Guild Wars 2

…or at least some of them!

Watching the latest Point of Interest, I realized that Masteries are indeed a way to provide “Metroidvania” exploration to the world, as the community has speculated.
I love those games!
I play them over and over again!

However, making the Masteries account-bound instead of Character-bound kills any replayability this type of exploration might have. The joy of slowly unlocking the map, carefully choosing the right skill to learn next and investing on a different path than the last play-through, is half the fun in those games.
With Masteries being account-bound, this can be experienced only once! The only other way to re-experience this would be to create a new account!

I suggest 4 options!

1. Make all Masteries Character-bound, and reduce whatever grinding they might need by a third. (easy but flawed solution)
2. Seperate the map-progression Masteries from those that function as services, easter-egg (and the player could easily bypass the CB restriction by logging to an alt). The first type will require fewer Mastery points and would be character bound, while the second would be much more expensive, but will be included on all characters.
3. Seperate both the Mastery Currencies and Mastery Types! Explorable Mastery Currencies would be character bound and would only effect masteries that help you reach unreachable areas, While Convenience Mastery Currencies would be account bound, and would offer convenience and Easter eggs to all characters!
4. Have the mastery points be account-bound, but hide the mastery teachers instead.

Closing…
Please turn the Aspect skills of Dry Top into an early Mastery, and just have it be unlocked for existing players at expansion’s launch. It will be weird having a character encounter and by instinct use this weird foreign platforming art like a master, and yet he’ll have to train in order to jump on a mushroom.

In my honest opinion; in doing (^) this it’d allow more people to pour hundreds of more hours into their game, defining and shaping EACH one of their characters just how they want to, it would allow for some truly diverse play-styles that i have been searching for in Gw2 for a while, i have my own little secret built using traits, though if i could combine that with masteries this could make for some really revolutionary gameplay changes.

No thanks.

We already have character-bound-hunting with traits. And character bound skills too. I have absolutely no interest in yet another character-bound system that would just mean I have to replay X amount of content to get back to where I started.

We still don’t know much about mastery, you might want wait for more information before judging it.

I’m sure that they’ve thought this through. I suspect that each new level in a particular mastery will require greater and greater experience so I think it’s no harm to have account bound masteries.

Also I think you might be reading a little too much into their metroidvania influences.

You make lots of interesting points. However i have eight(8) level 80 characters and plan on a ninth. Some of us simply just don’t have the time to keep grinding.

The more account based stuff the better in my opinion.

No and …..what was my other thought on this?…oh yeah…….KITTEN NO!

I think they’ve learned their lesson with the Trait changes being character-bound. No.

If it’s going to be another 2-3 years for another expansion it could be a good thing to have character bound masteries.

Thank the six that you are not the designer of this game.

Optiim.6974:

If it’s going to be another 2-3 years for another expansion it could be a good thing to have character bound masteries.

There is no indication it will be another 2-3 years. Actually, it seems it will be expansion LS, expansion.

Character-bound masteries work in Metroidvania games because these games require less of your time to complete or progress through bonus objectives. But in today’s MMORPG? It’s hours upon hours of game time required for character progression, because there is such a tremendous amount of content that goes beyond Metroidvania games.

I’m also a fan of “metroidvania” games. Let’s say they can implement it right and make it fun.

Maybe there could be an optional character bound mode.
Maybe you talk to a trainer to train some or all of your previously unlocked masteries on alts, so if you want to play the “metroidvania” again you can do it.

But if they don’t follow their description of the mastery system then, no, I don’t want character bound.

I prefer account bound.

I prefer account bound too, i have a ton of alts, and having to grind out the masteries on each one would get old.

You people do understand that turning some Masteries into Character-bound also mean that their respected required grinding would also be balanced down...

I have no intention to give us more grind!
That would be ridiculous!

