We need this new melee power

[btb7039]

Can we please looki at getting into some type of energy based melee weapon, like a sword or claws, or a hammer. Ive been playing this game since 2007 and I feel like this should have been added years ago. The melee weapon playing right now lacks the excitement it use to have, need something to get away from lethal and smashing damage only.

 

Thank you

[Rudra]

There are energy melee weapons. They are selectable under the weapons of the melee weapon sets.

[Completist]

Also if customizations aren't enough because you want to get away from melee/slashing damage in particular, try Fire Melee (a couple fire sword powers plus a couple more in power customization) and Psionic Melee (psi-blades).

[biostem]

21 hours ago, Rudra said:

There are energy melee weapons. They are selectable under the weapons of the melee weapon sets.

I think what the OP wants is a melee weapon-based equivalent to beam rifle - it's like arguing that AR should be enough, because you can pick some high tech weapon models for it.  You could even port over a form of the "disintegrate" effect to the set, and use the existing broadsword animations...

[Rudra]

I understood the intent. However, since all the melee weapon sets including claws include energy weapons and the proposal only changes the damage type, I'm inclined to point out that the weapons already exist and can already be used. I get that players want more elemental weapon attacks in their set than the 3 sword attacks in fire and psionic melee or the 2 sword attacks in ice melee. However, it is my understanding that the fire, ice, magma, and energy weapons are in the existing weapon sets specifically so players can have characters using all weapon attacks with those elements. The damage happens in the background, so I don't understand the fixation on different damage types for the same set, especially with set enjoyability used as the reason. I'm not saying that is not a valid reason, just that except specifically for damage type, the proposal already exists because the player already can make a character wielding energy weapons with all the melee weapon sets.

 

While granularity is great in an open-ended game like Hero System, GURPs, and other pen-and-paper games, it becomes a massive bog in a video game. Options like what is proposed for City of Titans where you can change the damage type of powers with specific enhancements are viable and something I hope to one day see, but City of Heroes/Villains is not set up that way. (New enhancement sets that changed damage types on the affected power being introduced could be interesting, but I'm also afraid players will call it an enhancement tax like they do for the KB to KD sets.)

 

Would I be upset if the devs looked at the OP and said "Sure" and then made a new set just to change the damage type? Of course not. I'd actually use a new sword set that does fire damage instead of lethal damage without me having to ignore the other 6 powers in the set like with fire melee. I would also use the energy damage type set if made. (Hello, City of Jedi/Sith.) I just don't understand the need to make these sets when characters can already fight with fire, magma, ice, and energy weapons with all their attack powers in a melee weapon set.

[Cybersbe]

If making a new power set entirely is too difficult, perhaps the existing melee weapon sets can be given the option to customize their sound effects? It admittedly is kinda silly when an energy sword still sounds like it's made of metal.

[biostem]

I still think, even if you used existing animations, a "beam sword" set could be made to be mechanically different enough from the existing BS set, to stand apart.

[Menelruin]

I remember hearing a suggestion before to just add the different "elemental weapon" themes from Sword etc as options for more of the different Melee sets.  So like, make ALL of Fire Melee have the option for Sword animations, etc.

[Rudra]

10 minutes ago, Menelruin said:

I remember hearing a suggestion before to just add the different "elemental weapon" themes from Sword etc as options for more of the different Melee sets.  So like, make ALL of Fire Melee have the option for Sword animations, etc.

That would be nice. Especially if they did that for psionic melee too.

[Zepp]

5 hours ago, Menelruin said:

I remember hearing a suggestion before to just add the different "elemental weapon" themes from Sword etc as options for more of the different Melee sets.  So like, make ALL of Fire Melee have the option for Sword animations, etc.

That would be good, especially if the opposite were true as well. Psionic melee without the sword!

Also, it would be nice to have the elemental weapon powers capable of being War Mace or Battle Axe shaped as well...

[biostem]

I mean, they could make a generic "elemental weapon" set, which uses all the available weapon models, and give it a toggle like dual pistols' "swap ammo" power, which allows you to change elements.  Maybe to keep it simple, you could have energy, fire, and ice, or maybe energy, toxic, and ice, (or some other permutation thereof). 

Edited October 4, 2022 by biostem

[Rudra]

4 minutes ago, Zepp said:

That would be good, especially if the opposite were true as well. Psionic melee without the sword!

Also, it would be nice to have the elemental weapon powers capable of being War Mace or Battle Axe shaped as well...

Swordless fire and ice melee too? For characters that just burn with flaming fists or freeze with frozen ones?

[Zepp]

4 minutes ago, Rudra said:

Swordless fire and ice melee too? For characters that just burn with flaming fists or freeze with frozen ones?

That was implied. I just had Psionic Melee on the mind because I am tinkering with my Psi Stalker. The Assassin's Strike is a sword attack, but going pure-sword I lose a lot of good attacks, including the PBAoE T₉. On the other hand, skipping the Assassin's Psi Blade and Greater Psi Blade would be tough for ST attack chains...

Of course, the same is true for FIre, Ice, & Stone. In addition, sword/axe/mace animations would be welcome for Energy & Dark even though they do not have any current "weapon" attacks.

[bustacap]

On 10/2/2022 at 9:41 PM, biostem said:

  You could even port over a form of the "disintegrate" effect to the set, and use the existing broadsword animations...

 

Isn't that Rad Melee's gimmick though.  

[biostem]

5 hours ago, bustacap said:

Isn't that Rad Melee's gimmick though.  

No.  Rad melee has the "contaminated" effect, which can spread the damage and generate a small AoE, IIRC.

[AwkwardGiraffe]

On 10/4/2022 at 2:56 AM, Rudra said:

Swordless fire and ice melee too? For characters that just burn with flaming fists or freeze with frozen ones?

 

Came to post this! Glad to see someone else has suggested it.