It's time for new weapon types

[Erasculio.2914]

I would love to have new weapon types. Using underwater weapons on land would be a nice start, but it would be great to have really new kinds of weapons (like chakrams, scythes, and so on).

For ArenaNet, it would likely be more profitable, too. There's a diminishing return in weapon skins - how many skins for our weapons do we really need? Adding a new weapon type would allow ArenaNet to sell skins for a kind of equipment no one currently has skins for. It could be a gold mine for them.

[archmagus.7249]

@Billy.1879 said:I wouldn't be opposed to throwing in cross bows, land spears, great axes and maybe even wands or something like that

There was a HoT trailer where a character had a land spear, and players on reddit got all fired up about them adding land spears. However, multiple devs chimed in (including MO himself) and said that they won't be adding any new weapons to the game.

[Yamazuki.6073]

Realistically, if they did add more to professions other than more e-specs, I would think additional professions makes more sense. A-Net recycles as often as they can, and other than underwater weapons brought to land, entirely new weapons with recycled animations would be pointless, and fully unique animations for weapons with no skins would be a turn off for them. New professions allows them to just reuse current weapons with some recycled animations (as professions share animations) while still being different enough through unique play styles. New professions would also hopefully be more defined in their roles, rather than the current "do everything at once but only actually good at one", especially due to whether A-Net wants to admit it or not, through their decisions they do have roles.

[starhunter.6015]

Animations for whips exist in game already, we have skins for pole arms if you want to count Spears and most of the Tridents.
We got one flail skin for mace and it's only from SAB and looks a wee bit awefull. Wouldn't mind some flail skins for mace atleast,
Great Axe is close to Hammer/Great Sword so I am sure some of their animations could be recycled for a Great Axe, then all we would need is some skills and uses for it.

[sniperman.1738]

why do I feel the ones negating the idea of new weapon types being added to the game are afraid of change or a new concept being added to guild wars 2 already growing combat mechanics, reality is it wouldn't hurt to add new weapon types as it is no different than adding elite specs. Change is good in the mmorpg world if there is no change or nothing new that is when people do get bored and move on to a new game. As veterans me being one of them one should encourage change or new items to be added.

[Zaklex.6308]

@Einlanzer.1627 said:

@"Trise.2865" said:A "polearm" that only does wide swings and slashes literally is a reskinned Greatsword. A "greataxe" that only does overhead chops and wide smashes literally is a reskinned Hammer.

If you want these things added, you have to do way better than "no it isn't". How would these weapons introduce new gameplay archetypes? what differentiates them from existing weapons/archetypes besides appearance? what substantial differences makes them worth using and therefore worth the effort to introduce and subsequently balance? Try presenting an actual argument and not just "I want it!"

No, i actually don't have to do better than "no it isn't." I don't have to provide a dissertation on why a greataxe is not used the same way a large hammer is, because a.) it's common sense, and b.) it doesn't matter.

All I have to do is voice my opinion on why new weapons would be good for the game - the opportunity for new weapon skills and fun new skins that actually have skills, animations, and soundsets that are thematically complementary.

Problem with only saying you want them and giving your opinion is that by not giving a detailed explanation why they would be good for the game and how they could be implemented and what and who would use them is that...it doesn't mean anything other than it's your opinion. As ArenaNet themselves have stated in the how to give good feedback topic, providing a well thought out post including all of the information above is more likely to get looked at and at least talked about(possibly), than it is to just say I want these weapons in the game because we need the change.

[Just a flesh wound.3589]

@sniperman.1738 said:why do I feel the ones negating the idea of new weapon types being added to the game are afraid of change or a new concept being added to guild wars 2 already growing combat mechanics, reality is it wouldn't hurt to add new weapon types as it is no different than adding elite specs. Change is good in the mmorpg world if there is no change or nothing new that is when people do get bored and move on to a new game. As veterans me being one of them one should encourage change or new items to be added.

What real change is being added besides a skin? When you get a new elite spec the weapon is old but the animations new, eg, the Revenant and the hammer animations, which is nothing like how a hammer is used in real life.

/shrug. If ANet wanted to they could put a Great Axe in the Greatsword section, give it a unique animation for the elite specs that use it and say, there is your Great Axe.

[Trise.2865]

@Einlanzer.1627 said:

@"Trise.2865" said:A "polearm" that only does wide swings and slashes literally is a reskinned Greatsword. A "greataxe" that only does overhead chops and wide smashes literally is a reskinned Hammer.

If you want these things added, you have to do way better than "no it isn't". How would these weapons introduce new gameplay archetypes? what differentiates them from existing weapons/archetypes besides appearance? what substantial differences makes them worth using and therefore worth the effort to introduce and subsequently balance? Try presenting an actual argument and not just "I want it!"

