Guild Wars 2

See here: http://www.shacknews.com/article/87848/guild-wars-2-director-discusses-heart-of-thorns-revenants-guild-halls-and-more

Relevant quote:
Specializations is a new system that allows you to take each of the professions we have in the game and grow them almost into a new sub-profession or secondary profession. An example of this is, a Ranger can become a Druid. Once a Ranger becomes a Druid, they have the ability to use the powers of the jungle and that gives them new skills, new traits, they can use a new weapon that a Ranger could never use before, and they get new profession mechanics that fundamentally change the way a Ranger plays when they become a Druid. Each of the professions will be getting one of these Specializations and this also is a framework that we’ll use to grow the professions in the future. This will be the way we add more skills, traits, and abilities to the game moving forward. That’s how we’re growing our existing professions.

Edit: The interview also confirms (explicitly) that there is no new race coming with this expansion and it explains why this is the case.

Well I think, they want to look how well these new Specilizations will be received and what they really add to the Gameplay, so they are trying with just one per Class, but if this is working, I can imagine more Specs in the Future.

Also just One Spec for each Class doesn’t mean, that this has to be just a little change. It depends on how Anet is going to implement them. Doing it right, it could be more like double the Classes, doing it wrong, well, just a few new Skills, nothing more. We will see how well it is going to be implemented.

I was hoping for atleast 2 per class to start with.

split between some options

offense/defense

support/conditions

stuff like that, some options to weigh before you choose.

meh. won’t be doing it then, will wait for more options. not a damper though still fully excited for the rest of the expansion

…Well, my hype for the expansion just took a huge hit. The caboose on the hype train fell off…

Honestly not surprised would have been too good to be true without that type of catch. Yeah totally passing on this joke of an xpac.

Choo choo! While there are no breaks on the hype train, ANet was prepared to put some heavy obstacles on the rails.

These specializations sound just like simple class updates.

“Your ranger can now use a staff or be the same old same as the last three years. Yeah, sounds like a tough choice. Be a new druid with new skills and stuff, or still be a ranger. The choice is yours!”

What kind of choice is that. The only thing I see here is:

A. Buy the expansion and have a one-way progression on your class by becoming a druid or
B. Be left behind.

Can’t wait to get more details on this kind of stuff…

It’s going to be more like Secondary Professions or splashing colors in a Magic: The Gathering deck. Having the Specialization will add to your current options, but they aren’t strictly “better.”

I don’t think they’re meant to allow you to specialize in a role, but specialize in a new theme, most likely based on the current expansion. We will see more later on, but you won’t innately lose out for not having access.

The likely hood of being declined to goups and overall weaker if you choose not to go into your classes’ only specialization to, you know, play the class you rolled the toon for in the first place is exactly why I don’t like this as their ‘progression’ in the xpac.

Especially for Rangers as its likely the Druid will probably be shoehorned into a support role of healing due to what Druids tend to represent in other games means once agian those of us who rolled Rangers would be laughed at and declined spots in groups.

Kaiyanwan.8521:

These specializations sound just like simple class updates.

“Your ranger can now use a staff or be the same old same as the last three years. Yeah, sounds like a tough choice. Be a new druid with new skills and stuff, or still be a ranger. The choice is yours!”

What kind of choice is that. The only thing I see here is:

A. Buy the expansion and have a one-way progression on your class by becoming a druid or
B. Be left behind.

Can’t wait to get more details on this kind of stuff…

That’s not how I understand specializations. As far as I know choosing a specialization gives some new options but also limits some of the old options.

That’s why the the mmorpg interview (http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/game/473/feature/9340/Guild-Wars-2-Our-PAX-South-Interview-With-Mike-OBrien-and-Colin-Johanson.html) talks about changing between ranger and druid. That wouldn’t be an option if there was no reason for changing back. Quote in full:

MMORPG: You compared specializations to secondary professions from Guild Wars. Would I be a ranger/druid in the same way I might have been a warrior/elementalist? Can I use powers from both, or do I press a button to switch from being a ranger to being a druid?

