Brawler Archive

Hmmm, there is not hybrid for melee. What about this.

A gladiator. This is someone who dedicates their life to melee combat, not just as a side hobby like say a doctor, rifleman and swordsman. This guy is all melee and nothing else as his life is dedicated as previously stated. THink of the guy who takes karate classes three times a week and is now a black belt, that is the doc/rifle/swordsman guy. Now think of the karate instructor, he is the gladiator guy. His life revolves around karate where as the other guy might be an accountant or something. So, moving on.

What would the requirements to start on this profession. Well, master Brawler and mastering one of the elite melee professions (just one is all). Then you will now be able to move to the Gladiator profession, one who dedicates their whole being to melee combat (kinda like the roman gladiators, everything they did was for the fight. Not like the Roman legionare who had to build forts and roads, etc.The legionare is more like the doc/rifle/swordsman, can do more than one thing). Now, you say if I am a master fencer or pikeman I am going into the same "Gladiator Profession"? Yep, cause it doesnt really add to your specials but adds to your mods.

The skill tree can look as follows. Defense, Offense, Meditate, and Support

The Defense branchcould provide:
1) Melee and Range def mods
2) Def vs "states" (dizzy, kd, etc.)
3) Addition to your special secondary defense, either block, CA, or Dodge (this adds mod points to what ever your secondary defense is)
4) Increase in Toughness and COB enhancements

The Offense branch could provide:
1) Additional Speed (there are new weapons coming out soon, this might be needed or not)
2) Additional Accuracy mods (always good for landing a special like kd or blind)
3) Addition of a Damage modifier like the TKMs have
4) An additional bleed, like an arterial type bleed, maybe even a severing, lol

The Meditate branch could be just as the TKM meditate branch is now. (added this cause so many ppl want this, it is very nice indeed though)

The Support branch could provide:
1) Endurance, increases Burst Run abilities
2) Additional Combat equilibrium (will only be new for Pike and Sword, I believe, as Fencer and TKM have this)
3) snare, reduces the speed and/or their defense (kinda like the scout/ranger traps)
4) Harmony, allows you to remove various states such as blind or dizzy (keep in mind you cant constantly take off blind and fight at the same time, you will eventually have to attack. If you are mobbed you will still lose if you one guy spams blind and you constantly are removing it while another guy spams leg hit 3 or what ever. Go thing but not great (I know ppl will argue against this) I believe CMs can do this now but this is something that can only be done to oneself.

So, why all this and only this. It's simple that's why. There are no new animations that need to be done, no new coding. Everthing is just and additional increase in an exsisting modifier that is ingame now. The snare and harmony would take the most work but the systems are in place in the scout/ranger profession and Combat Medic profession so that shouldnt be too difficult.

Balance, well, I didnt add specific numbers as that would be up to testing and what not to ensure balance, however. This profession, like BH, will eat up most of your skill points as you will now have mastered three professions.Theskill points for this should follow the basic professions as they eat more points. This gives you little to no skill points to dabble in anything. This alone is a balancing piece.

So, what do you think, I dont really need to ask as it will be forthcoming. Just want to say I know there are ppl who hate melee cause they have been killed by them and will only have negative things to say but thats OK.

Hmm, I really need to spell and gramar check my posts.

it would just be unbalance, becuase then they would have to make an all ranged profession.

I dont know...it saounds a lot like TKA too me, only different. Cause Ive never seen a TKA carrying weapon so they are kinda dedicated to melee. I like the name though: Gladiator!

this sounds like an answer for elite brawler profs against marksmen such as bh and commandos. It wouldnt really unbalance the game because there is no hybrid profession for brawlers, and two very powerfull ones for marksmen. It could add a whole new element to the game, i'm thinking colloseums and gladiator duels(a little far fetched?). I for one would fully pursue a career as a pro gladiator. Hats off to Marshal Creed for sugesting this intrieging idea.

A month or two ago I proposed allowing the creation of player ampitheaters for "blood sport" this would be an area where two opponents could duel without outside interference and there would be no DB. It would be a kind of free zone. These structures could be player built/owned like the med centers and cantinas are by docs and entertainers.

Allow thought the number of incaps (victories) you had could earn you noteriety and fame which could faction or something else like reduced rates on items bought on the bazaar and shuttle tickets (something minor as it would be to unbalancing)

The only problem is that this all take lots of development and artwork and code. This is a bit too late but perhaps in a year. SOE is changing the forums so we can post these kind of ideas so they can take them and run with them. So, if you have anything you would like to see, post it.

I think your idea is great man go for it, ive always loved melee proffessions, and can never get away from them, no matter what server i go to, with whatever character mind set, i believe strongly that this new "gladiator" proffession should be made, i have always felt the same way about the brawler/melee skill trees in that they needed something to tie them all together, something after master brawler so to speak, because to me master brawler is right now seems to have no appeal, just because of the fact that it leads no where, unlike master marksmen which has BH and Commando.

Since master marksmen even has 2 different proffessions that come after it, you might consider making two different "gladiator" like proffessions, maybe one tieing in more to defense, while the other goes offense, or maybe special attacks and accuracy and speed.

Just wanted to give my support in your idea!

Manwe Aratar, Sunrunner galaxy

I think the idea of these colloseums and amphitheatres are real cool, there could perhaps be like you said a dueling ring, except maybe to add more fun to it, they could add in gambling aspects to other players to profit from this, maybe using your vitories vs. defeats much like odds in a horse race, to help gamble

just adding my support again

manwe aratar, sunrunner

That is a good idea.

We all know ppl are always dueling and testing specials. What better place, also you would be protected form the dishonest player who says no DB but does it anyway.

BH = all ranged class

Gladiator = all melee class

sounds good to me

id also like to see shields in this game for the melee classes (not TKA)

perhaps shields for the swordsman/fencer and a special pike that provides more protection.

this would solve the problem with TKA being better then the rest of the melee's

wow, I never thought about shields. That would look nice. Something else an armorsmith could make. A power shield a normal shield and the list goes on. However, it has to pass the Star Warsiness test. Apparently there is a guy who has to approve such things to make sure it fits or is part of the Star Wars World.

guy who has to test starwarsiness, sounds pretty starwarsy to me. There was much gladitorial combat on Rodia, it even says in thier profile. Plus i've seen plenty of npc rodian gladiators. And the wookies to, berserkers and such. And i meen, how can the trandoshans not have some kind of blood-sport?

A kink in your cogs: (not a flame, a discussion)

Arent the Master Brawlers already the equivilant of a Gladiator?

Gladiators possess advanced proficiency with all forms of close combat/melee weaponry. While they may tend to lean towards one specfic type of weapon over another to exploit that particular weapons abilites greater than just a random weapon, they still possess advanced knowledge in the use of those weapons.

Trying to make a single Gladiator and the skill option be the spawn of MB + (any melee profession) is little more than what we have now. I mean, I am MB and going up the fencer line. Does that make me a Pirate Gladiator? Would MB/TKM be a Gladiator Monk? MB/Pike would be Polearm Gladiator? MB/2HS would be the Gladiator Knight? We already have those profession combinations available without fancy new names. While the skill mods might be different for a Gladiator versus another MB/Melee combo, it would essentially still be the same class combo with a different title.

I am all in favor of a hybrid elite that would let the MB compete with those that master scout, marksman or medic. I just dont see how your design of a Gladiator would be effective.

Maybe some sort of redesign on the skill requirements and/or mods could bring this a little more to reality.