From the Specializations news page: “As long as you’ve purchased Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns, you’ll automatically unlock access to all elite specializations in PvP.”
This means that the playerbase will be divided in those who won’t be able to use specializations (aka those who didn’t purchase HoT) and those who can. My fear is that in the future, after the first set of specializations will be released, they will make the new ones a gem store purchase.
How would you react if this is the case? Personally I think it would be a shame for them to keep gameplay mechanics not available for everyone. Like you go in wvw or pvp and find yourself against people running new builds and that you can’t play. As it is now, only quality of life upgrades (bank space) and aesthetics items were put in the gem store.
This is how it works with all expansions. Buy the expansion and you will get the new content. The core specializations will still be available without the expansion, but not the elite specializations.
That’s how expansions work. You want the new maps, professions, content, etc.. you have to buy the expansion, if you don’t, then you stay with what you already paid for.
They do have an exception for WvW. You get the new map, same as everyone else. And from what Hidori has posted, it looks like PvP gets not only a new PvP map, but access to elite specializations.
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ANet may give it to you.
Finally, these reward tracks unlock everything for an elite specialization: weapon, unique mechanics, skills, and traits. They’ll also reward items, including new runes and sigils, a fancy weapon skin for your new weapon type, and an armor skin for a single matching piece of armor (usually headgear or shoulders). As long as you’ve purchased Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns, you’ll automatically unlock access to all elite specializations in PvP.
meaning, you have a reward track for that and if you have purchased HoT, you just get them unlocked right away.
I agree with this. From reading the blog I think HoT will automatically unlock everything straight away, but if you don’t have HoT you can unlock stuff through reward tracks. I also do not think Anet will put new specializations in the gemstore, as this will likely result in a feeling of pay2win for most, and that is not something Anet wants to do.
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Finally, these reward tracks unlock everything for an elite specialization: weapon, unique mechanics, skills, and traits. They’ll also reward items, including new runes and sigils, a fancy weapon skin for your new weapon type, and an armor skin for a single matching piece of armor (usually headgear or shoulders). As long as you’ve purchased Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns, you’ll automatically unlock access to all elite specializations in PvP.
Finally, these reward tracks unlock everything for an elite specialization: weapon, unique mechanics, skills, and traits. They’ll also reward items, including new runes and sigils, a fancy weapon skin for your new weapon type, and an armor skin for a single matching piece of armor (usually headgear or shoulders). As long as you’ve purchased Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns, you’ll automatically unlock access to all elite specializations in PvP.
meaning, you have a reward track for that and if you have purchased HoT, you just get them unlocked right away.
I agree with this. From reading the blog I think HoT will automatically unlock everything straight away, but if you don’t have HoT you can unlock stuff through reward tracks. I also do not think Anet will put new specializations in the gemstore, as this will likely result in a feeling of pay2win for most, and that is not something Anet wants to do.
I doubt that buying HoT will give you a complete reward track vs an unlockable reward track if you don’t buy it. It’s more likely they will lock the reward track completely to those who do not purchase the expansion. Anyway I wasn’t speaking about the 1st set of specializations, but about the ones that will come after the expansion. I fear they might put them as a gem store purchase even though it might feel pay 2 win.
Finally, these reward tracks unlock everything for an elite specialization: weapon, unique mechanics, skills, and traits. They’ll also reward items, including new runes and sigils, a fancy weapon skin for your new weapon type, and an armor skin for a single matching piece of armor (usually headgear or shoulders). As long as you’ve purchased Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns, you’ll automatically unlock access to all elite specializations in PvP.
meaning, you have a reward track for that and if you have purchased HoT, you just get them unlocked right away.
Doesn’t it say that if you bought the expansion you unlock the elite specs in pvp. so you still have to buy the expack for the reward track
I don’t think so. HoT brings changes to the whole player base and one of those changes is that mentioned reward track. Now when you buy the expansion you just get them unlocked from the start. that’s all.
I don’t think that’s correct.
“Skill and trait unlocking is transitioning into a new system. Profession reward tracks”
From the AMA, traits follow a track that you have to progress through to unlock.
Secondly
“As long as you’ve purchased Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns, you’ll automatically unlock access to all elite specializations in PvP.”
Access is the key word there.
You need to buy HoT to get it.
I believe HoT will allow you to pursue elite specialization, now and in the future.
i.e. If you don’t have HoT you won’t be able to get any elite specializations. If you do have HoT, when they come out with more elite specs, you will be able to pursue them. No paywall beside the expansion itself.
