Guild Wars 2

After taking a bit of time doing some very basic research and thinking about what the engineer could possibly get, they said one profession is getting a bundle of signets, and the only profession that doesn’t currently have them available as an option is engineer.

Thoughts?

Could also, theoretically, be Revenants with a signet-focused Legend for elite spec.

Frankly, I’m thinking the Engineer will be getting Minions. The reveal trailer showed a hammer Engineer with unique armor being trailed by li’l helicopter drones. I’m banking on the Engineer elite spec being derived from Scarlet’s technology and using variations of her clockwork minions as supporting skills. After all, Scarlet was specifically working on anti-Dragon technology while she was busy being driven completely bonko by Mordremoth. Why let perfectly good anti-Dragon tech go to waste?

True, but whether it was because of the toolbelt, keeping the engineer active and complex or some other reason, Anet seems to have avoided giving the engineer signets as a design choice. I’ve known Engis are the only profession without signets for years and I’ve not caught wind that Engi would be the one getting a set of signets at all.

So, what’s your citation on a class getting all signets?

I have no citation, just pure speculation, I feel like they’re giving a class something it never had access to, mesmer with wells, guard with traps, necro with shouts. Those are all things they never had access to, and considering they said there is going to be a profession with a full array of signets, I feel like engi would be the only fit.

Physcials would be better for melee hammer.

RayBed.8419:

they said one profession is getting a bundle of signets

RayBed.8419:

I have no citation, just pure speculation

Seems a bit contradictory there with you statements. Even if they were going to give signets to a profession I doubt it would be engi as they would be getting 2 actives and 1 passive from them due to toolbelt skills which seems a bit OP.

I also thought maybe signets. The drones flying behind could be from popping a signet, much like Ele for elemental.

As an Engineer it would be great to have some signets. The only problem I was having was figuring out what unique abilities they could give them.

One I thought of was:

Signet of the Tinkerer:
Passive – Reduce cool down of gadgets

Activate – Recharge all gadgets, whenever you activate a gadget do a fire blast w/ blast finisher

It isn’t very good (at least in my opinion as I don’t use gadgets) but I thought the flavor is kind of funny.

Darkwolfer.7819:

I also thought maybe signets. The drones flying behind could be from popping a signet, much like Ele for elemental.

Elementals are summoned from the Glyph of Elementals skill. It’s not a signet.

Honestly since the specialisations have to be ‘cool’ (it’s one of their main selling points) and signets are incredibly boring, I think they have to make them a bit special. What if equiping a signet creates a drone(s) that have varying effects which also can be use a detonating move?
examples:
medibot: grants health and can be detonated to heal yourself for burst and maybe an additional effect.
Shield bot: toughness increase andcan be used to deploy a wall (projectile block).
…

Tim.6450:

Honestly since the specialisations have to be ‘cool’ (it’s one of their main selling points) and signets are incredibly boring, I think they have to make them a bit special. What if equiping a signet creates a drone(s) that have varying effects which also can be use a detonating move?
examples:
medibot: grants health and can be detonated to heal yourself for burst and maybe an additional effect.
Shield bot: toughness increase andcan be used to deploy a wall (projectile block).
…

The issue is the tool belt. Each signet would have the passive effect, the active effect and the tool belt skill. They would be strictly better than any other class’s signets in terms of functionality.

Palindrome.8904:

The issue is the tool belt. Each signet would have the passive effect, the active effect and the tool belt skill. They would be strictly better than any other class’s signets in terms of functionality.

Elite specs often change the functionality of the profession mechanic (in the case of guardian and necro anyways; for memser, it simply adds to it). It may be possible that, with a change in the engineer mechanic (the toolbelt), engi signets may not be strictly better than those of other professions.

My bet is still on mobile minions, based on the trailer footage.

RayBed.8419:

After taking a bit of time doing some very basic research and thinking about what the engineer could possibly get, they said one profession is getting a bundle of signets, and the only profession that doesn’t currently have them available as an option is engineer.

Thoughts?

I really don’t want engineers to have signets, if they got them i’d never use them.

