Guild Wars 2

I have a feeling that many people here on the forums didn’t quite get the concept of specializations. I will explain it without many words on one example:

You are a ranger, you have ranger traits and skills. After level 80 you gain some specialization points from doing the Xpack.

There is a new specialization tree for each class (even thought there will be probably just one branch in this Xpack and next one in the Xpack2). You have the first point – you spend it (click) – congratulations! You now have a choice to use new class special F1/2/3/4 ability

2nd point – you can use staff and you automatically unlocks 5 weapon skills for staff druid.

You gain more specialization points – click- congratulations! You have unlocked a new healing spell for your druid.

More points >> utility skills

Final specialization point – click – and now you have the access for a new elite skill!

that’s it… You are still a ranger, but you can use new F-skills, a new weapon and a bunch of new skills from the right half of the action bar.

X-PACK2————
You gain more points from Xpack 2 content, you unlock new skills like mentioned above. You click on a “switch” and congratz! you have Tomb Raider specialization (or whatever the name will be) and now you cannot use the Druid ones, but you still have RANGER ones.

//EDIT:
http://youtu.be/sG5oUKqbIVM?t=5m15s
So I was right the whole time.
;) never argue with me

Would love to have sources for these things, because as far as I understand it there is no points whatsoever involved in the specialization system.

In fact I believe that they have outright stated that going with a specialization might stop you from using the some of the base-class’s mechanics or skills.

I have it from the big announcement event stream video. That is how I understood it when I first heard it. And they really didn’t mention they will take something from you apart from the F1-4 skills and even that is probably just an option for you.

They said nothing at all about points in connection to the Specialization in that announcement.

Ok, so maybe I am wrong. But let’s face it. Do you really thing they have created a completely new classes? Isn’t more ArenaNet-ish to just add more skills?… the similar way they did it in the first game?

Not a completely new class. But a specialized version of the existing classes that plays differently from the existing one.

We also DO get a completely new class in the case of the Revenant.

Okay so let’s wait and we will see

so you managed to mix up the concept of masteries and the concept of specializations, while at the same time reporting on all those rumors of “whole new trait tree” and whatnot as fact.

I think you have confused the mastery system with specializations.

Mortifer.2946:

Ok, so maybe I am wrong. But let’s face it. Do you really thing they have created a completely new classes? Isn’t more ArenaNet-ish to just add more skills?… the similar way they did it in the first game?

Then what makes you think you can make a thread telling everyone else how they are misunderstanding what “specialization” means, if you don’t even know?

Mortifer.2946:

Okay so let’s wait and we will see

No need to wait and see, have a read through the interviews on various gaming news sites and you’ll get the information to correct what you misinterpreted.

You unlock a specialisation that you can toggle on or off, when it’s on you get new traits, skills, weapon(s) and possibly a new class mechanic but you lose some base class traits, skills etc. If you don’t like the new stuff, you can just revert back to your base class and still stay competitive in any gamemode.

As far as we know, it’s not tied with the mastery system as you seemed to suggest.

Also, whilst they did say we’re getting more specialisations in time, it may or may not be released with another expansion, but through general feature packs.

lordkrall.7241:

Would love to have sources for these things, because as far as I understand it there is no points whatsoever involved in the specialization system.

In fact I believe that they have outright stated that going with a specialization might stop you from using the some of the base-class’s mechanics or skills.

Exactly. Specializations will be a give and take. You will have to give up some abilities from the original profession. It’d a horizontal upgrade not a vertical one.

This is pretty entertaining. The one who claimed most people misinterpreted the specializations done so himself.
Oh Irony how I miss thee.

psizone.8437:

Mortifer.2946:

Okay so let’s wait and we will see

No need to wait and see, have a read through the interviews on various gaming news sites and you’ll get the information to correct what you misinterpreted.

You unlock a specialisation that you can toggle on or off, when it’s on you get new traits, skills, weapon(s) and possibly a new class mechanic but you lose some base class traits, skills etc. If you don’t like the new stuff, you can just revert back to your base class and still stay competitive in any gamemode.

As far as we know, it’s not tied with the mastery system as you seemed to suggest.

Also, whilst they did say we’re getting more specialisations in time, it may or may not be released with another expansion, but through general feature packs.

for the record, while it’s very possible that you’ll lose some stuff when you specialize, they have yet to confirm (or deny) that specializations lose something in exchange for their new stuff.

every time they talk about specializations, they only say they have things the base class doesn’t, but never say anything about a reason to not specialize, or why you’d want to toggle it off. plus, the only specialization we’ve seen clear footage of is the druid, which still has the ranger core mechanic intact, as far as we can tell.

