Guild Wars 2

If only this was true….

http://youtu.be/Z1XLoZWwAdU

This is what I want honestly.

But what forms we get? That’s the question.

As a Druid I wanted to play a support/control/ defensive role compared to rangers.

I want to take the form of some kitten looking nature monster and heal allies and CC enemies while tanking a hit. Don’t care about DPS. I just want to be important to my group and a threat to enemies while not simply dpsing.

For animal forms I want a Bear Melee form,
A Naga damage form
A GRIFFIN form YESSSS

Why would the Druid transform into animals ? Druids in GW are more about plants and nature spirits.
It might be possible but Druid doesnt always mean transformation. Don’t take WoW as a standard for everything.

Ojyh.9842:

Don’t take DnD as a standard for everything.

I fixed that. Your point still stands though, druids in guild wars lore are druids in guild wars lore, nothing else. Although, to be fair, so little is known about the druids that anything goes really.

Looking at the ranger, the themes I’m guessing are part of the druid are: animals, plants and weather. What that means exactly, other than the skill we’ve seen, is pure speculation.

This is exactly what I want too. When I think Druid, I think the D&D style druid which was heavily invested in shapeshifting abilities.

Wishful thinking, maybe in the video that everybody thinks was a Druid and his pet, perhaps it was two Druids (one in humanoid form, the other in a beast form). Then that could very well mean that the Druid doesn’t have a pet mechanic after all, they are their own “pet”

no, this class will not turn the game into WoW-trinityness, when will people finally give up on that, another 2 years? Also, druids in GW lore are not known for animal and elemental transformation. Lord knows where people get this idea – last time I checked, there was no Wizards of the Coast logo on the GW2 box. Druids of old (GW) transformed into spirits.

thinly veiled channel advertising, tsk tsk.

and druids won’t be shapeshifters. that’s what norn do.

They’d definitely have to make it a solid set of options for it to work because I can tell you that it doesn’t do well unless it is solid when in that form.

The Beorning class in LOTRO for example isn’t that solidly built so it causes some problems for players when they swap out forms during a fight and it might cause some problems here.

Now if it were done as a means of faster travel without combat in mind THAT in itself would be an awesome addition and it would be completely welcome imo I think it would work better than having combat options while transformed because that would mean they wouldn’t have to balance combat again for these forms.

It would also replace the mount issue for rangers in which there is an abvious need for mounts in this game but Rangers would have a faster run speed/swim speed while in these forms.

I would love to see them do this but I also wonder exactly what they can do for all classes to give us all a faster option for non-combat travel without teleportation.

Ojyh.9842:

Why would the Druid transform into animals ? Druids in GW are more about plants and nature spirits.
It might be possible but Druid doesnt always mean transformation. Don’t take WoW as a standard for everything.

I disagree. Druids are based on Real Life Druid culture, and Druid culture deals with both Animals and Spirits of nature…

Knighthonor.4061:

Ojyh.9842:

Why would the Druid transform into animals ? Druids in GW are more about plants and nature spirits.
It might be possible but Druid doesnt always mean transformation. Don’t take WoW as a standard for everything.

I disagree. Druids are based on Real Life Druid culture, and Druid culture deals with both Animals and Spirits of nature…

And real-life druids did not change into plants, animals, or spirits. They were ordinary human beings bound by the same natural laws as everything else has been since the dawn of our universe. I’m not understanding what your counter argument is supposed to prove in order to get shape shifting druids into GW2.

Druids are going to be rangers who can use staff skills, and/or a few different utility skills, and possibly a different elite skill (which could be a shape shift, I suppose, but you’d only get to change into one other thing every 180-240 seconds for 30-60 seconds). They’ll play just like any of the other profession already in game.

…only if that Druid is also Norn. Transforming into animal spirits is kind of their thing.

The reason everyone expects shapeshifting when they hear “Druid” is because of the “Kleenex Effect” otherwise known as a brand name takeover. It happens when the brand name of a product becomes the colloquial term for a particular type of product. Kleenex is a brand name of tissue paper. But people often just call it Kleenex even if it’s some other brand of tissue paper.

