How about next expansion is underwater

[Mell.4873]

We already have some Lore about a mysterious underwater monster so why don't we make it a demon and just do a full underwater expansion. 

Reworking all the underwater skills and elite mechanics to allow them all to have an underwater version. 

I don't know how easy it but why don't we also bring some of the underwater weapons to the surface and vice versa. Alot of people have already requested a Spear. Why not give everyone atleast one of their underwater weapons on land. 

At the same time, I don't see why we can't see a few of the surface weapons to work underwater. Most would not require much a rework and if they are doing all Utilities just include a few weapons. 

Edited August 21, 2023 by Mell.4873

[Dadnir.5038]

I don't think there is a need for a demon when we have the kraiths. This aquatic race is thematically bound to slavery, the story just need an excuse to send us to kraithwater so that we can punish them hard. The story don't need to be very complicated:

• ep1: It's time for a new mayor in Lion Arch, new elections are done and our character come to support one of the candidate. It will allow our character to encounter new "named" NPC and bond with them (Let's be cliché here and say our character bond with a family and achieve a form of friendship with the kid of the family).
• ep2: As everything seem to be going well the kraith launch an unexpected large scale ambush on claw Island where a party is organized by our candidate and capturing a large part of the city's population. (Amongst which there is our candidate and the kid obviously... or the parents and our character swear to bring them back...)
• ep3 We end up discovering that the opponent is behind the ordeal, end up in a big fight against him and it's minions. After their timely death, we find data about the whereabout of the kraiths and the chase begin.
• ep4: We explore the area bordered by claw island, southsun cove, caledon forest and bloodtide coast. Which ultimately bring us to a kraith outpost that we destroy mercilessly before finding that we are a bit late and that our query have already be sent in the area beyond southsun cove.
• ep5: A second new map where stand the headquarter of the kraiths, however we find out that it will be difficult to breakthrough so we choose to disguise as kraiths for and undercover operation only to find out that the one we are looking for have been sent to the marshs between rata sum and the grove.
• ep6: We go to the marsh where, after some struggle we find clues that the people we are looking for have already been bought by 3 possible buyers. Inquest, white mantle or nightmare court.
• ep7-8-9: 1 ep per bad guy to kick in the 🍑. Obviously we find them on our last try.
• ep10: Back to Lion arch were we prepare a large scale attack on Kraithcity!
• ep11-12-13: we take over 3 strategic areas of the city leaving only the last one with the final boss.
• ep14: Boss fight
• epilogue.

[Raarsi.6798]

Underwater expansion would be fun, but I think the biggest issue to tackle for it would be in fixing a couple of specs like Renegade that don't properly work underwater.  As for weapons, I see three options:

1. Status quo predominantly maintained, likely resulting in buffing what current weapons we have for underwater combat.  This would be the easiest alternative since it would the easiest option to balance.
2. New weapon or weapons introduced solely for aquatic combat.  While there could be an argument made for expanding land weapons into aquatic combat (i.e. Bladesworn's gunsaber), unless there is a circumstance in which underwater movement was purely identical to land movement, it would be more efficient for devs to instead create another weapon universally designed for underwater movement.
3. New aquatic elite spec bringing in an exclusive weapon.  Despite this being the most extreme option and highly unlikely given recent development positions on weapons and elite specs, this would also be the most convenient route for balancing purposes, as this would provide a niche circumstance in which an elite spec would be a viable possibility, and a new weapon for it (either underwater or land) would further limit what problems may arise in terms of balance.

I'm sure there'd be other fun features like additional skimmer masteries or something along those lines as well.

[DeanBB.4268]

"How about next expansion is underwater"

How about...No? That's the last place I'd like to go, once everywhere else has been visited. Except, wait, we're going up in the sky next, so there's really no need to go underwater.

[Drall.2419]

Underwater combat would need a bit of a rehaul, so don't hold your breath (pun intended 🙂 ).

[Mell.4873]

5 hours ago, DeanBB.4268 said:

"How about next expansion is underwater"

How about...No? That's the last place I'd like to go, once everywhere else has been visited. Except, wait, we're going up in the sky next, so there's really no need to go underwater.

Okay... 

3 hours ago, Drall.2419 said:

Underwater combat would need a bit of a rehaul, so don't hold your breath (pun intended 🙂 ).

I feel like it's another easy win for them. No need to redesign any system just fully implement the current underwater skills or elite mechanics. 

They also have underwater weapon skins already so no need create anything new for on land. Again people have been asking for the Spear for a very long time.

An on land Spear could be a Condition Greatsword which could be a good niche. While a Trident could be a Power Staff. The Harpoon Gun would be a condition version of the Rifle much like how Longbow and Shortbow have the same duality. 

To push the on land theory further they already have all the traits lined up. 

Edited August 21, 2023 by Mell.4873

[Riba.3271]

EoD was expansion about water dragon. What did we get? Useless skiffs.. No underwater combat rework, no new underwater weapons, no underwater content, no legendary aquatic helm. Well, at least we can ride skimmer underwater to avoid most of the underwater content.

At least all classes need extra underwater weapon so they have a meaningful choice, and they need to implement automatic action camera and 3d dodging being active underwater somehow. So nothing too crazy.
Btw, if they want inspiration, Lost Arks Abyssal raids underwater were amazing. Boss combats where you have to maintain your own air by finding refills without worrying about countering some stupid team wipe mechanics. And the underwater plant and animallife is just stunningly beautiful. So in theory you could have underwater fights with land abilities, you just walk on the seafloor.

[prototypedragon.1406]

A world versus world expansion could be interesting perhaps ? 🤔🧙‍♂️

[Dreamreaver.4908]

OP @Mell.4873, I've a feeling you might get your wish at some point in the future (maybe not an expansion, but possibly a map), but maybe not in the way one expects...

 

This is just a theory, but one thing I noticed at least in the first SotO map was something I've never seen before anywhere else in the game--the ability to go "underwater" in certain elevated pockets coded for it instead of a generalized height level that would always be water when you went below it.

 

Given the playerbase's general disdain of underwater combat, I could see players maybe swimming down to an underwater city and then entering it to then fight in an "air pocket" that will have land combat rules. It could be one of the Tethyos Houses of the largos perhaps, which might explain why an amphibious race that's 99% underwater just so happens to be very adept at fighting on land for however long they've existed.

[Mell.4873]

6 minutes ago, Dreamreaver.4908 said:

OP @Mell.4873, I've a feeling you might get your wish at some point in the future (maybe not an expansion, but possibly a map), but maybe not in the way one expects...

 

This is just a theory, but one thing I noticed at least in the first SotO map was something I've never seen before anywhere else in the game--the ability to go "underwater" in certain elevated pockets coded for it instead of a generalized height level that would always be water when you went below it.

 

Given the playerbase's general disdain of underwater combat, I could see players maybe swimming down to an underwater city and then entering it to then fight in an "air pocket" that will have land combat rules. It could be one of the Tethyos Houses of the largos perhaps, which might explain why an amphibious race that's 99% underwater just so happens to be very adept at fighting on land for however long they've existed.

Well now that we have mounted combat, I don't think it's too hard to see we get that or even better a skiff with cannons of some sort.
We will have to wait and see....