No, i actually don't have to do better than "no it isn't." I don't have to provide a dissertation on why a greataxe is not used the same way a large hammer is, because a.) it's common sense, and b.) it doesn't matter.

All I have to do is voice my opinion on why new weapons would be good for the game - the opportunity for new weapon skills and fun new skins that actually have skills, animations, and soundsets that are thematically complementary.

If you want anyone besides you to care about it, yes you do. Otherwise you're just another Veruca Salt, stamping your foot and screaming "Daddy, I want it naaaaooow!"

[Illconceived Was Na.9781]

@"sniperman.1738" said:why do I feel the ones negating the idea of new weapon types being added to the game are afraid of change or a new concept being added to guild wars 2 already growing combat mechanics, reality is it wouldn't hurt to add new weapon types as it is no different than adding elite specs. Change is good in the mmorpg world if there is no change or nothing new that is when people do get bored and move on to a new game. As veterans me being one of them one should encourage change or new items to be added.

I dunno why you feel like that, because (a) people aren't "negating the idea" and (b) most doing so have stated specific reasons. In particular, for many, it's less interesting than e-specs and yet still costly to the game.

If the game can have 87 major, expansion-level changes this year, sure, let's put "more weapon types" on the list. However, if it's only 43, there are at least 43 other things I'd rather see, including more frequent addition of especs.

I try to have an open mind so that if someone presented a cogent argument as to how adding polearms & slingshots would make this game mo' better than "just an espec", I'd take it seriously.

[Thornwolf.9721]

So You all forget fashion wars 2 is the end game and has been since launch.

New weapon types can add new things we have yet to see.

It doesn't take as much as people think, litterally a model and some kits. Put it on one class then trickle it to the others; Class's like warrior are going to run out of weapons and are already almost out of options that does NOT break the class fantasy at all and take it from "Ok this is just a different warrior" To "What... this is just the guardian in gold."

Nothing is off the table.

I never said that it is more important than other things, personally a new class and race to me is the most important as it brings interest and draws in fresh blood. Plus it sells expansions like gang busters. As well expands our rosters, sells them character slots, character boosts, transmog tokens and much much more.

[Einlanzer.1627]

@Obtena.7952 said:

@Einlanzer.1627 said:

@Thornwolf.9721 said:

@Ayrilana.1396 said:

@Einlanzer.1627 said:

@Ayrilana.1396 said:Or they can just improve the usefulness of existing weapons rather add news one that may just be mediocre or cause others to become (more) mediocre.

No, because that isn't the problem. All weapons in the game are usable and they'll never "fix" balance to the extent that everything can be meta in every situation. The problem is that we need an update to what's available and we're lacking in a large number of iconic weapon types like polearms, greataxes, crossbows, etc.

There is no need for them other than you wanting them because other games have them.

Was no need for mounts but people wanted them, now look at how appreciated they are? This kitten context you people love to use (Yes YOU people) When someone wants something new for a game they love is astoundingly ignorant. New races, proffessions, and weapon types > More of the same, which in reality is all the expansions have offered. More of the same, more of the same taking a weapon changing it slightly with different use and interactions but basically cutting as many corners as possible. Which in my opinion is lazy, it is. The only reason I feel it has been this way for so long is because they had the majority of seasoned guild wars staff on other projects; Which meant we had people who were not as experienced with the IP working on it.

That and the budget was kind of limited, they couldn't go ham on guild wars as it was NOT their focus where as now it is and will probably be for the foreseeable future. It will happen in time and no arguing or kitten semantics will change it; New races and classes sell expansions, new weapons will also keep existing and reoccurring players invested. Id rather new things over old things; Example for comparison.Warriors have almost every weapon unlocked that fits them, properly at least. A spear, flail, great-ax or something else would fit far better than a scepter or staff made into this weapon type. They need new weapons and could be one of the forerunners into knew weapon-types going forward as they have the most accessible right now. This keeps warrior from growing stale because all they get is hand-me-downs. (melee staff is already done, why re-do it on the warrior for example.)

Revenant on the other hand is EXCEEDINGLY limited in weapon variation so they can afford to have old weapons added in unique ways, I.E The hammer and how it function. since it's so limited and it has already set the precedent that it can take older weapons and make them weird, but accesible and fun then sure why not; Other classes also can go with this trend. But the warrior can't afford to mimic a melee staff because rev and thief already do it and cover both methods of function. (Cc/heal and CC/damage.) Not much more a warrior can do with that; Same with how Scepter/focus or heck even short bow would feel as it would just be something we have already seen and is not that new. So warriors feel like they get the shaft because next expansion their weapons are pretty much done.

