Guild Wars 2

If runes are designed to be worked as “Added Effects” why not just make runic effects get stronger with one string (for instance, Rune of the Dolyak heals 15 HP/S per rune equipped or Rune of Balthazar increasing burning duration by 5% and odds to burn on hit by 5% for a flat amount of time with a flat ICD for each one equipped) effect and offload the stats to the trinket gems?

This makes the game not only simpler but reworks player choice in an engaging way while also allowing for “cleaning up” redundant or completely unused runes through consolidation or removal. Arguably because the 6th effect already exists for most runes the work is mostly done. Rune of the Ogre has the rockdog + damage bonus just staggered over 6 points, Scholar would be the same, solves the “useless” stat dilemma too.

Offloading to the trinkets is easy enough, not meaning ascended items, but just the additional little baubles offered like infusions and crystals etc. Basically making them all doubloons with more powerful and meaningful staggered effects. Just a numbers change.

I can’t think of any runes that this wouldn’t work with.

I can’t see them doing this, not saying it wouldn’t work or be a good idea but….

They changed it to this system because it was confusing for a lot of people and slightly harder to balance as people could mix runes. So they changed it to what we have now.

Tbh I’m surprised they haven’t gone the full way through and just changed it to how PvP works – you choose 1 rune and that’s it, it covers all your gear, no mixing at all, no spread stats/bonus here and there.

There was another idea posted on the subreddit a while back that I really enjoyed (or maybe it was here idr). It was similar to your idea in that it separated the stats from the run set effects, but it didn’t give them to the trinkets. I believe it just condensed everything into a set of 3, so you could wear 2 sets or something

Paulytnz.7619:

I can’t see them doing this, not saying it wouldn’t work or be a good idea but….

They changed it to this system because it was confusing for a lot of people and slightly harder to balance as people could mix runes. So they changed it to what we have now.

Tbh I’m surprised they haven’t gone the full way through and just changed it to how PvP works – you choose 1 rune and that’s it, it covers all your gear, no mixing at all, no spread stats/bonus here and there.

Actually I’m surprised abouts too. Going the PvP route makes a lot of sense now that you say that. I didn’t even consider it really. Especially since diversification is rare and the changes made made it even rarer.

But you’re right.