Palindrome.8904:

Tim.6450:

Honestly since the specialisations have to be ‘cool’ (it’s one of their main selling points) and signets are incredibly boring, I think they have to make them a bit special. What if equiping a signet creates a drone(s) that have varying effects which also can be use a detonating move?
examples:
medibot: grants health and can be detonated to heal yourself for burst and maybe an additional effect.
Shield bot: toughness increase andcan be used to deploy a wall (projectile block).
…

The issue is the tool belt. Each signet would have the passive effect, the active effect and the tool belt skill. They would be strictly better than any other class’s signets in terms of functionality.

So most class get 2 effects and we get three. As opposed to any other skill where most classes get 1 effect and we get 2. Or most classes get 1 and we get to have kits? I’m not getting your point.

It is all in skill balancing.

Well the engineer as a class doesn’t use magic, signets are magic based.

So no it don’t really make sense.

Assuming they don’t do a retcon and give engineers something based on magic that leaves

1: Stances

2: Mechanical minions

3: Venoms (could be an offensive utility based type)

4: Tricks/traps

or something completely new.

Personally my bet is on mechanical minions or venoms.

RayBed.8419:

I have no citation, just pure speculation, I feel like they’re giving a class something it never had access to … and considering they said there is going to be a profession with a full array of signets, I feel like engi would be the only fit.

Do you have a source for that or not? Because such a thing was not mentioned in the specialisation blog posts.

I was actually thinking it could be like mesmer phantasms or clones. Think about it… you deploy drones that either support you and your group or attack the enemie and can be send to suicide explosions on command…maybe with combo fields or blast finishers or condi or direct damage.

Ragnar the Rock.3174:

Well the engineer as a class doesn’t use magic, signets are magic based.

So no it don’t really make sense.

Assuming they don’t do a retcon and give engineers something based on magic that leaves

1: Stances

2: Mechanical minions

3: Venoms (could be an offensive utility based type)

4: Tricks/traps

or something completely new.

Personally my bet is on mechanical minions or venoms.

To communty sadness (Alot of players realy hate minions with bad AI) but happiness for me I mostly think it could be mechanical Minions as from the video with an Engineer running with a hammer and having a few observer looking droids flying after the engineer.

The mechanical minions seen in the video could just easily be new toolbelt skills like how the Guards virtues change with specialization.

I’m probably the only person to think this but what about mantra-esqu skills?

Like they build these little robots (The charge phase) and then they activate it and a little robot does something e.g fly towards the enemy and explodes, I’m sure they could add more flavour to them.
This is what I thought since I saw it anyways.

I honestly doubt minions just for the fact they already have turrets, I don’t think they want to add even more AI… I hope.

Signets could be interesting due to having the tool belt too like someone mentioned.

I’d wager physical or my mantresqu idea.

Curring.9752:

I’m probably the only person to think this but what about mantra-esqu skills?

Like they build these little robots (The charge phase) and then they activate it and a little robot does something e.g fly towards the enemy and explodes, I’m sure they could add more flavour to them.
This is what I thought since I saw it anyways.

I honestly doubt minions just for the fact they already have turrets, I don’t think they want to add even more AI… I hope.

Signets could be interesting due to having the tool belt too like someone mentioned.

I’d wager physical or my mantresqu idea.

They are likely not an AI, since they follow the character in the video almost perfectly. I imagine they are more likely a form of passive buffing device, which is essentially what a signet is, but it could even be it’s own variant. Standard passive effect while not on CD, Tool Belt skill always available, passive goes away when you use the active ability for it to “recharge”. Maybe the “mantraesque” idea is implemented for the tool belt skill.

I am excited for it regardless, and I’m probably making my Engineer’s PvE build focused on whatever it might be.

Imho, those drones will be used via toolbelt skills and engineers will get ranger-alike shouts, as in, orders given to the drones (like rangers do with pets).

(and before someone comes out saying that someone else already got shouts – what they said in a blog post is that one elite specialization will get traps and at least one will get shouts, so given the wording, we’re likely to see them on another elite spec)

Palindrome.8904:

The issue is the tool belt. Each signet would have the passive effect, the active effect and the tool belt skill. They would be strictly better than any other class’s signets in terms of functionality.

Toolbet skills are Engie’s Class Mechanic. It doesn’t matter what kind of skills provides them. Do signet use cancel Guardian virtues? Or they make any Elementalist attunement unusable? Why should signets behave different for Engineers?

