Focus with Engineers
I know the focus is generally considered a magical weapon but since magic and tech go hand in hand w/GW2; I really wish the Engineer would be able to use a focus as a device. One way that would make it awesome on an engineer is if when you had a focus off-hand, kits skills would only replace it, not your primary hand weapon (pistol).
Maybe as a weapon for the next elite spec (even if I would prefer a non magical weapon like axe/sword/mace).
But the mechanic you mentioned… I don’t think that will come and it shouldn’t. It would hurt build diversity badly. Because if you are running focus offhand, this would mean you would lose 3 skills of every kit (mainhand pistol instead here). And I don’t see any benefit in this mechanic. The kit swapping is instant, so there is no reason I would want to have my 3 pistol mainhand skills with my 2 kit “offhand skills”.
I know the focus is generally considered a magical weapon but since magic and tech go hand in hand w/GW2; I really wish the Engineer would be able to use a focus as a device. One way that would make it awesome on an engineer is if when you had a focus off-hand, kits skills would only replace it, not your primary hand weapon (pistol).
Maybe as a weapon for the next elite spec (even if I would prefer a non magical weapon like axe/sword/mace).
But the mechanic you mentioned… I don’t think that will come and it shouldn’t. It would hurt build diversity badly. Because if you are running focus offhand, this would mean you would lose 3 skills of every kit (mainhand pistol instead here). And I don’t see any benefit in this mechanic. The kit swapping is instant, so there is no reason I would want to have my 3 pistol mainhand skills with my 2 kit “offhand skills”.
If the user didn’t want it to just replace 2 then they would use a pistol in the off-hand. The reason for my suggestion is to allow the player to keep a pistol active in the main hand while trading out the off-hand skills. Let’s face it glue shot on the off-hand pistol sucks and is a waste of space. I’ve never had glue shot be effective at anything. Only the off-hand focus would make it act this way.
If the user didn’t want it to just replace 2 then they would use a pistol in the off-hand. The reason for my suggestion is to allow the player to keep a pistol active in the main hand while trading out the off-hand skills. Let’s face it glue shot on the off-hand pistol sucks and is a waste of space. I’ve never had glue shot be effective at anything. Only the off-hand focus would make it act this way.
I see that you think pistol offhand is lackluster. But I still don’t get the benefit from that mechanic, I just see a harm for the engineer.
Let’s say you want to use the combo grenade 4+5, pistol 3+2. If you want to do so you could easily switch to grenade kit, use 4 and 5, then switch to pistol and use 3 and 2. Kit swapping is so fast you actually don’t need to combine the kit skills with the pistol skills. You just need to get used to kit swapping, that’s all. But for everyone who is actually able to do so, focus would be the worst weapon ever introduced to GW2.
I like this idea. The enigineer could use it as a namesake FOCUSsing lens and shoot lasers from it or as a capacitor for electrical or magical power. Maybe it even has some magtetic applications.
Just so nobody gets me wrong: I’m not against focus as a weapon. But the mechanic to keep the pistol mainhand skill if you equip a kit doesn’t work for me.
But keeping the idea of it: maybe focus could have it’s own 2 skills and it is changing the skills 4 and 5 of kits? So we lose the previous skills of the kits which are number 4 and 5 to get new? That could actually be interesting.
I suggested this in my topic on a reporter elite skill. Have a clockwork-themed engineer with focus mainhand. Really it’s more for weird factor than anything practical, though. Use it as an energy or space-time focus our something.
Although RE: OP’s mechanic, I gotta go with Kodama on this. It would be a straight up huge setback with no percieveable benefit (besides using slightly less buttons I guess?). Of you want to go anything like that route, I’d say do something more like change one or more of the focus skills to have some different effect based on the last kit you used (with a 5-second expiration or something so it’ll rest of you don’t use a kit for a little while)
Cubones Mother – 80 mes
Jade Quarry [Uhhh]
(edited by Goosekilla.2796)
I like the idea of focus, but maybe staff is better, or at least scepter AND focus. Reasons?
We aren’t getting more kits, so only one weapon set.
We have only pistol pistol and shield meaning adding just focus would only add two buttons.
I believe it is time to infringe upon Mesmer’s turf. I’d like to see our next Elite base on the game Portal. So a portal utility you could aim and even shoot at walls… Possibly the 5 button of the focus XD! But Portals cool and I feel like Engineer is the one who could get away with using portals after Mesmer.
Well considering we have one MH weapon and two OH weapons I think we’re probably due for a new MH weapon next. And the business about kits only replacing the 4 + 5 skills when a Focus would be equipped I don’t like it. Magnet → Static Shot. No thanks.
Biggest issue is that the only engineer mainhand is pistol, so focus could only be played as P/F….and it would be competing with blowtorch on P/P which is pretty hard to beat =P
I agree with sagramor that engi is due for a new mainhand weapon. That might even make shield useful again.
I also think we should get a new MH that’s less about dps, building for support makes that pistol feel pretty useless except for static shot :P
Engineer tech is unique compared to asura tech. Asura tech makes use of magic while engineer tech is more like what we would use in the real world. I do remember hearing an asura scientist talking about engi tech saying he didn’t understand how it worked without magic. Just crossed my mind.
Maguuma – Predatory Instinct [HUNT]
Necromancer