Guild Wars 2

I’m playing thief, like the whole teleporting, high-paced gameplay, but I hate how there’s no variety. Are all the classes in gw2 weapon-locked in combat? Like you can’t switch to change your skills in combat?

I just don’t want to go through the rest of the game using the same 5 skills.

Devilmonk.8163:

I’m playing thief, like the whole teleporting, high-paced gameplay, but I hate how there’s no variety. Are all the classes in gw2 weapon-locked in combat? Like you can’t switch to change your skills in combat?

I just don’t want to go through the rest of the game using the same 5 skills.

You will (if you haven’t already) unlock in-combat weapon swap. Default keybinding is ‘~’ (tilde), usually just below the Escape key.

Currently only Elementalist and Engineer do not get in-combat weapon swap, as their class mechanics (elements and toolkits, respectively) offer similar capabilities.

All classes can of course swap weapons outside of combat.

Hey Devilmonk! Looks like you’re enjoying the New Player Experience™ added by anet in a recent patch

You see, anet recieved frequent reports that showed players often had difficulties understanding difficult concepts such as weapon swapping, utilitiy slots, downed combat, class features and other complicated processes such as breathing and walking at the same time.

So the solution was to gate each of those horribly difficult concept at artificial levels. Looks like you haven’t unlocked weapon swapping yet! But don’t worry, if it weren’t for Anet locking that content away from you, you might have gotten lost, scared and confused and chocked to death on your own saliva or something.

So you should be thankful you can’t swap weapons yet, heavens knows what a chore it can be doing such a difficult task almost daily!

If you don’t have weapon swapping unlocked on that char, if you go to Lions Arch and go through the PvP portals (Heart of the Mist), you can slot a second weapon set and when you leave the PvP lobby, you’ll be able to use weapon swap.

Restrictions on weapon swapping have always been in the game. They did change it, iIirc, from level 7 to the current level 15, but it’s been a restricted to level mechanic since the game began.

Lorgus.6148:

Hey Devilmonk! Looks like you’re enjoying the New Player Experience™ added by anet in a recent patch

You see, anet recieved frequent reports that showed players often had difficulties understanding difficult concepts such as weapon swapping, utilitiy slots, downed combat, class features and other complicated processes such as breathing and walking at the same time.

So the solution was to gate each of those horribly difficult concept at artificial levels. Looks like you haven’t unlocked weapon swapping yet! But don’t worry, if it weren’t for Anet locking that content away from you, you might have gotten lost, scared and confused and chocked to death on your own saliva or something.

So you should be thankful you can’t swap weapons yet, heavens knows what a chore it can be doing such a difficult task almost daily!

You’re not really answering his question here, just adding a tangentially-related rant of dubious relevance.

Lorgus.6148:

Hey Devilmonk! Looks like you’re enjoying the New Player Experience™ added by anet in a recent patch

You see, anet recieved frequent reports that showed players often had difficulties understanding difficult concepts such as weapon swapping, utilitiy slots, downed combat, class features and other complicated processes such as breathing and walking at the same time.

So the solution was to gate each of those horribly difficult concept at artificial levels. Looks like you haven’t unlocked weapon swapping yet! But don’t worry, if it weren’t for Anet locking that content away from you, you might have gotten lost, scared and confused and chocked to death on your own saliva or something.

So you should be thankful you can’t swap weapons yet, heavens knows what a chore it can be doing such a difficult task almost daily!

Ah this post! Delicious!

Artanis.4963:

Lorgus.6148:

Hey Devilmonk! Looks like you’re enjoying the New Player Experience™ added by anet in a recent patch

You see, anet recieved frequent reports that showed players often had difficulties understanding difficult concepts such as weapon swapping, utilitiy slots, downed combat, class features and other complicated processes such as breathing and walking at the same time.

So the solution was to gate each of those horribly difficult concept at artificial levels. Looks like you haven’t unlocked weapon swapping yet! But don’t worry, if it weren’t for Anet locking that content away from you, you might have gotten lost, scared and confused and chocked to death on your own saliva or something.