IMO signets could be ok. The mechanic is not very fun, but a little rest for the fingers should be good for Engies, specially for newcomers to the proffession. We can always use 2 or even 3 kits to compensate for the “boring” options, and as long as the passive effects of the signets are good, we’ll be fine.

As I said on the Engie’s forum, I would be glad if they add the passive effect as a choice into the toolbelt: whenever I equip a skill, the system let me choose if I want the active or the passive toolbelt option. When I equip the passive one, it appears as a drone that surround the character.

Since Engie is already the most fun class to play, I don’t think a few passive options would hurt the playstyle too much. After all, the other classes have had to receive whole new Elite Specs, just to bring them a little closer to our level of enjoyment…

Ragnar the Rock.3174:

Well the engineer as a class doesn’t use magic, signets are magic based.

So no it don’t really make sense.

Assuming they don’t do a retcon and give engineers something based on magic that leaves

1: Stances

2: Mechanical minions

3: Venoms (could be an offensive utility based type)

4: Tricks/traps

or something completely new.

Personally my bet is on mechanical minions or venoms.

Skill types have nothing to do with theme.

If Engineer gets mantras for example, they will follow other mantras in the mechanical sense, how they work as a skill. So the charge then usage.

You could very easily have the mantra charge phase be prepping a drone and the charges being drone commands as someone else has mentioned for a mantra idea.

Same with signets.

An Engineer well for example could be a radiation field caused by an IED.

Khenzo.2465:

Ragnar the Rock.3174:

Well the engineer as a class doesn’t use magic, signets are magic based.

So no it don’t really make sense.

Assuming they don’t do a retcon and give engineers something based on magic that leaves

1: Stances

2: Mechanical minions

3: Venoms (could be an offensive utility based type)

4: Tricks/traps

or something completely new.

Personally my bet is on mechanical minions or venoms.

Skill types have nothing to do with theme.

If Engineer gets mantras for example, they will follow other mantras in the mechanical sense, how they work as a skill. So the charge then usage.

You could very easily have the mantra charge phase be prepping a drone and the charges being drone commands as someone else has mentioned for a mantra idea.

Same with signets.

An Engineer well for example could be a radiation field caused by an IED.

They have everything to do with theme. A-net are very staunch about this. So this nonsense about signets and now this hypothetical acquisition of mantras just doesn’t float as unfortunate as it is.

Ardid.7203:

Palindrome.8904:

The issue is the tool belt. Each signet would have the passive effect, the active effect and the tool belt skill. They would be strictly better than any other class’s signets in terms of functionality.

Toolbet skills are Engie’s Class Mechanic. It doesn’t matter what kind of skills provides them. Do signet use cancel Guardian virtues? Or they make any Elementalist attunement unusable? Why should signets behave different for Engineers?

IMO signets could be ok. The mechanic is not very fun, but a little rest for the fingers should be good for Engies, specially for newcomers to the proffession. We can always use 2 or even 3 kits to compensate for the “boring” options, and as long as the passive effects of the signets are good, we’ll be fine.

As I said on the Engie’s forum, I would be glad if they add the passive effect as a choice into the toolbelt: whenever I equip a skill, the system let me choose if I want the active or the passive toolbelt option. When I equip the passive one, it appears as a drone that surround the character.

Since Engie is already the most fun class to play, I don’t think a few passive options would hurt the playstyle too much. After all, the other classes have had to receive whole new Elite Specs, just to bring them a little closer to our level of enjoyment…

This point is interesting. The class mechanics change somewhat or a lot depending on the elite spec. What if the tool belt skills become like “attunements” for the engineer? I have no idea what it would do, but this could be pretty neat.

IIRC only Engie doesn’t have signets and thus far Revenant. Engie is non-magic class and signets are boring and wouldn’t fit him seeing as cool as he is + toolbelt.

If anything I rather expect Signets to be a part of Shiro Tagachi Legend with unique workings compared to other signets or Glint Legend rather than engie.

Signets just don’t fit engie thematically period.

Signets are just a game mechanic. AFAIK they don’t even have lore asociated. So they could be thematically magical, chemical or psicological, or wathever.
Healing turret already acts very similar to a signet, except it is locked to a place in the ground…
There even was a trend of calling the little floating bots from the video “flying turrets”. Do you get what I mean?

