Changes to UNDERWATER combat [merged]

[Just a flesh wound.3589]

One thing I would like them to add is some sort of distance to target meter. Without land in between to indicate distance it’s hard to tell exactly how far away a mob is when I fight it.

[MithranArkanere.8957]

They really need to make the Swim Down command start bound to a key by default. Underwater combat becomes way worse without it.

Other than that, I hope they change the system to make skills check if they are underwater and change their behavior accordingly, to it more consistent and universal, so they do not have make alternate versions of a skill every time they add new ones.

You know:

• The skill is ground targeted? Underwater it locks around the target enemy automatically.
• The skill creates a projectile that sticks to the ground? Underwater it becomes a homing projectile.
• The skill sets a trap? Underwater the trap is placed on your location as a net with the stealth effect that enemies can't see. The shape of the net would depend on the shape of the area. Thief traps would make flat rectangular nets like krait nets, other round traps would make spherical nets.
• The skill has visuals that do not work well underwater like flames and land animals? They can be marked to get replaced with underwater visuals like boiling water and sea animals.
• The skill summons a creature or object that has a different version underwater? Underwater the summon transforms into the underwater version on its own, so if you enter and leave water instead having the skill flip to a different version, the creature transforms into the different version.

Things like that.

[AncientYs.8613]

I am so excite! ok but on a more serious note I have been having fun with UW since the launch of the game. The first time I jumped into water and came back up onto land and all these splash effects on the screen? I'll never ever forget how stunning that looked! And still does. Also UW environment is so beautiful.. Albeit the combat being clunky as most would agree. I hope this upcoming balance change does something significant to the combat system underwater. So hyped.

[FrizzFreston.5290]

Ive been thinking that jokos scarab plague is a form of underwater dragon corruption for a while now.

[artemis.6781]

Yeah! Maybe I can finally use my golem underwater!

[Aerinndis.2730]

@Unholey.3264 said:I've always liked underwater combat/content, but just never felt like anet gave it enough love (aka, more content).Frenzy and Kotaki were the first legendaries I made, back in 2012 and early 2013, respectively.

Expansion 3 confirmed:Quaggan UtopiaDeep Sea DragonJade Sea no longer jade??Cantha confirmed?!?!Underwater raids when?!

GEN 2 WATER LEGENDARIES WHEN?!?! (I mean I can hope, right?)

Heck, I am just happy for this change and now will get to use my lovely underwater legendaries that I got when no one wanted them =)

[X T D.6458]

I cant wait, I have always wanted them to expand on underwater content but the frustrating combat mechanics and lackluster skills across classes made it impossible. I am hopeful this is a first step in seeing more underwater exploration.

[Feanor.2358]

@IndigoSundown.5419 said:I'm wondering if this means a new UW map in the next LW update. If so, I might need to look at upgrading breathers...

Legendary aquabreater pls.

[draconicrose.6213]

I love that underwater content is getting looked at! It was what made me squee when I started playing this MMO.

[Ojyh.9842]

This could hide something huge. They wouldn't dedicate an entire blog post, and tease us a week before, if it wasn't important. It has to be more than just balancing the skills.

Episode 3 is getting closer and closer, it might contain a lot of underwater content.If underwater content makes a comeback it probably means they will make more underwater weapon skins. With more skins there is a real possibility that they will give us underwater weapons on land someday (because they're not a niche item anymore).

This kind of work must have something to do with the next expansion. A "rework" is not the kind of thing devs do just to add a little bit of flavor to the game, it is too big to not have bigger utilizations.Also, more underwater content means we can expect an underwater mount. Probably not now, but later in expansion 3 for example.

[CrimeDog.5614]

This is AMAZING news! I have always loved underwater combat because of what it all has to offer whereas a lot of other MMOs do not even have underwater combat. Yes, it has been flawed for years and even worse recently, but clearly it looks like they know what they're doing and trying to make changes. Hopefully this means my fear of battling the underwater dragon actually underwater will happen instead of not happening! Here's to new maps with actual underwater areas also!

[Zeivu.3615]

@Uden Reavstone.3426 said:

@"Unholey.3264" said:Jade Sea no longer jade??

I vaguely remember reading somewhere that the effects of the Jade Wind were slowly reversed, including the Jade Sea being jade. I think it was somewhere in this article:

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/The_Movement_of_the_World

.

Does that also mean any armor made with jade will also turn back to water? o.0

[Alimar.8760]

I think Selbbub has corrupted the Anet staff and forced them to do this against their will.

[Omega.6801]

YES!!! I'm so looking forward to this :)

Also Sbubbles-Hype!!

[Kain Francois.4328]

I like Underwater combat. My Revenant gets stronger in water.

Time to make the spear.

[Liewec.2896]

i fear that this means more underwater content is coming!

[TexZero.7910]

@IndigoSundown.5419 said:I'm wondering if this means a new UW map in the next LW update. If so, I might need to look at upgrading breathers...

I doubt it. I'd put money on the breathers being removed entirely.

[FrizzFreston.5290]

@TexZero.7910 said:

@IndigoSundown.5419 said:I'm wondering if this means a new UW map in the next LW update. If so, I might need to look at upgrading breathers...

I doubt it. I'd put money on the breathers being removed entirely.

I suppose they could remove breathers, as part of rebalancing underwater. And to then release a partial underwater map.

[Crise.9401]

@TexZero.7910 said:

@IndigoSundown.5419 said:I'm wondering if this means a new UW map in the next LW update. If so, I might need to look at upgrading breathers...

I doubt it. I'd put money on the breathers being removed entirely.

I doubt they will remove an entire item category, it would likely have some cascading effects to many not so obvious parts of the game. Plus people are possessive of their items (e.g. anyone who went for the aqua breather with the unique skin would likely be pretty miffed (it doesn't matter that UW content is bad, or if they don't do it... it is something that they invested some time into, people don't like stuff being taken away in MMO's).

I'd welcome it if they did something to the rune situation though.

[Fraghound.5730]

Underwater combat and swimming is my gw2 nightmare so I am very interested in seeing what will change with this update. :D

[Goettel.4389]

I hate underwater combat right now, so I'm excited to see this :-)

[Samnang.1879]

nooo not underwater expansion !! :'( :'( :'( anything but underwater most ppl hate it

[AnClar.1304]

@DarcShriek.5829 said:I may finally use my venom to make kraitkin

If they make UW a better overall experience, look for the UW Legendary weapons to skyrocket in price on the TP.

[mercury ranique.2170]

I think that this is a genius move. The problem never was the underwater combat. The issue is the verticality. This has changed by the expansions. I do think that high level players are now pretty ready and capable for underwater combat. We are used to fractals with different gravity, vertical maps with vertical fights (dragon stand), mounts and kites. But we are seasoned that underwater combat is bad and not worth it. With proper combat and with new underwater combat I think we are finally read your to enjoy it,

[Mewcifer.5198]

My hope is that each class will get all three underwater weapons (or at least three each if the update adds new underwater weapons) and that each class will have a weapon for condi, a weapon for power, and a weapon for support. As it is right now it really hurts when you have a class built for condi but the only available or halfway decent underwater skills are all oriented around power. That as well as opening up more skills to work underwater, many of them don't make sense being locked out of underwater.