Guild Wars 2

PorceleinEve.2973:

psizone.8437:

You mean you wouldn’t consider that a choice worth making, not that it isn’t a choice, you’re contradicting yourself. I’d imagine a great many people would give up the use of their arms and legs for the ability to fly.

Personal views does not discount something as a choice, it only disregards it as a choice you would make.

A choice not worth making to me is no choice at all. I think we’ve already established that. It’s not contradicting myself, it’s using the language to convey what i have in mind.

Personal views do discount this choice for me. Yes? I do have that right do I not? And since here are the official forums, the place where I have the opportunity to express my opinion, I do. We’re not in a university or scholarly debate discussing the subject “objectively” against a fixed set of criteria. We’re just stating our views. I don’t get why all this nervousness that’s floating around

A Massive Headache.1879:

psizone is completely right.
Also, to me, the people saying 1 specialization isn’t enough is just whining, and lame whining at that. It very much is a choice whether you can understand that or not. The druid will offer a playstyle that ranger does not already cover. Not a necessity, just a nice touch

Well in the same light, the people saying 1 specilization is more than enough are just easily content and naive individuals without imagination, works both ways I guess… If choice in an of it self is the goal here, please by all means petition anet to remove weapon switching competely, then you’ll get to make the choice what weapon you’ll equip for your next fight, so as another poster said “you are nealry every moment to moment choosing” between your weapons. Wow, choice. Make engineer kits, “unique” only one can be on your utilities. More choice. Give elementalists 120 seconds on their stances. That way every 2 minutes they can make a choice. Choices, choices everywere.

Seriously though, let the people who don’t like something to not like it. And be glad that you do. You’ve already won. What are you afraid of? that anet will listen and add another specialization and omg the sky will fall?

Have a nice one guys

If the choice isn’t worth making to you, you can’t say you understand what the basic concept of specialization is. It is very much a choice worth making.

Furthermore, if it’s not a choice worth making – presumably because you view the specialization as what should be the superior choice – then why are you playing this base profession anyway?

I really think the whole “specialization” is misleading. Anet seems to have referred to giving a single specialization to each profession but an actual specialization is when a base profession is able to specialize into different paths. A ranger becoming a druid is one specialization. A ranger can’t specialize into a ranger, its just a base profession. Maybe specialization is just a euphemism for “alternative-playstyle”. Until more specializations are added to the same profession, I find it hard to deal with calling it a specialization. I know its just me but its a little irksome.

noun
1.
the act of specializing, or pursuing a particular line of study or work:
Medical students with high student loans often feel driven into specialization.
2.
Biology. the adaptation of an organism or organ to a special function or environment:
Basic biology suggests the selective pressures leading to convergent evolutionary specialization among desert-dwelling species.
3.
the act of being restricted to some specific, or the act of becoming specialized.

EDIT: also let’s not forget, we’ll be getting more, just not immediatly

PorceleinEve.2973:

A choice not worth making to me is no choice at all. I think we’ve already established that. It’s not contradicting myself, it’s using the language to convey what i have in mind.

Personal views do discount this choice for me. Yes? I do have that right do I not? And since here are the official forums, the place where I have the opportunity to express my opinion, I do. We’re not in a university or scholarly debate discussing the subject “objectively” against a fixed set of criteria. We’re just stating our views. I don’t get why all this nervousness that’s floating around

Seriously though, let the people who don’t like something to not like it. And be glad that you do. You’ve already won. What are you afraid of? that anet will listen and add another specialization and omg the sky will fall?

Have a nice one guys

I was saying you had the right not to like the choice but you shouldn’t discredit the option as being a choice because you wouldn’t make it.

I’m not saying 1 specialisation is enough, I’m saying that if they’re only set to release 1, then I’d hate for them to rush more out that could end up being unbalanced or flat out broken just to satiate the people that might not like the specialisation they plan to release first or feel like 1 isn’t enough.

So yes, I’m slightly worried that if enough people complain then Arenanet may feel pressured into releasing potentially broken specialisations and break the game.

The system sounds quite alike to GW1, where you got to pick a second class, but you could opt between your full class only or split it with any of the other classes. Yes of course GW1 was a balance nightmare, but it’s at one end of the spectrum (mix any class with any other along with entire selection of skills on your bar) vs GW2 specialization which will start with your plain class OR the single specialization, with your weapon determining 5 skills and only specific skills they provide as available on the other side. This is the limited end of the spectrum, they do control every skill combination you can have.

I’m surprised that in over 2 years since launch, people feel there isn’t enough time to have come up with 2 specializations for each class. It took this long for 1, so would another 2 years be acceptable to get a 2nd specialization? As it is, it felt like the expansion was a year overdue. Anet has moved at glacier like speed, and there has been tons of complaint about wanting an expansion for a long time, so I don’t see any worry that by voicing a view on the subject, they would panic and release things they couldn’t have ready…

Maybe it’s just their crummy wording “be able to swap between specializations anytime out of combat” – the base class is NOT a specialization, so how exactly does one swap between specializations when only 1 specialization exists. I’ll swap from Druid to Druid, yay!

