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GW2 Attributes

GW2 Character Traits were discussed several months ago and since that time the GW2 Attribute system has been undergoing an overhaul followed by some serious fine-tuning to replace the previous profession oriented system. The end result is a simplified, four-attribute system which is easier to understand, more flexibe, easier to balance, and improves combat and character progression in Guild Wars 2.

Where Traits are more about manipulating the skills themselves, Attributes affect the overall power of things.

The new Guild Wars 2 attribute system is designed to work in conjunction with Traits to give players the opportunity to make meaningful choices and create unique characters that suit their individual playing styles. Unique Guild Wars 2 styles

The four Attributes are :

Power - increases attack damage.
Precision - increases critical strike chance.
Vitality - increases health.
Toughness - increases defense / armor.

Depending on the profession you play and how you choose to play it, you can invest in the Power attribute to deal more damage upfront or you can invest in the Toughness attribute to survive longer in a battle, dishing out more damage over time. Both strategies are valid and both have definite strengths and weaknesses depending on the situation you're in and the role you want to play.

Similarly, while Power and Precision both increase your damage output, choosing which one to invest your points in isn't just a matter of making a simple mathematical choice of which will allow your character to do more damage.

Power

This attribute is raw damage, perfect for players who just want to hit hard. A longbow-wielding Ranger who invests in the Power attribute is looking to do more damage with each hit even if his target dodges a few projectiles.

Precision

Attribute points invested here may mean you deal less raw damage per second, but many triggered effects happen only when you score a critical strike. A longbow-wielding ranger who invests highly in Precision is aiming to use the increased chance of secondary effects to apply pressure to his target.

Same profession, different set of attributes to suit a playing style, different damage effect.

Izzy Cartwright gives a great explanation of how a player can make attribute choices which complement their playing style.

"A Guardian could favor raw Power so his Orb of Light does more damage, or he could go higher in Precision and use a trait that causes burning with every critical hit. Going this second route, the Guardian could also wield a weapon that caused a short cripple with critical strikes. Now, with a high enough chance for critical hits, his Orb of Light will often snare his target, setting up a following attack, and apply burning, making up for the lower raw damage."

Precision is a trickier but more combination-friendly attribute which produces more reliable effects and conditional damage.

From a defensive point of view, Vitality and Toughness both reduce damage inflicted on your character, but in different ways.

Toughness

Reduces damage from small hits, helping a character deal with pressure by giving him more time to use a defensive skill or to heal but it is less effective than Vitality in absorbing the big blows.

Vitality

increases your overall health pool, protects you from armor-ignoring effects such as conditions and allows you to absorb a large blow and still slink away to recover.

Items and Attributes in GW2

For items, the previous attribute system was more about skins than it was about stats, which limited the ability to make interesting items. Let's face it, getting a drop with "Attribute +1 / 20% Chance" didn't exactly send the heart racing did it?!

There's a huge improvement in Guild Wars 2 with the item system attributes as items will have the ability to raise not just one attribute, but several, and by a meanigful amount! For example, a Rare Ruby Ring gives +40 Power; a Gold Topaz Ring gives +33 Power and +25 Vitality; and a Pearl Ring gives +25 Power, +25 Vitality, and +25 Toughness. GW2 attributes explained.

Combined with base Attribute points, the item system enhances the flexibility of players to create unique characters with the option of maxing out one attribute or speading the points across all their attributes.

With so many options to choose from, what Attribute choices will YOU make for your character in Guild Wars 2?


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