can be swapped outside of combat like in GW1.

Maybe a new auto attack for each different class ( aka 2-3 new #1 chain combo)
New 2-5 skills as well.

These skills would be interchangeable with any of the previous in slot skills for that weapon type as easily as we change utilities. This would bring diversity to builds but Anet would have to be careful with balance and power.

Malkavian.4516:

There are those who want to have new classes in GW2. But considering that we have every role filled out for light, medium and heavy armor types, I suggest that we upgrade the classes in a similar fashion as Ragnarok Online. The classes themselves do not need to be overpowered compared to the originals but they would have flashier moves, access to certain weapons that would otherwise be unavailable to them and so on. To access them, there would be quests that are class exclusive (say, speak to a Profession Trainer) and be triggered at the cost of certain skill points. The quests themselves would naturally have to be very tough to pull off to give players a sense of accomplishment to reflect their prestige class.

Assuming you guys are planning an expansion at some point, I’d suggest you look into this as a possible feature.

Hey that sounds like a great idea! ANET GIVE THIS MAN A COOKIE!

I’d love to see a dev poke his head in here and say a thing or two

Malkavian.4516:

3. Elementalist = Thaumaturge

Just throwing this in here, but Thaumaturge doesn’t actually fit here at all. A Thaumaturge is someone who has control over both spiritual (holy) magic and arcane (dark/worldly) magic.

Elementalists have a flavor of arcane, but they really don’t represent the holy magic in any way, and that’s a pretty important part of a thaumaturge, that crossing of the lines between two disciplines.

EDIT: And, even in real world terminology, it appears that the Thaumaturge still has that intrinsic link to the divine:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thaumaturgy

Brave Mallyki.1563:

Malkavian.4516:

3. Elementalist = Thaumaturge
4. Engineer = Geneticist

From what I can find about Thaumaturge, they are more miracle workers, which to me would mean healers. Healing is only part of what Elementalists do. It would be much more fitting for a straight healing class.

Why Geneticist? Engineers are tinkerers and inventors not people that manipulate genes.

I thought of the word Thaumaturgy from the books Shadowrun and Vampire the Masquerade, basically their terms for blood magic. I’d envision them to use their own HP to reset cooldown timers to 0 for constant combinations of spells.

As for Geneticist, I’ve always thought of Engineers as people who breathe life into their machines with their turrets and stuff and they could take it one step further by experimenting similar principles in a biological field. It’s either Geneticist or Alchemist and I chose Geneticist because it’s much cooler.

ShadowDragoonFTW.3418:

Malkavian.4516:

3. Elementalist = Thaumaturge

Just throwing this in here, but Thaumaturge doesn’t actually fit here at all. A Thaumaturge is someone who has control over both spiritual (holy) magic and arcane (dark/worldly) magic.

Elementalists have a flavor of arcane, but they really don’t represent the holy magic in any way, and that’s a pretty important part of a thaumaturge, that crossing of the lines between two disciplines.

EDIT: And, even in real world terminology, it appears that the Thaumaturge still has that intrinsic link to the divine:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thaumaturgy

What about Avatars, then? :P

Malkavian.4516:

3. Elementalist = Thaumaturge

Looking at your account name and your suggestion, I’ll assume that you like Vampire: The Masquerade.

I think that for a prestige class to be interesting there should be at least 2 options per class. like: ranger → arcane archer or ranger → duelist | guardian → paladin or guardian → templar and so on.

Malkavian.4516:

What about Avatars, then? :P

Avatars are often the physical embodiment of a holy presence. In many, many religions around the world, Avatars are either the form a god takes when on the mortal realm, or a being embodied with much of the power of said deity.

I’m sure there’s a good option out there, but you just keep picking the worst ones man. :P

(I’m assuming you’re getting it from Avatar: The Last Airbender, wherein the “Avatar” is the being embodied with the power of the world. It’s an odd stretch to the terminology, I’ll admit…)

I don’t want to re-level a character I have already leveled. I don’t want to have to go through more gating.

I’d far prefer to see new classes than any “prestige” ones.

The same what I suggested at that similar to same thread runeblade created today, I advise also to the OP here.
Its just better to wait for Anet for the actual corresponding Sub Class CDI to make its appearing, but currently Guilds have a much higher priority for them.

