Underwater Combat Update When!?

[Riyuke.3820]

Hey ArenaNet,

 

It's awesome to read your intentions of communicating even more, with regular "State of the Game" blogposts and whatnot. So let's start the first State of the Game off with a bang! By talking about the future plans for Underwater combat!

What are your future plans for Underwater combat? (And when can we expect to use all our abilities Underwater?)

Why are you letting it slowly die out but keep releasing new Underwater content?

Why:

- 23 of Thief's utility skills are unusable Underwater!? (Half the core Thief spec!?)

- Dragonhunter can't use Traps Underwater but Ranger can!? (Including Flame trap!? Fire underwater seems legit.)

- Chronomancer can't use Well skills Underwater but Necromancer can!?

- Engineer healing turret is unusable but Elixir Gun 5 practically creates the same effect Underwater!? (It just pulses healing instead of regeneration.)

- Mirage can't use False Oasis (heal) which would create a mirror on your location, but Mirage can use Sand through Glass (utility skill) which also creates a mirror on location. 

It's clearly not some engine or technical reason, as all the examples above show that most abilities are possible under water. And let's not even begin about entire elite specs being unusable under water. (Seriously, when is my Mech going to transform into a submarine!?)

What are these choices and why don't they make any sense? It would be really appreciated if you could come forth and talk to the community about the Underwater situation. (And tell us when you plan to allow every skill underwater.) You have one of the best combat systems of any MMO on the market right now. That includes Underwater combat!

 

Thank you for your time.

 

Sincerely,

 

Riyuke

Edited March 22, 2022 by Riyuke.3820

[Lord Krilik.3692]

It was announced today that there will be major quarterly updates to all classes, and the EoD expac kept teasing the trouble in the sea that causes the quaggan to evacuate. I think Areananet are planning underwater updates and will take us to those underwater settings, it just hasn't been announced yet. 

[Majic.4801]

I would love to see underwater combat get some much-needed love, but I think ArenaNet made a strategic decision some years back to prioritize other things.

A lot of players despise underwater combat for various reasons, with spatial disorientation amid GW2's signature blinding visual noise in combat probably being the most notable, and I certainly can't blame them for that.

I personally love GW2's underwater gameplay even with its warts and believe it could be attractive for both current and prospective players with some additional development and polish, but I wouldn't hold my breath (*rimshot*) waiting for it.

In any case, thanks for bringing it up, and who knows? Maybe there's a bright future awaiting us beneath the waves. 

Edited March 23, 2022 by Majic.4801

[Doggie.3184]

I love underwater combat. I just wish it could be completed instead of left in Alpha for 10 years. 😄

That huge empty chunk of water on map makes me anxious for a wet future but considering how I can't use any of my new Thief skills in water, despite them adding a water boss, it confuses me lol.

[EveningTempo.4796]

Either let me swim while I res or make drown skill 4 root fmlsmhbbq

[Scavarius.6059]

isnt it pretty clear that anet droped uw updates faster than nerfs for ele? no uw weapons in gen3, no legendary aquabreather, the only uw event in cantha can be cheezed outside of it. there is more, but am lazy :V

[Veprovina.4876]

A big entirely underwater meta would be totally interesting. But i'm afraid the current minimaps would make an entirely underwater map hard to navigate.

[ivyindigo.3214]

I remember when GW2 first released all its trailers for all its combat and remember thinking their underwater content was so revolutionary and unique, something that i know Anet still aims to stay true to this in every aspect of the game, so what I don't understand is why they've blatantly left these areas of the game that used to make it so unique? Honestly it feels pretty unprofessional and pretty amateur? 

 

I've been with GW2 since beta and have always come back to the game, but I feel with the EOD expansion being a water themed exp and their NOT being an underwater combat rework?! Seems completely counter intuitive. If underwater combat is too difficult to maintain ie basically building 2 specs instead of 1, then don't do it? Don't start what you can't finish etc. I know alot of people don't put UW content high on their list, but imagine if the combat was 100% whole and creative? You'd bring in so much more content and new players to the game. 

