White Mage Stance Looks Out Of Place

As a White Mage main this has been a minor annoyance since the launch of ARR.

WHM holds a staff weird for what it is. The WHM stance fits the role when we were conjurers using a shield and wand, but now it seems out of place with two handed staffs. Back in 1.0, staffs were held with two hands as below.
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/...20130913045651

But at the launch of ARR we were given this odd stance which doesn't fit IMO. Though I would prefer the old stance over the one now, the WHM stance should be inspired by how Kan-E-Senna holds her staff.
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/...20130901023628

Even the Asylum animation has a brief moment where the staff is held like her.
https://imgur.com/pyY4L4U

As of now the WHM stance is looks off to me and I'd love to see a slight redesign. I'd love to hear your thoughts and opinions as well!

I greatly dislike the WHM idle stance. It was very clearly designed with wand/shield in mind, but we don't use that anymore. BLM doesn't seem to have this problem, though. It looks awkward.

Stylistically, it's a bit of a catch 22 really.

I do agree, that the staff pose in 1.0 was more natural, however it was also significantly more restrictive with regards to animations that can follow on from it. In many, perhaps even most cases, you're just going to end up holding on with one hand anyhow, thus I suspect SE haven't had much interest in removing the legacy of 1h weapons on some casters.

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Originally Posted by Sebazy

Stylistically, it's a bit of a catch 22 really.

I do agree, that the staff pose in 1.0 was more natural, however it was also significantly more restrictive with regards to animations that can follow on from it. In many, perhaps even most cases, you're just going to end up holding on with one hand anyhow, thus I suspect SE haven't had much interest in removing the legacy of 1h weapons on some casters.

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I agree that it would restrict the animations if we reverted to 1.0 stance. But moving towards Kan-E-Sennas stance I feel would fit well. Its not to far off from what we have now in terms of arm position and wouldn't be to different from the animations we have now. Guild Wars 2 Elementalist use a similar stance with their staffs which looks great compared to WHM.

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Originally Posted by Elamys

I greatly dislike the WHM idle stance. It was very clearly designed with wand/shield in mind, but we don't use that anymore. BLM doesn't seem to have this problem, though. It looks awkward.

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I actually think BLM has one of the better stances and it fits their role and animations well. But WHM definitely feels off with Staffs.

+1 from me! I dread when I do a cutscene as whm and everyone unsheathes their weapons to fight and then there's me- hands outstretched and doing a weird butt wiggle. :p

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Originally Posted by Yhual

+1 from me! I dread when I do a cutscene as whm and everyone unsheathes their weapons to fight and then there's me- hands outstretched and doing a weird butt wiggle. :p

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Its like your character is unsure of what they should do with their hands! I dread cutscenes combat scenes too as my WHM, it just looks so non intimidating (especially for someone who is called the Warrior of Light).

Solution: bring back mage shields

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Originally Posted by Canadane

Solution: bring back mage shields

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No one would be angry if WHM had a Staff Shield Combo for any high tier gear set. It would actually be refreshing to see a cool WHM only Shield on someone's back.

I've always thought even the wand+shield pose is terrible, tbh. It just looks awkward.

I think there's a way to slightly alter the current pose to reach one that's similar to the 1.0 one. I'll try and do some edits on it to illustrate my point but it might take a little bit. Brbrbrb


Edit:
Far from perfect, really, since I just copy-pasted the hands and spun the staff, so the body language is all stiff and awkward without being able to move the rigging on the 3D model, but something like this is what I'm thinking. Just spinning the wrists, bringing the forearms a bit closer to the chest in a more defensive manner. Making it look a little bit less "battle ready," and a bit more reserved, if you will.

https://i.imgur.com/zcW7KWi.png

This of course runs into limitations of what a wand+shield look would be, but I think a middle point could plausibly be reached if the pose looked a bit more defensive and conservative, reminiscent of what Yuna's battle pose looked like in FFX, for example.

https://crohasit.com/wp-content/uplo...r-gameplay.jpg

With a middle point between those two, I think a pose could be reached for both types of equipment that didn't look as stiff as the one we have already does.

I agree the WHM stance looks dumb.

i really love the WHM stance and i think it's dumb to hold the staff with both hands ^^ we are not some kind of kung fu fighter or something...

WHM holds the staff with the right hand and with the left he casts magic, channeling it through the staff - the WHM stance is clearly designed for the 2 handed weapons.

