On topic, not familiar with dnd5e. Can we equip a light crossbow on left hand and say a dagger on the right? If it's allowed by the rules, can we shoot first then move to melee range and poke with a dagger? Or will we get an option that we can move to the target in melee range and poke the dagger twice? (If we have 2 actions)
Not familiar with 5e neither. Still, light xbow sounds like a 2h weapon similar to a rifle, unlike a hand xbow which similar to a pistol. So, I think in combat the dagger would be still sheathed and kept on one's belt.
The game's current user interaction mechanic in case of weapon skills is something like this:
1. see either the clicked weapon skill was range or melee;
2. see if the corresponded type(range skill or melee skill) leads to a correct equipped weapon type(range weapon or melee weapon);
3. switch the weapon set(range weapon/melee weapon) to the one that match the skill's type(range skill/melee skill).
So, the current mechanic can already satisfy your need: use light xbow as your main weapon, and when you want to melee attack with a dagger, it will automaticlly switch your weapon to a dagger and do the melee attack. I might also want is to have the game display a light xbow held in your main hand while using dagger in your off hand to melee attack on the enemy. Then it will conflict with the current mechanic(the melee weapon slots also has a "main hand" slot that need to display) and it is where I also think the game can improve.
Back on topic, I would love to see different loadouts, so you can quickly switch between a weapon and shield, dual weapons, torch, (lantern?) etc. Especially later on when you get a variety of special weapons that could be useful for different situations.
Yes, the "loadouts" concept is the chanllege here if we want the game to handle weapon sets in a better manner. The "traditional loadouts solution" in cRPG usually have this problem: if I have a versitle weapon, such as a spear, placed in loadoutA's slot, then when I switch the loadout to loadoutB that has a shield for a rather defensive combat, then I won't be able to use that same spear.
I think the game can use a different innovative solution - locational slots system:
1. make each char to have 4 weapon slots to equip weapons: 1 right belt slot; 1 left belt slot; 1 right shoulder slot(for a shield); 1 left shoulder slot(for a 2h/versitile weapon).
2. belt slots for 1h weapons, while shoulder slots for 2h/versitle weapons or shield.
3. to draw(/put away) a 1h weapon from belt slot cost 1 bonus action; to draw(/put away) a weapon or a shield from a shoulder slot cost 1 action.
4. remove all weapon skill icons from the hotbar, and only display 2 expandable meta icons: a mainhand weapon icon and an offhand weapon icon along with each their own skill meta icon displayed beside. Click on mainhand weapon icon to expand it and allow select between left belt slot's weapon and right shoulder slot's weapon; click on offhand weapon slot to expand it and allow select between right belt slot's weapon and left shoulder slot's weapon.
5. by clicking the corresponded skill meta icon, display the available weapon skill icons similar to the current Throw icon display mechanic.
6. if currently using a 2h weapon or using a versitle weapon with offhand empty, then disable the offhand weapon skill icon. Meanwhile, if currently having a 2h weapon in mainhand with offhand also equipt with a weapon, then disable the mainhand weapon skill icon until the offhand weapon was put away.
The benefit of this sugguested system is, first, it makes the hotbar much cleaner; second, it's still very controller-friendly; third, it allows much more combination for combat.
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And we can further improve this suggested system:
7. allow pouch/slingbag to be equiptable in belt/shoulder slots.
8. allow player to store potions and scrolls in pouch and slingbag in a non-stackable manner with a total-amount limitation.
9. treat the equipped pouch and slingbags similar to the weapons, that allow to switch to them by clicking the mainhand/offhand weapon icon mention above in point4 and access their content like mentioned above in point5.
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10. add a special pouch item to keep up to 2 or 3 1h axe or dagger and a special backpack to keep up to 4 or 5 javelin or spear for player to throw.
11. add a quiver item to keep up to 20 ammunitions that to be equipped in belt slot for easier and cleaner access.
12. make heavy stuff like a barrel or a caldron to be carried on a char's left shoulder slot if empty.
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13. forbit accessing the inventory during the battle.
14. merge the inventory for all companions' inventory into a "baggage train", the weight capacity of this "baggage train" depends on all companions/followers' strength.
15. when trading, directly display the "bagagge train" inventory.
By doing this, not only making inventory management and sell process much more convenient, more controller-friendly, but also adding a new layer of depth by enhancing the combat resources management(player shall no longer access unlimited options of potions and scrolls in party's inventory).
