Guild Wars 2

naiasonod.9265:

He arrived at the conclusion that ‘this was kind’ve stupid’ all on his own about traits, after finding out that he’d need to do a lot of pvp things to unlock a good many of them, as well as dungeons.

When I parted ways with him, he did not seem especially eager or excited by the prospects before him. I even told him that HoT might see improvements coming down the pipe on that front. He was, somehow, unmoved.

Call it another epic fail for the current trait system? Why yes. I think I shall.

That’s pretty much how my wife feels too. I didn’t worry too much about it because I was planning to go for map completion and figured the traits would just come. It wasn’t until I was 98% complete with about 30 traits left to unlock that I started to really seethe about them. This system really shattered every expectation I had about how a game in the Guild Wars franchise would work.

Well, I’m trying to be hopeful that we will get some info regarding traits, their direction and how they will relate to the new Mastery System soon (read: please make this the first “deep dive”*).

*note: I really hate this term because it just drips of PR speak and makes me cringe at the idea of the info we are going to get before the beta. I’d love to be a part of it, but if I feel as if i’m being sold on something with little substance then I’ll have to pass, which honestly hurts.

naiasonod.9265:

I’ll hope for rain but expect a total poo storm. You’ll pardon me keeping my umbrella handy and preferring this lovely seat conveniently next to a door I can dive out of in the all too likely event that you ‘fix™’ everything, including traits, like you’ve been fixing everything else for the past year.

There have been a few fixes I appreciated, like trait changing for free OoC. There have been a few that were not totally unappreciated. I found the wardrobe to be a minor negative (negatives slightly outweigh positives), and the “fix” to dailies to be a wash (positives and negatives balancing out). That said, though, the above has been my attitude about announcements ANet makes regarding changes to the game, starting back in early November, 2012. That especially includes the April, 2014 trait acquisition changes I’m willing to be pleasantly surprised by the promised revision to traits, but I’m not willing to be optimistic and be unpleasantly surprised, as that has happened all too often.

My new alt account, leveling a new char
1) Unexpectedly get a trait: nice
2) Find out I can’t review at it after dismissing the pop up in the middle of a fight: not nice
3) Unable to look at my traits on my char to plan ahead: not nice
4) Pulling up wiki and reading the requirements and knowing I would have to do them on each and every char on that account: closes wiki and decides to go traitless on that account.

I mean, REALLY! C’mon AN, get real. That’s a HARD puzzle and a low level trait. Lots of people never come close to mastering the jumping. I’m a fairly good jumper and what I’ve seen on YouTube is extremely intimidating. Young characters wanting that low level trait haven’t got a chance against the alt-world enemies I’ve encountered every time I’ve tried to go in.

In all seriousness, every time I look to assign traits to one of my new characters, I’m increasingly bothered by the cost of earning certain traits in this new system. I mean…100% on Dredgehaunt for a first level trait? I know people who have been playing the game for two years who still can’t get that jumping puzzle vista.

I prefer not to buy the traits, not because of the money aspect, altho on a new account that w/b prohibitive, but because I like the challenge of earning them—-I think of it as tracking my character’s development—-and buying them feels a bit like cheating. Unfortunately, the earning-cost of some of these is ridiculous, often requiring participation in game aspects which are notorious for attracting bad behavior from PUGs. Few people are lucky enough to get with a group of trusted individuals to achieve these goals. I’ve tried LFG a couple of times with completely disastrous results.

Had I not fallen in love with the game using the previous trait system, I fear I would not continue playing because advancing in this fundamental aspect is completely unreasonable for someone having to play solo. I LIKE the earn-trait concept, just not the balance of trait level to requirement.

I’D LIKE TO SUGGEST: to AN: Give us options, perhaps one line strictly PvE (not including dungeons), the other WvW/Dungeon. Perhaps make it so we choose which rather than mix and match, but make it possible to play the game without having to count on strangers who might well take advantage of you—-or fighting/killing other players. Not all of us like that idea. Traits are basic to a character build, regardless of game play.

