Development Cycle Archive
Thread: IC 1-9: Combat Roles; Pikeman
I am stunned that the developers are asking for this. This should have been done about two years ago in the concept stage. You have to be kidding me!!! This is outrageous. Is the game being redeveloped as we "play"?
And April?? That is when this closes, then what 6 more months to get those few ideas on to live. I am shocked and dismayed.
But, for the benefit of those who will stick this game out (this has done it for me and the fact that the "art of combat" has yet to see phase too being released) here are some proposals in the following post.
What defines the Pikeman role in combat?
Right now its personality and windmill pantomime. It should be our weapon that defines us, our weapon is our shield, our armor and our guide in destruction. Or at least it should be.
What offensive abilities?
Area attacks and increased range should be our defining offensive abilities but sadly we spin and miss as the target runs away. We should have the most deadly knockdown move in the game, and our polearm hit 3 shouldn't help the kd'ed target stand back up, I'm tired of stance changing attacks making a target stand up.
What defensive abilities?
Blocking and counter-attacking that is unrivaled. If we're going to get low defenses then we should at least be the hardest to hit in melee combat. Oh and blocking that works, blocking means not getting hit, not getting hit but pretending you didn't. We should have the best balance in the game, after all we are spinning around. This means that we should have the best defense versus kd and dizzy, I want those attacks to almost never stick to us unless we're hit by another pikeman. Against ranged opponents we should have trouble but against other melee we shouldn't be as bad as we are now.
What unique abilities?
A unique defensive skill would be making our pike a piece of armor. Giving our weapon a higher condition status and making it absorb the hits, so perhaps we may not have to wear armor. Pikeman would increase proficiency in using this armor as they move up in the skill trees.
Sunder-Gives the pikeman the ability to essentially break an opponents weapon, making it unusable. Having the weapon break permanently would obviously cause some outcrys from other classes, so instead of reducing the weapon to 0/1000 it should take 50-100 status points from the weapon and make it unusable for a certain amount of time, longer than warcry. Perhaps a 'fix' option should appear on the weapon in the inventory and give a countdown till you can use it again after hitting that option.
Disarm--This would basically be like the younger brother to sunder, allowing the pikeman to disarm the opponent for a set amount of time, though shorter than sunder.
We would of course run into problems when people just unequip their weapon and equip another, maybe another ability above sunder would make it impossible for them to equip another item for a certain amount of time. Hell, an area disarm would be nice.
Personally I want our "breaking" moves that we do with our specials to actually break the targets arms or legs, making them unable to attack with them, kinda like how blind makes them unable to see, a medic would be able to repair the limb like they do other status attacks like bleed. The stunning we do to attackers doesn't seem to do a damned thing, other than stun them that they were actually hit.
Despite so many others want for mounted combat I don't think i'd want it. While it may look cool, I see us losing more swoops than killing more baddies.
Should add what advantage or asset in group combat?
In PVE we should be the tanks that fend off attackers or defend the healers. In PVP we should be meat shields that can area delay, disarm or otherwise hinder multiple targets so the group can get the upperhand.
How could/should they interact with other professions?
Pikeman should be there to change the posture and state of opposing players so that they or others might take advantage of a weakened targets. Area attacks should be more effective. I can't hink of any specific profession to intereact with other than doctor, i've been meat shield for docs plenty of times.
What interaction / dependencies should exist with other combatants?
Pikeman should be the first line of defense, pikeman should band together and form barriers between the targets and our charges.
What should be their unique role in the Galactic Civil War?
Perhaps we could have a command that would allow us to automatically defend any overt player in our party. Haven't really thought about this question before because pikeman don't do alot of pvp.
Above All Else
We've been broken since the very start; i've been playing a pikeman since early july and i'm tired of being ignored. Saying that the thread will be open till april sounds like we're being pushed off of the backburner and into the sink.
If you insist on having these midieval type classes in SWG (fencer, swordsman, pikeman, etc.) at least give them some modern/starwarsy weapons.
What defines thePikeman role in combat?
Tank.
What basic combat elements should they possess?
Tanking...
High defensive mods, the ability to take alot of damage.
What offensive abilities?
Slow but acurate damage (with some modern weapons please).
What defensive abilities?
high melee defense mods.
What unique abilities?
How about the ability to block a players movement in combat. meaning you can't walk through them. This could create some interesting tactics by player groups.
Should add what advantage or asset in group combat?
the ability to take damage for the group as a tank and as stated above be a blocker to keep enemies off the ranged attackers.
How could/should they interact with other professions?
dunno?
What interaction / dependencies should exist with other combatants?
