Guild Wars 2

Current the mastery system is linear and it has disadvantages. For example, people who purchase the Flashpoint living story episode may not be able to access Oakheart Reach without leveling Koda’s Flame Mastery which is only used for A Crack in the Ice living story episode.
A non-linear mastery tree system would give player choice as to which mastery to level and provide the developers with better tools. To illustrate my point I have attached an example of how a non-linear mastery tree system could function. I am not sure but I seem to remember that ArenaNet said something around the decision to make the mastery system linear. Why did ArenaNet not use a non-linear system such as a Mastery tree and can anyone provide any links to this information ?

I don’t know any information or what Anets reasons were, but the only thing I could think of is that generally the main purpose of having skill trees is to make players decide on a specific route, by having only enough points to max 1 line, and possibly the first stage or two of others. If it had been done like that then, using your gliding tree for example, it would typically mean enough points for players to max to ley gliding or advanced gliding, but not both. Of course enough points to max all lines could still be added with a tree, but ultimately it’s then not massively different to the liner lines anyway.

I get what you mean about it would just let players to choose the order of which they unlock first, but I think ultimately the order they put most of the masteries in makes sense anyway, in that the later ones are generally only needed as you progress through the HoT maps in order, or in many cases not really very useful ones anyway, with the real essential ones being the first mastery or two of each track.

So I imagine it was probably just to simplify it for players, and to prevent players accidently choosing a not so useful line which then might mean it takes longer for them to get something useful. For example, again using the gliding route as an example, if a player ended up training and spending points on lean techniques rather than updrafts, they would quickly realise updrafts would have been more useful and would then probably end up complaining on here that they had spent points on something and they’d now have to spend longer unlocking the other one because the game didn’t hold their hand and prioritize the order.

As I said though, I have no idea what Anets reasons were, that’s just me guessing.

I like the Mastery Tree idea.

Only the Crafting may still need to be linear. In order to progress to the next level, you must pass a set of “tests.”

It’s pretty obvious why they are linear … just look at the amount of points available and the amount needed to max everything. The second issue is mastery based lock out for content.

Personally I would still have players be able to max out a Mastery Tree. The idea behind a Mastery Tree is give players choice as to which Mastery they wish the unlock first. This would also provide ArenaNet with a better tool to control mastery progress.

My concern comes from Ancient Magic. It doesn’t make sense for players to require Koda Flame Mastery to unlock Oakheart Reach Mastery if they have not unlocked the episode A Crack in the Ice but have unlocked the episode Flashpoint. Here ArenaNet could have at an Ancient Magic Mastery Tree where depending on which episode is unlocked the corresponding masteries required for the episode could as well get unlocked, for example, having Flashpoint could unlock Thermal Propulsion and Oakheart Reach whereas A Crack in the Ice could unlock Thermal Propulsion and Koda’s Flame.