CJ: When you are a druid, you have the capacity to use powers that a ranger cannot use, but while you’re a druid, you can still take advantage of the abilities that a ranger has available to it and use those to mix and match. There are some key fundamental differences [from GW secondary classes], but the concept is very similar.

MMORPG: That’s a one-time thing, correct? I’m a ranger, I do my stuff and bam, I’m a druid, I can use druid powers?

CJ: Correct, and then you can swap back and forth, you can say “My character’s a druid, but I’m going to play as a ranger today.” It’s very similar to changing out your skills and traits, you can go in and change whenever you want, as long as you’re out of combat.

Well I sure hope they at least get it right with that one shot.

I mean let’s be honest there’s tons of existing weapon options that aren’t worth anything on the classes that have them so nobody uses them.

Hopefully they have a review of the usefulness of new profession skills this time before release, so that there isn’t some profs that effectively get nothing new because the one option is filled with weak skills.

That reads to me like it’s exactly like secondary professions were before. If you’re a druid, you can use everything the ranger uses, but you also get other stuff.

However, it will still be viable to make builds based on the basic ranger stuff.

I think what they’re doing here is making the first step of a system that will get expanded later. For now, the specialisations are essentially straight-out upgrades to the professions, but at some point in the future where there will be more, players will need to swap between specialisations much like how ascended GW1 characters swapped between secondary professions.

I know some people are worried about being left behind for not having the expansion pack, but really, large expansion packs of this nature are the kind of thing where it’s expected that anyone who’s serious enough about playing to worry about getting left behind at all will get the expansion pack. You’re still not as disadvantaged as you would be for, say, not getting a WoW expansion pack with new levels and rendering even the best pre-expansion gear obsolete.

How does 1 specialization per profession add to build diversity? Chances are, these sub-professions are going to be the meta builds for every class. There should at least be two per class. If A-Net doesn’t even have a release date yet, surely they can add 1 more specialization per class.

That is very disappointing. It’s not much of a specialization if there is only one thing you can do.

First legitimate disappointment I’ve had. Seriously, for guys who like to proclaim themselves trying to break from MMO conventions and such, have only one version for each class of a hugely touted feature is remarkably disappointing.

Frankly if there’s only one specialization, there will be many people who don’t bother at all with the supposedly big new feature.

Seriously, it’s your big first expansion. Buck up and give is more than one.

To my understanding

Looks like a specialization is a whole new trait line. 3 minor traits and adept, master, grand master trait. I guess for example Druid will be the 6th trait line that add vit and boon duration. I suppose you have to decide whether you take natual magic or druid. Upon adding trait points to druid, you gain acess to staff, druid heal, utility skills and elite.

If my guess is correct, it is possibly a testing ground for new weapon also. Adding new weapon can come along with new specialization, new trait and skill without messing up our existing traitline.

When adding new weapon with new speciality, they can simply copy an existing traitline, replace some traits. And i can see they don’t necessary lock specialization out for below lv80. It will be a choice while leveling up. At this point i am more lean towards we can have specialization as early as possible.

i was a bit disappointed when only one specialization is confirmed. But if my guess is close enough, i think it is a clever move towards horizontal progression. I will keep watching.

To be honest, before the announcements I was mainly hoping for each profession to get extra weapons and other reworks. I will admit that after getting the impression that each class would get more than one specialisation, I find this disappointing. Still, this is more comparable to what I was expecting before knowing anything about what the expansion would contain.

Bet it will still be fun, and a nice change of playstyle for some characters. I for one can’t wait to play the greatsword necro.

While only having 1 may seem like a bummer, we don’t know how it will play out in terms of limitations.

I think its a very clever way to add new skills without having to worry about a growing list of interactions. I kind of get the feeling like “specializations” will basically allow you to choose your 5th trait line.