I only ask to make the process of discovering the masteries to uncover the next area repeatable. I would understand if it was some trait that would only effect combat, or some other update that increases the magic-find (like the paragon points on Diablo3) or whatever… I wouldn’t want to grind for those ever again!
But in THIS, the mare process of unlocking the abilities to discover your new way could be GAMEPLAY, that would be a shame not to bee repeatable! Turning Masteries into a build would also give some more identity to a character!

Kite.2510:

You people do understand that turning some Masteries into Character-bound also mean that their respected required grinding would also be balanced down...

I have no intention to give us more grind!
That would be ridiculous!

I only ask to make the process of discovering the masteries to uncover the next area repeatable. I would understand if it was some trait that would only effect combat, or some other update that increases the magic-find (like the paragon points on Diablo3) or whatever… I wouldn’t want to grind for those ever again!
But in THIS, the mare process of unlocking the abilities to discover your new way could be GAMEPLAY, that would be a shame not to bee repeatable! Turning Masteries into a build would also give some more identity to a character!

No i dont think you understand. I have 12 characters that i play, 12 characters. Do you realize how grindy that is?~ you i dont care how much you reduce the grind, if you make them character bound i still have to do that 12 times. As i said i prefer to have them account, just like i did with dyes, and just like i hope happens with traits.

Dante.1763:

Kite.2510:

You people do understand that turning some Masteries into Character-bound also mean that their respected required grinding would also be balanced down...

I have no intention to give us more grind!
That would be ridiculous!

I only ask to make the process of discovering the masteries to uncover the next area repeatable. I would understand if it was some trait that would only effect combat, or some other update that increases the magic-find (like the paragon points on Diablo3) or whatever… I wouldn’t want to grind for those ever again!
But in THIS, the mare process of unlocking the abilities to discover your new way could be GAMEPLAY, that would be a shame not to bee repeatable! Turning Masteries into a build would also give some more identity to a character!

No i dont think you understand. I have 12 characters that i play, 12 characters. Do you realize how grindy that is?~ you i dont care how much you reduce the grind, if you make them character bound i still have to do that 12 times. As i said i prefer to have them account, just like i did with dyes, and just like i hope happens with traits.

Same here, I’d have to regrind them 25 times…
I’m so happy Anet makes more and more things account bound (skins, dyes, commander title etc) and thus more alt friendly. Don’t stop now please.

Kite, think of it this way: it’s not that you can’t replay the metroidvania, it’s that the metroidvania never ends, and you can swap characters halfway through it.

No thanks. I prefer it account bound.

Stick with account bound please.

I think account-bound is better, however there should definitely be content to do for each character. I don’t think masteries has to be this, though. I’d rather do that content -with- the mastery stuff, for some added fun.

Besides, as long as you can’t glide around forever, you can still make nice explorationthings. It’s usually when you allow full limitless flight that exploration dies (unless the game has immense lands).

8 chars, which I play in turn. Account bound for me. Character bound Masteries would kill my alt use. I would either constantly be redoing previously done content to get needed Masteries, which means people who only play one would be progressing faster on that char while I’m stuck in Groundhog Day (like the movie), or abandoning all except one.

Lord Hall.7102:

You make lots of interesting points. However i have eight(8) level 80 characters and plan on a ninth. Some of us simply just don’t have the time to keep grinding.

The more account based stuff the better in my opinion.

I as well. And I have a hard time narrowing my “mains” down to even 2 or 3. I don’t have the time or energy to grind the same things multiple times. It really sucks the fun out of an activity to lose your progress and start over again (multiple times).

I have 8 lv80 of all classes, and will be 9 after the expansion.

1 word, NO.

keep account bound plz.

Make more things account bound please.

You could always self-impose character-bound by not utilizing skills until you’ve spent enough time without them to feel you’re worthy of using them now, using your first or second time through as a rough metric.

