Guild Wars 2

Gyro self-destruct should count as an explosive for the purpose of traits.

jubov.2037:

Not that it makes a huge difference, but has level 80 been confirmed? Third spec slot opens at lvl 71.

Like I said, the latest we’ve heard is that level 80 is one of the requirements.

Sylent.3165:

Nobody knows yet. Might be possible to even unlock before 80 if you have the correct amount of hero points

Unless Anet changed their minds, we actually know that you have to be level 80 to unlock elite specs.

I wouldn’t expect a character needing more than just 1) having HoT, 2) being level 80 and 3) having the right number of hero points. We’ll have to wait and see though.

There is no beta going on at the moment. The final beta weekend begins in about 7 hours.

In about 9 and a half hours.

Wolfric.9380:

well auras remove a condition would be great. And the rune being a condition rune :-). I expect a defensive rune. But this woudl be grim. Tempest is already defensive and needs damage. Condition is somethign eles are weak so this might help while not pushing to much.
A dream Rune would be: Condi rune + aura duration +, remove condition, stack duration.
But i feel the duration stacking on auras can get out of hands to easy stacking eles again for all auras permanently on the team.

Two versions i find fitting.
Superior rune of the apothecary:

1.) +25 healing power
2.) +35 condition damage
3.) +50 healing power
4.) + 65 condition damage
5.) +100 healing power
6.) Auras you apply remove a condition.

Superior rune of the witch:

1.) +25 condition damage
2.) +10%condition duration
3.) +50 condition damage
4.) + 20% Aura duration
5.) +100 condition damage
6.) Auras aplied to you remove a condition.

The second one is more selfish and a strong condition supporting rune. Maybe it can help to make a viable condition build. With such a rune an baseline speed i would immidiateley play tempest.

Personally I’d want something like:

1.) +25 Healing Power
2.) +5% Boon Duration
3.) +50 Healing Power
4.) +10% Boon Duration, +10% aura duration
5.) +100 Healing Power
6.) Auras you apply remove a condition, +10% aura duration

But that is because I’m looking forward to playing a healing auramancer.

Rasimir.6239:

It was mentioned somewhere a while back (sorry, I don’t have the link at hand right now) that all guild members will have a way to get access to their guild’s guild hall, even those that don’t have HoT and/or don’t have a lvl 80 character. I seem to recall that it was through the GI in LA, but I’m not sure on that.

You do however need a lvl 80 and HoT to join in the event to unlock and conquer the guild hall.

This. Official quote:

By virtue of the guild hall maps being out in the jungle, you’ll need access to those expansion maps in order to initially liberate your hall from the dragon. Once you’ve cleared out your guild hall, though, guild members who don’t own the expansion will be able to travel to the hall via a fast travel button in their guild panel. Benefiting from new content in the hall will require owning the expansion, but you’ll be able to benefit from existing functionality without it (e.g., using the guild bank, running missions, etc).

Source: https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/hot/Guilds-and-Guild-Halls/first#post5195339

Linken.6345:

Lynce.9560:

So i can’t participate in the mission to get the guild hall but not many limitations after that. Thanks for the info

I dont think you can access the guild hall either since its located in expansion maps but you can access the house in lions arch

I actually remember that you can access the guild hall (after your guild has liberated it) but not all new guild features are accessible by non-HoT members. I think either there’s a button in your guild panel or you can simply waypoint there (since it is it’s own zone), I forgot.

Edit, I found a source: https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/hot/Guilds-and-Guild-Halls/first#post5195339

Witch of Doom.5739:

Yes, Diovid, you are correct; your post is rude. I already HAVE read the wiki, gone to the official site, watched videos, read extensively. How stupid do you think I am? I wanted personal stories, impressions, and feedback. I am not asking someone to decide FOR me about whether or not to buy HoT. Sheesh. I’m the one who decides that. If you can’t say something helpful, then there’s no need to post.

