Weapon additions

[Fenris.8563]

I'm really new to GW2 and I've been experimenting a lot with the different possible weapons/builds and I love how this game is setup.  However, It's really disappointing that spears are only used underwater, for example.  How is NCSoft with player feedback regarding suggestions/requests? I would really like to see 2 handed spears/lances/polearms,  and 1 handed Javelins become available.  Javelin+Shield could be a lot of fun in this game.  A great axe would be a nice addition as well.   I see that some people have spoken about this before on other forums but I don't really see much talk of it on here so figured I'd throw it out there.  

[Dawdler.8521]

We got greatswords that shoot lasers.

Traditional weapon definitions is pretty pointless.

[Farohna.6247]

The forums have discussed/requested many, many times new weapons and variations.  Anet isn't interested in adding more, but skins are always possible.

[Fenris.8563]

kitten that's lame.  Thanks for the perspective though.  Good to know going forward what's worth asking for and what's not lmao

[Scalacious.4139]

11 minutes ago, Fenris.8563 said:

I would really like to see 2 handed spears/lances/polearms

Some professions, like daredevil (thief elite) and all revenant variants use the staff as a melee weapon. With the right skin, it does look like a spear or polearm.

[Fenris.8563]

Yeah I've noticed that, and I have tried thief daredevil build.   It is pretty fun but then I have to level thief all the way to 80 and then some before I can even use it for anything other than PVP.   I may reconsider it at some point.  I'm currently playing a Druid Ranger GS/Bow at the moment and I'm loving it.  Just would like to try out some other weapons, and the staff for RNG seems like a solid support secondary weapon but it doesn't play the way I'd like it to of course, in terms of melee.  ty

[Omega.6801]

No.

[Fueki.4753]

For all we know, Arenanet simply doesn't want new weapon types.

[Fenris.8563]

Just now, Fueki.4753 said:

For all we know, Arenanet simply doesn't want new weapon types.

Yeah and it's semi understandable.  Older game, it's a lot of work.  I just at least see an opportunity with Spear like weapons since they even already exist anyway.  I'm getting that vibe.  But I like to provide a lot of feedback and that was part of my reasoning for bothering.  To see how they deal with feedback and see how much they interact with player base and see what will be worth bringing up down the road.  thank you!

[kharmin.7683]

41 minutes ago, Fenris.8563 said:

Yeah and it's semi understandable.  Older game, it's a lot of work.  I just at least see an opportunity with Spear like weapons since they even already exist anyway.  I'm getting that vibe.  But I like to provide a lot of feedback and that was part of my reasoning for bothering.  To see how they deal with feedback and see how much they interact with player base and see what will be worth bringing up down the road.  thank you!

I recommend that you use the forums search feature to see topics such as these so that you might better understand the existing arguments for and against them.  That might also help you to understand what is worth bringing up or not, especially if it's something that has been discussed ad nauseam.

[Fenris.8563]

1 hour ago, Scalacious.4139 said:

Some professions, like daredevil (thief elite) and all revenant variants use the staff as a melee weapon. With the right skin, it does look like a spear or polearm.

btw, I  tried thf but not Revenant.  Is there a Revenant staff melee build viable for as DPS?  And that would be 'accepted' and capable in PVP?

[Fenris.8563]

2 minutes ago, kharmin.7683 said:

I recommend that you use the forums search feature to see topics such as these so that you might better understand the existing arguments for and against them.  That might also help you to understand what is worth bringing up or not, especially if it's something that has been discussed ad nauseam.

I did, but I did not go back very far, as it is pointless to, since reviving old threads is one of the worst crimes committed on the internet since the dawn of forums.    

 

With that being said I also wasn't as interested in other players' opinions for arguments against them.  Quite frankly any arguments against a typical melee weapon for a game that already features melee weapons won't be anything except weirdos who can't stand to see the game do something that isn't for them as an individual.   

 

It's not like I am asking for something that would be difficult to implement or balance.  I mean it's even already done to an extent.  

[Khisanth.2948]

New weapons will probably need new animations but judging from all the reused animations the budget for new animations is non-existent.

The other major issue is what purpose would they serve in terms of game mechanics or role. Aesthetics is invalid because that is covered by making skins.

[Fenris.8563]

9 minutes ago, Khisanth.2948 said:

New weapons will probably need new animations but judging from all the reused animations the budget for new animations is non-existent.