While you’re at it…options in event maps would make dailies a whole lot more appealing. I’m getting pretty tired of spending my limited playing time bouncing around maps all my characters cleared months ago looking for events that are over in ten seconds or a lousy tree, rather than working toward BTDT with every character.

If you want to welcome new people into the game and keep them playing, the extant system is not, IMO the optimal way to do it. GW2 is my personal intro to MMO, as well as several people I’ve come to know through the game, and when I began playing, I felt as if I could play a long time in PvE and ease into the other aspects of the game as I grew more confident in my game play. After a year of playing many different characters and skill sets, having several 80’s level characters…I personally feel intimidated by this new system. I can only imagine how complete newcomers will feel.

There’s a huge thread about this very issue and ANet intends to rework traits. Should be done by HoT if not sooner.

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/Game-Updates-Traits/page/78#post4733414

They’re removing the trait acquisition system with HoT, they already confirmed.

Yipppeeee!

Hey, thanks! Shows you what I know. Just searched in the wrong forum.

If you used the forum search feature you were doomed to fail. It’s been broken since launch or so. I usually google for a topic, something like “gw2 forums traits issues” or in this case as I knew that post existed, “Colin Johanson on traits.”

https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/journey-into-the-heart-of-maguuma-in-guild-wars-2-heart-of-thorns/

Looks like we’re getting the “deep dive” for mastery tomorrow! Does this mean the trait update will be coming this spring?

All my chars were grandfathered in but I bought an alt account with this last sale. I wiki’d traits and looked over the requirements. Then I said to my self; Self, I guess this will be your traitless account, and I closed wiki.

‘Complete a level 55 zone for your first level trait’.

Nice work, Anet…

dietzero.3514:

‘Complete a level 55 zone for your first level trait’.

Nice work, Anet…

Would have been more sensible to have a collection of different activities that gave trait points, which could then unlock the trait of your choosing. Choose which activity you want to do, choose which trait you unlock.

Which may very well be how the Mastery system works. We shall see tomorrow.

felessan.9587:

https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/journey-into-the-heart-of-maguuma-in-guild-wars-2-heart-of-thorns/

Looks like we’re getting the “deep dive” for mastery tomorrow! Does this mean the trait update will be coming this spring?

It’s entirely possible that the Mastery system and the new Trait unlocks are somewhat related, and the details may provide hints as to whether that’s the case. If it is as they describe (account bound, etc), it would be a good way of introducing some form of progression to Traits, but not making it tedious (due to being per character).

I do like having to complete tasks for traits… However, I feel that 100% map completion is too much. I attempted to go through the traits system on a new mesmer, and ended up buying the ones I wanted after map completion in kessex. Thinking about it, the following list seems more reasonable, and I hope Anet doesn’t completely do away with the current system for unlocking traits.

Tier 3- defeat Lyssa, Dwayna, Balthazar, Grenth, and Tequatl
Tier 2- Complete special map champions and veterans, such as the ooze in Frostgorge . Or complete some of the more difficult jumping puzzles.
Tier 1- awarded for completing skill point challenges in level 25-40 zones.

The trait unlock system just needs to be more streamlined. Instead of giving out a specific trait, completion of various things in the game should give out Trait Points, which can then be spent to unlock traits. More difficult tasks give out more Trait Points.

I think it will give us a glimpse into the direction Anet will be going with traits, but not more than that. I’d hope they could tell us more but who knows. We’ll just have to wait and see what PR blurb we get today.

Well folks, the blog about Masteries is up.

The ability to train Masteries is unlocked at level 80 for all players that own Heart of Thorns.

And that line does not sound promising. Lets hope that there’s more to come that runs counter to that line.

The blog: https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/reimagining-progression-the-mastery-system/

Palador.2170:

And that line does not sound promising. Lets hope that there’s more to come that runs counter to that line.

The blog: https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/reimagining-progression-the-mastery-system/

I’ll remain cautiously optimistic, with the assumption that the trait system won’t be completely dependent on the Mastery system. I’d be fairly okay with Grandmaster traits linked to it, since it’s already end-game traits anyway, but Adept and Master traits are better off granted to the players right when they open.

IMHO you guys are on the wrong mind set when you say “let’s hope that the expansion fixes the Trait system”.

