I really like these ideas, even if underwater will need mechanical work before something like this can be implemented, I think the phased delivery method would be helpful for how many changes an underwater expansion would need. I can imagine the floorwalking line coming with a toggle button like there is for mounted leyline riding. The legendary aquabreather skins could be tied to working with/getting to know the different underwater cultures, like the largos & quaggan but also maybe there's something else down there which can't easily go on land...

@Aerali

6 ай бұрын

Yes! Those are also great ideas! Hopefully maybe Anet will do something along those lines.

Those are great ideas, they make me want to have an underwater expansion. I think a new set of legendary weapons is well-deserved if we're talking about an underwater expansion, considering they did gen 1, and there aren't as many weapons to design. The underwater traitline could be in the masteries. The mount could be a new mechanic (two) in the masteries: transformation into dolphin, giving you the ability to go through 'underwater ley-lines,' comes in handy to avoid the dangers of the deep and travel faster, and you are also able to pass through specific obstacle or the worlds separating the different regions of the deep.

@Aerali

7 ай бұрын

Thank you! And great ideas! I know it's a pipe dream at this point but hey you never know!

A great quality of life feature an expansion needs to add someday is a Bestiary, man id love that, the more kills you get the more info you get on an enemy (this is how Dungeon Siege 2 did there bestiary, it was the best)

@Aerali

3 ай бұрын

Yeah, a beastiary is a great idea! It would be cool to look at the different models and such.

I'll give you 2 more masteries: - use underwater currents (like leylines) - pressure compensator (ors some mechanic to cope with the crushing water pressure the deeper you go) the walking on the bottom is interesting...maybe and air bubble around you? Needing to be near some source of air, or rechargeable? It defies the underwater scenario, but it could work out!

@Aerali

7 ай бұрын

Oh those are great ideas, too! The understand current especially. Great points!

@WordsOfTheTeacher

7 ай бұрын

I'll do you .5 better and suggest underwater currents HAVE leylines in them and build off HoT masteries the way skyscale SOTO worked with S4... how exactly idk

@Aerali

7 ай бұрын

@@WordsOfTheTeacher that is a fantastic idea! No reason to not to have key lines underwater.

However much I absolutely love this concept, and I've thought of much the same too, the underwater combat would need a rework. I suppose this video is just a thought piece for game content, less about balance and game improvements, but I can't help but continue begging Arenanet to start getting ALL skills to just... function underwater. Getting all regular weapons to work underwater would be even more fantastic, and would entirely resolve the hatred around underwater combat in general. And while I'm begging, I want to actually be able to be a Renegade or a Mechanist underwater... neither of those specialisations actually function underwater, they are entirely useless compared to other specialisations. Regardless, just wanted that off my chest since it's a similar topic. I would entirely support this kind of concept, as Largos in particular are highly desired in the communities I've spoken to as a race that desperately needs expanding upon.

@Aerali

7 ай бұрын

The underwater combat definitely would need to see a revamp. Not sure if I would be okay with using every weapon underwater since that is a lot of work but definitely every elite spec should work underwater. No excuse why they shouldn't. I know it's a pipe dream and it will never happen just because there are so many people against anything underwater but I find it to be such a fascinating area of the world that still has so many mysteries. It saddens me that anything underwater was abandoned long ago (even the deep sea dragon) but it is what it is. I'll be thinking up other ideas as well. Like I said it's all just a way to give constructive criticism of the game and developers.

I love the idea of getting to explore more underwater stuff and the Largos society, but realistically, we'll not see any underwater-centered expansions or huge things down there...main reasons, unfortunately, being: - people lamenting about existing underwater combat/content are way louder than the enjoyers (hope videos like this will change the tide a little) - largos, like tengu, are the right size to be playable, and if ANet still keep that card up their sleeve, it would not be able to open up a new racial "main city" - there are so many lore threads and places not explored on land, that underwater is not a priority - it would probably need some build up, with more lore and events dropped along other expansions to emphasize the stirring of the wet big bad BUT there's always hope, and that beacon is lit in me as much the one for new playable races 😁 keep up the good work!!

@Aerali

7 ай бұрын

Yes this is true. I do realize that there are many other places that take priority when it comes to expanding the world of Guild Wars (my personal favorite being the Isles of Janthir), but it's just fun to speculate on what ifs and such.

