Another thing that simply blows my mind when i see these topics, why do you knowingly come to a game that doesn’t have the combat system you prefer and expect them to change? Why bother in the first place, especially if you don’t enjoy the combat system they designed. This has always made me scratch my head, it’s like going to MacDonalds and complaining that you hate their food?
In my case I didn’t come to GW2 with a preference. I had played trinity games and was completely open to other conceptions of combat—and, I still am. I have no special love for the trinity itself and perhaps have the most problem with the conception of tank.
What I do believe is necessary is meaningful combat roles and we don’t have them. In thinking about what’s missing I’m not sure that set roles are necessary if say meaningful alternate builds were available that brought unique meaningful abilities to the table. I’m completely open, but have noticed that GW2 combat is not satisfying. Rather than giving up on a great game, I prefer to advocate for things that might work better.
When combat becomes more open ppl have more chose in how they play even games with a trinity system if they are able to avoid attks by rolling out of the way it weakens the trinity system over all. So you can play GW2 like it has a trinity system but most ppl CHOSE not to. So its not for the lack of a trinity system that ppl play the way you do not want them to play its more on the ppl want to play that way. If you truly dislike playing that way then you do not have to but if others truly dislike playing with a trinity system you have no right to say they are wrong.
Game design is the larger determinant of how people play a game. It’s interesting, early on a meta wanted to emerge around an anchor guardian, mesmer, and warrior team composition. I say “wanted to” because it is innate in our humanity to establish roles when confronted with a group objective. But, players eventually figured out that DPS was the only thing that mattered after all.
I never have a problem with people’s preferences. I only take issue with irrational ideas like WoW is more scripted than GW2 because of the trinity. Or, that wait time is an issue with a LFG tool under the trinity. I think it’s fine to have a preference around the trinity and I honor that.
So trinity is more of an artifact of lower end computing power and lower end web power it makes an illusion of combat that is not turn base but in truth it is turn base. Games like WoW are very scripted as in there only one way to play it and in truth there no way for WoW to brake out of that beyond giving every class every thing at once. The ability to avoid dmg by rolling adds a lot more to the level of chose of how you play in a game at the same time having environment weapons such as having triggers falling rock kill mobs at the same time etc.. take away from the idea of a trinity system too. That kind of the point to have mmorpg evolve into new higher end system and web power so far mmorpg have lagged way behind such stander as FPS or moba (how every you spell it) or rts etc… Its this hold out to the old that is keeping mmorpg back badly.
Side note to honor something you believe in is more of an ego boots its not realty something you do to make a point.
No, the trinity is simply a construct that grows out of human experience. First, it acknowledges that humans generally approach group objectives through roles, and this is true whether it’s a scavenger hunt, football team, or brain surgery. The trinity decided among various role options and came up with three.
One thing to note is that the options come largely from human experience and archetype. And, that’s where they should come from. Is the trinity anything special that must be preserved? Nope, it’s just one possible conception of combat roles and I believe we could do better than the trinity. But, I don’t believe all DPS all the time works and that’s why we have these threads. Something is wrong and something can be improved.