Making staff 1 handed

[CristianRush]

Maybe one staff and a dagger or a little shield...
This will be awesome...

[yerkyerk]

I wouldn't hold your breath on this getting implemented... it's probably impossible, as well as grossly outbalancing the game.

Even so, there's no need to discuss this unless someone can proof it can be done..

[Viktor]

I don't like the idea of making staves effectively twice as strong.

However, I do like the idea of a more caster friendly weapon choice. Instead of being pretty much stuck with a staff the entire game, a "Wand" and "Magic Shield" would be very pleasing. This also complicates itemization (In a good way) allowing greater customization of stats. I could stack +int on both my Wand and Mage Shield, or I could distribute more evenly, getting a +int wand, and a +mana Mage shield.

It is very doubtful this will be implemented, but it would be very interesting to see, and I have always liked more choice when it came to my weapons. After playing both a melee and a caster, I felt that the melee had a lot more choices as to what kind of stat distribution they wanted to use, as well as being more free to look how they wanted. (Spear, Sword, Knife.. etc..)

[medierra]

Well, you should be happy to learn that we won't have staves in the new game and caster items will all be one-handed. We've got some ideas that I think are a little cooler than wands. ; p

Various changes in the gameplay will prevent this from causing imbalances... or at least, that's the plan.

[Viktor]

Wands was just a quick example, I am glad that you are going to be going with the modular route to make caster itemization more customizable.

I think absolutely no two handed caster weapons puts us back in the same boat as I mentioned before however, I have been in the situation before where I have two very weak one handed weapons, and find a very powerful two handed weapon that replaces them both. The idea is having a choice between using one good weapon, or two lesser weapons together to give the same benefit.

[Matseb2611]

I like the idea of some staves being one-handed. They could be called sceptres. Because the thing is, melee toons get to have a choice between spears, swords, maces and axes, whereas mages do not get that choice. It's one of the reasons why I hardly ever play as them. I find staves boring.
However I can imagine how awesome the Juggernaut class will become suddenly (not that it's bad right now). A one-handed sceptre to shoot and a shield to bash the enemies with.

[medierra]

Originally Posted by Matseb2611

I like the idea of some staves being one-handed. They could be called sceptres. Because the thing is, melee toons get to have a choice between spears, swords, maces and axes, whereas mages do not get that choice. It's one of the reasons why I hardly ever play as them. I find staves boring.
However I can imagine how awesome the Juggernaut class will become suddenly (not that it's bad right now). A one-handed sceptre to shoot and a shield to bash the enemies with.

My current thinking, which is subject to change, is that there will be no caster-specific weapons and caster-types will be able to use the full variety of available weapons. Instead, there will be a caster off-hand item called a "fulcrum", which will be used to more safely and efficiently channel the volatile energy used in magic. I think this is a good direction since most casters will be more often using offensive spells than a weapon and due to their typical glass-cannon balance, it seems appropriate to promote the use of an off-hand item that trades defense for increased offensive power.

[Poinas]

O_o

Interesting news. No staves fot casters...will there be some restrictions with what a character can use, like attribute requirements?

[weeniebean]

I have just started with an Oracle and I would like the idea of a 1 handed mage weapon and a Mage shield (like maybe a book or something, like in Runescape) and be able to use maybe 2 1-handed staves or "wands". I hope they make a TQ 2 and put these things in!!

Weeniebean Out

[Anemone]

Well, My Toon is always holding the staff in "one" hand anyway whether casting or not. Mage types should be somewhat more powerful anyway until a warrior type gains added power with enchanted weapons and armor. Rather than use a physical shield a mage should be able to cast a defensive spell or aura seems basic D&D to me. But of course if the dude is a BattleMage perhaps he has the right or need to carry a shield if he so chooses....