It’s way more logical that the Trait system would get revamped before/when/after HoT comes out, not as part of the expansion but as a feature patch or something of the kind.

Masteries will be the new lvl80 progression system linked to HoT; the Traits are not a progression system and they are part of the core game. It wouldn’t make sense for the Trait revamp to be so deeply intertwined with Masteries that if you don’t own HoT the system breaks.

The blog post makes it clear that Masteries are somewhat similar to WvW abilities, so I don’t think it makes much sense to try and look for hidden meanings concerning Traits when discussing Masteries.

Since Masteries are account bound, we can hope something similar happens to Trait unlocks, but that’s as far as we can go with the amount of information we have.

I do wish they would give us some information concerning Traits. It’s nice to know more about the expansion, but since it’s something that’s still months away, I’d also like to know about how the gameplay is going to improve in the more immediate future.

Not to mention the other concerning issues with it.

Who here will enjoy the idea of not being able to precursor craft/quest unless they buy the xpac?

That aside, all I can imagine now is, well, I don’t even know what to imagine since nothing in this post really speaks to traits other than at level 80 you’ll stop earning skill points, which under the current system severely hurts those trying to get traits unlocked.

One thing that astounded me back when this was released was this little gem: (Source)
“A tweaked trait system will shift the focus away from set character progression, towards a flexibility that ArenaNet hope will encourage more build experimentation.”

Really? ANet thought this? Is there even one player out there who read the requirements when this was released who thought, “Good idea, this will definitely encourage more build experimentation.”

If you did, speak up now.

(Crickets)

Yah, that’s what I thought.

My immediate thought when I read that line back then is that its design would do the exact opposite. It would at best encourage people to get one build and one build only. Now from what I hear it doesn’t even do that. Many new players either don’t know about traits or consider the trait system optional or for people who need help because they aren’t good at the game.

If I and just about every player in the game could immediately see problems with this system, why couldn’t ANet and what does this tell us about their ability to design features and their ability to discuss perceived problems with each other?

Astral Projections.7320:

Really? ANet thought this? Is there even one player out there who read the requirements when this was released who thought, “Good idea, this will definitely encourage more build experimentation.”

If you did, speak up now.

Well I used weird trait builds when leveling because I didn’t have any choice. It was this near pointless trait, or no trait. I often opted for just putting one point in every line just so I get something, since I didn’t have enough traits unlocked. But yeah… I like running around in a small area hoping a champion spawns. =(

Coyote.7031:

Astral Projections.7320:

Really? ANet thought this? Is there even one player out there who read the requirements when this was released who thought, “Good idea, this will definitely encourage more build experimentation.”

If you did, speak up now.

Well I used weird trait builds when leveling because I didn’t have any choice. It was this near pointless trait, or no trait. I often opted for just putting one point in every line just so I get something, since I didn’t have enough traits unlocked. But yeah… I like running around in a small area hoping a champion spawns. =(

Yah. A “junk build”. I had those with the old system also but for a different reason. I (everyone) got trait points before the next tier unlocked so I just put points anywhere until it did. However I didn’t consider those to be a build I was experimenting with and “junk builds” made of bits and pieces and not a coherent, well thought out build, falls into the same category.

Hopefully the new system will allow you and the others to finally get a decent build.

OK, so Colin. Just recently you came in here and said:

“In doing so: we’re going to be removing the current trait unlocking system currently on live and replacing it with a more simplified system that supports where skills-traits-specializations are going in the future. We’ll go into more details between now and the release of HOT on how skills, traits, and specializations will work in the new Gw2 world.”

Now that the Mastery info is out there, can you give us a time line on when you might discuss or announce this new traits system Anet is looking to implement? Especially since the Mastery announcement more or less states that SP gain after level 80 is going away. can we get some clarification on this?

OMG!
THIS is what I come back to after I pulled the chord on the clockwork Zerg fests of 2013?

So the grand plan to revive the deserted old maps was to force underdeveloped people into certain possibly higher level events?

Did I get this right?