Similarly when there’s a shapeshifter class, people call it the Druid because the D&D and WoW druid pretty much defined the colloquial term. Now you cant even say “druid” without people immediately jumping to shapeshifting. It would be cool to have a shapeshifting druid, but the GW2 druid is more like the pre-D&D/WoW/D2 druid. It’s more like the legends of mystical Celtic clerics.

I have a more pragmatic concern for this topic that will probably throw a major wrench in the works… How would a shapeshifter class fit into the design of GW2 mechanically? We already have engineers who can swap kits around to change their 1-5 skills and dramatically alter their combat behavior on the fly. We already have elementalists swapping attunements which change their 1-5 skills to provide a wide array of different rolls and abilities. How does a shapeshifter distinguish themselves from this? Forget for a moment your superficial wishes of becoming a furry creature. Think about this mechanically. What is the point of it in the context of GW2?

Xenon.4537:

The reason everyone expects shapeshifting when they hear “Druid” is because of the “Kleenex Effect” otherwise known as a brand name takeover. It happens when the brand name of a product becomes the colloquial term for a particular type of product. Kleenex is a brand name of tissue paper. But people often just call it Kleenex even if it’s some other brand of tissue paper.

Similarly when there’s a shapeshifter class, people call it the Druid because the D&D and WoW druid pretty much defined the colloquial term. Now you cant even say “druid” without people immediately jumping to shapeshifting. It would be cool to have a shapeshifting druid, but the GW2 druid is more like the pre-D&D/WoW/D2 druid. It’s more like the legends of mystical Celtic clerics.

I have a more pragmatic concern for this topic that will probably throw a major wrench in the works… How would a shapeshifter class fit into the design of GW2 mechanically? We already have engineers who can swap kits around to change their 1-5 skills and dramatically alter their combat behavior on the fly. We already have elementalists swapping attunements which change their 1-5 skills to provide a wide array of different rolls and abilities. How does a shapeshifter distinguish themselves from this? Forget for a moment your superficial wishes of becoming a furry creature. Think about this mechanically. What is the point of it in the context of GW2?

The point is, that people want it, and they expect it.

What else would you need. ANet called the new specialization “Druid”, so people expect what they know about druids.

Let us still choose our pets, but instead of commanding the pet, let us transform into it and hunt as a pack.

Same skills as the pet. Sounds cool to me.

Xenon.4537:

The reason everyone expects shapeshifting when they hear “Druid” is because of the “Kleenex Effect” otherwise known as a brand name takeover. It happens when the brand name of a product becomes the colloquial term for a particular type of product. Kleenex is a brand name of tissue paper. But people often just call it Kleenex even if it’s some other brand of tissue paper.

Similarly when there’s a shapeshifter class, people call it the Druid because the D&D and WoW druid pretty much defined the colloquial term. Now you cant even say “druid” without people immediately jumping to shapeshifting. It would be cool to have a shapeshifting druid, but the GW2 druid is more like the pre-D&D/WoW/D2 druid. It’s more like the legends of mystical Celtic clerics.

I have a more pragmatic concern for this topic that will probably throw a major wrench in the works… How would a shapeshifter class fit into the design of GW2 mechanically? We already have engineers who can swap kits around to change their 1-5 skills and dramatically alter their combat behavior on the fly. We already have elementalists swapping attunements which change their 1-5 skills to provide a wide array of different rolls and abilities. How does a shapeshifter distinguish themselves from this? Forget for a moment your superficial wishes of becoming a furry creature. Think about this mechanically. What is the point of it in the context of GW2?

is it weird that i never associate druids with shapeshifting? even though i played plenty of diablo 2 as a kid, i always thought the shapeshifting stuff wasn’t particularly druidish of the guy, while animal companions and plant-based magic made more sense to me.

WoW did it right, a few other games as well. One of the best professions in the game imo cause it felt unique.

Would love to have a druid that revolved around shapeshifting. Ditch the pet and turn our F1-f4 into shape shifts. This game lacks pet synergy already so having it on a druid would be really pointless :/ .

Kentaine.4692:

Knighthonor.4061:

Ojyh.9842:

Why would the Druid transform into animals ? Druids in GW are more about plants and nature spirits.
It might be possible but Druid doesnt always mean transformation. Don’t take WoW as a standard for everything.