I apologize. I guess I’ve become a bit jaded by posts of a certain type of people.. Though to be fair, even those personal stories and impressions can be found across the internet.

Personally I’ve played GW1 and GW2 so much that I think Anet deserves my money. Not only that but I expect HoT to entertain me for a long time to come. In terms of price/length of entertainment ratio I think HoT outcompetes pretty much everything else I would invest in. And that’s without even considering all updates coming after HoT’s release.

Throfin.5932:

Druid was presented as the answer to breaking the pattern of loading up on berserker gear to outdamage mobs in an encounter.

That’s not actually true. While they did say that berserker gear wouldn’t cut it in the druid stream, it wasn’t said that druids were the reason why berserker gear wouldn’t cut it.

In order to truly encourage players to branch out into more healing based gear specs, it would be more beneficial to increase the conversion rates of how “Healing” stats affect related skills.

No. What is needed is content which is harder and different from current content. The problem is not with player abilities and player stats but in what those abilities and stats are used against.

I like the druid in concept. The staff and glyphs are generally realistic for a support role. But the celestial transformation creates a pure healer role. The thought of spamming Cosmic Ray brings back terrible memories of my BC Pally. IMO, we don’t need a pure healer based specialization. Keep it on par with the other spces with healing.

You act like only druids can be pure support characters. Ventari revenants, water/tempest elementalists and others however show something different.

I’m sorry if this comes across as rude but.. Posts like this are just lazy. If you want info, go to the wiki, go to the offical HoT site, go watch youtube videos of the betas etc.

Furthermore, no one can decide for you whether HoT is worth it, only you can.

Anet’s stated goal is that elite specializations should not be stronger than core specializations. However, it could of course be the case that it will take a few months before that goal is reached.

There is a minimum of 5 people needed to free a guild hall of modrem. Other than that there is a no people requirement as far as I know.

symke.3105:

Considering that build management tool is going to become really “needed” after HOT launches, it’s my opinion we will have to wait for outcry that will follow it. And even then I wouldn’t be surprised if they offered it only on gem shop.

Until now we haven’t seen features on the gem store, I think it is unlikely that that will suddenly start.

Lynce.9560:

Hello everyone, i don’t usually post but i have a specific doubt about HoT that i can’t find an answer to. Do i need HoT in order to participate in the guild hall stuff? specifically main mission and subsequent guild missions?

As I recall you need HoT in order to unlock the guild hall (i.e. you need HoT to access the kill the modrem in the guild hall instance) but after your guild has done that, you can enter the guild hall even if you don’t have HoT.

Lian Olsam.9541:

And spirit shard is used for?

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Spirit_Shard

Lian Olsam.9541:

2) tome of knowledge, i have stacks of this, could u pls make it usefull for something else of levelling? you already demostrate (like ascended rings or other stuff) in this game is better dont delete anything because someday should be usefull, but the bank space cry, i buy new slots but the bank keep crying… now its turn of tome to have other utility, should be nice for masteries imho

If you use a tome on a level 80 character you get a spirit shard instead of a level.

Varezenem.2813:

There is a HoT story line and we don’t know if LS2 will be required but it is unlikely to be required.

We know it won’t be required because not everyone with HoT will have season 2.

As Apophis said, the only things required are being level 80 and having HoT. However the story takes place chronologically after season 2 which in turn takes place chronologically after the personal story. The story will assume that your character has experienced the personal story and season 2 (and even season 1).

Therodin.2970:

Am i crazy? I was really sure build templates had already been announced and talked about and stuff…

I won’t speculate on your mental state but they definetely have not announced build templates.

They have explicitly stated that templates will not be coming with HoT.

However they have also explicitly stated that they know how much people want them and that they’re looking into it.

ZudetGambeous.9573:

There have been no announcements about the number of hero points required to unlock masteries, and no announcement about hero points in HoT. Anything you have heard is just a baseless rumor, such as thief getting rifle or ele getting sword.