As an example, a pure ranger will have Marksmanship, Skirmishing, Wilderness Survival, Nature Magic, and Beastmastery. A Druid will have Marksmanship, Skirmishing, Wilderness Survival, Nature Magic, and Druidism. While a Druid can use a staff and has special Druid skills/heals, it cannot use Shouts, for instance (or whatever is the special skills tied to a beastmaster ranger).

By doing this, they can prevent potentially harmful combinations from arising. For instance, when an ele drops their “Arcana” line for “SPACE MAGIC,” they can’t use the instant arcane skills that can often be a problem.

As they add future specializations they won’t have to worry about OP combinations arising from combining Druid skills with the next specialization’s skills/traits.

That would seem pretty clever to me, tbh.

Each profession gets a new spec?

New profession is Revenant.. What would be Revenant’s spec?

intense gasp

Would have liked to see some options here, but this may be just the start of expanding all the classes more with future updates/Xpacks.

Until I see the details (mostly toward if these “specializations” are a permanent choice in terms of character development), I’ll reign in any “disappointment” as much as possible.

Not surprising at all. I’m sorry to say this, but anyone who thought there would be more than one specialization per profession was simply feeding their own hype. That disapointment you feel is your own doing. arenanet never hinted that there being more than one.

Terrahero.9358:

Not surprising at all. I’m sorry to say this, but anyone who thought there would be more than one specialization per profession was simply feeding their own hype. That disapointment you feel is your own doing. arenanet never hinted that there being more than one.

^This. All I will add to this is that since we honestly don’t know how specializations will work with each class, why start bemoaning them until you find out the details. It is like people are actively looking for something to be unhappy about. Sheesh!

Terrahero.9358:

Not surprising at all. I’m sorry to say this, but anyone who thought there would be more than one specialization per profession was simply feeding their own hype. That disapointment you feel is your own doing. arenanet never hinted that there being more than one.

This X 2 its your own fault people have been saying this on the forum to there blue in the face your getting ONE specialization and ONE weapon for that chose profession you could not nominally use.

So now we know that all the guess work everyone has done along with me about weapons and specification are true. So ever deal with it or don’t buy it simple.

I’m still riding the hype train all the way to the station see you there or miss out on the fun.

Ugh, that’s not a specialization, that’s just a continuation of the class. Without at least two per class, there’s no choice and nothing “special” about it. All Rangers are Druids, woopy.

Then they introduce a special that’s different and then what? You’ve already specialized into the only option you had at the time. Can you respect? Do you have to start all over from the beginning? Super lame.

jheryn.8390:

Terrahero.9358:

Not surprising at all. I’m sorry to say this, but anyone who thought there would be more than one specialization per profession was simply feeding their own hype. That disapointment you feel is your own doing. arenanet never hinted that there being more than one.

^This. All I will add to this is that since we honestly don’t know how specializations will work with each class, why start bemoaning them until you find out the details. It is like people are actively looking for something to be unhappy about. Sheesh!

yeah, people should go back to complaining about all the other stuff. like how OP Ranger, Theif, Elementalist, Engineer, Warrior, Guardian, Mesmer, and Necromancer are. I mean seriously, every single one of them can kill you in a matter of seconds if you dont notice them! and dont even get the monsters started about how OP they are!!!

That aside, i think they are setting up for more in the future. For all we know, they might add some with a feature pack soon after the expansion is out. Not to mention that there will technically be 2 choices (the new speciallization and the profession that already existed)

jheryn.8390:

Terrahero.9358:

Not surprising at all. I’m sorry to say this, but anyone who thought there would be more than one specialization per profession was simply feeding their own hype. That disapointment you feel is your own doing. arenanet never hinted that there being more than one.

^This. All I will add to this is that since we honestly don’t know how specializations will work with each class, why start bemoaning them until you find out the details. It is like people are actively looking for something to be unhappy about. Sheesh!

Simple. I main a Ranger and being a Druid has nothing even remotely to do with my class design. So I was hoping against hope there was at least one option available to me that was not that. I couldn’t give a flying kitten about staves, or shooting roots.