Reward tracks in this context are not pvp reward tracks. It’s the new pve progression system to unlock skills/specs/traits. Elite Specialization Reward Tracks are just the pve progression to unlock them for pve use.
If you don’t buy HoT, you won’t have access to elite specializations in any game mode.
If you do buy HoT, you will have access to elite spec reward tracks to unlock them in pve, and will have them automatically unlocked in pvp.
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Finally, these reward tracks unlock everything for an elite specialization: weapon, unique mechanics, skills, and traits. They’ll also reward items, including new runes and sigils, a fancy weapon skin for your new weapon type, and an armor skin for a single matching piece of armor (usually headgear or shoulders). As long as you’ve purchased Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns, you’ll automatically unlock access to all elite specializations in PvP.
meaning, you have a reward track for that and if you have purchased HoT, you just get them unlocked right away.
Doesn’t it say that if you bought the expansion you unlock the elite specs in pvp. so you still have to buy the expack for the reward track
I don’t think so. HoT brings changes to the whole player base and one of those changes is that mentioned reward track. Now when you buy the expansion you just get them unlocked from the start. that’s all.
So you’re saying the releasing ALL expansion content for free if you work to unlock it and those who choose to pay will have it immediately? That make absolutely no financial sense. HoT bring SOME changes to the whole player base, but others will not be available (locked, permanently) until HoT is purchased. I believe this will be all masteries and the elite specs. The reward tracks for the core specialization, however, will be what is available to all, as that is more of a redesign of the existing content.
Reward tracks in this context are not pvp reward tracks. It’s the new pve progression system to unlock skills/specs/traits. Elite Specialization Reward Tracks are just the pve progression to unlock them for pve use.
If you don’t buy HoT, you won’t have access to elite specializations in any game mode.
If you do buy HoT, you will have access to elite spec reward tracks to unlock them in pve, and will have them automatically unlocked in pvp.
Yep, that’s the most sensible interpretation of what was said.
Actions, not words.
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This means that the playerbase will be divided in those who won’t be able to use specializations (aka those who didn’t purchase HoT) and those who can. My fear is that in the future, after the first set of specializations will be released, they will make the new ones a gem store purchase.
Firstly, I don’t think they’ll be quick to release new elite specializations outside of expansions. They have been extremely shy about adding skills and such to the game since GW2 came out. Heck half the existing elite skills and traits are still dog poop because they are so balance paranoid, and you’re worrying they’re going to rush out gem store elite character tracks? I wouldn’t worry. That stuff will be very rare, the way they have doing things, so rare that it probably will never have a chance to make it the gem store as a standalone.
If it did you would see a PVP community revolt… but like I said seems far-fetched that it would become a skin of the month thing… (they already did that for PVP with finishers)
Remember Guild Wars 1.
You weren’t able to play Dervish, Assassin, Ritualist, nor Paragon if you didn’t buy the expansion associated with them. It’s the same with “Elite Specializations” in Heart of Thorns.
Buying HoT won’t unlock the rewards, it will unlock the “Reward Track”. If you don’t have HoT, you won’t have access to the Reward Track at all.
PvP players don’t need to unlock the skills and weapons through the Reward Track because they will be unlocked automatically for PvP use just like all other skills, traits, and weapons used in PvP. The only requirement that you have as a PvP player to access those new things is to purchase Heart of Thorns.
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Yeah, putting core gameplay behind the Gem Store Paywall is not only ridiculously stupid, it also runs completely counter to ANet’s stated philosophy and their track record. As for locking it behind the expansion paywall—that’s only problematic if it’s out of balance with the other specializations.
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This means that the playerbase will be divided in those who won’t be able to use specializations (aka those who didn’t purchase HoT) and those who can. My fear is that in the future, after the first set of specializations will be released, they will make the new ones a gem store purchase.
Firstly, I don’t think they’ll be quick to release new elite specializations outside of expansions. They have been extremely shy about adding skills and such to the game since GW2 came out. Heck half the existing elite skills and traits are still dog poop because they are so balance paranoid, and you’re worrying they’re going to rush out gem store elite character tracks? I wouldn’t worry. That stuff will be very rare, the way they have doing things, so rare that it probably will never have a chance to make it the gem store as a standalone.
If it did you would see a PVP community revolt… but like I said seems far-fetched that it would become a skin of the month thing… (they already did that for PVP with finishers)
The reason for the rework of the core traits is to make it easier for them to add new trait lines and skills in the future, something they felt was hard to do with the existing system (explaining why they hadn’t so far). I do agree that they will not be releasing them frequently. It will be a big deal when they do, although I could see them doing it outside of an expansion.
