Guild Wars 2

The current idle animation for staff is where the Staff is held like a hammer, one end pointed down, the other held high over the shoulder. It just doesn’t look like. The front should be held high in front, ready to parry an incoming blow or make a quick downward strike, not pointing to the ground.

Many complaints have been leveled at this issue but it is unlikely anet will change their original animations.

It isn’t just on staff. Many of the new animations are seriously lacking. I am generally happy with the functionality of most everything they have presented so far, but several animations are laughably poor.

The Tempest had such potential in terms of thematic possibilities and while I do have some concerns about the mechanics, the animations of these skills is a total face plant.

The thief staff 5 could have done an interesting VAULT as the skill is named, but they chose to have the character do a superman leap.

Thief staff 3 doesn’t make any sense from a physical point of view (you are immediately leaping away in an opposite direction as you strike your foe, there is no follow through, thus this strike would be exceedingly ineffective from a realism standpoint).

The fist flurry could have been an interesting martial arts combo, instead they just alternate left-right punches.

Bound has you do a backflip when travelling forwards… how does this make sense??

I realize that this is beta, and I don’t want to be overly critical — i love this game — I just want more polish on these abilities. It is the little things that make great games. The functionality seems perfectly fine to me in 99% of the instances of new content. It seems fun. It just doesn’t LOOK fun. Skill animations are your presentation for the vast majority of content in an MMO and it is a shame that sub-par work has slipped into an otherwise AAA title.

+1 Anything to add a more realistic cosmetic flavor is good in my book.

Unlikely. Revenant suffers from same thing.

Imagine the Fist Flurry ending like a Bruce Lee Combo

Alternate animations in the gem store would fly off the shelves.

It would also be nice to have something that’s actually worth buying, rather than useless miniatures and dodo wings.

As someone who has studied Bojutsu along with many other forms of weaponized martial arts, you are right in that there is a stance where a tip of the bo would be raised in front you. However there are many stances that you can use to wield a Bo Staff called Kamae.

The one you are describing is Seigan no Kamae. This is a “balanced stance”.

However, the one that is represented in the game is also a correct stance where the front tip of the bow is lowered in front of you and is called Ihen no Kamae. This stance is used more for defense and parrying.

Some pics of the stances are below

Here is another pic of Ihen no Kamae

Jordo.5913:

As someone who has studied Bojutsu along with many other forms of weaponized martial arts, you are right in that there is a stance where a tip of the bo would be raised in front you. However there are many stances that you can use to wield a Bo Staff called Kamae.

The one you are describing is Seigan no Kamae. This is a “balanced stance”.

However, the one that is represented in the game is also a correct stance where the front tip of the bow is lowered in front of you and is called Ihen no Kamae. This stance is used more for defense and parrying.

Some pics of the stances are below

Also in Europena Martial Arts, if you use a Staff/polearm this is a good balanced stance. Sadly i can’t provide images as European MArtial arts are very bad documentet compared to asian.

Those who demand an other stance want their Monkey King

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/thief/Staff-holding-animation/first#post5429119

Monkey king animation, it’s already in game and its perfect.

Bojoo.7819:

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/thief/Staff-holding-animation/first#post5429119

Monkey king animation, it’s already in game and its perfect.

Exactly —> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGZmauye5Is

The monkey animation is awesome!

I did expect them to do more with modeling the animations after the 5 stances in boujutsu.
Oh well, I still love it and what they did do with the Physical and Dodge animations is amazing.

Jordo.5913:

Here is another pic of Ihen no Kamae

The main problem is that unlike the pictures you posted, the daredevil is holding the lowered part of the staff with his hand underneath instead of on top, giving the impression that the lowered end of the staff is very heavy. This made sense when it was for the hammer, not so much for the staff.

Karendun.5892:

Bojoo.7819:

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/thief/Staff-holding-animation/first#post5429119

Monkey king animation, it’s already in game and its perfect.

Exactly —> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGZmauye5Is

The monkey animation is awesome!

Absolutely yes for Monkey King, at least for daredevils anyway. The revenant could use a stance that looks more disciplined, but I think all the Monkey King animations would suit thieves perfectly.

Vilkata.4725:

Jordo.5913:

Here is another pic of Ihen no Kamae

The main problem is that unlike the pictures you posted, the daredevil is holding the lowered part of the staff with his hand underneath instead of on top, giving the impression that the lowered end of the staff is very heavy. This made sense when it was for the hammer, not so much for the staff.

not the pics i saw