Swim speed should be a central Tyria mastery ! (and some other things)

[Ojyh.9842]

I don't know if anyone already talked about this specific topic somewhere in the forums. I know people are already talking about the Kraits, the infusion grind etc... But I don't think I have seen a discussion like this one. But I can't read all the posts in all the threads just to verify.

AIso, I apologize for the potential mistakes because english is not my first language.

 

So... I feel like swim speed should be a mastery. It wouldn't be a great game changing mastery that brings a different way of playing the game. But I find swim speed more exciting and more fitting in the concept of mastering an ability, than unlocking a merchant for example or running faster in cities because reasons...

There are several levels of swim speed, each could be a level of mastery. This mastery could be unlocked by accomplishing underwater tasks first, given by the dive master, and then we would level up our swim speed just like any other mastery.

Also this lets the infusion slot of the breathers free for other types of infusions.

 

I know there are some problems with this idea.

First, the swim speed is supposed to be tied to aquatic content, so it gives people a reason to go underwater. And obviously gaining xp to level up your masteries doesn't require you to go underwater. So I suggest the addition of new mastery points obtainable via underwater achievements and places to commune with. We can also imagine that each level of swim speed would be a different mastery with a different uncderwater task to complete to unlock it (like missions given by the Dive Master). That way we increase the amount of underwater content we have to go through to unlock our swim speed.

Second problem : the sunken chests. They are supposed be the incentive to go underwater to upgrade our swim speed through infusions. I don't like this system, and my suggestion of turning swim speed into a mastery makes them useless. But I think the sunken chests can have a different purpose. They could give us a unique currency (in the WALLET PLEASE, not another item to fill up our inventory) that the Dive Master would take in exchange for aquatic equipments with unique skins ! I'm sure people would love to see new breathers, spearguns etc... This system could be expanded with time by adding more skins and underwater related stuff, and also creating new ways of obtaining the currency.

And the keys ! The keys need to be dropped by more ennemies. Why only the Kraits ? I don't like that crazy global Krait hunt that recently started. Why not pirates too ? Why not underwater wildlife ?

Last problem : masteries are not accessible to f2p players, but the swim speed infusions are. Well, my solution is simple : correct me if I'm wrong, but I think there are no valid reasons for not giving the f2p players access to the central Tyria masteries (scholar of secrets might be the only central Tyria mastery that could require HoT)

 

To me this idea feels less like grinding and more like playing the game normally.

So, what do you think ?

 

Central Tyria Masteries are a bit... underwhelming and lackluster (some HoT or LS masteries too by the way). They don't bring anything interesting to the gameplay, they rarely bring interesting lore or activities or any type of change in the way you play the game. It's nice that they exist, but generally speaking, with the exception of a very little number of them, masteries don't give you the impression of accomplishing anything to "master" them. We often learn them in the most random and unimmersive ways. And I also feel like a lot of cool stuff could be introduced via the mastery system, but it seems the devs mostly keep this system for boring things (again, with some exceptions like mounts). Sometimes there is a good mastery, but they're not using it to its full potential. And sometimes there are things that could make great masteries but the devs completely miss the opportunity. I think the swim speed is in the latter category.

[Illconceived Was Na.9781]

tl;dr why isn't faster swimming part of Central Tyria masteries, the way faster running is?

 

I agree: I'd far prefer to see breathers removed as gear and make swimming speed (and reduced falling damage) part of the mastery system. Once done, that would free up resources for players and the devs to focus on more interesting issues. (How easy it is to do this... I dunno; might be a lot more complicated than we think.)

[Ikkeman.9280]

This was already mentioned in a topic "Swim Speed Infusions" but only as part of the discussion.

I will say it again: I agree with this idea. Having a water-related mastery would be great.

[Ardenwolfe.8590]

Agreed. Still, I get the feeling the 'swim increase speed' isn't the real selling point. Something coming down the line later is.

[Mea.5491]

> @"Illconceived Was Na.9781" said:

> tl;dr why isn't faster swimming part of Central Tyria masteries, the way faster running is?

>

> I agree: I'd far prefer to see breathers removed as gear and make swimming speed (and reduced falling damage) part of the mastery system. Once done, that would free up resources for players and the devs to focus on more interesting issues. (How easy it is to do this... I dunno; might be a lot more complicated than we think.)

 

But faster running only works in towns. :( Just give us a 25% movement speed mastery that works everywhere (even in the water). Problem solved. :D And yeah, we have mounts now but I get stuck in combat in Palawadan too many times and it's a pain to run without it, tbh. I hate wasting trait/utility slots on 25% speed or swiftness.

