Guild Wars 2

https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/hidden-arcana-creating-the-chronomancer/

“An early idea for the specialization’s new weapon even involved rifles, but the team eventually felt that the offhand shield would be the most thematically appropriate choice.”

So instead of giving us rifles, we get yet another offhand, bring us up to five, with only two mainhands, only one of which is actually viable. Not because shield made sense from a mechanics standpoint, mind, but because it was “thematically appropriate”. Or in other words, they sacrificed giving us five completely new weapon skills for the sake of flavor.

Not impressed with this style-over-substance design choice at all, Anet. Please do better next time. As it is, I’m much more interested in the core trait changes than this elite spec.

Although, since everyone will be expecting me to play Chronomancer in every game mode once it’s available, I may just have to give up Mesmer main altogether.

I’m still shocked after all the forum feedback, they never did pistol mainhand.

Like it or not, every class has a theme. Shield feels weird to me, but I at least get the clock thing. I think Rifle really would have been a stretch.

Main Hand Pistol is something that should be part of the base class. That’s the thing about Shield. It’s not a Mesmer thing, it’s a Chronomancer thing. Rifle could end up being a thing, but it needs a slightly different theme.

Arshay Duskbrow.1306:

So instead of giving us rifles, we get yet another offhand, bring us up to five, with only two mainhands, only one of which is actually viable. Not because shield made sense from a mechanics standpoint, mind, but because it was “thematically appropriate”. Or in other words, they sacrificed giving us five completely new weapon skills for the sake of flavor.

Mesmer is a very squishy class and shield seems to be offering support/defense abilities, it’s very appropriate mechanically. Why would mesmers want/need rifle? It wouldn’t fit. Mesmers have ranged weapons so rifle would be out of place unless it became melee(?).

Shield feels much better than rifle to me, but a pistol wouldn’t have been a no go. In the end, it won’t matter what weapon we carry, only the skills do. GS ranged weapon, maybe rifle would have been melee hahaha Just sayin, you don’t know yet exactly what the shield is used for. And I would be happy if it’s not just dmg, I’d like to be useful with utility and CC rather than pure damage like all other classes.

Jokubas.4265:

Like it or not, every class has a theme. Shield feels weird to me, but I at least get the clock thing. I think Rifle really would have been a stretch.

Main Hand Pistol is something that should be part of the base class. That’s the thing about Shield. It’s not a Mesmer thing, it’s a Chronomancer thing. Rifle could end up being a thing, but it needs a slightly different theme.

Shield-based Chronomancer is a blatant reference to Homura Akemi from Puella Magi Madoka Magica.

Strill.2591:

Jokubas.4265:

Like it or not, every class has a theme. Shield feels weird to me, but I at least get the clock thing. I think Rifle really would have been a stretch.

Main Hand Pistol is something that should be part of the base class. That’s the thing about Shield. It’s not a Mesmer thing, it’s a Chronomancer thing. Rifle could end up being a thing, but it needs a slightly different theme.

Shield-based Chronomancer is a blatant reference to Homura Akemi from Puella Magi Madoka Magica.

Call me crazy, but I find it hard to believe the actual relevance of that anime to shield chronomancer.

One day you’ll get your rifle, and your pistol, and a bloody axe.

You’ll still complain about not getting a mace though.

Ross Biddle.2367:

You’ll still complain about not getting a mace though.

And rightly so. The Moot is so Mesmery it’s unreal! It’s wasted on heavy classes.

Fay.2357:

Call me crazy, but I find it hard to believe the actual relevance of that anime to shield chronomancer.

Why? It’s a character who manipulates time with by using a shield. How many characters are there like that?

Jedge.3619:

I’m still shocked after all the forum feedback, they never did pistol mainhand.

Prior introducing pistol mainhand they should change how the auto-attack with 1-handed-weapons work. IF the offhand is from the same weapon type, it should be included in the auto attack animation.

Currently the only Pistol-Pistol attack animation that looks good is unload because it is a dual weapon skill and designed to use both weapons. Auto-attack on thief and engi just looks really really bad.

(The problem is not limited to pistol, same problem with auto-attack with two 1h-swords and so on.)

You have my support too for adding the riffle or handgun , i think mesmer is a great class with a unique challenge that’s true.

In pvp I tried a lot of custom build, but i constate that you are always obligated to use the same kind of weapon . The staff is good for do alteration but the rate is too low, the scepter is a good way to do some alteration/ confusion and tourment but the auto attack spawn always clone so in a fantasm build you can’t play with it in a atleration build based on fantasm dps (staff).

