Guild Wars 2

When I first started playing Guild Wars 2 I found it to feel very natural, learn as you go, level as you like and meet new people along the way. However, the one aspect of the game that I’ve always had trouble with is the trait point allocation. Here are my quarrels with it:

1. There are too many Attributes to begin with- There are primary attributes, profession specific attributes, attributes affecting attributes. It’s overwhelming and over complex for no apparent reason other than to deter clarity. I’m not saying that attributes are unimportant, rather I’m pointing out the fact that there is just too much to consider and limited reasources on how to determine what you need.

2. There are a ridiculous amount of combinations- Ok cool, I picked my profession (say warrior for instance) and I want to play a damage roll but not glass cannon. Looks at Traits = Facepalm…

Strength = Damage
Arms = Also Damage
Defence= Not getting killed in sacrafice of damage
Tactics= Useless
Discipline= Damage again

How am I suppose to determine which trait lines to pick when 3 out of the 5 all output towards the same thing? Is Critical hit chance more important than vulnerability? How does this Critical hit damage affect my burst damage? Are bleeds necessary? Should I use signets primarily, If I do what will I be sacrificing?

3. What affects what? – What weapon combination affects my build? Do I need vitality more than toughness? Do my runes support such and such aspect of the game? Am I lacking balance, or is balance unimportant?

Conclusion: It’s time consuming, and more like work than actual fun. There is little clarity, and third party resources are constantly contradicting each other with what works for what. Arenanet, don’t dumb it down but don’t over complicate it for the sake of being complicated.

Simple. Go to the last major trait in each of the five lines and see if you like the XI or XII trait. Don’t worry about what you’re building for, but decide if you like it, or more appropriately if you have to have it.

For my Warrior I decided I needed both Defence XI and Tactics XI. I wanted a Tank and buffing Vitality and Toughness also seemed like a good path.

Then look at the second major traits and see if you feel like you need any of the VII-X traits. Then look at the first major traits and see if you like any of the I-VI traits. Finally look at all the minor traits and see if you like them.

For my Necromancer I was kind of interested in one of the first major traits of Death Magic, but I absolutely could not abide the first minor trait so I didn’t put anything into it. I then determined that in two places I just liked the minor traits more than another major trait so I brought two of the lines to 15 rather than bringing either to 20.

Don’t worry about the stats that it buffs. They’re useful, but not the end all be all of the lines. Most likely you’ll end up buffing the stats you’re interested in because the trait you like will be relevant to how you want to play and the stats being buffed will also go toward that direction of play.

I also recommend working with a builder, the one I have is out of date, but whatever
http://gw2.luna-atra.fr/skills_tool/

This game isn’t as grueling as all that. You don’t have to make the perfect build to survive, just do what you want.

Here’ the thing, those are not the “Attributes” of your builds… Each Traits line gives you two attributes directing a little more your build direction, the real atributes are:

Wiki

I hope this will help you a little bit, it is really not that hard to understand =)

Spectrals.4682:

When I first started playing Guild Wars 2 I found it to feel very natural, learn as you go, level as you like and meet new people along the way. However, the one aspect of the game that I’ve always had trouble with is the trait point allocation. Here are my quarrels with it:

1. There are too many Attributes to begin with- There are primary attributes, profession specific attributes, attributes affecting attributes. It’s overwhelming and over complex for no apparent reason other than to deter clarity. I’m not saying that attributes are unimportant, rather I’m pointing out the fact that there is just too much to consider and limited reasources on how to determine what you need.

2. There are a ridiculous amount of combinations- Ok cool, I picked my profession (say warrior for instance) and I want to play a damage roll but not glass cannon. Looks at Traits = Facepalm…

Strength = Damage
Arms = Also Damage
Defence= Not getting killed in sacrafice of damage
Tactics= Useless
Discipline= Damage again

How am I suppose to determine which trait lines to pick when 3 out of the 5 all output towards the same thing? Is Critical hit chance more important than vulnerability? How does this Critical hit damage affect my burst damage? Are bleeds necessary? Should I use signets primarily, If I do what will I be sacrificing?

3. What affects what? – What weapon combination affects my build? Do I need vitality more than toughness? Do my runes support such and such aspect of the game? Am I lacking balance, or is balance unimportant?

Conclusion: It’s time consuming, and more like work than actual fun. There is little clarity, and third party resources are constantly contradicting each other with what works for what. Arenanet, don’t dumb it down but don’t over complicate it for the sake of being complicated.

