[Introduction]
We’ve all groaned at the numerous “repeat” threads out there beating a dead horse. Such as:
~ I really liked capturing elite skills in GW1. Can we have that in GW2?
~ I really wish my Revenant could use racial skills!
~ I really wish I could learn skills from the Order (Whispers / Priory / Vigil) I chose in my personal story!
~ I really wish my Elementalist / Engineer could weapon swap!
~ I really wish I could equip a sword on my Elementalist / rifle on my Thief! Etc.
~ I really wish PvP meta would be shaken up more often!
~ WvW doesn’t have enough stability!
~ Stealth is too powerful in competitive game modes!
[Proposal]
F0-F6 can be tooled to be used as game-mode exclusive skills. For example…
in PvP: F6-F0 could be given flavor of the week skills to counter a specific meta.
In WvW: F6-F0 could be given flavor of the week skills to counter a specific meta, and also allow new, map specific skills (such as EotM’s airship strike grenade, which is currently a consumable)
in PvE: F6-F0 could use racial skills, order skills, consumable skills earned from hearts or events.
F6-F0 would essentially work like a second set of 6-0 slots, but: (using PvE skills as the examples)
~ class specific skills can not be slotted in F6-F0
~ racial skills would be re-allocated to the F6-F0 slots, and no longer usable in the regular class slots.
~ F6 would be dedicated to NON-class heal skill (such as racial heal, med kit from heart quests vendor in Gendarren Fields)
~ F0 would be dedicated to racial elites, elite consumables (such as the fire elemental summon), new Order elite skills
~ F7-F9 would be dedicated to the general racial utility skills, non elite consumable skills (such as a jump rifle, or training sword/ shield/rifle from Claypool Heart quest)
[Converting existing systems]
~ we already have a plethora of consumable skills from heart quests, heart quest vendors, NPCs strewn about Tyria just standing around in their own little corner.
~ All of these consumables could be converted to be placed in a “consumable / skill collection”
~ once the consumable / skill has been unlocked in the collection, it can be freely slotted in the appropriate F6-F0 skill slot. In the appropriate game mode.
~ F6-F0 skill slots would be earned through the existing level up reward system. For example: F6 could be earned at level 18, F7 at level 22, F8 at 25, F9 at 28, and F0 at 34. to continue allowing for a sense of character progression.
~ racial skills would be auto granted when the appropriate slot is earned through level-up reward system
~ new Order skills could be awarded for completing different story missions, such as “Barrel of Apples” after completing Order of Whispers Chapter 4.
~ new generic weapon skills can be created for generic swords / rifles / etc, that can be used as “kits” in the F7-F0 skill slots (F0 elite weapons would be more powerful than F7-F9 weapons of course) (thus allowing “weapon swaps” in a different form, and allowing classes to wield generic weapons they normally cant wield)
~ Players could even learn monster skills, or boss skills as rewards for defeating them.
~ each game mode already has it’s own separate character build. (When I move from PvE to WvW or to PvP lobby, my character has a different skill and trait loadout in each game mode. F6-F0 would be included in that fuction)
[PvP and WvW]
~ whenever the meta feels too stale, new skills could be added to shake up the meta without changing class skills.
~ these new skills could be the PvP / WvW equivelent of Fractal Instabilities.
~ these new skills could be rotated / random on a per match-up / daily / weekly / monthly / seasonal basis
[Pros]
~ having consumable / skill collections would add “more to do” for those who “gotta collect them all!”
~ gives people more flavor in PvE, especially for Rpers
~ gives players more skills to use in different game modes.
~ allows Anet to shake up competitive game mode metas without re-balancing class skills in all game modes, especially if the skills don’t need a buff or nerf. For example:
~~ not enough stability in WvW? Create new skills for WvW that apply more stability
~~ stealth is the dominate meta in ranked PvP? Create new PvP-only skills that apply more “reveal”
[Cons]
~ takes development time away from other new content.
[Rebuttal to Cons]
~ this would lay the groundwork for another system to expand character progression in the game.
~ this would not be making a completely new system, it would be adjusting current systems to synergize better with each other.
~~ collections already exist
~~ many consumables / skills already exist
~~ environmental weapons already exist
~~ many animations and icons already exist as assets in the game (re-using existing work in more ways)