Feedback:User/Silverdawn/No Attributes

Arguments against Attributes
The traditional MMO attribute system (strength, agility, etc) that is slated to be included in GW2 should be removed entirely and customization of character strengths and weaknesses should be left to the far superior, much more innovative traits system. My reasons are as follows:

1) Attributes do not provide a real choice. There is an optimal mix for each class and role, and for every point you deviate from that, your character's viability suffers that much more.  Because of this, attributes are less a character customization mechanic and instead become one more opportunity to make a character that can't do what it is supposed to do.  Compare this to traits, which are each as good as any other trait, so a player is free to choose based on personal preference without having to worry about whether his or her character will hack it in an explorable.

2) Attributes penalize multi-role functionality. Considering there is an optimal mix for every role, if you're a warrior with attributes spec'd for melee combat, the moment you switch weapons to a longbow you stop being optimal. Of course, you can re-spec any time outside of combat, but I can see moving hundreds of attribute points around every time you want to weapon swap becoming a major annoyance.  Compare this to traits, where when you swap from a sword to a longbow, you swap sword traits for longbow traits and switch from being a fully optimal and customized sword warrior to a fully optimal and customized longbow warrior.

3) Attributes aren't balanced. Elementalists only need three attributes and other professions need four. Also consider Perception, which seems to be needed by every class (rather than strength, which is only needed by rangers and warriors).  This means that some attributes are more important than other attributes and some professions can afford higher scores in attributes than other professions.  Because attributes aren't balanced themselves, they need to be compensated for in other areas (such as elementalist skills not reacting as much to changes in attribute distributions) in order to prevent imbalances.

4) Attributes are redundant. They don't do any positive thing that traits don't already do better. Why include something extra for no reason, especially when it is so burdensome and and only serves to make a character less (not more) effective if the player doesn't get things exactly right? They should be removed entirely rather than kept in addition to traits.

5) Attributes touch every part of the game. If a certain combination of attributes is causing balance issues in the game, attributes themselves cannot be touched because messing with them will change anything that uses attributes -- which is practically everything. Instead, the problem must be corrected in a much more complicated, work-intensive way. Compare this to traits, which are entirely modular ("self-contained"). A problematic trait can be fixed (or, in extreme cases, removed entirely) without affecting other parts of the game.

Rebuttals to arguments in favor of Attributes
I am aware of some counter arguments, but in my opinion, they're all kind of weak. I'll list them anyway and explain why they don't hold water.

1) MMO Players expect traditional things like attributes in MMOs. The fear here is that GW2's innovative features upset players, and if it doesn't have some traditional mechanics to comfort them and make them feel safe, they won't buy the game.  The truth is, if you make an awesome game, it will create a buzz and you will have no shortage of players wanting to try it.  An outdated, clunky system like attributes will only hold the game back.

2) Some players like tweaking attribute points to find the optimal build. The idea here is that GW2 wants to appeal to as many people as possible, and if attributes aren't included, people who like finding the optimal balance for attributes will be turned off and won't buy the game.  I think a more likely scenario is they will happily spend days on end crunching numbers to find the absolute best trait and way to use the build they finally choose, and when a new campaign comes out with new traits, they will buy it so they can start all over again.

3) You can't have a beefy gear system without attribute bonuses. Wrong! You can have items that are simple, intuitive, visually spectacular, exciting to get your hands on, but doesn't contribute to the "gear levels" mentality that is the hallmark of grindfests like WoW.  Check out Spectacular Items; they provide a gear system with plenty of meat and Guild Wars' player-skill-centrism.

4) Attributes penalize hybrid Melee/Ranged characters so they don't outshine specialized Melee/Melee characters. Attributes definitely do penalize hybrid melee/ranged characters by forcing a split between strength and agility to keep the character viable in both roles.  However, this is thought to be a good thing based on the mistaken assumption that equipping one melee weapon will make a character good at all melee combat and equipping one ranged weapon will make a character good at all ranged combat.  There are multiple roles within ranged and melee combat.  For example, there are weapons that excel in melee-single target skills and weapons that excel in melee-AoE.  Obviously, a character whose two weapon slots have a 1v1-melee weapon and an AoE-melee weapon is going to be able to damage more efficiently in any up close situation than another character whose two weapon slots are filled with a 1v1-melee weapon and an AoE-ranged weapon. the hybrid character is already going to be at a disadvantage relative to the melee/melee character if he is faced with multiple foes up close and relative to a ranged/ranged character if he is faced with a single foe at a distance. He doesn't need to be balanced to mediocrity in everything he does in addition to the natural strengths and weaknesses of his chosen roles. That will just encourage role specialization along melee/ranged lines and add unnecessary, arbitrary fine print to one of the big selling points of GW2 -- that a character can switch roles and still be good.