Guild Wars 2's combat system is reliant upon changing your tactics in the heat of battle. You can even swap out your style of play entirely by switching weapon sets, which changes out your first 5 skills equipped. The combat's very active and action-oriented and there is no auto attack. As a result of hit-detection on a per-projectile basis and the ability to cast while running, the combat relies heavily on movement and careful positioning as well as looking at the battlefield for opportunities to perform cross-profession combos or support an ally.

EDIT:

Also,

Guild Wars 2's combat system uses a bit of influence from Magic: The Gathering, where players can select 10 skills from a pool of them. So, much like Guild Wars 1, the combat will probably never boil down to a single, perfect rotation because two classes can have many different build setups. You can even fool around with the skills we know so far, and create your own build here.

A Tale in the Desert isn't like that.  It doesn't have combat.

Rotations are really nothing more than optimizing your damage / threat.  In any MMO, you have the choice to use abilities in different sequences - it might not be optimal to use Mind Blast when you don't have any Shadow Orbs, but you sure can if you want to.  Aside from some examples of game design that explicitly changes how you need to use abilities, the only thing that 'changes' in MMO combat is your mentality and how you approach it.  Be optimal, or be unique.

Mabinogi uses a rock-paper-scissors combat system.  Fallen Earth uses skills for 'special occasions' while most combat is done by aiming and clicking.  DDO works similar to Fallen Earth except that there are certain classes that are much more reliant on skills and spells (which are usually applied based on necessity, unless you're an arcane caster).

But if you're the kind of person who always tries to look for the most optimal setup, you will always find the most optimal setup and will likely be given a rotation to follow that will help you ensure maximum DPS.

Oh and most 'rotations' are really priority queues now.

Check out any of the games from Iron Realms Entertainment (IRE) if you're looking for a game that you can play how you want. There are no rotations to speak of and the PvP is all reactive to where you want to bring the fight. It's a text-only game, so it has more depth than anything else out there currently. 

---

Originally posted by Serelisk
Guild Wars 2's combat system is reliant upon changing your tactics in the heat of battle. You can even swap out your style of play entirely by switching weapon sets, which changes out your first 5 skills equipped. The combat's very active and action-oriented and there is no auto attack. As a result of hit-detection on a per-projectile basis and the ability to cast while running, the combat relies heavily on movement and careful positioning as well as looking at the battlefield for opportunities to perform cross-profession combos or support an ally.
 
EDIT:
Also,
Guild Wars 2's combat system uses a bit of influence from Magic: The Gathering, where players can select 10 skills from a pool of them. So, much like Guild Wars 1, the combat will probably never boil down to a single, perfect rotation because two classes can have many different build setups. You can even fool around with the skills we know so far, and create your own build here.

---

EVE doesnt have rotation. its on cyclic combat system.

In before "GW2 does it so much............................."

oh snap,  nvm 

*sigh

---

Originally posted by stayontarget
In before "GW2 does it so much............................."
 
oh snap,  nvm 
 
*sigh

---

haha well what did you expect? It was a silly statement.

Originally posted by kolpo

 

In quite all MMOPRG's comes combat after a while down to rotations who are constantly repeated, once you have discovered the perfect sequence of attacks/spells is it most efficient to keep repeating them. Are there any MMOPRG's who are not like this, who didn't have rotations nor just autoattack

Unfortunately no if you mean those mmo's that are not scifi and are RPG. I too am waiting on a game like this to be released, it's called GW2, no global cooldown, no rotation, in combat weapon switching (which changes your entire skillset) and multiple roles for every class dependant on weapon, traits, and your choices for what's on your right bar.  I tell you i cannot wait. Not to mention most of the game's mobs are in the open world which changes depending on the number of players participating, and when they change they actually get new attacks/spells. Truly dynamic. Sad that they don't have open beta yet.

Originally posted by DannyGlover

 

---

Originally posted by Serelisk
Guild Wars 2's combat system is reliant upon changing your tactics in the heat of battle. You can even swap out your style of play entirely by switching weapon sets, which changes out your first 5 skills equipped. The combat's very active and action-oriented and there is no auto attack. As a result of hit-detection on a per-projectile basis and the ability to cast while running, the combat relies heavily on movement and careful positioning as well as looking at the battlefield for opportunities to perform cross-profession combos or support an ally.
 