Being that they can block or possible hold instead an enemy they act as a shield for the group but they can't dole out much damage. You might need to adjust aquiring xp by this class to include gaining xp by doing their tanking abilities in a group.
What should be their unique role in the Galactic Civil War?
Front line meat shield and blocker, along with slow but acurate damage.
theGauch0 wrote:
Pikemen should specialize in fighting from creature mounts, and mounted pikemen on mounts should be formidable opponents. Likewise, an unmounted pikeman should be very good at defending against a mounted opponent. Pikemen should, in general, be good at holding enemies at bay buying time for their ranged allies.
I wish I'd read ahead before I posted. This is a great, unique, and cool role for pikemen! Give them good mounted combat abilities and anti-mount defenses (fending with a long spear).
What defines thePikeman role in combat?
What basic combat elements should they possess?
Pikemen should be able to defend themselves effectivelyin melee combat, but not to the extent that faster, more agile melee proffessions can.
What offensive abilities?
In one skill tree, i suggest adding a skill mod: mounted combat. As this skill mod increases, the pikeman gains the ability to move faster on a mount while in combat ( at master one would run at full speed in combat rather than slowing down) and also give specials only available to pikemen that can be used only while mounted.
What defensive abilities?
Pikemen should have their range extended ( as mentioned in an earlier post) and should get an increased melee defense.
What unique abilities?
As stated earlier, give them a skill mod that increases their speed in combat while mounted, and give them specials that are very effective and could only be used while mounted (note:keep all existing specials)
Should add what advantage or asset in group combat?
In PvP and PvE groups they should be able to charge (mounted) and KD or hit a mob/player for good damage before the other melee/ranged close to ideal range.
How could/should they interact with other professions?
They should interact very intricately with other proffessions by becoming a much needed and coveted part of group combat.
What interaction / dependencies should exist with other combatants?
They should not be able to perform at maximum capacity without various ranged/melee proffesions to support them. Much like commando, they should be the 'heavy guns' of melee, but not self supportive.
What should be their unique role in the Galactic Civil War?
Foot/Mounted Soldiers, I'll leave it at that.
if we get less damage but more accuracy ... we still have a problem ...
I see the pikeman has someone who could take on many individual without much problem cause with all the round and area move people should back off or get serious dmg
Special ability ... Push back with a knockdown or lower posture (it would push the oponent to our ideal range near 7m in general)
We need a stun weapon !!!
i just want to take a moment to clear a few things up...
#1. Pikeman do NOT want to trade offense for defense....we need to be able to do tons of damage, unless we are in a defensive stance or something.
#2. This is directed to a poster who said that pikeman should be the fastest. I understand what you mean, but that Long Vibro Axe isn't gonna get swung very fast, the lance either. And at master, pikeman really arn't all that slow. Something that i wouldn't be suprised one bit about is if our auto attack was slowed down a noticable amount at master. but our specials are slow enuff......on the other hand....tkas do about as much damage as us, and are much faster, so our Damage output would fall dramaticly. we would have to use specials constantly, to make up for the time lost, wich would force us to HAM ourselves to death.
Thunderheart, i tell you what, you guys certainly have got your work cut out for you as far as pikeman are concerned. We have just about the worst of everything,HAM, damage, accuracy, defense, "action" damage, mitigation hurts us more than anyone.....i mean....wow, aside from looking cool as hell....and Uber Loots that you have to be a non-pikeman to get your hands on and then are so rare its mindboggleing....
Pikeman should have superior Blocking ability and be the counter for a mounted attack that never occurs due to the current state of mounted creature combat. They are not used mounted. The lance yes that should have a benefit to mounted combat but that other pikeman weapons were used mainly dismounted and should reflect that.
They should be the slowest attack rate of all melee classes but when they hit look out.
The pikeman should have more sweeping area type attacks too. When they swing one of those long hnadled axes get the F*** out of the way. Everybody not just one guy in a group of three or four who are standing the same range.
The area nature of there attacks should be the best of the melee classes and should be inherent thru the whole skill tree like speed and damage.
Specific targetted opponents should have a higher to hit probability and greater damage then area attacks but when you swing one of the two handed axes or vibro axe area effects should occur more than not. The lance is different. It is a piercing weapon, area attack weak but the best when the user is mounted of all the pikemans arsenal.
I am not going into a long rant, I am really enjoying pikeman now. But there is one idea I was thinking of. To stop the ranged kiting, maybe a throw move? Maybe we could through our pike and have it come back to us to entangle the legs of an opponent?
Just an idea.
*Pikemen should specialize in fighting from creature mounts*
I absolutely agree! Mounted fighting should be done by all armed brawlers, but pikeman should definitely get bonuses when mounted.