User:Tambora/Guild Wars Suggestions Page

Pet/hero Leveling Changes
Pets and heroes at the moment are the only element of a character that the character cannot be used as soon as a character gets it (Armor is usable instantly when bought, weapons as well, skills just depend on setting attributes and do not need to be changed, etc.)  Some people will argue that it "only takes .... time to level", but that is time that could be spent on other things, and during which a character is weaker by needing to travel with a skill slot used (for pets), or weaker party members (for heros)

Pets
-Tamed pets should automatically level along with their tamers. Statistics would be kept along the way to allow pets to change to evolve as appropriate during auto-level ups.

-Animals in the wild should either not have a shown level, or be at level 5, but automatically level up to the character's level when tamed. Animals in the wild would be described as "angry" (as in, angry lion), "cheerful" (cheerful Lizard), or with no such name before them (wolf). Animals with "angry" in front of their name would become a dire pet when tamed by a level 15+ character, aggressive for a level 11-15 character, and would simply become a pet for level 11 and below characters. "cheerful" animals would similarly become playful and hearty pets. Animals with no description would become elder animals for level 15 and up, and would either become a new category for 11-15 ("tamed" or such) that evolves towards elder but could be pushed to dire or hearty, or have a 50/50 chance to become aggressive or playful, with a better then usual chance to become elder at the next evolution.

Heroes
(both these are already on another suggestions page, but I like them well enough to stick them here as well)

-Heroes would auto-level to become the character's level that uses them.

-Hero starter weapons would auto-level.

Map Travel
In addition to the "continent" and "close in" map levels, there would be a third "world" level map, that would encompass all three continents and the Battle Isles, and could be zoomed in to any of the four continents (counting battle isles as a continent). In mid level maps, zooming out could be associated with the right mouse button.

Attribute Changes
These suggestions are ways around issues with some attributes. (I'm not sure whether game balance nowadays would need these sorts of changes, but if it does, here are the suggestions)

Spawning power: In addition to increasing spirit health, would also increase ash duration by 1-2% per level, and would allow weapons spells that last a certain amount of hits (vengeful weapon, splinter weapon, for example) to have a 4% chance per rank to last extra hits.

Paragon Shouts: Shouts such as Chorus of Restoration, that cause problems with lots of paragons in a group, would not be able to effect a target within a certain amount of time that they previously were used on a target. (So, for example, Incoming! would not be able to effect a character within 10 seconds of being effected by a previous Incoming!). PvE/PvP split skills may have helped somewhat with these sorts of issues, but this suggestion might help Paragon shouts with small numbers in PvP, while not making big groups overpowered.

Fast Casting: Would reduce recharge times of spells by a certain amount, as well as reducing cast times of signets and spells. (Probably something like 1.5% per point.)

Divine Favor: Provides half its bonus for monk spells to other spells that target allies. (Designed to help monk synergy with secondary professions.)

Skill Changes
These are some skill change ideas to make some more useful.

Ritualists

 * Union: Binding ritual. Creates a level 1..7...8 spirit.  Whenever allies in the area take damage, that damage is reduced by up to 15, and the spirit looses the same amount of health.  This spirit has 1...8...10 health regeneration.  This spirit will not loose more than 30 health per second, but will still reduce damage beyond this amount.

(Usually when I use this skill, it seems to get killed within close to its casting, time, or otherwise gets killed quite quickly. The health regeneration is to allow it to survive longer and work better as damage reduction.)


 * Preservation: Every 4 seconds, heals the lowest health party member within range for 10...94...115 health.

(This is just to make the spirit more useful as a healer.)

Dervishes
In general, dervish enchantment casting times should be reduced., especially ones that will be used in combat.

Mysticism
 * Heart of Holy Flame: Enchantment spell.  When cast, causes 15...51...60 damage to adjacent enemies.  For the next 20 seconds, attacks deal holy damage, and deal double damage to summoned creatures.  End effect:  causes burning for 1...3...4 seconds to nearby enemies.

10 e,  1/2  cast time, 15 recharge


 * Pious Renewal: Enchantment spell.  For 15 seconds, gain 0...2...2 energy and 0...8...10 health when an enchantment on you ends.

Scythe Mastery
 * Zealous Sweep: Scythe attack. Deals +5...11...13 damage.  Gains 3 energy for each enemy hit by this attack.