So you should be thankful you can’t swap weapons yet, heavens knows what a chore it can be doing such a difficult task almost daily!

You’re not really answering his question here, just adding a tangentially-related rant of dubious relevance.

On the contrary I think he is spot-on.

Another victim of NPE

Lorgus.6148:

Hey Devilmonk! Looks like you’re enjoying the New Player Experience™ added by anet in a recent patch

You see, anet recieved frequent reports that showed players often had difficulties understanding difficult concepts such as weapon swapping, utilitiy slots, downed combat, class features and other complicated processes such as breathing and walking at the same time.

So the solution was to gate each of those horribly difficult concept at artificial levels. Looks like you haven’t unlocked weapon swapping yet! But don’t worry, if it weren’t for Anet locking that content away from you, you might have gotten lost, scared and confused and chocked to death on your own saliva or something.

So you should be thankful you can’t swap weapons yet, heavens knows what a chore it can be doing such a difficult task almost daily!

Please note that weapon-swapping has been level-locked in the game since launch.

It’s less embarrassing if you do some research before engaging in overblown rhetoric.

This is one of those threads where shortly after posting it the OP went…“Oh….woops…maybe should have done some simple research or played longer before posting that”…never to be seen in this thread again….

Olvendred.3027:

Lorgus.6148:

Hey Devilmonk! Looks like you’re enjoying the New Player Experience™ added by anet in a recent patch

You see, anet recieved frequent reports that showed players often had difficulties understanding difficult concepts such as weapon swapping, utilitiy slots, downed combat, class features and other complicated processes such as breathing and walking at the same time.

So the solution was to gate each of those horribly difficult concept at artificial levels. Looks like you haven’t unlocked weapon swapping yet! But don’t worry, if it weren’t for Anet locking that content away from you, you might have gotten lost, scared and confused and chocked to death on your own saliva or something.

So you should be thankful you can’t swap weapons yet, heavens knows what a chore it can be doing such a difficult task almost daily!

Please note that weapon-swapping has been level-locked in the game since launch.

It’s less embarrassing if you do some research before engaging in overblown rhetoric.

They don’t care. They enjoy perpetuating the notion that the NPE is absolutely terrible.

They would completely ignore the fact that the time it takes to get to level 15 has been decreased (leveling speed increased) almost to the speed it used to take to get to level 7 before NPE which is when weapon swapping originally unlocked. If they admitted things like this, then all of their rant posts would simply look foolish and uninformed, so they throw on their blinders and continue with their NPE rants.

While you ignore things like locking access to traits and early build experimentation.

Two sides to the coin bud.

fireflyry.7023:

While you ignore things like locking access to traits and early build experimentation.

Two sides to the coin bud.

Traits was NOT part of the NPE. NPE came out in September’s feature patch. Traits was done in April’s feature patch.

It’s actually ignorant to clump the traits fiasco, which the devs HAVE posted is changing, in with the NPE. Because the two were released 5 months apart from each other.

Just a flesh wound.3589:

If you don’t have weapon swapping unlocked on that char, if you go to Lions Arch and go through the PvP portals (Heart of the Mist), you can slot a second weapon set and when you leave the PvP lobby, you’ll be able to use weapon swap. .

What??? So simple?! That’s awesome!

Sorry for the bump. This is a very old topic.

Yes I’m new and enjoying the game and obviously unlocked the weapon swop but why can’t you change weapons and stuff during combat? What would the reason be.

Coming from a game where you can switch to any sets while in pvp combat and switching any weapons for situational uses. I get this game is either PVE open world or single PVP or PVP WvW and you must build before you enter whatever you want to do but an example.

I run and explore maps with a warhorn for speed but then I get attacked by tons of mobs and would prefer to switch to double axes instead but I cant. I could use the 3 skills from Axe which feel so boring with a useless warhorn and then switch to my GS or double axe on my swop. BUT I often find using all 5 axe skills and all 5 GS skills in combination much more fun. Now with the warhorn for speed I miss on the nice aoe spin.