They could bring spears on-land along with tridents, why not we have two legendaries in the game and they are not used often at all with all things considered so that spares the team of worrying on that front. We could also perhaps have other new and inventive weapon types; I wouldn't mind seeing maybe some hand to hand type weapons such as claws or fists. Maybe A great-ax or a lance, maybe something else that could be super cool like a scythe or a scimitar the list is quite endless and A-net is stifling their creativity by saying "Weapons we already have only" for elite specs designed to change your class. (This also helps the Spec feel stand-alone on its class, as it makes it so perhaps for a time its the ONLY one able to use this weapon.) And then trickle it down to the other characters and use it, which basically opens endless doors of possibility.

I'm glad someone took the time to post this. QFFT. The "game doesn't need this, therefore it shouldn't happen" responses seriously astound me. And you hit the nail on the head that this "corner cutting" instead of giving us new actual stuff to play around (except for mounts, which was also way overdue and fraught with controversy, and yet it came as an immense benefit to the game) with is the biggest problem with GW2.

What's funny is it's literally always the same 3-4 people posting the same drivel in every thread like this.

So it's drivel that Anet shouldn't consider things the game needs over anything else? Yeah ... I'm glad he made that post to because it opens the discussion. Frankly, it's completely nonsense for Anet to consider adding something not needed over something that is needed.

The best part is that you haven't addressed any of the points people have made that are perhaps just as or more relevant either.

My opinion is that the game needs this. If you disagree, that's fine, but it's only your opinion. And it probably just represents fear of change, as mentioned by an above poster.

[Einlanzer.1627]

@Zaklex.6308 said:

@Einlanzer.1627 said:

@"Trise.2865" said:A "polearm" that only does wide swings and slashes literally is a reskinned Greatsword. A "greataxe" that only does overhead chops and wide smashes literally is a reskinned Hammer.

If you want these things added, you have to do way better than "no it isn't". How would these weapons introduce new gameplay archetypes? what differentiates them from existing weapons/archetypes besides appearance? what substantial differences makes them worth using and therefore worth the effort to introduce and subsequently balance? Try presenting an actual argument and not just "I want it!"

No, i actually don't have to do better than "no it isn't." I don't have to provide a dissertation on why a greataxe is not used the same way a large hammer is, because a.) it's common sense, and b.) it doesn't matter.

All I have to do is voice my opinion on why new weapons would be good for the game - the opportunity for new weapon skills and fun new skins that actually have skills, animations, and soundsets that are thematically complementary.

Problem with only saying you want them and giving your opinion is that by not giving a detailed explanation why they would be good for the game and how they could be implemented and what and who would use them is that...it doesn't mean anything other than it's your opinion. As ArenaNet themselves have stated in the how to give good feedback topic, providing a well thought out post including all of the information above is more likely to get looked at and at least talked about(possibly), than it is to just say I want these weapons in the game because we need the change.

Developing Guild Wars 2 is not my job. As a player, I have a vested interest in seeing certain things. One of those things is increasing variation in the way I the play my toons, and one of the best ways to provide that is with new weapon types.

It's really not rocket science.

[Pirindolo.9427]

No, it's not. Balance patches are a nightmare of nerf after nerf every so often, because of the high number of abilities, traits and weapons we have already. If any, it's time to normalize them all and convert the weapon types in skins.

[IndigoSundown.5419]

I have nothing against people asking for what they want. That said, if ANet were to put any major effort into weapons so we are not bound to the same old same old we've been using since launch, I'd prefer they added skills to existing weapons and let us have some limited choice of which skills we want to slot.

[ChillyKoti.1928]

Spear/Polearm/Halberd, Whip, 2 handed axe, Ball & Chain, Chackram, Boomrang, Portable Canon (wielded like a minigun, but fires mortar like projectiles), Fists/gauntlets, etc...

There's plenty of things to try...

[Leo G.4501]

Law 1 of the GW2 forums: there will always ALWAYS be a reason to shoot down any and all ideas.Law 2 of the GW2 forums: there will be people that will willingly provide those reasons.

@"Illconceived Was Na.9781" said:

Because the game is old, getting stale, and a new Elite spec every 2 -4 years isn't enough.If 9 new elites isn't enough every 2-3 years (it hasn't been even 2 years since PoF launched), then how would adding a single weapon help, especially if it was done without many skins or without revamping at least one trait line per prof?

And if ANet were to do all that work, how would that help speed the pace of changes, rather than slow things down? Or if ANet changed priorities so it could do all the above within a shorter period of time, why pick "new weapons" instead of new prof or new race or any of a number of other things that people also want from older games?

I mean, let's just add a new mount instead. That can't be harder to accomplish, I'm sure.

@Obtena.7952 said:I see no need for this. Elites get new weapons every time one is released. Adding weapons to reduce 'staleness' is a fallacy ... there have been more significant introductions of things to address 'staleness' and if they don't do it for you, a new weapon most certainly won't.

