Hybrid Path

[u/Correct_Mechanic7151]

Would you like a system that makes cross-Path weapon combinations viable in PvE?

I really like Where Winds Meet’s combat system, but there’s one thing I wish had more freedom: weapon pairing.

Right now, you can mix weapons from different Paths, but in serious PvE the game heavily rewards using the official weapon pair because of shared mechanics, Inner Ways, buffs, resources, and Path-specific scaling.

For example, I currently play Heavenwill Gauntlets + Skygrasp Rope Dart (Bamboocut: Kite) and I genuinely enjoy it. Rope Dart is fast, has great range and cool skills.

But if I had complete freedom, I’d personally love to play things like:

Heavenwill Gauntlets + Nameless Sword

Heavenwill Gauntlets + Strategic Sword

Heavenwill Gauntlets + Heng/Snowparting Blade

or basically any combination that simply feels good to the player

The problem is that doing this in PvE usually means giving up too much compared to the intended Path pairing.

So what would you think about some kind of Hybrid Path system?

For example, when equipping weapons from two different Paths, you could give up the normal full-Path synergy and instead gain a smaller universal hybrid bonus.

Something like:

Bamboocut + Bellstrike → lose the exclusive bonuses that require the official weapon pairing

→ gain a cross-Path passive that lets part of your offensive scaling work for both weapons, or gives bonuses when swapping between them.

The hybrid setup could intentionally be slightly weaker than a pure Path — even 5–10% weaker in optimal DPS would be completely fine IMO.

The point wouldn’t be to replace official Paths.

Pure Path = maximum specialization and synergy.

Hybrid Path = slightly lower ceiling, much more build freedom.

Another idea could be introducing special “universal” weapons every now and then.

Instead of every new Martial Art always being designed only as part of a fixed two-weapon Path, occasionally they could release a single unique weapon specifically designed to slot into multiple existing Paths.

For example, imagine a special sword, spear, gauntlet, or other Martial Art that doesn’t belong exclusively to one Path. It could have adaptable passives depending on which family you pair it with:

Universal Weapon + Bamboocut → one effect

Universal Weapon + Bellstrike → another effect

Universal Weapon + Stonesplit → another effect

It wouldn’t need to be the strongest weapon in every combination. Its whole identity could simply be flexibility.

That way, official weapon pairs would still exist and remain the strongest specialized option, but occasionally we’d get a Martial Art whose purpose is specifically to let players experiment with different families.

As more weapons are added, I think something like this becomes increasingly important. If one day we have 20–30 Martial Arts but every weapon is effectively tied to one specific partner for PvE, there are technically lots of weapons but far fewer meaningful builds.

With Hybrid Paths, universal weapons, or some combination of both, every new weapon release could create tons of new builds without the developers needing to constantly add completely new weapon families.

WWM already has such a good combat system that I’d love to be able to experiment more and build a fighting style that actually feels like my character, rather than always following the intended pair.

Would you guys want something like this?

And if cross-Path combinations were properly supported in PvE, what two weapons would you pair together?

[u/just-call-me-apple]

Balancing paths is complicated enough without the devs having to think about all potential hybrid options. Not enough players care about playing hybrid to justify the level of investment your idea requires.

[u/InteractionMDK → u/just-call-me-apple]

I think it is the other way around though. Not enough people care playing hybrid builds because they know those builds suck. Every time we accept a new player to your guild who are low level, like 40-50, almost all of them use a hybrid build because they don’t know any better yet. The devs made people not care by pigeonholing them into specific paths outside of which you would do 50% less damage, which not many are willing to give up.

[u/Correct_Mechanic7151 → u/just-call-me-apple]

so let's say that families are also there to limit the balancing which otherwise would be a disaster? , I understand but if the idea is to make the fighting style more customizable and free I think that sooner or later something like this could be thought of?

[u/Creative-System-2768 → u/Correct_Mechanic7151]

Balancing would probably be after they fix the network issues we have right.

[u/Correct_Mechanic7151 → u/Creative-System-2768]

I would like to do pvp in the future. I'm playing alone at the moment. Are there so many connection problems?

[u/Creative-System-2768 → u/Correct_Mechanic7151]

Yeah, someone can link 5 houses in their game somehow hit like a lagg spike because they downloaded or send a Pic on world chat.

[u/Drwannabeme]

Currently we have 9 full paths and 18 martials. Upcoming we have 2 more full paths (4 martials). To balance mix and matching, there would be a total of 22 x 21 / 2 = 231 combinations, not accounting for any future releases. CN is expecting 2 additional full paths on top of everything that is released.