I disagree. Druids are based on Real Life Druid culture, and Druid culture deals with both Animals and Spirits of nature…

And real-life druids did not change into plants, animals, or spirits. They were ordinary human beings bound by the same natural laws as everything else has been since the dawn of our universe. I’m not understanding what your counter argument is supposed to prove in order to get shape shifting druids into GW2.

Druids are going to be rangers who can use staff skills, and/or a few different utility skills, and possibly a different elite skill (which could be a shape shift, I suppose, but you’d only get to change into one other thing every 180-240 seconds for 30-60 seconds). They’ll play just like any of the other profession already in game.

Druids are not based on real life druid culture. Real life Druid Culture isn’t anymore in tune with nature than are priests, wizards, sorcerers, shamans, witches, magi, clerics, pastors, or any other religious leader out there. (ancient Culture, not the new age religion that isn’t anymore based on ancient druid culture than DnD is.)

The whole “Druids = Nature” did not exist until Dungeons and Dragons was around, and even then, it took a couple of editions for Druids to be fully nature themed. Xenon is right about the ‘Kleenex effect’ here, since before DnD, druids were considered to be priests, keyword there being priests and nothing more. While there were stories of them being able to command the elements, that’s the same as rumors of priests way over in Japan and the Americas also being able to control the elements and being able to tell the future by looking at birds and bark patterns.

As for the shape shifting, I don’t think there’s going to be any of that. I see three possible things (based on what we see Druids do in other fantasy settings)….Elemental forces of Nature…Plants….Animals. I don’t see the Elemental forces of Nature aspect getting much use since that will totally step on the Elementalist (Though Rangers already have many skills that make use of each of the four elements in a different way than the Elementalist, already making Rangers way more of a Druid than most people want to admit).

I’m expecting plant or animal based skills, or even more nature spirits that act a little different than what we have now. I think the Staff skills are going to be almost entirely plant based, not just all vines. Instead of getting an all new class mechanic, we will instead get new pets that fundamentally act differently from what we have now.

I don’t think we’ll see shape shifting, because what we see in the game for shape shifting (mostly racial elites) is kind of underpowered, and it becomes necessary to have a humanoid shape to cut down on work making the skill, so all the existing animations and skills flow as fluidly as using a weapon in the game (otherwise, you get not so great shape shifting skills like Avatar of Melandru that requires you to stand in place for every skill you use, which is as bad as our AI pets are.)

I’d love to see Shapeshifter as next Ranger spec – he could get shifting under F1-F4 with 4 different animals (or 3), each one changing all skills. And maybe no weapon swap.

I am very interested in Druid as my nr1 option in all games – from DnD to Diablo II.
I know that GW1 druids were a bit different and weather effects would duplicate some Elementalist skills – but I really hope for some weather based actions with wind or lightnings.
Beacause it is what nature is about, what druid should be about. I don’t want to be a florist like sylvari.

Lamu.8453:

I’d love to see Shapeshifter as next Ranger spec – he could get shifting under F1-F4 with 4 different animals (or 3), each one changing all skills. And maybe no weapon swap.

I am very interested in Druid as my nr1 option in all games – from DnD to Diablo II.
I know that GW1 druids were a bit different and weather effects would duplicate some Elementalist skills – but I really hope for some weather based actions with wind or lightnings.
Beacause it is what nature is about, what druid should be about. I don’t want to be a florist like sylvari.

This is exactly the type of thinking I was getting at in my post. You haven’t thought about the mechanics clearly in the context of GW2. You describe F1-F4 skills to swap forms? Sounds an awful lot like Elementalist to me. Could you please explain how it would be different other than the superficial cosmetic effect of changing into an animal?

I completely understand that everyone thinks of shapeshifting when they hear “druid.” I totally get it, really. You have an emotional experience and your imagination is filled with images of wolves and bears and stuff. Indeed I agree, that would be totally awesome! Problem is how does this mechanically make sense? What in Melandru’s trousers makes it different from Elementalist or Engineer kits?

Kaiyanwan.8521:

The point is, that people want it, and they expect it.

What else would you need. ANet called the new specialization “Druid”, so people expect what they know about druids.

