Single Professions?

I'm pretty sure you have to take a secondary profession before you're allowed to leave pre-searing. (The guys name is Sir Tydus by the way). Originally you could go into the academy without a secondary profession. However, they were finding that too many noobs were forgetting to pick secondary professions and then they were kind of up a creek once they got into post searing. That's why they made having a secondary profession a requirement to leave pre-searing.

Just for the record, I'm a R/El with NO Elementalist skills or points in Elementalist stats. Pure Ranger.

It works, and it works VERY well.

Everyone has an opinion, and most of the negative ones are wrong. ^-^

There's nothing really unique about playing a 'pure' character, there's plenty of people mostly focusing on their primary profession to get a good feel for it before they try combining it with another, or because they are used to playing a pure character.

But when you emulate a 'pure' class simply to consider yourself 'special' for whatever reason, keep in mind it's just the same kind of 'special' as forcing yourself to only use four of your eight skill slots, or to play while blinking rapidly - you diminish your options by your own volition, and people aren't going to be impressed by it.

I would simply like to say for the record.

"Mistress Eyahl's Avitar is so cute it's distracting."

Nuff Said.

-Witt78

R/Mo and use Ressurect as your eighth skill. Then you're still harnessing the secondary profession but staying fairly pure.

Yeah, I wanted to go R and not R/? because seeing just a single profession letter IS unique. There a problem with that?
And I don't concider myself "special" (geezus, what's with the 's), I just wanted to try something different because it interests me.

I don't expect to win the "Best owner of Guild Wars Award 2005" anytime YET, Mr Silmore.. but when I do I'll be sure to mention you in my speach. You can be certain I'd have some lovely things to say about you too


P.s... do you really think I give two ticks about what people are going to think of my profession in this game? I play with FRIENDS and HENCHMEN.
Thank god I wouldn't have to put up with a rejection from a group by the likes of you, dear.
If you play this game to please other people.. well... sucks to be you!!!

Thank you for that kind comment. It was nice to see something like that after being rapped on the knuckles by another post.

Thank you very much

I like Digital Limit's suggestion. Sure you still have that /Mo tagging along, but it's not much different than Rez Signet. o.o

It was a good suggestion and will be the option I go for if I have to take the second profession, but the point was I just wanted a one letter profession for a change. I think R/Mo was the third combo I tried out. It was okay, but I try not to take Mo as a second profession cos in my expericene, I've never really used it to benefit the whole group. Never have enough points in an att to make a difference.

One of the reasons I want to try the pure type, so I'm not compelled to use both my professions, like I am with my W/E.

I know, I know. There's absolutely no logic behind wanting to not have that /whatever after the R, except that some of us would like to just see a single letter there.

--edit, didn't notice the second page. oops! LOL.--

Some of us like to be different just for a change of pace, regardless of whether that difference has a positive or negative effect. Although now I'm glad to know that I couldn't have stuck with just R. I feel much better about myself knowing I didn't sell out my hard-earned ideals. :P

being special and impressing people isnt really a basis for trying to go with pure single class. Sometimes being the same as the masses doesnt cut it. There are a precious few people out there that actually like to go against the grain. Sometimes just because they want to be a little diffrent, somtimes because they want a little more challenge then whats offered initially. Somtimes for completely other reasons not listed here.

Hear hear

..or is it here here, as in... I'm HERE! over HERE!!! *waves arms frantically*

If you actually read the first paragraph of my post, you'll notice I don't think anything is wrong with it. When people were able to skip their secondary profession, there were many who did, and currently there are many people who usually have a skill bar filled with primary skills (judging from many PvE screenshots I've seen), in essence playing a pure class like yourself.

As such, it's not particularly unique. Having a single profession would be a purely cosmetic thing (and currently possible for PvP premades); if that pleases you personally to look at, great. My comment was just for those who'd choose it in order to show to others that they were different, going against the grain, etc. - I feel that's just misguided narcissism, every single person in the community is already different through their personality, you don't need a visual token to prove it.