Egg Shennn.6240:

The system sounds quite alike to GW1, where you got to pick a second class, but you could opt between your full class only or split it with any of the other classes. Yes of course GW1 was a balance nightmare, but it’s at one end of the spectrum (mix any class with any other along with entire selection of skills on your bar) vs GW2 specialization which will start with your plain class OR the single specialization, with your weapon determining 5 skills and only specific skills they provide as available on the other side. This is the limited end of the spectrum, they do control every skill combination you can have.

I’m surprised that in over 2 years since launch, people feel there isn’t enough time to have come up with 2 specializations for each class. It took this long for 1, so would another 2 years be acceptable to get a 2nd specialization? As it is, it felt like the expansion was a year overdue. Anet has moved at glacier like speed, and there has been tons of complaint about wanting an expansion for a long time, so I don’t see any worry that by voicing a view on the subject, they would panic and release things they couldn’t have ready…

Maybe it’s just their crummy wording “be able to swap between specializations anytime out of combat” – the base class is NOT a specialization, so how exactly does one swap between specializations when only 1 specialization exists. I’ll swap from Druid to Druid, yay!

you’ll swap from ranger to druid and back to ranger. I don’t understand where you’re getting hung up on this. And yes, the expansion does feel overdue, but even if they had a second specialization ready to go for everyone, it’d still be better to just release the one, see what needs changing, and then release the other, so they can do the same with that, not both at the same time.

PorceleinEve.2973:

Thaddeus.4891:

Ppl would rather have a choice between Ranger+ or Druid. Not Ranger or Druid. What will happen when they gonna add another specialisation. They gonna ask between Ranger++, Druid+ and Spirit Master?.

As far as i’m concerned yeaps thats what should happen. And if they think they can’t handle it, then they shouldn’t do it. An expansion expands. We’re not really expanding here are?

Yes, we are. It is however a horizontal expansion (which fits gw2 core themes), not a vertical one. You will have more choices on your class – just not better ones.

Yes, this system is different than the classic subclass specializations some earlier games offered, where at some point you can decide to lock yourself into one of several side paths of advancement. For one, it is not an advancement, it doesn’t go up, only sideways. For other, you don’t actually lock yourself into it – if, several years into the future, a second or third specialization will get added, your character will be able to learn all of them. He just won’t be able to use them all at the same time.

So, yes, it is likely that people that will continue to buy all expansions will all end up with the same set of specializations. On the other hand, it is very unlikely they will all actually play the same ones. Some will choose Druids, some will take newer ones, some will decide to stay Ranger.
Diversity through multitude of optional choices, not through forced decisions.

I will have to agree with the OP , if specializations means a person only has a choice to specialize in one added branch, then there is no specialization, it’s just more linear character progression…

For specialization to make any sense in the way the word implies, a player should have a choice for (in my opinion) at least 3 mutually excluding branches that add to the profession in a profound (and perhaps even fundamental) way. This will also ensure (in part) that players can actually become distinct from one another…

Because while a druid is really cool, what is in it for the rangers that prefer to be a true archer (aka, without that annoying pet), then again, what about those that think 1 pet isn’t nearly enough. Or what about those that think the ranger is just fine the way it is, but they would just like to have a bit more choice as to how to customize and theme their ranger (f/e more fire, or more ice, more poison or more plants. (and obviously this goes for all other professions as well.)

Arghore.8340:

I will have to agree with the OP , if specializations means a person only has a choice to specialize in one added branch, then there is no specialization, it’s just more linear character progression…

For specialization to make any sense in the way the word implies, a player should have a choice for (in my opinion) at least 3 mutually excluding branches that add to the profession in a profound (and perhaps even fundamental) way. This will also ensure (in part) that players can actually become distinct from one another…

Because while a druid is really cool, what is in it for the rangers that prefer to be a true archer (aka, without that annoying pet), then again, what about those that think 1 pet isn’t nearly enough. Or what about those that think the ranger is just fine the way it is, but they would just like to have a bit more choice as to how to customize and theme their ranger (f/e more fire, or more ice, more poison or more plants. (and obviously this goes for all other professions as well.)

I repost:

noun
1.
the act of specializing, or pursuing a particular line of study or work:
Medical students with high student loans often feel driven into specialization.
2.
Biology. the adaptation of an organism or organ to a special function or environment:
Basic biology suggests the selective pressures leading to convergent evolutionary specialization among desert-dwelling species.
3.
the act of being restricted to some specific, or the act of becoming specialized.
also let’s not forget, we’ll be getting more, just not immediatly. Druid is not a linear movement of rangers, it’s lateral, it’s not better than rangers, it’s not worse, it just covers a different play style. an archer without pet could become a thing; however I kind of doubt that.