So it brings nothign to push the borders here, when the Devs have clearly other priorities for now and Sub Classes have been already officially proposed by Chris Whiteside in the very first CDI to come up somewhen later also as an official more specialized CDI.
As because of me being the very origin of that, see my signature.
Wouldn’t I have brought up that topic in the first CDI already, I guess alot of people would still discuss here the wildest and most craziest theories and possibilities about for ANet implementing rather that unfitting Dual Class System back into GW2, rather than to improve really the game with a whole different and superior Sub Class System, thats far better for Character Progression and Game Balance together.

By the way, I think Mods should merge both of those threads, as they are clearly about the same topic mostly.

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

I don’t want to re-level a character I have already leveled. I don’t want to have to go through more gating.

I’d far prefer to see new classes than any “prestige” ones.

The idea isn’t of level your toon again in that class, in game I think it could be like a challenging chain of quests to unlock the path you want and done.
It would be an upgrade to your class, not a rework.

i always dislike ideas that start with “as in game xy”.

How about specialising into your traits? Like Elementalist for instance, specialising in the Arcane Trait line you become more potent in general attunement swapping with an additional -1s to all attument recharge and arcane skills/utilities.

Water Trait line you become more adept in water attunement and water skills/utilities – Perhaps your Water attunement has a -2s recharge too.

I don’t really like the thought of prestige classes in GW2. It can work in some systems, but Guild Wars was never set up that way. There’s already so many different ways to build each class, with different focuses in each of them. I don’t know if there’s anything out there that can’t already be done just by introducing new skills, weapons or traits. What, would the prestige class have higher stats? Would it have access to these new, “better” skills/traits? It kind of feels like making more vertical progression rather than horizontal that ArenaNet seems to be striving for, especially for PvP combat. If they were so much better, players would feel obligated to get them, rather than a fun bonus. I’m not saying the idea isn’t good, just not for this game, I feel.

PSX.9250:

How about specialising into your traits? Like Elementalist for instance, specialising in the Arcane Trait line you become more potent in general attunement swapping with an additional -1s to all attument recharge and arcane skills/utilities.

Water Trait line you become more adept in water attunement and water skills/utilities – Perhaps your Water attunement has a -2s recharge too.

Isn’t that essentially what trait lines do already? (As a matter of flavor, I mean. I understand they don’t have these exact effects…)

No, this just gives the “elite players” just something else to restrict parties for.

I can see the LFG panel now.

“COE P1, zerk, 80s, elites only”

If you are just adding skills to a class then just add skills to a class. Calling them by a fancy name might sound good but …

This is a PvE grinders change. In the original PvE design players had access to skills quite quickly and could experiment with play styles and class capability quite early. WvW and SPvP are still designed with the expectation that players have skills available and there aren’t quests to unlock skills in SPvP. After the recent trait changes and NPE changes have locked almost all class capability away, I don’t want to see any more class capability needlessly locked away.

Lodius.5392:

No, this just gives the “elite players” just something else to restrict parties for.

I can see the LFG panel now.

“COE P1, zerk, 80s, elites only”

If there is a significant difference in stats, I can see that happening. Though I mentioned that the difference would just be limited to new skills but the stats would be higher by 5-10 points, which wouldn’t really be a significant difference I would say.

Belzebu.3912:

I think that for a prestige class to be interesting there should be at least 2 options per class. like: ranger -> arcane archer or ranger -> duelist | guardian -> paladin or guardian -> templar and so on.

Love the OP idea and this one.

Because I just love this kinda junk, putting together a post just for fun:

Leo’s Unfinished Prestige Class summary

Warrior
Gladiator: A specialization with the special skill to equip a Shield in the off-hand regardless of main-hand (sigil restrictions will apply), altering the 4 and 5 skill with a defensive twist. If wielding a one-hander, they will gain access to two effective off-hand shield skills.
[Requires Shield off-hand]

Brawler: A specialization with extra Adrenaline skills. This profession can portions of its Adrenaline to leap in an instant, shrug off conditions and even regenerate health. It also has access to bare-hand skills.
[Can use skills if weapon is unequipped]

Elementalist
Pyrecraft: A specialization that manipulates fire and burning. Not only can a pyrecrafter gain benefits if burned but can absorb heat from burning victims to blend with other elements using F2-4, but only temporarily, augmenting their other 5 skills. Heat+Air creates plasma, Heat+Water creates steam and Heat+Earth creates ash.
[F2-4 require heat, similar to life force, gained by burning foes and attacking with fire. These skills temporarily add effects to 1-5.]