For my part when i want to do a shatter build (confu/tourment) I can’t go in pvp without a greatsword because you can’t have an a weapon who can do some alteration and a better rate. And when you want to attack an foe in a long distance it’s the better way to do it

We should have an intermediate beetwen staff and greatsword so please continue to do your great job arenanet and adding it.

Thanks for the extension !

(sorry for my bad english)

Those who complain about mesmer getting shield, propably haven’t played as mesmer pvp in gw1 or any spellcaster back there.

Xenrocs.9468:

Those who complain about mesmer getting shield, propably haven’t played as mesmer pvp in gw1 or any spellcaster back there.

I played GW1 since launch and Mesmer was one of my favorites to play in PvP. So no, wrong.

how about (almost) every spellcaster using a shield? I think it was quite common to use shield in pvp

Don’t make the assumption that if Mesmers got rifle, ut would only mean 3 more weapons skills, with everything would else remaining the same. Plus, rifle would have to compete with GS.

Strill.2591:

Shield-based Chronomancer is a blatant reference to Homura Akemi from Puella Magi Madoka Magica.

And rifle would be a reference to Mami Tomoe?

It’s not impossible for 2 seperate group of people to independently notice that shields are round and can (be made to) resemble a clock’s movement.

I personally see no reason whatsoever Mesmers would even need rifles and don’t really see how people think it fits with the mechanic or the idea behind the class. For one appearance, I have yet to see a rifle skin that I particularly liked, let alone one that I thought would go good with mesmers. Shields just go a lot better with their current look, not to mention they tie in well with the idea of the Chronomancer and allow for a lot of great animations as far as attacks go which I think is something needed with Mesmer skills as they’ve always had that sort of flair. It just doesn’t seem to go with their battle mechanic or look at all which is why personally I’m glad this idea was trashed. Maybe back in GW1 when Chronomancer was going to be its own class something like this could have worked but as a specialization of the Mesmer I just don’t see it happening.

Teutos.8620:

Jedge.3619:

I’m still shocked after all the forum feedback, they never did pistol mainhand.

Prior introducing pistol mainhand they should change how the auto-attack with 1-handed-weapons work. IF the offhand is from the same weapon type, it should be included in the auto attack animation.

Currently the only Pistol-Pistol attack animation that looks good is unload because it is a dual weapon skill and designed to use both weapons. Auto-attack on thief and engi just looks really really bad.

(The problem is not limited to pistol, same problem with auto-attack with two 1h-swords and so on.)

I was honestly hoping for another mainhand since our options are limited in that regard. I think the auto attack animation would’ve just been similar to the duelist with a different sound effect.

RabbitUp.8294:

And rifle would be a reference to Mami Tomoe?

Absolutely not. If it involved conjuring single-shot flintlock rifles, along with a ribbon-tentacle aesthetic, then maybe, but rifles and time travel has nothing to do with Mami.

If we got a two handed weapon we probably would’ve lost out on other goodies, like the new shatter not replacing something else, alacrity, etc.

Strill.2591:

Fay.2357:

Call me crazy, but I find it hard to believe the actual relevance of that anime to shield chronomancer.

Why? It’s a character who manipulates time with by using a shield. How many characters are there like that?

I think the point is- Despite popular opinion amongst most anime fans, most people don’t actually watch, let alone like Anime :p

Arshay Duskbrow.1306:

https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/hidden-arcana-creating-the-chronomancer/

“An early idea for the specialization’s new weapon even involved rifles, but the team eventually felt that the offhand shield would be the most thematically appropriate choice.”

I agree or at least it’s better than a rifle. A rifle? That’s just awful, I dunno maybe the devs could have made it work.

Jedge.3619:

I’m still shocked after all the forum feedback, they never did pistol mainhand.

I’m still hoping!
But I guess if they ever do the mainhand pistol, it’s probably not going to be usable with the shield.

Yeah, mesmer somehow lacks direct damage from range main-hand. It’s kind of limits mesmer in alot of way. Scepter is just too situational in PVE.

I think they should have added a new main hand for ALL mesmers and then the shield for the Chronomancer.

Not because we only get 2 new skills, but because the main hand weapons are lacking.
You’re literally forced into sword for power and scepter isn’t that great, decent on condi builds although I still see people running sword over it for the imob/blur.

PvE is usually s/s s/f – there’s very little variation.

Strill.2591:

Shield-based Chronomancer is a blatant reference to Homura Akemi from Puella Magi Madoka Magica.

