Guild Wars 2

Straight to the point: I think that for most proffesions, there is not enough difference between the mechanics of base and elite spec. Take a look at chronomancer for example – when you take that spec you just get an additional f skill. You can still play as a normal mesmer that has just access to another skill. And now take a look at the reaper – when you become a reaper you loose your range death shroud in favor of melee reaper shroud. Now before you spec into reaper, you need to think if you really want to exchange one proffesion mechanic (DS) for another (RS) because either of those has its pros and cons. While playing thief you really have nothing to loose when choosing the daredevil – you simply get additional dodge bar at your disposal, which makes playing daredevil not much different from base thief.
To further show my point I’ll list here few suggestions as how to distinguish elite from base specs:

• chronomancer: simply swap Distortion with Continuum Split so that players have to choose betweet those two – either you want a source of distortion buff or you want to be able to go back in time. That way chronomancer won’t be just a mesmer on steroids.
• berserker: while I like the idea of berserkers burst skills, you still can play as normal warrior never ever using your Berserk. For this elite spec I’d suggest to completly get rid of warrior Burst skills in favor of Berserk. You could activate your berserk at any stage of adrenaline (instead of only 3rd stage) which would then result in your berserk being longer and/or stronger.
• reaper, dragonhunter: those two elite specs represents the difference between base and elite specs that I would like to see on every proffesion. Mechanics of those specs are a different view of how the base proffesion could be played. They dont just empower the base class – they change it.
• other elite specs: sadly I don’t see a way to change any of the other elite specs, so they don’t feel like they are just upgraded base classes. Daredevil is a thief with additional dodge, tempest = elementalist + overloading, herald = revenant + additional f skill etc.

PS. I understand that to choose an elite spec is also to sacrifice one of the base specs, but the main difference between proffesions (and elite specs) still are their mechanics (mostly f skills) and so playing two characters with same f skills, that only differ with one trait line feels still much the same.

PS2. Sorry for my bad english.

TL;DR Most elite specs are just base proffesions on steroids, so they don’t feel much different from their base classes.

I think you’re wrong. The chronomancer totally revolutionizes the class! With access to wells and alacrity, there’s now a large emphasis on distributing the strongest buff in the game— alacrity.

Reaper changes the necro from the ground up too. With a gs, the necro can now wade deep into combat and take on groups of foes. In addition, the new deathshroud alters your strategy from a keep away mentality to a melee one. That’s a really big change.

Berserker: So yeah, you could play without using your defining class skill… but like.. that’s true of everyone. When you do, you get better attack speed and damage all around, why wouldn’t you activate it?

Dragonhunter: Here you might have a point. I was playing with traps and I had longbow/gs, during my gameplay I told my wife exactly what you said, this didn’t change much. Really cool skills, had lots of fun, but it felt like I swapped a traitline, not really that big of difference. The biggest deal here, is the raw % damage increases. Suppose you run zeal, virtues and dragonhunter your damage would be increased by 20% with aegis, 1% per boon, 10% to foes in symbols, 10% to crippled foes, 7% to burning foes, 5% with greatsword, and 10% to foes affected by your spear of justice. Add in scholar’s runes for 10%, night sigil 10%, force sigil 5%, and 25% from vuln (which you easily reach the cap on) and you have about 112% damage increase. That doesn’t even include frost spirit, the new glyph from the ranger that adds 10% or other sources of damage boosts. It’s significant.

Daredevil/Tempest: I don’t play ele or thief much, sorry.

Scrapper: Again, a range class now is melee. The focus is different, the game play is different. It’s a good time.

The herald even changes the revenant in interesting ways. It opens up for better healing for tanks and healers but also, those boons are soo good. You have to decide whether to spam 1 so you can maintain 3 upkeeps (might, fury, 50% outgoing) or if you should keep up just fury and might to slowly creep up some energy for skills 2-5

The 112% doesn’t factor in any boons. Normally you’d run with 5 or so. so 117%

I actually thought as they described it first that elite specs would work like an alternative, with some sacrifices.

Like everything they give, they also take away (if they offer a new skillgroup, they take another away, for example. )

Righ now you will sacrifice only one of your traitlines, to get a lot more in return.

Sure, it might hurt some builds, but seing how much you get, I don`t see many base class if more elite get released.

Not that I mind, but I actually liked the idea, of having the choice of full on warrior, or sacrificing some survivability to go berserker, but be still in line with the base class.

As far as I understand it, the elite specs are straight up upgrades, that will become even more relevant in the future.

I mean, you get an upgraded mechanic, a complete shift with your traitline, a complete new weapon and even some “cool” equipment to go along wih it.

all for the cost of one traitline.

However, just to be clear. I am not against it. i just feel like it cheapens the baseclass.