A Massive Headache.1879:

Egg Shennn.6240:

The system sounds quite alike to GW1, where you got to pick a second class, but you could opt between your full class only or split it with any of the other classes. Yes of course GW1 was a balance nightmare, but it’s at one end of the spectrum (mix any class with any other along with entire selection of skills on your bar) vs GW2 specialization which will start with your plain class OR the single specialization, with your weapon determining 5 skills and only specific skills they provide as available on the other side. This is the limited end of the spectrum, they do control every skill combination you can have.

I’m surprised that in over 2 years since launch, people feel there isn’t enough time to have come up with 2 specializations for each class. It took this long for 1, so would another 2 years be acceptable to get a 2nd specialization? As it is, it felt like the expansion was a year overdue. Anet has moved at glacier like speed, and there has been tons of complaint about wanting an expansion for a long time, so I don’t see any worry that by voicing a view on the subject, they would panic and release things they couldn’t have ready…

Maybe it’s just their crummy wording “be able to swap between specializations anytime out of combat” – the base class is NOT a specialization, so how exactly does one swap between specializations when only 1 specialization exists. I’ll swap from Druid to Druid, yay!

you’ll swap from ranger to druid and back to ranger. I don’t understand where you’re getting hung up on this.

I’m not sure how much simpler I could have explained it.

Ranger is NOT a specialization, it is a BASE class.

Druid is a specialization.

Their developer saying you can switch from one specialization to another, when there is only one, is what I have issue with.

Egg Shennn.6240:

A Massive Headache.1879:

Egg Shennn.6240:

The system sounds quite alike to GW1, where you got to pick a second class, but you could opt between your full class only or split it with any of the other classes. Yes of course GW1 was a balance nightmare, but it’s at one end of the spectrum (mix any class with any other along with entire selection of skills on your bar) vs GW2 specialization which will start with your plain class OR the single specialization, with your weapon determining 5 skills and only specific skills they provide as available on the other side. This is the limited end of the spectrum, they do control every skill combination you can have.

I’m surprised that in over 2 years since launch, people feel there isn’t enough time to have come up with 2 specializations for each class. It took this long for 1, so would another 2 years be acceptable to get a 2nd specialization? As it is, it felt like the expansion was a year overdue. Anet has moved at glacier like speed, and there has been tons of complaint about wanting an expansion for a long time, so I don’t see any worry that by voicing a view on the subject, they would panic and release things they couldn’t have ready…

Maybe it’s just their crummy wording “be able to swap between specializations anytime out of combat” – the base class is NOT a specialization, so how exactly does one swap between specializations when only 1 specialization exists. I’ll swap from Druid to Druid, yay!

you’ll swap from ranger to druid and back to ranger. I don’t understand where you’re getting hung up on this.

I’m not sure how much simpler I could have explained it.

Ranger is NOT a specialization, it is a BASE class.

Druid is a specialization.

Their developer saying you can switch from one specialization to another, when there is only one, is what I have issue with.

it’s not a specialization, it doesn’t need to be. and there will be other specializations eventually.

think of it this way, in gw1 you could have another profession as your secondary; however a lot of the time that wasn’t necessary. you still had that secondary equipped, but it was just kind of there, no need to use it. and in any town you could go back and change what skills you had, or secondary. Hell, one of the big things was necros using an assassin skill to recharge their skill bar, something exclusive to assassins, but they could still go back to curses soul reaping blood magic death magic.
think of it like this rangers have beast mastery, druids have druidism. sure we had rangers first, but it’s still a different direction.

FYI, more than half the classes are versatile but not all elems want to be versatile.
Can you all stop whining? This could help a dead class be PvP-able. Geezus

there really isn’t a dead class in pvp. I don’t see a lot of mesmers, but tons of eles, warriors, engis, thieves, and rangers. But yeah, this will definitely freshen up pvp

All elems run the same water-arcana cantrip builds. Basically all the other slot
skills and traits are crap. Needs complete makeover.

There should be a specialization in Versatility like the “Arcana Traits”
But any other elem who like to specialize in AoE=Fire / ST = Air
Healing = Water and Tank = Earth should be another choice for elems.
Versatility doesn’t mean you wear celestial only but have many choices
and roles to play with. You should see more diversity in builds which the
current elems do not have. It’s just 1 build people recycle with dif weaps.

there’s still fresh air and the staff/aoe build, however, compared to the celestial build, they may as well exist. so I see your point now

It’s the same reason warrior only uses HamBow in PVP when they have so
many choices of weapon sets available. Needs improvement.

Maybe they’d make a battle mage by giving elems sword/GS/Hammer/Spear
so they can also be masters of close combat? Sounds awesome.

