Guild Wars 2

I would suggest the following:

For each ability of type X (shout, spirit, meditation, well, etc.) you have equiped, the cooldown will increase by 5 seconds, unless you have equiped only one such ability.

For example:
One shout equiped = normal cooldown
Two shouts equiped = normal cooldown + 5 seconds
Three shouts equiped = normal cooldown + 10 seconds

This would promote build diversity. Of course, the additional cooldown can be adjusted for each type of ability.

Yeah, no. It would completely mess up the trait system too.

Typically, running multiple of a same “type” is weak in the majority of cases so why exactly would we do this?
Because 3 conjures is strong?
3 gadgets running amok?
triple signet craze?
3 Physical skills have been too strong for too long?
quadriple turrets really took off?
3 spirit weapon guardians are destroying the game?
That Haste, caltrops, Scorpion wire thief makes the game unplayable?

We could do this all day, the tl;dr is that I don’t get where this suggestion is coming very often running the same type of skill weakens you. Especially given some whole types lack stunbreakers such as Venoms.

more skills of one type is a consequence of trait system, which benefit usually one utility skill type, more a problem of design

LoneDeranger.5963:

This would promote build diversity.

penalizing specialization actually discourages build diversity and leads to homogenous middle-of-the-road builds.

GrandmaFunk.3052:

LoneDeranger.5963:

This would promote build diversity.

penalizing specialization actually discourages build diversity and leads to homogenous middle-of-the-road builds.

and what does rewarding specialization do? It pushes players into one set role if one specialization is the best because that specialization will be required. That is just as homogenous.

I think we agree that the implementation is key. It’s not that one rule is good or bad. However, if we have more rules and more factor we can adjust, balancing might get better.

@OP, I would prefer pretty much the opposite. For each additional skill of same type used, you get -10% cooldown; but then get rid of traits that are -20% cooldown on certain types (eg, lung capacity). Then you could get more trait diversity on builds that specialize in a certain ability type.

LoneDeranger.5963:

GrandmaFunk.3052:

LoneDeranger.5963:

This would promote build diversity.

penalizing specialization actually discourages build diversity and leads to homogenous middle-of-the-road builds.

and what does rewarding specialization do? It pushes players into one set role if one specialization is the best because that specialization will be required.

What specialization?
No seriously.
Look at say a Thief’s Trick skills. None of these are the god kitten same. Specializing in tricks don’t actually mean jack kitten because all the skills within trickery are so kitten different. What currently is available is you can take trickster and say “These skills do not do anything similar they are diverse in their focus but I want to reduce their CD’s by 20%” More than half the time what your specializing is a style and not a role because of the lack of inherit synergy some of these skills have without being traited for. Conjure skills of an ele? None of them are the kitten same, Engi gadgets? Not even the kitten same.

Even ranger spirits the effects are diverse. Prot, Burn, 10% phys, and Swiftness are not connected, the only connection is how they are delivered through NPC’s which gets the Spirit category.
Most of the time you’re specializing in a loose concept that isn’t very effective without traits bonding it together.

ensoriki.5789:

Typically, running multiple of a same “type” is weak in the majority of cases so why exactly would we do this?
Because 3 conjures is strong?
3 gadgets running amok?
triple signet craze?
3 Physical skills have been too strong for too long?
quadriple turrets really took off?
3 spirit weapon guardians are destroying the game?
That Haste, caltrops, Scorpion wire thief makes the game unplayable?

We could do this all day, the tl;dr is that I don’t get where this suggestion is coming very often running the same type of skill weakens you. Especially given some whole types lack stunbreakers such as Venoms.

so this wouldn’t apply to them, because they are already weak and no one would get 3-4 of them. but as for other utilities which people use 3-4 of them, it will be a huge nerf.

Lighter.5631:

ensoriki.5789:

Typically, running multiple of a same “type” is weak in the majority of cases so why exactly would we do this?
Because 3 conjures is strong?
3 gadgets running amok?
triple signet craze?
3 Physical skills have been too strong for too long?
quadriple turrets really took off?
3 spirit weapon guardians are destroying the game?
That Haste, caltrops, Scorpion wire thief makes the game unplayable?

We could do this all day, the tl;dr is that I don’t get where this suggestion is coming very often running the same type of skill weakens you. Especially given some whole types lack stunbreakers such as Venoms.

so this wouldn’t apply to them, because they are already weak and no one would get 3-4 of them. but as for other utilities which people use 3-4 of them, it will be a huge nerf.

Why shouldn’t people take take 3-4 of them however? They’re given the category so that these traits affect them and make them useful. No one takes 3 untraited spirits.

We wouldn’t even need this sort of diminishing return if the glaring issues with these unbalanced builds are receiving some effective shaving which we will see in the next big balancing update.

The only overspecialization that was going on was Cantrip elem and it was nerfed.

Considering it was a case of having easily 3 utilities that were each both stun breakers and condition removals, on top of whatever the utility was doing was kind of obvious though :p

“Hey we have a class with ridiculously low hp and armor that actually needs defensive traits and 3 defensive utilities to survive the glass canon meta – nerf cantrips!”

I don’t think that eles actually have been the best bunkers in the game at any given time (but second to guardians), they were just the first class pigeonholed into a bunker spec.

pmnt.4067:

“Hey we have a class with ridiculously low hp and armor that actually needs defensive traits and 3 defensive utilities to survive the glass canon meta – nerf cantrips!”

I don’t think that eles actually have been the best bunkers in the game at any given time (but second to guardians), they were just the first class pigeonholed into a bunker spec.

And now they are pigeonholed into a well-rounded useless spec: mediocre damage, mediocre heal, mediocre mobility, mediocre hp and toughness.

stof.9341:

The only overspecialization that was going on was Cantrip elem and it was nerfed.

Considering it was a case of having easily 3 utilities that were each both stun breakers and condition removals, on top of whatever the utility was doing was kind of obvious though :p

Actually, all-kit engineers were popular before kit refinement was nerfed several times and eventually reworked. At one point, we even had a hidden cooldown on one category of hidden cooldowns. But it’s cool.

NevirSayDie.6235:

Actually, all-kit engineers were popular before kit refinement was nerfed several times and eventually reworked. At one point, we even had a hidden cooldown on one category of hidden cooldowns. But it’s cool.

down.

@OP http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hfYJsQAhl0