Guild Wars 2

I know the devs aren’t actually able to just go through and answer the many questions buzzing through the forum right now, but I figured I’d at least raise this concern in the hopes of it being answered whenever more specialization info is released.

Like many I’m pretty jazzed about professions being able to use new weapons, but the description from the unveiling worries me. Currently weapon choice is all about variety; each build type/profession has their arguably “best” weapon, but you can still typically mix and do fine, put your own spin on a build, or just use whatever your playstyle prefers or you find most fun.

Unless I’m misunderstanding, though, it sounds like the new weapon usage is tied specifically to the specializations, i.e. druid to staff, which worries me. If they are indeed specialization-bound that would mean that every ranger that wants to use a staff will be forced to become a druid. Likewise, every ranger that becomes a druid will feel obligated to use the staff, weapon that seems tailored to whatever unique abilities that specialization grants.

This has the potential to wipe out a lot of build variety and freedom, since I think it can be safely assumed that most characters will take a specialization, and subsequently be cornered into limited weapon choice. Adding staff use to allow druid-type rangers is great, forcing them together not so much. Hopefully when info is released we can get some details on how this works.

There might be new weapons not tied to spec as well, but overall I’m guessing it has to do with the fact that they would have to do a lot of changes to the current trait trees to allow for new weapons in a rational manner.

Linking them to specialization alleviates that problem entirely.

It alleviates that problem, but causes new ones. New traits might be harder to implement, but are also the kind of thing people already want and may expect from an expansion. My worry is that this would eliminate the variety and freedom of having many different weapons in favor of your weapon being basically chosen for you by your specialization.

The way it was presented, I think a class will keep there weapons, and even weapon skills, but the new weapon is more keeping with the themes of the spec.

I think the Druid just gains access to Staff unlike Ranger.

I kind of think, or perhaps hope, that the specializations are not binary choices. Not ranger OR druid, but rather a ranger who has learned druidism.
I would think these so called “specializations” expand upon the profession, not move you into something different. After all, you don’t suddenly forget everything you’ve learned when you decide to specialize in something new.
They talked a lot about “character progression” at the pax presentation. I take that to be something additive, not exclusionary, and I think that applies here.
“I’m a ranger who find himself in the maguma jungle, exposed to this new thing called druidism. So I’ll study it, learn this specialization, and add it to my arrsseenal(got censored lol) as a ranger”.

The information we have is very vague at the moment though, so I guess we’re stuck waiting until Anet gives us more info.

I am hoping it is an add-on, optional make-use of spec. That being said, as an example: being a Druid but still having the option to using original Ranger associated skills, weapons, traits etc.

Hope I explained that properly.. It is quite a baffling topic.

Zephyra.4709:

I am hoping it is an add-on, optional make-use of spec. That being said, as an example: being a Druid but still having the option to using original Ranger associated skills, weapons, traits etc.

Hope I explained that properly.. It is quite a baffling topic.

Maybe I’m misunderstanding what you mean, but if it’s an optional spec, but being a druid means you still have access to all your ranger stuff, what would be the point in specing as a ranger?

Arewn.2368:

Zephyra.4709:

I am hoping it is an add-on, optional make-use of spec. That being said, as an example: being a Druid but still having the option to using original Ranger associated skills, weapons, traits etc.

Hope I explained that properly.. It is quite a baffling topic.

Maybe I’m misunderstanding what you mean, but if it’s an optional spec, but being a druid means you still have access to all your ranger stuff, what would be the point in specing as a ranger?

Ranger wouldn’t be a spec. You’d play a ranger up to whatever point in the game you get specializations, and then choose from between a druid and a…I don’t know, “hunter”, or whatever the other ranger specializations are, and get that spec’s weapon and abilities, in addition to the regular ranger skills.

It’s going to be a really weird system, if that’s not roughly how it works.

Randin.5701:

Ranger wouldn’t be a spec. You’d play a ranger up to whatever point in the game you get specializations, and then choose from between a druid and a…I don’t know, “hunter”, or whatever the other ranger specializations are, and get that spec’s weapon and abilities, in addition to the regular ranger skills.

It’s going to be a really weird system, if that’s not roughly how it works.

We have no real confirmation that that’s how it’ll work, and there are other potential systems that could work. Not that I’m saying it couldn’t be what your just outlined.
Unless we have a source of information other then the HoT webpage, FAQ, and the pax livestream, what we know about specializations is incredibly vague. Thus all the speculation.

That sort of restriction on playstyle based on your weapon choice already exists in the game though, it’s just specializations appear to make them more formalized that before. For example if you want your necro to wield an axe or main hand dagger with a focus or warhorn, then you’re kinda obligated to make a power or minion build – you could make a condi build instead, but that wouldn’t be viable given those weapon combinations don’t deal condi damage.

Also we don’t even know what the other ranger specializations are. For all we know there could be a melee-oriented ranger specialization that uses staves as melee weapons, complete with a different set of weapon skills.

Pandaman.4758:

That sort of restriction on playstyle based on your weapon choice already exists in the game though, it’s just specializations appear to make them more formalized that before. For example if you want your necro to wield an axe or main hand dagger with a focus or warhorn, then you’re kinda obligated to make a power or minion build – you could make a condi build instead, but that wouldn’t be viable given those weapon combinations don’t deal condi damage.

Also we don’t even know what the other ranger specializations are. For all we know there could be a melee-oriented ranger specialization that uses staves as melee weapons, complete with a different set of weapon skills.

We’re so lacking in information, that we don’t even know if there is going to be more then one specialization per prof… x.x
wtb blog-post with more info