We get the first details on Guild Wars 2's overhauled combat system, profession system, and the elementalist class.
While the original Guild Wars' unique combination of action role-playing and strategy was first introduced some years ago, developer ArenaNet has quietly been working on the sequel. Now, the studio has finally begun to take the wraps off Guild Wars 2. Lead designer Eric Flannum sits down with GameSpot to discuss the nitty-gritty details on the sequel's improved combat system, its changed profession system, and one of the game's returning professions, the elementalist.
GameSpot: We understand that Guild Wars 2's combat is being enhanced beyond the strategic skill choices of the original game. For instance, tactics such as careful positioning and combination attacks from different professions will play a stronger role. Can you elaborate?
Eric Flannum: When we say we want positioning to matter, what we really mean is that we want tactical awareness to matter. If, for example, you are using a skill that hits all targets in a straight line, you'll want to line your targets up for maximum effect. A spell that affects a cone-shaped area may need to be aimed in such a way that the middle of the cone is between two targets in order to hit them both. Some skills encourage positioning by providing bonuses if you attack an opponent from the side or rear, so flanking your opponents will matter. A character built to inflict damage at medium range needs skills that will keep opponents from closing the distance as well as those that let him close with long-ranged foes. We want to reward players who are able to maintain good tactical awareness of a situation and can maneuver to take advantage of it.
Combination attacks definitely play a role in this. For example, when an elementalist uses the static field ability, it will create a circle of electrical energy that will damage and stun anyone entering or exiting it. A warrior who uses his rifle to shoot through this circle will charge up his shots, dealing additional damage. If the warrior is to take advantage of the situation, he'll need to position himself to shoot through the static field.
GS: We also understand that weapon selection will greatly change the way different characters perform in the game--certain weapons will affect not only the speed, damage, and types of attacks characters can use, but also half of their 10-slot skill bar. How will choice of weapons affect gameplay?
EF: The first five skills on a player's bar are tied directly to what they're holding in their hands. If I am an elementalist and I equip a staff, my first five skills tend to be skills that are effective at long range. If I equip a scepter or focus [item], then my skills will change to shorter ranged skills. A different profession wielding a staff will have a completely different set of skills to play with. Most professions can equip two weapon sets and switch between them for greater versatility.
GS: And will your characters also gain situational abilities depending on their environments? What are some of the environmental skills and combat powers players will pick up in the right place at the right time?
EF: I've talked about how your weapon affects your first five skills. Well, that system extends to anything that you hold in your hands. For example, picking up a boulder will let you throw it, while grabbing the controls to a catapult will let you aim and fire the catapult.
There are a ton of cool environmental weapons already in the game, and we're adding more of them on a regular basis. We've got an enemy called the Jotun, who wield these massive swords in one hand. They will sometimes throw these huge swords at players, and if they miss, players can grab the sword out of the ground and use it themselves (of course, it's a two-handed sword to a player). One event requires you to protect some beehives from a ravenous bear; if you succeed, you might be able to acquire a jar full of angry bees that you can throw at a target. An elementalist can summon a fiery sword from the heavens that others in their party can use. Each profession is also capable of doing different things with some environmental weapons. An elementalist who picks up a boulder can not only throw it, but can also launch it into the air to have it come crashing down as a meteor.
GS: We're sad to hear that the secondary profession system from the original Guild Wars will not appear in the sequel--instead, players will choose only a single profession. Why go in this direction?
EF: We did have secondary professions in Guild Wars 2 for a time before we decided to remove them. We found that they complicated the game a bit too much and also restricted how unique we could make each profession. For example, elementalists can attune [themselves] to the different elements, which will change their skill bar. This gives them an added layer of complexity that wasn't meshing well with how we wanted the warrior to play. With the addition of racial skills, we found that we just weren't getting enough out of secondary professions to justify the complication and balance issues they add to the game.
@Red Signal, You need to pay to buy the base game but you get four free character slots (you can create up to four, but delete them to regain a slot) and you can unlock more by paying money or buying new campaigns. You can try out different classes in each slot. This is for GW1 though, GW2 will likely be similar though.
I have a question.... can you have multiple accounts for GW1 and 2? So that you can try different classes... if you can, I'm definitely getting this game =)
sounds promising. but the game engine looks the same to the original, i am really expecting it to look better since the latest games these days have more & complex polygons.
@Akmehadz0rz I pray that they keep it out.Hated that class,it always felt too all doing. Anyway,sound awesome.The first GW was great and I expect no less from this one!
I have no opinion about the game for the moment. I just hope the makers know what they are doing.
Restricted to one class... Totally the wrong direction. The reason i like the original so much is because there were so many options. Limiting the players options can only decrease the fun factor, turning every elementalist into just another carbon copy of the 2 million others... totally eliminating the aspect i loved so much, the building of novel skill combinations. Terrible terrible terrible.
dragon's breath? multiple races with racial abilities and 1 profession. reminds me of WoW. I always liked GW for its uniqueness from that game by having two professions. The main skills sound awesome tho. I'll have to find out for myself whether it will be better than the first GW which I loved so much
I really, really, really miss RPG games.. ;( The only game that I've truly enjoyed was Gothic 1 and 2 .. No Oblivion Or Morrowind for me. Gothic 1 was The Game.
