Weapons tied to traits.
Your last question is fairly easy to answer. Balance simplicity.
Specifically, this way they’ll never have to worry about how for instance a new Necro elite spec would interact with Greatsword and vice versa, the new weapon will never interact with the Reaper line.
As the game stands now, there’s minimal gain, but the desicion simplifies adding further elite specs a lot.
I really don’t see how if they make another elite using a greatsword instead of the new weapon with a necro will be difficult to balance since the weapons themselves are already removed from traits outside of first unlocking the weapon. I you have your Reaper spec for the greatsword why would it be detrimental for you to use that with a different elite spec when the weapon is more advantageous for your play style as the off set or main weapon. Some of use play better at range and some do better up close and personal. Balance really shouldn’t be a problem otherwise the warrior would be way broken since it has the most weapon options.
It means the number of possible unintended synergies or issues are kept down.
Restricting it means that the number of possible interactions stay the same for each new elite spec instead of growing exponentially.
Say the want to do something with chill for a later necro elite spec weapon, used at range. This way they don’t have to evaluate how it can interact with Reaper, because it’s one or the other.
Then why doesn’t the warrior throw the balance out of whack? By far it has the largest selection of weapons base class. This is why I find that not accurate with what you’re saying.
Right now it’s better to use a scepter than the Longbow with Dragonhunter for my guardian. I do both more damage still benefit from traps and have better utility.
My Druid and Scrapper also benefit from a different weapon than their elite version.
I’m just saying from a training standpoint it makes no sense since once you learn to use something like a weapon you don’t need give it up when you learn other styles.
Its not about the number of skills, but that elite spec weapons can be more powerful than core weapons. Take chronos shield. It offers alacrity (something that should be unique to chronomancer line), and 2 blocks as well as quickness and huge CC with Shield 5. Its a fantastic defensive weapon, and can allow you to get 2 phantasms up incredibly quickly.
How would it be balanced if the next mesmer elite spec was entirely offensive in nature, and got MH axe? They would be allowed all of the power from that spec line, all of the offensive stuff, with almost all of the sustain built into chrono by using chronos shield. Then you have a huge bruiser, dealing huge damage and also having extremely high sustain. That’s not balanced.
Restricting elite spec weapons to their respective lines makes sure a scenario like that can never happen.
Its not about the number of skills, but that elite spec weapons can be more powerful than core weapons. Take chronos shield. It offers alacrity (something that should be unique to chronomancer line), and 2 blocks as well as quickness and huge CC with Shield 5. Its a fantastic defensive weapon, and can allow you to get 2 phantasms up incredibly quickly.
You can already do this with traits in Inspiration and they heal you when you use shatter if you take the trait. And with a scepter your making a new illusion quickly.
:How would it be balanced if the next mesmer elite spec was entirely offensive in nature, and got MH axe? They would be allowed all of the power from that spec line, all of the offensive stuff, with almost all of the sustain built into chrono by using chronos shield. Then you have a huge bruiser, dealing huge damage and also having extremely high sustain. That’s not balanced.
The benefits of Alclarity on one skill isn’t game breaking, nor would it make you untouchable. Also the shield would be reducing your offensive attacks by taking up slot 4 and 5. I’ve compared running the same set up with the shield/sword vs two swords and the two swords so far have done more damage faster than the shield/sword or scepter. You really don’t benefit from the weapon bonuses outside their respective lines beyond playing a different way.
:Restricting elite spec weapons to their respective lines makes sure a scenario like that can never happen.
I really don’t believe they are that defining of a skill set given that many don’t use the elite weapons. Guardians, Warriors, and Revenants regularly don’t use their elite weapon, if it is over the top how does that work?
You missed the point by miles man.
A small source of alacrity isn’t gamebreaking, but its tied to the chrono line. Why should any other mesmer spec get access to it when its specifically tied to the chrono line? Answer me that.
For the sustain, you completely ignore it. I wasn’t talking about the damage you deal with shield (I seriously don’t even know why you brought up damage from offhands), I was talking about its sustain. And its incredibly high. 2 blocks, a quick way to get 2 phantasms up, alacrity, multiple sources of slow for enemies, on top of a huge source of AoE stun from Shield 5 is an incredible amount of sustain. Too much sustain to give to a full offensive spec. Way too much.
You missed the point by miles man.
A small source of alacrity isn’t gamebreaking, but its tied to the chrono line. Why should any other mesmer spec get access to it when its specifically tied to the chrono line? Answer me that.
Given your character had to train in that line whether you actually use trait line or not is no different that adding boxing technics to karate. You paid to train in it and so you should be able to use it since that’s what your character has done.
:For the sustain, you completely ignore it. I wasn’t talking about the damage you deal with shield (I seriously don’t even know why you brought up damage from offhands), I was talking about its sustain. And its incredibly high. 2 blocks, a quick way to get 2 phantasms up, alacrity, multiple sources of slow for enemies, on top of a huge source of AoE stun from Shield 5 is an incredible amount of sustain. Too much sustain to give to a full offensive spec. Way too much.
And yet when tested two one handed swords actually did better especially given you can move while doing the sword off hand abilities including the block. And the sword attack evades all attacks for a period of time while doing significant damage. My point is one weapon isn’t going to break balance and given the warrior which still has the most weapon mixing with every spec isn’t considered over the top. The shield final skill has a long cooldown and you don’t get the full benefit of Alclarity since the Alclarity buff recharge is tied to the Chrono trait line to recharge instantly, so you only get it for one shot. You seem to be getting caught up in the technical differences yet in the big picture they don’t pan out kitten dynamic. You either forget the need for the wells and the extended time for Alclarity and slow which both are tied to the Chrono trait line not the shield. And this is my point as to why it’s not as overpowered as you say.
A – You can move about while using Shield 4 and Shield 5
B – Blurred Frenzy (the evade on attack) is on MH sword, so its not even competing with the offhand weapon slot
C – You keep trying to bring up warrior when I’m specifically talking about chronomancer
D – The alacrity from 2 shield phantasms, while not huge, is also not as little as you seem to think it is
E – You still can’t deny that chrono shield has absolutely huge sustain built into its skills. You keep dodging this issue, because you either cannot or just refuse to refute it.
I was in error about moving with shield 4. The cast time was soo short I though it was ending early if I moved. Cooldown is 30 seconds with two hits of Alclarity it’s still only accessable every 10 seconds. Shield 5 if you move out of the return path of the shield your hit with an additional 10 seconds to cooldown for 40 with two stacks of alclarity it’s still 15-20 seconds. My point is yes it helps stability but it’s already balanced as a weapon by itself. Two phantasms isn’t that over the top since they only do their ability once if you use de javu in the next 1 1/2 seconds after cast. This is needed to get the second affect of Alclarity without it your cooldown is 20 seconds for a 3 second defence.
My point in bringing up the warrior, is that claiming more access to weapons will break balance doesn’t seem to affect that class in terms of balance and it by far has the most access to different weapons base class.
You seem to be arguing that the shield is too powerful, and me playing a Mesmer don’t find that claim accurate.