Guild Wars 2

This game needs less AI skills
Spirit Weapon should be changed to be like conjure weapons but using the same skills as the guardian equivalent and only summoning it for the guardian
Hammer of Wisdom should last for 20s and the skill that destroys it should be banish
Sword of Justice can give a Greatsword should last for 30s and the fourth skill should destroy it if used without eternal spirits
Shield of the Avenger Captain America should use a mace in the primary hand, last for 20s and destroy if you use shield of absorbtion

Since Bow does not exist for the guardian yet, can have unique skills
The auto attack should function like the bomb skill on thief short bow but it does minimal damage and heals for a reasonable amount
The second skill can be the fan of fire from warriors bow
the third skill should be a single arrow that pierces and knocks down for a second
the fourth skill can be like Rapid fire but it steals health and doesn’t apply vuln
The fifth skill can be like barrage but it destroys the weapon without eternal spirit, and instead of damaging it heals allies and cures conditions
and the weapon can last for 25s

Allowing the guardian access to more than 2 weapons allows them to play more than one role like equiping staff sword/shield but still having a greatsword for burst
The Grandmaster trait in Zeal should be changed so it doesn’t make the damage to easy to rek foes fast

This really made a whole lot more sense back when the weapons where immune. I do think AI skills hold an important place, and it is this:

• Using an AI controlled skill ups the effective skill-to-power floor. Even if you play really bad, the AI does some work for you.
• On the flipside, using an AI skill also lowers the effective skill-to-power ceiling. Even if you play superbly, you’re still shackled to the AI.

It’s a very viable play style which is also quite the staple of RPGs in general. Every game has something like Necromancers raising minions they control, Drones for Riggers in Shadowrun, and all too often these minions are partially or completely rolled by the GM. In video games it’s even more of a staple, look at the Magician in EQ1. Or the Necromancer. Or even the Enchanter.

However, spirit weapons are just plain badly designed right now. Their AI is largely broken and cannot understand the skills, the weapons were clearly designed for when they were indestructible, they are sluggish to move and fire, and their skills don’t make sense in the modern game.

What I’d do:

• General: Spirit Weapons don’t get used up when using them, rather their presence indicates to the enemy that you can use the attached skill.
• General: All Spirit Weapons auto-attack on their own, generating some damage.
• General: Spirit Weapons last for 3 uses of their associated ability, then disappear and go on a 60-90 seconds CD. They last forever if you don’t use the skills at all.
• General: Spirit Weapons can be attacked and destroyed, causing them to lose a charge and fade out for ~15 seconds.
• General: Though the weapons attack on their own, they are forcibly shackled to 900 radius around the Guardian and will always reset their attack and return if hitting the leash.
• Sword: 15s CD, rushes to the Guardian and does a spinning attack in 450 around you, whirl finisher + damage.
• Hammer: 30s CD, leap-pounds over to near the Guardian, causing negligible damage but a blast finisher and a 1s daze to enemies in melee range of the Guardian.
• Bow: 30s CD, fires a barrage of 5/15/45 arrows over 5 seconds from where it is towards the guardian, pelting an area 300/600/900 in radius starting at the guardian and away from the bow. Arrows heal in an 80 radius around each impact, healing 3 targets each time. Attack can be held down to increase radius and number of shots.
• Shield: 40s CD, shield flies up into the air then drops down as a large glowing shield near the guardian, hovering in the air above. Attacks coming from above (arcing attacks, Meteor Shower, etc) cannot penetrate the shield. Lasts 10 seconds.

In effect, they’d be minor-damage minions which have a limited number of charges of a special ability which focuses on indirect targeting (the weapons target near the Guardian, but are imprecise).

Numbers are ofc all non-final. In effect, pets which are on a forced CD after being used a few times.