@MusPuiDiTe

7 ай бұрын

@@Aerali the isles of Janthir are in my top three, and I think we’ll see ‘em soon enough (just a gut feeling tho 😉)

Good ideas, but I would do it a bit different: Maps -First map should be a sunny tropical setting (think Siren's Reef fractal but bigger and several islands with on a water map (not too deep water) with pirate enemies on ships, have some Largos and maybe some mermaids additions. -Homebase could be a tropical island pirate themed place with Largos...idk. -Second map should be rainy and stormy water map with some islands but more underwater exploration with a small whirlpool in the middle that is getting in to a gigantic maelstrom when meta Chuthulu boss arrives (Think Potc 3 Maelstrom battle with a giant Chuthulu in the middle) maybe have a Largos city in this map on the side). -Third map should be completely underwater with extra cave system so it varies between land and water, includes a deep water mastery so you can survive the pressure. Masteries -Boats and Fishing should come back improved like skyscale was improved in Soto, add weapon/canon on skiff so you can have ship battles vs pirate ships (having a galleon with big sail skiff skin and blasting cannons on other enemy ships would be so cool). -Home base and Largos masteries (better swimming/underwater battle tactics) -Third map mastery (pressure mastery, map mastery e.t.c) Features -Basic skimmer without mastery -1 speedy underwater mount, with the ability too jump out of water like you mentioned (honestly, skiff is the "roller bettle" of the sea) -New underwater weapons for all professions. -New normal weapons for all professions (the ones who come with every expansion). -Legendary underwater breather. -Largos endless combat tonic -Small galleon with 3 big sails skiff skin reward like Soto's kryptis skyscale mastery reward.

@Aerali

7 ай бұрын

I like it! Good suggestions. It's more pirate-y than I would like but I could see this being more realistic than what I have tbh. New underwater weapons would be interesting but I don't know how well received they would be by the community. Variety is good though. And I understand what you mean by the skiff is the rollerbeetle of the sea but it doesn't actually go underwater. So, for a pirate expansion the skiff is great (especially if they add combat capabilities to it) but not for underwater travel which is what I was hoping for but I still like these ideas a lot!

@Gurukay

7 ай бұрын

@@Aerali Yeah i know the skiff/skiff's new weapons would not be good at all in the third map, but it would at least be good in the first and second map. I was thinking the first map could be pirate-y themed while the second map storm/lovecraftien/Largos themed. I think the third map could be a dark (like you mentioned in the video) abyss that gradually opens up deeper and deeper after each update release. As for the underwater mount, it's true that the skiff can't go under water, but if the new underwater mount becomes "roller beetle of the sea" then skiff kind of becomes even more useless in that sense. Could make the skiff a combat mount like the siege turtle with cannons on skiff so it gets a new role, but yeah, you know what I mean.

@Aerali

7 ай бұрын

@@Gurukay I do think that adding combat abalities to the skiff would be amazing and it would make give it some purpose. maybe when multiple people are on board they can fire cannons too or something along those lines. They could utilize that in many ways. Either way I would love to see more emphasis put on water in general. Whether thats underwater or more island themed stuff.

@Gurukay

7 ай бұрын

@@Aerali Yes, passengers could have the option too either have a weapon or cheer too make the skiff charge the booster faster perhaps...something like that.

To get to the underwater maps, instead of a hybrid map, I think it could be cool to have an event where you are traveling to new lands by sea (moving around in an instance like on the glory of tyria) and get sunk midway...don't know if it's very reasonable lorewise tho...

@Aerali

7 ай бұрын

That not a bad idea. We had something like this happen with EoD. So it's definitely something that could work.

Yes. Please someone from arenanet see this

For the mounts I think that, since fish move their tail sideways, while mammals up and down, to have more skin ideas available the dolphin would be too restricting...a tuna or something like that it's more reasonable IMO. A seahorse is genius! it could even have short-range fast movement (maybe a little less than the jackal), not only forward, but upwards/downwards too!! Same problem for the skins as the dolphin tho...

@Aerali

7 ай бұрын

Honestly, they even have a hummingbird for a skimmer skin and a hummingbird underwater makes no sense. So they could just make whatever for the skins no matter how the tails move.

@MusPuiDiTe

7 ай бұрын

True…true…

@Gurukay

7 ай бұрын

@@Aerali It made sense before the underwater dive came to the skimmer.

@Aerali

7 ай бұрын

@@Gurukay yes this is true as well

try using your ideas with ai genearted images as well as in game footage, an underwater expansion for gw2 is long due tbh. addition to your ideas, I think it'd be sick if they give us a multi passenger mount that we can decorate. and that'd be necessary to help us reach to a crushing depth otherwise would be impossible to explore.

The underwater equipment/build should already work like entering WvW or PvP: remember the las tab used in it and reactivate it! I guess the problem would arise if you switch land/underwater locations while in combat, but it's feasible with minimum effort and should already be implemented now that you point it out

@Aerali

7 ай бұрын

Tbh I think this is already in the game engine. Many times when I leave any type of water in GW2 it actually says on screen "Activating template" or something like that where it loads the last template used, so I think this would definitely be something they can do.