This also applies in PVP. You need warhorn for speed (for allies) or GS for speed (5th skill charge) then need a shield for defense then you get kited by ranged players or vanishing mesmers and you realise you cant switch to a Bow. You can use speed buff to chase them but never helps me or GS to charge them but then they just move away again. I need hammer or mace to knock them also. But I’m stuck with what I entered combat with.

In WvW this also applies. I’m soloing not sure wtf to do yet so I try use a single player build. Suddenly I find a havoc / zerg ( i read it up so hope I use the correct terms). Then since, I’m still new and weak in pvp, I want to at least assist my allies with banners but I’m on signets but the opponents attack me and I can’t swop. So I have to wait outside combat, changing my build, while my allies die. Then after a few seconds I jump in?

I’m so used to changing skills according to the battle or situation I’m in. Now if I do get kited all I do is die and comeback with a bow or ranged? lol.

Obviously it wont change but what reason would there be for this? There are no Masteries in the future to remove this weapon lock in combat?

Also don’t think I complain about the game. It’s awesome. I read comparisons between games and had to ask myself what do I dislike about GW2

Sorca.6839:

Sorry for the bump. This is a very old topic.

Yes I’m new and enjoying the game and obviously unlocked the weapon swop but why can’t you change weapons and stuff during combat? What would the reason be.

Coming from a game where you can switch to any sets while in pvp combat and switching any weapons for situational uses. I get this game is either PVE open world or single PVP or PVP WvW and you must build before you enter whatever you want to do but an example.

I run and explore maps with a warhorn for speed but then I get attacked by tons of mobs and would prefer to switch to double axes instead but I cant. I could use the 3 skills from Axe which feel so boring with a useless warhorn and then switch to my GS or double axe on my swop. BUT I often find using all 5 axe skills and all 5 GS skills in combination much more fun. Now with the warhorn for speed I miss on the nice aoe spin.

This also applies in PVP. You need warhorn for speed (for allies) or GS for speed (5th skill charge) then need a shield for defense then you get kited by ranged players or vanishing mesmers and you realise you cant switch to a Bow. You can use speed buff to chase them but never helps me or GS to charge them but then they just move away again. I need hammer or mace to knock them also. But I’m stuck with what I entered combat with.

In WvW this also applies. I’m soloing not sure wtf to do yet so I try use a single player build. Suddenly I find a havoc / zerg ( i read it up so hope I use the correct terms). Then since, I’m still new and weak in pvp, I want to at least assist my allies with banners but I’m on signets but the opponents attack me and I can’t swop. So I have to wait outside combat, changing my build, while my allies die. Then after a few seconds I jump in?

I’m so used to changing skills according to the battle or situation I’m in. Now if I do get kited all I do is die and comeback with a bow or ranged? lol.

Obviously it wont change but what reason would there be for this? There are no Masteries in the future to remove this weapon lock in combat?

Also don’t think I complain about the game. It’s awesome. I read comparisons between games and had to ask myself what do I dislike about GW2

So, I think you’re asking “why can’t I use all of the skills available to my class all of the time”? GW has always focused on having builds within each class suited to different roles – exemplified by the addition of Elite Specs, this means that you can have two characters of the same class who will be playing very differently; you can never say “oh, that’s a XXX, they will use XXX skills”. It sounds like you are probably playing Warrior, so you have a weapon swap to be able to switch between melee/ranged/whatever; you just have to prioritise which you think are most useful for your play style. I think you just have hangover expectations from a game will less personalised game-play but if you think you have it hard, go play GW1 where you can only change your skill load-out in the safe-zone outposts!

@sorca

If you want to use the combination of axe/warhorn and axe/axe, have axe/warhorn on one set and put a second axe on the second slot on the swap set.

The UI will have this set up

Top weapon set
Axe
Warhorn

Second weapon set
Nothing or a second axe, can have a different sigil
Axe

You can then use swap to switch between axe/warhorn and axe/axe.

