[Suggestions] Weaponskill customization (i.e: weapon specialization trees; what if condi greatsword was a thing?)

[SaferMurderweapon.7143]

As a bigtime Greatsword enthusiast, I often find myself rarely using it. They aren't very effective on some classes (Ranger) while they are absurdly strong on some others; "gravedigger, gravedigger, gravedigger..." Furthermore greatsword has some of the coolest looking legendaries and yet it's one of the worst choices for a legendary aesthetics aside because let's face it; when have you ever stat swapped a GS to anything besides berserker? Heal-Vindi is the only thing I can think of tbh

Not asking for a buff, but generally a lot of weapons have a unique identity and fantasy that makes them fun to play but sometimes require specific traits to function properly which can be restricting. It seems like Anet wants to do away with a lot of the weapon specific traits (i.e: two sticks and a rock now have a 20% reduced cooldown on weapon skills and you no longer have to share the rock) so what would you suggest in its place?

I honestly like the idea of weapon specializations that get their own slot as a 4th spec. They would function just like the other specs, but instead of enhancing the weapon, it would change it depending on the traits selected? What if Mesmer's Greatsword 1 becomes a 3 stage melee attack or their GS3 rains down or launches ethereal greatswords gate of babylon style in an area/direction inflicting condis? What if you could make Ranger's greatsword to do condi damage and change the block into a skill that has your character using the pommel to do breakbar or use the greastsword as a shovel and put dirt in someone's eye? Or replace Warrior GS4 and 5 with more damage oriented abilities? Or any kind of change you can think of that would make a lot of more underutilized weapons more appealing while preserving the base version of the weapon itself for those that already appreciate it

Here are some trait examples for the Mesmer's Greatsword

First Column

* Spatial Surge instead of shooting a beam, you swing your sword sending blades of energy at your target doing less strike damage but inflicting damaging conditions. Gains "Blade". Ambush: Perform a flurry of slices that rapidly stack damaging conditions

* Spatial Surge instead becomes a 3 stage melee auto attack that inflicts vulnerability and weakness. For every tenth stack of vulnerability you apply; your next auto 3 inflicts 1/4 seconds of Daze.. Ambush: Conjure a massive phantasmal greatsword and slam it down in a 600 range line AoE dealing massive amounts of vulnerability and damage to foes. Gains "Blade"

* Spatial Surge now heals allies caught in its path. Mirror Blade now heals and grants boons to allies hit

Second Column

* Phantasmal Berserkers now destroy projectiles and apply vulnerability

* Mind Stab instead summons a series of portals behind you that conjure a hail of greatswords in the chosen direction inflicting conditions in a wide line 600 range AoE. Gains "Blade"

* Mind Stab now teleports you to the targeted location granting boons and removing conditions.

Third Column

* Illusory wave is now centered around you. Instead thrust your sword into the ground to knock enemies back and gain boons.

* Illusory Wave now instead conjures a vortex at your location that pulls enemies in and then pulses damage and 1/4 daze for 3 seconds in a 1 second interval

* Illusory Wave: Instead, Thrust your sword into the ground creating a lesser well of eternity that pulls downed allies to you and revives them. Is affected by Well traits.

 

The idea here is to give each weapon more viability in each of the commonly used build archetypes. Minor traits could probably be something like "Reduce weapon swap cooldown by 1 second whenever you interrupt a foe (3 second cooldown)"

[Cuks.8241]

Well Virtuoso daggers are such weapons that can really be power or condi depending on traits.

Nothing really against the idea it opens up even more options although this game already has a ton of options and many are just not balanced. Personally I think we have enough options and I actually like when specific specializations and weapons focus on one thing and you can finely tune the build within those parameters. I don't really like some of the new specializations where if you're condi you pick one row, power another row and utility the third row. It kinda loses the point of a build. And same with weapons. When we have these jack of all trades weapons they can suddenly become a balancing nightmare. So we get into situations where one suddenly weapon is best for all builds.

 

[Doggie.3184]

They need to just make use of the flip-over weaponskill function Untamed gets when using Hammer on different specs and let us swap to alternate variations of weaponskills.

Would love to remove backwards movement from some of my Thief Attack skills like Shadow Strike and Measured Shot.

If you're confused then try the hammer on a Soulbeast and click the arrow above your weaponskill 🤷‍♂️ perfect way to implement new versions of the same weaponskill instead of dealing with traits.

Edited February 20 by Doggie.3184

[SaferMurderweapon.7143]

19 hours ago, Doggie.3184 said:

They need to just make use of the flip-over weaponskill function Untamed gets when using Hammer on different specs and let us swap to alternate variations of weaponskills.

Would love to remove backwards movement from some of my Thief Attack skills like Shadow Strike and Measured Shot.

If you're confused then try the hammer on a Soulbeast and click the arrow above your weaponskill 🤷‍♂️ perfect way to implement new versions of the same weaponskill instead of dealing with traits.

kitten. I didn't even know that was a thing. ought to give that a try.

I don't think anyone is confused but rather people on the internet just enjoy being contrarian and use it as a "dislike" button. It makes perfect sense to just let people change weapon skills even with caveats and they could even implement a new progression system in the form of "Weaponmaster Training" and how the system is implemented would serve as a good discussion topic. Just because an idea is presented a certain way doesn't mean it has to exists in that exact iteration yet people will dismiss new ideas as though it were the case rather than just present something new and possibly better.

I honestly don't care how it happens. Just give me different iterations of greatsword that doesn't require me to play on another class lol

Edited February 20 by SaferMurderweapon.7143

[JusticeRetroHunter.7684]

23 hours ago, Doggie.3184 said:

They need to just make use of the flip-over weaponskill function Untamed gets when using Hammer on different specs and let us swap to alternate variations of weaponskills.

Would love to remove backwards movement from some of my Thief Attack skills like Shadow Strike and Measured Shot.

If you're confused then try the hammer on a Soulbeast and click the arrow above your weaponskill 🤷‍♂️ perfect way to implement new versions of the same weaponskill instead of dealing with traits.

Ya, or traits that just turn say a weapons damage coeffecients to condition, or healing coeffecients instead, so that all weapons can become condi, healing or strike damage weapons. 

Edited February 20 by JusticeRetroHunter.7684

[Leo G.4501]

4 hours ago, SaferMurderweapon.7143 said:

kitten. I didn't even know that was a thing. ought to give that a try.

I don't think anyone is confused but rather people on the internet just enjoy being contrarian and use it as a "dislike" button. It makes perfect sense to just let people change weapon skills even with caveats and they could even implement a new progression system in the form of "Weaponmaster Training" and how the system is implemented would serve as a good discussion topic. Just because an idea is presented a certain way doesn't mean it has to exists in that exact iteration yet people will dismiss new ideas as though it were the case rather than just present something new and possibly better.

I honestly don't care how it happens. Just give me different iterations of greatsword that doesn't require me to play on another class lol

I wouldn't be concerned with reacts.

That said, there could be potential specs that reused an already used weapon as well. For example, Warrior has a lot of weapons with only things like Trident, scepter, focus and pistol main as options left. With enough effort, one might divert future changes from "checking boxes" to "fulfilling fantasies". Like, rather than trying to shoehorn a scepter on War, just give it a new spec that changes a couple current weapons' skills.