Unfortunately the trend is towards simplifation in games. It isn’t always a bad thing but it certainly isn’t always good. Bad simplification makes us think, “that’s it?” whereas good simplification removes a harmful feature like fall damage, in combat slowdowns, or a status effect like confusion. The most notorious example of bad simplification is Windows 8 and Metro in general. When you have something established you have certain basics and adding to those adds a layer of depth so long as they’re foundationally sound. A game like Guild Wars 3 might have Dark Souls like combat mechanics but without the context that makes Dark Souls so great.
How about a game that mixes MOBA mechanics with fighting game mechanics. Once per battle you can challenge another player to a duel where it’s a one on one 2D fighting game. You would have seven abilities on your skill bar but on the overmap you’d still have healthbars and fighting game mechanics like entering certain controller plus button sequences for special moves. Not all moves will be available in the MOBA mode with the overhead movement and no MOBA mechanics are available during dueling mode, which is a pure straight up sideview fighting game where if you lose the opposing team gets some decent points and your respawn time is longer. Since you can only challenge someone to a duel once per match you can theoretically have six duels: one where you challenge someone and if everyone on the opposing team challenges you at different points. Each hero has their own unique style and set of moves both in the main mode and the dueling mode.
The special moves would be attached to your “1” and “2” abilities. There would be no EXP or money system but still some NPCs (cannot be engaged in dueling mode).
Controls: controller is encouraged, something like the X-Box PC controller but with more responsive and sensitive thumbsticks (aiming arrows in Dark Souls was a nightmare :( ) would be optimal.
Heroes: One knows Karate and Jeet-Kune-Do and moves fast and would be high tier at top levels but bad for new players, a strong slow hero who is good at lower tiers but as players get more skilled usefulness wanes and boxes, a warlock who is mid-tier at every level of play; mid-high tier speed, and knows Kenpo and tiger style Kung-Foo, and a healer who is low-mid tier at DPS, knows crane Kung-Foo and Aikdo for single target CC, and some other heroes I haven’t thought of. Some cosmetic skins would be purchasable for different heroes, either for the heroes themselves but mechanically exactly the same but with the window dressing of a whole new character. Like the warlock could have a cute wizard girl counterpart who are different characters (and both canon) but have absolutely everything in common from a game mechanic standpoint. Despite being different characters they’ll both count as the same character. This may strike some as lazy (even me ^_^ ) but this I feel may be one of the places where simplicity might be a good thing since if there are too many characters there’s too much risk of overlap (some isn’t bad but too many characters may render some redundant or replaceable), wonky balance, and
Setting: Like modern society but with heavy steampunk elements and some Asian and Caribbean areas too but isn’t Earth itself. A stylized modern setting where buildings still look good and aren’t all plain boring slabs of steel and concrete or overly simple looking houses. Some fashions are medieval (warlock wears a traditional black and dark purple robe and hood while a couple other heroes wear a modern karate gi) but mostly modern (the strong slow hero wears ripped denim shorts, no shirt, and boots). This way the setting could be somewhat relatable without having uninspiring real life modern architecture and design.
This is obviously a whole new game and not put into Guild Wars 2 since by buying Guild Wars 2 we paid for a game that advertised specific mechanics and those basics need to stay in place.
Tl;dr: Guild Wars 3 will likely be a very cut down version of Guild Wars 2 (likely in the wrong ways) while they’d be better off going to a whole new franchise and genre.
pve is boring to me