Aerocraft: A specialization that manipulates air and placement. This version of an elementalist can move and teleport with ease, even teleporting victims via bolts of lightning. Aimed at burst damage, this specialization can create explosive blends of the other elements using F2-4. Air+Fire creates smoke, Air+Water creates fog, Air+Earth creates sand.
[F2-4 use global cooldowns and create a burst effect]

Aquacraft: A specialization that manipulates boons and traps. An Aquacrafter mixes high boon and support with mixed condition and physical damage as well as claim the battlefield. The more boons it or its allies have, the stronger their moral. Conditions are cleansed via pools created by F2-4, which can be triggered by enemies. Their effects depend on which element is used to pool. Water+Fire creates acid, Water+Air creates ice, Water+Earth creates swamps.
[F2-4 has global cooldowns shortened by moral, which acts like life force, built by applying boons and cleansing conditions]

Terracraft: A specialization that focuses on conditions and point control. A Terracrafter mixes defensiveness through nullifying damage and applying conditions via elemental altars created by F2-4. Only 1 altar can be manifested at a time and can be destroyed, but each creates areas that may hinder the enemy as well as aid allies. Earth+Fire creates steel, Earth+Air creates sand, Earth+Water creates plants.
[F2-4 work as toggles that work off a global cooldown when summoning and unsummoning]

The idea being, the prestige class would work similarly to the original class but taking away one aspect or simply slightly altering something to change the style of play. For the warrior prestige ideas, the Gladiator is a mix of defensive and offensive, limiting movement and versatility a bit because you can only take full advantage of it with a shield off-hand…but you can wield a shield and a hammer at the same time…for the Brawler, the difference is, Brawler simply has a few other ways to spend Adrenaline, often for movement and self-support.

For the elementalist prestige classes, they swap out much of the versatility of the class for strong specialization…hopefully, they would also have weapon swaps available for those players that simply want a slight mix of both range and melee. Of course, that comes at the cost of being able to swap into a defensive, healing or offensive attunement. What you lean toward (defense, healing or offense) is then dependent on the prestige class.

LeoG – I would rather see the Elementalist broken up into only two prestiges, for the sake of consistency (both in the fact that it would be less to balance, and because having 2 Prestiges for each Profession would be fair).

I’d split them up into something like … Quickcraft (Fire and Air), and Slowcraft (Earth and Water)… or something like that, i know those names are garbage… but basically, there’s a way to idealogically link two elements together. It’s something that’s seen in a lot of old stories and even recent fantasy works. A lot of old spirits had power over multiple domains, like having Air and Water at the same time (the “liquid” or “wet” domain, whereas Earth and Fire were the “dry/solid” domain).

Been thinking about the Prestige Mesmer (I’d call him the Madman). He’d probably emphasize on disillusioning his enemies like how the Toxic monsters do it with Hallucination. From the enemy’s POV, he’d see a brief acid trip of a screen plus he’d fight random shadowy monsters. He could also briefly control enemies manually as an Elite skill for a brief moment to access their skills and use those against them. Could probably work in PvP as well to disorient teamwork. Either that or have the madmen have their own version of the Polymorph spell turning enemies into bunnies giving them a vulnerability stack of at least 5 and at the same time limiting their attacks.

ShadowDragoonFTW.3418:

Malkavian.4516:

3. Elementalist = Thaumaturge

Just throwing this in here, but Thaumaturge doesn’t actually fit here at all. A Thaumaturge is someone who has control over both spiritual (holy) magic and arcane (dark/worldly) magic.

Elementalists have a flavor of arcane, but they really don’t represent the holy magic in any way, and that’s a pretty important part of a thaumaturge, that crossing of the lines between two disciplines.

EDIT: And, even in real world terminology, it appears that the Thaumaturge still has that intrinsic link to the divine:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thaumaturgy

Originaly, in GW1, each school of magic refered to a human god: Fire/Balthazar, Water/Grenth, Earth/Melandru, Air/Dwayna, Energy storage/Lyssa.

While each class favored one god, elementalists did in fact worshiped all of them.

IF we were to get prestige classes, I think I’d rather see them focus on augmenting a specific facet of the class.

Engineer, for example, could have prestige classes that turn turrets into mobile pets more like a necromancer’s minions, or one that adds elixir effects to explosions.

