How many professions do you think would make a good GW game?

To get straight to the point, I think 10 is WAY too much for a future game.

Take a second and think about all of the classes that have complained over GW's lifespan about rarely finding their way into groups. I have seen them all complain at some point depending on the flavor of the month EXCEPT monks (notice this includes PvP and/or PvE groups).

Why is this? Was it that any of those classes were bad classes on their own? No... it was because there was at least one, if not two other classes that filled a particular role better than another.

Let's look at Assassins, Dervishes, and Elementalists. Now, obviously these all have some unique features that make them play differently and have different potential benefits on a team. However, despite their differences, they do all share one incredibly important trait... they are normally COUNTED ON for the damage in a group.

I think we see especially in PvE that the differences that separate these classes usually do not play as large a role in determining who gets the slot on a team as which one does the most damage for the current patch.

To give you an example, when SF was in its pre-nerfed state I could rarely, if EVER get a team as an assassin because the damage role was ALWAYS covered by a SF elementalist. I won't pretend that is the only reason (most people are scared to take assassins to begin with because of their squishiness) but it IS an important one.

Personally, I think that future GW games would benefit more from having fewer classes with MORE playstyle options. Wouldn't it be easier to have three warriors in a group and then have the three choose roles on the fly? One could choose to be the tank, another could use scythe mastery to spread conditions and inflict AoE damage, while the last could choose to use daggers for spiking an individual. Or, those same three warriors could be three tanks. Or, those same three warriors could abandon tanking completely and just focus on damage!

The problem with this of course is that you lose "class flavor" and could potentially "bloat" a class with TOO MANY options.

So what do you think would be a good number for total professions?

I would suggest six to eight classes are enough.

Hmm, the only professions needed are really elementalists, monks, and warriors (in PvE). More than that causes professions that noone wants in their group (except necros and rangers), as the new ones only are cheap copies of those three..
But I still love my dervish and ritualist, and I personally think they are very very useful and fun to play ^^

I would have to say that the original six was all there was needed to make a great GW game and it might be more balanced on both side of the fence pve/pvp.

yep there are too many. Some classes become undesirable and uninvitable. Also, the sheer amount of skills cause overpowered builds leading to heavy-handed nerfs, and unpredictability on anet's behalf. A natural metagame where if a build becomes too popular, it naturally rebalances with counterbuilds never happens. Basically, what has been the status quo for a year and a half.

I could live without the newest 4.

I think 6 is about right for the reasons already listed above. If more classes are added then personally I'd like to see something different like a Merchant class.

Think about it. A merchant class would be fun to play. First take out all merchant NPCs everyplace except the starter towns. The player merchants wouldn't have battle skills like the other classes. Instead they would have to rely on other adventurers to "run" them from town to town. Since of course a merchant wouldn't survive well on his own. (Unless of course he was a Level 20 merchant with a high attribute in Weapons Dealing).

That's ok though, because merchants have more money and would be expected to pay their way into a party.

Merchants would also have the ability to open up shops in towns and sell 1 particular type of merchandise at a time. Other characters would be dependent on the merchant class much like we are dependent on the NPC merchants now.

Just something I thought about last week. I know it will never be implemented in GW....but perhaps it could have a place in GW2.

6
love my assassin,dervish and rit tho but for assassin and dervish getting in a party aint easy so =/

As much as I love my dervish, I would have to agree with everyone and say the original 6.

However that being said, I think it would be cool if those 6 classes could break into different branches. Take the warrior. If you use a hammer you would get different armor, titles and skills that a warrior using a sword wouldn't get.

Love all but derv and para.

My personal vote would be for 12-20 professions. I like veriety. I like having alternative mechanics available for accomplishing similar goals. I like quirky (and usually unpopular) professions that get things done in indirect and roundabout ways.

And quite frankly I couldn't care less how many professions end up being popular with cookie cutter groups. If someone wants a to play a popular character, they can reroll and leave the more interesting but harder to use professions to people like me. I've done just fine in this game completely ignoring cookie cutter nonsense and making my own groups, and I see no reason that I couldn't do the same in a new game.

