Guild Wars 2

Supposedly we’re getting more skills. It’d be nice if we got alternate skills that we can choose to slot for #2 – #5.

For example, it’d be nice to have 2 skill #5’s to choose from for each weapon.

Currently, choosing a weapon locks you in on a bunch of skills. Invariably, some of these skills you don’t really use, but you’re stuck with them. This way of making new weapon skills allows much more customizability but is restricted enough that balance is still possible.

Thoughts?

You must be thinking about Guild Wars where you could actually have a customized set of skills to play with. While I love the idea of what you are saying it has been stated that one of the reasons Guild Wars 2 does not have the same skill system is that it was too “hard to balance.” I don’t see this happening.

Two sets for each weapon would be a lot of work, but it shouldn’t be “impossible to balance” like a fully selectable set of 5 weapon skills would be. They could implement “set A” or “set B” selection I would think?

My idea lies somewhere between fully customizable weapon slots (Anet could never balance this) and Anthony.7219’s suggestion of “set A” or “set B” (nice but I’d prefer more customizability, especially for 2-handed weapons).

I just want alternate weapon skills that are tied to a particular slot.
So for each weapon and slot (e.g. necro focus and skill #4), you’d have 2 choices — the current #4 skill and a new one.

Weapon skill sets are a great idea.

Do I want more pure damage? more mobility? or maybe more control. Depending on the weapon skill set I can have either.
PLUS – you could have two weapons of the same type ( Eg. greatsword) in both weapon slots – with each weapon having a different set. That would be interesting.

Realistically – it will never happen – balancing would be hell. So much OP potential.
I doubt they’ll do something like this. Most likely they’ll be adding new weapons for each class which let me tell you would not be that bad.

I’m fairly sure that weapons are balanced around the assumption that you will always have that set of skills available to you at one time. Being able to slot in and out a few skills wouldn’t really work with that in mind, and I think it’s kind of the intent behind the 1h/dw/oh weapons; you sacrifice a bit of raw power in exchange for potential versatility in the offhand.

HOWEVER

New toys to play with would be really really nice to have. necro shortbow please

It’s very disappointing that after years of experience balancing in GW1, Anet is still so poor at it. And they’ve basically shown that they’ve given up by putting such heavy restrictions on our choices.