Let us still choose our pets, but instead of commanding the pet, let us transform into it and hunt as a pack.

Same skills as the pet. Sounds cool to me.

This is the first time I’ve actually heard a coherent idea about the mechanics that didn’t just sound like Elementalist with animal skin. I would like to expand on this idea.

To me it actually sounds now a lot like Necro Death Shroud. You would only get F1, no other F skills. You choose your pet and when you press F1 you transform into that pet while gaining it’s skills. It’s like Death Shroud only your skills are determined by which pet you have. It would be pretty neat if on top of this you could somehow trick your enemy into not knowing which animal is the “real” druid and which is the pet. Would make PvP interesting.

Edit: What sets this apart from Death Shroud is that you keep your same health bar and your skills are not set in stone. They change depending on the pet. Also I could imagine being allowed to swap in and out faster like an Engie kit to create interesting skill combos.

Xenon.4537:

This is exactly the type of thinking I was getting at in my post. You haven’t thought about the mechanics clearly in the context of GW2. You describe F1-F4 skills to swap forms? Sounds an awful lot like Elementalist to me. Could you please explain how it would be different other than the superficial cosmetic effect of changing into an animal?

I completely understand that everyone thinks of shapeshifting when they hear “druid.” […]What in Melandru’s trousers makes it different from Elementalist or Engineer kits?

First of all, I told I’m not talking about Druid spec, but some next Ranger spec – shapeshifter. I agree that Druid shouldn’t be an answer for all nature based imaginations. Remember, this is only one of future specs.

About similarity to kits and elementalist – I can’t imagine Shapeshifter in different way. Look, right now we go 8 profs with 8 different mechanics, lets say that each one of them will have 3-4 specs after few years. Don’t expect to have 40-48 totally different mechanics, it is impossible.

And maybe it looks similar, but gameplay will be different. It would change like 9 skills, not 5, and all forms would be MELEE.
For example:
F1 – Panther form (DMG, assassin style utilities)
F2 – Wolf form (control, supporting shouts)
F3 – Bear form (tank, condition control, signet based utilities)
F4 – back to human (with long range weapon prop. and support build) or 4th animal
Under elite skill there could be elite form, like gryphon or something.
Cooldowns between forms could be much longer then eles.

For me druid and nature based classes are most of all about RolePlay, more than other profs. And I don’t have anything against making them close to other profs mechanic, if it brings great RPG experience.

And I’m 80% PvP player. But I love nature in RPG

Kentaine.4692:

Knighthonor.4061:

Ojyh.9842:

Why would the Druid transform into animals ? Druids in GW are more about plants and nature spirits.
It might be possible but Druid doesnt always mean transformation. Don’t take WoW as a standard for everything.

I disagree. Druids are based on Real Life Druid culture, and Druid culture deals with both Animals and Spirits of nature…

And real-life druids did not change into plants, animals, or spirits. They were ordinary human beings bound by the same natural laws as everything else has been since the dawn of our universe. I’m not understanding what your counter argument is supposed to prove in order to get shape shifting druids into GW2.

Druids are going to be rangers who can use staff skills, and/or a few different utility skills, and possibly a different elite skill (which could be a shape shift, I suppose, but you’d only get to change into one other thing every 180-240 seconds for 30-60 seconds). They’ll play just like any of the other profession already in game.

Technically that’s true however they did have that as part of their lore in which they did become part of that world by transforming themselves, it’s all over that lore as well as other nature based lore where we read of legends of men who became the animals who were their patron guides.

I don’t think it should be made to be part of the combat structure but I do think they should make it a part of a new set of travel options considering that we’re supposed to be getting these specializations by our experiences in the jungle. It would make sense that way.

tigirius.9014:

Kentaine.4692:

Knighthonor.4061:

Ojyh.9842:

Why would the Druid transform into animals ? Druids in GW are more about plants and nature spirits.
It might be possible but Druid doesnt always mean transformation. Don’t take WoW as a standard for everything.

I disagree. Druids are based on Real Life Druid culture, and Druid culture deals with both Animals and Spirits of nature…

And real-life druids did not change into plants, animals, or spirits. They were ordinary human beings bound by the same natural laws as everything else has been since the dawn of our universe. I’m not understanding what your counter argument is supposed to prove in order to get shape shifting druids into GW2.

