Game design suggestion...

[kai_razorwind]

I am not sure if any devs ever read this forum, but since I made an account here and was told at the website that posting in the official fansites is a good way of being heard, I thought i'd post a few ideas of how this game could be much better.

With the summer update coming fairly soon, at least in theory, I know its impossible that my ideas would fit for it, but maybe for the 2006 expansion?

One of the main problems I feel with this game is the lack of replay value. I was wondering why I felt this way and decided to stop playing about two weeks ago, and promised myself i'd only go back when the update was launched.

Thing is,with only 6 classes, or professions, if you want people to stick with the game you gotta allow them a lot more freedom within those 6 classes or it gets old real fast.

My idea is, you start out only choosing an appearance. Hair color, skin color, face, hair type,muscly,non muscly. During pre searing you could select your weapon and spells. THAT would define your class and armor. Say you choose a sword and ice spells. You are presented then a choice of 2 armors (war or ele) and its respective runes, the obvious difference being protection vs energy. The warrior armor would be an option, NOT because you defined ur primary profession as warrior, but simply because warrior armor would have a req of say 5 points in melee weapons. Points those which you would not acquire by leveling up, but by defeating enemies using the weapons you chose. Weapons would also be different. Like, instead of having to buy skills, you could earn them with the weapons. Like you get a rare sword that has flurry on it. You can then equip flurry on ur skill bar. Once you use that sword for like 2000xp you learn flurry permanently and can use flurry with another sword and so on.

The idea behind this would be that classes would be more intuitive and natural,and make more sense. You didnt choose a profession,u simply used the tools that best combined with ur way of playing. No one would reach post searing ascalon and only then realize they made the wrong choices class wise. Also, by not being stuck with a profession right out at character creation, your character looks the way you want him/her to look.

This system is already used at least partially in ff9 and dungeon siege 2,and i feel its a lot more fun.

[Dagoth Umbra]

I understand your feelings about replay value, indeed, there are some things that are not fun to do again and again, but there is no way the devs would do as you have asked, and probably all of the players wouldnt want them to, including myself. The armor and weapon and skill setup would not work, period. Game is not designed that way. Also, one can change ones secondary profession later on, after ascension. My problem with the current skills setup is that one cannot truly enjoy changing ones secondary profession. It should be so that say, if you have a W/E, and you want to have a W/Mo and a W/N, but there is no way you can purchase the skills, due to lack of available skill points. It should be so that if one then went through the game with a Mo/N, and unlocked all of the skills for those professions, those skills would become available to to warrior, so the warrior could switch to being a W/Mo and a W/N, without being limited by skill points. That would allow people more freedom that you were talking about, and that would be excellent. But the ideas about getting skills with weapons, no way that is going to happen. By the way, check out my /Beg Please Please /Endbeg post to see issues that I think really should be changed. But yes, there should be more ease of switching builds, not keeping players stuck with what they chose.

[neversummer84]

i think there is tons of replay value becuase of the professios offered. with 6 primary and 6 secondary professions, there are tons of combos to choose from. i am on my 4th character, and each profession combo has provided a whole new game experience and stratedgy experience.

the system you describe, where you define your characte by what types of combat you choose is a cool idea, but at this point i dont think would be possible to implement in GW.

with seconday professions, i believe once you switch, all the missions that give skills for that secondary profession become open. you just have to go back and do them to get the skills.

[Swizzlesticks]

That's kind of how they force the replay value upon you is by making you go out and search for your skills.

It's all why the foundation of Guild Wars - your skills - works! If you don't put in the effort to get the skills you want for your character builds, you wont get it.

Think about it - if they just flat out gave you the skills, everyone could have the ultimate builds and they'd be done with the game in 2 seconds. The PvP ascpects wouldn't be as rewarding either because everyone would have their skills unlocked and wouldn't provide a challenge.

[Guild of the Lords]

btw guys i have a question lets say that u are a warrior/ele and u want to change to a monk so u go do the monk quest after that u say awe i wanna be a waarrior/ele again will u have the same skills that u previously had when u were a warrior/ele for the first time or wil they all be gone and u have to get them again.

[neversummer84]

your ele skills will still be there