User:Cameronl/Sandbox

Collectable Drops

 * Margonite Mask
 * Demonic Relic
 * Inscribed Shard
 * Mummy Wrapping

Hard Mode (Cantha) Difficulty
From: Gryphon Arrowstorm
 * 1) Minister Cho's Estate 8k
 * 2) Zen Daijun 9k
 * 3) Vizunah Square(Foreign or Local) 10k(Can get this mission done easily if other side Party or NPCs does not mess it up for us)
 * 4) Nahpui Quarter 13k
 * 5) Tahnnakai Temple 12k
 * 6) Arborstone 12k
 * 7) Boreas Seabed 13k(Might take a few tries, really require a strong healing and protecting monk heroes.)
 * 8) Sunjiang District 10k
 * 9) Eternal Grove 15k(You must definitely have to have good heroes and be able to hold your own when we split up and also, you must follow my instruction promptly)
 * 10) Gyala Hatchery 15k(Very intense mission but just follow my instructions and we should be okay. Might need heal and protect heroes)
 * 11) Unwaking Waters(Luxon or Kurzick) 13k(Can get this mission done easily if other side Party or NPCs does not mess it up for us)
 * 12) Raisu Palace 15k(Very intense mission but just follow my instructions and we should be okay.)
 * 13) Imperial Sanctum 6k

Legendary Defender of Ascalon
Profession/Skill Combinations Mesmer Test A Mesmer's Burden Domination Magic (quest)
 * Mesmer / ?

Ursan Blessing

 * Issue
 * Nevermind the (lack of) difficulty, the issues I have with this skill are:
 * It reduces the differences between classes to almost zero: There are only monks and ursans (of any class).
 * It reduces the differences between skills to zero: You only use one skill, Ursan Blessing, all other 500+ skills are irrelevant.
 * This skill is so overpowered that everyone plays it. Good luck finding PUG's without it. I happen to like many of the rest of the skills in this game and would like to once again find groups that fit/require other builds.


 * Suggestion:
 * Reduce Ursan Blessing's effectiveness in groups where there are more than 2 Ursans active to allow room for other builds (for more variety and thought required).
 * Nerf the skill so it is not quite so popular.
 * Do nothing and wait a little longer. People will get bored of this boring skill eventually when they have reached all of their achievements. Of course they may just get bored with the game at that point too.

Cameronl | talk 06:44, 22 June 2008 (UTC)

GW1 Depth
Guild Wars had depth in terms of character design and tactical aspects, even in PvE. The ability to have a huge number of ways to play, and having to utilize the very open system of design.

Why Guild Wars had it:

 * Low level cap
 * Limited number of skills allowed on the skill bar (8)
 * Many professions that play very differently from each other
 * Relatively easy access to most of the skills in the game.
 * Quickly changeable attribute points/secondary professions.

This kind of depth has been torn up by:

 * 1) Adding non-attributed non-profession (PvE-only) skills
 * 2) * These do not vary between professions, so playing the game as a different profession does not feel as different. If these skills are more powerful than the profession-specific skills then the difference is even less.
 * 3) Adding consumables, etc.
 * 4) * These do not vary between builds/professions/types of monsters/skills faced so there is less variety between ways to play. If these are small items on the periphery of gameplay, they do indeed add variety to the game.  But if they are required or used often as a sort of crutch to get through major portions of the game, they are solving a problem that could have been better solved through the profession, skill and attribute distribution system (with proper balancing.)
 * 5) * Plus they make it so much easier that a variety of builds (that have synergies for the given situation) are not rewarded.
 * 6) Adding skills that are affected by character-specific titles that require significant time to reach.
 * 7) * These are not available to the professions of the characters a player has not invested that time in. The more character-specific rewards for time invested, the more focusing/limiting of gameplay to the profession of that character--removing the variety that the rest of the professions provide.
 * 8) * These are also against the original “skill&gt;time” philosophy of the game.
 * 9) Adding skills (like Ursan Blessing) that are both A) so overpowered that they become used in a very large percentage of groups & B) more powerful when in groups using only that skill.
 * 10) * This limits the variety of builds that are allowed into/synergize with a very large percentage of groups. Remove either A or B above and this would be much less detrimental.  This affects pick-up group play the most.
 * 11) * Plus they make it so much easier that a variety of builds (that have synergies for the given situation) are not rewarded.
 * 12) Adding skills (like the Blessings) for general use (ie. not limited to certain locations/missions/etc.) that are completely against the profession, skill and attribute distribution system.  These are a complete build compressed in to one single skill.
 * 13) * This results in a loss of the creativity, thought, game depth, and variation between professions provided by selecting the 8 skills from the skill pool, deciding on attribute distribution and secondary profession choice. If these build-in-a-box skills are only on the periphery of gameplay, they do indeed add variety to the game.  But if they are required or used often as a sort of crutch to get through major portions of the game, they are solving a problem that could have been better solved through the profession, skill and attribute distribution system (with proper balancing.)
 * 14) Adding skills (like Ursan Blessing) that ignore many of the mechanics of the game that make it challenging and interesting. Nobody wants a skill that is so conditional that in never sees gameplay but, skills should have counters, risks, or drawbacks.
 * 15) * Ie.:
 * 16) ** Attacks can be blinded or hexed or interrupted.
 * 17) ** Hexes can be removed.
 * 18) ** Damage can be reduced with enchantments.
 * 19) ** Enchantments can be stripped.
 * 20) ** Etc.
 * 21) Making PvE more about big numbers in terms of mob design (group size and damage)
 * 22) * Only builds that focus on huge AoE damage rise instead of a variety of builds focused on the variety of skills those monsters possess.
 * 23) * Sometimes groups are overwhelmed by the volume and sheer damage output of enemies.