It might be one specialisation for now, but it sounds like they plan to build on the idea going forward. Having one per prof prob makes it easier to tweak and develop the idea for more later

People keep complaining about that -_- No one wants to be thankful to the devs for creating specializations? Of course we begin with one, but come on, you’ve spent 2 years with “simple” classes. Even if they introduce “only” 10 new skills for a complete bar, that’s more that enough to begin with, because they said there would be more. Instead of spitting on a game that’s not even released yet, just say thank you, it’s free and it won’t kill you.

Personally my definition of specializiation always meant that you got multiple paths to chose from in order to focus on something you prefer from the things you know/can, etc.
The term in HoT should rather be modification or metamorphosis with just one path to follow.

I find that to be a downer and the term specialization to be quite misleading. Honestly, when someone tells you he/she specialized on something in his/her education/job, you’ll probably ask something like “Oh, on what did you specialize?” since there is commonly a variety of choices.

I didn’t expect 5 different specializations for each profession like some people did, but two per profession should be given.

VergilDeZaniah.3295:

People keep complaining about that -_- No one wants to be thankful to the devs for creating specializations? Of course we begin with one, but come on, you’ve spent 2 years with “simple” classes. Even if they introduce “only” 10 new skills for a complete bar, that’s more that enough to begin with, because they said there would be more. Instead of spitting on a game that’s not even released yet, just say thank you, it’s free and it won’t kill you.

They can’t help themselves all they know is whining they think there entitle to what they want. I’ve got news for you all, your not entitle to kitten you get what your given. You ever buy it or you don’t simple.

be disappointed all you want changes nothing for the people with realistic expectation.

VergilDeZaniah.3295:

People keep complaining about that -_- No one wants to be thankful to the devs for creating specializations? Of course we begin with one, but come on, you’ve spent 2 years with “simple” classes. Even if they introduce “only” 10 new skills for a complete bar, that’s more that enough to begin with, because they said there would be more. Instead of spitting on a game that’s not even released yet, just say thank you, it’s free and it won’t kill you.

Why would/should we say thank you for something we know next to nothing about? Perhaps all the skills are utter crap, it’s not like it’s beyond them to make lots of useless skills. I’m already not happy with the one “specialization” I get for my main class just for concept. I know people have wanted staff for ranger, for some reason, but I certainly don’t and no intention of using, so that’s five skills right there I have no reason to be thankful for.

You say thank you. I’ll sit here and hope the rest of it isn’t a waste of my time.

grayskull.2367:

They can’t help themselves all they know is whining they think there entitle to what they want. I’ve got news for you all, your not entitle to kitten you get what your given. You ever buy it or you don’t simple.

be disappointed all you want changes nothing for the people with realistic expectation.

How about no?

It isn’t entitled to think that a word will actually indicate what it seems to. They could have called it anything. Paragon, Elite, Legendary, Ascended, Progression. Instead they called it Specialization which means to focus on an area of skill. All classes have multiple areas they could focus on, so it’s absolutely not unreasonable to think we would get a choice of which one.

It absolutely depends on how extensive this addition to the class is as to how much effort it would have taken to put in a second one, but it would have been nice to be a thing from the start.

Kal Spiro.9745:

jheryn.8390:

Terrahero.9358:

Not surprising at all. I’m sorry to say this, but anyone who thought there would be more than one specialization per profession was simply feeding their own hype. That disapointment you feel is your own doing. arenanet never hinted that there being more than one.

^This. All I will add to this is that since we honestly don’t know how specializations will work with each class, why start bemoaning them until you find out the details. It is like people are actively looking for something to be unhappy about. Sheesh!

Simple. I main a Ranger and being a Druid has nothing even remotely to do with my class design. So I was hoping against hope there was at least one option available to me that was not that. I couldn’t give a flying kitten about staves, or shooting roots.

