Creature Handler Archive

Thread: CH a supporting skill???

DaBudo2
Thu Feb 12, 2004 12:00 pm
#1

I just finished reading a post in another thread where the CH profession wasreferred to asa "support skill". It certainly wasn't the first time I've seen CH called that. And I'm getting really, really tired of CH being called a "support" skill. What the hell is that? Hell, all of the professions can be considered "support" skills. We all support each other in one way or another.


Yeah, yeah, I know what is meant by "support" skill, but the problem I have with calling any profession a "support" skill is that it implies that one profession is more important than another. Think not? Which gets more attention: the "starring" actor or the "supporting" actor? To say that there is a "support" role says that there is also amore importantrole being supported. Sure, argue all you want how the "support" role isvital,how the"major" role wouldn't be the same without the "support" role, blah, blah, blah. There is still a "star" role and a "support" role.


But however you want to interpret the term "support skill", whenever I see it applied to CHit's always in the context of how the CH profession needed to get the bejeebus nerfed out of it. Were there issues that needed to be addressed/corrected? Absolutely. To say, though, that it was ok to nerf CH because it is, after all, just a "support" skill is condescending, derogatory, and just plain wrong. So goes my rant for the day.



------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read. G. Marx

Pickaroon - MCH, Master Pistoleer, Elder Geek
BOTHEN! WOOHOO!
Ariekb
Thu Feb 12, 2004 2:11 pm
#2

sorry to let you down like this but... Yes CH is a support role, that's why you have enough exp to master a companion profession like pistoleer or rifle or medic or combat medic or whatever.


if you feal that you want to be an elite profession, then go for Master Ranger/CH combo






~=Ieota- Master Smuggler/Sword=~~=Aezia Gaiteg-TKM/Doctor=~


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Citizen of TIRIUS - City of Roleplayers

Sooty
Thu Feb 12, 2004 2:39 pm
#3

Ch is not a support skill, and I too am getting very fed up with being refered to as such. It carries an implication of being secondary to the 'elite' weapon combat professions, in both people's in game perceptions and in the devs' view of us.

CH is a combat profession with secondary abilites. The only reason to have and use pets that are combat capable (i.e over CL8) is to use them in combat. A CH doesn't need CL 40 pets to dance next to them on a stage, or do tricks for friends, or for RPing, or anything else other than combat. A CH doesn't need an attack command, or the ability to enrage pets, or command special attacks (ok, assuming that one ever actually works right), or the ability to use petstims, unless he uses pets to fight with.


Don't get me wrong, the other stuff is fun at times for me, and more often for many, but it is clearly not the design focus of the profession and I resent CH being pushed that way. I have no wish to see a reduction in the other abilities, and I would love to see more baby types available for those that like to collect. I have absolutely nothing against people that play a CH just for the ability to have pets, but I don't believe that should be the descriptor for CH. The problem we are facing is that, with the changes to melee making them far better tanks than pets now and pets having no real offensive ability, people areresorting to categorising CH as a support profession instead of fighting the devs for a real combat role. I think many CH are just so worn out with being hammered from all sides for so long that they are desperate to find any role for themselves.


*edited cuz I can't spell*

Message Edited by Sooty on 02-12-2004 02:03 PM

Athiama
Thu Feb 12, 2004 2:56 pm
#4

CH's are defined as a combat class, not a support class. I refer you to the Combat class rebalancing discussions.
sadnebula
Thu Feb 12, 2004 11:02 pm
#5

Good discussion. with the minimal damage pets dish out as compared to the elite combat professions, how can you help but not say CH is a support role, along with master brawler and marksman. none of these professions, once mastered will allow you to do the damage necessary to take down the higher mob's in the game. Combat professions yes. but stand alone combat professions, no. A poor state of affairs in that you have to dabble to do high damage in most cases. You bring out a webmaster that you worked hard for and it doesn't really mean that much anymore, not with being able to run over to a vender and order up something that is better than what is earned. Bah got off topic a bit there, but this being bent over and told to touch my toes to make BE a viable profession ticks me off.



Mondo Migill,

In through the Out door
Kharrissa
Fri Feb 13, 2004 1:50 am
#6

I am more comfortable in a supporting role than I would be as star of the show.
Areih
Fri Feb 13, 2004 4:32 am
#7

Isnt it suport in the way that it isnt you doing the combat it is the pets and it also suports your combat skills if you got some. You can use your gun and pet at the same time but you cant use a Sword and a Gun at the same time. So in that aspekt it is a suport skill but it still is a combat profession because it is a profession that suports you in combat whith doing combat for you. A CH doesnt have to do Combat on his own but if he only uses pets then he wont get in the combat so therefor i think it is a suport profession and i dont think of that as being something bad. What does it matter if it is a suport profession or not? It is one of the greates professions in game with lots of power and lots of fun IMO.


Maybe im wrong but thats how i see things.


Areih


DaBudo2
Fri Feb 13, 2004 10:05 am
#8

Hmmm, I think part of my point has been missed. It's not that I just objected to CH being called a support skill, I objected to any profession being called a support skill. (Ok, as MCH I do particularly object to CH being called "support" ). I could argue that all the professions are support skills, because asI pointed out we all support each other in one way or another.


But, again, I do understand what SWG means by support skill - one that supports combat. Or so I define support skill. On that basis alone, CH is not a support skill. (CH may be the least effective of the combat professions, but it is a combat profession). However, the problem I have with the term "support skill" is the way I often see it used. That is, there is the explicit implication that a support skill is some how inferior to - well, whatever the opposite would be. There is a mind set that the combat profession is superior to all the other professions. Some of the replies in this thread bear this out.


So, back to my original contention that calling CH a "support skill" is condescending, derogatory, and just plain wrong.




