Guild Wars 2

So, beta weekend one is behind us, and now that I’ve had some time to ponder, here are my thoughts on three of the specializations: Tempest, Reaper, and Chronomancer. I play the vanilla classes about 30%/50%/20% of the time, respectively, so I feel reasonably qualified to make some comments.
Straight off I know that 97% of the replies to this will be negative, because I’m not going to rabidly gush over the specs and say “Oh ANet, they were perfect, change nothing!” That doesn’t help. I have concerns, and I’m going to voice them. If you disagree, that’s fine. One of my best friends mains an Ele and doesn’t enjoy the Tempest. I don’t scream and rage at him, frothing at the mouth, because of this. So, don’t scream and rage at me because I don’t share your feelings, and I won’t scream and rage at you because you don’t share mine. (I am aware that this is unlikely to help, but hey. I have to try.)
Okay, disclaimer is written. I love debates, so if you have legitimate arguments, I’m open to them. Here we go, team.
Tempest: Overall, it was one of my favorites. I loved it, but that’s because it already fit my playstyle. I play scepter/dagger a lot, so the warhorn was not that much of a stretch. The skills felt strong, and they felt as though they complemented what the Ele already had. All of the attunements were fun to play, while fire and air were my favorite (they usually are). Water makes for some excellent short-range support. That said, I was somewhat bemused by the overload skills. I enjoyed them conceptually, but in practice I felt…Meh. I had a lot of trouble using them, and I think this was because they were channeled. I’d stand there, theatrically pop my overload, and the enemies would run straight through after the Dragonhunter streaking by. I wonder if it would be more effectual to have a shorter channel and have them, perhaps, spawn out from you and move towards targets? Something along those lines, but probably not exactly that. The elite skill also felt lackluster. In dungeon/raid scenarios it might be more useful, but out in the “real world,” a lot of times the next attack is an auttoattack or you’re alone, so it doesn’t seem to do much. I thoroughly enjoyed the Tempest, and with just some minor tweaking, it will be perfect!
Reaper: Normally, I main a Necro. I absolutely love my Necro, and I was really excited to see the Reaper. I have my Ascended greatsword ready, the skin picked out—I am so pumped. After playing the Reaper, I find that I still am pumped. I was absolutely freaking out—my boyfriend and friends can attest. The skills were ridiculous in the best possible way. Nightfall and Gravedigger were my two favorite—the damage was stunning, the animations were awesome, and I was having a lot of fun with it. My concerns were, as with the Tempest, minimal. I would like a leap. Most melee greatsword wielders have a leap, so they don’t always have to trudge up to combat. I think it would make the most sense to put it on Gravedigger, a la Guardian greatsword. I also would not mind seeing a slight damage buff to the shouts. Other than that, the Reaper was fabulously fun, and I intend to take it, even if I don’t use it all the time.
Chronomancer: This was the final spec that I experimented with. Loved it! This, oddly, is my least-played caster, but my “most likely to challenge my main” after the beta. I loved the wells—not only were they beautiful to look at, but they were also extremely useful. I enjoyed the mechanics and the effects. Having more group support is exciting for a Mesmer. I didn’t use the heal well very much, because it doesn’t suit my playstyle; but the others were lovely. The shield was also fantastic; Tides of Time was awesome to watch and also powerful. My one “complaint” was regarding the Continuum skill. It takes a lot of precision to use, and sometimes it is difficult to pull of and still be useful. That said, I have very few complaints with it—the Continuum will take some practice but is probably manageable. Well done on this one—also, thank you, thank you, thank you for the passive speed boost. It is a godsend. That in and of itself will convince me to play my Chronomancer more.
I am very excited for the specs in Heart of Thorns, and the beta didn’t change my mind on any of them. I loved them all, and I still intend to take them. I hope that ANet sees these suggestions and takes some time to think about them, but I didn’t see anything that makes me say “I refuse this spec” or “it was a useless addition to the game.” Well done, ANet, and I apologize (only slightly) for the essay. I hope this helps!