It isn’t simple. No one likes to hear it, but it isn’t all about you. There are many people who are very excited about this. They can’t make everyone happy.

I main a Ranger too. Since we really have no clue as to how specializations will truly work, I’m not going to start making judgments about it now. Initially it doesn’t sound like it will fit into my play style either, but I’m not going to know that until we learn how will work.

Also, we are getting one specialization now, but Colin Johanson has said in an interview that they are setting this up for future specializations to come.

If anyone here listens to WoodenPotatoes, he states on one of his latest videos that Specializations will not only give you more traits but it will also remove some of your existing ones. I don’t know how this will play out but it sounds like if you wanna play a staff ranger you’ll have to give up something else? i cant wait to see what happens. Stay positive guys.

grayskull.2367:

They can’t help themselves all they know is whining they think there entitle to what they want. I’ve got news for you all, your not entitle to kitten you get what your given. You ever buy it or you don’t simple.

be disappointed all you want changes nothing for the people with realistic expectation.

Let’s be honest, did you really think that there would be only one specialization per profession when you heard the news? I’d say probably not. Most likely you just don’t care about it and now feel entitled to some kind superior behaviour because of it.
Fact is: No one in this forum is -apart from forum-regulations and licenses we agreed to for creating accounts and playing the game- entitled to anything at all, except their own opinion on the matter.
Let’s see, where could we exchange opinions and discuss them? A forum? Where would we find that? It would have to be one on the subject of HoT…
What a coincidence! This is THE forum for HoT!

So how about we discuss the matter like persons, respect each others opinions and stop throwing out “whine” and “entitlement” like children who run out of arguments for their own opinion?

Terrahero.9358:

Not surprising at all.

It is if you’ve played other RPGs with specialization systems, where they always have more than one specialization. The very word itself indicates that there is more than one thing to pursue.

I’m sorry to say this, but anyone who thought there would be more than one specialization per profession was simply feeding their own hype.

Or an English speaker with the rational expectation that “specialization” means choosing a focused path among multiple options. Or a person who has played RPGs like Dragon Age or The Old Republic; which have multiple specializations. Arena Net knows this is the expectation of such systems, which is why they claim the system will be completed later.

SirMoogie.9263:

Terrahero.9358:

Not surprising at all.

It is if you’ve played other RPGs with specialization systems, where they always have more than one specialization. The very word itself indicates that there is more than one thing to pursue.

I am also familiar with how arenanet works. Scratch that, that isn’t entirely fair. I am familiar with how the games industry works.
Unless something is explicitly stated, don’t hope for the better. Even if things are explicitly stated they don’t always mean what you think they mean.
Take arenanets no-grind policy.
They finally clarified what they define as grind, and it’s not exactly a universally accepted definition. So even if they say A, make sure A actually means A.

Just because other MMO’s you’ve played had more than one does not mean every MMO will have more than one. At least not from the start as I believe we will eventually have more than one.
The word specialization does not by definition mean there are multiple options.

Am a bit disappointed that there aren’t at least two options. I mean it isn’t exactly specializing if there is only one option, it is just progression. For Nerco, for example, I was hoping to have an option for power play style and another for condition play style.

Oh well, guess I’ll hold final judgment for when it is released.

jheryn.8390:

Kal Spiro.9745:

jheryn.8390:

Terrahero.9358:

Not surprising at all. I’m sorry to say this, but anyone who thought there would be more than one specialization per profession was simply feeding their own hype. That disapointment you feel is your own doing. arenanet never hinted that there being more than one.

^This. All I will add to this is that since we honestly don’t know how specializations will work with each class, why start bemoaning them until you find out the details. It is like people are actively looking for something to be unhappy about. Sheesh!

Simple. I main a Ranger and being a Druid has nothing even remotely to do with my class design. So I was hoping against hope there was at least one option available to me that was not that. I couldn’t give a flying kitten about staves, or shooting roots.

It isn’t simple. No one likes to hear it, but it isn’t all about you. There are many people who are very excited about this. They can’t make everyone happy.