Your base class is the second spec. Stay base class or trade some abilities for the new ones when choosing the spec.

“Soon”

“We’re planning on…”

I see a whole lot of this from A-net.

I mean oh I am going to buy and love the hell out of HoT, no doubt! I can’t wait to pre-order! But again it’s more of the same ’We’re planning on doing all of these things’ and it’s more often than not too little too late, to vaguely quote Jojo.

I’m hoping there’d be at least 5 specialization per class.
Look @ the current Trait lines for elem for example:

Pyromancer
Aeromancer
Hydromancer
Geomancer
Arcanist

Lol, it’s just gonna be a sidegrade not an upgrade. The Druid-ranger
probably came from the nature magic trait line. Makes sense.

Or one for each stat instead:
Power
Condi
Heal
Tough
Vital
Precision

Spica.9308:

I’m hoping there’d be at least 5 specialization per class.
Look @ the current Trait lines for elem for example:

Pyromancer, Aeromancer, Hydromancer, Geomancer and Arcanist.

Lol, it’s just gonna be a sidegrade not an upgrade. The Druid-ranger
probably came from the nature magic trait line. Makes sense.

Maybe 5 eventually, but that kind of sounds like a stretch as of right now.

Druid would be heal category

we don’t even know how the druid will play yet, I think they did say it would be supportive, but I doubt healer.

They said more healing skills

Moo.3408:

They said more healing skills

they said it would get new healing skill, utilities and a new ult.

A Massive Headache.1879:

I repost:

noun
1.
the act of specializing, or pursuing a particular line of study or work:
Medical students with high student loans often feel driven into specialization.
2.
Biology. the adaptation of an organism or organ to a special function or environment:
Basic biology suggests the selective pressures leading to convergent evolutionary specialization among desert-dwelling species.
3.
the act of being restricted to some specific, or the act of becoming specialized.
also let’s not forget, we’ll be getting more, just not immediatly. Druid is not a linear movement of rangers, it’s lateral, it’s not better than rangers, it’s not worse, it just covers a different play style. an archer without pet could become a thing; however I kind of doubt that.

I reply:
1. Medial students (aka a profession) often feel the need to specialize into becoming a brain surgeon, a heart surgeon, a digestive specialist, or any other.

2. A stem cell (player) tends to develop into a certain organ (profession) and within those organs various cells are specialized to fulfil very specific specialized functions within that organ.

3. The act of something general (profession) to diverge into something more specific that is either an part of the original or an extension there off…

4. Evolution, evolution is often referred to as the specialization of individuals or groups, that pass on their specialisation onto their offspring and through time might develop into new species. The spark for this theory came from a group of small islands where likely one kind of bird, changed into various different bird species due to specialisation over time.

Sure, we will get more, in 2y ? If you set up a system you either set it up correctly and fairly complete, or you just do not bother. This game drastically needs an improvement to the actual game (aka. that which if you strip everything else away, and put it into another environment, you would be able to call it ‘a game’), adding one profession and one ‘further development’ to the game to me just wouldn’t cut it.
Personal opinion an all, feel free to disagree ^^

Spica.9308:

I’m hoping there’d be at least 5 specialization per class.
Look @ the current Trait lines for elem for example:

Pyromancer, Aeromancer, Hydromancer, Geomancer and Arcanist.

Lol, it’s just gonna be a sidegrade not an upgrade. The Druid-ranger
probably came from the nature magic trait line. Makes sense.

Was hoping for the same too 5 based on trait line but if it really just replaces one line for a new one I’m disappointed. I already don’t trust their conquest focus balance, so many negatives are foreshadowing hope the demo proves us wrong.

again, that all means, you don’t need multiple specializations. I think for the way they’re going this is to be expected. had this been 2 years ago, I would have actually believed we should have gotten more; however, it’s been very obvious they’ve slowed down.

Also, there’s nothing saying the specializations have to take on a trait line.

Also, it really still isn’t asking too much for them to have had more information available to give us, that was a dumb move, but it happened.

Moo.3408:

Or one for each stat instead:
Power
Condi
Heal
Tough
Vital
Precision

Stats is probably the main reason why they wanna change the whole trait lines thing.
What if I want to become a pure DPS and Water elementalist at the same time cause
I want to be DPS but uses cantrips/regens/Vigor/condi removes?? Should they force me to get the Vitality/Healing over Perc/Ferocity?? Like-wise if I wanted to use arcane
magic but can’t cause I needed the versatility buffs in arcana trait lines??

Maybe they just gonna put stats on 1 side / Traits on another / Specialization for
a Sidegrade.

I highly doubt it will be weapon based due to swap mechanics or stat base due to
balancing/versatility issues. Based on utility skills?? unlikely. All classes have 5 possible
specializations based on trait lines alone.

