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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.
All weapons usable for every class - why?
Garrtok
Member, Alpha Two
Hi,
while we know, that all classes have access to all weapons, intrepid never showed what incentive you would have to switch to a non typical weapon. Or what options are open to you.
Most likely the weapon skill trees won't be super complex and will also most likely support a certain class more than others.
Edit: cause for some it seems not to be clear. Iam not complaining, that every weapon is available, iam asking what options do we have to play a build outside the intended standard class, that makes it worth to play a ranger with a sword and plate armor for example.
A problem might be, that you can always roll for need on a rate items cause it could fit your super creative build and no one could argue about that.
while we know, that all classes have access to all weapons, intrepid never showed what incentive you would have to switch to a non typical weapon. Or what options are open to you.
Most likely the weapon skill trees won't be super complex and will also most likely support a certain class more than others.
Edit: cause for some it seems not to be clear. Iam not complaining, that every weapon is available, iam asking what options do we have to play a build outside the intended standard class, that makes it worth to play a ranger with a sword and plate armor for example.
A problem might be, that you can always roll for need on a rate items cause it could fit your super creative build and no one could argue about that.
6
Comments
Well, to be realistic, dual wield dagger will have some smart benefits for rogues and probably not for tanks, at least that is what I'm guessing or, that's how Steven is thinking about it:
Let's say a dagger has some slashing effects that bleed the target or that cripple the target... Every time you attack you have a chance to proc that effect. That effect then can synergize with what your active skills tree has available to it. So let's say your backstab deals 30 additional damage to a bleeding target. If you attack with your main weapon first and the target gets the bleed proc off and you do your backstab skill then you're synergizing your effects"
Assumption: "backstab" is a special rogue skill and not only an attack from behind.
But weapon skills will support different playing styles, as I understand it. So, if you want to have an increase in cooldown reduction there perhaps will be weapons / weapons skills that support this more instead of providing more crit-chance or whatever.
Will that be incentive enough? Idk. Perhaps. There will be classes which perhaps will benefit a bit more to use/play with different weapons.
Perhaps a Greatsword enhances AoE-crit chance. This buff/proc perhaps can be helpful for mages focussing on AoE damage/skills instead of single target skills, so perhaps they play a "battle mage" type or something like this, so mage with Greatsword. Why not.
About rolling during loot process: Yes, that and (because there will be no or few soulbound items) need rolls to sell the item afterwards. This, tbh, will only be possible to be controlled because you play in a group of friends or mature guildies so it will not happen. In random groups / PUGs this risk is always existing.
I would love to play my Bard Board and Wand. That would be a dream class. Would be nice if you got skills with shield.
But whyyyy is the question? Is the game supporting such builds? Just based on the weapon you don't change to a melee focused mage. In guild wars for example it's easily possible
But that's exactly my question, is there any incentive or not?
This is the correct answer.
Not all weapons will be optimal for your class.
More importantly, not all players will be participating in Ashes content that requires an optimized build with “best in slot” weapons.
It isn't going to be zerg these 7 POIs and then wait for the expansion.
well, if rolling is the problem, then you just coordinate with your group and roll for 1 weapon until everybody gets a weapon. after that, everybody can yoll for secondary / alternative weapons, so its not a problem at all ;3
You don't get it right? Right now there is no incentive to play something else than your standard weapons. There is no mechanic to play as an melee wizard. You would downgrade yourself massively
Can we maybe talk about what they showed and not about some theoretical one day maybe stuff?
it's not theoretical. they already said that you wont have all crafting stations in every node. majors will decide what to set up and IIRC its 2 per node. with that mind, there will only be 5 metros, therefore 10 stations. there are 8 crafting professions, so if metros repeat stations, some players wont be able to craft t5 stuff until those nodes are destroyed or change the stations. it could take a while. its this way until intrepid changes things
But how are good crafting stations related to the topic at all?
But until now there is nothing shown to support this.
People can always call out "Greed" if the healer puts in for dual daggers or other such nonsense....
They gave an example during the wand showcase that a bard or cleric might use a wand to proc elemental statuses to set up the wizard to be more powerful.
So much my biggest beef with the Ranger and Fighter right now. The original campaign used the Pathfinder system, but Archer Fighters and dual-wield rangers that are staples of that system are not represented
The freedom of class build can lead to people coming up with creative ways to build a class. The freedom Ashes is doing is much like ESO but Ashes took it to the next step. I loved seeing a Mage Class in ESO tank, and do it well. I RPed a Battlemage before in DnD and to see that in a MMO makes me smile.
You can play meta and meta often changes but with a skill system like Ashes, you can think outside the box and build a class that people will need to figuring you out. That gives you a few second advantage. I have my Bard built in my mind. I hope the skills and Augments let me do it.
It just gives players a way to fulfil their class fantasy. Real agency means that if your choice is suboptimal, you feel the full brunt of the disadvantage you've created for yourself, but you still get to make that choice.
Where in a game like ESO, if a weapon combo is suboptimal, you'll get the class mains whining until Bethesda gives them a new proc or interaction to make it work to "keep things interesting."
Some weapons skills might make some builds viable. Some ranger builds might be viable because rangers just happen to have a hidden strength that makes them more effective when they end up in melee combat. But you have to find that. It won't be created for you by changing your class when you start swinging a sword instead of a bow.
because they will allow you to craft / modify the item to get the exact build you want 8D
I think the greatsword has a proc that does extra physical damage whenever you use a direct physical skill, I think its called second strike) therefore a ranger could use a greatsword to activate the proc (for example if a warrior or rogue dashes to him, or just in pve), then use a bow skill to proc the greatsword proc and do extra damage with the bow.
the wand has something similar, and unless its a mistake on the wiki, it can also extend the duration of second strike. so a warrior with a greatsword could proc it, then swap to a wand, then back to the gs, making the wand a desirable weapon for a warrior (maybe a warrior with sub mage).
we already have things like this, we just have to wait for more.
class is the combination of two archetypes. So, a fighter, rogue, or mage isn’t a fully defined class until combined with a secondary archetype, forming something like a beast master or paladin.
Class skills could use augments to enhance abilities, though the application of augments to weapon skills is less clear. Ideally, they should avoid implementing a system like Throne and Liberty, which feels clunky and confusing. The user interface (UI) is poorly designed, to the point where you need a build guide just to figure out how things work.