5 e, 6 recharge


 * Reap Impurities: Scythe attack.  If this attack strikes an enemy suffering from a condition, gain 0...2...2 energy.  Steal 4...10...12 health for each condition suffered by enemies this attack hits.  (Max 12...30...36 health)

10 e, 8 recharge

Earth Prayers
 * Aura of Thorns: Enchantment spell. All attack skills cause bleeding for 1...3...3 seconds while this enchantment is active.  When this enchantment ends, nearby enemies are crippled and bleeding for 5...13...15 seconds

5 e, 1/2 second cast, 12 recharge


 * Dust Cloak: Enchantment spell.  For 30 seconds, attacks deal earth damage, and enemies cannot land critical hits on the dervish.  End Effect:  Blinds adjacent enemies for 1...4...5 seconds.

10 e, 1/2 casting time, 15 recharge


 * Staggering Force]: Enchantment spell. For 20 seconds, the dervish deals earth damage with attacks, and inflicts weakness for 1...5...7 seconds with attack skills.  End effect:  Weakens nearby enemies for 5...13...15 seconds.


 * Vital Boon: Reduce casting time to 1/4 second, reduce recharge to 5.


 * Vow of Strength: Deals an extra 2...10...12% damage for each enchantment in the dervish, up to 3 enchantments.

Wind Prayers
 * Attacker's Insight: Enchantment spell. The next 1..3..3 attack skills cost 3...9...10 less energy and recharge 1...25...30% faster.  (or something similar.)  Change is because no dervish attack skills cost more than 10 energy.


 * Grenth's Aura]: Enchantment spell.  While active, dervish attacks deal cold damage, and attack skills deal +1...13...17% damage to enchanted foes.  20 seconds.  When this enchantment ends, it removes 0...1...1 enchantment from adjacent foes.


 * Grenth's Fingers: Enchantment spell. While active, attacks deal cold damage and attack skills cripple enemies for 1...3...3 seconds.  End effect:  Cripples nearby enemies for 5...13...15 seconds.

Mesmers

 * Recurring Insecurity: This change has been suggested elsewhere, but recurring insecutiry should recharge itself whenever it is removed, and not merely at the end of its duration. The mechanic for this spell should be changed so that, when a hex spell is used, recurring insecurity renews itself after the hex removal has removed all other hexes it can.  This way, renewing insecurity would act as an unremovable cover hex for spells that only remove one hex, but could be removable by spells that remove multiple hexes, though it would be more difficult to do so.

Assasins

 * Sharpen Daggers: Enchantment spell.  For 30 seconds, any critical hits the assasin makes cause bleeding for 5...13...15 seconds.  (This is mainly for critical barragers, if there is some balance issue with critical hits, this suggestion is moot.)


 * Way of the Assassin: Stance.  Increases the assasin's critical hit chance by 5...17...20%.  When using daggers, critical hit chance is increased by a further 0...12...15%, and attacks are made 5...17...20% faster.

Prophecies skill quests provide skill for all possible professions
For this change, prophecies skill quests, such as Supplies for the Duke, would unlock the skills for all professions, and give skills for all professions to the character. The skills given would not be visible until the character changed secondary professions, but when the character did so, the skills wfrom previous quests would be unlocked and usable.

Missions in prophecies and Factions changed to use the Nightfall Model
As the title suggests, missions in prophecies and factions should be changed to use the Nightfall model of having an NPC start the mission, rather than having the "enter mission" button. For prophecies, this makes little difference and would just be done for consistency. For factions, this would eliminate some of the "locked gate" issues, where characters can not access time saving outposts because they haven't completed a quest yet.

In faction, access to areas would go something like this:

Shing Jea Island:
 * Access here would be the same as it is now.

Kaineng City:
 * Access here would be opened up, with areas like Nahpui Quarter, Xaquang skyway, etc., opened up to characters once they arrive in the city. Raisu Palace would still be locked, however.

Jade Sea, Echovald Forest:
 * Access here would work similarly to how it does now, but the Gyala Hatchery and Eternal Grove mission outposts would be opened up before the actual quests were completed.

Raisu Palace
 * Access here would be unchanged. (For story reasons, and because the palace doesn't have any quests or elite skills that aren't in the mission, or that would need early access.)

