Elite Classes

So this is an idea I've been throwing around for quite some time now. I'm not sure exactly how the quests to get the Elite level would fit into the story line, but I figure after getting something like a million EXP or getting a Protector title you can go through quests to reach an Elite level of your chosen class.

It would be something like this:
Warriors become Knights, Monks become say Clerics or Priests, Rangers become Marksmen/Woodsmen, Mesmers could become like Mindbenders, Elementalists become Sorcerers, Necromancers become Deathlords, Assassins become Ninjas (a stretch, i know) Ritualists go to Shaman, Paragon to Commander, Dervish to Acolyte or Reaper (not sure yet).

Because ANet believes in balance and stuff you could make the bonuses from these Elite levels for PVE only, kind of like Lightbringer, etc. You could still show your status as a Knight or whatever, as you wouldnt be W/Mo, you'd be K/Mo, but the bonuses wouldnt be there. The bonuses from Elite level could be extra armor, increased attack speed, greater divine favor, more energy, etc.

Ok, your either a former RO player, or some other MMO with that form of character system ( a lot of RPG games have that ), but the point of GW is balance and rewards based on your skills.

Not a ORIGINAL idea, but still cool to throw it here.

Seems like a lot of games that have this system...what's the point if you don't really progress past level 20? Makes GW a lot like the other games as well...

Final Fantasy 1 for the win.

It is fun to play as something "special", But a special advantage obtained by grinding isn't an option for GW, that is not only a feature, but a halmark of the GW series.

There are plenty of ways to make something special or enjoyable, having flashy armor, using a particularly enjoyable class or cool skills, a cool class identity. But offering additional power and features to grinders is not acceptable. I would love to play as something more interesting and appealing myself, but getting more power for executing boring tasks repeatedly is not fun.

That would either unbalance the game (if these super classes got special weapons or skills or armor etc.) or just be for display purposes.

QFT

Prestige class advancing is just going to make GW a lot like Korean grind fest. GW is unique on it's own, I don't want to see it change. I mean...I like to see it change, just not in this way.

If they wanted to do something like this, I'd prefer it take up your secondary class slot. So if you wanted to be a knight, you'd really be a W/Kn instead of a K/x. In other words if you opted out of a normal secondary class, you could choose one that is designed to enhance your primary class some.

But I also think that these elite classes shouldn't have a ton of skills. Perhaps only one skill line apeice (but there could be 2-4 for every main class)... But you can only pick one. For instance, els would get one elite class per element, but they'd have to choose one. Or a warrior could be a barbarian (str) or a knight (tactics). That sort of thing.

If this is basically a title which you earn, then it would be farely easy to attain. In which case /not signed as it will devalue KOABD.

If this isnt a title, then how would you new upgraded profession name be stored and displayed?

Sorry, but I dont really see the advantage to it and what benefits you get?
Since you cant go beyond lvl20 anyway, and you can access all normal and elite skills at any level. I dont see a need for it.

There would have to be some tangible benefits from achieveing this elite state. I could see this feeding the elitism ego of alot of players and effecting PUG formation.

i.e "LFG a sorcerer for mission (NOT an elemental)."

I dont really think it would be that hard a thing to achieve either. Just doing some quests once you reach protector in order to reach an elite level doesnt sound hard to me.

/not signed

/not signed.

Hey freekedoutfish, we're all happy for you that you got your Kind of a Big Deal title, but you're making a really big deal out of something that is, after all, only KIND of a big deal

Sorry if I keep mentioning it, its just that alot of ideas which get suggested have knock on effects on titles. I apologise to all who are annoyed at me

Plus I just thought it was kinda funny putting it on my avatar :P

It is not that annoying fishy..
But since I am still working towards my title, an easy addition would be nice since it would save me some time (Lame, I know )

No more Time spent > Skill, not even in PvE.

Why would I want to be something else, when Dervish is the incarnate perfection of l33tn3ss?

It's a nice idea, but I'd prefer more interesting primary classes than a round of similar-but-better secondary classes.

What they should do Is display a special profession tag depending on what skills you have on your bar. If a necromancer has minions on their skill bar, they will show Minion Master as their profession. That way we know right away what someone is just by looking at them.
Problem is....there'd be a whack load of tag names!
Oh, and it wouldn't show that tag to enemies in PVP. This would just be for PVE.

That could be deceptive. Ive known necromancers to have minions in their taskbar claiming to be minions masters and yet they only have the one minion skill and the rest are blood or curses.

Not that they didnt do minion casting, but they obviously werent pure MMs.

If a person could choose from a list of icons, which displays their build above their head like an avatar, to display MM, or nuker or healer, then that would be cool.

imagine the confusion with the party windows etc.... especially assuming they will have new classes

lets keep things simple as they are, we already have titles after all

/notsigned

/notsigned


"LF MISSION" "Oh no, you are not XXX1337DARK KNIGHT OF WHATEVER Tank. Get lost noob.... ."

/signed

But make the character elite mission solo, no heros or henchies.

Have the character have to accomplish several quests that really require a knowledge of the profession and a skill bar that is set for each quest once you enter the instance.

Each quest can only be completed once, and use the explorable areas that are currently in the game, just reset the mobs and the solo requirement to enter with the quest active.

Then the progression to the elite form of you profession would mean something.

But no in game bonus to stats or skills.

A new skin of armor, and a weapon for your profession that has your name, and is automatically customized. eg. Dougal Kronik's Marksman Bow.

I dont think that this is a good idea. The point is to be the best with the skills u got. But I would definitely like to se somekind of a title for xp - for 1 million, 2, 5 etc - that would be cool. And a title for a number of hours played - just for the fun.

