GW2 professions: some maths

[RD]

Your outline, which is not a bad one, doesn't work because you're making two classes that will use pistols, but not bows. Isn't there only one who has pistols, but not bows?

Engineer with mace and guns would make sense imo.

Or a wrench!

[Kjell]

If Mesmers are included I could see them having

2H: Staff
Main hand: Sceptre, sword, pistol
Off-hand: Focus, pistol, dagger

with staff/sceptre/focus being for more explicitly arcane skills, sword/dagger for whatever and pistols for more single-target damage oriented skills. I put dagger in the off-hand because a sword/dagger combo is great duellist flavour but it could as well be a main hand option as well. There's no particular reason to think it can't be.

I don't really see any class having exclusive access to a weapon and pistols quite fit the Mesmer "rogue" image.

[Alaris]

Isn't there only one who has pistols, but not bows? (...) Or a wrench!

Wrench lol!

I believe it's at least one that can use guns (unspecified) but not bows. They've worded it so that the last one can remain a complete surprise even if they release mesmer first (if mesmer has guns but not bows).

[RD]

I put dagger in the off-hand because a sword/dagger combo is great duellist flavour but it could as well be a main hand option as well. There's no particular reason to think it can't be.

I don't really see any class having exclusive access to a weapon and pistols quite fit the Mesmer "rogue" image.

Everything is still, obviously, very up in the air, but I think I'm giving up on the idea of Mesmer as a roguey duelist. The Thief is GW2's duelist, so I don't think we'll be seeing another one of those. MAYBE some aspects of it, but it seems like they're trying to make every profession unique.

If we get a sword, it'll probably be something like a Red Mage, where our combat skills are weaker than pure melee.

[Alaris]

Unique gameplay, yes... unique weapons, not necessarily.

I see the mesmer using pistols less as dps, and more as disables + damage. So the fight might last longer, but be better at inflicting all kinds of disabling conditions.

[Xilisys]

I don't think any weapon is going to be restricted to one armor class, which means we need a class with the hammer, rifle, mace, and shield, at the least.

Both Warriors and Guardians can use maces, shields, and hammers...unless you meant that of the Soldiers, Adventurers, and Scholars, you think that those should be available to Adventurers as well as Soldiers in at least one class...then that makes sense.

[Kjell]

Yes, he meant that it'd be weird if one weapon was only available to Soldier classes. Some kind of battle engineer or battle alchemist with rifles, pistols, hammers, maces, shields and torches sounds like a decent idea. It'd be one more non-mystical class, at least.

Everything is still, obviously, very up in the air, but I think I'm giving up on the idea of Mesmer as a roguey duelist. The Thief is GW2's duelist, so I don't think we'll be seeing another one of those. MAYBE some aspects of it, but it seems like they're trying to make every profession unique.

That is true but they could just split the duellist theme between the two classes. We've got two flavours of knightly sword-n-board with Warriors and Guardians, after all. The Thief has more of a ninja thug flavour to it while the Mesmer is more aristocratic.

[Alaris]

Remember also that the mesmer wouldn't want to go melee much (if at all) whereas the thief has many reasons to do that even if it's hit & run.

Mesmer would be more of a gun duelist using his mind.

[Akirai Annuvil]

My predictions
~
That seems to even out most of the patterns, it seems to me. I don't think any weapon is going to be restricted to one armor class, which means we need a class with the hammer, rifle, mace, and shield, at the least.

I agree with these predictions accept that Mesmer probably won't get daggers. Sword and pistol may become both main- and offhand rather than just one option.
I'd doubt the Engineer to get a shield.

That'd even out most weapons very well.

[GrimShade]

If Mez gets a sword it is most likely to keep this theme everyone is asking for for Rapier. In that case you have to give them a main gaunche (parrying dagger) in the left hand. Aside from the Rapier theme that is being QQ'ed about I don't see a reason for a Mez to have a sword.

And Ellys and Necys have daggers as main and off hand weapons, thus the prescedent for Dagger as a caster weapon.