Druids are going to be rangers who can use staff skills, and/or a few different utility skills, and possibly a different elite skill (which could be a shape shift, I suppose, but you’d only get to change into one other thing every 180-240 seconds for 30-60 seconds). They’ll play just like any of the other profession already in game.

Technically that’s true however they did have that as part of their lore in which they did become part of that world by transforming themselves, it’s all over that lore as well as other nature based lore where we read of legends of men who became the animals who were their patron guides.

I don’t think it should be made to be part of the combat structure but I do think they should make it a part of a new set of travel options considering that we’re supposed to be getting these specializations by our experiences in the jungle. It would make sense that way.

Shape Shifting into an Eagle when gliding instead of having to use the ugly looking wings/glider/thingy would be cool. Still seems more Norn-like though and not really related to GW2 Rangers at all.

Xenon.4537:

I have a more pragmatic concern for this topic that will probably throw a major wrench in the works… How would a shapeshifter class fit into the design of GW2 mechanically? We already have engineers who can swap kits around to change their 1-5 skills and dramatically alter their combat behavior on the fly. We already have elementalists swapping attunements which change their 1-5 skills to provide a wide array of different rolls and abilities. How does a shapeshifter distinguish themselves from this? Forget for a moment your superficial wishes of becoming a furry creature. Think about this mechanically. What is the point of it in the context of GW2?

Besides, that seems to be what the revenant will be doing. Don’t want to have another class overlap with the unique mechanic, right?

Trise.2865:

…only if that Druid is also Norn. Transforming into animal spirits is kind of their thing.

Exactly my thought.

Midnight.7526:

Trise.2865:

…only if that Druid is also Norn. Transforming into animal spirits is kind of their thing.

Exactly my thought.

Anet said Racials mimic class skills but are weaker. So what class skills do Norn Racials mimic?

Knighthonor.4061:

Midnight.7526:

Trise.2865:

…only if that Druid is also Norn. Transforming into animal spirits is kind of their thing.

Exactly my thought.

Anet said Racials mimic class skills but are weaker. So what class skills do Norn Racials mimic?

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Transform

Diovid.9506:

Knighthonor.4061:

Midnight.7526:

Trise.2865:

…only if that Druid is also Norn. Transforming into animal spirits is kind of their thing.

Exactly my thought.

Anet said Racials mimic class skills but are weaker. So what class skills do Norn Racials mimic?

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Transform

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Polymorph_Tuna

TIL

Look at Norn transformations. Or any transformation in GW2.

They don’t move well. Skills don’t flow with combat. Transforms are short and skills aren’t laid out in the game. You have to wiki them to get any time to adjust.

I’m thinking no on shapeshifting.

I’m in agreement with a few others posters in this thread: for me, playing a Druid in games has always been about how much a nature-based class/profession enables me to role play, even if only with myself. The heart of my imaginative self is a Druid, and it so happens that it’s a shape shifting druid. This is obviously influenced by my time in Diablo 2, and WoW.
Once I heard that the new Spec. for Ranger was a Druid, I knew I had to make a Norn Ranger, strictly for their Shape Shifting Racials(in order to complete my RPable toon). I don’t know if we’ll see shape shifting outside of Norn Racials, but ohhhhhh mannnnnn! would I like to see some!
I wouldn’t mind at all if shape shifting was a mechanic similar or even identical to Ele and Engi (though I’d prefer Ele); it’d offer a new way to play a class that for years hasn’t been able to be played such a way. That’d be fun for me.
All the Norn shape shifters are Shamans – maybe down the road a Shaman Spec. will be available, and somehow learning it could be tied to Norn Lore, available to all races. It’d be a fun way too to have cross cultural play in Tyria.
Who knows what will happen; so long as the Druid is even more nature-based then I’ll be pretty happy.

Please no wth I dont want to run around as an ugly bear or something.Go play diablo or wow.

I’m making my Asura a druid simply to create a massive clash of cultures.

Knighthonor.4061:

Ojyh.9842:

Why would the Druid transform into animals ? Druids in GW are more about plants and nature spirits.
It might be possible but Druid doesnt always mean transformation. Don’t take WoW as a standard for everything.