Moving forward would like anet to focus on story, meta event/rewards and something new; example: mount co-op/gimmic with chariots. immagine 3 player chariot, each retains the skin of the player mount plus the actual chariot skin that could be on gem shop(good income). new expac will give out 1 mount base (raptor) and would encourage buy PoF for other monts how?, extra masteris/mecanics based on the combination of 3 mounts (limited to land, sky mounts might be to complicated). trick is not to make it OP and map/event specific or raid/fractal

@Aerali

7 ай бұрын

Hmm personally I wouldn't be a huge fan. I loved the idea of a 2 player mount and was super excited for the siege turtle, but imo it is the worst mount to date. I also think that that the chariot wouldn't really add that much depth to the gameplay as a whole. Obviously there are also technical things b ut thats all stuff they could work out. Honestly, that's just my opinion and I could be way off here, but I think this COULD work in WvW. Would love to see something like that where a warclaw chariot comes into play perhaps being used to tranpsort large amounts of people really quickly or to siege down a tower wall with a portable catapult or something along those lines.

do we still believe ANet would finally go back to do proper underwater content? the vanilla game was released with so many gorgeous underwater maps/designs but all of it was quickly discarded and never picked up again. there was even some regression in WvW when the devs removed underwater content. there hasn't been a new weapon set with underwater weapons for ages. since the introduction of 'fishing' new maps feature water which is just ankle deep sometimes to make it look possible for fishing yet the devs offered a backstory for the wizard's tower which hovered there in the air since GW1. maybe, just maybe they will make a serious attempt at underwater content again some day

@Aerali

7 ай бұрын

Yeah, you are not wrong. I don't know if I want to say I believe they will go back to underwater content but like I said in the video, I would hope that perhaps with enough good ideas floating around concerning underwater content that they will maybe feel inclined to at least consider it? Anet didn't just turn away from UW content because they felt like working on other stuff, but I'm guessing it was because people weren't really into it. That is just a guess though, so I dont know. But if enough people show interest and we can give them some good ideas for improving everything underwater maybe they will listen? Doesn't hurt to at least try haha.

Reality: wooden boat so we can park above Levi head and kill it without having to go into the water.

@Aerali

7 ай бұрын

Buhaha that is the sad truth 🤣

A new fractal could be nice, but I'd like to see new strikes/raids added as well. I'm not the biggest fan of underwater combat so maybe have it be in the setting of one of the caves where you have the atmosphere of the underwater maps but still allow us to fight normally?

@Aerali

7 ай бұрын

Yeah I understand. They could do it in an underwater cave or have it where you don't need the mastery to walk on the ocean floor, but still let you do it and you can't swim. So pretty much fighting a regular enemy with on land mechanics but have it instead just be underwater. Something along those lines.

@emilyna9916

7 ай бұрын

Yeah something like that. I could be okay with the walking on the ocean floor as an option to tie in the new content a little better, maybe it's optional for normal mode as you can finish it with normal swimming skills or by walking but then the cm you have to have the mastery to handle a cm specific mechanic?

@Aerali

7 ай бұрын

Yeah that would be cool! I will be honest, I didn't even think about strike mission. And that's not because I don't like them, but because I think they should automatically be added for every major boss fight in the game. It just makes so much sense. Why isn't the Ignaxious fight in Nayos a strike for example? It makes 0 sense. They design encounters (whether these are good or bad) and invest time into these fights that could be utilized so much more. So, pretty much add 2 strike missions in for my concept as well lmao.

I would like it but it would require a rework of mechanist, it should be reworked without it but the golem requires a water form. Even maybe a new golem that is used under water with its own underwater f1-f3 abilities. Something of note though, alot of the world that is "water/ocean" is infact the fractal/strike maps and i think even some wvw maps and single player zones.

@Aerali

7 ай бұрын

Yes I could see the same treatment for the mech that the flesh golem got. Have a submarine type mech for when you go underwater. Something along those lines.

@goygeous

7 ай бұрын

@@Aerali If it were me implenting the change i would have it so that mechanists have a speciel collection for blueprints and parts gathered from sea enemys and maybe underwater inquest labs from the game. When the collection is complete you can go see a npc who will apply the change you want. I would make it so you could change the model of both mechs including color (which would help you know which is your mech in group situations) and thus you could have shark, octopus and other varients which you collected parts and blueprints for.

@Aerali

7 ай бұрын

@@goygeous while I like the idea, it would be a lot of effort put into 1 of the 27 specializations. I feel that it would be favoritism and might even anger some parts of the playerbase.

@goygeous

7 ай бұрын

@@Aerali i can see where your coming from but is it favorotisum to fix a fundamental problem with an elite spec that is none usable in underwater situations. The entire premise for a mechanist is to use a mech, and one enviroment of the game, and of which you are suggesting an entire expansion revolves around is it favorotismn or is it a common sense solution to fix a problem in design for an elite spec. If any other spec had its entire toolbox locked off for a major aspect of the game there would be uproar, but because mechanist can gimp there way around it its looked over. Infact i would go as far as to suggest that the mech is the mechanists special weapon. So to have a collection for it where instead of an ascended version of a weapon, you unlocked an ascended version of the mech that is customizable and gives an underwater varient.

@Aerali

7 ай бұрын

@@goygeous that would be a great idea to make an ascended weapon collection type of deal. Perhaps they could make collections for every elite spec and have them do something different depending on the elite spec.