ArenaNet:Guild Wars 2 suggestions/Skill Functionality

Skill and Mechanics Functionality
In Guild Wars 1 players based the effectiveness of their character on the set of eight skills they used. This set the tactical minds of players that they must balance their skills for functionality, effectiveness, and diversity. This is all good and well but it is limiting and can become a little bland after a while where, for instance, the flavour of the month syndrome is taken into effect. What I am suggesting is the following:


 * Damage and Blocking
 * Increase the damage factor.
 * Add more emphasis on blocking. The extra emphasis balances out the extra damage factor as player will have to time their blocks according to incoming attacks. This is obviously going to be more effective for players with shields than those without shields against such attacks like fire balls. Also, other professions, such as an arcane user, can use blocking in the form of an energy field or earthen shield-like skill. Using this, skills that can knock back opponents if blocked can be taken into consideration. Also, if dual-wield is implemented, different forms of blocking skills can be created and more than one opponent can be fought with counters and such. Thus, I think, would be more fun to play and would keep the player on the edge of their seat.


 * Passive and active skills
 * Instead of skills that are activated once selected on the skill bar, why not add passive skills that take effect once added to the skill bar and active skills that take effect once selected. (Since we do not know the size of the skill bar in GW2, I am going to throw some numbers into the mix) For instance, we have a skill bar of 10 with a warrior/monk. That character could have 3 passive skills giving, for example, +3 health regen, +10% blocking window, +10% damage reduction, and 7 active skills ranging from a self heal to damage inflicting melee attack. Restrictions could apply so that only a certain number of passive skills can be used to balance things out etc.


 * Why this is a good idea
 * Can be a totaly new experience
 * May create a new generation of MMORPG functionality of mechanics and game play
 * Could add more realism
 * Elitism can be eliminated and fair chances for all can be introduced as game play includes more than what skills you use
 * Could carry over and reinforce builds such as the 130hp derv and invincimonk.


 * Why this would not work
 * May be to complex to implement
 * Can ruin the game if not implemented properly
 * May deter GW1 players since it is a completely new concept of mechanics
 * Could be complex for players to use if created in the wrong way

Fu Yuan 16:33, 20 February 2009 (UTC)