Expansion site: https://www.guildwars2.com/en/secrets-of-the-obscure/
Trailer: Click Here
Announce Blog: Click Here
Combat Updates: Click Here
Story, Mastery and more updates: Click Here
ThatShaman Countdown: Click Here
After the Dragon Cycle - Guild Wars 2 News: Click Here
First Contact: The Kryptis and Rift Hunting: Click Here
At Launch: Weaponmaster Training
Once you’ve unlocked Weaponmaster Training in Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure, you’ll be able to use elite specialization weapons without the corresponding trait line equipped. This will be the case even if you haven’t trained an elite specialization.
…
Here are the weapons that will become part of each profession’s core proficiencies in Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure:
- Guardian: Axe (main hand), sword (off hand), longbow
- Revenant: Shield (off hand), greatsword, short bow
- Warrior: Dagger (main and off hand), pistol (off hand), torch (off hand)
- Engineer: Mace (main hand), sword (main hand), hammer
- Ranger: Dagger (main hand), hammer, staff
- Thief: Scepter (main hand), rifle, staff
- Elementalist: Sword (main hand), warhorn (off hand), hammer
- Mesmer: Axe (main hand), dagger (main hand), shield (off hand)
- Necromancer: Pistol (main hand), torch (off hand), greatsword
I find this kinda weird:
- Do you have to train it in SotO (as a Mastery) or does it simply unlock/change as soon as the Expansion goes live?
- Why does it allow to equip weapons from Elite Specialization without even unlocking the Elite Specialization? So you can equip them on level 1 characters, too? But doesn’t this reduce the incentive to actually progress/develop a new character?
I think this should have been part of a Balance Patch and not an Expansion Feature and it should also include the Utility Skills and not just the Weapons:
Weapons and Utility Skills specific to Elite Specializations can now be equipped as soon as they are unlocked, i. e. without slotting the corresponding trait line.
This would also simplify the UI code, because it makes various checks and the disabling of skills/weapons on build/gear swap unneeded.
Maybe they are talking about people who already have it unlocked on other characters or you can use those weapons as soon as you unlock the first trait in the elite.
They specifically say that you can equip those weapons as as soon as you unlock Weaponmaster Training in SotO (whatever unlocking means) without training a (any?) Elite Specialization.
I don’t know whether this means that you do not even need to own the corresponding Expansion. I think it’s really weird.
Hmm. Maybe that is exactly what it means and they just get rid of all requirements except having the build traits when you play with a class and unlock the Weaponmaster training.
Dunno if that will be accountwide like a mastery or if you have to play through it with every character. I think it is the former but the way they made the jade bot im not sure.
Oho, I just noticed that ArenaNet announced even more weapons to come later …
Future Update: Expanded Weapon Proficiency
To round off our combat systems updates, we’re granting each profession proficiency with an additional weapon. Like we said earlier: getting to play with a new weapon and changing out your first five skills is one of the most impactful parts of an elite specialization for many players. The weapons and weapon skills we’re introducing to each profession in Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure are meant to satisfy that same itch of a new skillset—we just focused on making these weapons fit in with the existing trait lines.
This is planned for the second major release after launch (and we’re aiming to ship those major releases quarterly). We’ll have more details about the style of play associated with these weapons as we get closer to this feature shipping, and later this year we’ll have a beta for you to preview the changes. For now, here’s the lineup of who’s getting what:
- Guardian: Pistol (main and off hand)
- Revenant: Scepter (main hand)
- Warrior: Staff
- Engineer: Short bow
- Ranger: Mace (main and off hand)
- Thief: Axe (main hand)
- Elementalist: Pistol (main hand)
- Mesmer: Rifle
- Necromancer: Sword (main and off hand)
@meldrik@lemmy.wtf Maybe we should pin one of the Secrets of the Obscure posts (suggestion: this one here) and assemble our combined feedback in one place instead of creating 10++ posts many of them actually referring to the same topic or even the same link.
I’ve pinned it. Maybe @Winged_Hussar@lemmy.world can put “megathread” in the title?
MightyTeapot’s take on the Expansion Announcement
- Part 1 (Overview)
- Part 2 (Strike Missions, Flying mount improvements)
- Part 3 (Rewards)
- Part 4 (Combat)
Thank you! I see my GW2 cycle repeating: Buy the expansion, play it like mad for two months, get fed up with the game, ignore it for a year or so, repeat…
Similar to how I currently play it hahaha. I login for dailies here and there, but it’s definitely a game I do in short bursts generally.
One of the things I love about the game is that it completely supports that play-style and I never feel like I get left behind on things.
And here we thought we get a content drought. Dang that is a lot of stuff to unpack.
Dunno what i am most exctied about. The new weapon system or the new maps.
Everything sounds awesome and they must have worked their asses off to deliver it this year. I wonder what they got planned after that but i am happy with what we will get. One of the rare cases where i like to preorder.