The other major issue is what purpose would they serve in terms of game mechanics or role. Aesthetics is invalid because that is covered by making skins.

Valid points, but why does there have to be a purpose they would serve that are different from any other melee weapon?

I mean if I was in a situation where if proving a case for that meant I'd get them to add these, I'd say the 2H could have a longer reach, sweeps, knock down, stun (use blunt end).  

 

As for the javelin, you can give it a ranged throw.  AOE swipe, maybe an inline straight AOE stab, etc.  

 

The point should be to provide versatility in what players want to play.   Skins do not turn a staff used for healing into a melee weapon.  Nor do they turn a non-viable melee into a viable melee.   Skins are great, but I don't think we should settle for skins considering staffs and spears/javs/lances etc are very much different weapons.  

 

Again, I do think you bring up valid points but I think I answer them.   With that being said, what is the point of axes that we currently have?  We have swords, daggers, greatswords.  etc.  

 

If we need to have an excuse to have them, make them a high bleed weapon, or any of the other suggestions I listed.  Or all of them.  There is definitely room for them in this game IMO.

[Val.7826]

3 hours ago, Scalacious.4139 said:

Some professions, like daredevil (thief elite) and all revenant variants use the staff as a melee weapon. With the right skin, it does look like a spear or polearm.

and after creating your awsome sunspear daredevil build, you die inside because your beautiful golden-metal sharp Sunspear sounds like a disappointing bamboo woodstick

[Fenris.8563]

9 minutes ago, Val.7826 said:

and after creating your awsome sunspear daredevil build, you die inside because your beautiful golden-metal sharp Sunspear sounds like a disappointing bamboo woodstick

Yeah lol that's a good point also.  Granted I can live with it if the build is effective and fun.   But at the end of the day, IMO, slapping skins of entirely different weapons, especially a spear, into a staff, is not the answer.  Again, just my opinion.

 

 

[Khisanth.2948]

26 minutes ago, Fenris.8563 said:

I mean if I was in a situation where if proving a case for that meant I'd get them to add these, I'd say the 2H could have a longer reach, sweeps, knock down, stun (use blunt end).  

 

As for the javelin, you can give it a ranged throw.  AOE swipe, maybe an inline straight AOE stab, etc.  

All irrelevant because we are playing Guild Wars 2 not Arma II. Realistic modeling of weapon characteristics is not something GW2 does. Thieves launch remote detonated fragmentation grenades with a bow. All those things will depend on game balance.

[Fenris.8563]

7 minutes ago, Khisanth.2948 said:

All irrelevant because we are playing Guild Wars 2 not Arma II. Realistic modeling of weapon characteristics is not something GW2 does. Thieves launch remote detonated fragmentation grenades with a bow. All those things will depend on game balance.

Fine, you win.  Let's have a skill that turns the spear into a ranged missile and does massive AOE damage on contact.

[SuavePuppy.2809]

Underwater weapons being useable on land is a change I could see being possible, even if they attach it to an expansion. When it comes to new weapons though, I doubt it'll happen. I'm not saying it's impossible, but there is a huge catalogue of cosmetics available for the existing weapons. A lot of work would have to go into trying to add a new weapon to each skin set. I know you want versatility, and they do try to introduce that - they just use elite specs instead of new weapons.

[Fenris.8563]

7 minutes ago, SuavePuppy.2809 said:

Underwater weapons being useable on land is a change I could see being possible, even if they attach it to an expansion. When it comes to new weapons though, I doubt it'll happen. I'm not saying it's impossible, but there is a huge catalogue of cosmetics available for the existing weapons. A lot of work would have to go into trying to add a new weapon to each skin set. I know you want versatility, and they do try to introduce that - they just use elite specs instead of new weapons.

And I would be good with that.  If they simply gave me a spear to use on land.... that would be incredible!  I would be beyond happy with that.

[Fueki.4753]

42 minutes ago, SuavePuppy.2809 said:

A lot of work would have to go into trying to add a new weapon to each skin set.

Seeing how newly released weapon sets have been missing three weapon types for years now, I don't think they would feel the need to add hypothetical new weapon types to old sets.

Edited December 15, 2022 by Fueki.4753

[kharmin.7683]

4 hours ago, Fenris.8563 said:

It's not like I am asking for something that would be difficult to implement or balance.  I mean it's even already done to an extent.  

And you know that this would neither be difficult to implement or balance how?

