Guild Wars 2

There has been talk of improving build variety and class playstyle through improving traits and I think that’s a good way to go about that particular issue. What I would like to then have is a discussion about what sort of traits need to be improved or entirely changed.

The two types of traits that I’ve never been a big fan of are the straight vertical increase traits and traits that do nothing but provide better functionality but no new functionality. The type of traits I love are ones that provide something new for the class, skill, or weapon to do. I think those type of traits are the linchpins for many popular builds.

Vertical Increase Traits:

Greatsword training for Mesmers, Explosive Powders for Engineers, Greatsword Power for Guardians, Physical Training for Warriors.

My issue with these traits is that they are very narrow in purpose and hence a bit boring in design. If you are running a Greatsword, then you’ll more than likely be taking something to boost Greatsword damage. There’s no drawback to using these traits and no new way of playing opened up by using these traits.

Many of these vertical increase traits are tied to weapons, but others are tied to particular skills or just a singular skill. For a Phantasm Mesmer, your build normally takes three traits just to increase Phantasm Damage. That’s three traits just to increase Phantasm damage rather than offer new viable reasons for using your Phantasms.

The problem is that this just isn’t helping build variety and that there’s too many of these type of traits. In one way or another, they are just +1 to X.

Basic Functionality traits are my other big issue, and probably a bigger problem than the vertical power increase traits. Some examples of this are the traits that increase the range on certain skills.

The Engineer’s Rifled Barrel traits improves the range on all projectile weapons, which means that it basically improves the range on all equipable weapons. There is no engineer that wouldn’t benefit form this trait. It is basic functionality. The game says your pistol can hit this far away, but we’re reducing the distance it will hit from just so you have to take this trait for your weapon to function akittens best. This sort of trait shouldn’t exist because it’s a no-brainer. This a benefit that the weapons should have already built-in. It’s not an interesting choice. Like the vertical power increase traits, the only drawback is that your weapon will be worse at what it’s already doing.

In both cases, you have to take this boring trait and give up on more interesting traits that add new purposes and things to do. In some cases, a single trait commits both crimes. Grenadier for Engineers increases attack range AND damage. The choice is “your grenades work” or “your grenades now really work”. That’s weak design in my opinion.

Traits I <3<3:

Those that add new purpose to already existing things you do in game. My first two examples would be the Warden’s Feedback trait for Mesmers and Elixir-Infused Bombs for Engineers.

A large part of the 3 Warriors + Guardian + Mesmer uberteam combo is that Guardians and Mesmers can reflect. A key to the Mesmer’s reflect power is the Warden’s Feedback trait. This trait reduced the CD on Focus skills much like the Greatsword trait reduces cooldown, but instead of a vertical damage increase, it adds the extra functionality of making Focus skills reflect projectiles. Now my Focus off-hand went from a speed boost weapon to a speed boost AND reflect weapon. As opposed to the problematic traits, this trait allows me to do more with my character rather than just do the same thing but with better results.

Elixir-Infused Bombs make an Engineer’s bombs heal allies. This is a small little aoe heal burst that adds a new function to being a Bomb Engineer. It’s not just damge + secondary effects, but both of those things plus healing. This trait also pairs well the bomb on dodge trait. So not only do added functionality traits provide new ways to play a class, they can also make other traits better.

So, obviously, I’d like the vertical increase traits and basic functionality traits changed or removed. I find a trait like Rifled Barrels rather heinous and would just replace it with something new and add the old traits functionality as the standard range. What I would suggest for the vertical increase traits is to add more of the conditionals that certain vertical increases already have. These conditional increases are the type that increase damage if your endurance is full, if the target is burning or bleeding, or if you’re standing still. These conditionals offer more to think about when choosing the trait and offer more to think about while playing.

Now I’d like to hear other suggestions. I would also like to ask what people think of the tiering of traits now that we’re 9 months into the game. I feel there are certain traits never taken because of the tiering system. I know that a trait like Imbued Diversions is never taken because it’s in a direct power battle akittens tier with Illusionary Persona.

Good read, it would be awesome if we could re work these kind of traits. They’ve changed traits before so it can’t be too hard.

What you say is true but that isn’t the biggest problem. Too many traits are simply bad compared to the alternative in the same slot or event one from a lower tier.

The alternative to Grenadier is Autodefense Bomb Dispenser for Grandmaster. In my opinion the alternative is NEVER worth taking unless Grenadier gets nerfed into the ground. Obviously you can also take one of the Master or Adept traits instead but it is saying a lot about how good the Grandmaster traits are if Master and Adept have better alternatives.

All traits in the same tier/slot should be equally tempting to take. Taking one over the other should feel like a sacrifice not a “well this is the best of the worse I guess … no reason to leave the slot blank”.

It’s not just individual traits though, for some classes it’s entire trait paths.

If an Ele wants to be effective he or she has to go in to Arcane to some degree. It boosts the entire class, no matter the stats you plan to build, it’s just a +1 to X, in that case X being everything.

And engineers have the same problem with Tools. Building with a or multiple kit(s)? Speedy kits is mandatory. Not using any kits? You have to rely on your toolbelt skills because you have the lowest amount of skills possible in the entire game.