I´m almost regretting now that I beat my barely leveled pal back into the game with me.
What I read here and the cursory glance around the Wiki will not make him a happy camper.
I have to see it for myself, but making leveling tedious is NOT how you generate happy customers.

Palador.2170:

Well folks, the blog about Masteries is up.

The ability to train Masteries is unlocked at level 80 for all players that own Heart of Thorns.

And that line does not sound promising. Lets hope that there’s more to come that runs counter to that line.

The blog: https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/reimagining-progression-the-mastery-system/

Hm. That makes it sound like the skillpoint shift on leveling won’t take place on accounts that don’t have the expansion.

Gilosean.3805:

Palador.2170:

Well folks, the blog about Masteries is up.

The ability to train Masteries is unlocked at level 80 for all players that own Heart of Thorns.

And that line does not sound promising. Lets hope that there’s more to come that runs counter to that line.

The blog: https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/reimagining-progression-the-mastery-system/

Hm. That makes it sound like the skillpoint shift on leveling won’t take place on accounts that don’t have the expansion.

I was thinking the same. Yet, they could simply disable skill point acquisition after hitting 80 across the whole game, and enable mastery point acquisition for those who get the xpac.

Well just finished a new level 80 by playing the game.

I have two traits unlocked, the rest are blank as i didn’t happen to run in to any of the specific content required to unlock the trait.

The toon has no money to buy any 11-13 traits.

Having gone through the entire process, it is blindingly obvious why new players have no clue about builds (I mean, you can’t even unlock mid tier traits until level 60, and you get most of your trait points from 70 upwards, so new players will ignore the whole trait thing).

When you hit 80, nothing tells you or reminds you to go get the trait skills, so you can go merrily on your way not noticing or remembering all those empty spaces in your trait lines.

When you do finally notice, you look up ‘cookie cutter build 101’ for that class and work on getting those specific traits unlocked. then go back to ignoring them, as wanting to change your build involves hours of running around doing stuff you don’t like to open a trait you might not actually use.

It’s a terrible system.

As for swapping or disabling skill point acquisition, skill points are used for lots of things past 80 so doing that won’t happen.

Okay, so it’s ten days since Colin’s post, and we have no information still… I was really hopeful that this was actually coming to an end, but I’m getting the impression that this was another “soon”.

I really hope I’m wrong about this, but I’m seriously lost as to how the code of silence can possible still be in place on this issue. It’s a huge problem that’s gone on for nearly a year now. Whatever the larger goals of the code, this specific issue has warranted a break from it by now.

Victory.2879:

As for swapping or disabling skill point acquisition, skill points are used for lots of things past 80 so doing that won’t happen.

It’s going to happen in the xpac, according to the latest interview. Mastery points will be granted past 80 instead.

Skill points will be added as rewards across high-level content to offset this change.

so in the end, we have to zerg our way through to get skill points….
the idea is to hinder zergs, not encourage them Anet……

Brtiva.9721:

Gilosean.3805:

Palador.2170:

Well folks, the blog about Masteries is up.

The ability to train Masteries is unlocked at level 80 for all players that own Heart of Thorns.

And that line does not sound promising. Lets hope that there’s more to come that runs counter to that line.

The blog: https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/reimagining-progression-the-mastery-system/

Hm. That makes it sound like the skillpoint shift on leveling won’t take place on accounts that don’t have the expansion.

I was thinking the same. Yet, they could simply disable skill point acquisition after hitting 80 across the whole game, and enable mastery point acquisition for those who get the xpac.

Seems more that SP gain will end (regardless of xpac ownership), and you will then gain mastery points in secret and won’t be able to do anything with them until/if you buy the xpac.

This whole thing makes me really angry, having me as close to uninstalling the game as I have ever been. I read about the mastery and the trait changes. Seems I will be forced to buy the expansion in order to get something FIXED that is currently broken in the $60 game I already purchased. At this point… I’m so angry… I have no words that won’t get me banned.

The game makers are delusional if they think they’ll get another $60 from me to buy content that will probably be just as bad as what we currently have. HERE, go do this, this, this and this in this map at this specific time and you may feel the power!! Oh, wait, did you give us your credit card number first?