Prophecies mission areas opened up as explorable areas
This is as it sounds like, the mission areas of prophecies would be opened up as explorable areas, similar to how they are done in the later campaigns.

Ascalon:
 * The Ruins of Surmia and Great Northern Wall mission areas would have the same types of enemies as they do now, Fort Ranik and Nolani Academy areas would be assumed to be mostly clear of charr, and would be filled with devourers, grawl, etc.

Shiverpeaks:
 * Areas like Thunderhead Keep, Borlis Pass, and Frost Gate would have friendly dwarves in the built up areas, and non stone summit shiverpeak creatures in the remaining areas. Iron Mines of Moladune would probably just be filled with Shiverpeak creatures.

Kryta:
 * North Kryta mission areas would have swamp creatures mainly, with the undead assumed to be cleared somewhat, though some scattered groups would still be scattered around the area. Some friendly White Mantle would still exist in the towns, along with townspeople.  South Kryta mission areas would be filled with White Mantle.

Maguuma Jungle:
 * The mission areas would be filled with Jungle Creatures and Centaurs, the white mantle would be assumed to be eliminated.

Crystal Desert:
 * "Settled" areas could have either friendly or hostile forgotten. Unsettled areas would have the same sorts of desert creatures as usual.

Ring of Fire:
 * Before completing abaddon's mouth, the explorable areas would be filled with Mursaat. After abaddon's mouth, filled with titans.  After Hell's precipice, the mursaat fortresses would be empty, and other other areas would be filled with ring of fire creatures.  The unlocks for missions would proceed as normal, and only areas of completed mission would be open as explorable areas.

Kurzick/Luxon Faction System Changes
These are some change ideas to perhaps make the faction system more useful and/or interesting.

Outpost control/restricted areas
Alliances would not gain control based on having the most faction, instead, access could be based on a number of ways:

A faction "tax: In this system, alliances that wanted to access a restricted area would pay a certain amount of faction per time to owners of an outpost to be allowed to access it.

No restrictions: Everyone would have access to restricted areas (Or perhaps everyone in an alliance aligned with that faction.)

Faction payments: Slightly different from taxes, alliance members would just pay some faction to be allowed into restricted areas in one-time payments.

Alliance faction uses
For most alliances, alliance faction isn't too useful, so these are some ideas for what could be done with it.

Access to alliance units: This would be along the lines of "spend alliance faction, get kurzick/luxon fighters and/or juggernauts/turtles while in explorable areas". This could either be a "faction tax", a requirement to have a certain amount of alliance faction, or something else along those lines.

Merchant discounts: discounts would be based on the amount of alliance faction maintained, with dimishing returns on the discounts.

Access to areas without monsters: This might also be an individual faction reward. It would be something along the lines of "spend alliance faction/have a certain amount of alliance faction, get the ability to travel in eternal grove without monsters".

Random rewards from NPCs, Special weapons and armor: This would be along the lines of "Alliances with more than 30,000 faction can spend money to get elemental weapon enhancements", or, "for every 10,000 alliance faction, each member has a chance to get a piece of amber", with diminishing returns of course.

Individual faction uses
Access to alliance units: This would be something along the lines of "when traveling in Kurzick Territory, spend 1,000 faction for a kurzick monk, 2,000 faction for three warriors, 5,000 for a juggernaut", etc. Useful for tough captures or just to speed up travel.

Access to special quests: This might be along the lines of "spend 1,000 faction, get a repeatable quest with a high reward for the time put in".

Access to areas without monsters: Same as about for "alliance faction uses".

Faction gains
Scout/skirmish quests: Outposts near an alliance border would give quests where characters would go into the split zone, and either kill or scout out members of opposing faction armies. The zone would have many of its normal enemies taken out, and replaced with luxon or Kurzick forces, but otherwise it would be a typical setup with patrols, aggro, etc. The difficulty and reward might change depending on where the line was.

Battle quests: Similar to scout quests, outposts on opposite sides of the faction line. These quests would involve players joining in a large battle between the Kurzicks and the Luxons. The zone would have all other enemies cleared from it, and would have large amounts of Kurzicks and Luxons fighting each other. The quest goal would be to win the battle, the reward would be based on the amount of surviving forces on the player's side.

Both of these quests would influence faction line movement.