Like Thief

Rogue – Venom Power Trait
Assassin – Executioner Perc Trait
Stalker – Stealth Toughness Trait
Acrobat – Dodge Vit Trait
Trickster – Tricks Condi Trait

Also look at rangers. Their Super Condition Traps are located at the Perc/Ferocity trait lines which doesn’t make any sense.

PorceleinEve.2973:

What are you afraid of? that anet will listen and add another specialization and omg the sky will fall?

They’ve already stated they will be releasing more specializations. It takes time. Would you rather they rush out a lot of poorly designed, unbalanced, buggy specializations?

And no, rushing out a lot of well-designed, balanced, bug-free features is not an option. It’s never an option. People who think it’s an option are the bane of anyone who has worked in IT.

Spica.9308:

Moo.3408:

Or one for each stat instead:
Power
Condi
Heal
Tough
Vital
Precision

Stats is probably the main reason why they wanna change the whole trait lines thing.
What if I want to become a pure DPS and Water elementalist at the same time cause
I want to be DPS but uses cantrips/regens/Vigor/condi removes?? Should they force me to get the Vitality/Healing over Perc/Ferocity?? Like-wise if I wanted to use arcane
magic but can’t cause I needed the versatility buffs in arcana trait lines??

Maybe they just gonna put stats on 1 side / Traits on another / Specialization for
a Sidegrade.

I highly doubt it will be weapon based due to swap mechanics or stat base due to
balancing/versatility issues. Based on utility skills?? unlikely. All classes have 5 possible
specializations based on trait lines alone.

Like Thief

Rogue – Poison Power Trait
Assassin – Executioner Perc Trait
Stalker – Stealth Toughness Trait
Acrobat – Dodge Vit Trait
Trickster – Tricks Condi Trait

Also look at rangers. Their Super Condition Traps are located at the Perc/Ferocity trait lines which doesn’t make any sense.

Never said it had to do with traits, just with stats (base ones(no ferocity))

@Spica … Perhaps they should make everything come as a specialization.

1. Supply all weapons with a base functionality, aka. all weapons behave the same to all professions, for as long as a player is not specialized in them. Leveling up a character unlocks a slot on a weapon, using a weapon unlocks the skill as you use it.

2. Spending a certain amount of skill points (say 5) unlocks the ‘specialisation’ for said weapon. You can now choose to slot either a general skill, or a profession skill in a certain slot. These can be unlocked at any point a player has 5 skill points, or at a certain level a player gets a choice to unlock 1 of these, but can say only ever unlock 2 (and a reset of these points is very easy)

3. Each profession comes with a ‘base heal’ and a set of 5 general basic skills. Unlocking these cost 1 skill point they are available right away, and the player can slot them as they unlocks the utility slots. Next to this the player also has 5 racial skills. For a total of 2 heals and 10 general skills.

4. Again, at certain inter falls a player gets to unlock (and can only unlock 2, with an easy way to change) or pay 10 skill points, to unlock a specialization. These consist of 1 heal, 5 utility, 1 elite skills. These are added to the unlock pool for skills, and have an associated unlock cost to them, heal 1, utility 3, elite 25 (and the elite can only be bought at lvl30).

5. Each profession has a certain base amount of traits, these could well be a set of general ones that each profession has (2 adept, 2 expert, 0 master) that go with the set of general utility skills. Once a specialisation is added a set of traits is added to the player’s collection (2 adept, 2 expert, 1 master), both for weapons and for utility specialisations.

If you limit choices to 2 specialisations for weapons, and 2 for utility … you would end up with.

10 General weapon skills (on 2 weapons) (and all other weapons on base skills)
10 Specialised weapon skills (on 2 weapons)
4 Healing skills (1 general, 1 racial, 2 specialised)
5 General utility (profession skills)
5 Racial utility (racial skills)
10 Specialised utility (2 specialisations)

Per Stat-line:
10 Adept Traits (2 general, 8 specialized, no racial)
10 Expert Traits (2 general, 8 specialized, no racial)
4 Mastery Traits (1 for each specialization 1 for each weapon, 1 for each utility)

This will give a total of 5 specialisation in regards to utility skills (currently 5 sets of utility, one will become ‘general’ and one new one is added); Also give base access to all weapons to all professions, and 1 specialisation for each weapon a profession can specialize in (these weapons can remain the same as they are now).

All professions stay balanced in a sense that they have access to an equal amount of skills, combo’s between specialisations can be balanced and dealt with on their combinations.

We get a ton of new and interesting choices, with actual diversity between profession specializations as well as actual choices in regards to the traits we choose to go with our builds. With an easy reset option at the profession changer, or simply in the UI, we can try and experiment with all combinations.

@myself, addition…

- They could even make it so that at first you choose a main specialisation, that could alter the way your profession skill works. And a 2nd specialisation that only unlocks the associated skills.