I like the idea of racial skills over secondary professions. I just hope they make each racial skill unique while equally valuable. No need for a dominant race in a diverse game. No need for dominant professions either, aka mage... in nearly every game
recently started to play my old campaign and even bought all the rest of the guild wars series, that's how cool this game seems to be. Preparing myself for the big number 2! this is the only game that sucks me into the mmo genre, especially since its free from any subscription! Graphics looks like its upping the game for mmo's, and not as out-of-date looking. good buy life...
been waiting for gw2 for a while now, been with gw since the release, sounds very promising, hope there r no more delays
No second class!?! hmmmm.. I wonder how this is going to play out. I loved that about GW1. Made it so much fun of creating different builds.
Even that I'm now waiting for SW:TOR, I might try GW2. Looks nice and it's not another WoW crap.
GW is a great game. its miuch different from WoW which is why i played both at the same time. GW2 will bring me back to the MMOs and i really look forward to the new system.
@WolfWatch This is why Peer 2 Peer is going so hard. People are sick of keeping a open mind for something that looks good.. Talked up.. Then fail hard. But as for the WoW killer.. Many have come many have tried and many have fallen. GW 2 has got my high hopes. I played GW and left it and never came back and untill GW 2 out of nowhere showed up on Gamespot and then I was WTF. A lot of people do not know is WoW programs left blizzard to make GW which is why a lot of GW is a lot like WoW. If ya don't believe me google it. You will see.
@musha97 I'm a GW fan, I have all the current releases, but I don't believe it will destroy WoW. Now I'm not saying that I don't share your optimism, I think GW2 is going to the best MMORPG released to date (obviously this is opinionated). But I have to say I believe GW2 and WoW work differently. I would have to believe GW2 will not thrive on the online community as much as WoW does. Since that online community is so important in WoW, GW2 would not seem like a sufficient replacement. Still, Wow Fans, GW Fans, and MMORPG Fans alike. I would completely recommend this game to any of you. We can at least have an open mind and give something a try.
I am trying to convince many friends on the fact that Guild Wars 2 will completely destroy World of Warcraft. WoW players are extremely stubborn. Finally, less grinding, more fun. Just the way it should be. Keep it up ANET - best MMO company out there.
hope they will add some cc in the game , coz pvp in gow 1 sucked so much that i sold the game on ebay for 99 cents :)
Wow looks great. I hope smoother than the original GW. If they get the servers running without crash they can attract lots and lots of players. I mean who wants to pay for an MMO when there is one sitting here, for free!
I have never played this game, but i like the idea of paying for game and playing it without any monthly fees. This is how it should be.
Guild Wars...the only MMO game I've played for more than 2 years, and the sequel, the way it's being built, will be no exception.
This is going to be a tough choice... I am only going to play one more MMORPG.. its either this or the TOR. Going to be very interesting to see who wins the subs.
Right now I'm leaning towards Sylvari for my first character. Not sure which class yet as I want to see which new classes they are adding. They say 8 classes, some old ones and some new ones. Can't wait to see them. Sylvari Assassin sounds nice though if they're using assassins :).
Sounds really interesting. I'll be playing an Asura Elementalist probably, little alien guy with metal golem and arcane powers FTW :)
God, I've been waiting for this game for so long. I knew it'd be worth the wait. I just know it's going to sell millions of copies within the first month and months afterward. Go ArenaNet! xD
Everything I've seen from this company has been top notch from day one (and I've watched, when I first heard about the company, being some ex-Blizzard talent). These guys work hard, take risks, and have some exceptional talent. I can't wait. I'm also still dying to see/hear about the swimming they're being so tight-lipped about.
@ mamono141 yes and swim in fact swimming was originally supposed to be apart of gw1 but it was removed after the content for the underwater side of the game was considered dull.. so yeah now you know..
The one then I LOVE about GW is that you can make a pvp only character and jump right into RA and TA.
@IAmWhopperMan Does it really matter if the skills have the same names and similar icons? Really, I don't see the problem, why fix something that isn't broken? Why make up new names when the previous names are good for the skills? Like "Fear me!", should it be "Run for your life!" with a different icon?! Lack of creativity, surely not. I just don't understand how you can focus on something so trivial.
While the secondary profs are fun in GW1, i think its a great move by ANet to take them out this time around. Players mainly specialized in their primary ability anyways - I never made a R/Mo and played as a monk, for example...
Oke I'm going to freeze my self until it is released... It worked in South Park, right? I WANT GW2! Been Playing Gw1 for 5 years now ME WANT GW2!!!!
I am going to miss dual-speccing though. That was one of my favorite things out of Guild Wars.
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