Sorca.6839:

Yes I’m new and enjoying the game and obviously unlocked the weapon swop but why can’t you change weapons and stuff during combat? What would the reason be.

The reason is that you’re supposed to decide what you want to play. You’re not supposed to have access to everything at the same time.

If you could change everything in combat, you’d be forced to do so, as everyone else would otherwise have a big advantage over you.

I don’t know about you, but i don’t think I’d enjoy a fight if im 90% of the time in my inventory swapping weapons around, mindlessly throwing every move out there, before switching over to the next weapon.

Yes I’m warrior for my first play through. Mainly cause of 200ms ping and people claim its easier to start with and I usually go for the warrior melee build. Didnt want to add that I’m a warrior since you experts would know if I mention the weapons and skills^^

@Mogsterfortytwo. Yeah I’m probably just spoiled from 3 years on another game where you can use all of your 1000 skills in 1 match based on the situation and also 1 character build with all skills. I must get used to GW2 which are more about specific builds and lots of characters.

I just often find myself in the wrong combat situation with the wrong weapons.

@Just a flesh wound: I do that sometimes but then I miss my GS. I like to use 2x AXES and swop to GS. Then my rotation feels complete. But in most game modes speed helps so much then I want to use WH for speed but I loose the number 4 and 5 skills if I would’ve used another weapon. PVE I can get pass it at least.

For PVP then I should just get used to fighting ranged kiters with a Hammer and a GS and 200ms 0_o. I just cant get into the Mace and shield and bow builds but I need that bow probably for most ranged types? maybe the GS sucks in PVP?? and I should use a melee set like hammer and swop to Bow or Gun for those kiters.

Takashiro.8701:

Sorca.6839:

Yes I’m new and enjoying the game and obviously unlocked the weapon swop but why can’t you change weapons and stuff during combat? What would the reason be.

The reason is that you’re supposed to decide what you want to play. You’re not supposed to have access to everything at the same time.

If you could change everything in combat, you’d be forced to do so, as everyone else would otherwise have a big advantage over you.

I don’t know about you, but i don’t think I’d enjoy a fight if im 90% of the time in my inventory swapping weapons around, mindlessly throwing every move out there, before switching over to the next weapon.

Trust me a 1vs1 fight dragging out 10-15min because you and your opponent utilize all the skills cleverly while using the terrain and air to your advantage. OR in group fights you sync with your teammates and drag all the opponents to 1 key player who then use a strong AOW skill ..ect ect. ….Nothing beats those fights

Sadly I knew GW2 wont have that type of PVP. GW2 might ruin/spoil your future expectations of any other MMORPGs , which it does, But AOW spoiled my pvp expectations in that same way. The game sucks in any other aspect but I dont mind. PVP was all I wanted ^^.

Ill adapt eventually^^

Lorgus.6148:

Hey Devilmonk! Looks like you’re enjoying the New Player Experience™ added by anet in a recent patch

You see, anet recieved frequent reports that showed players often had difficulties understanding difficult concepts such as weapon swapping, utilitiy slots, downed combat, class features and other complicated processes such as breathing and walking at the same time.

So the solution was to gate each of those horribly difficult concept at artificial levels. Looks like you haven’t unlocked weapon swapping yet! But don’t worry, if it weren’t for Anet locking that content away from you, you might have gotten lost, scared and confused and chocked to death on your own saliva or something.

So you should be thankful you can’t swap weapons yet, heavens knows what a chore it can be doing such a difficult task almost daily!

I wish I could upvote this multiple times.

This is both funny and very sad at the same time. You forgot some take on the lost non-combat features of newcomer zones though. You know, actual standalone features compared to other MMORPGs. They were obviously evil and deserved to be purged!

The whole weapon system is reworking of the Skill system from GW1. The first game heavily emphasized buildcraft, by completely detaching player performance from their gear stats, and refocused all of that into a deceptively simple scaled cost system. Players were given a pool Attribute points, which are spent across multiple (level scaled) trait lines that offer both passive bonuses and directly affect skill performance.