Basing something on datamining is not baseless but you are right that datamining is not the same as confirmation. In that regard ele’s sword is a good comparison, while thief’s rifle is not.

It’s not that just about balance and gameplay though, even if that is the primary concern.

To some extent it’s also about aesthetics and some semblance of realism. I think it really fits the Guardian that it doesn’t wield weapons in it’s off-hand for example. Dual-wielding shields also sounds extremely silly to me. Other combos like dual scepter wielding elementalists are fine I think but should be introduced cautiously as others have stated. It’s why new weapons are introduced through elite specs.

irrumatio.4893:

I’m okay with auras getting nerfed if that means people stop asking Karl to make Auramancer Tempest into a viable build. Auras are not good, stop fetishizing them, forum Eles.

So because auras are bad, people should not ask if auras can stop being bad?

I’m one of the people who is looking forward to playing an auramancing Tempest and this part of today’s update is a welcome and much needed change:

Powerful Aura: Increased the effective radius of this trait from 360 to 600.

However I believe this is a change is the wrong direction:

Frost Aura: This aura now replaces itself as other auras do instead of stacking duration.

For auramancers to have a place, auras need to stack, otherwise there is little point to it. And tempests have questionable benefits as it is.

Vayne.8563:

5. My guess would be the new borderlands and the changes coming to WvW. Plus the meta will be shaken up.

Most of those changes do not require you to have the expansion though.

Donari.5237:

On the other hand if map completion gives mastery points, then completing maps will retroactively deliver you more points for the start of HoT.

Sort of, yes, but only ‘pact tyria mastery points’.

If she is going to get HoT I would suggest a Air/Water/Tempest auramancer using 5 shouts.

Yetiglitzern.5802:

So basically only the players that bought the game this year or a few months before the Free to play announcement are getting their money back ?

I think it’s the players who bought the game after the HoT announcement but before the f2p announcement.

Faulty memory is faulty.

Ryou.2398:

Thanks for the info but I am still fairly sure the playstyle looks more like a heavy armored ninja in your face style of play with more defensive options.

It highly depends on the legends and weapons you choose. The ‘heavy armored ninja’ thing only applies when you use Shiro as your legend and use sword/sword as your weapons.

Okamiba.7605:

since this game is “meta or gtfo” for the most part.

Create your own groups or play with friends or join a guild.

Substance E.4852:

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

DR never had a Canthan district. The early design included one, but the actual game that launched on 28 August 2012 did not; within the game, it was always the Great Collapse (and now, the Crown Pavilion).

Source: http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/The_Crown_Pavilion

There were demo shots of the Canthan district that got released before the game launched. It did exist in a real form but not in the live game.

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/images/4/47/2010_May_Divinity's_Reach_Canthan_district_Polished.jpg

I think Illconceived’s point was that since the Canthan district was never there at launch (and not mentioned in dialogue) it is not canon that the Canthan district ever existed, even if it was planned to be the Canthan district before launch. In lore the Great Collapse was the art district.

I’m probably going with cautious but only hostile to individual sylvari when evidence warrants it.

DresdenAllblack.1249:

Would you rather see three new dungeons or Caithe break an egg?
Would you prefer there would be more than one raid, or find out if Eir is/isn’t mush?
Watch Scarlet destroy LA(again) or have them add a new PvP map every two months?
Feel grief for Marjory or…nevermind, you get the point.

Implying those things take the same amount of resources and are created by the same developers which is doubtful.

DresdenAllblack.1249:

Some of us did not prefer LS, because now looking back all LS did was delay HoT a year or two.

What? How do you figure? Expansions weren’t even on the table while they were working on season 1. When the living story did not work out as Anet wanted, they started considering an expansion. HoT was beginning development when Anet wanted to begin its development and not sooner (which, rumors say, was after the launch of the Chinese release).