As many as Anet can provided they can still make it fair and balanced.

Somewhere in the article/interview stack is the statement that ANet was looking at changes for the existing professions, possibly combining some. A quick glance at the GW2 page on the Official Wiki http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Guild_Wars_2 shows this: "The professions are being designed so that they are all viable for both solo and group play."

4 is too little, 8 is too many. 6 is enough.

My guess is 6, the perfect amount.

1. Warmaster who does shouts, axes, swords, all melee equipment, including daggers, like a master of weapons sorta guy.
2. Necromancer that is simply a mix of ritualist and necro currently.
3. Monk, which is the same, with a mix of ritualist, and paragon shouts...something like that.
4. Ranger, which doubles with a spear for throwing, as well as throwing axes, or anything dealing with throwing....
5. Mesmer, with more of a twist. Would include curse spells, and all mesmer skills, but include AoE effects and be able to wield swords and stuff, like a stronger dervish. Sounds werid, but I'd play it....
6. Druid, can control the powers of the world (elementalist) as well as tranforming into bears and stuff.

Obviously I just wrote this up in a few minutes, but I doubt Anet will have more than 6 professions, instead they will add on to what those 6 can do.

10 is fine.

The problem with Guild Wars' 10 is that the original core 6 are much more versatile and well rounded. The next 4 are much more specialized and do not have as much options or variations.

If all 10 classes were equal in their options, it would be fine.

I like Elementalists, Ranger, and Dervish.

Warrior was ok. Monk and Mesmer just didn't fit my playing style.

Necro, Rit, Paragon, and Assassin..I didn't find interesting enough to keep as primary.

Combining/Cutting out some professions MAY be an option...

but I don't want to be the one to make that decision...

Day one of GW2 beta:
player 1: THEY CUT OUT THE ..X.. Profession?!?!?!?

Six. They should turn the Ranger into the traditional DnD ranged-melee hybrid.

12 variety, diversity, many options, more possibilites, blahblah

Current 10 is fine, some are better at more niche builds and areas, but are very good in those areas, much better than anything else trying to replicate it

But, maybe combinations of these things together, thus reducing the number of builds, who knows. So, as people above said, putting ritualists into monks and necros, sins into warriors, derv's into warriors, possibly partially monk for a few skills, paragons into warriors, monks, rangers. Nothing much goes into Ele's

If the first chapter had been balanced for 10 classes, that would be an acceptable number. As it stands, the new four classes are significantly less robust than the original six.

Six imotbh.

10 is fine. Even more than 10 would be fine. With no skill balances or as rare as we have now, even the initial 6 professions would be too much. 4 skills are too much when they are out of balance, it's no different when it comes to professions.

I love Dervish, and i liked Ritualist too. Saying that these two professions have no place in the game just because no one needs more than Monk and Warrior.. well sorry...

It is my opinion people who are all for 4-6 professions:
1) lack creativity
2) fail to understand that 10 professions dont make game hopelessly imbalanced or not fun.

Just because there are 10 professions doesnt mean you cant get into PvE group. Mesmers had problems even in Prophecies. Dervish is new profession and never had any problem geting into a group (except DoA). See the point?
And skills are imbalanced in the beginning, naturally.. just remember how many nerfs mesmer profession had in the beginning. Every new profession can be quickly balanced if there is a willing. Unfortunately, skill balances, something badly needed and crucial in this game, never seemed like a top50 priority of ANet.

I think GW2 could easily completely revamp their method of professions and all that. In this method of professions, there would be 3 core classes, which would branch into more specific roles as they reached higher levels. (This may be a little cliche ala' other MMO's but, with GW professions it'd be original) The three main classes would be Fighter, Scout, and Caster. You would start out as one, and through levels advance into more defined roles. Heres a quick sketch I did in paint to represent what I think a new system should look like.