BrunoBRS.5178:

for the record, while it’s very possible that you’ll lose some stuff when you specialize, they have yet to confirm (or deny) that specializations lose something in exchange for their new stuff.

every time they talk about specializations, they only say they have things the base class doesn’t, but never say anything about a reason to not specialize, or why you’d want to toggle it off. plus, the only specialization we’ve seen clear footage of is the druid, which still has the ranger core mechanic intact, as far as we can tell.

http://www.pcgamer.com/guild-wars-2-heart-of-thorns-interview/#page-2
“Some of them will change an existing profession, some of them might give them entirely new profession abilities and remove other ones. It really varies specialisation to specialisation, but it really should feel like you are playing a new version of your old profession. And players can actually mix and match a little bit. If you are playing as a Druid you will be able to use a lot of the Ranger’s skill”

http://www.zam.com/story.html?story=35650&storypage=2
“You can still mix and match, where if you are a Druid you will still have the capacity to use a lot of the things that the Ranger could, but your fundamental profession mechanic is different. While a Druid will be able to use some of the skills and traits that a Ranger could”

They’ve said in a few interviews that Druid can use “a lot of” the ranger skills and traits or “some” of them. Implying we’ll lose out on using some Ranger skills and traits when specialising as a Druid.

psizone.8437:

BrunoBRS.5178:

for the record, while it’s very possible that you’ll lose some stuff when you specialize, they have yet to confirm (or deny) that specializations lose something in exchange for their new stuff.

every time they talk about specializations, they only say they have things the base class doesn’t, but never say anything about a reason to not specialize, or why you’d want to toggle it off. plus, the only specialization we’ve seen clear footage of is the druid, which still has the ranger core mechanic intact, as far as we can tell.

http://www.pcgamer.com/guild-wars-2-heart-of-thorns-interview/#page-2
“Some of them will change an existing profession, some of them might give them entirely new profession abilities and remove other ones. It really varies specialisation to specialisation, but it really should feel like you are playing a new version of your old profession. And players can actually mix and match a little bit. If you are playing as a Druid you will be able to use a lot of the Ranger’s skill”

http://www.zam.com/story.html?story=35650&storypage=2
“You can still mix and match, where if you are a Druid you will still have the capacity to use a lot of the things that the Ranger could, but your fundamental profession mechanic is different. While a Druid will be able to use some of the skills and traits that a Ranger could”

They’ve said in a few interviews that Druid can use “a lot of” the ranger skills and traits or “some” of them. Implying we’ll lose out on using some Ranger skills and traits when specialising as a Druid.

thanks for that, it’s been tormenting me forever, and no one would link me a source >.>

BrunoBRS.5178:

thanks for that, it’s been tormenting me forever, and no one would link me a source >.>

No worries!

psizone.8437:

They’ve said in a few interviews that Druid can use “a lot of” the ranger skills and traits or “some” of them. Implying we’ll lose out on using some Ranger skills and traits when specialising as a Druid.

I don’t remember which interview it was, but there was one where the devs said that you could, and might want to, switch between specializations on a regular basis—one day deciding to be a Druid and the next day switching back to play as a Ranger, to get back the things you lost by becoming a Druid. So there definitely seemed to be advantages to just playing as the base profession, depending on the situation.

Mortifer.2946:

I have a feeling that many people here on the forums didn’t quite get the concept of specializations. I will explain it without many words on one example:

You are a ranger, you have ranger traits and skills. After level 80 you gain some specialization points from doing the Xpack.

There is a new specialization tree for each class (even thought there will be probably just one branch in this Xpack and next one in the Xpack2). You have the first point – you spend it (click) – congratulations! You now have a choice to use new class special F1/2/3/4 ability

2nd point – you can use staff and you automatically unlocks 5 weapon skills for staff druid.

You gain more specialization points – click- congratulations! You have unlocked a new healing spell for your druid.

More points >> utility skills

Final specialization point – click – and now you have the access for a new elite skill!

---

that’s it… You are still a ranger, but you can use new F-skills, a new weapon and a bunch of new skills from the right half of the action bar.

---

X-PACK2————
You gain more points from Xpack 2 content, you unlock new skills like mentioned above. You click on a “switch” and congratz! you have Tomb Raider specialization (or whatever the name will be) and now you cannot use the Druid ones, but you still have RANGER ones.