If adding something that they haven't added yet is a fallacy then how about stating WHY it's a fallacy? If adding a new Elite spec can reduce staleness (and it has been proven to), how is that much different from adding a new weapon (an idea, mind you, that hasn't been elaborated on in the thread yet so you'd literally have to imagine what the idea would do and then attack that imagined idea)?

How is this forum this bad? Seriously? I think the main reason I even read these things is to be entertained at the absurdity of some of the posts that are intentionally contrarian to the most benign or universally beneficial ideas you could imagine.

Would I want new weapons/categories/ways to wield weapons to be added? Sure, it can't hurt. It's not a priority of mine but I think anything from being able to wield a 1-handed weapon using both hands or wielding no weapon to be an option or using a scepter in the main hand or having trident as a ground-based weapon or just having a new weapon altogether...all of those ideas are better, IMO, than adding another new mount. I'll rest my commentary there on suggestion unless more about it is discussed.

[mauried.5608]

I just want more free stuff added to the game .I dont care what it is , but more free stuff just has to be good for the game.

[Despond.2174]

I have one dream, and no it's not because of another MMO but one day, one day I dream I can dual wield GS/eternities on a HA class. I know it will never happen, but I still try imagine how cool it would look, it would be glorious.

[flog.3485]

No it is not time for new weapon types. The devs have pretty much already said in the past that they have no intention of doing so and frankly I won’t blame them for that. Introducing new (a) new weapon(s) with (a) new animation(s) that feel and play different than any other weapon with a low amount of new skins to have is such a major waste of time and resources imo because the subjective feedback of all players will be basically impossible to please at a good enough level for a six year old game.

What is needed imo is new skin brought into the game (preferably through easy long term costly grind or challenging less grindy and costly content over gemstore items) that use the current archetypes of weapons with skins that are different that the basic item represented by the weapon.The good news is that, to some extent, these skins already exist: a whip for focus, scythe for a staff (dhumm staff in raids), the focus Chak skin that looks like brass knuckles. Maybe they could try to release an axe that looks like a great axe or a crossbow for a longbow or short bow. They just need to be released at a more consistent pace behind some impactful content.

[Cyninja.2954]

@Einlanzer.1627 said:

@Ayrilana.1396 said:

@Einlanzer.1627 said:

@Ayrilana.1396 said:Or they can just improve the usefulness of existing weapons rather add news one that may just be mediocre or cause others to become (more) mediocre.

No, because that isn't the problem. All weapons in the game are usable and they'll never "fix" balance to the extent that everything can be meta in every situation. The problem is that we need an update to what's available and we're lacking in a large number of iconic weapon types like polearms, greataxes, crossbows, etc.

There is no need for them other than you wanting them because other games have them.

Yeah, and want is as valid as need is for a game that undergoes continual development.

There are things you need, and there are things you want and there are things you can't afford.

You do not NEED additional weapons types,You might WANT additional weapon types,The games balance might not be able to AFFORD additional weapon types.

Learn the difference.

[Einlanzer.1627]

@Cyninja.2954 said:

@Einlanzer.1627 said:

@Ayrilana.1396 said:

@Einlanzer.1627 said:

@Ayrilana.1396 said:Or they can just improve the usefulness of existing weapons rather add news one that may just be mediocre or cause others to become (more) mediocre.

No, because that isn't the problem. All weapons in the game are usable and they'll never "fix" balance to the extent that everything can be meta in every situation. The problem is that we need an update to what's available and we're lacking in a large number of iconic weapon types like polearms, greataxes, crossbows, etc.

There is no need for them other than you wanting them because other games have them.

Yeah, and want is as valid as need is for a game that undergoes continual development.

There are things you need, and there are things you want and there are things you can't afford.

You do not

NEED

additional weapons types,You might

WANT

additional weapon types,The games balance might not be able to

AFFORD

additional weapon types.

Learn the difference.

I love how often "balance" is touted a reason not to do this or that. Balancing is hard, so let's just have one class and one weapon type?

No, that isn't how you approach game development. Balance is always iterative. So is the creation of new tools for players to experiment with.

[KelyNeli.4516]

I wish for Halberds, Spears and Flails.

[Worlds.7530]

You know I need Spear ,Harpoon gun and Trident can be use on the ground. why we can?

[kratan.4619]

Everybody always wants what they don't have, not really needed imo.

[Einlanzer.1627]

@archmagus.7249 said:

@Billy.1879 said:I wouldn't be opposed to throwing in cross bows, land spears, great axes and maybe even wands or something like that

There was a HoT trailer where a character had a land spear, and players on reddit got all fired up about them adding land spears. However, multiple devs chimed in (including MO himself) and said that they won't be adding any new weapons to the game.

Didn't they also say that about mounts at one point? Things like this always make me think that there's something off about the people in charge of this game. They avoid doing things that would clearly be good for the game for years on end.