Ya. That’s how I’m feeling right about now.

sorudo.9054:

Skill points will be added as rewards across high-level content to offset this change.

so in the end, we have to zerg our way through to get skill points….
the idea is to hinder zergs, not encourage them Anet……

This doesn’t mean zerging. Fractals are high-level content, and they’re not zergs.

ozmaniandevil.6805:

This whole thing makes me really angry, having me as close to uninstalling the game as I have ever been. I read about the mastery and the trait changes. Seems I will be forced to buy the expansion in order to get something FIXED that is currently broken in the $60 game I already purchased. At this point… I’m so angry… I have no words that won’t get me banned.

The game makers are delusional if they think they’ll get another $60 from me to buy content that will probably be just as bad as what we currently have. HERE, go do this, this, this and this in this map at this specific time and you may feel the power!! Oh, wait, did you give us your credit card number first?

Ya. That’s how I’m feeling right about now.

I haven’t read anything new about the trait changes, can you tell me where you read this?

ozmaniandevil.6805:

This whole thing makes me really angry, having me as close to uninstalling the game as I have ever been. I read about the mastery and the trait changes. Seems I will be forced to buy the expansion in order to get something FIXED that is currently broken in the $60 game I already purchased. At this point… I’m so angry… I have no words that won’t get me banned.

The game makers are delusional if they think they’ll get another $60 from me to buy content that will probably be just as bad as what we currently have. HERE, go do this, this, this and this in this map at this specific time and you may feel the power!! Oh, wait, did you give us your credit card number first?

Ya. That’s how I’m feeling right about now.

That post was just about the mastery system. They have yet to give us any meat on the actual new trait system they told us they were going to implement. Only that it meshed better with these new systems they will be implementing with the xpac.

Now if you want to rage about precursor crafting being behind the xpac or possible the new WvW map (although they’ve not said yea or nay on that yet officially), then go right ahead.

I can’t hate too much on new mechanics I’ve yet to see, but I can say that if what i hear about the traits don’t sell me well, then I might not ever see those mechanics to begin with. Its like, i’d love to give Anet money again and have fun doing some new things, but not if I feel like I’m about to get messed with again.

My main point is that I’m not spending another $60 because the game I have now is broken and I don’t trust that throwing more money at it is a wise choice. They break stuff then say “well we gonna fix it when you give us more money”. That’s what I hear. If you read through the entire article on mastery, all the good stuff goes to those who buy the expansion.

From post:
“The ability to train Masteries is unlocked at level 80 for all players that own Heart of Thorns. "

Mhmmm.

I find it highly unlikely that they’ll lock a core game system like traits behind an expansion paywall. I’ve been wrong about this stuff before, though.

ozmaniandevil.6805:

My main point is that I’m not spending another $60 because the game I have now is broken and I don’t trust that throwing more money at it is a wise choice. They break stuff then say “well we gonna fix it when you give us more money”. That’s what I hear. If you read through the entire article on mastery, all the good stuff goes to those who buy the expansion.

From post:
“The ability to train Masteries is unlocked at level 80 for all players that own Heart of Thorns. "

Mhmmm.

Well yes, to be fair the masteries as they envision it would be locked behind the expansion. Most of the masteries will no doubt have to do with things/mechanics/fights/maps that are all in the new areas to begin with. The bigger concerns under masteries are the Fractals one and the Lengendary one since those have a good chance of fracturing their player base, which was my concern over in some other threads. I can’t fault Anet for putting new content behind an expansion. My worry is them locking content they dangled in front of us as free features at one time now being locked, but thats all for another thread.

They really need to give us more info on this new simplified trait system they teased a few days ago and give the players time to try it out before HoT goes live however. it is in heir best interest to do so or they may lose way more people than they could imagine before Hot gets off the ground.

Guhracie.3419:

sorudo.9054:

Skill points will be added as rewards across high-level content to offset this change.

so in the end, we have to zerg our way through to get skill points….
the idea is to hinder zergs, not encourage them Anet……

This doesn’t mean zerging. Fractals are high-level content, and they’re not zergs.

high-level, that doesn’t mean exclusively fractures…..

