Weapon of choice?

[Eclipse]

So!
It's about an hour before dawn, you're getting ready for a grueling day in a dank dungeon. What weapon do you choose for your tanking duty??

Axe?
Sword?
Mace?


Sigil has stated that their weapon skill system will incorporate the weapons in such a way that you will choose what weapon proficiency to specialize in. So...our early choices will greatly affect us later in the game. What's your favorite type of tanking weapon? Keep in mind that this is just a subjective question, we have to assume that all weapons will have similar, or at least equally great stats and damage to allow for every weapon to be a good choice for tanking. so what is it?

If your favorite 1H weapon isn't there, just add it. Imagination is always an asset!

As a side note, what do you guys think about having to choose one main weapon proficiency instead of having equal access to all weapons?

-Eclipse

[TheDrunkenDwarf]

I've always been a fan of a big two-handed axe, but life as a tank often dictates that I give up a hand to hold a shield. In those cases, I make do with a (slightly) smaller axe

I LOVE the idea of picking one weapon proficiency... provided that there is equal assortment/availability of weapons of each type. I would hate to have a system which claims to provide diversity by making us choose one path, and then have the mechanics of the game dictate one single path as the "best" choice due to having better or more easily obtainable weapons.

[Eclipse]

Well, if they give us 5 or 6 1H options, and then one day come back and say...uh, sorry the sword is actually the only weapon that can most efficiently tank, there would be a lot of really scorned tanks out there.

I actually would like to see a game come out with a staff as a tanking weapon. Before you think that's a dumb idea, hear me out.

The traditional tank has a shield and a sword. The traditional damage dealer hefts around a tree trunk in his hands (lol) but they historically forget about the staff. The staff was a defensive weapon. Better for paryring than any sword, and swifter to wield. The issue here is also mitigation vs avoidance. Some say avoidance is only for light melees, but I disagree. Warning! Incoming link!

http://www.vanguardsoh.com/forums/sh...6&pagenumber=2


posts 59 and 60 for what I'm talking about as far as avoidance.

A staff would be a very defensive weapon, and still able to do a bit of damage as well. As maces and hammers teach us, you don't need to make someone bleed externally to kill them. In a real duel, the sword-fighters worst nightmare is the guy wielding a staff. The staff-wielder can parry and attack in the same motion, a sword cannot do that as efficiently. A staff can also be used completely for defense, and if done right, no normal weapon (axe, sword, spear, mace) would be able to land. It would be a parrying God weapon. But it wouldn't do much for the 2,000 lb ogre swinging a tree at you. So that's the issue, but if I was a tank that could dodge as well as another tank could block, then i could effectively jump out of the way of that swing. I don't think of tanks as JUST a meat-shield. I think they can be avoidance too. And the staff would fit ME and my vision perfectly.

I have aggressive, far-fetched ideas, and understand these things won't make it into VG, but eventually...I would like to see it done. Mat Cauthon vs the world. (Wheel of Time by Robert jordan reference)
chau!

-Eclipse

[TheDrunkenDwarf]

Wheel of Time series is great. I'm reading book 5 now

As for having some of the tanks mitigation and some avoidance... several other mmos have tried this (most notably EQ2) and it has NEVER worked out.

An avoidance based tank is prone to spikes in incoming dps (both spikes of increased damage coming in because they miss a dodge or two, and spikes where they get a good run and avoid everything). Mitigation is normally very predictable and stable.

The problem is that when an avoidance tank gets a good streak and avoids a bunch of attacks, it saves the healer some mana/power/whatever. But that can be immediately followed by a bad streak which results in a quick death for the tank, no matter how much mana/power the healer has.

In EQ2 a monk was supposed to be a tank on equal footing with the warrior... but it didn't work out due to the mitigation vs avoidance problems.

As for the idea of using a staff to block... would be great if they could do it in a way that is balanced with weapon/shield combinations. Yet another option to individualize your character.

[Eclipse]

Yes, historically shields were the staple. But that was because it would take much more (subjectively) skill to become a master at using a staff in combat than it took to use a large flat piece of wood for incoming attacks.

