7 replies to this topic

[SolidSteve]

Hi,

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[Fatalis]

I think due to the way weapons work, the fit different niches. It's not about just following a rotation, there's more to it than that.

I hope that skill really shows, and it's more how you play your class, rather than how your class is equipped.

[benji]

That's a really good question, Solid... I always hated having to spec a certain way if I wanted to get in a group for anything, or even to succeed at all. It's just crazy that there's a ton of different ways you COULD spec, but the limitations are so substantial that the game makes it very difficult to try something different.

Not to mention, with what you said - the social aspect. If the current FOTM for Rogues is Sub, and I want to play combat; I will have a very difficult time having anyone take me seriously. I also feel that same issue with trying to learn Dota 2 right now. When I try to play a hero for the first time and I buy off of the recommended, I get verbally assaulted most of the time. It's very discouraging.

I really don't think GW2 will be AS BAD as both prior experiences. Sure there will be optimal specs/combos for specific situations, but I don't think it'll come down to you losing or being trolled because you decide to play a certain way. I think that there will be a lot of freedom to experiment with how you want to play, and I think that's amazing!

[Orz]

Absolutely, I encourage people to play their class with their style. That being said, certain situations call for directed play, arena being the one that comes to my mind first. In WvWvW and PvE I think anything should just about go. GW2 lends itself so that almost any build can be successful, what is more important is the aptitude of the player.

[StandBY]

I think for WvW, any playstyle should be fine given that you follow instructions, know what you're doing and not being a total noob. I know in LoL, i've come across players in my team who say "im sick of people telling me to use popular build X" and they say they're being creative and unique but are actually doing things incredible stupid like getting tear of the goddess on singed. And yep, they end up feeding..

Going back to GW2, i think teams are gonna be really flexible with playstyles as long as players have optimised their builds but i foresee structured PvP being more strict with playstyles...

[Dropbear]

There will be X Y Z skills that are absolutely needed in PvP or you will have an issue. No way around it. Whether this will be only one or two skills which make one or two "required" classes in PvP is to be determined when top tier players start playing the metagame. Apart from that initial needed skill however, there's probably going to be a lot of choice in what people do. I'll use Dota as an example: there's a lot of choice in heroes (skills) and while you do see a portion crop up a lot, there's a bit of a surprise factor and unlikely builds. The same will happen in PvP: You'll have a few skills that are just very useful which people will specialize in, and there will be an unusual build every now and then that fits for the teams playstyle perfectly. The more obscure the build the more interesting it will get and whether teams can counter it.

[Novem]

As long as the person ends up achieving the tasks that the set or the guild sets for them (i.e. take that keep and blow everything up in the way), there'll definitely be differing builds all around.

The thing is, there'll definitely not be a single go-to build for a person, since they'll have to be spec'd to do something. In the end, i think that the role of the person will be what matters (i.e. you're a fast moving ganker), in which case you can choose how you individually spec, meaning that out of a group of 10 gankers, each may have a completely different build since they still get the job done (making the asurans cry in a corner wishing for for the slaughter to stop), it forces out of the box thinking.

It'll basically be more of a role spec'ing rather than a build spec'ing in GW2, allowing for people to be as creative as they'd like, as long as they still play the role they need to play.

[okuRaku]

I think you have to be careful with assigning specific roles though, in particular if they're as simple as "support damage control" because the way GW2 combat seems to work, everyone will be performing every role. A guardian for example can be a great support character but once he's on cooldown it may make more sense to change roles real quick while someone else plays control or support more to compensate instead of just continuing to focus on damage.

I think that what will become more important than individual builds or roles will be teamwork between 2-3 characters and the synergy of different professions (or maybe specific profession+weapon combos).

Of course the discussion diverges if we're talking about structured vs WvW as the two scenarios are very different (and have different in-game rules). But in general, I would answer the question with yes I accept and encourage creative play. Thinking outside the box and having your opponent's assumptions be incorrect can be an advantage in itself. But as Orz said there's a time and a place for everything. For example I'm sure in WvW sometimes we'll have to say, "Okay, everyone swap to your highest mobility setup, we're moving the Orb" which will mean changing weapons (to get ride the lightning, infiltrator's arrow, etc) and utilities (shadow step, etc). Another WvW example would be guardian shields, that we've seen in videos can block siege weapon fire, making them incredibly strong (if they stay that way). It may not be your favorite setup, but it will make a big difference if the group can adapt to the given situation rapidly. But it's important to keep in mind that WvW is very dynamic, so I wouldn't be worried about being pigeonholed too much. As far as structured though, again I think more focus will be on the synergy of multiple professions/weapon setups because I'm speculating that to maximize potential you'll want people trading roles rapidly in a firefight.