I’m almost positive this is wrong, and is going to confuse people further.

It’s more like -

You are a Ranger, you have access to trait lines A,B,C,D and E.

Once you ‘unlock’ the specialization (you either have it on or you don’t, there are no ‘levels’), then you lose, for example, trait line E, and gain trait line F (Druid). In the process you also gain access to a druid specific weapon, elite skill, healing skill, utility skills, and probably also lose access to some of the core ones.

Specializations fill the same role as secondary classes did in GW1.

Think of a Ranger as a R/W, and a Druid as a R/Mo. You’ll lose potential build tools from one in exchange for potential build tools from the other, and there’s a lot of overlapping core skills/mechanics that will always be present between both.

The Great Al.2546:

I’m almost positive this is wrong, and is going to confuse people further.

It’s more like -

You are a Ranger, you have access to trait lines A,B,C,D and E.

Once you ‘unlock’ the specialization (you either have it on or you don’t, there are no ‘levels’), then you lose, for example, trait line E, and gain trait line F (Druid). In the process you also gain access to a druid specific weapon, elite skill, healing skill, utility skills, and probably also lose access to some of the core ones.

they said new traits, not a whole new trait line. it’s entirely possible that they just sprinkle druid traits on the existing lines.

You’re confusing Specializations with Masteries. Masteries have points, Specializations do not.

BrunoBRS.5178:

The Great Al.2546:

I’m almost positive this is wrong, and is going to confuse people further.

It’s more like -

You are a Ranger, you have access to trait lines A,B,C,D and E.

Once you ‘unlock’ the specialization (you either have it on or you don’t, there are no ‘levels’), then you lose, for example, trait line E, and gain trait line F (Druid). In the process you also gain access to a druid specific weapon, elite skill, healing skill, utility skills, and probably also lose access to some of the core ones.

they said new traits, not a whole new trait line. it’s entirely possible that they just sprinkle druid traits on the existing lines.

This would probably make more sense. Thanks for the additional clarification.

I was under the impression that if you picked the specialization you lost something else (I assume as a way to add new stuff without oversaturating stuff to GW1 lvls). -How- that works is completely unknown. I think its a little more than just a trait line since no trait line gives a new weapon and truly limits anything else at the same time. They did however mention that you could swap in/out of the specialization out of combat.

Mortifer.2946:

I have it from the big announcement event stream video. That is how I understood it when I first heard it. And they really didn’t mention they will take something from you apart from the F1-4 skills and even that is probably just an option for you.

The traits involved with your F1-4 skills, probably. I don’t think Specializations will be straight upgrades and that we will lose certain builds to it, in the sense that we can’t have the best of both the Druid and the Ranger if we spec druid.

And while this may be how you heard it, you sound so confident that it seems like you’re stating a confirmed fact, so please make it sound more opinion-ish.

http://youtu.be/sG5oUKqbIVM?t=5m15s

News so it seems I was right

Don’t really see how anything there confirms what you say actually.

You probably never will lol

Please, quote the part that supports your argument in the OP. Because I have listen to it multiple times and I still can’t see how it says anything at all that would show that you were right.

This thread is certainly named correctly…

“Specializations Misinterpreted”

Well done OP, for being so far from the actual facts that you’ve managed to confuse one mechanic for another.

Mortifer.2946:

http://youtu.be/sG5oUKqbIVM?t=5m15s

News so it seems I was right

I’m really sorry, but nothing in that video suggests that unlocking specialisations will be a gradual process like you are saying, or that there are any points involved at all. Are you perhaps confusing it with the mastery points mentioned before? If so: the mastery system and specialisations are two separate systems, as far as any of us know, there are no connections between them.

I appreciate the fact that you’re trying to clear things up here, but I’m afraid you have become confused yourself.

lordkrall.7241:

Don’t really see how anything there confirms what you say actually.

It’s not exact, but it seems to indicate that specializations are not actually a new class, but more like a subclass. Druids might not get a new icon, but if you see a ranger running around casting more nature spells and wielding a staff, then you can bet they are “speced” as a druid. I’m going to re-watch the Angry Joe interview later again to try and gather what I can better.

MiniEquine.6014:

It’s not exact, but it seems to indicate that specializations are not actually a new class, but more like a subclass. Druids might not get a new icon, but if you see a ranger running around casting more nature spells and wielding a staff, then you can bet they are “speced” as a druid. I’m going to re-watch the Angry Joe interview later again to try and gather what I can better.