EDIT:
Also,
Guild Wars 2's combat system uses a bit of influence from Magic: The Gathering, where players can select 10 skills from a pool of them. So, much like Guild Wars 1, the combat will probably never boil down to a single, perfect rotation because two classes can have many different build setups. You can even fool around with the skills we know so far, and create your own build here.

---

GW2 will have rotations. Repetition = rotation. Unless you think you will never see the same mob mechanics twice.

 

nope the mobs change with participation group size so it is ever changing. You do have to switch weapons alot in this game thus they have a bar and hotkeys dedicated to the switching choices and the the events will be different almost everytime you visit a location because there is a small chance on certain events that the npc's will win.  So it IS truly a dynamic game. not to mention that the dungeons will even be dynamic according to which mode your party takes exploration/story and the ability to learn special abilities via Feats a sort of enhanced achievement system that only affects abilities.

Originally posted by itgrowls

/snip

nope the mobs change with participation group size so it is ever changing. The only class with the lowest set of weapons to choose from switch between is Engineers, and the only class without weapon switching is elementalist. So it IS truly a dynamic game. not to mention that the dungeons will even be dynamic according to which mode your party takes exploration/story and the ability to learn special abilities via Feats a sort of enhanced achievement system that only affects abilities.

Change in what way?  HP>

How will that effect skill use,  how will skill use be effected by how many players are around?

---

Originally posted by itgrowls

---

Originally posted by DannyGlover
 

---

Originally posted by Serelisk
Guild Wars 2's combat system is reliant upon changing your tactics in the heat of battle. You can even swap out your style of play entirely by switching weapon sets, which changes out your first 5 skills equipped. The combat's very active and action-oriented and there is no auto attack. As a result of hit-detection on a per-projectile basis and the ability to cast while running, the combat relies heavily on movement and careful positioning as well as looking at the battlefield for opportunities to perform cross-profession combos or support an ally.
 
EDIT:
Also,
Guild Wars 2's combat system uses a bit of influence from Magic: The Gathering, where players can select 10 skills from a pool of them. So, much like Guild Wars 1, the combat will probably never boil down to a single, perfect rotation because two classes can have many different build setups. You can even fool around with the skills we know so far, and create your own build here.

---

GW2 will have rotations. Repetition = rotation. Unless you think you will never see the same mob mechanics twice.
 

---

nope the mobs change with participation group size so it is ever changing. You do have to switch weapons alot in this game thus they have a bar and hotkeys dedicated to the switching choices and the the events will be different almost everytime you visit a location because there is a small chance on certain events that the npc's will win.  So it IS truly a dynamic game. not to mention that the dungeons will even be dynamic according to which mode your party takes exploration/story and the ability to learn special abilities via Feats a sort of enhanced achievement system that only affects abilities.

---

Originally posted by stayontarget

Originally posted by itgrowls

/snip

nope the mobs change with participation group size so it is ever changing. The only class with the lowest set of weapons to choose from switch between is Engineers, and the only class without weapon switching is elementalist. So it IS truly a dynamic game. not to mention that the dungeons will even be dynamic according to which mode your party takes exploration/story and the ability to learn special abilities via Feats a sort of enhanced achievement system that only affects abilities.

Change in what way?  HP>

How will that effect skill use,  how will skill use be effected by how many players are around?

 

They will change the skills they use to those of more powerful versions or start using things like CC and healing depending on the number of players. It was reported in this thread....http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/337506/page/1 and spoken about in length on many a podcast.

From what I understand GW2 will limit the amount of skills a player can put in the skillbar.  So in reality it will be more dependant on a rotation for the particular incounter.

Originally posted by DannyGlover

 

---

Originally posted by itgrowls

---

Originally posted by DannyGlover
 

---

Originally posted by Serelisk
Guild Wars 2's combat system is reliant upon changing your tactics in the heat of battle. You can even swap out your style of play entirely by switching weapon sets, which changes out your first 5 skills equipped. The combat's very active and action-oriented and there is no auto attack. As a result of hit-detection on a per-projectile basis and the ability to cast while running, the combat relies heavily on movement and careful positioning as well as looking at the battlefield for opportunities to perform cross-profession combos or support an ally.
 
