Guild Wars 2

The die is cast on the Elite Specialization unlocks for HoT. It’s set in stone and the game comes out in 3 days. This thread isn’t for discussing that. This thread is to give our suggestions on how we want to see it implemented in the future.

I will pose the question. How do you want to see future Elite Specializations implemented in the future? How should they unlock?

Since it’s my thread, I’ll offer my suggestions first. I think each Elite Spec. should have their own story in the open world at the very beginning of the expansion pack they are unlocked in. You play with your base class and are taught by an NPC how to use that specific specialization. I’ll give an example how it could happen: If you decide you want that Elite Spec. you can, at the beginning of the expansion pack(it’s optional)choose to walk the path to enlightenment. This accomplishes multiple goals:

• This enables you to play through the entire expansion(assuming the next batch of Elite Specs happens at the same time as the release of the next x-pac)with that Elite Spec.
• Playing through new content with a new way of playing and possibly a new weapon, new set of utilities, and elite skills makes the entire experience fresh and adds to the excitement.
• Offers meaningful progression that makes your character feel more a part of the world.
• NPCs involved in the Elite Spec. paths can show up throughout the game as integral parts of the story and if they are introduced early on can also have great impact by causing attachment for the players.

So what are your ideas that ArenaNet can glean to make the next batch of Elite Specs and their unlocking be the best overall experience it can be?

It’d be nice to have class quests but that’s a LOT of work for something only a fraction of the playerbase gets to experience.

Same reason they stopped doing them in WoW even though they were the best quests in the game.

Instead of putting constructive ideas down on how we would like to see it implemented in the future we are going to have complaint threads only about how it is right now? No one has any ideas they’d like to share about how they would like to see Elite Specs introduced in the future?

I have to say that maybe we deserve pure grind then.

We’ll see how it’s implemented. But the Hero point reward track system has promise.

Hopefully the new traits are at the start of the system, and stuff like the stylish new weapon are in the back. This way we can play our new class right away (maybe not with the perfect load out, but with traits and skills).

Hopefully there are enough (conveint and easy) new Magumma hero points that a quick run and some WvW potions gained over time will be enough for a Tome’d lvl 80 alt to play the new class (again, no fancy cosmetics gained but a minimum set of traits and skills is unlocked).

But the base system:“Doing hero points kits out your class and gives you fancy gear,” is good

Secondary classes where we take on an aspect and traitline of another class. For example being a warrior with access to mesmer abilities or warrior with thief skills (mobility primarily) like theft since thief is mobile but (way too) squishy while warrior lacks mobility so this would be a great way to patch up weaknesses.

I would keep the hero point based system but redistrubute trait/skills right now it seems that runes/cosmetic fluff is placed between skills. I would place the traits and skills first then the rest. I would redistribute the values 50% of the hero points are used for the skills/traits and the other 50% for the rest.

Unlike the current system I would only place 50% of the points required in the new maps. The rest would be placed in a training school in the core world similar to monster hunter freedom unite: you have to beat specific bosses/encounterswith a predetermined build. The builds all contain the elite specialisation of your class for temporary usage. Each build highlights an aspect of the specialisation (for instance on reaper a build based around boon generation for blighter’s boon) to familiarize players with concepts and mechanics of the specialisation.

The advantages of this system is that players have two ways to get the hero points required to attain the skills do the training school or explore the new zone. It also gives a little trial of the specialisation to see if it is your thing. The extra work for creating the encounters/bosses can be done since you have to implement only half the hero points. Full base class is still required though.

emikochan.8504:

It’d be nice to have class quests but that’s a LOT of work for something only a fraction of the playerbase gets to experience.

Same reason they stopped doing them in WoW even though they were the best quests in the game.

It’s not out of the question.

Anet has done a lot of work in HoT to make the story more reactive to player race and class, (it’s not just the sylvari dragon thing) and they clearly want to diverge that idea of “the story is personal and your character choices are important” wherever they can.

They’re actually doing more of that kind of thing in HoT than they did in the last half of the core LS.