Laki

I like the idea, obviously giving a char a more powerful weapon or armor or skill will unbalance what Anet has currently been working so hard to keep balanced, but giving them a quest to get balanced armor/weapon just like something we get at the end of the game would be cool. With this we would also earn the title of Elite Prof. Giving the different Professions a spacific title like what you menchand would be cool, but should be much more original.

Hear, hear! /signed if it's implemented like this. Love the personal weapon touch.

This idea been toss around in the past befoe.
It might be good, it might be bad.. depend on how it would be implemented, and what effect it add. But feel free to develop more into it.

Of couse, also keep in mind one of the unique thing about GW's proff is that it is a dual proff system, and with it, you could combin into most of every class out there. As long as it still keep to this root, and make it more fun, it should be good.

Yeah, that would be neat. Maybe if someone is specialized in Death magic they'd have an eerie particle effect like black smoke surrounding their feet. Or a domination mesmer would have sparks coming from their eyes. I think it would be interesting if, depending on how your character was spec'd, that you'd get a neat effect put on your character. Like a shadow art assassin would appear somewhat dark and translucent. lol
It's somewhat that way right now with elementalists. You can tell somewhat what an elementalist is specializing in based on their head piece particle effect. I hope someday the devs expand on that.

Seriously, take it out of your avatar freekedoutfish, no one cares.

/sign.

Fleshing out the idea a bit more.

The character, once the native campaign has been completed with Protector Title earned can access the trials to attain the Elite status within the Primary profession.

You access the trial by visiting the respective god in Temple of Ages/Zinku Corridor/Chantry of Secrets. Once there, you kneel before the statue of your god, regardless of Favor, and the god will present you with choices for each of you primary attributes. You select one of them, pay 1,000 gold and are teleported, alone, to an explorable zone at the location of you god’s resurrection shrine.

The choice of attribute line resets you attribute distribution, and your skill bar is set with Elite trial skills. These skills should be a mixture of standard and unique skills like when you ride the Junundu. This way each character has the same stats and skills that attempt the Elite status.

Once in the zone, you must complete the quest that is given to you, and at the end there is a keyless chest, and a Weapon smith. The keyless chest will drop an Elite Totem and Elite Armor fragment. You trade the Totem at the Weapon smith for your weapon that is personalized, with your character’s name in the title, and customized. When you return to the god’s statue in ToA/Zinku/Chantry and kneel before the god, you have the selection to upgrade your armor skin to Elite like that of Hero Armor in Nightfall.

You may reenter and do the Elite Trial for your other attributes, but you can complete each only once. You may attempt as many times as you like for 1 platinum each attempt.

Example:

Dougal Kronik, a Ranger, is a Protector of Tyria. He enters Temple of Ages and kneels before Statue of Melandru. He talks to Melandru’s Avatar, who gives him the following choices:

Trial of Expertise
Trial of Beast Mastery
Trial of Marksmanship
Trial of Wilderness Survival

Dougal selects trial of Beast Mastery, pays 1 Platinum, and is transported to Twin Serpent Lakes at the Resurrection Shrine of Melandru. Dougal’s attributes have been rearranged for Beast mastery, and his skills have been replaced with Charm Animal, Comfort Animal, Troll’s Unguent, Predatory Pounce, Call of Protection, Call of Haste, special Trial skill, special Trial skill 2.

Dougal does what he does best and successfully completes the Trial. At the end he opens the chest and gets his totem, and armor piece. He speaks with the Weapon smith and trades his Totem for a Sundering Quarterstaff of Beast mastery.

Blunt Damage: 11-22 (Req. 9 Beast Mastery)
Damage +15% (While Health over 50%)
Armor Penetration +20% (Chance: 20%)
Beast Mastery +1 (20% Chance while using skills)

He then returns to Temple of Ages, speaks with Avatar of Melandru again, who offers him the following choices:

Trial of Expertise
Trial of Marksmanship
Trial of Wilderness Survival
Upgrade Armor to Elite Beast Mastery

He then has the profession Beast master as his primary. Which he can change to any of the completed Elite Trial profession. He can show BM/Mo or R/Mo for example.

Me is totally /sign'ing this idea, wud loove to see something like this d;

Any other thoughts on possibly more end game content?

i like the idea, but it should be for show only. No special bonuses or attributes that would give you an edge in the game. Just a profession/title change and perhaps special armor.

Building off of something an earlier poster mentioned, how about this....

This should be something that you MUST earn yourself. You cannot buy it or have your buddy run you through it. The solo quest idea is best here.

Put it in the factions campaign. Towards the beginning of that campaign there is a section where you go into a Dojo area alone with the monastery teachers. You have to complete a series of tests alone and once you do you earn an insignia. Actually, you earn, well, nothing.

Expand on the monastery idea. In order to graduate, you must go back to the dojo and pass a "final exam". This would be a solo mission on the monastery grounds with lots and lots of bad guys throwing every trick in the book at you. No heroes and no henchies allowed. If you survive, you can claim the special title and armor.

Agree, that there should be no unbalancing of skills, weapons, or armor from this.

The weapon was just an example of what one could get, all those mods currently exist in game, but the weapon doesn't.

I think that there should be these trials in each campaign, and instead os actually changing the name of your primary profession, you could select a title that would increase the more trials you accomplish from each campaign.

For example; only with Prophecies installed - the title could be displayed as the trials are done and the title would reflect the trial completed.

PvE Potential Bonus
Another point I was thinking about, as if with Lightbringer title, there could be some small bonuses with the title when it is selected as being the one displayed. This could increase as you do trials from subsequent campaigns.