It’s simple. Buy the Xpac and get all the goodies. If you don’t, you get nothing besides the new maps. When it says everything is unlocked in PvP if you purchase it, it is exactly how it is now. When you go into PvP, all skills are unlocked whether you have them in PvE or not. The only way to get the specializations is by buying the Xpac; and that is how it should be (as it is with EVERY game).
Buy Xpac > unlock specializations via reward track while in PvE
Buy Xpac > everything is unlocked already when in PvP only.
Don’t buy Xpac > Drool at all my cool skillz
If they put it behind the gem store, at least there is a means to acquire the extended content in game (gold → gems). It could just be pay $s, get a code, register against account, then you get content access.
I think ANet would be losing out though if they didn’t bundle all new specializations and sell as a raw expansion at once (so you can’t piece meal what you want and don’t want from an expansion pack thereby less $s for ANet).
From the Specializations news page: “As long as you’ve purchased Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns, you’ll automatically unlock access to all elite specializations in PvP.”
This means that the playerbase will be divided in those who won’t be able to use specializations (aka those who didn’t purchase HoT) and those who can. My fear is that in the future, after the first set of specializations will be released, they will make the new ones a gem store purchase.
How would you react if this is the case? Personally I think it would be a shame for them to keep gameplay mechanics not available for everyone. Like you go in wvw or pvp and find yourself against people running new builds and that you can’t play. As it is now, only quality of life upgrades (bank space) and aesthetics items were put in the gem store.
Asking for access to all new expansion skill content, Revenant, and new map without buying HoT is like asking for access to Cantha without buying the Faction expansion in GW1. The simple solution to this is to buy the expansion.
Anet isn’t forcing you to get the expansion. You can still enjoy the game as it is. Forever and ever. With no subscription fees.
Also, by “all elite specializations” they mean all the specializations released as a part of HoT, not all future specializations ever released. No doubt future xpacs will unlock different specializations, but only for people that purchase the next xpac, and so on.
So if you own just core, you’ll have no elite specs at all, owning just core and HoT, will mean access to the HoT specs, just core and xpac2 when they make it (but not HoT) will be just the xpac2 specs and not the HoT ones.
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From the Specializations news page: “As long as you’ve purchased Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns, you’ll automatically unlock access to all elite specializations in PvP.”
This means that the playerbase will be divided in those who won’t be able to use specializations (aka those who didn’t purchase HoT) and those who can. My fear is that in the future, after the first set of specializations will be released, they will make the new ones a gem store purchase.
How would you react if this is the case? Personally I think it would be a shame for them to keep gameplay mechanics not available for everyone. Like you go in wvw or pvp and find yourself against people running new builds and that you can’t play. As it is now, only quality of life upgrades (bank space) and aesthetics items were put in the gem store.
You realize that the expansion won’t be in the gem store, so it will continue to be true that Evon Gnashblade only offers QoL upgrades and cosmetics.
Regardless of the phrasing, I’m not sure what you expect as alternative.
Keep releasing free content, including changes to core content, even though the market will force the price of the game down. → That’s not sustainable.
Stop releasing new storylines and changes to core content and work on GW3 instead. → That also splits the player base and probably means less new content overall, since demand for fundamental changes will be high.
I had hoped that ANet would have been able to continue with a gem-shop-only model, but I think it’s just too soon for the industry and for gamers to make that sort of transition. After all, look at how many people come to this game with gameplay expectations based on the old standards.
tl;dr you’ll have to offer a real alternative to charging for an expansion, in order for ANet to continue to stay in business long enough to keep delivering new content.
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This is only a problem is one thing is true: Elite = Better
If the ONE Tempest line, traits, skills, is better then ANY combination of Core Skills, then problems will arise. So far I have see nothing that says Elite Specs’ will be Better, just different.
They might just open up new styles of play for classes. Maybe Tempest if a Crowd Control spec. It will still get trounced by pure damage specs in pvp, and wvw. Wont be able to heal and defend as well as water/earth specs.
1) no HOT = no elite spec, it’s paid content (paid means NOT FOR GEMS), only difference is that AFTER YOU BUY HOT, you will have it unlocked directly in SPVP, but you will have to earn it in WvW and PvE
2) elite spec are not better than core spec, they are just another choice, they are elite because they are more than just a trait line, not because they are mandatory (but balance itself is a different story, at least at the beginning)
just accept it finally, it’s a fact, nothing to discuss about…
