Striker Weapon Diversity

[Blyte Plays]

Suggestion for getting more specialist identity.

LongBow - warden only, Brigand - access to xbows, Berserker - throwing axes.

Dagger brigand/warden only, remove hand axe from brigand, remove greataxe from brigand. Add hammer to beserker. Add rapier to brigand.

Anyhow, there's a few suggestions in no particular order. Just think that all strikers shouldn't use the same weapons, just like they dont all have the same skills.

 

[Undone]

Suggestion for getting more specialist identity.

LongBow - warden only, Brigand - access to xbows, Berserker - throwing axes.

Dagger brigand/warden only, remove hand axe from brigand, remove greataxe from brigand. Add hammer to beserker. Add rapier to brigand.

Anyhow, there's a few suggestions in no particular order. Just think that all strikers shouldn't use the same weapons, just like they dont all have the same skills.

Our initial design called for each specialization to use a specific set of weapons. For example, you would start off as a striker and could use 2x blades, 2h blade, or a bow. Then once you picked a specialization you were essentially picking which weapon you wanted to spec into; that weapon became the only one that your spec abilities would work with - while your base abilities (from striker) worked with any of the three.

However, we found through testing that it wasn't exactly fun to put such restrictions on the specs. It was a lot more enjoyable if we varied the abilities and allowed them to use any of the 3 throughout the life of their character - which is where we are today.

 

[Undone]

I should also mention that we feel it is very important to allow players to easily identify the base class of a player based on their weapons & weapon stance. This is why defenders get 2H blunts, supporters get crossbows, etc.

 

[Aetrion]

Yea, at one point every class was dedicated to a specific weapon, but it just made no real sense why you had to wield a crossbow in order to use certain kinds of heals, and a a staff to use others. There were a lot fewer actual build options in the game.

I would support a capstone choice where you can pick a weapon specialization at a high level that grants you an additional weapon specific skill, so that there is something that acknowledges dedication to a certain weapon.

 

[Blyte Plays]

I think it would be nice if, you started out "striker" with a certain group of weapons. Then as you start to level up, weapons start to drop that are BERZ, BRIG, and WARD specifically.. as well as more generic weapons that are still STR

I don't think the rug should be pulled right at 6, but as you start to itemize the world more and more, specialty specific things become more and more prolific.

 

[Undone]

I think it would be nice if, you started out "striker" with a certain group of weapons. Then as you start to level up, weapons start to drop that are BERZ, BRIG, and WARD specifically.. as well as more generic weapons that are still STR

I don't think the rug should be pulled right at 6, but as you start to itemize the world more and more, specialty specific things become more and more prolific.

While certainly possible - one of the things I don't like about this is that we have trained players from an early level that they can use one of three types of weapons for their role. If we start adding limitations to some weapons then those expectations are subverted and you are going to run into situations where someone rolls on a longsword that is meant for a warden but they are a brigand. I think it just muddies the water - as Aetrion suggested I think the better option is to eventually allow the player to pick one weapon to "master" and gain some bonuses. This maintains flexibility for the player while they make the choice, not us.

 

[Elloa]

I agree with @Aetrion & @Undone I think the weapon specialisation may be something more exciting and more consitent with what we want to create with this game!

That being said, keep coming with new ideas We love all the feedback!

 

[Aetrion]

I think there could be unique weapons that are associated with a specific class that have bonuses that are only useful to that particular class, like slightly reducing the cooldown on a specific ability, or modifying it in some other way.

For example you could have A Berserker's Axe or a Warden's Bow that slightly improve one of their core skills, and as such are only useful to that one class. Other classes can theoretically wield them, but since they don't have that skill there is no payoff to it, since these weapons would take a tradeoff in their stat budget elsewhere.

They shouldn't be pure best in slot for their class either, just if you want to make a specific build around the ability they modify.

Examples:

Gruesome Trophy - Reduces cooldown on Terrors of War.
Repeating crossbow - Adds an additional hit to Salvo.
Fencing Foil - Allows Weak Point to stack once.
Crushing Maul - Increase targets on Collateral Damage to 3.
Knightly Shield - Reduces cooldown on Counter.
Partisan Spear - Increases the Radius of Halt.
Berserker Axe - Increase the number of targets in Pummel to 3.
Assassin's Blade - Reduces the Cooldown on From The Shadows.
Warden's Bow - Increase the duration of Eagle Eye.

Just random ideas, but there could be some weapons like that in the game that wouldn't necessarily throw the whole game out of whack as long as their stat budget is reasonably balanced around class neutral weapons.