- This would actually make the skill system more a hybrid between GW1 and GW2, because in GW1 you were limited in the groups of skills you were able to choose from by the skill points you slotted in the associated stats.

Aka. f/e the ranger would gain a trapper specialisation, a beast master specialisation, a spirit specialization, a signet specialisation, and a druid specialisation. Each ranger could combine these with Great Sword, Long bow, Short bow, Staff, Sword, Axe, and an ‘off hand’ specialisation.

Ok, this last bit (off hands) sort of makes this a bit awkward, so perhaps 3 specializations are in order for the weapons, as you can only wield a max of 2 anyways. But grouping them into one (so Axe, Dagger, Torch, Warhorn offhand skills) might still be a good idea.

hey I’m making this up as I go

PorceleinEve.2973:

A Massive Headache.1879:

psizone is completely right.
Also, to me, the people saying 1 specialization isn’t enough is just whining, and lame whining at that. It very much is a choice whether you can understand that or not. The druid will offer a playstyle that ranger does not already cover. Not a necessity, just a nice touch

Well in the same light, the people saying 1 specilization is more than enough are just easily content and naive individuals without imagination, works both ways I guess… If choice in an of it self is the goal here, please by all means petition anet to remove weapon switching competely, then you’ll get to make the choice what weapon you’ll equip for your next fight, so as another poster said “you are nealry every moment to moment choosing” between your weapons. Wow, choice. Make engineer kits, “unique” only one can be on your utilities. More choice. Give elementalists 120 seconds on their stances. That way every 2 minutes they can make a choice. Choices, choices everywere.

Seriously though, let the people who don’t like something to not like it. And be glad that you do. You’ve already won. What are you afraid of? that anet will listen and add another specialization and omg the sky will fall?

Have a nice one guys

I don’t think there’s anyone saying it is more than enough. What I think people are trying to say is that this is expanding gameplay, that it’s enough for now, and people who don’t understand that they’re receiving benefits and painting them as shackles are being a bit spoiled or ignorant or both.

And sure we’d all like another specialization, but it isn’t about to happen on a whim and it won’t help to grief ANet on it.

Egg Shennn.6240:

A single specialization per class isn’t any choice, it’s a single path to try. I realize the plan is to add more specializations as they go but for a specialization system to feel like you have any choice (and they said in an interview that it’s to feel more like a second profession) that each class should have at least 2 specializations to choose from to start.

You do have a choice. Two in fact. To specialize in something, or stay as your base class. And you will get more choices in the future.

I still think the answer is simple. You DO have two specializations, example being a Ranger OR a Druid.

The description before the PAX annoucement was something along the lines of “framework to expand the GW2 universe” yada yada.

And this is exactly what I expect a “framework” to be: a platform or mechanic to support some concept.

I see the point of HoT is to introduce a mechanic where characters can unlock specialisations and learn new skills or traits.

Once that mechanic is added in, then it’s just a matter of using this system for future additions.

Just to give an analogy, in one of the Elder Scrolls games (can’t remember if Morrowind or Oblivion) there was a DLC that introduce some sort of pack mule for your character. It seemed underwhelming at first, but this DLC allowed modders to tap into a new way for characters to access the inventory of NPCs, giving rise to a whole new generation of companion NPCs mods.

I see the same potential for the specialisation system.

Egg Shennn.6240:

I’m not sure how much simpler I could have explained it.

Ranger is NOT a specialization, it is a BASE class.

Druid is a specialization.

Their developer saying you can switch from one specialization to another, when there is only one, is what I have issue with.

What’s the difference? Functionally, you can choose to be a ranger, or you can choose to be a druid, and each of these will come with their own skills/weapons/traits/playstyle/whatever.

Just because you can get one before you can get the other, doesn’t meant it doesn’t work they way they say it will.

How I expect it’ll play out: Ranger is the class – and it’s already running the beastmaster specialization. When HoT hits you’ll have a choice between the beastmaster specialization and the druid specialization.

Pandaman.4758:

They’ve already stated they will be releasing more specializations. It takes time. Would you rather they rush out a lot of poorly designed, unbalanced, buggy specializations?

And no, rushing out a lot of well-designed, balanced, bug-free features is not an option. It’s never an option. People who think it’s an option are the bane of anyone who has worked in IT.

Have they committed to a date for said release? Does you or any other have any concrete evidence that such a thing will even happen? Cause I can clearly remember them saying they’ll be adding new utility skills and all we got in the past 2.5 years was a heal skill. So judging by their previous behaviour we can reasonably assume that the folks who think more will come, will be, in all likelihood, disappointing.

Rushing out? And here I was thinking they had been working on this expansion for a looooong time. The game is out 2.5 years already. The expansion will probably come at the 3 year mark. How many years them it people need to produce 2 well designed, balanced and bug free specs for each class?