Seisus.6591:

mtpelion.4562:

My biggest concern is that launch is 4 weeks away and other than Raids (which I have no interest in), they’ve not yet given a single reason to actually buy this expansion at these price points since everything else in it is stuff that they have been giving us for free for the last 3 years.

You won’t be getting most of it for free anymore.

You will get content for free that is introduced after HoT, if you own HoT that is. You paid for the core game plus its updates and now you’re paying for HoT and its updates.

BrettM.9062:

If it weren’t for “Winds of Change” in GW1, would there be a Dominion of Winds in GW2?

Probably, yes:

When Zhaitan awoke in 1219 AE, in an event the tengu call the Great Tsunami, the tengu of the world saw it as a sign to return to Tyria. It was a descendant of Talon Silverwing that led the charge through Zhaitan’s risen forces, and when the tengu reached land, they built their Dominion atop the island once known as Sanctum Cay, and unified their clans into the four modern houses, one for each of the winds. Out of fear of a repeated past, they constructed a great wall to encircle their city, and non-tengu are not permitted to enter.

(source: http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Tengu#Great_Tsunami)

Lord Trejgon.2809:

Calcifire.1864:

(in much the same way that ritualists in GW1 became mesmers in GW2)

I disaggre on that part – gw1 rits became gw2 engies :P
[turrets are new spirits :P]

In fact the thought process behind GW1 ritualists was: ‘we want the engineer playstyle but within the GW1 world’.

Since Anet has said nothing about early access, I don’t expect early access.

http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Druid
http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Druid_%28group%29

Tomiyou.3790:

I don’t think Anet would introduce Attunement comboing mechanic just because the game is meant for casual people (majority).

And yet professions like the mesmer and elite specs like the chronomancer exist. I think it would be an interesting mechanic, even if it would be somewhat complicated.

Now basic mechanics sounds great, this is something i could get hyped about.(unlike tempest)
Problems I see:
-too many blast finishers
-“slow projectiles” are boring – have maybe one of these
-attunement skills should differ in more than element

Too many blast finishers: Maybe, yes. Although the elite spec is designed to be sort of the definitive combo-user (and probably lacking somewhat in terms of damage for example).

Slow projectiles being boring: The idea is to create a slow moving combo field you and your allies can use, specifically for you to shoot projectiles through. If it was fast moving this would be difficult. But then again, I get that it is difficult to hit with such attacks, especially in PvP.

Attunement skills should be different: Yeah, I guess. I confess that I was inspired more when it comes to the changed mechanics than when it comes to the weapon skills. Suggestions for other skills are welcome.

Amaya.1483:

Please enlighten me!

Enlighten yourself:
https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Guild_Wars_2:_Heart_of_Thorns
http://heartofthorns.guildwars2.com/

It’s difficult to decide between showing enough for the content to be tested and for marketing to do its thing but not showing too much so the content is spoiled. This is the compromise they decided upon, apparently they think it is enough. We will see in a month whether it was enough.

Lethal Njection.8741:

Or should we just wait until druid and hope there’s synergy kinda like daredevil and acrobatics?

I’d be against that. Although thematically linking druids and spirits works very well, I am not a fan of having core aspects of a profession which only work in conjunction with an elite spec.

Anet has said that elite specs change your profession icon and profession name. We haven’t actually seen this in game yet but it should be there at launch.

As far as I know the general assumption is that Gleam was the one who gave Glint’s egg to the Master of Peace (also, isn’t Gleam a he?). Some speculation is that Gleam is E, though there is no evidence for that.

No, I don’t think that Gleam met up with Rytlock. I think we will be the ones who meet up with Gleam, in the HoT story. There is a quote from one of the HoT announcements that Glint left us something in the jungle.

As for other other children, we don’t know if Glint had any. We know there were more eggs but we don’t whether they actually hatched and survived.

Note: This a work in progress. Any suggestions and constructive criticisms are welcome.