I main a Ranger too. Since we really have no clue as to how specializations will truly work, I’m not going to start making judgments about it now. Initially it doesn’t sound like it will fit into my play style either, but I’m not going to know that until we learn how will work.

Also, we are getting one specialization now, but Colin Johanson has said in an interview that they are setting this up for future specializations to come.

You seem to misunderstand. What is simple is how those of us who are not just me can bemoan a lack of options, especially for the one class that we were specifically given any amount of information on. It’s incredibly simple, and we know a lot. We know that you get called a Druid and gain a staff as a new weapon. We know that staff is primarily a mystic type weapon used for ranged combat, and we know that at least one of the powers connected to the staff shoots vines at the opponent. We know all of this, and I know that I’m not alone in the idea that this doesn’t fit my character in any way. So pretty much any option at all which was not this would probably have fit me, and others, better.

Also, I understand that there will be future specializations, but that almost worries me more. Primarily because ANet doesn’t have a good track record for letting us take choices back without either paying or rerolling. Of all the choices we make, the only one they’ve give us the option to freely rewrite is traits, and that has only come about recently. So every class gets one special to work with off the bat. Whether it fits your character concept or not. Later we get a new option. But we’ve made the choice because there wasn’t a choice, so now what? I don’t trust ANet to just give it to us, I trust ANet to sell it to us for gems. And that just rubs me more the wrong way.

Terrahero.9358:

The word specialization does not by definition mean there are multiple options.

Oh for… seriously? It doesn’t mean that, but in it’s most common usage it entails it. In its most common usage, as documented by lexicographers, it is used to suggest an individual is choosing to pursue a specific skill or subject matter to gain expertise. It would cease to have any relevant usage in a world where there weren’t multiple skills one could learn within a field or career path. Constructs like, “Jane chose to specialize in surgical oncology.” Would not exist in a world where the field of medicine only included surgical oncology as its subject matter. We’d just say “Jane is studying medicine”, as that would be the only thing Jane could do (in the medical field). Arena Net is taking on a very unusual, in fact undocumented, usage of the term if they mean, “pursuing the only path available”.

Thankfully, they don’t really mean this. What they really mean is something like:

“We realize “specialization” entails having multiple options among many, but we haven’t the resources to provide you with those options now. In the meantime we’ve setup the framework for specializations to be implemented in the future. Come release of HoT you will only have one viable path. Sorry for misleading you by using a lucid word like “specialization” and getting your hopes up. In our defense, you should be used to that with us."

Well, they probably don’t mean the last part, but you raise a fair point. We should know Arena Net’s marketing team never means what they say by now.

Welp that’s upsetting cuz looking at the preview the mesmer is getting a Shield. Me no like. So there is nothing for me to look forward to. On the plus side. I would love to play as a druid.

Kal Spiro.9745:

Ugh, that’s not a specialization, that’s just a continuation of the class. Without at least two per class, there’s no choice and nothing “special” about it. All Rangers are Druids, woopy.

Then they introduce a special that’s different and then what? You’ve already specialized into the only option you had at the time. Can you respect? Do you have to start all over from the beginning? Super lame.

They’ve talked about specialisations as being like secondary professions from Guild Wars 1… which you could change freely. It looks like the main purpose of specialisations is to prevent players from having stuff from multiple specialisations at once, not to lock you into a path.

For now, it may just be giving extra stuff (or not, if what we’re hearing about specialisations disabling some things is true) – but they’re also setting a path for how things will be in the future.

what sense does a specialization make if there’s no choice? to specialize means that you focus on a single set of something amongst multiple.
with only one specialization it’s actually more something like a class-“expansion”, since everyone will have the same. but i guess we’ll get another one in another 2 years…

I don’t know why people are so short sighted. Everything isn’t right now. There’s one choice now and this is the structure from which it continues, so more choices going forward.