1. 3 out of 5 lines are what you want points in? Well GOOD NEWS! As part of this special limited time offer you too can have enough points that you HAVE TO touch at least 3 trait lines!
2. You want the devs to just hand you every single ounce of theory crafting possible?…

Kal Spiro.9745:

Simple. Go to the last major trait in each of the five lines and see if you like the XI or XII trait. Don’t worry about what you’re building for, but decide if you like it, or more appropriately if you have to have it.

For my Warrior I decided I needed both Defence XI and Tactics XI. I wanted a Tank and buffing Vitality and Toughness also seemed like a good path.

Then look at the second major traits and see if you feel like you need any of the VII-X traits. Then look at the first major traits and see if you like any of the I-VI traits. Finally look at all the minor traits and see if you like them.

For my Necromancer I was kind of interested in one of the first major traits of Death Magic, but I absolutely could not abide the first minor trait so I didn’t put anything into it. I then determined that in two places I just liked the minor traits more than another major trait so I brought two of the lines to 15 rather than bringing either to 20.

Don’t worry about the stats that it buffs. They’re useful, but not the end all be all of the lines. Most likely you’ll end up buffing the stats you’re interested in because the trait you like will be relevant to how you want to play and the stats being buffed will also go toward that direction of play.

I also recommend working with a builder, the one I have is out of date, but whatever
http://gw2.luna-atra.fr/skills_tool/

This game isn’t as grueling as all that. You don’t have to make the perfect build to survive, just do what you want.

Thanks for the advice, it is very helpful to find a place to start. I often get a bit to into perfectionism when it comes to my work or life so being the best player I can be bothers me. Thanks though,

Spectrals.4682:

Thanks for the advice, it is very helpful to find a place to start. I often get a bit to into perfectionism when it comes to my work or life so being the best player I can be bothers me. Thanks though,

Another thing to keep in mind as you play, you have to buy at least two books to unlock the trait tiers. Apprentice opens them up at level 11, then at level 40 you can get Master and at level 60 you get Grandmaster. You don’t actually have to purchase the Master level one.

The reason you might, or might not, want to is that each book resets your traits to 0. So if you make a build for one way of playing, but some time around level 30 you realize that’s not actually how you want to play when you get to 40 you can use a Master book and completely redesign your build without having to buy an extra reset.

At the same time, if you’re absolutely certain you can, rather than buying the Master book just dump your traits into each of the five lines until 60, then use the Grandmaster book to reset your traits and allow you to build toward what you actually want your build to be.

I’m doing that last one on a couple of my characters.

Get the major traits that you like, and if that doesn’t give you ideal stats, make up for the deficiency with your choice of equipment.

Kal Spiro.9745:

You don’t actually have to purchase the Master level one.

Yes you do. Grandmaster trait books unlock grandmaster traits, but you need the master book in order to spend more than 10 points in any line.

Seriously? Well, I’ll confirm this once I get one of them to 60, until then it doesn’t matter.

Pick the traits that fit your build not the stats. Equipment will make up for it. It’s even better if you find a trait line that has the traits and stats you want.

To OP: Remember that the simpler a game gets, the more boring it becomes. You need something to fiddle with, you need something to “figure out”. However, if you really dont want to figure anything out for yourself, then be my guest and use google. You will find plenty of different builds there =)

I better never see a post by the OP calling for a nerf on a class . . . .

Too complex? Eh….
Of the 16 stats only 9 are really to be concidered. And roughly half of them are the other half’s “opposites”. Is this for gear or traitlines? Because when going for traitlines you basically don’t even look at the stats…only the hexagons are interresting.

Kal Spiro.9745:

Seriously? Well, I’ll confirm this once I get one of them to 60, until then it doesn’t matter.

Well you’ll be missing out on the opportunity to spend your trait points for 20 levels, but I don’t blame you for wanting to check for yourself.

Mist Y.5214:

Kal Spiro.9745:

Seriously? Well, I’ll confirm this once I get one of them to 60, until then it doesn’t matter.

Well you’ll be missing out on the opportunity to spend your trait points for 20 levels, but I don’t blame you for wanting to check for yourself.

No, he’ll just have 10 in everything.

Player Character.9467:

Mist Y.5214:

Kal Spiro.9745:

Seriously? Well, I’ll confirm this once I get one of them to 60, until then it doesn’t matter.

Well you’ll be missing out on the opportunity to spend your trait points for 20 levels, but I don’t blame you for wanting to check for yourself.

No, he’ll just have 10 in everything.

Exactly. Since the traits get reset regardless, it doesn’t really matter.