Guild Wars: Eye of the North Q&A

Games32 is offering up a short nine-question Q&A with Guild Wars: Eye of the North designer Ben Miller.
Q: Why the introduction of PvE only skills? What was the reason behind it and how will this change the players experience for PvE? Can you give us some examples?

A: In Nightfall we introduced skills that we're tied to title tracks. We felt it was a really important thing to do that helped extend character profession past level 20. These skills are also more tied in with the PvE story. Moving into Eye Of The North we were able to really have some fun with these skills because they were bound to PvP balance. It really gave us a chance to really make the player feel like they were kickin' ass. A good example is a dwarven skill that gives you a regular bonus when used but its potency is increased while you are drunk. Things that wouldn't have made it onto a PvP skill because it would have been superfluous in competitive play, but its that kind of that helps make the PvE game fun and immersive.