Armorsmith Archive

the proboblem with using other armor types has nothing to do with composite's protetctive values -

Composite does exactly what was intended to - allows the wearer to take massive damage and reduce it to a managable level -

The trade of was always the heavier encumberance which where designed to allow the trade off being able to deal damage or take it.

The buff systerm rebuild that occured around december took that balance and flushed it down the toilet. The real issue is not the armors protective value - but rather that you can spam special while wearing it. That's a function of the buff system being rebuilt without reguard to how it fits into the over all scheme of game mechanics. There in lies the imbalance.

A considerably more appropriate solution to this ( imo ) would be to simply change the buff system again in the following way:

1) remove all doc secondary buffs.

2) increase the amount of all doc pool size buffs to roughtly +4k max ( and shorten the timer to a max of 2 hours )

3) add a spice that can pump secondary stats for roughly 1000 BUT only with a 2 to 5 minute timer one the positive effect and roughly and hour downer ( negative effect ) that has no negatives' on secondaries but does prevent using the same spice again

The net result would be that Doc's would still have sellable buffs - the would also be able to actually use some of the master level stims - they'd even be desirable in combat times again instead of buff machines you see once ever 3 hours. You'd still be able to special - but it would require more thought.

By going with a spice to get heavy set of armor and off as the only viable means to do you give smugglers a sellable product again - AND avoid the combatant side-stepping the down side of using heavy armor ( low regen rates) by simply removing the armor to regen then putting it back on.

That in turn makes other ligher armor types more viable without the need of crippling the ability for PC's to tank with heavy armor - ligher armor becomes desirable because you get a mid range of proctection and ability to deal damage ( special ) and you can still side step the regen negatives with removal of the armor ( which you can put back on yourself without need of buffs / spice to do it ).

Personally - i don't feel armor is or ever has been broken ( sliced was for while with that double slice bugg ). It is one of the better designed systems in the game - the higher the protective value the heavier the armor - the long you can take damage but the longer it takes you to finish the fight ( as specialling becomes something you really have to watch ).

Under the old buff systems for doc, food and spice buffs it was possible with that right combinations to hit that magical 1500 in all three usage stats - BUT you could only do it for about 10 minutes - then you had a roughly 45 minute period of time where you could not repeat that effect. That was balanced, challenging and fun you -had a time limit on "super mode".

I will submit yet again - armor is not the problem. Armor does not account for players able to solo red cons without using armor - buffs do. Composite armor will in the case of melee duelest *SHORTEN* the length of time of the duel.

The real probelm is with a buff system that was never thought out in relation to how it interfaced with the existing armor system.

That comes from viewing a narrow portion of this game which was wonderfully well thought out in how it stands as total system at one time - you have to view the big picture -

Saying "i'd like to see more armor types" is all fine and well - but it doesn't take into account one ever simple truth - there really is a "best" way to do things. And it doesn't matter if it's composite or ubese or chitin or RIS - people will by their very nature seek out that "best" way and use it. So unless there is a compelling reason to change to fight a *style* of fighting the combatant perfers - there will STILL be ONE perfered armor type by all serious combatants.

Ti-Aut Dawnfire
GTF
Helios, Tat