Melee weapons should be the "same"

[Possesstime]

Now, before you want to know what precisely I am smoking, hear me out.

We all know the common problem where 80% of all weapons in the game aren't used because they are trash, and many times, it is because their stats are horrible compared to the few on the top. That is true for all the weapon classes, but for melee weapons (which are arguably the best source of damage sometimes) could be made unique for the purpose that some backliers could be used a bit more than just 10 minutes per player for the sole purpose of mastery fodder.

Henceforth, I propose the idea that all the stats of melee weapons (i.e. Cc,Cd and status chance) are made to be a "general stats". This means all melee weapons have a default stat that could be as an example; 25%Cc/Status and 2.2 Cd. But that makes none of them more unique now does it? Which is why there should be made "melee class ability".

We know the likes of Arca titron and Tatsu has the slam capacitor and the slide homing thingy (don't remember it atm) which makes them unique for themselves. But what I am suggesting, is that lets say all hammers have unique abilities, like slam attacks stuns all enemies (original right?) for the longest time of all melee weapons, that could be lets say for 20 seconds in a 20m radius. Or lets say dual blades have an ability to go "demon mode" which means after some accumulated kills, you get a duration you can use at your command which increases speed by 100%, reach, and lets say provokes enemies in 20m radius, and per 5 enemies in that mode, "fatal" attack are made and slices their head of. And the likes of warfans (poor lonely Gunsen) could enter some sort of "war dance", which is similar to dual blades, that increases slash and makes your attacks "fatal", in other words your warfame does a dance towards enemies and cuts and slices all of them until the meter runs out again. And for my last example; two-handed nikanas, you accumulate kills once again, but you unleash it in one fatal attack, but your warframes charges up a long wind up attack, and charges forward while slicing all enemies in an area like 20x5m (you know, like in anime, lol) and these attacks are also "fatal". (Just to clarify, by these attacks and fatals, it is not mean't to consume combo multiplier, but spend of the "kill meter" each weapon has).

Of course this makes some classes more used than other again, but with the implemation of "fatal" attacks (atleast in my head) could make more variety and player choice actually have something to say. And just to clarify, I am not suggesting that the likes of Zaws should have the same stats what so ever, or other melee weapons to be toned down/up stats for the sake of it. But there should be a "default" stat for all so they aren't just used once, then thrown into the void. And let me just say, the mechanic where stats are directly linked to MR isn't a good idea. Many weapons in the low MR 6-7 are good yeah, but sometimes they just don't have the stats to be in any optimised builds. The likes of stances kind of already do it, but for some classes after the melee rework made some stances dogsh** lets face it. And I know this is most likely yet another post into the empty space of the void, but one can always hope.

It's probably very hard to imploment into the game, and would take many working hours, but i feel like this could be one of the directions DE could take to make most weapons usable.

Thank you for getting to the end.

And if any developer read this: thank you, from the bottom of my gamer heart.

 

[Lutesque]

The funny thing about Melee is that because of how Frames like Khora,  Atlas and Gara Work.... Rubbish Melee weapons will always have relevance just because of those 5/5 Riven Dispositions....

That's  why im salty about not having The Heatsword.... i just got a riven for it 😞

 

[BahamutKaiser]

I hope not. It might improve fashion frame, but I diversify weapons a ton bases on fashion, side bonuses and so on. 

Kogake on Gauss, Telos Boltace on Mag, Skiajati on Ashe.

It's a puzzle trying to figure out which weapon looks and feels best on each frame and build, and given the over arching power melee weapons have, anything will work. 

It's not a bad idea, but I'd rather keep it as is. Maybe spread some of the unique effects around, but way more unique traits than a few weapon classes. Keep on scan hammering Volt.

[(PSN)Deeceem]

Melee weapons are already "the same". You can use (almost) whatever melee weapon you want and it performs similar in 90% of the game in its own way.

As an example - Nikanas: Nikana Prime is the best at base, Dragon Nikana is best with a Riven and Zaw Nikanas add Exodia utility, Skiajati encourages gameplay around finishers and regular Nikana is the entry weapon and weaker version of a prime as it usually goes. You can pretty much choose any of them depending on what you prefer/have available.

Two-handed Nikanas: Tatsu for combo counter builds, Pennant for heavy attacks.

This kind of thing applies to all melee weapon categories. Are there outliers? Sure. But melee is incredibly balanced compared to the other weapon types, because you can pick based on stats and purpose you intend to use it for rather than there being only one that's the best for everything in every single way as it used to be with things like the Atterax or Gram Prime which not only outclassed every weapon in their respectively own melee class but also the ones in the other melee classes.

Aside from some elements/ips being trash - which isn't a melee exclusive issue - I think melee is in a good place and even a great place when compared to guns.

[Butterfly85]

Melee is good as is. As I've said elsewhere I can pick up damn near any melee weapon, unranked and sans potato, put on the relevant stance mod, run with pressure point, fury and choice of 2 60/60 mods and handle pretty much anywhere in the star chart.

Cant say I can do the same for the other weapon classes.

[trst]

No?

Ultimately it would just result in the same situation of people just using the same handful of weapons as well as result in people, yet again, complaining that the builds they've invested in are no longer valid. Except that for once they would have a valid point.

And there is nothing wrong with there being weaker weapons since if all weapons were equal to eachother then they might as well be turned into cosmetics. As well we would lose the primary reason for players to progress through the game as you know all weapons will preform the same thus they literally exist just for mastery, meaning we're left with just grind and no discovery of better weapons.

[VisionAndVoice]

[(XBOX)Demon Intellect]

There are already too many samey melee weapons as it is. Making them even more samey only makes that worse.

[0_The_F00l]

Then why would i make or purchase new weapons? i can just get the cheapest basic one of each weapon and i am done.

[FireSegment]

as i understand, your suggestion is to make .... every melee now have unique mechanic, and same stats across every single one of them? 

1st, that's not feasible, there isn't enough "unique" mechanic for the number of melee weapon we have alone, it already took ages for DE to address just the stance for melee 3.0, and we still have the no-where-to-be-found third stage of the rework with the "rage meter"

2nd, Status focus and crit focus melee simply feel different just from how we players perceive it. For most of the weapon type, we almost always have weapons occupy the crit, status, and hybrid build category (with a few notable exception). Jat Kulsar feel different from Mios and in turn it feel different from the Ceti Lacera for example. You would undermine all the previous effort from DE to create diversity among those melees with the universal stat suggestion, regardless of how successful they are at it.

3rd, DE already know putting unique mechanic to newly added weapon is the way to go. Historically, DE used to have a period where they release weapons after weapons with the only different is the stats, back when many of the mechanic we took for granted now didn't exist and they have no option to tinker iwth, it's partially responsible for the large amount of melee we have now (polearm im looking at you). But the period is long gone, DE put out weapons at a much slower rate now and almost always trying to squeeze in some special mechanic for each one, Xoris is a good example, they are somewhat already on the track of what you suggested.

4th, there would always be a good amount of weapon where you just ... throw it into the void after you done mastering it, but that just how power creep took it course. And as damaging as power creep can be, it is also a part that keep long timer player return to re-invested to the better stuff over time. Some weapon are just designed to be "trash", but you would surprise how many of them can still be viable even with that arbitrary "trash" status with enough investment. 

[Galuf]

Normalisation is boring as hell. What differenciates WF from other looters shooters is that it actually doesn't try to normalise things. Try destiny 2, I can't stand this game but it has pretty much normalised weapons.

Also about melees in wf, I find that there are lots that are useable actually. Way more than 20% are definitely enough to takle the whole game, especially if you factor in zaws, where each grip can be at least good enough.