As many others have said, account bound is a godsend for altaholics (8 80’s myself), and is a good representation of the player’s accomplishments, rather than an individual character’s.

account bound mastery points is needed because some/all of the things stated as sources for MP are acount bound.

training the masterys maybe charracter bound: so I may like to train one mastery whit one of my toons. but once unlocked it is useble for all of my toons
but this is a flavor and I dont think it will be done

spending mastery points – WWW points
I dont think that it will be a good idea to get somthing like it because if we get to the max points needed to fill-up a mastery line (assuming all lines need the same amound of MP to fillup) we can just max all masterys on diferent toons: so I will have one “precursor crafter” other toon Glider 3th combat spec … and this will cut the content

and once anounced Masterys = account bound they will take a ton of backlash on them if they change it + they’ll need to rework it = more time developing = not gona happen

Stick with account bound please.

I hope that while the amount of mastery points your characters have is account-dependent, how you spent those points is character-bound.

Diovid.9506:

I hope that while the amount of mastery points your characters have is account-dependent, how you spent those points is character-bound.

They already stated once you unlock it on one its unlocked on all, That is ofcourse subject to change liek anything else untill its actualy in our hands. ( and sometimes it change even after that )

Kite.2510:

However, making the Masteries account-bound instead of Character-bound kills any replayability this type of exploration might have. The joy of slowly unlocking the map, carefully choosing the right skill to learn next and investing on a different path than the last play-through, is half the fun in those games.
With Masteries being account-bound, this can be experienced only once! The only other way to re-experience this would be to create a new account!

I suggest 4 options!

1. Make all Masteries Character-bound, and reduce whatever grinding they might need by a third.
2. Seperate the map-progression Masteries from those that function as services, easter-egg (and the player could easily bypass the CB restriction by logging to an alt). The first type will require fewer Mastery points and would be character bound, while the second would be much more expensive, but will be included on all characters.
3. Seperate both the Mastery Currencies and Mastery Types! Explorable Mastery Currencies would be character bound and would only effect masteries that help you reach unreachable areas, While Convenience Mastery Currencies would be account bound, and would offer convenience and Easter eggs to all characters!
4. Have the mastery points be account-bound, but hide the mastery teachers instead.

Agreed. Would be much more fun if twinks actually still have something to work for in those new zones.

I have to agree with the ’No’s’ here. As an alterholic, who doesn’t enjoy progression, I do not want to have to progress masteries for all 8 (soon to be 9) of my characters. It might be fun once or twice, but it will get tiring after that. After the second time round I will just want to be able to unlock them straight away, so I can get to any area with any character.

Its bad enough that I currently have to unlock all waypoints on all 8 characters. It may be an easy task but it gets very boring and frustrating when you have to keep doing it. If I had my way I would have waypoints account bound, or at least have the option to unlock them for the account. Which leads me on to the next part of my post.

As I know there are people who enjoy progression I offer the following suggestion that should please everyone:

Instead of simply unlocking masteries (cough and waypounts cough) on all characters (account bound), when a player unlocks a mastery (or waypoint ) give them the choice to unlock it for the account or just for that character. Then each side gets what they want. Simple.

I’d prefer account bound. I don’t want to have to unlock the same skills on every single alt. The traits are like that now, and it’s stopped me from leveling more alts.

If I had to earn masteries to each of my 17 characters I’d just don’t buy HoT and probably stop playing. Account bound progression is better because I don’t have to sacrifice anything if I choose to play another character.

Would it not be better to offer the choice? Instead of one or the other, give players the choice to unlock for the account or the character.

I don’t understand why it has to be one or the other, when there can be a choice.

Two words: development time. If the entire system is built from the ground up to be account unlocks, then creating an option would be duplicate code in a lot of places.

TaCktiX.6729:

Two words: development time. If the entire system is built from the ground up to be account unlocks, then creating an option would be duplicate code in a lot of places.

You’re right. IF.

I’ll let Anet decide if it is possible and worth doing. I’m just putting the idea out there, because I think it is important and beneficial to give players options.

Rin.1046:

TaCktiX.6729:

Two words: development time. If the entire system is built from the ground up to be account unlocks, then creating an option would be duplicate code in a lot of places.