------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read. G. Marx

Pickaroon - MCH, Master Pistoleer, Elder Geek
BOTHEN! WOOHOO!
Barb-Wire
Fri Feb 13, 2004 10:21 am
#9

CH is not a combat skill. it wont ever be one. what it is is a skill that supports your other skill(s). it is a support skill in the same sense a medic or doctor or CM is a support skill.

it isnt a bad thing but it is a reality. Coupling CH with any other combat skill greatly increases the power of that skill in taking out monsters and people. (if u cant figure out how to use pet specials in PVE/PVP there is no help for ya. its called followtarget and use the commands once they are in melee range). call CH a combat enhancer if you want to quible and play semantics.

CH provides a means of transferring damage from you to something else. a pet is a piece of walking armour that can soak up damage and distract targets. if you cant undestand that or like it go do a different skill. but CH is a pure support profession.

i will re-iterate it ISNT a bad thing. because what WILL happen if the tards get their way is that SOE will up the damage on pets and lower their ability to tank by the same ammount. you are NOT going to get both. i for one would rather have a tanking pet than a damage pet. its not rocket science here folks.



Created Account July 2003 - Canceled account Nov 2005. The NGE made me do it.
Barb Wire
Former Dark Force Wielder
Ex-Imperial Navy
BlackEdge
Fri Feb 13, 2004 10:36 am
#10



Barb-Wire wrote:
CH is not a combat skill. it wont ever be one. what it is is a skill that supports your other skill(s). it is a support skill in the same sense a medic or doctor or CM is a support skill.

it isnt a bad thing but it is a reality. Coupling CH with any other combat skill greatly increases the power of that skill in taking out monsters and people. (if u cant figure out how to use pet specials in PVE/PVP there is no help for ya. its called followtarget and use the commands once they are in melee range). call CH a combat enhancer if you want to quible and play semantics.

CH provides a means of transferring damage from you to something else. a pet is a piece of walking armour that can soak up damage and distract targets. if you cant undestand that or like it go do a different skill. but CH is a pure support profession.

i will re-iterate it ISNT a bad thing. because what WILL happen if the tards get their way is that SOE will up the damage on pets and lower their ability to tank by the same ammount. you are NOT going to get both. i for one would rather have a tanking pet than a damage pet. its not rocket science here folks.




It sure doesn't do a GREAT job of supporting our other skills. I don't consider CH a support profession. Why? It takes 2 trees in scout line to be a CH. While the combat professions only take one unless you're taking an elite profession. So you're telling me that TKA, Swordsman, Fencer, Pikeman, Rifleman, Pistoleer, and Carbineers are ALL support professions too? What's your definition of support?

If I remember correctly our pets are just meat shields, they also output dmg. Even though they aren't great compared to the combat professions, I consider CH a mix of support and combat period. There's just no straight out saying that CH is a support profession. Why not call CH a support/trading/combat profession? More of a hybrid of all 3 of those.



Pokko - Council Member of Star-Gazers
Professions mastered to unlock: 31 (Merchant) July 16, 2004
Professions mastered after unlock: 32 (Master BH)
Bostagor
Fri Feb 13, 2004 10:46 am
#11






Barb-Wire wrote:
CH is not a combat skill. it wont ever be one. what it is is a skill that supports your other skill(s). it is a support skill in the same sense a medic or doctor or CM is a support skill.

it isnt a bad thing but it is a reality. Coupling CH with any other combat skill greatly increases the power of that skill in taking out monsters and people. (if u cant figure out how to use pet specials in PVE/PVP there is no help for ya. its called followtarget and use the commands once they are in melee range). call CH a combat enhancer if you want to quible and play semantics.

CH provides a means of transferring damage from you to something else. a pet is a piece of walking armour that can soak up damage and distract targets. if you cant undestand that or like it go do a different skill. but CH is a pure support profession.

i will re-iterate it ISNT a bad thing. because what WILL happen if the tards get their way is that SOE will up the damage on pets and lower their ability to tank by the same ammount. you are NOT going to get both. i for one would rather have a tanking pet than a damage pet. its not rocket science here folks.






Course you would rather have a Tanking pet then a Damage pet... You are a Master Rifleman... That fits YOUR combat style... And if the "tards" got their way dont you think there May perhaps be a happy medium? Cant there be a Pet that Tanks and a Pet that Damages?


btw you are No rocket Scientist...

DaBudo2
Fri Feb 13, 2004 11:51 am
#12

I think what we have here is a failure to communicate Or possibly we really should define our terms.


A combat profession is one that has skills/weapons that allows one to engage in combat. Yes? No?


Examples of professions that do not have skills that allow one to engage in combat: architect, politician (mud slinging doesn't count as combat ), entertainer, medic (unless they specialize as a combat medic). Though correct me if I'm mistaken. I have only passing familiarity with those professions, but I don't recall seeing any combat skills in their skill trees.


Examples of combat professions are self-evident, because they obviouslyprovide combat skills and weapons. Except it seems that people over look that the Creature Handler professiondoes, in fact, provide weapons that allows one to engage in combat. Thoseweapons are the pets. Pets have one purpose and one purpose only: to engage in combat - either attacking or defending. (Ok, ok, pets are companions, they're fun to have, etc. etc. but you get the point). If that doesn't make Creature Handler a combat profession then something is really, really wrong here




------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read. G. Marx

Pickaroon - MCH, Master Pistoleer, Elder Geek
BOTHEN! WOOHOO!
thamightycrow
Mon Feb 16, 2004 5:28 am
#13

dont see it as a support skill at all im master rifle mch and fair enough rifle's good and strafe 2 owns but i would spend more time on my backside lookng up at stars if it wasnt for my pets i see rifle as the support to my kick ass pets.
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