[Fenris.8563]

14 minutes ago, kharmin.7683 said:

And you know that this would neither be difficult to implement or balance how?

To be 100% honest, without downplaying how difficult it is to make an mmo overall (extremely time consuming, takes a LOT of man power and work),  I AM currently working on a degree in computer programming.   So I do have an idea.

 

With that being said, without getting technical, a lot of the framework is already there.   Again, spears already exist in the game. 

 

This is an odd question, considering we're talking about a large developer who made an excellent MMORPG.  They are 100% up to the task.  The only questions are 1) Is it worth it to them?  2) Do they want to do it?

 

**Edit: I just want to reiterate the fact that I am not saying that any of this is "easy" by any means.  Again, there's a lot of work put into this.  But also, this is what this company does, and to suggest that they can not do this, when they have already made and balanced many weapons, is rather silly, IMO.  Clearly, they can do something they have already done.

I'd also like to point out the large uptick in players in GW2 over this past year and just throw that out there that it's not like this game is dying and isn't worth working on.  They just released an entire expansion earlier this year.

Edited December 15, 2022 by Fenris.8563
Adding to/clarifying my stance

[Trejgon.9367]

18 minutes ago, Fenris.8563 said:

I AM currently working on a degree in computer programming.   So I do have an idea.

Coming from someone who actually works as software engineer: no, not really, at this point you think you have it, but reality is quite different from what you get to see when "working on a degree".

If someone asked me, based on my experience in the field if adding a new weapon type is easy or not, the answer would be: I do not know how their code base is set up, and without that knowledge I cannot make a judgement.

18 minutes ago, Fenris.8563 said:

With that being said, without getting technical, a lot of the framework is already there.   Again, spears already exist in the game. 

Just because spear exists as an aquatic weapon type, does not mean that the framework for overland spears is already there. It may be, it may be not. Unless you saw AN's source code of the game, it is unfeasible to try to be guessing that.

18 minutes ago, Fenris.8563 said:

This is an odd question, considering we're talking about a large developer who made an excellent MMORPG

Actually no, this was not an "odd" question, it was perfectly sensible question.

 

EDIT to respond to edits:

  

18 minutes ago, Fenris.8563 said:

**Edit: I just want to reiterate the fact that I am not saying that any of this is "easy" by any means.  Again, there's a lot of work put into this.  But also, this is what this company does, and to suggest that they can not do this, when they have already made and balanced many weapons, is rather silly, IMO.  Clearly, they can do something they have already done.

The fact that they did not introduce new weapons for 10 years, and that GW2 systems already did cut down on alot of potential skills, would be probably the best indicator that perhaps, the current number is as far as they feel confident with. Balance of weapons is not something one does in a void, it's a process of weighting each possible set against all the other options, and the more options they are, the vastly more work it becomes to balance. Ontop of that there is a question of implementation - their system may not even have flexibility in it's design that would allow for expantion of available terrestrial weapons without silly amount of work recoding bigger chunk of the core game code.

  

22 minutes ago, Fenris.8563 said:

I'd also like to point out the large uptick in players in GW2 over this past year and just throw that out there that it's not like this game is dying and isn't worth working on.

that bears no relevance in this discussion tho.

Edited December 15, 2022 by Lord Trejgon.2809

[Fenris.8563]

3 minutes ago, Lord Trejgon.2809 said:

Coming from someone who actually works as software engineer: no, not really, at this point you think you have it, but reality is quite different from what you get to see when "working on a degree".

If someone asked me, based on my experience in the field if adding a new weapon type is easy or not, the answer would be: I do not know how their code base is set up, and without that knowledge I cannot make a judgement.

Just because spear exists as an aquatic weapon type, does not mean that the framework for overland spears is already there. It may be, it may be not. Unless you saw AN's source code of the game, it is unfeasible to try to be guessing that.

Actually no, this was not an "odd" question, it was perfectly sensible question.

The purpose of the question is odd and as a software engineer you know that.  What are we doing here? Are we saying they're not capable making another weapon for this game? Jfc 🤣

 

You're exaggerating what I'm saying here. Kinda like how he did.  Yes it's a lot of work. No it's not easy. They can't just snap their fingers.  But this is what they do and they've literally already done it with other weapons. 

 

I know enough to know this is true. We can all relax guys. We know it's not likely to happen anyway.  🙄You don't have to white knight this dude because you're afraid of GW2 adding weapons.