Hero talents marks the beginning of a path that was bound to arrive at some point, with much room for growth and evolution from here on out. Very promising.
I understand that creating two or more choices for each class specialization would have been a monumental task, though from a fantasy perspective, I believe it would be ideal. Similar to the Elite specializations in Guild Wars 2.
Thinking about the future and as a piece of constructive criticism, some hero talents for certain classes are more satisfyingâboth visually and in terms of their impact on rotationâthan others. The difference is very noticeable after just a few minutes of testing.
For example, I think the hero talents for the Paladin are very well done, with strong fantasy and visual effects. Not so for the Rogue, which I feel lacks creativity in every sense.
The fantasy surrounding the Rogue offers much more room for creativity than a âheroâ who flips coins.
Of course, due to the complexity of the Rogueâs rotation in general, you canât be too invasive by adding more abilities to the rotation. But surely more interesting things can be imagined:
If I think of Outlaw, I imagine something like a âTides Commanderâ, playing with the fantasy of tides and ocean currents. Mythical creatures. Maybe allowing for attacks at 10 yards away for a few seconds, or something related to sailing topic?. Dunno, but I know of course, this wouldnât fit with Assassination or Subtlety.
How about a âMaster of Spectersâ? A Rogue who has made a pact with the ghosts of ancestral rogues. For example, when the targetâs stamina drops below 30%, the rotation could summon a vengeful specter (this could be a humanoid or a creature) that strikes or curses the target. After 3 seconds, this would weaken the target by reducing their armor or leaving them vulnerable in some way, preparing them for a finishing blow.
Or, after 4 uses of Dispatch (just as an example trigger), the âSpectral Bladeâ effect could activate, imbueing the Rogueâs weapons with âUnderworld Venom.â For the next 10 seconds, the Rogueâs melee attacks could ignore 30% of the enemyâs armor and have a 15% chance to deal a critical spectral strike, dealing additional shadow damageâwith the corresponding visual effect.
The âTricksterâ could be enhanced with the fantasy of illusion techniques, like an attack from a clone or a move executed with some more visually appealing trick related to the idea of a backstab. Maybe throwing a sword in the air with a âboomerangâ effect or something similar? And have some additional effect on the target, like making them dizzy or causing them to fall to the ground.
The animation for âCoup de Graceâ is very nice, but the second of execution directly interferes with the GCDs and the most popular Outlaw rotation at the moment with Crackshot/Subterfuge talents.
I would call the Stalker Rogue something like âGuardian in the Darkness.â I would allow them to use one-handed swords in their main hand and make the influence of shadow and void power more evident. Additionally, I would enhance certain abilities like Shadow Step or Stealth by giving them additional utility.
Another Hero talent for Assassination / Subtlety Rogues could be the Veilkeeper (Gorereaper or something like that) inspired by the figure of a cold blooded serial killer member of an ancient Cult (Cult of the Serpent or something ) who have specialized in perfecting assassination techniques over the centuries. When the target is at 25% health the Dredblade summons a black mamba (or cobra?) that hooks up to his neck. Visually, for a few seconds, the target could have the snake wrapping around their neck reducing his health till his death
With successive deaths of enemies the Gorereaper rogue enters in a trance, replacing abilities that consume combo points for enhanced versions
This are my sincere thoughts. Happy WW launch!