I disagree. Druids are based on Real Life Druid culture, and Druid culture deals with both Animals and Spirits of nature…

<<<HUGE mythology nerd

Real life Druidism (at least so far as we get the word ‘druid’ from) was Celtic, and it worshipped life and death more than plants, animals, or the natural world. In fact most of our fantasy pop-culture tropes tied to necromancy, like wearing cow skulls and bone necklaces, eerie green smoke and blue fire, witches cauldrons, even ‘blood stones’ and the raising of the dead, originate from druidism. While Necromancy was actually just another word for a seance of the dead. Druids as worshipers of nature is the result of modern cultural revivalist movements.

Think there’d be 0 point to being a Norn if shapeshifting was a Profession ability over a racial ability. The entire culture and abilities of the Norn revolve around them not being human, but rather large shapeshifting humanoids.

Bahahahahaha transforms into a pet… Wth… Why don’t you just be a hamster and have a family with your pet hamster.

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Druid_

According to this lore. Druids actually shed their mortal forms to become something more akin to treants. So some sort of shape-shifting wouldn’t be to far fetched.

Jaysin X.6740:

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Druid_

According to this lore. Druids actually shed their mortal forms to become something more akin to treants. So some sort of shape-shifting wouldn’t be to far fetched.

That seems to have been a one-direction transformation though and only into treants.

Does nobody remember DAOC druids?

They were support casters..mainly healers but still..aoe roots and buffs and had very light damage

No shapeshifting…but they were based on celtic lore

Jaysin X.6740:

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Druid_

According to this lore. Druids actually shed their mortal forms to become something more akin to treants. So some sort of shape-shifting wouldn’t be to far fetched.

if you want to give up on your mortal coil to become an oakheart for eternity, sure.

Honestly, I’d love to see some kind of shapeshifting and be perfectly happy for Druids to get it.

But I also think all the “it’d be too much like WOW druids” comments are perfectly valid. GW2 has made a big name for itself by not copying other games. It has a unique world, races, story, combat system and now alternate form of end-game progression. It seems unlikely they’d choose to buck that trend with this.

That said, it’s not like shapeshifting is unique to WOW and it already exists in various forms in GW2. So if animal shapeshifting were introduced, rather than being as a part of the Druid spec I think they’d do it as a separate Ranger spec.

Conncept.7638:

Knighthonor.4061:

Ojyh.9842:

Why would the Druid transform into animals ? Druids in GW are more about plants and nature spirits.
It might be possible but Druid doesnt always mean transformation. Don’t take WoW as a standard for everything.

I disagree. Druids are based on Real Life Druid culture, and Druid culture deals with both Animals and Spirits of nature…

<<<HUGE mythology nerd

Real life Druidism (at least so far as we get the word ‘druid’ from) was Celtic, and it worshipped life and death more than plants, animals, or the natural world. In fact most of our fantasy pop-culture tropes tied to necromancy, like wearing cow skulls and bone necklaces, eerie green smoke and blue fire, witches cauldrons, even ‘blood stones’ and the raising of the dead, originate from druidism. While Necromancy was actually just another word for a seance of the dead. Druids as worshipers of nature is the result of modern cultural revivalist movements.

Druids wearing the skin and bones of animals is symbolized in Video Games as animal transformations because real life Druids wear those to take the spiritual form of the animal spirits.

Knighthonor.4061:

Druids wearing the skin and bones of animals is symbolized in Video Games as animal transformations because real life Druids wear those to take the spiritual form of the animal spirits.

You’ve either missed or are blithely ignoring the point they were making which is it is highly debatable what “druidism” is, because as with so many things it has changed drastically over time.

Fair enough you define druidism a specific way but that doesn’t make it an absolute truth.

I like what Caeledh said, and I had some similar feelings while reading this thread. Personally, I wouldn’t want to see shape shifting as it was done in WoW.

And it is worth considering, as SorionHex mentioned, that animal shape shifting is a big part of being a Norn.