Ack......I know what you mean, I wanted my Elementalist to go pure for some reason my first time around.

But since you have to take a secondary, you might as well go with monk.

Yep, another one here. I replaced firestorm with barbed trap and moved my fire magic points into wilderness survival.

All Ranger, No Compromise!

I dont see the big deal with pure classes....

Nearly all my characters are basically pure. My monk is all healing and protection. My mesmer is all Illusion and Inspiration. My Necromancer is nearly all Death and Blood, only using Healing Spring from my Ranger line.

Point being, why force us to take a second class? I realize we dont have to use the second class, but what if we'd rather just BE a ranger, or monk, or mesmer....

I just dont think it's unreasonable. Especially with the already huge amount of skills avaiable to each class, why does having one or two skills from a second class, thus taking points away from my primary objective, have to be the "norm"

Then again, I'm coming from D&D, where I enjoyed pure classes much more than multi class, seeing a multi class as a combining of skills, but a pure class as more a "master". From a roleplay perspective for example, a fighter/cleric should never be as masterful with a sword as a pure fighter who's trained exclusively with a sword. While both are viable builds in their own right, they are different. Not saying pure or multi class is better than another, but personal preference. Granted this isnt D&D and I am fully aware of it

Saying a pure class will never be as good as a class with a secondary is small minded in my opinion. And I have to wonder, if SO many people end up dumping the points from their secondary into their primary in the long run, then why are we forced into this decision in the first place.

I believe the decision was enforced because many people overlooked the possibility of getting a secondary class. Pure characters ran around in post-searing Ascalon wondering why they only had one class while others had two.

As far as single class potential goes, a single classed character can never be better than a dual classed character, simply because the single class arsenal is a subset of the dual class arsenal. Whatever the single classed character can do, the dual classed character can do as well: it's a 'smaller than or equal' relation. ArenaNet designed the game around dual classed characters, and they apparently want you to at least consider it - they don't force you to actually use your secondary profession, just to complete your character with one.

I think it was your mild accusation that I wanted to be a R to be special or something. Like I'm that shallow I'm going to go around showing it off or something. I just don't see the point in being a R/Me and not using any mesmer skills *shrug* This thread was to ask if anyone knew if it could be done, or it was available and then they changed it, or if anyone had ANY information on it. I didn't expect to be judged, have my reasons analysed or be wished "good luck".

Fair enough I open myself up by posting a thread, but negative remarks towards someone wanting to be a primary profession are not needed, that's not at all what this was about. If you have an opinion on pure professions then start a thread called "Pure: Crap or not" or something.

End of the day, this game is there to be enjoyed. I feel like I'm having to verify my gaming experience to people. I don't want to be special, I don't want people to think I'm unique. I wanted to try something different for myself, and this post is only here cos I wasn't able to. Had I been able to I wouldn't even have mentioned it cos frankly, there's nothing to say. Is there.

In answer though. I think it's *possible* to go pure.

I think if you join a party that has a party leader with both professions, it only checks the leader and not you.

I haven't tested it though, but conceivably, you could cross over with only one class this way.

And for the record, I'm on your side.

Just don't put any points in your secondary. There's nothing awkward about it. But that doesn't mean your secondary prof can't be useful in other ways.

For PvP, change your secondary to what you want people to believe your role is. If you're R/Me, people are more likely to expect mes spells from you and may bump you up in targetting priority. If you're R/E, people might expect you to use conjure flame and "bow nuke". If you're R/Mo, people might watch you to interrupt resurrects. If you're R/W, they might expect you to whip out a melee weapon. I know I expect these kinds of things, just like I watch a W/R to interrupt his apply poison or troll unguent, and watch an E/Mo for heals.

On the other hand, I usually expect a single-profession PvP character to be an amateur, even when many dual-profs stick to their primaries and ignore their secondaries.

All warfare is deception.