Spellslinger
TL;DR
Weapon: MH Pistol (range: 900)
Utility Skill Type: Mantras
Changed mechanic 1: Combining attunements
Changed mechanic 2: F5 combo field

Changed Mechanic
Changing to an attunement once changes your first 3 weapon skills to those of that attunement. Changing to that attunement again changes your last 2 weapon skills to those of that attunement. On attunement effects only happen when changing your first 3 weapon skills.

Note: This means that if, for example, your first 3 weapon skills are fire attunement skills and your last 2 weapon skills are water attunement then Pyromancer’s training affects your first 3 weapon skills and Aquamancer’s training affects your last 2 weapon skills. However, Soothing Mist only applies when your first 3 weapon skills are attuned to water attunement, a trait like Arcane Abatement uses the attunement of your first 3 weapon skills and a trait like Healing Ripple only activates when attuning your first 3 weapon skills to water.

Traits
Minor traits
Adept: You can equip a pistol in your main-hand and use spellslinger mantras. You gain the ability to use two different attunements at the same time.

Master: You gain an f5 spell. The effect of f5 depends on the two attunements you currently have. It is only available when using two different attunements (i.e. when not using fire + fire or earth + earth). Range: 1200. Radius: 240. Recharge time: ?
o Smoke Field: Fire + Water or Water + Fire
o Lightning Field: Fire + Air or Air + Fire
o Fire Field: Fire + Earth or Earth + Fire
o Ice Field: Water + Air or Air + Water
o Water Field: Water + Earth or Earth + Water
o Poison Field: Air + Earth or Earth + Air

Grandmaster: You deal 10% more damage while using two different attunements at the same time.

Adept major traits:
Trait 1: All your fields last 1 second longer.
Trait 2: Critical hits made with your pistol’s autoattack have a chance of being blast finishers (chance: ?). Possibly an ICD?
Trait 3: ?

Master major traits:
Trait 4: Using Prismatic shot while F5 is off cooldown will apply F5 to your target without casting time. F5 will then go on cooldown.
Trait 5: All your fields have 60 more radius.
Trait 6: When using a mantra, apply a 1 second field just before the spell hits. (water = water field, fire = fire field, earth = poison field, ice = ice field, air = lightning field, elements = ?)

Grandmaster major traits:
Trait 7: When using a combo finisher on an area with two or more fields, you execute two combos, instead of one.
Trait 8: When executing a combo finisher on a combo field, F5’s recharge time is reduced by x%.
Trait 9: ??

Weapon Skills
Fire
Skill 1: This attack pierces. This attack burns every enemy it meets. 20% chance of being a projectile finisher.
Skill 2: Fire a slow moving bullet towards your enemy. Surrounding this bullet is a small fire field (Radius: 120). When this bullet hits its target it explodes which counts as a blast finisher.

Water
Skill 1: This attack pierces. This attack applies regeneration to each ally it passes. 20% chance of being a projectile finisher.
Skill 2: Fire a slow moving bullet towards your enemy. Surrounding this bullet is a small ice field (Radius: 120). When this bullet hits its target it explodes which counts as a blast finisher.

Air
Skill 1: This attack pierces. This attack applies vulnerability to every enemy it meets. 20% chance of being a projectile finisher.
Skill 1: Fire a slow moving bullet towards your enemy. Surrounding this bullet is a small lightning field (Radius: 120). When this bullet hits its target it explodes which counts as a blast finisher.

Earth
Skill 1: This attack pierces. This attack applies bleeding and a short cripple to every enemy it meets. 20% chance of being a projectile finisher.
Skill 1: Fire a slow moving bullet towards your enemy. Surrounding this bullet is a small poison field (Radius: 120). When this bullet hits its target it explodes which counts as a blast finisher.

Fire / Water / Air / Earth
Skill 3 Prismatic Shot (or prismatic bullet?). This attack treats you as being in all four attunements at the same time for the purpose of trait effects. This is a projectile finisher.