You don’t offer 87 choices all at once, and then find that you can’t balance anything. You add one and then you add another later.

It really is almost like having a new profession because all your skills change.

Kal Spiro.9745:

Ugh, that’s not a specialization, that’s just a continuation of the class. Without at least two per class, there’s no choice and nothing “special” about it. All Rangers are Druids, woopy.

Actually, no. One of the interviews strongly suggested, that there would be reasons why someone might want to “disable” a specialization and go back to playing pure class (and that you will be able to switch in and out of specs). They also seemed to imply that, while specializations add new things on top of base class, they also take things away (as well as possibly change the whole playing style). They are not supposed to be stronger than their base classes, just different, thus presenting more options. And of course they have already said there will be more specializations in the future. Just not in HoT.

zaced.7948:

what sense does a specialization make if there’s no choice?

There will be a choice. You could decide to use the specialization, or not. And from what i sunderstand, the choice will not have an obvious solution – both options would have their own pros and contras. The class as a whole will, of course, be expanded, but only because you will be able to switch between options (the same way you can now switch between builds when you need it).

ONE word for this “expansion”.. DISAPPOINTMENT.

I will check this on youtube after release, if this will be as i think it will …Bay Bay GW2

I think most people thought (once again) that Anet was to copy all that we’ve already seen and experienced in other (mmo)rpgs that is : once you reach a certain level, you come to a choice of specialization of your class, with a treelike chain of skills to be added from each choice.

That’s where people got confused I think. Anet doesn’t want to reuse whatever had already been used over and over again in other games.

To my understanding, specialization is like they said, a secondary profession but one that is not gonna undermine or override the existing primary professions.

For exemple, Rangers will always remain rangers and their role in a group as a ranger will remain as useful as before. It is just that, if a situation requires it, or if a player would rather play differently at some point, they could change into a Druid and change back if they feel like too.

SirMoogie.9263:

Terrahero.9358:

The word specialization does not by definition mean there are multiple options.

Oh for… seriously? It doesn’t mean that, but in it’s most common usage it entails it.

What you said was simply not true. The word does not indicate multiple choices, as you said it does. If it did it would mean specialization is impossible without multiple ways to specialize, and that is false.

Terrahero.9358:

SirMoogie.9263:

Terrahero.9358:

The word specialization does not by definition mean there are multiple options.

Oh for… seriously? It doesn’t mean that, but in it’s most common usage it entails it.

What you said was simply not true. The word does not indicate multiple choices, as you said it does. If it did it would mean specialization is impossible without multiple ways to specialize, and that is false.

Dear Lord, do we have to dig through possible interpretations of the word to find a way to argue that the wording was somehow OK?

Point is, ANet can no longer offer what people expect.
They expect subclasses, as this is what the specialization sounds like. They expect choices for the profession they like the most.

Point is, if your main is a ranger and you dislike the idea of becoming a druid, there is nothing for you in this matter to look forward to. You have no choice, because there is only one new option, or playing the same old same.

You have to forgive people that they don’t want to hear that maybe in a future expansion (like in another 3 years) you might get another option. Because that simply sux.

Astralporing.1957:

Kal Spiro.9745:

Ugh, that’s not a specialization, that’s just a continuation of the class. Without at least two per class, there’s no choice and nothing “special” about it. All Rangers are Druids, woopy.

Actually, no. One of the interviews strongly suggested, that there would be reasons why someone might want to “disable” a specialization and go back to playing pure class (and that you will be able to switch in and out of specs). They also seemed to imply that, while specializations add new things on top of base class, they also take things away (as well as possibly change the whole playing style). They are not supposed to be stronger than their base classes, just different, thus presenting more options. And of course they have already said there will be more specializations in the future. Just not in HoT.

I would like to see that specific interview. I haven’t heard anything to that effect yet, and that would go a long way to alleviating mine, and presumably others frustration on this matter.

I get the feeling people are finally seeing the ‘expansion’ for what it is: a big, Living Story update you’re going to pay for.