EDIT:
Also,
Guild Wars 2's combat system uses a bit of influence from Magic: The Gathering, where players can select 10 skills from a pool of them. So, much like Guild Wars 1, the combat will probably never boil down to a single, perfect rotation because two classes can have many different build setups. You can even fool around with the skills we know so far, and create your own build here.

---

GW2 will have rotations. Repetition = rotation. Unless you think you will never see the same mob mechanics twice.
 

---

nope the mobs change with participation group size so it is ever changing. You do have to switch weapons alot in this game thus they have a bar and hotkeys dedicated to the switching choices and the the events will be different almost everytime you visit a location because there is a small chance on certain events that the npc's will win.  So it IS truly a dynamic game. not to mention that the dungeons will even be dynamic according to which mode your party takes exploration/story and the ability to learn special abilities via Feats a sort of enhanced achievement system that only affects abilities.

---

Skill rotations exist because mob ai is predictable. No game has ever had true ai. There is always a pattern. Hence there will always be an optimum skill rotation for every situation.

 

you are suggesting that the skill choices will be a static single set only, that's not going to happen in GW2 because of the sheer number of choices for most professions, however there are two professions with a simpler set of choices for their weapons and kits so in those cases yes it will most likely have a prefered rotation however when you are dealing with warrior ranger or mesmer it won't be so simple. I think this game will give even the elitest jerks quite a number of calculation issues.

Originally posted by stayontarget

From what I understand GW2 will limit the amount of skills a player can put in the skillbar.  So in reality it will be more dependant on a rotation for the particular incounter.

actually no they don't and it is because of the in combat weapon switching. See when you have that element you can easily switch up your skills while attacking something to give you better suited choices for the encounter dependant solely on your playstyle. Some people will argue that there will be only one singular method that works best but when you have choices like this it's dependant on the player not the game.

---

Originally posted by itgrowls

---

Originally posted by DannyGlover
 

---

Originally posted by itgrowls

---

Originally posted by DannyGlover
 

---

Originally posted by Serelisk
Guild Wars 2's combat system is reliant upon changing your tactics in the heat of battle. You can even swap out your style of play entirely by switching weapon sets, which changes out your first 5 skills equipped. The combat's very active and action-oriented and there is no auto attack. As a result of hit-detection on a per-projectile basis and the ability to cast while running, the combat relies heavily on movement and careful positioning as well as looking at the battlefield for opportunities to perform cross-profession combos or support an ally.
 
EDIT:
Also,
Guild Wars 2's combat system uses a bit of influence from Magic: The Gathering, where players can select 10 skills from a pool of them. So, much like Guild Wars 1, the combat will probably never boil down to a single, perfect rotation because two classes can have many different build setups. You can even fool around with the skills we know so far, and create your own build here.

---

GW2 will have rotations. Repetition = rotation. Unless you think you will never see the same mob mechanics twice.
 

---

nope the mobs change with participation group size so it is ever changing. You do have to switch weapons alot in this game thus they have a bar and hotkeys dedicated to the switching choices and the the events will be different almost everytime you visit a location because there is a small chance on certain events that the npc's will win.  So it IS truly a dynamic game. not to mention that the dungeons will even be dynamic according to which mode your party takes exploration/story and the ability to learn special abilities via Feats a sort of enhanced achievement system that only affects abilities.

---

Skill rotations exist because mob ai is predictable. No game has ever had true ai. There is always a pattern. Hence there will always be an optimum skill rotation for every situation.
 

---

you are suggesting that the skill choices will be a static single set only, that's not going to happen in GW2 because of the sheer number of choices for most professions, however there are two professions with a simpler set of choices for their weapons and kits so in those cases yes it will most likely have a prefered rotation however when you are dealing with warrior ranger or mesmer it won't be so simple. I think this game will give even the elitest jerks quite a number of calculation issues.

---

Thats fine, you can theory craft all day about skill sets. Wasn't what I was talking about so let's just move on :)

I've played quite a few games that have weapon switching so its nothing new.  Those games still fell into the rotation trap.

Originally posted by stayontarget

I've played quite a few games that have weapon switching so its nothing new.  Those games still fell into the rotation trap.

Like UO, Puzzle Pirates and Mount & Blade, right? ;)