Oh, I agree, but that is not the OP have been talking about in this thread. And what the OP have actually been talking about is in noway confirmed by the video.

lordkrall.7241:

MiniEquine.6014:

It’s not exact, but it seems to indicate that specializations are not actually a new class, but more like a subclass. Druids might not get a new icon, but if you see a ranger running around casting more nature spells and wielding a staff, then you can bet they are “speced” as a druid. I’m going to re-watch the Angry Joe interview later again to try and gather what I can better.

Oh, I agree, but that is not the OP have been talking about in this thread. And what the OP have actually been talking about is in noway confirmed by the video.

Ah, yea. Rereading what OP wrote, I’ll have to agree with you. He definitely seems to be describing masteries. Still, it’s a better thought process than what some people speculate the specializations being (Mesmers only get a shield therefore ONLY 2 ABILITIES hurr durr). Specializations are definitely something giving a whole new array of skills and abilities.

The OP is referring to the “Mastery System” and probably didn’t pay attention to it.
So if this was supposed to be an example of a specialization misinterpretation, OP hit the nail on the head. He not only misinterpreted the Specialization System but also misinterpreted the Mastery system. Two birds with one stone.

Hats off to you, lad.

BrunoBRS.5178:

they said new traits, not a whole new trait line. it’s entirely possible that they just sprinkle druid traits on the existing lines.

I would prefer if we lost access to trait lines, so they can be replaced by something new. If the Mesmer specialization has no access to Shatter skills, for example, it wouldn’t be surprising if said specialization lost access to the trait line that reduces the recharge of Shatter skills, and instead got an all new trait line.

Likewise, if the Engineer specialization cannot use pistols or rifles, it wouldn’t be surprising if it lost access to the Firearms trait line, and had it replaced by something else.

It would even open some interesting possibilities. What if a specialization had two trait lines increasing Toughness, but no trait line increasing Vitality? And so on.

Well if mesmer lose access to shatter skill, you can pretty much remove all traitline since they all have trait that depend on shatter… Same for :
Ranger, no pet, alle traitline screwed.
Necromancer, no DS, all traitline screwed.
Warrior, no adrenaline, all traitline screwed.
Ingeneer depend on toolbelt not range weapon but, whatever, all traitline screwed.
Elementalist, no attunement swap, all traitline screwed.
Thief, no steal, all traitline screwed.

I clearly doubt they will mess up with the profession base mechanic and I’d be really surprised if they change a whole traitline.

Dadnir.5038:

I clearly doubt they will mess up with the profession base mechanic and I’d be really surprised if they change a whole traitline.

You didn’t really read this topic, did you? A few posts above…

psizone.8437:

http://www.zam.com/story.html?story=35650&storypage=2
“You can still mix and match, where if you are a Druid you will still have the capacity to use a lot of the things that the Ranger could, but your fundamental profession mechanic is different. While a Druid will be able to use some of the skills and traits that a Ranger could”

Bolding by me.

Still, wording may be interpreted the way whoever want to interpret it. I will believe it when i’ll saw it officially announced with misc and all.

Mortifer.2946:

I have a feeling that many people here on the forums didn’t quite get the concept of specializations. I will explain it without many words on one example:

You are a ranger, you have ranger traits and skills. After level 80 you gain some specialization points from doing the Xpack.

There is a new specialization tree for each class (even thought there will be probably just one branch in this Xpack and next one in the Xpack2). You have the first point – you spend it (click) – congratulations! You now have a choice to use new class special F1/2/3/4 ability

2nd point – you can use staff and you automatically unlocks 5 weapon skills for staff druid.

You gain more specialization points – click- congratulations! You have unlocked a new healing spell for your druid.

More points >> utility skills

Final specialization point – click – and now you have the access for a new elite skill!

---

that’s it… You are still a ranger, but you can use new F-skills, a new weapon and a bunch of new skills from the right half of the action bar.

---

X-PACK2————
You gain more points from Xpack 2 content, you unlock new skills like mentioned above. You click on a “switch” and congratz! you have Tomb Raider specialization (or whatever the name will be) and now you cannot use the Druid ones, but you still have RANGER ones.

//EDIT:
http://youtu.be/sG5oUKqbIVM?t=5m15s
So I was right the whole time.
;) never argue with me

You are wrong.

They said, that Specializations will grant new class mechanics, and a new weapon choice.
But you will also lose some of the parent class’ skills and weapons in exchange for new skills. Also some traits will change since you get a new mechanic. That means bottom row changes since that’s the mechanic row. Also weapon traits change, since some weapons can’t be used by the specialization .

lordkrall.7241:

In fact I believe that they have outright stated that going with a specialization might stop you from using the some of the base-class’s mechanics or skills.

