[Discussion] Class Weapon Base Archetypes

[CollinHerber]

For the playtest how many archetypes do we want to have per class?
I was thinking this would be a good starting point

Melee

• One-Handed Swords
• Rapiers
• Two-Handed Swords

Magic

• Wand
• Staff
• Tome

Ranged

• Bow
• Boomerang
• Javelin
• Gun

Summoning

• Whip
• Totem (Acts as a buff to minion/players instead of attacking)
• Grimoire (Spells relating to buffing/debuffing/cursing)

[benj7126]

Should we not give any guns for ranged?

Two-Handed Swords

And are we thinking a big sword or the player visually using two hands..?

[CollinHerber]

Should we not give any guns for ranged?

I don't see any reason why we can't have guns as a fourth type
This was just for the playtest but we can certainly add more

And are we thinking a big sword or the player visually using two hands..?

I was thinking both

[benj7126]

I was thinking both

good luck 🙏

[GabeHasWon]

These all sound good.
My only concern is Grimoire - [de]buffs provide a pretty small amount of intractability and alongside Totems I don't think they'd be able to stand out. I'd recommend something more like one of my other commission's concepts, called Conjurations, where the player actively controls a summoned minion as opposed to vanilla's hands-off summoner.
I'd be asking for permission for conjurations but I do think it's a really cool idea.

[CollinHerber]

These all sound good. My only concern is Grimoire - [de]buffs provide a pretty small amount of intractability and alongside Totems I don't think they'd be able to stand out. I'd recommend something more like one of my other commission's concepts, called Conjurations, where the player actively controls a summoned minion as opposed to vanilla's hands-off summoner. I'd be asking for permission for conjurations but I do think it's a really cool idea.

Yea I do think thats a really cool idea. If we don't get permission what would that mean? The concept can still be built without copying the code directly.

[GabeHasWon]

I highly doubt there'd be issues, but it feels weird to pretty directly lift an idea from another project (where I didn't come up with the idea). It's moreso just to respect my client's ideas and make it clear this is happening so she doesn't get jumpscared sometime in the future lol

[CollinHerber]

I'd be asking for permission for conjurations but I do think it's a really cool idea.

Did you get around to asking for permission on that?

[GabeHasWon]

Just got it! She said absolutely. So we're all good there.

[GabeHasWon]

Oh right! And what're the thoughts on making a Shield archetype for swords - close range, high damage, ramming or similarly movement based weapons are really fun for both players and developers, and it'd also be very different compared to any other currently thought of archetype.
It would kind of edge up against rapiers, but it should be distinct enough that it doesn't matter.

And for Magic, it feels a bit dry having "Staff" and "Wand", which are almost always synonymous, and "Tome", which is thematically a little different but in the context of Terraria also the same as the other two. Is there a distinction here? Ideally, players would hear "Tome" or "Staff" or the given archetype and immediately understand what the idea is behind the archetype.

[GabeHasWon]

Bump. Still not sure how we'd differenciate Staff, Wand and Tome. The only things I can think of to consistently differentiate are amount of projectile shot, and if it's charged or not. Neither of these are remotely interesting and would be pretty dull, even in the context of somewhat randomly generated items like we have here. My thoughts at the moment are Wands are simple, click to shoot a magic thing, Staves are charge slower to shoot a powerful magic thing, and I have no idea what Tomes would do that is special at all. I don't really know what Magic could do in its entirety that is special at all, honestly.