PropheT wrote on Sep 13, 2012, 17:12:
It also does something to restore a lost art in MMO gaming with the support class. I -lurve- support classes, ...
I don't know how I feel about "the trinity" being gone. I think it generalizes classes a bit more than I like, honestly. ...
There's still a lot of people who are trying to force the tank/healer role onto their characters in GW2 with mixed success at best.
I see it as a sort of synergy whereby all professions are technically in a support role. The problems you mention exist in all games with significant hybrids, including WoW to some extent (although I played Vanilla only). The thing is, people WANT to be hybrids, they want their paladins to do DPS, they want their priests to do DPS, and they also want them to fulfill their core roles. The ability to quickly differentiate between these with skill and weapon switching is very important, so what you end up with is a compromise or balance of options.
Your concerns are therefore quite valid and not unknown to the MMO designer. I think GW2 handles this pretty maturely and in an efficient manner. It still needs work - switching needs to be more intuitive and quicker - but again, it's a step in the right direction. I too remember when support was crucial in MMO's, and I miss those days, but I also realize it needs to be natural and casual-friendly in our modern gaming environment. You need to get and maintain a player base, firstly, and adjust the system to their needs while retaining your overall vision.