The best warriors out there did most of their damage with their shield though. Shields should have a damage modifier for shield bashes and shield charges, etc. In WoW, the warrior gets a charge ability, which was really cool, but for that charge I think it would make more sense for the charge to be shield-oriented. Think Captain America. <--- arguably the epitome of all mitigation tanks...look at his friggin shield! haha

BUT, as an Inquisitor, even though we have been told many times that we would be able to tank as effectively as the other tanks, I still keep the idea on my mind that we will be a bit more situational...and so if it turns out I'm wrong then I will be pleasantly surprised. If I'm right, however, I won't be crushed. And if I am right, and Inquisitors are kept around because there are a crapload of casters in the world...then tanking with a defensive 2H weapon would make sense. Why would i need a shield against a wizard? If they can make a spear, or a staff that is made for defense instead of offense, that will be how I further "flavor" my character I think.
Mat's style of fighting was my favorite in that series, and Gambit was always my favorite X-Man. In Wheel of Time, there is a bit of lore about a guy named Jainn Farstrider I believe...and the only man to ever best him in a duel was a farmer with a staff. That was the lore the teacher told his students after a newb Mat Cauthon owns like 3 of them at once (you may not be there yet, if not I apologize)

I also played Asheron's Call for 4 years and my favorite weapon was the staff, but after about 90 levels it became clear the developers didn't like them...there were no good staffs in the game, so I respecced. My hope is that one day a staff-wielder can earn some respect from the gaming community as a risk-taker.

-Eclipse

[Tudana]

I have always been a fan of nice sharp 2hd, Axe or sword. I enjoy the speed of 1hd, but it just dont hit with the "unf" as a nice 2hd does. :twisted:

I am hoping there are epic weapon quests early on, I`m one of those that likes to sifth throw the strawn hay in a barn to find a hilt, dive deep into merky bogs to find a shaft, or slay a goblin to find the bindings it ate and then take it to a old wisened smith and have him recreat these old pieces into a fine weapon.

I have been playing wow for a couple months now and so far I have gone through more weapons then i have ever seen in all my years playing online...lol..and my warrior is only 34.

A weapon has to have special maening to me or I feel like its not part of me. I am hoping VsoH, while building this game, thinks of our weapons as not just a tool, but an extention of us and should be an adventure to aquire...getting a new weapon every 3rd kill is just sad.

[Eclipse]

Not many people like MY idea, but personally I think a weapon should be less important than the arm wielding it.
In reality, you would go out and get a decent weapon, and then over years, instead of trade it in, you would upgrade/upkeep it. Sometimes it would break and you would have it repaired.
I think there's something to keeping the same weapon for a long time that has great appeal to me.

But I want to go even further than that. I want to acquire a weapon at lvl 15 (example) and then keep it for 30-40 levels. Instead of trading in the weapon or selling it or tossing it for better stats, you could imbue it with better stats. Always just upgrading your same weapon instead of always finding more.
But that's just me.

-Eclipse

[Jabari Dreamchaser]

Some really interesting thoughts in this thread.

As for me... I will take a 1handed sword (two of them if possible) just about any day of the week. I really like the idea of having to choose a certain weapon to be skilled with. But as already stated... only if all the various choices are equally easy / difficult to come by.

[Fadeyn]

new to the forum, so hence the late reply. Personally i would love a 2 handed axe, but as was stated above, a shield is the staple of tanking. so i suppose I'll go 1h sword, or 1h Axe if they will let a dread knight do that.

[Fisty]

I am fond of swords of any type if I'm playing a human/barb/elf type character. If I'm playing a dwarf I want an axe, double edged, don't care if it's one or two handed. If I'm playing an ogre or troll I would want a big gnarly lookin' two hand blunt. For cat/fox/wolf people prolly one or two handed axes depending on the size of the race. Gnomes and halflings I dunno. :lol:

I guess for me it's more about what weapon type is the most appropriate for the race of the toon.