Now don't fear, nothing would be removed in this method, attributes would simply be combined. For example take the Ritualist profession, rather then Communing and Spawning power being two separate attributes they'd be fused into a new form of ritualist known as a "Summoner"; instead of channeling and restoration being separate they'd be fused into a new form of ritualist as well known as a "channeler". I did this for all the professions, mind you the names are just place holders to get my point across. Obviously by combining attributes that would drastically decrease individuality between high level professions, so more types should be introduced. I almost forgot to mention, what the names under the "expert professions" are. After you reach your "expert profession", you get a chance to become even more defined... Thats what all those listings are under the "expert professions", but I'm not sure if you should only be able to pick one.. Or just have to switch between the two. Now since the level span will be much larger in GW2 they could easily introduce a more developed system including "advanced professions" and "expert professions". By this I mean, instead of becoming a warrior, you become a brawler first, instead of becoming a dervish you become an acolyte first. A good scale for this would be say...

Fighter lvl 1-20 -> Acolyte lvl 20-40 -> Dervish lvl 40-60

Now how would secondary professions work in this? Fairly simple... When you achieve your first "expert profession" you would get a quest or something that can then allow you to pick a secondary "expert profession" which would give you the skills of that "expert profession". So the way this would work is. Fighter lvl 1-20 -> Acolyte lvl 20-40 -> Dervish lvl 40-60 (Now say you want to become an elementalist secondary?) You would then do the quest and become a Dervish/Elementalist, but by doing this you wouldn't get the skills from the first two tiers. By this I mean you wouldn't get the skills that come from being a Caster or an Adept. (Adept being the "advanced profession" before Elementalist, which is the "expert profession") I'll give one last example to make this as clear as possible, since it can be a bit boggy.

I load up GW2 make my first character. I decide to make him a Fighter and eventually wish to make him become a warrior, so at level 20 I have him do the quest to become a brawler, then at level 40 I have him do the quest to become a Warrior. Hmm now I'm a level 60 warrior, time to pick up a secondary "expert profession". I decided I'd like to have Necromancer as my secondary "expert profession". Do the quest and tada now I'm a Warrior/Necromancer. Now what skills would be available to me?

-Fighter Skills
-Brawler Skills
-Warrior Skills
-Necromancer Skills

Now notice, this excludes the Caster skills, and the Cultist skills (Cultist being the "advanced profession" before Necromancer). So thats it, Just remember this was just my opinion, and I felt like being creative with it. So be polite, I'm not saying GW has to change, just stating an idea I had.

Edit: I've edited this post quite a few times, so I may consider polishing it off at some point with a new diagram and better place holder names. Now don't get confused either, the names are all just examples and place holders to explain the system, the names would be much cooler and simply be more... professional.

The core professions are all that is NEEDED. You can beat any aspect of Guild Wars, from beginning in PvE to the Hall of Heroes with just the original 6 professions. Assassin, Ritualist, Paragon and Dervish are just filler to make the game's life last longer and add some more aspects of fun to it. Any more professions in this game would make it too overwhelming and just plain sloppy.

From a design point of view, you can have some pretty awesome gameplay if you only have Rangers and Monks.

I'd say 10.. not all need to be esentail to parties and i love playing the well ritualist, paragon, dervish type characters I guess >.>

That said, it's just about what is the most usefull it's also about what is enjoyable.

Pretty much summed it up, but I would group shapeshifting in with rangers, leaving elementalists as pure casters. Much more preferable giving existing classes more options than making whole new classes with less options.

The 6 core classes in GW is enough for me. The 4 additional classes, I believe, were just variations of the core.

20. Because I see nothing wrong with variety.

I say keep all ten but tweak some of them either by the entire class or one or two skills in the class.

For instance improve mesmer's ability to deal damage in pve, give hydromancers 1-3 good damage spells, slightly buff monk smiting skills, give sword warriors a better core elite, rework deadly arts, buff pets, and those sorts of things.

I just hope we don't see anything like Paragon/Dervish in the future. They really suck ass.

Rit and Sin are excellent, and actually seem different from the others, but Para and Derv are just crappy extensions of the warrior.