Whoever said signets are magical made me laugh since Warrior has signets…

Anyways, I wanted to provide the definition of signet, just so there is no confusion:

noun
1.
a small seal, as on a finger ring.
2.
a small official seal for legal documents, contracts, etc.
3.
an impression made by or as if by a signet.

verb (used with object)
4.
to stamp or mark with a signet.

Now can Engineers have signets?

kylwilson.9137:

Khenzo.2465:

Ragnar the Rock.3174:

Well the engineer as a class doesn’t use magic, signets are magic based.

So no it don’t really make sense.

Assuming they don’t do a retcon and give engineers something based on magic that leaves

1: Stances

2: Mechanical minions

3: Venoms (could be an offensive utility based type)

4: Tricks/traps

or something completely new.

Personally my bet is on mechanical minions or venoms.

Skill types have nothing to do with theme.

If Engineer gets mantras for example, they will follow other mantras in the mechanical sense, how they work as a skill. So the charge then usage.

You could very easily have the mantra charge phase be prepping a drone and the charges being drone commands as someone else has mentioned for a mantra idea.

Same with signets.

An Engineer well for example could be a radiation field caused by an IED.

They have everything to do with theme. A-net are very staunch about this. So this nonsense about signets and now this hypothetical acquisition of mantras just doesn’t float as unfortunate as it is.

I really don’t think Anet are never going to give X class Y skill type because of something so (in my opinion) silly as this.

A class that gets a skill type that makes no sense lore wise is fine, because they will change the theme of the skill, even though it will work the same through game mechanics. Sure, the skill will be labeled as a mantra, or a signet, but the skill for Engineer will having nothing to do with magic.

Lets be real here.

Darkwolfer.7819:

Whoever said signets are magical made me laugh since Warrior has signets…

Anyways, I wanted to provide the definition of signet, just so there is no confusion:

noun
1.
a small seal, as on a finger ring.
2.
a small official seal for legal documents, contracts, etc.
3.
an impression made by or as if by a signet.

verb (used with object)
4.
to stamp or mark with a signet.

Now can Engineers have signets?

A warrior has signets, yes, but if a signet is only a seal or a piece of metal, how does it “do” anything? Warrior signets are mainly no different than other class signets. They are not mechanical objects either; they just sort of exist. In existing, they heal you, prevent damage, increase your power, etc. If that isn’t magical, I don’t know what is.

However, that isn’t to say that an engineer E.spec couldn’t use magical stuff ever. It’s mostly all mechanical gadgets and the sort, but the E.specs are there to allow us to expand what the class does and how it functions, including general goals.

There is pretty much no chance for engie having the type of signets like other classes. Why would AN give us signets for elite spec. Us, a class based on technology and invention. There is no point to it.

And yes, signets are magical in nature also warrior ones. Being a warrior doesn’t mean you cannot use magical items. Engie could too but lore wise AN wants them to focus on tech not magic.

Ya, MiniEquine. Maybe Engineer becomes a magic/tech with its specialization. Kinda like asura. Experimentist, tinkerer, etc. Something that combines tech and magic is my guess.

Ragnar the Rock.3174:

Well the engineer as a class doesn’t use magic, signets are magic based.

So no it don’t really make sense.

Assuming they don’t do a retcon and give engineers something based on magic that leaves

1: Stances

2: Mechanical minions

3: Venoms (could be an offensive utility based type)

4: Tricks/traps

or something completely new.

Personally my bet is on mechanical minions or venoms.

Signets and magic fit in with an Alchemist theme like Full Metal Alchemist anime conjurations and stuff like that.

Ok… Since some people cant seem to be able to separate lore from mere mechanics, lets not call them “Signets”.

Lets call them… “Alchemic Doser Implants”. ADIs.

When your character have an ADI on his system, he/she benefit from a steady influx of alchemic distillate that gives him/her certain mild and usefull effect. Like…sustained regeneration, for example. When your character fully open the valve of the ADI, however, that effect intensifies and mutates, giving her/him a brief burst of a more pronounced and noticeable effect. Like, as an example, extra strenght.

Sciency enough?

Ardid.7203:

Ok… Since some people cant seem to be able to separate lore from mere mechanics, lets not call them “Signets”.

Lets call them… “Alchemic Doser Implants”. ADIs.