Now that I’ve thought about it more these last few days, I’d actually prefer to see shape shifting exist not as something akin to Norn Lore, but rather something that’s in alignment with Tyrian Druid Lore: maybe Druids, or a future Ranger spec., could have a new class mechanic that allows them to transform into an Oak Heart (treant) in a fashion similar to Deathshroud. I could see that being quite a magical experience

tyler.2569:

I like what Caeledh said, and I had some similar feelings while reading this thread. Personally, I wouldn’t want to see shape shifting as it was done in WoW.

And it is worth considering, as SorionHex mentioned, that animal shape shifting is a big part of being a Norn.

Now that I’ve thought about it more these last few days, I’d actually prefer to see shape shifting exist not as something akin to Norn Lore, but rather something that’s in alignment with Tyrian Druid Lore: maybe Druids, or a future Ranger spec., could have a new class mechanic that allows them to transform into an Oak Heart (treant) in a fashion similar to Deathshroud. I could see that being quite a magical experience

Using that same logic, that would be similar to what all humans can do since that’s a racial ability for humans…

Knighthonor.4061:

Druids wearing the skin and bones of animals is symbolized in Video Games as animal transformations because real life Druids wear those to take the spiritual form of the animal spirits.

And you get this information from where exactly?

No such thing appears anywhere in Celtic druidism, or even the Greek druidism which sort of preceded it. You do see a lot of stories of people turning in to animals and even turning other people in to animals, but it isn’t a matter of worship or reverence in any of them, usually it is some kind of punishment, trick, or just plain combat.

What you are referring to is totemism, and is a staple of many ancient mythos, most well known being the Norse, but was not a part of druidism. Totemism does NOW appear in the neopagan revival of druidism, but like the worship of nature, harvest festivals, fairie rings and the like, it is a modern addition to the current heavily bowdlerized traditions and practices.

If they go by what a druid is , they would have nature magic , the ability to heal themselves and others(( as literally thats in the real nature of druid lore. )) And the ability to speak and have packs of animals follow them, as well as the ability to transform into lycanthropes and other “Man-Beasts”. The Druids in guild wars really haven’t ever had a spotlight on them; So its safe to say that this stuff should be in their skill capabilities . Its not a “WoW” Thing , its just WoW uses real druid lore to base that class off of.

Conncept.7638:

What you are referring to is totemism, and is a staple of many ancient mythos, most well known being the Norse, but was not a part of druidism.

incidentally, we happen to have a norse equivalent race in GW2, that worship totems and shapeshift. HMMMMMMM, GEE, I WONDER.

tyler.2569:

And it is worth considering, as SorionHex mentioned, that animal shape shifting is a big part of being a Norn.

As a PC, it isn’t particularly big. Though don’t get me wrong, it would be great if those skills would get fixed, but so far they look like nothing more than an afterthought.

If the status quo remains – which I expect it will – I would have no problem with the druid spec “stealing the lunch” of the norn, so to speak, since they seemingly don’t really want it anyway.

That said, I don’t really expect shapeshifting to become part of the druid specialization – I figure you get the staff, maybe a different set of weapon skills across the other weapons, and a handful of extra utilities – but by and large it remains mostly a ranger. We already saw in the video that the pet is still there – maybe it could still be subject to change, of course, but as of right now they’re not replacing it.

I don’t expect shape shifting either, Norns already do this and it’s awful. I honestly don’t know where they will take Ranger / Druid, with the lack of a trinity based system there isn’t much need for diversity, we’ve got spirit lore but we will no doubt be vastly overshadowed by Revenant in that respect as the “new shiny”. Anything remotely cool that could or should have happened to Ranger in that respect will find itself on Revenant I expect.

Hope I’m wrong, but we’ve lacked clear direction as a class for over 2 years, don’t expect that to change much now.

Since there are already nature based quests that allow you to shapeshift, I wouldn’t rule it out simply because it was done in other games. That seems like a silly reason, almost like an elitist attitude in an attempt to distance yourself above other games.

Tharomir.6985:

Since there are already nature based quests that allow you to shapeshift, I wouldn’t rule it out simply because it was done in other games. That seems like a silly reason, almost like an elitist attitude in an attempt to distance yourself above other games.

no, it’s more about respecting your own game’s lore. GW druids aren’t shapeshifters, norn are. shapeshifting is what norn do.