Note 1: The recharge of this Prismatic Shot is shared across attunements i.e. it is not recharged when changing attunements and it is present no matter what attunement you are in. To compensate it has a relatively low cooldown time (and it can be affected by multiple xmancer’s trainings, see point 2).

Note 2: The effect of Prismatic Shot means that traits like Pyromancer’s Training and Pyromancer’s Puissance apply to it, no matter what attunement you are in. This also means that if you have two trainings equipped (such as Pyromancer’s Training and Aeromancer’s training) both apply to it. Arcane Precision would have 33% to apply each of the four conditions, however the chance of each condition would be separate.

Utility Skills
Healing skill: Mantra of Water: Meditate, charging a spell that will heal you when activated and leap you to target area where you apply AOE regeneration. Leap Finisher.

Utility skill 1: Mantra of Fire: Meditate, charging a spell that will ?. Blast Finisher.

Utility skill 2: Mantra of Earth: Meditate, charging a spell that will ?. Leap Finisher. Breaks Stun (?).

Utility skill 3: Mantra of Ice: Meditate, charging a spell that will fire a spear of ice to an enemy. Projectile Finisher.

Utility skill 4: Mantra of Air: Meditate, charging a spell that will ?. Whirl Finisher. Breaks Stun (?).

Elite skill: Mantra of Elements: Meditate, charging a spell that will cause an elemental storm at target area. Blast Finisher. Projectile Finisher. Whirl Finisher.

Note: These mantras function the same as mesmer mentras i.e. they have a long initial activation time. After that, it changes to a different spell which can be used twice with instant activation.

I think it is very very unlikely that Anet will make people play through the PS and LS on all of their characters in order to play HoT. Characters do not need to finish the PS to play the LS for example. And, like you said, not all players will have season 2 anyway.

I think the only requirements will be having HoT and the character being level 80.

Duke Nukem.6783:

uhohhotdog.3598:

Duke Nukem.6783:

MirrorOfNature.4279:

Many, many players, including me, enjoy exactly this more then anything else in this game, because it means you’ll never have to grind mindlessly, just to be competitive against other players, or to be able to join fractals, dungeons, or the new raids, whenever you feel the need to do so. If you need to be away from the game for a long time, you don’t go back with the dread feeling that you are miles away from the rest of the people in the game, and you need to grind your kitten off, just to be an competitive player again. Sorry, mate, I know many don’t like to hear this, but it sure sounds this game isnt made for you. Maybe you should take a look at the more traditional MMOs out there. As I said, enough players from the gw2 comunity like the way things are made in this direction, and its not likely Anet will change it, until this method is succesful and bring more new players every day.

Also the skills are anything, but identical to each other. Please, don’t try to reinforce your point with nonsense, because it accomplishes nothing more then discrediting your post.

…..you are mindlessly grinding, but the only difference is your not going anywhere =p

and yes all the skills are the same, you level them all the same way with the exact same recipes

No. We’re having fun. Not grinding. You know…what a game is meant for.

by definition repeating an action over and over is grinding, if you find it fun, then your having fun, congratz, but its still be definition grinding

Grinding is repeating an action over an over again for an extrinsic reward (such as better gear or better looks or prestige).

Repeating an action over an over again for the intrinsic reward of the action itself is something else entirely.

I think it’s far too late for Zhaitan. He’s dead in the story, he’s not an open world boss and he’s not part of a dungeon. I think the benefits of revamping the fight do not outweigh the costs. Anet should focus on two things: 1) repeatable content (i.e. dungeons, fractals, open world bosses etc) and 2) new content (i.e. living world and expansions). Anything else is a waste of resources in my opinion.

EdwinLi.1284:

the exploding said it creates Lightning Field so it different from Turrents. Instead of pushing enemies away they keep enemies in the spot.

I get that. The question is, does it benefit from the traits Steel-Packed Powder, Explosive Powder and Shrapnel?