When your character have an ADI on his system, he/she benefit from a steady influx of alchemic distillate that gives him/her certain mild and usefull effect. Like…sustained regeneration, for example. When your character fully open the valve of the ADI, however, that effect intensifies and mutates, giving her/him a brief burst of a more pronounced and noticeable effect. Like, as an example, extra strenght.

Sciency enough?

You don’t have to justify yourself.

The myth about signets is because a signet is a stored spell, and engineers don’t use spells. However engineers are well known to use magic indirectly, for example as a power source for waypoints. Part of engineering in gw2 is magical engineering. More importantly part of magical engineering is replicating the effects of magic. Scarlet made watchwork portals.

Technology when significantly advanced is indistinguishable from magic.

Elixir X can make you a Tornado. If you want you can mentally tell yourself that it is a techTornado. But the game treats them equally. No reason why a techSignet would not be called a signet.

Khenzo.2465:

kylwilson.9137:

Khenzo.2465:

Ragnar the Rock.3174:

Well the engineer as a class doesn’t use magic, signets are magic based.

So no it don’t really make sense.

Assuming they don’t do a retcon and give engineers something based on magic that leaves

1: Stances

2: Mechanical minions

3: Venoms (could be an offensive utility based type)

4: Tricks/traps

or something completely new.

Personally my bet is on mechanical minions or venoms.

Skill types have nothing to do with theme.

If Engineer gets mantras for example, they will follow other mantras in the mechanical sense, how they work as a skill. So the charge then usage.

You could very easily have the mantra charge phase be prepping a drone and the charges being drone commands as someone else has mentioned for a mantra idea.

Same with signets.

An Engineer well for example could be a radiation field caused by an IED.

They have everything to do with theme. A-net are very staunch about this. So this nonsense about signets and now this hypothetical acquisition of mantras just doesn’t float as unfortunate as it is.

I really don’t think Anet are never going to give X class Y skill type because of something so (in my opinion) silly as this.

A class that gets a skill type that makes no sense lore wise is fine, because they will change the theme of the skill, even though it will work the same through game mechanics. Sure, the skill will be labeled as a mantra, or a signet, but the skill for Engineer will having nothing to do with magic.

Lets be real here.

Well I mean, you’re fully entitled to your wrong by opinion but when you’re arguing against the way A-Net has publicly stated they design skills and distribute professions you’re really smashing your head against a brick wall.

Let’s be real here.

Well, actually, it doesn’t seems like they’re even following their own design decisions anymore. I mean…take the engineer itself and its profession page. “They can take control of an area by placing turrets” and turrets are later described as “immobile devices that help defend and control an area” in the profession page.
They can’t even stay alive for more than a few seconds now, let alone defend and control areas.

If they want to put signets, they’ll just find some way to put them in, despite whatever they said in the past, be it right theme-wise or not.

The fact that something doesn’t fit the engineer theme-wise does not mean that it also doesn’t fit the engineer’s elite specialization.

DevilLordLaser.8619:

Could also, theoretically, be Revenants with a signet-focused Legend for elite spec.

Frankly, I’m thinking the Engineer will be getting Minions. The reveal trailer showed a hammer Engineer with unique armor being trailed by li’l helicopter drones. I’m banking on the Engineer elite spec being derived from Scarlet’s technology and using variations of her clockwork minions as supporting skills. After all, Scarlet was specifically working on anti-Dragon technology while she was busy being driven completely bonko by Mordremoth. Why let perfectly good anti-Dragon tech go to waste?

That Engi was wearing Magitech armor. The only new items were helm and weapon, which Anet has already stated that each elite spec grants the user a new armor and weapon skin. Do any of you in all honestly believe they Anet is going to give Engineers TWO AI skill types!? Especially after the mess they had “balancing” turrets?

And venoms!? Seriously!? What in that video gave you guys any idea that Venoms are even a remote possibility? And finally, those flying turrets my have nothing to do with the new skill type. They could just be the result of the re-worked class mechanic.

All that said, Signets ARE a possibility in that they at least make sense. It’s not like mechanical signets are sooooooo impossible. There are too many skill types and too little information to guess what the Engi will get, but some common sense can at least rule out what they OBVIOUSLY won’t get.

kylwilson.9137:

Khenzo.2465:

kylwilson.9137:

Khenzo.2465:

Ragnar the Rock.3174:

Well the engineer as a class doesn’t use magic, signets are magic based.

