TLDR; Assuming you are trying to make PvP better, and reward more skillful/committed players, a passive buff to players for doing something that isn't directly related to the fight they're having will only increase the barrier to entry into PvP, causing fewer players to do it.
This is a bit like arguing that you've been breathing for your entire life, and you may as well get payed retroactively for all of those breaths because you've already put in the effort and no longer feel like it was worthwhile.
Do not misunderstand, I'm not in any way against a revamp of combat skills as they affect PvP, that might be a really healthy thing if the system is currently frustrating, and I guarantee you both know PvP far better than I do, but neither of you have actually explained why a multi-weapon master should have some artificial "bonus" against someone who has not done as much grinding. You just keep stating that they should because they should be better than a non multi-master. The question remains: Why should they be better?
If the only argument for this is "I worked hard to master all those skills, you should make me stronger than everyone else who hasn't done it" then I'm sorry, but that's a weak argument, because all it does is elevate the threshhold for what people have to do to be able to compete in PvP. What would follow when everyone who still wanted to PvP badly enough had become a multi-master and all had whatever the bonus was, and anyone else would simply stop playing (unless you think they'll keep fighting you but now you'll win instead of lose), which in the end hurts PvP overall.
If you want to reward PvP players for their time investment, wouldn't suggestions that increase the reward for skillful play be more useful to you than suggestions that increase the reward for *amount* of play?
Here is a parallel idea as an example: Would you approve of a passive bonus to players' HP based on how many hours they have spent logged in? All of the statements about weapon mastery can apply equally. You played longer, ground more, and it would make the player feel like their time was better spent, etc. But nevertheless, such a bonus would be pointless, because it does not incentivise the right things. That player should not reasonably be stronger than others on the basis of having been logged in for longer, and being logged in and playing the game should be intrinsically valuable because of the fun you're having in the game, just as mastering many weapon skills should be intrinsically valuable for the flexibility it gives you in a combat system which you state requires a "this vs that" approach. If it's not valuable in and of itself, you should not do it at all. If you want to do it anyway, that's on you.
I love your passion and enthusiasm, I'm just trying to help in fine tuning the discussion!
Northstar
Also: to answer you question:
"Surely the only justification can not be "Because it would make it feel worthwhile" for the multi-masters. If it did not feel worthwhile already, why did they do it?"
Because this is an MMORPG? And at MMORPGS we grind? And the purpose of these threads is for all of us to get incentive that rewards our grinding instead of not actually having to do anything more; because one lousy title isn't that big an accomplishment after all.
Star
This is a bit like arguing that you've been breathing for your entire life, and you may as well get payed retroactively for all of those breaths because you've already put in the effort and no longer feel like it was worthwhile.
Do not misunderstand, I'm not in any way against a revamp of combat skills as they affect PvP, that might be a really healthy thing if the system is currently frustrating, and I guarantee you both know PvP far better than I do, but neither of you have actually explained why a multi-weapon master should have some artificial "bonus" against someone who has not done as much grinding. You just keep stating that they should because they should be better than a non multi-master. The question remains: Why should they be better?
If the only argument for this is "I worked hard to master all those skills, you should make me stronger than everyone else who hasn't done it" then I'm sorry, but that's a weak argument, because all it does is elevate the threshhold for what people have to do to be able to compete in PvP. What would follow when everyone who still wanted to PvP badly enough had become a multi-master and all had whatever the bonus was, and anyone else would simply stop playing (unless you think they'll keep fighting you but now you'll win instead of lose), which in the end hurts PvP overall.
If you want to reward PvP players for their time investment, wouldn't suggestions that increase the reward for skillful play be more useful to you than suggestions that increase the reward for *amount* of play?
Here is a parallel idea as an example: Would you approve of a passive bonus to players' HP based on how many hours they have spent logged in? All of the statements about weapon mastery can apply equally. You played longer, ground more, and it would make the player feel like their time was better spent, etc. But nevertheless, such a bonus would be pointless, because it does not incentivise the right things. That player should not reasonably be stronger than others on the basis of having been logged in for longer, and being logged in and playing the game should be intrinsically valuable because of the fun you're having in the game, just as mastering many weapon skills should be intrinsically valuable for the flexibility it gives you in a combat system which you state requires a "this vs that" approach. If it's not valuable in and of itself, you should not do it at all. If you want to do it anyway, that's on you.
I love your passion and enthusiasm, I'm just trying to help in fine tuning the discussion!