From there, you are given 8 slots to load any combination of over 300 distinct skills (per class), each with their own effects, conditional triggers, and a statistical coefficient based on its hosting trait line. Every player can also Dual class, given them access to all the skills and attributes (save an exclusive for class primary) of every other class in the game. The resulting possibilities were incredibly power as they were expansive.

http://gwpvx.gamepedia.com/PvX_wiki remains a testament to how much depth existed within the system, where even sub-optional builds could still be highly effective through a myriad of secondary objectives or creative approaches to existing problems. And this was a game which still utilized a Trinity style class division.

Case in point. I present the legendary 55 Monk…. the unkillable farming machine. https://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/55_Monk

Monk is a classic healing profession in GW1, with access to healing and damage mitigation skills. While they do have access to attack skills, its comparatively weak to most other classes, and nets a fairly low DPS when fully speced for combat.

The way this build worked is by combining the face value mechanics of 5 skills, and the counteractive idea of lowering your MAX HP as far as possible. (55 being the lowest MAX HP you can obtain on the class). The brilliance of this build hinges on one skill https://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Protective_Spirit " Incoming damage is reduced to 10% of target ally’s maximum Health. ". By reducing your max health to 55, the most damage it can take per hit is 5.5…. which can be reduced further through other spells (to a minimum of 1). To maintain the protection, 2 skills which give energy when taking damage allow it replenish energy faster then you’d need to spend it. Complimenting this is either a regeneration or a Heal over time spell, which can replenish your health faster then you can take damage in all but the most extreme cases.
This leaves your remaining slots for offensive skills, which now have a rapidly replenishing supply of energy to fuel it.

Fast forward to GW2, and the Devs made a deliberate choice to limit the game’s buildcraft in order to avoid problems with PvP match ups. If you ask any player from from GW1 during its height, you can induce a bit of nostalgic rage by mentioning “Bunny Thumper” or “Touch Ranger”. The result of this decision lead to the structure of GW1 style skills being split between Weapons/Utilities (Triggers) and Trait effects (conditional modifiers). Under this more rigid design, the number of permutations for effect combinations is heavily limited, and thus easier to control/correct if a certain combination is too powerful.

The design intent of this is recreate the buildcraft thought process of Guildwars 1, but reduce the number of vectors they need to monitor for balance changes. For the most part its been successful in this…. but its often underminded by other aspects of the game that fail to mesh with it (like gear stats).

So the final result is the expectation of a player to decide what aspects they want the build to have, and make decisions on trade offs to they’re willing to make to accomplish it. The Beta/Launch version of the trait system had less limitations, but the trade off aspects were very unrewarding as there were often very clear “best in slot” options on many trait lines. With the revamped Trait system (now called Specializations), synergy combinations are a lot clearer, and the choice to use them now yields much stronger results.

Specializations also reinforced the concept of Internal and External Synergy for group compositions. Prior to this change, the game heavily skewed toward “DPS optimal” and Boon sharing setups for maximum damage output. Defense builds were usually punished through attrition, and neutralizing the enemy was safer then trying to outlast them. So the best way to deal with threats (especially dungeons) was to trait for, and do as much personal DPS as possible, then use the remaining traits for… whatever. Might stacking was the norm, and easy accomplished through skills available on nearly all classes; while defense (if even needed) was done by dodges and personal healing.

After the change, group support became much more distinct and easier to set up. It also limited a number of overtly powerful trait combos, and tried to boost under performing combos based on how players were making their choices. It took well a over a year, and a lot of data from raids… but they’ve finally hit a point where its fairly stable. A little underwhelming in places, since we all like playing with OP combos… but a good mix of creative freedom and build literacy.

The problem with the GW1 system was actually that it went overboard. It was cool while it were ~80 skills per class, later on with hundreds the lines between classes (once you included the dual-spec) blurred so much that it all felt samey.

It wasn’t a bad system, but very unconvential and – IMO – scaled badly as more things got added. The idea of having a “one only” elite spec seems smarter to me than the “one only” elite skills, of which nearly all were simply upgraded normal skills in any case.

