Just a small guide to show everyone how to build a nice and organized post when posing additional weapon ideas for your profession. These guidelines are something I use whenever I post my ideas for weapon skills and I only hope that it makes it easier for players (and devs) to analyze and determine the effectiveness of the suggested skills. So without further adieu, I give you the guidelines:
1.) The Skill Template!
When posting individual skills, I always organize them by lists. Usually I have lists inside lists whenever I have a complex skill to post but they usually look like this:
1.) Skill name CD Cost (or initiative)
Flavor text.
Cooldown:
<insert other tooltips here>
For specific types of skills, I use these templates:
1.) Skill name
Flavor text.
Cooldown:
<insert other tooltips here>
—> Skill name
Flavor text.
Cooldown:
<insert other tooltips here>
—> Skill name
Flavor text.
Cooldown:
<insert other tooltips here>
1<situation A>.) Skill name
Flavor text.
Cooldown:
<insert other tooltips here>
1<situation B>.) Skill name
Flavor text.
Cooldown:
<insert other tooltips here>
1<situation C>.) Skill name
Flavor text.
Cooldown:
<insert other tooltips here>
1a.) Skill name Cost
Flavor text. Turns into <skill 1b>.
Cooldown:
<insert other tooltips here>
1b.) Skill name Cost
Flavor text. Turns into <skill 1c>.
Cooldown:
<insert other tooltips here>
1c.) Skill name Cost
Flavor text.
Cooldown:
<insert other tooltips here>
And be sure you list them in numerical order.
2.) The Maffs! (No! Please, not that!)
By all means, spam /supermegasadface:c emotes because in order to make your topic look good you need to make sure the math to each skill is spot on. So break out your calculator and get to calculating!
First off you need to post a formula that your ideas will be based off of, but more importantly follow the damage formula. This will standardize your set so you aren’t blindly posting random bullkitten numbers cuz yolo. For my topic, I used the formula:
2000 Power * 1265 Maximum Rifle Weapon Strength/2597 Heavy Golem Armor Rating * Skill Coefficient
Next, I give each skill a Skill Coefficient and then plug the numbers into the formula that I am using to produce my damage. Be sure you round the damage to the nearest 1. It should look like this:
Damage calculated = 2000 * 1000/ 2597 * skill coefficient
2.) Falcon Pawnch 5s CD
Punch an enemy in the face causing their soul to implode.
Damage: 53138 (69)
BUT WAIT! WHY YOU NO FOLLOW FORMULA EXACTLY?!
Because multiplication and division work together like addition and subtraction, so A*B*C/D is going to produce the same answer as A/D*B*C. However to get the correct damage, the armor rating has to be the only denominator in the formula. I like to mix the coefficient with the damage multipliers whenever I decide apply them.
Anyway…
3.) The Details!
I can’t stress this one enough. Construct every skill by making every part look categorized. The name should be on top and noticable. The tooltips need to be distinguished from the variables but not so much it becomes part of the general list above it. Take for example:
1stealth) Bullet to the Knee
End their adventuring days with a high caliber bullet to their kneecap.
Damage: 536 (.55)
Range: 1200
Cripple: 8s
The situation is part of the name and number and it is bold to
Basically the further into detail you get the less you should use to categorize each detail. Makes it look nice and organized.
Another thing I do is use a triple dash to separate my skills. Doing – - – 2 lines down from the last occupied line will draw a line across the post and effectively organize individual skills.
4.) Updating!
Finally tweak, update, advertise and keep your thread afloat if you notice there is support for it, whether it is potential support or not. Just make it look good and not entirely overpowered and people will give you your thumbs. Even if it looks overpowered, the only thing that really matters is getting the concept through. Anet can nerf it to oblivion later.
Otherwise, let it die. Simple.
Well thanks for reading! I hope the forums see more great weapon ideas from this. Happy posting!