Larian Studios Forums Divinity: Original Sin 2 Divinity - Original Sin 2 - Suggestions and Feedback Combat - Weapon Switching

Thought around way to add some combat variety and incentive for hybrid classes, which would also make single classes more flexible/adaptive.

When playing the game Titan Quest, I found that it has a mechanic which allows you to have 2 sets of weapons that can be quick swapped while in combat. Now Titan Quest is a real-time combat game, but you still have cool downs, time it takes to cast things, etc., and it takes some small amount of time to swap between weapon sets. This allows you do have a ranger that can swap to a spear during close quarter combat, or a warrior that swaps between a 2 handed axe and sword and shield when needing to be more defensive (and enable shield based skills).

What if DOS 2 had this ability, so that with minimal cost (but with a cool down) you could swap to a different weapon set. With this you can better leverage hybrid classes and combat skills, a ranger with scoundrel could use a bow for sneak attacks and CC, then switch to daggers for back stabs or up close combat. A battlemage could switch from a mace to a staff or wand that had a spell attached to it. A warrior could swap between highly offensive 2 handers, and a more defensive 1 hander and shield.

I would imagine it would be used in a similar way to how "Power Stance" and "Ranged Stance" worked in DOS 1. You had a long cooldown, but a small cost (maybe free, maybe not). This way you can't just keep swapping, but instead can adapt to a situation more easily. You might even disable the ability to double swap in 1 turn (sword -> axe -> sword), so you have to wait till next turn if you want to switch back.

I would like to see more variety in weapon combat in DOS. Currently there is variety in the spells you use, consumables, positioning, strategies, environmental usages, and even allies you make or have during combat, but not really in the weapons you use (you equip it and use it for the battle).

Thoughts?

I would like the ability to set a secondary weapon set and switch to them for 1 ap rather than have to go through the trouble of looking through the inventory and switch them. The ap cost is debatable

I would support this and also the ability to define armor sets (only switchable outside of combat of course). One armor set for combat and one for social stuff for example.

I've been playing in a beta of another game similar to Divinity in some ways and they had this as well. You can set two weapon sets and hot swap between during turn based combat. I really love that idea and I think it would go a long way in making rogues more viable.

I always ran into the problem of wanting to range some targets to soften them up before going in melee, but the fumbling around in the inventory screen causes an unwanted lull

Yeah rogue would get the most out of this switching dagger/s for a bow/crossbow though warrior could switch from 2 handed to sword + sheild and get alot. I tried to make a ranger/rogue hybrid work in EE it failed beyond being a super tank thx to blur and elemental absorbtion. Back on topic i found the non-bow ranger spells to week to be worth the value point in huntsman and the memory. IF switching like op suggested (Ap cost debatable) was available it might make the hybrid completely viable and destroy the pure rogue or pure ranger builds.

Right, I would say swapping between weapon sets should be free, but if you want to equip another weapon to replace one of the sets, then that should cost AP. It really ended up punishing dual wielders the most due to having to equip two weapons.

I could see weapon swap opening up some new and interesting possibilities... Like maybe you have two crossbows and can fire twice on your first turn with swapping.

I like the idea but am confused by some comments...

But firing a crossbow costs 3AP. How would that work? If you swap weapons you get a free shot? That would be a bit OP surely.

Why would you want to do that? Aesthetics or some other reason?

Because you always have stuff you need only outside of combat for example if you want to trade you equip stuff that give + for bartering and persuasion. Having to exchange all the specific stuff manually ads no real challenge, just makes it annoying.

Ah, yes - didn't think of that.

That would be nice I agree.

a combat use of armor switching would be something like a battle mage where you wear mages robes long range with a staff and switch to warrior mode in short range with a 2h sword.

I would be hesitant on armor switching in combat. Out of combat makes perfect sense to have a "civil ability" buff set for bartering, sneaking/stealing, or even using a different tactic to prep for battle (do we charge in, do we sneak around, do have item spells like teleportation).

In combat I think swapping armor would be too powerful, there are too many armor pieces so switching in combat for any useful AP cost would make you too versatile.

Weapons on the other hand are limited to max of 2 pieces of equipment (left and right hand), if you on top of that only have two sets (with switching limitations like I mentioned before), that's basically a primary and secondary weapon set, which might even have overlap (same shield, different main hand).

I've wanted some kind of weapon switch talent or ability or weapon mod (or all three) since the original. Not sure if a default free weapon switch on cooldown (3-5 turns) would be too big of a deal either.

Armor switching a whole set in combat might be a bit much. Like, does switching to a cripple immunity chestpiece cure cripple?

As far as out of combat gear switching goes, that would be convenient, but I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I really don't think equipping a bunch of lucky charm gear to loot some boxes or charisma gear for talking, or pickpocket gear for stealing really makes for good game design. I just feel like they should make individual points in civil abilities slightly better, or just give you civil points more often, and remove civil abilities from gear, so stuff is balanced around base points instead of presuming you're equipping +charisma gear or what have you.

I hate to reduce the variety of gear even further, but interesting loot can be solved in other ways than a constant feeling like I need to play dress up to get the most out of the game.

3-5 turns ruins its potential on rogue so if we are talking about limitations make it so you can only swap a maximum of 1-3 times per encounter. I don't mind it being a talent though it really limits rogues on talent choices early game since they already have to get backstab.

My suggestion was armor switching outside of combat, during a fight you hardly have time to strip down and put something different on. Not to mention, that you probably could replenish your armor that way.

Armor switching outside of combat sounds very convenient, I like that idea a lot, but in combat it seems absurd, and I don't like that. As it stands, I don't see the problem with the current weapon switching system other than the inconvenience of not being able to have weapon presets. The AP cost is fine the way it is.

Did you noticed that slashing, piercing, crushing weapon attributes disappeared ?
Did you noticed that physical defense skill is a magic bubble?
Did you noticed that all 3 attack skills available to warrior are AoE splashes which would make Pikacu happy?
Currently the whole combat is a casual JRPG focused.
Personaly I would love to see weapon sets and some meaninfull chociess of switching. Many games use this system.But, I dont thing it hapens for DOS2.
DOS2 looks not very weapon combat focused, so why waste time with weapon sets? Perhaps make mages switch dual wands sets better ... .

Even with the "dumbing down" of combat and damages, there is definitely the ability to have useful weapon sets to switch between basic play styles (ranged or close, defensive or offensive, magic or physical).

They really should put stuff back in like: skeletons are resistant to piercing but vulnerable to crushing.

Now you only need to equip the strongest weapon and steamroll everything.

I agree. Not even sure why they took it off to begin with.

Well, piercing damage still exists, and maybe some enemies like skeletons will have more resistance to that (though not too many sources of piercing right now). I don't know how much really is lost by combining slashing and crushing to just be physical damage except some flavor and a small amount strategic choice (except it was basically, oh I better equip a mace for fighting undead), but I still kind of miss the variety.