So no it don’t really make sense.

Assuming they don’t do a retcon and give engineers something based on magic that leaves

1: Stances

2: Mechanical minions

3: Venoms (could be an offensive utility based type)

4: Tricks/traps

or something completely new.

Personally my bet is on mechanical minions or venoms.

Skill types have nothing to do with theme.

If Engineer gets mantras for example, they will follow other mantras in the mechanical sense, how they work as a skill. So the charge then usage.

You could very easily have the mantra charge phase be prepping a drone and the charges being drone commands as someone else has mentioned for a mantra idea.

Same with signets.

An Engineer well for example could be a radiation field caused by an IED.

They have everything to do with theme. A-net are very staunch about this. So this nonsense about signets and now this hypothetical acquisition of mantras just doesn’t float as unfortunate as it is.

I really don’t think Anet are never going to give X class Y skill type because of something so (in my opinion) silly as this.

A class that gets a skill type that makes no sense lore wise is fine, because they will change the theme of the skill, even though it will work the same through game mechanics. Sure, the skill will be labeled as a mantra, or a signet, but the skill for Engineer will having nothing to do with magic.

Lets be real here.

Well I mean, you’re fully entitled to your wrong by opinion but when you’re arguing against the way A-Net has publicly stated they design skills and distribute professions you’re really smashing your head against a brick wall.

Let’s be real here.

Ok, so you don’t understand how it will work, and if you still don’t get it, or try to argue otherwise, then I may aswell just stop responding to you.

The skill will be LABELED as, for example a Mantra, it will work the same mechanically in the game as other ones for consitancy/gameplay reasons.

But the skills theme will having nothing to do with magic, I will refer back to the drone and ammo idea, you prep the drone (mantra) then then has charges (ammo)

You see you are placing too much value on the name of the skill family it belongs to.

But lore wise the skill is absolutely nothing like a magical mantra.

Take WoW for example, the Undead Priests in that game use magic that is actually pretty harmful to them, but guess what, that is just for game play reasons, in the lore they use their own Undead version.

I don’t get why this is so hard to understand for so many people.

Or they could just rename the skill type to Drone and not mantra, so this absolutely silly arguement doesn’t happen.

Khenzo.2465:

Ok, so you don’t understand how it will work, and if you still don’t get it, or try to argue otherwise, then I may aswell just stop responding to you.

The skill will be LABELED as, for example a Mantra, it will work the same mechanically in the game as other ones for consitancy/gameplay reasons.

But the skills theme will having nothing to do with magic, I will refer back to the drone and ammo idea, you prep the drone (mantra) then then has charges (ammo)

You see you are placing too much value on the name of the skill family it belongs to.

But lore wise the skill is absolutely nothing like a magical mantra.

Take WoW for example, the Undead Priests in that game use magic that is actually pretty harmful to them, but guess what, that is just for game play reasons, in the lore they use their own Undead version.

I don’t get why this is so hard to understand for so many people.

Or they could just rename the skill type to Drone and not mantra, so this absolutely silly arguement doesn’t happen.

Alternatively, let’s look at a different game. Hell, I’ll pick one you might have heard of. Original Starcraft had Dark Templars included in its expansion that can fuse to form a Dark Archon, said Dark Archon could mind control units, if it stole a Terran or Zerg worker unit you could make an entire second army. Turns out that’s not a thing the Protoss should be doing as it’s actually the entire schtick of the Zerg. Come Starcraft 2, Blizzard fixed their mistake and moved mind control onto a Zerg caster unit. In this example, a Protoss themed ability didn’t fit because of already established lore and unforeseen possibilities with the ability.

If you want to know about failing to show mechanics and flavour correctly, go ask Mark Rosewater all about hornets, planar chaos and, just for fun, bananas.

Arenanet probably won’t make the mistake of giving a skill type with a very distinct and flavourful name to an elite specialisation whose flavour doesn’t suit using the same name.

HotHit.6783:

Khenzo.2465:

Ok, so you don’t understand how it will work, and if you still don’t get it, or try to argue otherwise, then I may aswell just stop responding to you.

