Guild Wars 2

So it’s said that we start using magic during childhood, where Humans and Norn typically learning to cast their first magics in the Home, under the tutelage of their parents.

my question is, at what age/stage of life does a Person figure out, decide, or determine what “Style” of magic (assuming that all Professions are just different styles of Magic Usage)they are best/strongest at?

and is it more of a training thing, or is it a case of a person discovering that they are more naturally gifted at a specific style of magic?

Naturally, I think we can exclude Sylvari from this discussion, as it seems pretty obvuous that they are given their magical affinities in The Dream, and are awakened with the basic knowledge already given.

but what about everyone else?

Good question. Definitely wish that was in our beginning stories. I have a mesmer and he is my favorite. I absolutely love the idea of the pure potential of a mesmer’s power. It would have been cool to have chosen the way you learned your power. Maybe it could have been used in further developing your character…

Well, I realise that it’s partly due to mechanics, but I would be inclined to say that a person figures out their profession whenever they decide to.

In GW1 the story sort of treats it as if you’ve just recently decided on your profession at the beginning of the game, and if you go off the character models that could be anywhere between the age of 20-35. GW2 operates in a similar way I guess, from the age/point of character creation you start learning your profession. Of course there are children who have professions seen in both GW1 and 2, so I would seriously just chalk it down to people having a particular affinity or making a choice.

Professions can also be changed if you go along with what happened to Kieran Thackeray in GW1 – so it’s not like the decision you make as a child is necessarily going to pigeon hole you into one profession for the rest of your life.

Not everyone begins casting spells as a child. In regards to which profession they fall into – it seems to be a case of study and/or natural talent for one form or another of magic. Cynn from GW1, for example, was a prodigy in elementalism; while Gwen was self-taught using research journals as a basis. And of course, there’s the option not given mechanically of being able to change your profession (such as Keiran, as pointed out, as well as secondary professions in GW1).

@FlamingFoxx: While we in GW2 start with few skills, I’d chock that up to mechanics and argue that, in GW2, having picked up the profession could have been long standing or short standing, and it just is a case of the PC not being exceptionally trained yet.

As Konig stated, it all depends. A-net said when addressing how magic worked that it is a combination of inherent knowledge and training. And they said that actual training will vary, be it apprectinceship or through parenting, etc.

We know that charr learn early on in their farar. While certain proffessions of humans may be more prone to an apprenticeship.

FlamingFoxx.1305:

Well, I realise that it’s partly due to mechanics, but I would be inclined to say that a person figures out their profession whenever they decide to.

In GW1 the story sort of treats it as if you’ve just recently decided on your profession at the beginning of the game, and if you go off the character models that could be anywhere between the age of 20-35. GW2 operates in a similar way I guess, from the age/point of character creation you start learning your profession. Of course there are children who have professions seen in both GW1 and 2, so I would seriously just chalk it down to people having a particular affinity or making a choice.

Professions can also be changed if you go along with what happened to Kieran Thackeray in GW1 – so it’s not like the decision you make as a child is necessarily going to pigeon hole you into one profession for the rest of your life.

I seem to think that they just didn’t want to add ANOTHER ranger hero in the case of Keiran. Throwing spears is similar to shooting arrows anyway in that there is no magic involved.

Paragons actually do use magic – the wings, their singing, is magic by all appearances, and such was tossed in with monk and ritualist magic to form the guardian (all three seem to be of the Preservation profession – depending on how you look at the ritualist). Rangers also seem to use magic, though far far less in GW1 than in GW2, in the form of Nature Rituals (and Healing Springs, perhaps amongst other skills) which feels more in line with elementalism (Destruction school) or ritualist’s spirit summoning (which may be not tied to any school of magic).

Konig Des Todes.2086:

Paragons actually do use magic – the wings, their singing, is magic by all appearances, and such was tossed in with monk and ritualist magic to form the guardian (all three seem to be of the Preservation profession – depending on how you look at the ritualist). Rangers also seem to use magic, though far far less in GW1 than in GW2, in the form of Nature Rituals (and Healing Springs, perhaps amongst other skills) which feels more in line with elementalism (Destruction school) or ritualist’s spirit summoning (which may be not tied to any school of magic).

That’s true. Less magic than a caster anyway.