Guild Wars 2

When casting, the elementalist just kinda holds the staff off to the side while casting with his hand. Its really bothering me.

sirian.4981:

When casting, the elementalist just kinda holds the staff off to the side while casting with his hand. Its really bothering me.

Staff is more of a group weapon than a roaming weapon in my opinion. I find staff more viable as a support weapon.

The staff is used for air 2

GuildWarsPlayer.5608:

sirian.4981:

When casting, the elementalist just kinda holds the staff off to the side while casting with his hand. Its really bothering me.

Staff is more of a group weapon than a roaming weapon in my opinion. I find staff more viable as a support weapon.

Your response is very relevant to the OP.

It bothers me too, I want my staff to be more weapon and less ornamentation.

The cast animation for Meteor Shower on charr characters makes good use of staff. Has a very tribal/ritualistic look, as if beckoning the magic. Except for Air 2, the rest of the skill animations are pretty lackluster and plain, making use of the offhand and not the staff, itself, as you point out.

What do you expect, them to run up to someone and bash them on the head with it? Actually that would be pretty cool if eles could do that if they used gust or something when someone is less than 150 feet away.

I think it would look goofy if the character constantly waved around with the staff while casting (as it is simply too big, i also don’t really like guardian autoattack for this reason)… i think of the staff as a magical item which helps channel/amplifies magical energies or something, and doesn’t require to be used or moved physically during attacks.

Using the staff as a physical weapon would be a melee type of fighting, like stick fighting.

shinreigari.7318:

I think it would look goofy if the character constantly waved around with the staff while casting (as it is simply too big, i also don’t really like guardian autoattack for this reason)… i think of the staff as a magical item which helps channel/amplifies magical energies or something, and doesn’t require to be used or moved physically during attacks.

Using the staff as a physical weapon would be a melee type of fighting, like stick fighting.

Guard staff attacks look awkward.. they’re really really bad

I know a way to use it for great suffering.

Yah, this was one of my peeves when I started playing the game as well. And it still is, to some extent, though I’ve gotten used to it to some degree.

I get what people say about looking a bit goofy if they were waving the staff around constantly (though personally I don’t have a problem with Guardian’s staff animation), but they could do a little something to make the staff seem more integral. For basic attacks, the animation could involve the player drawing power from the staff before throwing it as they currently do (just moving the player’s hand to the staff for a moment and a little particle effect showing power moving from the staff to the hand). And for stuff like Lava Font and the like, holding the staff up or a subtle staff swipe would be more involved than a wave of the hand.

Heck, even if they didn’t change the animation, something as simple as adding a particle effect to the staff whenever skills are used would help a little. I’d still prefer an animation change, but at least if the staff surged with an element whenever you attacked it would make it seem a bit less like in inert stick you’re holding for no reason. And the Necromancer staff already has something like that, so I know its possible.

Electro: i actually really like the idea of the staff surging with the element you’re attacking with I never really liked the elemental effects around the characters wrists anyway, it could just be moved to the weapon in the form of spiraling flame or ice or whatever effects around the weapon itself, which would look really nice on a staff i think.

Something like the tormented staff animation, but with the elements of course.
http://dulfy.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/gw2-tormented-staff-skin-animated.gif

Sizer.5632:

What do you expect, them to run up to someone and bash them on the head with it? Actually that would be pretty cool if eles could do that if they used gust or something when someone is less than 150 feet away.

I wish gust would actually knock 3 people back.

To reply to the topic; Improving staff animations probably the lowest priority thing you’ll find on arenanet’s board right now.

I kinda like the animations. It’s not really used as a weapon, but as a tool to channel magic.
(obviously not officially, but its fun to think of it this way)

This was discussed in 2012. Nothing has changed.

to the OP

I think you have a point but I also think that it also makes sense (at least to me). That the magic contained in the staff itself is transferred to the user (you) which gives you the power to use the corresponding abilities.

This is of course just my opinion. I hope at the least this gives you another way to look at it. At least thinking about it this way may ease your pet peeve.

That’s because the elementalist staff just like the mesmer greatsword are used as channeling tools, NOT weapons. Just like you don’t actually use the dagger like a thieves does directly but as channel tool.

This was all answer during the beta weekend.

yep. plus in the first gw book. and the second. and if i remember correctly, the third. although i am not sure about sea of sorrows.

magic in tyria in general cannot be wielded without something to channel it, therefore, you need a focus of some sort. and the ability to wield the power.
now, the different races found different ways to channel it, but the principle stays the same: magic is "in the air", you channel it, focus it, direct it, kaboom

tanztante.6532:

yep. plus in the first gw book. and the second. and if i remember correctly, the third. although i am not sure about sea of sorrows.

magic in tyria in general cannot be wielded without something to channel it, therefore, you need a focus of some sort. and the ability to wield the power.
now, the different races found different ways to channel it, but the principle stays the same: magic is “in the air”, you channel it, focus it, direct it, kaboom

Magic is in the air [melody] Magic is in the aahaair sings

Ahem… Since I agree with the whole channeling idea (because I like it), I never had a problem with the staff animations neither on my Elementalist nor on my Mesmer. I think they fit just fine.

Im actually more annoyed by the scepter. Instead of the effects coming from the tip of your scepter, it originates from your fist that is holding the scepter… Sometimes with fingers spread out…

But as Dirame said, animation changes are pretty much the lowest of priorities you can find. Engineers have been begging since release for scoped aim on their Rifle#1 skill (with a name change) instead of the wrist-killing unprofessional hipshot….

think of it like Silver Surfer, the power emanates from his board but he channels it through his hands

lakdav.3694:

Engineers have been begging since release for scoped aim on their Rifle#1 skill (with a name change) instead of the wrist-killing unprofessional hipshot….

That just seems like a terrible idea. it sound terrible on paper the way guild wars 2 is plays makes it even clunkier. That will only a good idea if guild wars 2 had a tera like recticle.

it’s not a staff, it’s a walking stick
at least that’s the conclusion i’ve come to after scraping so many elementalists off the floor

Sizer.5632:

What do you expect, them to run up to someone and bash them on the head with it? Actually that would be pretty cool if eles could do that if they used gust or something when someone is less than 150 feet away.

In a certain other mmo I used to play, staff was used as a melee weapon as well as a ranged weapon. The melee part of the staff would be used as a martial arts type of weapon, like you would see martial artist using staff as a melee weapon in kungkittenmovies.