Sorca.6839:

Yes I’m warrior for my first play through. Mainly cause of 200ms ping and people claim its easier to start with and I usually go for the warrior melee build. Didnt want to add that I’m a warrior since you experts would know if I mention the weapons and skills^^

@Mogsterfortytwo. Yeah I’m probably just spoiled from 3 years on another game where you can use all of your 1000 skills in 1 match based on the situation and also 1 character build with all skills. I must get used to GW2 which are more about specific builds and lots of characters.

I just often find myself in the wrong combat situation with the wrong weapons.

@Just a flesh wound: I do that sometimes but then I miss my GS. I like to use 2x AXES and swop to GS. Then my rotation feels complete. But in most game modes speed helps so much then I want to use WH for speed but I loose the number 4 and 5 skills if I would’ve used another weapon. PVE I can get pass it at least.

For PVP then I should just get used to fighting ranged kiters with a Hammer and a GS and 200ms 0_o. I just cant get into the Mace and shield and bow builds but I need that bow probably for most ranged types? maybe the GS sucks in PVP?? and I should use a melee set like hammer and swop to Bow or Gun for those kiters.

why dont you use the https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Warrior%27s_Sprint then you can use dubble axe/greatsword

@Linken: I opened Discipline now as my second Specialization skill. So I can get the speed buff in exploration. Feels much better and can now run with GS and Twin axes and enjoy it. The sword and axe also feels good and you get the leap but the Axe animations feels personally so much more alive and the damage seems much higher.

So last night I only PVP. I’m obviously still in Unranked matches and not teh best fighter but I try to capture points and assist more. I used the Macebow build simply because its the highest ranked build currently. I see it has way lowe hp than the Hammer/GS build but iirc macebow is ranked 98 and Ham/GS is 70 .. if that even means something? since I guess personal preference can make a difference.

At times I failed completely with Mace/Bow. But a few times I felt so tanky when I used the skills correctly.

https://metabattle.com/wiki/Build:Berserker_-_Macebow

I switched the Headbut with Rampage. I feel Rampage helps a lot when needed and easily can give our side the upperhand when you unleash the damage. Ill get used to it eventually.

The unranked matches aren’t always very fun though. It should be expected the unranked teams will have plenty of noobs and new players? Lots of ’veteran’players gets so angry if someone doesn’t doe what they want them to then they sit out and you have big disadvantage as a team then. Rather help them then. I watch lots of videos and read up on PVP but I assume I’m the weakest when I enter the arena. I’ll tell people in my team to tell me if I do something wrong.

I guess this thread has been hijacked^^

Sorca, something else to keep in mind, I believe it was you who mentioned wanting to swap to banners from solo? Banners should really be a thing you run all the time. Sure the unique buff is powerful to a party or group of allies, but it is also powerful solo. Not only that, you can somewhat negate your warhorn dilemma by picking up your own banner and using it to buff yourself with swiftness. And of course as you have now just recently mentioned, there is of course a trait that allows you a permanent speed boost. There are also Traveler’s Runes at later levels that can offer a permanent boost as well as some boon duration if you decided you wanted to use an alternate trait-line.

Sojourner.4621:

Sorca, something else to keep in mind, I believe it was you who mentioned wanting to swap to banners from solo? Banners should really be a thing you run all the time. Sure the unique buff is powerful to a party or group of allies, but it is also powerful solo. Not only that, you can somewhat negate your warhorn dilemma by picking up your own banner and using it to buff yourself with swiftness. And of course as you have now just recently mentioned, there is of course a trait that allows you a permanent speed boost. There are also Traveler’s Runes at later levels that can offer a permanent boost as well as some boon duration if you decided you wanted to use an alternate trait-line.

For traveling, Banner has a sad issue of a huge 30-second cooldown. That’s a huge dead space in the Swiftness uptime. (Please change that, ANet…)
And Discipline tends to get used both for Warrior’s Sprint and Fast Hands, especially with a weapon-swap rotation. If +25% movement is sufficient, it frees up weapon and rune choices.