Dondagora.9645:

I don’t think there’s anyone saying it is more than enough. What I think people are trying to say is that this is expanding gameplay, that it’s enough for now, and people who don’t understand that they’re receiving benefits and painting them as shackles are being a bit spoiled or ignorant or both.

And sure we’d all like another specialization, but it isn’t about to happen on a whim and it won’t help to grief ANet on it.

It’s not enough for now, not after years of waiting. Totally not enough. This is good enough for one year of wait, not the 3 we’ll have when it lands (as always that’s my own personal opinion, not universal truth). And we don’t receive benefits, they don’t do us any favours here, we’ll be paying for this. If they’d given it out for free, i’d be white knighting it harder than most. This isn’t a gift, it’s a product. Unless the price tag is really low, which i doubt it.

Olvendred.3027:

What’s the difference? Functionally, you can choose to be a ranger, or you can choose to be a druid, and each of these will come with their own skills/weapons/traits/playstyle/whatever.

Just because you can get one before you can get the other, doesn’t meant it doesn’t work they way they say it will.

Druid will NOT come with it’s own weapons. But ONE weapon more (the staff). And they didn’t say anything about the other ranger weapons in druid functioning differently than the ones in ranger. (which by the way, if they’d done that, nobody would complain about one specialization)

We don’t know if druids will come with their own traits either. People hypothesized that they’ll come with ONE new trait line which could possibly replace the mechanic related traitline of the base profession, based on the comments made about how the specializations would alter the mechanics of the class. We have no more evidence for the existence of new traits other than that. Personally I hope we do get a new trait, but i wouldn’t be surprised if we didn’t.

The skills of the druid will be ONE new heal, ONE new ulti and -number unknown- other skills. It will most certainly not have the -full- range of skills of a new class (which again, if it did people wouldn’t complain about the spec issue, but the fact that they’ll have to grind 80 lvls of ranger for druid class)

So no spreading of misleading info based on wishful thinking.

PorceleinEve.2973:

We don’t know if druids will come with their own traits either. People hypothesized that they’ll come with ONE new trait line which could possibly replace the mechanic related traitline of the base profession, based on the comments made about how the specializations would alter the mechanics of the class. We have no more evidence for the existence of new traits other than that. Personally I hope we do get a new trait, but i wouldn’t be surprised if we didn’t.

The skills of the druid will be ONE new heal, ONE new ulti and -number unknown- other skills. It will most certainly not have the -full- range of skills of a new class (which again, if it did people wouldn’t complain about the spec issue, but the fact that they’ll have to grind 80 lvls of ranger for druid class)

So no spreading of misleading info based on wishful thinking.

http://www.pcgamer.com/guild-wars-2-heart-of-thorns-interview/#page-2

“When a ranger becomes a druid, they have an entire new set of skills and traits that come available to them”

We’ve got more information than you’d think, they’ve done a fair few interviews since PAX.

PorceleinEve.2973:

Have they committed to a date for said release? Does you or any other have any concrete evidence that such a thing will even happen? Cause I can clearly remember them saying they’ll be adding new utility skills and all we got in the past 2.5 years was a heal skill. So judging by their previous behaviour we can reasonably assume that the folks who think more will come, will be, in all likelihood, disappointing.

Rushing out? And here I was thinking they had been working on this expansion for a looooong time. The game is out 2.5 years already. The expansion will probably come at the 3 year mark. How many years them it people need to produce 2 well designed, balanced and bug free specs for each class?

Here’s one interview, relevant part about specialization starts at 7:25:

Just like the progression system, the specialization system is a framework that we can grow the game on in the future and this idea of adding sorta these “sub-professions” to our professions is something that isn’t just something we’re doing just for this expansions, that is the way we’re going to build out and grow all of our professions in the future as well.

Then at 8:15:

With Heart of Thorns we’ll be shipping with one specialization for each profession, and as I said it’s a system we will continue to build on as well.

And yes, I’m assuming making multiple specializations would be “rushing out” because I believe they only started working on it after the end of Living Story Season 1 (when they took that long “break”). I base this assumption on Colin Johanson mentioning (in a MattVisual PAX 2013 interview) that they were spending the first year getting the core of the game solid before moving on to larger projects, then how it wasn’t until “somewhere along the road” of the Living World releases that they realized they needed an expansion (starting at 5:00 in the AuroraPeachy Guild Wars 2 HoT interview).

What do you base your assumption that they’ve been working on it for a long time (years, apparently) on?

Egg Shennn.6240:

I’m hopeful that the specialization system brings back a lot of the feel of customization that I miss so much from GW1, but if there is just a single specialization added per class to start it seems like too little.

A single specialization per class isn’t any choice, it’s a single path to try. I realize the plan is to add more specializations as they go but for a specialization system to feel like you have any choice (and they said in an interview that it’s to feel more like a second profession) that each class should have at least 2 specializations to choose from to start.

