[suggestion] A way to balance affinity traits with quests.

Right now the affinity trait seens kinda messy...it was overpower before, now its too weak.

Why not changing it into a quest serie so players that want the best affinity possible can have them with some effort?

For this would be also intersting some adjustments to affinity traits' effect and cost, making the one bought at guild mark vendor have trait cost 1 and giving 10% more affinity and the new ones having enhanced effect, with tier II costing 2 trait points and giving 20% affinity, tier III costing 3 points and giving 30% affinity and tier IV costing 4 points and giving 40% affinity.

This way, to reach 100% affinity the player not only would need to spend 10 trait points but also spend 4 trait slots with affinity traits, which would also balance a bit more the usage of affinity traits.

Now about the quests...

Quest requeriments: A class rank 50 and having the affinity trait from marks shop equipped. These two cannot be the same class (like having MRD 50 and Axemanship. They need to be from different classes, like LNC 50 and Axemanship).

Quest NPC: The same NPC from affinity trait's class quests. The NPC would give 3 quests, one at a time and only after previous one was complete (example: To improve Axemanship you go talk to Waekbyrt, at the Astalicia, with Axemanship equipped and as a class other than MRD).

Quest 1: The NPC would offer you a way to improve the affinity with that class. For this, he will tell you that to improve affinity, first off you need to get used to the class. He then will give you an rank 50 unique/exclusive weapon from the trait's class but that requires your current class (example: If you go as LNC and accept the quest from Waekbyrt, you will receive an "Training Axe" that is marked as "Lancer's Arm" because you accepted the quest as LNC). The weapon will generate a basic action exclusive for it, that brings the basics of the class, which would be the training action (example: at previous example, the Training Axe would add the "Training Swing" basic action)

Now he would ask you to train hard with the weapon. That means that you would need to use it until it breaks (going down to 0%). After that, you unequip the weapon and talk again to the NPC for a tier II version of that trait (example: still at same example, when the LNC finish breaking the weapon, he talks to Waekbyrt again to return the weapon and be directed to a MRD expert NPC. This NPC would give you the Axemanship II).

After a day change and both traits equipped, you can go talk to the NPC again for the next quest. (example: Now going as LNC with Axemanship and Axemanship II equipped)

Quest 2: The NPc will tell you the expert NPC want to talk to you. Once you talk to him, he will say he liked how you put effort on that weapon but that now it cannot be repaired without a certain materials. Your objective now is to gather the material, which will change based on the class (example: the LNC would need an rosewood lumber, a steel ingot and a basilisk egg) and an item that is obtained from a class specific NM (for Axemanship quest, the NM would be a MRD NM that, when defeated, would drop a "Blunt Kraken Axe"). These NMs would only receive damage from class-specific actions (example: the MRD NPC would receive damage only from MRD weaponskills. The LNC basic actions would generate TP normally, but deal 0 damage).

Once you deliver all items to the expert NPC, you will learn the tier III trait.

Wait another day change then go with the 3 traits equipped and talk to the NPC again.

Quest 3: The NPC will tell that there was a problem repairing the weapon and that now you need to take the weapon to a man for him to finish the repair. Pick a terrible annoying place and put the NPC there...like Shepherd Peak in Coerthas. The player will need to get to find the NPC, get the weapon repaired and return to the expert NPC.

He will congratulate you for the good job, get the weapon and tell that now he needs to try it out. He then tell you to meet him at the center of Griffin Crossing (Coerthas 27, 44). Once there, you will enter in an instance and you both will fight, with him using the weapon (example: when the LNC fight him, he will be a MRD and will be equipping the Kraken Axe).

Since its supposed to be a fight only for disciple of war and magic, the NPC can fight for real, using the best the class can use and even some of the moves that weren't unlocked still (example: against the LNC the MRD could use Godsbane, that is already ingame but not unlocked). Lets make this fight epic! A cutscene before and a challenging fight (hard enough to bring back bad memories from the infamous Maat) would be more than welcome...after all the player will be facing an expert NPC.

When you beat him, you will receive the weapon (rank 50, unique/exclusive and for the correct class...if you beat the NPC for axemanship you will receive a rank 50 MRD's arm) and the tier IV trait.

I must say that, even though this would ask for some annoying effort, it would make the maximum affinity a worthy reward for those that complete it, also leaving the weapon as a teaser for them to rank up that class to 50 too.