Elementalist could have one that turns their weapon conjuration skills into kits, rather than having them restricted by timers and charges. Another could add in a “grace period” when you change elemental attunement, during which you can change back to your previous one, allowing you to (for example) change from earth to fire, throw out a spell, then jump back to earth.

Rangers could have one that allows both pets to be out at the same time, and one where calling out the pet has YOU playing as the pet (weapon skills replaced with animal skills, other skills remain) running around without the ranger. (And yes, I realize that there’s no way that this one would be strong enough to be balanced, but it would fun and people would play with it anyway.)

MyPuppy.8970:

ShadowDragoonFTW.3418:

Malkavian.4516:

3. Elementalist = Thaumaturge

Just throwing this in here, but Thaumaturge doesn’t actually fit here at all. A Thaumaturge is someone who has control over both spiritual (holy) magic and arcane (dark/worldly) magic.

Elementalists have a flavor of arcane, but they really don’t represent the holy magic in any way, and that’s a pretty important part of a thaumaturge, that crossing of the lines between two disciplines.

EDIT: And, even in real world terminology, it appears that the Thaumaturge still has that intrinsic link to the divine:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thaumaturgy

Originaly, in GW1, each school of magic refered to a human god: Fire/Balthazar, Water/Grenth, Earth/Melandru, Air/Dwayna, Energy storage/Lyssa.

While each class favored one god, elementalists did in fact worshiped all of them.

GW2 Elementalist doesn’t relate to the gods at all whatsoever, though. I mean, maybe you get some different dialog with a Human Ele, but mine is a Norn, and that doesn’t really fit well with the “holy” aspect, being that the Norn Wild Spirits function quite differently from the Six Gods.

ShadowDragoonFTW.3418:

LeoG – I would rather see the Elementalist broken up into only two prestiges, for the sake of consistency (both in the fact that it would be less to balance, and because having 2 Prestiges for each Profession would be fair).

I’d split them up into something like … Quickcraft (Fire and Air), and Slowcraft (Earth and Water)… or something like that, i know those names are garbage… but basically, there’s a way to idealogically link two elements together. It’s something that’s seen in a lot of old stories and even recent fantasy works. A lot of old spirits had power over multiple domains, like having Air and Water at the same time (the “liquid” or “wet” domain, whereas Earth and Fire were the “dry/solid” domain).

Yeah it was sort of an off the wall idea. However many prestige classes for each I feel is more dependant on how many variations you can make off the class mechanic. I wouldn’t mind if warrior had 2 while engi or ele had 3 or something.

I think you could make quite a few variations on engi that deserve to be focused on.

As for your suggestions, I wouldn’t mind seeing a flashed out explanation. For mine, the reason there are 4 is because there wouldn’t be attunement for them but instead, you’re stuck with one (5 skills/1 weapon = 10 skills + f skills) to mirror other professions. This gives the option of more range variance instead of versatility for those that would like to play that way.

My point is, with the prestige classes, it would take the main profession and break it into smaller chunks and focus it in one direction. I just feel you can break some professions into more chunks than others. . . But if parity is necessary, elaborate with more ideas so we can discuss how to accomplish that.

Palador.2170:

IF we were to get prestige classes, I think I’d rather see them focus on augmenting a specific facet of the class.

Engineer, for example, could have prestige classes that turn turrets into mobile pets more like a necromancer’s minions, or one that adds elixir effects to explosions.

Elementalist could have one that turns their weapon conjuration skills into kits, rather than having them restricted by timers and charges. Another could add in a “grace period” when you change elemental attunement, during which you can change back to your previous one, allowing you to (for example) change from earth to fire, throw out a spell, then jump back to earth.

Rangers could have one that allows both pets to be out at the same time, and one where calling out the pet has YOU playing as the pet (weapon skills replaced with animal skills, other skills remain) running around without the ranger. (And yes, I realize that there’s no way that this one would be strong enough to be balanced, but it would fun and people would play with it anyway.)

Interesting. Interesting.

I was just thinking of other ways to break up some of the professions while reading your idea.

Another I thought of four warrior = weapon master. Remove the bust skill, remove weapon swap. F1-3 becomes your weapon swaps (this class can equip 3 sets of weapons). Adrinaline becomes your weapon swap timer. The first skill after a weapon swap has boosted effect.

That’d be hilarious.