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Phase I of Alpha Two testing will occur on weekends. Each weekend is scheduled to start on Fridays at 10 AM PT and end on Sundays at 10 PM PT. Find out more here.
Check out Alpha Two Announcements here to see the latest Alpha Two news and update notes.
Our quickest Alpha Two updates are in Discord. Testers with Alpha Two access can chat in Alpha Two channels by connecting your Discord and Intrepid accounts here.
Weapon Skill Trees; Individual Weapon Trees compared to Weapon Set Trees
willsummon
Member, Alpha Two
The recent Fighter Showcase showed a basic concept of the weapon skill tree for the two-handed sword.
A weapon tree is a nice idea. It would help with rounding the edges of playstyles with so many classes in Ashes of Creation.
Though, this got me thinking. Which way is AoC going. Are they going with individual weapon trees, meaning each weapon has their own tree? Or, weapon set trees, meaning the style of play is tree, such as weapon and shield is one tree, dual wielding another tree, etc?
Both have their pros and cons. Having a tree for each weapon can be more in depth and detailed, but could lead to some game breaking results.
While a tree for each weapon set offers less options, but can be better balanced for each player's playstyle.
Either way, the weapon skill trees are going to be interesting. While those at AoC have stated they want to separate magic staffs from melee staffs, it is likely with so many hybrid classes, it would be better to have a skill tree for staffs that is part magic and part melee, to allow the players to balance what they need for the class they are playing.
The same for other weapons, including wands and shields.
There is a lot of potential in what is being presented. I look forward to learning more.
What are your thoughts on this?
A weapon tree is a nice idea. It would help with rounding the edges of playstyles with so many classes in Ashes of Creation.
Though, this got me thinking. Which way is AoC going. Are they going with individual weapon trees, meaning each weapon has their own tree? Or, weapon set trees, meaning the style of play is tree, such as weapon and shield is one tree, dual wielding another tree, etc?
Both have their pros and cons. Having a tree for each weapon can be more in depth and detailed, but could lead to some game breaking results.
While a tree for each weapon set offers less options, but can be better balanced for each player's playstyle.
Either way, the weapon skill trees are going to be interesting. While those at AoC have stated they want to separate magic staffs from melee staffs, it is likely with so many hybrid classes, it would be better to have a skill tree for staffs that is part magic and part melee, to allow the players to balance what they need for the class they are playing.
The same for other weapons, including wands and shields.
There is a lot of potential in what is being presented. I look forward to learning more.
What are your thoughts on this?
1
Comments
The Wiki has 19 weapons listed, if we separate the 1H and 2H axes, maces and swords. There is probably going to be a certain amount of copy and paste in some of the weapon trees, but even if not, I am completely ok with having 19 different weapon trees to progress in. In fact, I kind of love it. It both scratches my itch for alternate progression, and it let's me experiment with unusual combos like a wand/scepter fighter.
If you go to 53:35 of the fighter video, what they say sound like a weapon tree for each individual weapon type is coming.
Seems like Dagger will have a branch for dual-wielding.
And One-Hand Sword might have a branch for Sword & Shield.
We'll have to see.
This reminds me, is FFXI (and sorta DAoC I guess) really the only game where you can just dual wield any combination of weapons you can one-hand?
Every time I see discussions of Dual Wielding lately, it sounds really restrictive compared to what I'm familiar with, but I always figured that was due to weapon restrictions by class.
Obviously I'm biased to not expect any restrictions on Dual Wielding in Ashes because there aren't restrictions on Dual Wielding in FF11. Procs and such determined by mainhand, done... right?
As of now (information from last AMA), I am probably wrong. Dual Wielding is its own tree, possibly with its own procs and skill types, and it might overtake or diminish the procs of the weapons chosen, themselves. Something to ask later (as of A2 start we are apparently getting Dual Wielded Daggers, but at that point, the Daggers themselves might 'not matter' as much and skills could come from the DW skilltree, no specific info yet).
Basically I'm just correcting my last post in this thread. I now do expect meaningful 'restrictions' on Dual Wielding in Ashes compared to DAoC and FFXI, but not quite as 'bad' as TL's recent change. Now I expect the tree itself to 'have different things you might choose based on your chosen dual wielded weapons', like, one path helps a bit more for Dagger offhanders, one path helps a bit more for Mace offhanders, etc.
You won't put a dagger in your offhand. You'll merge two daggers together to creat dual daggers that you'd equip the same way you'd use a 2-hander.
This comes from the fact that Steven said you'd use a recipient to fuse them during the AMA.