I couldn’t find any sources where they said this. Rather it was implied when they explained you could easily switch back and play Ranger again if you felt like it. If Druid is everything a Ranger is and more there wouldn’t ever be a reason to switch back to the “base” profession.

Terrahero.9358:

lordkrall.7241:

In fact I believe that they have outright stated that going with a specialization might stop you from using the some of the base-class’s mechanics or skills.

I couldn’t find any sources where they said this. Rather it was implied when they explained you could easily switch back and play Ranger again if you felt like it. If Druid is everything a Ranger is and more there wouldn’t ever be a reason to switch back to the “base” profession.

Look at the interview on MMORPG.com and others with quotes

Wow, I was going to ask who went and necroed this thing only to find it was the OP while still not getting what was being explained.

lol to all of you – maybe the specialization will not be unlocked through masteries but it is still a HoT unlock through doing some content as when Colin says that “you can become a druid” it means you actually have to do something for it…

and by mine “I was right” i meant you won’t lose any of your vanilla skills.

/peace

Mortifer.2946:

lol to all of you – maybe the specialization will not be unlocked through masteries but it is still a HoT unlock through doing some content as when Colin says that “you can become a druid” it means you actually have to do something for it…

and by mine “I was right” i meant you won’t lose any of your vanilla skills.

/peace

That’s not really how he worded it. He said “You won’t lose anything” then quickly followed that with “because out of combat you can swap right back to a ranger.” That leaves me believing you will lose some base abilities, you just don’t permanantly lose any by changing to a specialization.

Well no you don’t “lose” you skills. They are just locked for the duration that you have chosen to become a druid. If you un-specialize via the special shiny button they provide us you get your locked skills back, but now your druid skills are locked.

Any they have yet to explain how getting a specialization works. So telling us its the mastery system when no body currently knows if is just false hope.

Knighthonor.4061:

Terrahero.9358:

lordkrall.7241:

In fact I believe that they have outright stated that going with a specialization might stop you from using the some of the base-class’s mechanics or skills.

I couldn’t find any sources where they said this. Rather it was implied when they explained you could easily switch back and play Ranger again if you felt like it. If Druid is everything a Ranger is and more there wouldn’t ever be a reason to switch back to the “base” profession.

Look at the interview on MMORPG.com and others with quotes

I did, mmorpg.com’s interview did not have any specific mention that going in to a specialization means you lose something. It was only deduced from the fact that there would be no point in swapping if it wasn’t the case.

CJ: Correct, and then you can swap back and forth, you can say “My character’s a druid, but I’m going to play as a ranger today.” It’s very similar to changing out your skills and traits, you can go in and change whenever you want, as long as you’re out of combat.

They only seem to ever focus on “you can still use base profession skills when specialized”, but I haven’t seen a source where they explicitly say “you lose something from the base class when you specialize”.

Terrahero.9358:

Knighthonor.4061:

Terrahero.9358:

lordkrall.7241:

In fact I believe that they have outright stated that going with a specialization might stop you from using the some of the base-class’s mechanics or skills.

I couldn’t find any sources where they said this. Rather it was implied when they explained you could easily switch back and play Ranger again if you felt like it. If Druid is everything a Ranger is and more there wouldn’t ever be a reason to switch back to the “base” profession.

Look at the interview on MMORPG.com and others with quotes

I did, mmorpg.com’s interview did not have any specific mention that going in to a specialization means you lose something. It was only deduced from the fact that there would be no point in swapping if it wasn’t the case.

CJ: Correct, and then you can swap back and forth, you can say “My character’s a druid, but I’m going to play as a ranger today.” It’s very similar to changing out your skills and traits, you can go in and change whenever you want, as long as you’re out of combat.

They only seem to ever focus on “you can still use base profession skills when specialized”, but I haven’t seen a source where they explicitly say “you lose something from the base class when you specialize”.

Go back a few pages. There were also other interviews back then. I can’t do it right now, but I know there were other interviews that told us info on Specializations. There you will find where they said some of the parent class skills can’t be used by the specialization.

I’m hoping that the feature pack comes with a healthy downgrade to power ranger. It’s seems ranger is anet’s current golden child. I target rangers above all others in pvp and they significantly reduce my enjoyment of the game.

Ithilwen.1529:

healthy downgrade to power ranger

Don’t even try it