I don’t need to go on a rant here. The Weapon Skill system, while easily balanced, rather unique and flavorful in general, has gone stale by this point. All I’m going to say is: “ANet, don’t add any more weapons to the game before you do what I’m describing in my picture below this post.”
To preemptively answer some questions:
Yes, you could have a “4-a/5-b” set-up if you want. The original skills and the hypothetical new skills would not be tied together so that they would need to be swapped out as two respective sets.
A Weapon Set’s 4 and 5 skills have always been utility-style skills. The goal with this suggestion would be to provide new ways to contribute to combat for each Two-handed weapon and Off-hand weapon that applies. This could even include introducing new skills to Weapon Sets that would simply be more raw damage than utility. That kind of exchange could really change the play-style of a particular Weapon Set.
Upon entering combat, the Weapon Skills that you have slotted into your 4-5 slots lock up as do Utility Skills, thereby preventing one from swapping their 4-5 Weapon Skills during combat.
All current one-handed, main-hand weapons would be unaffected by this change.
I like the idea, but how in gods name would you do all these possible switches in combat? Looks like it’s rather complex to me. If i’m right you say we should be able to do this:
→ Switch weapons (what we already have)
→ Additionally: Switch skill 4 and skill 5 for 4b and 5b.
I think combat would become a bit to complex if you have to take measure of all that.
This would mean you have 5 + 2 (weapon 1) + 5 + 2 (weapon 2) + 5(heal/toolbar/elite) + burst/f1/f2/f3 skills. That makes it 22 possible skills you can use in battle.
At the moment we have 5(weapon1) + 5(weapon2) + 5(toolbar) + 3(f1/2/3):18.
The elementalist on the other hand has 5+5+5+5 + 5: 25.
When your change goes through it would have 5+2+5+2+5+2+5+2+5: 33
I like the idea, but how in gods name would you do all these possible switches in combat? Looks like it’s rather complex to me. If i’m right you say we should be able to do this:
-> Switch weapons (what we already have)
-> Additionally: Switch skill 4 and skill 5 for 4b and 5b.
I think combat would become a bit to complex if you have to take measure of all that.
This would mean you have 5 + 2 (weapon 1) + 5 + 2 (weapon 2) + 5(heal/toolbar/elite) + burst/f1/f2/f3 skills. That makes it 22 possible skills you can use in battle.
At the moment we have 5(weapon1) + 5(weapon2) + 5(toolbar) + 3(f1/2/3):18.
The elementalist on the other hand has 5+5+5+5 + 5: 25.
When your change goes through it would have 5+2+5+2+5+2+5+2+5: 33
A bit complex :P
The picture says “outside of combat.” You can’t swap your 4-5 skills during combat. That would be ridiculous.
The 4-5 slot skills would function as do Utility Skills now.
Nobody else?
4-5 skills have always been flavor and utility skills. I think it would be nice to see entire weapon sets devoted to damage or weapon sets that saw more support options.
Overread that. Ok no objections then, not in the least
. Was just thinking it would get a bit complex :P