You’re right. IF.

I’ll let Anet decide if it is possible and worth doing. I’m just putting the idea out there, because I think it is important and beneficial to give players options.

Me as well, it’s one of the paradigms I try to bring into my suggestions where I can. I suppose since I would massively benefit from account bound and have no interest in character binding masteries, I’m being more lenient on the system than I would be otherwise.

I’d rather want them to add new masteries every few months than having to unlock the same thing over and over again for my alts.

I must say though, if the content is really that fun, then I’m okay with character bound masteries. If you would unlock those masteries through SAB I would play the hell out of it. :P

Thank you, ANet, for account wide masteries.

I expect unlocking them on my first character will be fun. It might continue to be fun on a second or third. But I’m confident it would just be a chore by the fifth character, let alone my ninth.

It’s design decisions toward account bound progression that make me confident enough to purchase additional character slots.

Linken.6345:

Diovid.9506:

I hope that while the amount of mastery points your characters have is account-dependent, how you spent those points is character-bound.

They already stated once you unlock it on one its unlocked on all

Unlocked – remember, that after unlocking we’ll need to level them as well. It’s still possible that this part could be character bound.

That saying, having it accound bound would be better for me and my alts.

yes please give characters some way to be unique. Since all the things went account bound I haven’t really had much use for this game please give the characters something. And yes I also have 9ish lvl 80 characters. I would be fine with character bound Masteries …or even better can we go back to making everything character bound like it is supposed to be please?

How many alts do you people have?
I don’t want to be rude, but having 12 alts in any MMO is not exactingly normal.
My cousin was playing WoW from launch for more than 8 years continuously and still plays whenever a new expansion comes up, and he still only manage to level up and gear properly 6 of them!.. IN 8 YEARS!

You people having so many alts was the game’s fault at launch for not having enough end-game content. But if you start whining about every single progression mechanic becoming account-bound the game will never get it! The process of the game that will suffer the most and become the most grindy and mindless would be the process of making new characters!!!
Instead, making the Masteries Character bound would mean much less grind for the individual, and the option for more strategic decisions for the alts!

IMO, A-nets biggest mistake was to put the idea of account bound masteries in your heads so early in the first place!

no
/15characters

account bound is the best thing happened to this game, not only masteries; this is why me and probably many other ppl chosen gw2 – because they want to play the game, not to grind each and every character

No.

There was an 83 page thread (that started last april) that pointed out how bad of an idea this kind of grind was already in the game with regard to traits. Making these account bound is the only way to ensure there are no riots.

Trust me.

segman.3560:

account bound is the best thing happened to this game, not only masteries; this is why me and probably many other ppl chosen gw2 – because they want to play the game, not to grind each and every character

short, simple, perfect. +1

Kite.2510:

How many alts do you people have?
I don’t want to be rude, but having 12 alts in any MMO is not exactingly normal.
My cousin was playing WoW from launch for more than 8 years continuously and still plays whenever a new expansion comes up, and he still only manage to level up and gear properly 6 of them!.. IN 8 YEARS!

You people having so many alts was the game’s fault at launch for not having enough end-game content. But if you start whining about every single progression mechanic becoming account-bound the game will never get it! The process of the game that will suffer the most and become the most grindy and mindless would be the process of making new characters!!!
Instead, making the Masteries Character bound would mean much less grind for the individual, and the option for more strategic decisions for the alts!

IMO, A-nets biggest mistake was to put the idea of account bound masteries in your heads so early in the first place!

Good that you decide what is normal for us. However, that other MMO’s are less alt friendly than the one we play is their concern. I mostly play only one character, but making a system like this character bound would mean I would not even touch my alts anymore except for using their crafting disciplines. Also, I don’t see how you can feel having previously unlocked content directly available to alts is somehow more grindy than having to unlock it again, likely doing the same thing you have already done before.

I can see why you would want it character bound, but I don’t agree, as do many others. What you think is a mistake feels like a good idea to me.