Guild Wars 2

…or will it be a relentless grind like the current system? I have still not unlocked all the grandmaster skills on all my toons due to the fact it is such a chore to do so and having to wait on temples being available is tedious and unnecessarily arduous in a game that is supposed to be fun.

I hope the new boss will not be the same as the old boss.

The exact details are still unknown. However, based on what’s been said, we can extrapolate that it will take ~60 hero points to unlock a singles trait line completely. Characters will earn ~400 leveling from 1-80, with (probably) more being obtained in later levels than earlier. Hero Challenges (now known as Skill Challenges) will also provide Hero Points, though it has not as yet been announced if this is a 1 for 1 deal. It will take 465 points to unlock the 5 core trait lines and all core skills. this will presumably be done by getting to 80 and doing some of the Challenges.

Further announcements may clarify the exact amount of effort required, but it looks like there will be no gold cost and no traits tied to specific activities other than the Skill Challenges.

#StayTunedforMoreDetails

What We Currently Know…

To unlock a full core specialization, you must bring the Knights of ArenaNet… a shrubbery! One that looks nice, and not too expensive.

To unlock an elite specialization, you must bring the Knights of ArenaNet… another shrubbery! When you have found the shrubbery, you must place the shrubbery there, beside the first shrubbery, only slightly higher, so you get a two-level effect with a path through the middle.

Once you have accomplished that, then you must cut down the mightiest tree in the forest with… a herring!

In other words, basically the same system we have now.

Majic.4801:

What We Currently Know…

To unlock a full core specialization, you must bring the Knights of ArenaNet… a shrubbery! One that looks nice, and not too expensive.

To unlock an elite specialization, you must bring the Knights of ArenaNet… another shrubbery! When you have found the shrubbery, you must place the shrubbery there, beside the first shrubbery, only slightly higher, so you get a two-level effect with a path through the middle.

Once you have accomplished that, then you must cut down the mightiest tree in the forest with… a herring!

In other words, basically the same system we have now.

If you don’t, A-net will assault you ears with “KNNEE!” relentlessly.

The major change is how specific the system is. Or rather, how much more relaxed it’s becoming.

Currently, you either need to pay an inflated skill point cost for traits, or do a very specific event. It looks like after the changes, you’ll be able to earn points towards your trait lines by completing any skill challenge on the map, as well as levelling up.

So the problem you detailed of waiting for a temple to become contested should be resolved. And from the looks of it, each trait will be closer to around 5 skill points in cost, rather than the current spread of 2/5/10/20.

More exact details are still on the way, but I’m willing to bet unlocking traits will be much faster, especially since you don’t have to wait on specific dynamic events anymore.

It’s not at all the same system we have now. Not even a little bit. Traits are going to be bundled into a “reward track” system with skills and other things (armor/weapons, I think?) and it will take 465 hero points to unlock all of those tracks. You’ll earn 400 hero points just from leveling to 80, and traits will be accessible from around level 20ish. The rest of the hero points will be gained from doing skill challenges (blue chevrons) on the map.

One thing I’m wondering is if one skill challenge will award one hero point, since it’s not like we get 400 skill points for leveling. It seems like a reasonable deduction to think that skill (hero) challenges might award more than 1 hero point.

All of the tracks will be unlocked automatically in PvP.