Any number of professions is fine, should developers avoid theese pitfalls:

a) Late introduction - new classes seemingly suck because they were introduced too late in game, so other professions were not ready for them, which resulted in them being imba, nerfed to hell and hardly recovering. which basically means: no expansion professions. seriously.

b) One of ways to make "new" profession is to make it highly focused version of existing professions (i.e. sin vs warrior - meele spike) or taking game mechanic to extreme (shouts vs paragons). This simply does not work, it gets nerfed eventually because its gimming waiting to be exploited.

c) hybrids. Gw is game of secodnary classes, so anyone can make their own "hybrid class" and do it. when hybrid classes are introduced, it gives one basically three profession combo. Rt is (as currently ballanced) healing monk meets air ele. cough, Mo/E.

So, make as many classes to want, just dont add any later to game to disrupt it, and for gods sake, dont add classes that are based on gimmick because it will get nerfed, and people hate nerfs.

7 would be ideal

Assassin
Elementalist
Mesmer
Monk
Necromancer
Ranger
Warrior

The other 3 could be done away with.

eh... i was just thinking. why not just completely remove the class system? you have the races in guildwars2, that would determine your appearance.. then let the player choose from a pool of attributes which they would like to train in... like maybe allow 1 primary and 5 other attributes... basically make your own custom class like you can do in morrowind/oblvion. then just make sure each individual attribute has a use and isnt too overpowered, and keep the same attribute point spending system we have now, and the possibilities are nearly limitless...

I agree.
nothing to say

These ten classes are enough but it wouldn't hurt to have more.

Meh, delete all the crappy non-prophecies classes. No need for them. There's more than enough variation with 6 classes, and it'd make balance much easier.

I'm hoping for at least 25-50, A Norn Warrior compared with a Charr or Human Warrior should be different (not vastly or so) but each race should have different approach (couldn't think of the right word lol) to each profession. Personally I love playing rangers I'd love to see what differences a Slyvari Ranger would get from what I'm used to at the moment.

Then again if all the races do are offer some Health/Energy Boost/Drain and are mainly for aesthetics then that is a bit crappy really.

Anyway, I'd like to see some of the classes re-worked for GW2 but still have 6-10 (or more if they're balanced) professions.

fixed, and agreed. If you ask me, all them people who want the new proffessions to go away are the same people who want HA to go back to IWAY and Ranger spikes etc, they cannot accept the new age.

10 proffessions is fine, but if we could only have 8, then the assassins and Rts would stay, they just seemed more developed than the Dervish and paragon (Though I do love my Dervish)

I hope there's some manner of skill tree, or trained persistence, so that you can actually be an expert in something. I certainly don't want to feel limited in PvP, but I don't want to feel like I'm like everyone else in PvE either. Hopefully ANet has learned some things from their mistakes in handling how the game is organized, and has come up with a new system for gaining and using skills, rather than the Unlock All Unlockables system we have right now.

If there are only a few professions, and if say, a warrior can perform the jobs and skills of a Dervish or Assassin, I would also hope that not every Warrior in the game will look like he's made of barrels and plastic. A lean and cut warrior that looks more like the body of a Dervish, except in your standard warrior getup, or even cloth, would be appealing to me. There should be several models and animations for each profession, not just one with detachable heads.

People who say they are all for deleting non-core professions - well guess what. As far as im concerned, you can delete elementalist too. I always found it utterly boring profession to play. And you can delete warrior too. It's too simplistic and utterly boring to play. Oh hey it makes as much sense as when you say that Ritualist or Dervish should be deleted. Dervish is 10x more fun to play than a Warrior, and requires more skill. Same with Ritualist. I can also bet that a lot of people enjoying PvPing with Assassin more than with a warrior.

Using that logic:

Monk profession is ALL that is needed. You can beat any aspect of Guild Wars, from beginning in PvE to the Hall of Heroes with just Monk profession.


And you know what, you really can. And people did it.

Now, go and load Street Fighter or some similiar game, give people 1 character choice option with 1 kick option like "high-kick". Oh hey, after all, it's ALL you need to beat everyone else in the game. Who needs variety.