Oh Hai!
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The last skill type we discussed was elites. The main function of elites is to have an �ace-up-your-sleeve-type of play.� This type of skill, Cartwright said, really plays up the resource of time a lot more than other games. However, the core element of elites is not an insta-kill everything, but to create a moment of power.
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�In PvP, it creates a mind duel. Who is going to throw it first?� Cartwright said he knew a lot of people were worried about the person using elites first wins, but that�s really not how it plays out. Surprisingly, it�s the opposite. �Whoever throws it first, loses.� If an opponent throws an elite first, and a player can trick the opponent in to using it improperly, it�s game over. If players get to an engagement, and three opponents pop their elites, the players now have power because they still have the aces up their sleeves. The player can now push the battle in ways where the opponents, who are recharging their elites, couldn�t.
Once again, good stuff in there. The elite skills part is the one that catches my interest the most.
Have fun discussing.|||I like how they describe that elites don't kill, but they change how the gameplay works. It forces a change in pace, it opens a window for recovery from a bad situation. That sounds good.
Need more info on traits, really. This sounds like a major component of builds, yet we really don't know much about it.
Soooo looking forward to this...|||I like how they describe the gameplay, but I'm still questioning if 12 minutes is a little too long a recharge for elites. I appreciate that the long recharge makes players not want to use the skill and wait until the absolute best moment to activate it, but I still feel 12 minutes is too long. I think 8-10 minutes would be better, but I haven't played PvP yet so I can't be sure. And yes, more info on traits would be good.
To further the mind games theme, it would be interesting if some class based on illusion magic *cough* mesmer *cough* could make certain characters play elite skill animations. Imagine seeing the enemy ele "using" the skill, waiting for it to run out and charging in only to find the real tornado in your face. Wouldn't be very useful in PvE, but that's why skills are separate for both game modes.
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Every single elite is either a big shapeshift, or summoning some crazy weapon, or summon a bundle.
Does this mean the ele's conjure spells are elites?
Oh and, does anyone know what this part means?
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Even after traits, there are still items, Cartwright added, so the amount of builds a skilled player can create skyrockets well beyond the baseline.|||I'm still not excited about the description of elites, sadly. They have similar skills in WoW that are on long cool downs. Basically what it amounts to in that game is that DPS will pop those cds at prescribed times during a boss fight to end the fight quickly, while support characters will only use their elites to avert disaster. The end result of that for players like me is that I almost never use my support cds. That's a big shame because many of them are really cool.
In GW1, elite skills generally were souped up versions of other skills that were more powerful, allowed for bar compression or lower recharge. Unlike WoW, I actually use my GW1 elite skills.
Fortunately it does sound like Izzy still has concerns about balancing the recharge times. WoW also moved away from prohibitively long recharge times which I think is a good thing.
I agree with Alaris, I'm dying to know more details about traits!
But the best thing in the entire article:
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Kerstein then noted that all the designers read the forums.
Thanks Martin! That's awesome to know!|||Well, I find skill design in WoW to be of rather poor quality, variety-wise. Most skills fall into the "variation on a theme" rather than "does something different than the other skill". Or maybe I just haven't explored WoW skills enough?!?
If for example Tornado throws foes away from you (and does regular AoE damage otherwise) then it works not as an AoE but more as a way to gain some valuable time in-combat for a wipe recovery. But if the Tornado basically did DoT AoE, then it would fail at being interesting beyond the animation compared to other DoT AoE alternatives.
Some other elite skill might pushback and snare, again buying time rather than doing some real damage.|||WoW has some really neat skills. Although some skills certainly are variations on others, it's not any worse in that respect than most other games, including GW1.
I'll give an example of a support skill that I think is cool but I never use. I'm currently leveling a Shaman. I have an earth elemental that I can summon if I'm soloing and pull too many mobs or if I'm in a group and our tank goes down. I think I have used that skill exactly one time in 73 levels. It's a really cool skill but the recharge is too long (10 minutes) for me to use regularly and risk not having it available if I do mess up later.
Skills like this get used less and less the better you get at the game.|||Yeah, sounds like a cool game-changer skill.
I like the description of the philosophy of elite skills in GW2, but admittedly, I find the recharge to be too long. Sure I don't want something with 1min or less necessarily, but 10 minutes seems pretty extreme.|||I'm glad to hear they're working on build variety. Having read previous interviews and the profession pages, I was getting the sense that the new weapon skill mechanic and removal of secondary professions was going to lead to an "every longbow ranger is the same" situation.
In GW1 I've used Ignite/Dual, poison spam, Quick/Needling machine gunner, Barrage/Pet, Splinter Barrage, and glass spike all on the same character using the same gear. These builds all had very different playstyles, roles, and effects, so even if I used the same gear as another ranger I could still have my own unique character. I was more than just a Generic Bow Ranger slot in the party panel, and I'd like to keep it that way if I can.
I also like the philosophy behind the elite skills. Having them be a way of changing the terms of the battle is an interesting idea that could be fun to play with. I'm wary of the long recharge times, though. I know why they're necessary, but this always ends with me being so afraid of using the thing and then not having it when I really need it that I never use the thing at all. That's why I like the current game's fast recharges so much.|||Gear in GW1 is really not that important. Most of my heroes are un-runed with /bonus items. Most of my characters don't bother using weapon sets outside of bow for pulls, weapons for warrior, staff for casters.|||with the amount of skills, they need a balance in this.
on one side too much skills can make things confusing and half the skills unused, on the other side too less skills makes the game badly stale.
i do like the elite part, but does concern me a bit.
if elites are that powerful, doesn't that mean that when you use the elite, you can effectively make battles end REALLY quickly when used properly.
they said that tornado can fly ppl away, with a ranger in your team and a necro, that makes tornado a really OP skill too have.
ele uses tornado in the middle of a group, the group flies away and both the necro and ranger attacks then as fast as possible too kill then before they can get up.
it's nice too have an-ace-on-our-sleeve, but IMO the only balanced way too do this is ether with adrenaline or some kind of limit-break bar connected too elites.
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