The skill will be LABELED as, for example a Mantra, it will work the same mechanically in the game as other ones for consitancy/gameplay reasons.

But the skills theme will having nothing to do with magic, I will refer back to the drone and ammo idea, you prep the drone (mantra) then then has charges (ammo)

You see you are placing too much value on the name of the skill family it belongs to.

But lore wise the skill is absolutely nothing like a magical mantra.

Take WoW for example, the Undead Priests in that game use magic that is actually pretty harmful to them, but guess what, that is just for game play reasons, in the lore they use their own Undead version.

I don’t get why this is so hard to understand for so many people.

Or they could just rename the skill type to Drone and not mantra, so this absolutely silly arguement doesn’t happen.

Alternatively, let’s look at a different game. Hell, I’ll pick one you might have heard of. Original Starcraft had Dark Templars included in its expansion that can fuse to form a Dark Archon, said Dark Archon could mind control units, if it stole a Terran or Zerg worker unit you could make an entire second army. Turns out that’s not a thing the Protoss should be doing as it’s actually the entire schtick of the Zerg. Come Starcraft 2, Blizzard fixed their mistake and moved mind control onto a Zerg caster unit. In this example, a Protoss themed ability didn’t fit because of already established lore and unforeseen possibilities with the ability.

If you want to know about failing to show mechanics and flavour correctly, go ask Mark Rosewater all about hornets, planar chaos and, just for fun, bananas.

Arenanet probably won’t make the mistake of giving a skill type with a very distinct and flavourful name to an elite specialisation whose flavour doesn’t suit using the same name.

Anet will limit so much potential with specs, like honestly, you could do so much cool stuff like the Drone/ammo thing or what have you.

But you know, lets not have all these potentially really cool skills and ideas just because some people can’t stomach the idea of mantra and engineer being in the same sentance, just because they can’t for what ever reason wrap their heads around the simple truth is that it’s just borrowing the skills mechanics, and not the actual theme of it (in this case mantra being strictly magic)

In the lore, the engineer ‘mantra’ will be nothing close to an actual magical mantra, why is this so hard to understand? Like a few people have said aswell as me, people can’t tell the difference between game mechanics and lore.

Even though engineer will probably get signets, I very much hope they do not. Signets are passive abilities, you ideally do not want to use them, but rather you want to just let them sit there and get their passive bonuses. That sort of play-style is very anti-engineer; with their kits that you are constantly switching between, engineer is one of the most active classes in the game.

Gern.2978:

Even though engineer will probably get signets, I very much hope they do not. Signets are passive abilities, you ideally do not want to use them, but rather you want to just let them sit there and get their passive bonuses. That sort of play-style is very anti-engineer; with their kits that you are constantly switching between, engineer is one of the most active classes in the game.

Sort of.. I guess the design of signets was that you have to make a tactical decision between their passive effect and their active effect so there’s some play to it beyond just being passive abilities. And if the new signet traits are any indication Anet is trying to promote more active signet use. Besides, if we assume the Engineer elite spec is still getting tool belt skills then those will probably not behave in a signet-like way thus giving at least 5 (f1 – f5) active skills to play with.

I honestly thought the matraesque idea was rather simple. Functionality it would remain the same, all what would change is the thematic hence why I said that the charging phase would be more like a building phase.

I’d rather not see signets but if we did at least we’d probably get the most useful/flavorful signets due to the toolbelt. (healsignetwithtoolbeltcondiremovalpls)
I need to see the specialization, I’m on the brink of quitting my engi as it is.

The level of dev love to this already top tier class is sick. It’s a ridiculous level of bias. So bad. If Necro’s actually got this level of love….

But no, let’s make a top tier class more powerful. Thanks Anet devs. No bias here lol

Engies had probs with condi’s not anymore. Have traits don’t even need skill, condi on you now automatically gives you boons. Lol at anet

Gryph.8237:

The level of dev love to this already top tier class is sick. It’s a ridiculous level of bias. So bad. If Necro’s actually got this level of love….

But no, let’s make a top tier class more powerful. Thanks Anet devs. No bias here lol

Engies had probs with condi’s not anymore. Have traits don’t even need skill, condi on you now automatically gives you boons. Lol at anet

They always had the “Transmute” trait in their alchemy line. Not sure what you mean by this being anything new.