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Originally Posted by Tint

i really love the WHM stance and i think it's dumb to hold the staff with both hands ^^ we are not some kind of kung fu fighter or something...

WHM holds the staff with the right hand and with the left he casts magic, channeling it through the staff - the WHM stance is clearly designed for the 2 handed weapons.

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It doesn’t necessarily need to go back to the shop 1.0 stance which is why I think the way Kan-E-Senna holds her staff could be an inspiration.

As well if you look at how Elementalist hold staffs in Guild Wars 2, its similar to Kan-E-Senna but looks excellent.

Just the stance now is most definitely the way more fitting for shield and wand over a 2H staff.

I use the /cpose stance when idle....I prefer this over any other stance when idling....where i just hold my staff..and smile....like Im about to have a psychotic break. :) Or I'm just smiling. ^_^;;;

https://i.imgur.com/cnYIvuj.png

Granted the staff is clipped out but you get the picture.

The battle stance is a bit weird... but I'm ok with that. I wouldn't mind having Kan E Sana's stance tho.

I thought i'm the only one who hates the whm stance.
I'm like... ALWAYS putting away my weapon if i can't cast something due to the boss not being attackable...
Its just... so lame. Like really, really lame. I hate just standing there like an idiot who's like... deciding what to do with himself

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Originally Posted by Cheremia

I thought i'm the only one who hates the whm stance.
I'm like... ALWAYS putting away my weapon if i can't cast something due to the boss not being attackable...
Its just... so lame. Like really, really lame. I hate just standing there like an idiot who's like... deciding what to do with himself

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I also thought I was the only one to dislike the WHM pose, but I’m super glad to hear that I’m not alone!

Hopefully it’s something they look at in the future!

I agree it's awful, and I also agree that in cimematics it looks so not threatening, more like you're saying "look, nice staff, right? you can hold it if you want, here!"
Kan-E-Senna's stance looks a lot more serious and "regal" as a white mage should be.

I agree it looks... not great, but it's grown on me a bit. It took me a long time to find out about the /cpose thing...

White Mage's stance is basically the only thing I don't like about the job right now. We really need a /cpose or something for our in-combat stance as well so that people who like the current stance can keep it and those who don't can use something else.

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Originally Posted by VanilleFang

I agree it looks... not great, but it's grown on me a bit. It took me a long time to find out about the /cpose thing...

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The /cpose is nice! It just sucks that its only out of combat that unsheathing our weapon looks good.

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Originally Posted by Cupcakesu

White Mage's stance is basically the only thing I don't like about the job right now. We really need a /cpose or something for our in-combat stance as well so that people who like the current stance can keep it and those who don't can use something else.

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Its also the only I hate about the job. I love the kit, I love the aesthetics of the weapons, and I love the lore, but the stance just kills the image and makes me cringe a little bit when I'm in a cut scene trying to be intimidating.

Just a little tidbit of info:

This is Y'shtola's idle stance in Dissidia NT (obviously since she's a CNJ)!

I'm not particularly dissatisfied with the stance, but can agree it is a bit awkward. There are two things about it I feel make it so. The first is the base of the cane is not touching the ground, and in the manner we hold the weapon, it would be more natural to do so. Seriously, go to your broom closet and bring out your sweeper or anything long like a staff and hold it in front of you with one hand. You will want to put it on the ground because of... well, gravity.

The second is our characters sway from side to side. This is suggestive of melee combat, not magery. Mages, wizards, casters etc. much like melee combat fighters, have an offensive and defensive stance. The defensive stance tends to hold the cane with two hands in an over/under orientation. This allows them to parry physical attacks while simultaneously giving them the flexibility to wield the staff itself offensively. The drawback was their spell casting efficiency would go down, but it also difficult to cast spells when you're in the frying pan. If we held our canes like this, it would make more sense to sway.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/d3/db...53bc7fdef9.jpg

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/...20110224134014

Now the offensive stance is really where it's at. And this is the change I wish SE would do for us WHMs. This stance typically involves holding the cane with one hand and away from the opposition while the majority of the physical self is exposed, almost as if saying, "You are no match." You are motionless save the wind blowing through your hair and robes. Think the end of Assize's animation, or Scathbach's idle stance.

https://scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram...84887713_n.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DDcTZ0-V0AEuY2Y.jpg

We don't need to be booty shaking during combat. I would very much welcome different idle stances for combat, and/or an overall change to the WHM idle combat stance.

I definitely would like a new idle animation. They'd probably have to change our default cast animation, but I don't really like that one either.