Underwater combat: what do you imagine?

This is something I just realized that not only don't we know much about, but we lack some sort of valid reference to compare with (afaik).
Basically, underwater is ANet's response to flight. It's 3D like flight, but since it's underwater, there's no need to explain why you can't fly everywhere.
Of course, combat has to be adapted to 3D movement. Instead of jumping, you float. Which also means that effects can't be ground-targeted... this thus leaves a big component of ground combat out... or does it?
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I admit here that I don't know what to expect. My closest reference is the Descent series.|||Fireball becomes bubble-of-steam attack? interesting.
Ground targted things could become sphere-shaped, but they'll have to find a solution for targeting them...
Or maybe they'll disable anything ground targeted or make it PBAoE underwater. Or the effects become targeted on the surface of the water, making it a bit like you're upside down.|||I have to be honest that I never have been to fond of the underwater combat feature. It just seems so unlikely. But then again, I have never played a game with underwater combat..|||The issue with sphere-shaped effects is that it might get complicated figuring out where to put yourself. I mean, 3D tech is what it is, limited. Movement in 3D is also more confusing...
Like you said, targeting in 3D space would be complicated to implement... but you have a valid point, maybe spells are cast at your location, at your selected foe's location, or in-between (depending on the skill). This could work. Then you or the foe could move to take advantage / avoid given effects.
I wonder if necros have dead fish. I want a zombie eel.|||I can't wait to see how skills are affected. Someone asked about fire and electricity spells and there was a comment about how they WILL function differently. I'm excited to see just how different it will be.
I remember underwater combat from EQ. Ugh.|||How was underwater combat in EQ?
In WoW, it's the same as regular combat, except you have the Z-axis. It works (equally well anyway) because of the lack of ground-based effects and lack of movement value.
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I expect that underwater bars will be completely different. I doubt we'll have underwater weapons though... but at least the skills will be completely new.|||Increased movement speed via natural self propulsion from rear ends?? In all seriousness, I think everyone has skills that will work underwater while several other skills won't work IE: elementalists with fire spells (or at the very least, most of the skills).|||I think Martin told in one of the recent interviews (the dutch ones) where he says that underwater combat will have different weapon slots, different skills, different action and different weapons.
But I'm not too sure, so don't hold it agaisnt me.|||That's just it, Guildoholic. I don't think so. It would be boring to restrict us to skills that work underwater... Not only because we'd have fewer skills, but also because the skills that remain would be more boring to play and may disadvantage certain professions.
A full rework of skills is more likely imo.
Nemeon: has that 2nd interview ever been translated into a normal language?|||Underwater combat wasn't implemented at Gamescom. But I did notice that you could freely move in all directions while underwater, so I would expect this would mean that enemies can come from all directions. I didn't spot any enemies that were able to move both on land and on water. For example, the aquatic Skales were unable to chase me into the water in the demo.