For me the thing most lacking in GW2 has been individuality and the specializations will bring some of that to the game – provided there are actual choices, not just 1 path. I don’t see a great deal of sense of launching the feature with only 1 choice available per class.

I agree that having more than 1 specialization would be great and I am reaaally looking forward to them adding more eventually, but one to start with is completely fine. What you might be forgetting is that – we are not sure, if choosing a specialization is gonna be a smart decision. Remember – it will not only unlock new abilities, but quite probably also lock out some old ones (which may be potentially good). Therefore instead of looking at it like specialization is a way to progress character and make him better in a single way, you should look at it like making a decision. Do I want to take on a specialization or stick to the core of the class, which is better for my playstyle? And once more of them are released, you will have more options to choose from. Do I want core class, specialization A or specialization B? Each one is gonna have unique perks and choosing any one of them is gonna make sense.

When I heard “Specialization” it immediately reminded me of many old MMOs (Asian ones, like Requiem or Pandora Saga), where you have your base class (say, rogue, for example) with a set of basic skills, and when you get to 50 lvl, you can decide between 2 or more specialization with completely different, specialization-unique skills, and you keep your base-profession skills too.
In Requiem online, mentioned above, the rogue at 50 lvl could become an assassin, specializing (this word again…) in dual wielding swords and taking out targets 1 by 1 or a stalker, that relied on crossbows and massive DoT damage from huge distances. Both could use the basic rogue skills and swords/crossbows, though the skills from the specialization were totally unique.
It’s fine, that A-net brings only one specialization per profession at once (at least they are doing something), if they will bring more in later. If not, then the specialization is just utterly terrible choice of the name of this mechanic.

What bothers me about this is that many people are being quite terribly rude to folks disappointed that we’re only getting one specialization, much of it founded on the assumption of “well they said we’ll get more later so quit being such a whiny little snot and man up, you Grinch!”

Yes, ArenaNet said we’d get more specializations, eventually. They also said, at the game’s launch, that we’d get more skills eventually, as well as new weapons for our professions. The former has happened precisely twice, with one universal heal nobody uses anymore and a single new profession-specific healing skill, and it’s clear at this point that we’re not getting new weapons because the idea of new weapons has been folded into specializations.

What in the world makes you think we’ll get any new specializations prior to the next expansion in three more years?

For a longtime, enthusiastic player of the original Guild Wars, GW2’s character customization and build creation, to this day, feels incredibly anemic and limiting. Specializations were a HUGE announcement for those players because it was a big boost to the highly constrictive character building system…and then ArenaNet told us that HoT is only shipping with one spec per class “but we’ll put in more later, liek no totez really we will!”

I’m behind this company, I like their ideas and they way they’re actively thinking about what the MMO industry should be trying to do, and I like how responsive they are to their player base, but they have shown me via their actions that they are freaking slow as hell when it comes to profession updates. There’s too much else on their plate.

So yes. Maybe have a little sympathy for the old-school GW1 buildmasters who have never been content with GW2’s preschool-mode character creation system and have furthermore had their hopes dashed that specializations would help alleviate those restrictions? All we want is some real, honest to Gods build customization from our game which used to be, way back when, all about build customization, eh?

DevilLordLaser.8619:

What bothers me about this is that many people are being quite terribly rude to folks disappointed that we’re only getting one specialization, much of it founded on the assumption of “well they said we’ll get more later so quit being such a whiny little snot and man up, you Grinch!”

Yes, ArenaNet said we’d get more specializations, eventually. They also said, at the game’s launch, that we’d get more skills eventually, as well as new weapons for our professions. The former has happened precisely twice, with one universal heal nobody uses anymore and a single new profession-specific healing skill, and it’s clear at this point that we’re not getting new weapons because the idea of new weapons has been folded into specializations.

Yeah, there’s been rudeness on both sides in the forums lately, the worst of it has been filtered out by the mods thankfully.

The thing with these specialisations though, is that they’ll be able to keep that promise (rather late, I’ll agree) with more ease and regularity since they’ll be able to swap certain skills and traits about to balance new ones they place in and keep the classes and builds as balanced as possible.

Quells.2498:

I still think the answer is simple. You DO have two specializations, example being a Ranger OR a Druid.

No, that’s incorrect.

Ranger is the base class, not a specialization.

Druid is a specialization, and if what they said is true;
1 specialization per class in HoT.
“you’ll be able to swap from one specialization to another outside of combat”

How do you swap from one specialization to another when there is only one?

Please stop saying the base class is a specialization, because it isn’t.

I didn’t read all the posts, but this is my take: I miss the days of the IWAY builds and “Fang of Milandru” builds as well. Things were were more flexible then. In GW2, you are pretty much slotted with what you have. Though the first five skills connected to each weapon DOES make sense. Unless you wanted to make some weird farming build. Heh!