I agree with the OP as well. Not that I know any better than the developers, but the current system is very similar to the SWG system minus the ability to multi-class spec. The trait points offer you the ability to truly make your own build that is unique.
For those of you that didn’t play SWG (pre-NGE, aka “the golden years”). It was a sandbox style MMO that had the most incredible community and player driven content. They implemented a Skill tree system in which you built up a pool of experience. Your experience could be put into a specified skill within a class tree. Each class tree contained 4 core levels, a novice level, and a mastery level. It would work as follows:
Everyone had 255 spendable skillpoints but they could only be spent when enough experience was gained for a skill box.
You’d become a novice of a specified base profession at the cost of no experience and something like 15 skill points. The novice skill box would give you some base stats and weapon certifications- For Guild Wars sake, you wouldn’t pick your profession and spend points, it would just be the class you chose from the start.
Based on the weapon type you used (or crafting type you performed) you would gain experience in that specific weapon. Once you built up enough experience you could use it to purchase another box in your skill tree for that specified weapon. It would also spend a minimal amount of skill points, say maybe 2, since this is one of your first tier boxes. So now you’ve used 17 of 255 skillpoints. As you gain more experience you could use it for additional skillboxes. You’d have 4 total for each weapon type or specialization for a grand total of 16 boxes within a profession before mastery. So each of the 4 tiers of boxes would cost progressively more experience and skillpoints.
Once you reached 4th tier in a set of boxes, you might be able to progress into a mastery level profession. Some master level professions had several pre-requisites. Other master level professions didn’t.
I could see a similar system implemented with the trait system we use now, as it uses a similar principle. Instead of 255 skill points we currently get 40 trait points. You could easily bump that up to 80 points to properly mesh with all of the in game items.
Next you break the professions down by what we’d call “build types”. Lets use warriors.
Warriors would gain access to all weapons, or maybe one handed mainhand weapons from the start. As they used each weapon, they’d gain experience and could unlock traitpoints within related trees. Say, mace and hammers are linked to experience that would build defense and tactics skills. Two handers would build primarily precision with secondary power. Swords and axes would build power and condition, etc.
Once you got so many trait points within, you’d unlock the next rarity set of weapons or maybe just open up a better crop of them. (ie first tier grey-blue, second tier green-yellow). Perhaps the same would go for armor. May also tie your skills into it, or utilities into it.
So you are progressively getting better based on your experience, and gaining new masteries and skills/stats based on the boxes YOU choose. It eliminates skills associated with weapons you don’t use, and allows you to fine tune your spec even more. No levels necessary.
Obviously this is rough and would require a lot more thought, but I will say, the first thing the trait system freedom reminded me of was SWG. By my standards, the original SWG was the best MMO I had ever played simply because of the freedom and community it promoted. Also reminds me of UO to an extent as well, just more in depth. This is the first MMO I have played since the old days that I have really enjoyed progressing in. I’m glad A-net used the system it did, as it’s introducing a lot of casual or new MMORPG players to what made this genre so great in the first place. Freedom.
