skill variety problem and "alt quality" gems

TLDR: recycle some MACE (an example) skills making an alternate of it to be used with QUARTERSTAFF, and vice versa.

explanation:
I know you want to make thematic skills to every weapon type (like maces being slow, physical and/or fire). That's fine, but not enough. POE1 is great not only because it has a lot more variety but you can also use most attacks with multiple different weapon types.

idea:
A way to make new skills "cheaply" and not breaking the main theme of the weapons would be "alternate gems". Some examples:

Alternate Ice Strike -> An ice strike skill with the same stats but instead of requiring quarterstaff and int/dex, it'd require maces and str. "BUT WE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE ALL THE ANIMATIONS!! AND IT TAKES TIME!!1" You may say, and there's where the "cheap" part of the idea goes: the first two strikes could be exactly the default mace strike left and right swings, while the third strike could use the same animation of boneshatter of even volcanic fissure. Well, of course you'd still have to add some cold particles flare to it, but I believe the worst part is actually to animate the character (and that would be unnecessary here). So hey, you now have a faster, cold themed, not slam attack to be used with maces. And being a "alternate gem" means it has the excuse to be out of theme.

Alternate Falling Thunder -> falling thunder for maces with str requirement. Consume endurance charges instead of power charges to release lightning projs. Uses the same animation of volcanic fissure.

Alternate Volcanic Fissure -> volcanic fissure requiring Quarterstaff and int/dex. Using the falling thunder animation. And finally we would have a fire skill to be used with a quarterstaff.

And how to acquire those gems? My suggestion is: they'd drop uncut thru the campaign and maps, just like regular gems but SLIGHTLY rarer (they are not suppose to be stronger than regular skills, just different). And then you just cut it to the desired alt skill you want out of a list.

I got MANY more suggestions of skills to alternate, but I'm making this post just to sell the idea.