Palador.2170:

Well folks, the blog about Masteries is up.

The ability to train Masteries is unlocked at level 80 for all players that own Heart of Thorns.

And that line does not sound promising. Lets hope that there’s more to come that runs counter to that line.

The blog: https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/reimagining-progression-the-mastery-system/

After reading that, I feel like they are charging for feature changes. I now have even lower expectations for the xpac and the trait system. With the new expansion I could see charging for new pve world maps (with new dungeons and world encounters), new professions, and new races. The things like features should just be inherent to every character. Like in most other games when an expansion releases the players that do not buy the expansion still get the benefit of any new features, they are just excluded from any new content(like maps, dungeons and raids and any new professions or races).

Now on just traits, the removal of skill points from leveling past 80 means they will either be changing how they are used as a currency or they are making acquiring them in to a huge grind or both. Which makes me think the coming trait change might be removing the traits from unlocks and making those events give skill points instead. This will remove the option of unlocking with out paying gold and skill points. You will probably still have to grind all the same BS to get the skill points but you will still get the option of choosing what you want to unlock from the npc. To make this more multiple account friendly I see them making skill points an account shared currency. Which keeps the grind for unlocking all traits and skills but makes it easier than the current system to get a single decent build going. This all fits in line with arenanets current track record. I hope I’m wrong as this isn’t what I want its just what I see them doing.

Lobo Dela Noche.5127:

After reading that, I feel like they are charging for feature changes.

We reap what we sow. Every time I saw someone begging for an expansion pack I envisioned exactly what you’re describing here. I don’t know why so many people were so eager to pay $40+ for stuff that we had already been getting without additional charges, but players were adamantly insisting that they were not going to make any further gem shop purchases until they got their expansion.

That having been said, I’m pretty sure that the trait system will be changing for everyone, not just expansion holders. It’s actually more difficult to implement and maintain two sets of trait systems. I think that everyone who’s complaining that traits are going to remain broken can settle down. I’m also optimistic that traits will be fixed long before the expansion is released. I hope my optimism doesn’t prove to be unfounded.

Bernie.8674:

I’m also optimistic that traits will be fixed long before the expansion is released. I hope my optimism doesn’t prove to be unfounded.

Yeah sure, this thread is only 10 months old – time to be optimistic!

I would have to agree with the assessment that putting a feature like masteries behind a pay wall with the expac is a bad idea. What happens when you reach 80 without buying the expac because you still have plenty of maps left to work on and you just can’t quite afford it yet. Do you simply loose the potential mastery points you could have been earning while still not getting skill points? Way bad idea.

And how kitten will your character be without these masteries? Will there be certain manditory masteries required to do high level instances? How much of the balancing will be done around the assumption of access to these masteries.

I would like to suggest to ArenaNet that they reconsider this idea. Put the new content behind a pay wall but not character customization features.

Read the technicalities of the Mastery breakdown.

Every time you see the word ‘Mastery’ replace it with ‘Trait’

Seem familiar? yeah that’s because it quite likely is – to get Masteries ( and if New Trait System is linked those too) you have to play SPECIFIC content in specific places
- ’Things like completing a chapter in your personal story, completing certain achievements, reaching hard-to-find locations, overcoming challenging encounters, excelling at adventures found within the Heart of Maguuma, or earning 100% completion for a map ’

Urghhhhhh

Yes you do get to decide which Masteries you apply those points to but you still have to go through a very specific grind to get them – the same grind you currently go through to get Traits

sorudo.9054:

Guhracie.3419:

sorudo.9054:

Skill points will be added as rewards across high-level content to offset this change.

so in the end, we have to zerg our way through to get skill points….
the idea is to hinder zergs, not encourage them Anet……

This doesn’t mean zerging. Fractals are high-level content, and they’re not zergs.

high-level, that doesn’t mean exclusively fractures…..

I never said high-level meant exclusively fractals, I was rebutting your position that because it’s high-level, it must mean zerg content. Not all high-level content is zergcentric, was my point.

