Guild Wars 2

Of the released Elite specs thus far, I’ve noticed a correlation between their profession mechanic and the nature of the weapon they unlock. That is, 2-handed weapons seam to be transformitive, replacing parts of the profession mechanics, such as DragonHunter’s virtues having different activated effects and the alternative skills while in the Reaper’s Shroud. Off-handed weapons on the other hand, have added additional functionality to the per-existing mechanics, such as the Chronomancer gaining an extra shatter type and the Tempest being able to overcharge their attunements.

Of course, this is just a noting of a theory at this point, and as it is, we have no idea if any profession is going to gain a main-hand weapon, or if this will hold true for the hidden Elite Specs. But I thought it was an interesting enough observation to be food for thought.

Clustering Illusion

Nike.2631:

Clustering Illusion

Pattern Bias sure, but that specific illusion doesn’t apply here so much because the elite specs are not being made randomly. There is rhyme and reason to them, and as the OP pointed out, they seek to build on or change an existing set of parameters about the classes we currently have.

However, if you posted that into a discussion about RNG… you would be confirming the reason so many people despise RNG systems, the system is random, but look at all those clusters that do keep forming. Those would be analogous to those people we all hate who actually roll precourser weapon or other very high price/low chance drops from whatever the source may be. While the distribution is still “random” there WILL be places where clusters begin to appear, and there will be places that remain mostly empty for a very long time. /derail

But here with the pattern of how they have done elite specs so far, it’s a predictive model based what’s been proven. Profiling in a way.

I’ve noticed it myself. It might be because we have such a small sample size, but it does seem that so far the elite specialisations with a two-hander feel like a secondary profession, while those with an offhand feel more like they’re fundamentally the same profession with new options.

draxynnic.3719:

I’ve noticed it myself. It might be because we have such a small sample size, but it does seem that so far the elite specialisations with a two-hander feel like a secondary profession, while those with an offhand feel more like they’re fundamentally the same profession with new options.

I guess because they get 3 more weapons skills in addition to the normal 2. Other than that? each seem to be getting the same amount of content.

I hope the next reveal gets a mainhand weapon. i was holding out for tempest, but warhorn doesn’t really bring much to the table that ele doesn’t have already.