GW2 character system

[Anchoku.8142]

When GW2 came out, and for a long while after, trait points could be distributed among all core trait lines but, I think, this made the trait lines difficult to balance. Trait lines did not just provide traits, either. They added stat's according to profession type so there were even more variables involved.

 

Now each player picks three trait lines and one of three traits at each of the three tiers. Arenanet can better balance the value of each trait this way and it prevents use of more than three trait lines. This may cut down on the number of trait line combinations needed for testing.

 

They also developed some common rules for how traits of different types should work and have been harmonizing them across professions; things like staff 1 projectile speed, stability, AoE radius, etc.

[alcopaul.2156]

guild wars 2 combat is dynamic and fluid. while guild wars 1 was skill per target system, making it rigid.

[Khisanth.2948]

That "1250 skills" claim is a bit misleading. The 6 elementalist glyphs would have been 24 skills in GW1.

 

Then there were many of the attack/weapon skills that while not mechanically mutually exclusive they were functionally mutually exclusive in most cases.

 

Mult-classing enabled some interesting combinations at times but those interesting things are also the source balancing challenges. I think there was a time when certain elementalist skills worked better on a warrior than an elementalist. I might be remembering the classes involved incorrectly but the idea was still the same.

[Lord Caim.1408]

> @"Glacial.9516" said:

> With Danikat's post in mind regarding Traits as skills, I wondered how many 'skills' a character could have available to choose between (assuming out-of-combat ability to switch them around). Note in advance: I surely missed some skills!

>

> **Traits**

> 12 Traits x 7 lines = **84** 'Passive skills' from traits.

 

I really do not count passive skills as active skills.