As for mastery being locked behind the expansion, I think it will be, and I think it should be. They’ve said that points will be awarded retroactively (for things like map completion, et al) and there’s no reason to assume those things won’t be similarly made available upon purchase of the expansion to the rest of the playerbase.

If traits are locked behind the expansion, though, well… I’ll just burn that bridge when we get to it.

Rococo.8347:

Read the technicalities of the Mastery breakdown.

Every time you see the word ‘Mastery’ replace it with ‘Trait’

Seem familiar? yeah that’s because it quite likely is – to get Masteries ( and if New Trait System is linked those too) you have to play SPECIFIC content in specific places
- ’Things like completing a chapter in your personal story, completing certain achievements, reaching hard-to-find locations, overcoming challenging encounters, excelling at adventures found within the Heart of Maguuma, or earning 100% completion for a map ’

Urghhhhhh

Yes you do get to decide which Masteries you apply those points to but you still have to go through a very specific grind to get them – the same grind you currently go through to get Traits

This is the heart of it for me.

See, I played gw2 for what was different about the game, for what was unique. In short, I could actually choose how to play, choose what content I wanted to play and not have my character be penalized by doing so. All that I lost would be cosmetics. Everything I did was fun for me. If something held no interest for me, I did not do it, and I was not truly penalized for it. I had 100% fun in gw2.

This is what turned me off about the new trait system. Required content to be done, or excessive skillpoint /gold cost, particularly skillpoints. It was just totally the opposite of what attracted me to gw2 in the first place.

That was really the end of GW2 for me; I have played sporadically since that on my existing 80s, made no new characters, and return at times to see if anything had been done with the trait system.

Now it seems, with the announcement of masteries and a bit about acquiring them, that this will be the path they take. The game will now revolve around doing required tasks. I imagine traits, masteries, specializations, everything, will revolve around doing required content. Not playing what you want, but what you must do. For masteries, sure you will gain points by playing, but you won’t actually have any masteries unless you play exactly as required.

This is not a complaint, but a lament. It is simply contrary to why I loved the game in the first place, and I will miss playing GW2.

Maybe I am wrong, and things will not go this path, but this seems to strongly suggest it is/will be the way to play. I will follow the forums to see for sure; I loved the game and would still love to continue playing it. But not if this is how things will be; I have another game for that sort of play and the required content is more to my liking…or I would not be doing it. I play games for fun.

GW2 offered me the most freedom , and that is why I played. Despite having much I did not care for, it also had much I really enjoyed. The original design allowed me to have fun all the time.

So, I’ll wait and see what the rest of the deal is. But it seems what I liked about the game is basically no more.

Something tells me that Anet will be opening up Pre-Purchasing for HoT,
before they tell us any specifics about the new-new trait system.
“Pre-Purchase now and get an exclusive Mini Revenant Rytlock!”

or better yet.. “Pre-Purchase now and get a sneak peak at the new-new Trait system!”

After reading most of the mastery-related posts, everyone should chill. The new mastery system will most likely be locked behind the expansion. Most of the masteries are supposed to help the players survive in the jungle, as said by Anet. A new feature or content being barred from players is not without reason. It’s quite simple. It’s being introduced in the xpac, so you’ll obviously have to buy the xpac. Point of an xpac, to expand the game and make money.

As for the trait system, whatever changes Anet has concocted it’ll definitely not be locked behind the xpac. Think logically, the trait system is a component of the core game. The xpac is meant to expand the game, not lock what the game currently has to offer.

I’d be more concern about the change to the skill points/masteries issue. We no longer earn skill points at 80 but instead earn mastery points. Skill points would then be earned in more areas of the game.

A good solution would actually be having options. An option such as, choosing to earn what we want/need. For example, you open a UI and click skill points or mastery points. Then, as you play you earn whatever is active. The experience bar would indicate what you’re currently working on by color. XP is currently yellow, mastery would be another color. With this system, players can then go for either skill points or mastery points.

At first, I thought we’d have two bars. One is XP and either on top or bottom would be the mastery bar. This little stunt of replacing the XP with the mastery bar seems to aim at lowering our earning of skill points. Thus, acting like a gold sink to slow gold making. Remember, skill points can be converted to gold.