But I want a spear (on land, not underwater)! Kyouko Sakura ftw ;P

B2T: I don’t think a rifle would fit the Chronomancer… 5 skills would be nice, but what has a rifle to do with time-manipulation? Shields ar at least round like a clock.

I see mentions of Homura Akemi’s shield, but wat about Kurumi Tokisaki from Date a Live?
Manipulating time is her thing and her weapons are a pistol and a musket. And she even have clones from other timelines!
But enough with animes and manga.

If mesmer can use a pistol offhand, I don’t see why they couldn’t use a mainhand pistol or a rifle. They aren’t all left handed, and it means that they can aim. They can even aim with a greatsword!
The main problem I have with the shield is that it’s yet another off hand weapon. There’s already only 4 main hand weapons, and the necromancer at least get the greatsword. We don’t know yet the thief weapon, but this leave mesmer behind so far.
Obviously, I don’t count Elementalists as they automatically have 4 sets of weapons skills, and engineers because they have kits (which technically make them the characters with the most main hand weapons. If we can call the med kit a “weapon”).

Mesmers with a shield looks original, but magicians with firearms seems even more original to me. They already are using pistols, so why not pushing the concept further? Even the phantasm can dual wield the pistol!

I’m still hopeful they just add pistol main-hand for mesmer baseline. We already have the pistol trait in dueling, so it wouldn’t make sense to have a whole specialization to put another pistol in our main hand.
As far as our next elite specialization after chrono goes… I’m hoping mesmer gets Longbow. Seeing how Anet thinks mesmer should only have offhand weapons though, we’ll probably get warhorns.

Pistol would be a boring main hand, I wish mesmers could use MH dagger from range doing a space rending slash kinda like the necromancer axe.

There’s a problem with only giving us a mainhand. We’d be left without a new phantom. Our phantoms come from the longer cooldown side of the weapon skill number set. That’s why we have so many offhands.

A two handed weapon would have been nice to have but I can’t see only getting a main handed pistol as being something of any note worthy addition.

Xenrocs.9468:

Those who complain about mesmer getting shield, propably haven’t played as mesmer pvp in gw1 or any spellcaster back there.

No, you switch to shield/martial weapon because it gives you more damage protection against spikes (Like Backbreaker assassins) and you are a target of one such spike, and then switch to you’re main casting weapon, which is the 40/40 scepter and focus set when you need to fire off your skills.

There are exceptions of course, like a monk staff switching for Guardian and switching back to whatever weapon set was necessary.

…. the truth is that, weapon sets work differently in gw2 than in gw1, so no point in comparing Mesmer (or caster) general gameplay in PvP about weapons.

data.4093:

Arshay Duskbrow.1306:

So instead of giving us rifles, we get yet another offhand, bring us up to five, with only two mainhands, only one of which is actually viable. Not because shield made sense from a mechanics standpoint, mind, but because it was “thematically appropriate”. Or in other words, they sacrificed giving us five completely new weapon skills for the sake of flavor.

Mesmer is a very squishy class and shield seems to be offering support/defense abilities, it’s very appropriate mechanically. Why would mesmers want/need rifle? It wouldn’t fit. Mesmers have ranged weapons so rifle would be out of place unless it became melee(?).

even with shield and the new skills, thieves will still eat us for breakfast, lunch and dinner in PvP and WvW…

Oh, also, on the topic of “firearms do not fit Mesmers”…

Should I mention Bayonetta, the witch with the ability to slow down time, who have various purple butterfly effects and 4 guns?

Mesmers have one gun too many to choose from. Leave those to warriors, engineers and thieves.

The Mesmer is supposed to be a dueling swordsman. Classically Renaissance due lists ran a rapier and Maine gauche (Sword/Dagger)
Shields are a heavy fighter’s equipment. Speed based fighters would use a lighter parrying weapon rather than a huge cumbersome shield

Derenek.8931:

The Mesmer is supposed to be a dueling swordsman. Classically Renaissance due lists ran a rapier and Maine gauche (Sword/Dagger)
Shields are a heavy fighter’s equipment. Speed based fighters would use a lighter parrying weapon rather than a huge cumbersome shield

What.
Same fencing stuff involved bucklers, man. Shields aren’t all that cumbersome, they’re just not street weapons.

Also, note that “take a weapon and use it in an unorthodox way” is, like, the GW2 mesmer’s core shtick. Greatsword lasers &c.

A buckler isn’t the same as most of the shields in GW. Honestly a focus has a closer form and size to a buckler than the medium and great shields that are in the game.

While a shield on mesmer is an abomination, a rifle would have been even worse. Anet just does not care about class themes at all.

Shortbow/longbow first please.