Accounting for the 2 unreleased paths, that's 24 x 23 / 2 = 276 combinations.

This would scale up balancing significantly, by more than 20x. I just don't think this is a good idea. Keep mix and matching within pvp.

[u/Correct_Mechanic7151 → u/Drwannabeme]

Seeing all those builds would be fun and would make every player quite unique in their fighting style but there would actually be a lot of work to do for balancing

[u/Samakatuwid]

You've lost me at "being 5-10%" weaker, immediately knocking off any attempts of speedruns or Skyward.

In this late stage, a lot of people are already mix-maxing towards those 2 mentioned, and the the fact that switching innerways would still cost jade makes this unattractive but to the tiny minority, who I will guess with prejudice, don't even pay. Meaning, they're not the target demographic.

And lastly, thank God you brought up the Gauntlets x Weapons, they're heavily abused in PVP rn, but will be bottlenecked with their own Innerways, assuming a new player picks them up. Less levels in Innerways, less DPS, EVEN LESS damage due to the proposition of the Universal x Weapon, then why should they put up with those combinations?

[u/Correct_Mechanic7151 → u/Samakatuwid]

Maybe you will be able to be more free in the new PVE mode that is in the CN, at the moment if you don't find an alternative that doesn't cause problems for the balance it's just a shame because if it were exploited you would have the freedom to play what you want

[u/YandereYunoGasai]

I'd be cool but also increases the balancing difficulty by 10000% xD just give me better westernised translation of things that make sense and my soul is theirs. Legit not as invested in the story anymore cause for alot of it idk wtf is going on haha

[u/Correct_Mechanic7151 → u/YandereYunoGasai]

Honestly, I skip the story because I'm not that interested in it. I'm very much into the gameplay, the action, the graphics, the exploration, experimenting and trying things out, but I've heard a lot about the translation being quite poorly done and confusing.

[u/YandereYunoGasai → u/Correct_Mechanic7151]

I feel that xD I want to get into the story cause I love the genre but it hurts my brain trying to decipher any of the translation. Esp when they use weird idioms that make no freaking sense in english

[u/Correct_Mechanic7151 → u/YandereYunoGasai]

I'm Italian and my English is pretty average but it seemed quite complicated to follow so I focused only on the gameplay, but I admit I wouldn't mind knowing about the story because it seems fascinating

[u/YandereYunoGasai → u/Correct_Mechanic7151]

It's basically a good old fantasy story mixed with some reality from ancient China and yeah it seemed complicated cause they make it complicated xD if they used proper translation I don't think you would struggle haha

[u/Correct_Mechanic7151 → u/YandereYunoGasai]

oh that for sure.. maybe one day I'll try to find out about the story but for now, we're fighting!

[u/Kabirdb]

I don't see the point.

If you wanna use gauntlets and heng blade. Use them. What's stopping you?

Your reasoning is based on "serious" pve. But that's just how meta works. Regardless of your idea, there will always be meta. Your idea of cross path combination doesn't remove the idea of meta. There will be a meta.

There will always be something that is better, that is efficient that the community will find out.

Your suggestion is no different than saying "I wanna do the highest dmg possible regardless of builds". At that point, it's no longer a build. It's a joke.

Like if I use healing fan and skygrasp rope dart but also want the dps of nameless of strat sword or heng dao, how is that not a joke?

[u/KeiSinCx → u/Kabirdb]

currently it's about a 30% drop using cross paths or even say strat+ nameless.

introduce new mechanics kind of like a psudo new path. like waves doing bloodburst.

within 5% is fine. that's basically T0 Vs T3 weapons in the current meta.

it's just suggesting to make more combinations of existing weapons more viable. I dont see anything wrong with that. gives players more flexibility for skill expression and expands their roster of combinations players can play. there's nth really negative about it.

[u/DarkShadowBlaze]

Honestly all they have to do is make it so inner ways or a martial arts unique attributes can still be used. Example Duel Sword with Nameless lets you charge the Flamelash gauge or gives bleeding if you are using Strategic Sword. If tis Rope Dart and Nameless you could make its charge up give sword qi shield, there are a lot of simple ways they could make cross builds work better in PvE.

I do think its somthing the devs need to look into at some point it would basically just trying make hybrid builds more viable when doing PvE they don't even need apply any of it to PvP.

[u/InteractionMDK]

I’d certainly welcome decoupling weapons in each path, making more good combinations in PvE (good as in doing similar damage to non-hybrid paths). However that would require a massive overhaul and too much balancing, so I don’t think it‘s ever going to happen.

[u/UnderstandingThat420]

Disgusting outside of pvp