[GrubySzymek.1362]

1. Mastery idea is still on the table and the solution is most likely an underwater mount.

2. Underwater infusions are nothing more but a gold sink. Don't get fooled into chasing them. They're not worth it.

[Glacial.9516]

> @"Illconceived Was Na.9781" said:

> tl;dr why isn't faster swimming part of Central Tyria masteries, the way faster running is?

>

> I agree: I'd far prefer to see breathers removed as gear and make swimming speed (and reduced falling damage) part of the mastery system. Once done, that would free up resources for players and the devs to focus on more interesting issues. (How easy it is to do this... I dunno; might be a lot more complicated than we think.)

 

Definitely this. Most of my characters are still using a level 40 breather because it just doesn't matter (and honestly? I don't want it to matter. Rare-Exotic breathers are not readily available the way other armor pieces are.) It also means you need to craft/purchase a 7th rune. Currently it's not a big deal because UW combat is rarely required. However it seems reasonable to believe that may change given this recent update.

 

I'm concerned about how strong the Swimspeed infusions may become, but I'll reserve judgment until we learn more about how it stacks. It sounds an awful lot like the 25% Movespeed enrichment suggestion in WvW which (as far as I recall reading) was scrapped because it would be too strong and become necessary to use. However with the vast assortment of move speed skills/traits/equips/foods (and mounts!) available this is less of a concern in PvE. So I am hopeful that this will not happen with Swim-speed infusions.

[Hyper Cutter.9376]

> @"Illconceived Was Na.9781" said:

> tl;dr why isn't faster swimming part of Central Tyria masteries, the way faster running is?

Faster running isn't either, except in cities.

 

I suggest making the pact commander speed bonus apply to all of PVE unconditionally.

[Ardenwolfe.8590]

@"Hyper Cutter.9376" Unless it stacked with other abilities, this would make certain skills and traits completely pointless. In cities, it already does. And if it did stack, it better stack with mounts too. Otherwise, stacked speed would probably make mounts pointless too. This is why the skimmer has increased speed on water, but not _under_ water.

[Fenom.9457]

I would like a series of masteries in addition to what we got

[Hyper Cutter.9376]

> @"Ardenwolfe.8590" said:

> @"Hyper Cutter.9376" Unless it stacked with other abilities, this would make certain skills and traits completely pointless. In cities, it already does.

That's kind of the point of the suggestion, yes. I specified PVE because move speed at least theoretically has a tactical purpose in PVP/WvW, but in PVE there's no reason to enforce a speed tax on players (especially things that don't even have a permanent source of speed outside of Speed or Traveler runes, both of which are _awful_)

[Ardenwolfe.8590]

As long as it all stacks, I'm for it . . . but I wouldn't hold my breath. ;)

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

Just so you know, Krait aren't the only mobs that drop those Keys. They randomly drop all over (not just underwater or from water-loving mobs) as loot.

[Ardenwolfe.8590]

On a side note, I'll guess the next expansion's 'currency' will be these swim speed baubles. So much so I expect mobs to drop them as loot or at least be rewards in events and the like toward desired items. They're like foxfire clusters. When they first appeared, and were required for certain items, they sold at five gold apiece. And now? I have to vendor them to get a return.

 

Again, give it time.

[Ayakaru.6583]

> @"Ikkeman.9280" said:

> This was already mentioned in a topic "Swim Speed Infusions" but only as part of the discussion.

> I will say it again: I agree with this idea. Having a water-related mastery would be great.

 

I wholefully agree, but I think its too late now (the damage is done)

[JackassTheX.6351]

If these masteries were implemented (I think it's a great idea and I agree!), you could make it so that you can only train them with XP gained underwater. Like I said, I don't know the technicalities of this, but since the game seems to know that XP gained in HoT maps is one thing and XP gained in PoF is another (and Central Tyria yet another), I guess there are ways to tell the XP gain system that it has to allocate the XP to a different mastery track. I'm no programmer, but maybe you could link XP gain with wielded weapon, i.e. if you gain XP while wielding an aquatic weapon (key word wielding, not have equipped, since they're always equipped in a way), which can _only_ happen underwater, you have incentive (or perhaps rather a "limitation") to play underwater content and not only that, you can play it whatever way you like, as long as you're underwater, you're "mastering" your underwater ability. If that doesn't make sense from a mechanics and lore perspective, I don't know what does :D

 

> @"Inculpatus cedo.9234" said:

> Just so you know, Krait aren't the only mobs that drop those Keys. They randomly drop all over (not just underwater or from water-loving mobs) as loot.

 

+1, I got a key from a random enemy in Orr (land-dwelling Risen, not Risen Krait or Quaggan)

[DragonSlayer.1087]

Love this idea. Swim Masteries please!