Guild Wars 2

Alright so since we have all heard everything really needed to be heard about the specialization system and how it might just pull this game out of D.P.S only mode. I have an idea which might make the game feel a little less linear and a bit more complex.

I would like to see Lycanthropy and Vamprisim introduced into the game. Mainly because i see no reason as to why it can’t exist, i cant see why within this world of magic these ideals cant exist? Vampires could be offered to human’s as a racial benefit , potentially any race other than norn((get to it in a second.)) Turn the racial elites and forms you can take into indefinite transformations where they can be used until you change back at your own accord, adding in utilities and heal mechanics for them. So your Lich form is now a specialization for your race, making it so you are a lich and no longer a human? This would mean your technically immortal but still able to be killed, and could have its own personal story-line to make your character feel more unique (( not so much)) in the world.

You could technically make the lich a class specilization and make it that necromancer’s do it but i dont see why it matters. Norn should have lycanthropy which is why they cant be vampires, this allows for them to take the werewolf or other lycanthropic forms and run a muck. Give it a perk tree, and give it utilities and a heal with its own personal finisher where it mauls people (( vampires could have one where they bite you or something. Lich could have something to do with decaying you into a skeleton who knows )).

Understanding that in reality this wont be entirely easy, but will be welcomed due to allowing players to really immerse themselves into their characters. To prevent this from being exploited and made to be overpowered and seemingly invincible. You should make it hard to master, hard to play and hard to level up making it an end game thing for those who get there. Rather than handing them this at the begining of the game and causing them to level it along-side them, make them work for it and when they hit end game it is a whole new realm of possibility’s.

Racial Benefits(( potentially))

Chaar:
Being able to see in the dark ((make some of the areas darker))
Cat like reflexes (( reduces fall damage by fifty percent))
Agile leap((Increase jump height and length.))
Quadruped(( Run faster while out of combat))
Enhanced senses ((now able to hear people running/moving/fighting farther away and get bleeps on the mini map))

Asura:
Increased jump just as the chaar.
increased sense’s just as the chaar
Of course the ability to see in the dark.
Make them potentially the fastest (( while in base form))

Sylvary:
Vibrations((similar to enhanced senses))
Floral Communion ((The ability to use the environment when in lush area’s to their advantage.))
Call of the dragon((Go into a berserker rage for a moment and gain mass boosts with a nasty drawback))
And of course due to the new expansion, Vine surfing. Who dosn’t wana be like tarzan?
Immunity to diseases and poisons.(( unable to be infected with vamprisim))

Human:
Give them a parry mechanic making them able to dodge ((while not a vampire))
Give them increased battle sense’s
A damage reduction to physical combat?
A buff depending on the class you choose.((Without vamprisim.))

Vampire((for all races)):
Enhanced senses(( dose not work if they already have it.))
Stronger in the dark
gains the ability to turn into bat’s/mist to avoid attacks((long recharge))
Increased Endurance
True form((Transform into your true face and gain new powers based upon its level, working similarly like a legend for the revnant.))
((The way around making this have no correlation to the plot? Make them the product of a dragon or perhaps plawa joko?))

Norn:
Lycanthropy((The ability to take the form of an animal. Similarly to the vampire true face, it must be leveled outside the regular leveling experience. Meaning the more you use it and the more you perfect your build with it, the better it will be. preferably as a mastery tree for the race, making their racial elites more like doors to a new play-style))
Increased endurance
increased speed
Call of the wild(( gain active buffs while in your lyacnthrope form. Vary’s depending on the form chosen, probably having to do with your choice of animal in the beginning.))
Quadruped (( like the chaar when in animal form))

Just some ideas. Kind wish this game had lycanthropes and vampires, and made the race somewhat matter to your play style.

Vampires are a thing in the GW canon, just veeeeeery different from the western idea of a Vampire. See for yourself: http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Hopping_Vampire

Werewolves are superfluent because All Norn are basically Werebeasts from the get-go.

And ANet didn’t want your race to decide what Profession you should play, which is why there are no notable differences between the 5 races and also why you’ll never see any, either.

TheSwede.9512:

Vampires are a thing in the GW canon, just veeeeeery different from the western idea of a Vampire. See for yourself: http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Hopping_Vampire

Werewolves are superfluent because All Norn are basically Werebeasts from the get-go.

And ANet didn’t want your race to decide what Profession you should play, which is why there are no notable differences between the 5 races and also why you’ll never see any, either.

Then it was a waste of time and the racial elites should be botched entirely since most of them are completely useless. Guild wars 2 has alot of potential but they are botching it for the sake of trying to be different,honestly i don’t think it would change much in the game? Werewolves should be more notable, if ESO can do it then guild wars 2 can do it better. And don’t say for the sake of being different because this entire world trait tree smells of so much archeage influence.

necromancers are already vampires!

we steal so much hp!!!!!!!

arenta.2953:

necromancers are already vampires!

we steal so much hp!!!!!!!

I meant cosmetically and completely revamping the way it works. No necessarily the health steal while still implementing it, but more or less the ideal of a traditional vampire. Attire, weapons and powers. Something potentially as the vampire lord for skyrim , or maybe the vampire from ESO . Honestly that was the only reason i played the game was to be a werewolf or a vampire, that was the coolest feature. It would be nice if they added something like that, because honestly the game has gotten borring. The only thing they have really offered that made me go “Ooooh thats cool” is the Revenant whom again was coded in and excluded from the game for the sake of DLC. Classical.

Thornwolf.9721:

1. Immunity to diseases and poisons.
2 .Give them a parry mechanic making them able to dodge ((while not a vampire))
3. Give them increased battle sense’s
4. A damage reduction to physical combat?
5. A buff depending on the class you choose.((Without vamprisim.))