 

Bring in a new race to add interest and intrigue to it, revolutionise the Largos or create a whole new race unique to GW2, something never before seen. There's so much they can do! They've announced a 4th expansion is on the way, hopefully they use that to do it, or do a secondary expansion of EOD that does it. Give us something ANET!! 

[Sahne.6950]

Can we PLEASE first update WvW and then start with Underwatercombat?

seriously we are starving over here xD

[Nash.2681]

If they ever want to improve underwater combat, the first step would be to make the monster model match the hitbox consistently.

Proper positioning is a core element of gw2 combat, but it's just impossible underwater when you're forced to slap empty water to hit that big evil shark 10 meters next to you, just because the hitbox is in front of you, but the actual shark model is not.

If they should ever get this issue solved, we can talk about usability of utility skills.

[kharmin.7683]

12 minutes ago, Sahne.6950 said:

Can we PLEASE first update WvW and then start with Underwatercombat?

seriously we are starving over here xD

I don't engage in WvW, but I agree with this sentiment.

[Rauderi.8706]

All of the "can't use underwater" skills badly need an update. It sucks to have a build that gets negated by going underwater because the utilities weren't designed for it. 

[Swagger.1459]

On 3/22/2022 at 7:05 PM, Riyuke.3820 said:

Hey ArenaNet,

 

It's awesome to read your intentions of communicating even more, with regular "State of the Game" blogposts and whatnot. So let's start the first State of the Game off with a bang! By talking about the future plans for Underwater combat!

What are your future plans for Underwater combat? (And when can we expect to use all our abilities Underwater?)

Why are you letting it slowly die out but keep releasing new Underwater content?

Why:

- 23 of Thief's utility skills are unusable Underwater!? (Half the core Thief spec!?)

- Dragonhunter can't use Traps Underwater but Ranger can!? (Including Flame trap!? Fire underwater seems legit.)

- Chronomancer can't use Well skills Underwater but Necromancer can!?

- Engineer healing turret is unusable but Elixir Gun 5 practically creates the same effect Underwater!? (It just pulses healing instead of regeneration.)

- Mirage can't use False Oasis (heal) which would create a mirror on your location, but Mirage can use Sand through Glass (utility skill) which also creates a mirror on location. 

It's clearly not some engine or technical reason, as all the examples above show that most abilities are possible under water. And let's not even begin about entire elite specs being unusable under water. (Seriously, when is my Mech going to transform into a submarine!?)

What are these choices and why don't they make any sense? It would be really appreciated if you could come forth and talk to the community about the Underwater situation. (And tell us when you plan to allow every skill underwater.) You have one of the best combat systems of any MMO on the market right now. That includes Underwater combat!

 

Thank you for your time.

 

Sincerely,

 

Riyuke

To be fair, they did an underwater skills update in 2018. 
 

Personally don’t see this as a priority at all, especially when there are far larger profession issues needing attention. And there really isn’t that much underwater content to warrant making it a necessity or devoting a bunch of time and resources to. Maybe in a few years as a side update, but that’s about it. 

[Reborn.1738]

• Make underwater weapons work on land - there's 3 new weapon types for land combat too. And all their wardrobe options.
• Remove breathers from the game - or roll their cosmetics into normal headgear.
• Make land weapons work under water - there's however many weapons extra for underwater too. Suspend disbelief on using a bow underwater and we're all good.
• Fix skills that don't work underwater to work - I think most of them are ones that require manual ground targeting? Make them lock on to your current target or something.

Now you won't have to have a nerfed build underwater because you can't use your main weapon and skills. Now we have 3 new weapon types to roll in to builds. 

[Ronin.4501]

Maybe they'll finally fix the dead ranger pet revives underwater that have been an issue since day 1 of the game. 🤣🤣🤣

 

But as a WvW player, I have lost all confidence in the Anet devs at this point.  I play the game because I enjoy playing the game, but I've learned not to hold my breath when it comes to hoping Anet will fix what's broken.

[Xelqypla.6817]

I'd just like more exploration underwater.

They don't need to update everything or balance it all. Don't need events or Metas. It can stay clunky and obnoxious.

Just stop making underwater so bland on every map.