fill out 1 and 2 handed weapons for especs before offhands

[Stand The Wall.6987]

as per title, give all new especs 1 handed and 2 handed weapons (dual weapons included) before offhands.no one wants them anyways :-P

[Illconceived Was Na.9781]

I really wanted a new main hand weapon for mesmers (from launch, not just when HoT was announced). However, I've been very happy with the shield being chrono's elite.

Do you have a compelling gameplay argument as to why GW2 would be better for the community to impose this arbitrary restriction? Or is it simply that you don't like off-hands?

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

As often is the case, the choices seem...less than stellar.

I'd say no, but I do care.

[Erasculio.2914]

There are missing roles for some of the professions, that are likely going to dictate the next weapon for them.

For example, Mesmers have no long range Power-based main hand weapon. Thieves have no long range AoE Power-based weapon. Guardians have no long range Condition Damage-based weapon. Elementalists have no long range single-target based weapon. And so on.

It feels like most professions would be helped more by a new main hand weapon or a two-handed weapon than by an off-hand. In other hand (heh), when ArenaNet adds only an off-hand, they usually also bring mechanical change to the profession itself (such as the Shades for the Scourge, the F5 skill for Chronomancers, and so on). Those still feel somewhat lacking when compared to the changes ArenaNet implemented when adding a main hand weapon, though - such as the Virtue Tomes for the Firebrand and the Soul Merge for the Soulbeast.

So I, too, would prefer to see new main-hand weapons before new off-hand weapons. Main hand weapons come with more skills and would fill more missing roles for their professions, and have also come with more interesting mechanics in the past.

[Stand The Wall.6987]

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:Do you have a compelling gameplay argument as to why GW2 would be better for the community to impose this arbitrary restriction? Or is it simply that you don't like off-hands?

uh, I thought it rather obvious. 1 or 2 handed weapons have much more impact and can define how a build is played, while offhands are supplementary.

[Illconceived Was Na.9781]

@Stand The Wall.6987 said:

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:Do you have a compelling gameplay argument as to why GW2 would be better for the community to impose this arbitrary restriction? Or is it simply that you don't like off-hands?

uh, I thought it rather obvious.It's not even just plain obvious to me what your reasoning was since you failed to mention it.

1 or 2 handed weapons have much more impact and can define how a build is played, while offhands are supplementary.As I wrote above, while that sounds like it ought to be true, I found it not to be the case for Chrono: shields weren't a supplementary choice, despite representing only two skills with longer cooldowns.

[Stand The Wall.6987]

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:

@Stand The Wall.6987 said:

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:Do you have a compelling gameplay argument as to why GW2 would be better for the community to impose this arbitrary restriction? Or is it simply that you don't like off-hands?

uh, I thought it rather obvious.It's not even just plain obvious to me what your reasoning was since you failed to mention it.

1 or 2 handed weapons have much more impact and can define how a build is played, while offhands are supplementary.As I wrote above, while that sounds like it ought to be true, I found it not to be the case for Chrono: shields weren't a supplementary choice, despite representing only two skills with longer cooldowns.

so the exception should be the rule? by and large offhands are not as impactful as mainhands. chrono shield is not better then mainhand sword, it is still supplementary.

[Illconceived Was Na.9781]

@"Stand The Wall.6987" said:so the exception should be the rule? by and large offhands are not as impactful as mainhands. chrono shield is not better then mainhand sword, it is still supplementary.I'm saying the original post didn't provide an explanation that justified the restriction. And supplemental posts haven't done much better. I offered an example to explain; you chose to interpret that as an "exception" rather than attempt to bolster the actual argument.

Going by those same assumptions, ANet should only use two-handed weapons for elite specs because they impact all five weapon slots, not just the first three.

My point is that "impactful" is an opinion, based on (a) ANet's implementation and (b) expert build theorist efficient use of synergies. Off-hands can be more impactful and two-hands might be less.

Accordingly I remain of the opinion that the proposed restriction is arbitrary and therefore unnecessary.

---

Presumably the goal of the thread is to convince ANet to choose differently. If so, then I would think that it's worth rephrasing the argument in support of the idea, rather than focusing on poking holes in the critiques.

[Cerioth.7062]

Why even bother with this poll?

Use the weapons that are thematically most fitting for the elite spec, and that's that.

[Stand The Wall.6987]

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:snipsok... the intent of the poll was to see how many people prefer 1 handed or 2 handed weapons over offhands. that's all. so lets just end this here.

[voltaicbore.8012]

@Stand The Wall.6987 said:

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:snipsok... the intent of the poll was to see how many people prefer 1 handed or 2 handed weapons over offhands. that's all. so lets just end this here.

Well at least that much was clear, despite the unnecessary (and sadly, not even funny) addenda to the poll choices' wording.

Going no for this one. I find that the playstyle I want to go for really dictates what offhand I need, and I would hesitate to say that offhand choice is less impactful just because of that. Not that I would disagree that more abilities from a mainhand might have a greater direct impact on dps or other more easily measured metrics - it's just that the things from offhands that might be harder to pin down to a metric (making cheese tactics possible, for instance, with mesmer focus 4/projectile hate/etc) can really make a big difference for me.

[DanAlcedo.3281]

No one should suffer like Berserker did....

Please no more Offhands (if the come alone).

[Rasimir.6239]

I seem to recall (although I can't find the quote) that at one time ANet said it's not even guaranteed that each elite spec will get one new weapon added. They'd rather have changes/additions to the class that they find to be a good package than restrict themselves to arbitrary rules of what has to or can't be part of an elite spec.

Personally I like the approach they are taking. There's much more to elite specs than just "this class can now use a different weapon". I have as much fun (if not more) playing a tempest with warhorn than a weaver with sword. It may not be meta, but it sure is a different, interesting, and perfectly viable way to play the class.

[Eekasqueak.7850]

I actually hope the next thief spec gets an off hand. I also love scourge which got an off hand so... I only care if the spec is interesting and unique.