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Wishlist - Weapons
ArchivedUser
Guest
I’d just like to talk a little about the weapons that we might see in Ashes. We know that weapons will not be class restricted which is fantastic news and truly opens up the possibilities of some amazing customisation of not only character cosmetics, but also to play style.
Throughout my gaming life I have, more often than not, been disappointed by the design of the majority of weapons in games. They tend to follow a singular path: low levels are simple, plain weapons which become increasingly elaborate as level increases to the point where the most powerful look like bizarre anime fever dream weapons.
History is an amazing resource and is absolutely full of beautiful examples of weaponry and shields. I would really love to see some of these brought into the game and given a Verra flavour. I would also love to see a more realistic design aesthetic with a fantasy flourish. Not as garish as WoW, not as simple as ESO, and very far from the eastern MMO style that is so prevalent these days. Something of a kind of middle ground.
I like the majority of what I have seen so far (which is really tiny), knowing that it is all very early iterations. Can’t wait to see more of these in the coming months (dole us out some more little tidbits please).
Something else I’d like to see is the ability for any weapon style to be available at any level of power. Really love the design of that simple longsword you saw at level 10? Sure, find a crafter with that design, choose a material to provide a power level and choose the trait you prefer and craft away.
Similar with shields. Having a simple aspis allows endless
possibilities for the addition of designs. A simple google search will show
examples of all the different styles that could be chosen for the face of a shield. You
could even have the guild logo be added to shields – I think it would be
amazing to be able to see a bunch of tanks from the same guild with different
armour and weapons but with the same guild logo design on their shields 
I would also love to see the ability to use a spear with a shield. There is a huge amount of historical precedent for this, but it never seems to make it into fantasy games. Does it have something to do with a whole separate set of animations required?
Can polearms also be as useful and valid a choice as two-handed swords, axes, and mauls. They seem to get sidelined in so many MMOs, with almost no choices and those there are look horrendous.
Just some of my thoughts and hopes anyway.
To the weapons:
Swords – falchion, katana, gladius, longsword, khopesh, scimitar, sabre, parang, talwar, zweihander, cutlass, viking, etc
Maces/Hammers – morning star to flanged, to mauls and warhammers to clubs, cudgels and shillelaghs and even flails
Axes – single and double bladed, hand-axe to battle-axe
Spears – from the short thrusting assegai to the long European spear, tridents
Polearms – glaive, halberd, bardiche, pop scythes in here
Daggers – hundreds of different styles and sizes
Staves – from the simple wooden quaterstaff, to ornately topped staffs mainly for healing, not for smacking
Bows and Crossbows – short and long, repeating crossbow, pistol crossbow
Fist Weapons* – we can use our imagination here
Offhands – spellbooks, orbs, chalice, talismans, etc
Shields – round, kite, aspis, heater, buckler, scutum, pavise
* Not a fan of fist weapons. They haven’t been confirmed to exist in Ashes yet, and I would be more than happy if they do not.
Comments
Even the polearm is on Michael Bacon's site
For example spears, they do very good damage, but extremely low attack speed. By the time you wield it to attack, you're already dead or even worse, a player with double swords does damage so quickly, it outdamages a spear by miles in terms of damage per second and not just damage per hit.
This has been the case in some games I played, there is nothing more frustrating when your group finally gets the kill on a boss and the drop is... spear or 2-hand mace ...
So you could represent your guild with your shield on your back as you run around, and it would look pretty cool to face off against across the battlefield against a guild with a bunch of people with the same shield design, kind of like a little army
I also hope that for the Cleric, shield and hammer will be a viable option. We know Steven loves D&D and the classic image of the cleric is heavy armour with hammer and shield.
I know that the cleric's heals will be based off damage, and it makes sense then for them to carry a big two-hander to do more damage, but I hope that everything balances to make a bunch of different things viable, including the classic archetypes.
I thought the way the Cleric held the staff in the footage from PAX was bizarre, but if you take out the staff and put in a maul, it makes a lot more sense. Maybe the animation was really for a different weapon that was not ready.
2H ones? :O
I would like to have a Mage that can wear light armour and carry a shield and wand or staff and sword. Let us have some interesting combos, that have a ton of precedence in fantasy books.
I really want the days of the Mage/wizard/sorcerer that wears robes and only carries a staff or wand to be over. Let's do some trope smashing in Ashes.
All classes can wear all gear. Some classes just work better with some types of gear. So no need to hope!
I expect the weapon designs to reflect the culture the race is based on - same for armor.
And should become available as NPCs begin to appear at settlements and encampments.
I think of D&D Cleric as primarily wielding mace or long hammer.
But, Jozan wields hammer and shield and 3.0 is 17 years old now, so makes sense that would be the iconic image for many.
If short hammer is an option, which seems likely, anyone would be able to wield short hammer and shield.
I wonder if different gods will favor different weapons - especially for their Clerics.
I've got balls of steel!!
Like Aion, reason I stopped playing it early after it originally released:
There was a chainsaw like blade skin for 2H swords.
Just my preference tho
Real mage controls the elements with his mind and needs no focus. Perhaps only beginner or intermediate mages need a focus.
Ofc. this is only my own personal view on this.
Steven is going for High Fantasy.
Rifles and pistols are too close to SteamPunk - which is Fantasy, yes, but not High Fantasy.
All the weapons!
Bat'leths and all!
For the empire!
and other such mixed genres....