ArenaNet:Guild Wars 2 suggestions/Adjusting Combat Style for Different Ranges

(Discussion)
One of the most annoying things about playing a ranger (or any ranged profession) in GW1 was that, in the end, you usually ended up fighting a lot of your enemies at melee distance anyway, regardless of your ranged abilities. It would be nice if professions which use ranged weapons in GW2 could equip certain types of weapons in a sort of secondary weapons slot, and they would automatically whip out these weapons as soon as the enemy they’re attacking gets a little too close. Rangers could have knives; monks might break out the kung-fu; sorcerers might equip magical rings and shoot short bolts of elemental power.

Anyway, this would be optional, and a system would have to be configured so that they would not need to, for instance, equip both bow and knife skills, but, rather, a skill which is used with the bow might also have a similar function with the knives. This would be one simple way for A-net the deliver on the promise of skills having “different effects under different circumstances”. Short-range is definitely different from long-range.


 * Why this is a good idea
 * Would allow for greater customization and make the gameplay a bit more dynamic
 * Would be a little more realistic than having a ranger calmly firing arrows at opponents who are slashing away at them


 * Why it may not work out
 * Might put strain to the skill bar and make weapons skills more complex
 * Could blur the lines between certain professions if not handled correctly
 * Could diminish the role/ advantage of a secondary profession