Guild Wars 2

The fact that fashion is a big thing in GW2 is by no means a secret. The sheer amount of screenshots and threads showcasing our creations speak for themselves, but throughout it all there seems to be something missing, and that’s the ability to effectively showcase a weapon and armor combo.

Sure, there are the idle animations to use for it and some poses are really good for showcasing matching weapons and armor, but that’s hardly universal for all weapons. Not to mention that there’s something a lack of punch to it, a lack of dynamic.

So what I propose is a specific Emote Command that’s tailored precisely for showing off a weapon along with your armor. The command, /pose, would prompt the character to enter a specific stance depending on weapon equipped that effectively showcases both weapon and armor.

Of course, making a different pose for every single weapon might be a tad bit too much, so merely condensing it to having a /pose1 and /pose2 for One-handed, Two-handed, Bows and Rifles each might be easier.

A few suggested poses would be the following:

• Over the Shoulder stance for one-handed, with the Main-hand weapon held downwards around the leg, and the off-hand seen over the shoulder instead.
• The “Open arms” stance with both weapons held on each side, angled downwards while the player seemingly approaches the camera (Or walks off if you take a shot from behind).
• For Two-handed: Weapon raised into the air with one hand, the other arm bent with the hand curled into a fist. The “I have the POOOOOWAH!” pose, perfect for Greatswords and Hammers, but also works with staves and rifles.
• Also Two-handed: Weapon struck into the ground, player character standing next to it with a hand on their hip and looking off into the distance or something.
• For Two-handed weapons and Rifles, the Shoulder lean is always an option, with the weapon resting casually over the shoulder of the player, similar to the walking animation with Greatswords and Staves for Humans and Sylvari.
• For bows, a simple pose with the bow in front of them and an arrow knocked could be enough.

A fine idea! I think a version of GW1’s “/flourish” would be sufficient for most circumstances. It is in the game, but they haven’t linked the command to the existing idle animation, for some reason.

For references/ideas, observe Super Smash Bros. WiiU taunt anims. Of particular note (in no particular order): Marth, Ike, Dedede, Robin, Pit, Dark Pit, Palutena, Shulk, Lucina, Mii Swordfighter, Fox