Guild Wars 2

For future elite specs I would suggest using the Core Spec unlock system, this allows you to choose between Trait and Utilities unlocking. I think that would allow people to focus on what they want from the Elite Spec faster and make the process more enjoyable – there were a few complaints about not getting the Trait they wanted and running around with only half a Trait line made people feel less powerful as they went through the new content (some people even refused to use half a Traitline and played it with an old spec which diminished the fun for them).

Just an observation from complaints during HoT’s launch and a reasonably easy fix.

The problem would still exist even if the split the traits / utilities, since either way the new system forces you to unlock stuff in a very specific order.

I don’t think it’ll be nearly as big an issue next time regardless though, since right now we can bank up a ton of skill points in prep for the next elite spec. This time since HoT was new and old skill points are worth less, you could only get halfway through (even less at launch) before you were out of skill points and HAD to do new content to get more. For the next round, we’ll have potentially hundreds of extra skill points and will be able to unlock a big chunk of the elite spec right away.

Assuming it’s 250 again, we can do more than a big chunk – there’s enough already for completely unlocking a second and half of a third.

As for what happened with the first spec, while I see where you’re coming from (I was one of those who wouldn’t use an incomplete elite spec, at least on my main), given the reaction of many players, I wouldn’t be surprised if any new elites are designed to be unlocked quickly so people can use the new specs to play through new content. That’s certainly what I’d prefer and it would make the order in which you unlock the skills and traits a moot point.