1. So basically make an entire race immune to Poison and Thief Venoms?
2. How would this work? Would it substitute dodge rolls or would it be a passive thing?
3. What does this mean?
4. Damage isn’t divided into Physical and Magical, so how would this work?.
5. If Humans had a buff regardless of the profession they choose, why would anyone pick any other race?

Thornwolf.9721:

Then it was a waste of time and the racial elites should be botched entirely since most of them are completely useless.

That’s the point. It’s a flavour thing rather than a choice that cripples you if you choose a certain profession.

Thornwolf.9721:

Werewolves should be more notable, if ESO can do it then guild wars 2 can do it better.

Why should they? Because they would genuinely add something to the game or because you played another game and want them?

After all, what works for one game doesn’t necessarily work for another.

you are obviously under the impression every fantasy world should be the same. You are wrong.

I knew playing 2 MMOs at the same time could be complicated, but I never expected the forums to be the problem. But I keep finding myself reading a topic like this and having to double check whether I’m on the GW2 forum or the Elder Scrolls Online one.

Many people there seem to believe werewolves and vampires (changes to them, since both are already in the game) could be some kind of magic fix to any racial imbalance too.

I’m actually in favour of games I like copying each other (I like to imagine that a combination of that and occasional innovation could eventually produce my perfect game) but in this case I don’t think it would work. For one thing Anet said right from the start they want your race to be a purely cosmetic choice so no one feels forced to choose a certain race. Secondly vampires and werewolves as most people think of them (sparkly versions or otherwise) don’t exist in the lore and adding them in now would take a lot of work. There are undead necromancers who can use lifesteal skills and there are obviously the norn who can turn into animal forms but that’s where the similarity ends. Trying to mesh the two would, I suspect, just confuse the issue and leave people who initially like the idea of playing a vampire or werewolf dissatisfied.

But I’m also not convinced it will solve the problems you want it to. Frankly the way most players approach this game, and given we now have to commit entirely to a specialisation or not use it at all there are only two possibilities:

1) the racial specialisations are over-powered and every feels forced to use them whether they want to or not, like beserker gear.
2) They’re underpowered (or perfectly balanced with current specialisations but harder to make effective use of as suggested) and no one uses them because there are better options, like the current racial skills.

I much prefer they continue the unconventional approach to lore, just so we have at least a few degrees of separation from every Tolkien/D&D standard fantasy setting.

Despite each race having obvious parallels to the fantasy archetypes, theres enough of a spin to their design and philosophy that is easily appreciated if aren’t heavily fixated on high fantasy as a rule. In fact, most of the races throughout the game lore are a blend of 2 high fantasy types, with at least 1 subversion to both balance them out, and make them far more interesting in the process.

Sylvari, for instance, are clearly based on high elves. They have all the hall marks with their demeanor, link to nature, and communal social structure. But there were 2 huge subversions that, arguably, make them completely unique. Firstly- their humanoid plants, with a wide range of both plant-like and human like features. This allows them huge variety of looks, ranging from attractive (by human standards), to ugly, or even utterly exotic. The second is them being the youngest race. Elves are among, if not the oldest races in most high fantasy settings; often being virtually immortal when it comes to age. Sylvari are a young race…. the eldest among them no more then 25 years old at the start of game’s time line. Even with the shared knowledge of the dream, individually most Sylvari have childish personalities…. naive, curious, fascinated by things most races have long since lost interest in… all the way across the spectrum to cruel, selfish, or even ruthless. But what all have in common is a tendency to be emotionally driven, and heavily involved in the world; where as High elves would simply be aloof.

Then there are the Norn’s desire for personal glory, but both accepts and integrates into a sense of community that openly recognizes personal strength through many means. But while human cultures assign the idea of strength to survival, Norn very much emphasize proof of strength through conquest of foes, or overcoming challenges too great for most. But even with this unified ideal of glory, and acceptance of types of strength, there is much widely varied opinions on which ones among these types are greatest. This not only feeds the Norn’s competitive nature, but allows their view of others to evolve over time. You’ll notice its mostly younger that are bull headed and reckless- and these are the ones who can’t take defeat gracefully.

As for the Asura… I don’t have enough room to cover the subtleties of Asuran culture, and huge change seen over the last 250 years with their interaction with other races. Its kind of funny how their interpersonal skills is largely a question of effort their willing to put into it.

As someone with a great appreciation for werewolves, I’m glad that the tired vamp/wolf trope isn’t reflected here. I’ll take my Roman catdemons for every casually-violent second that they’re worth.

Still, I wouldn’t mind seeing elite or ‘core’ specs for racial abilities, if only to allow them to be suitably useful in PvE. Not a strong wish or anything. Giving them all type tags (trap, turret, etc) would give them unique synergies with existing classes.

And my thief still uses Shrapnel Mine. Much more effective than stupid tripwires and other lame traps that work for a fraction of a second. (Though Ambush is becoming a favorite.)

GW2 tries to avoid common fantasy tropes such as elves, dwarves (they wiped them out), vampires, and werewolves. Instead, GW2 takes a unique spin on these things with stuff like Norn and Sylvari. Personally, I would hate it if GW2 abandoned this ideal, although I find it disgusting that they embrace the most disgusting trope of all: an utter nonexistence of polearms (*cough* Elder Scrolls logic).

Just roll a human necromancer or a norn druid and shape the concept from there if you’re especially driven to recreating a vampire or werewolf, because the chances of them including them into the games lore by this point is extremely unlikely, it’s not very creative, sorry.