Development Cycle Archive
Thread: IC 1-16: Combat Roles; Teras Kasi Artist
Low to medium damage, few damage types(kinetic and possibly one other)
High damage absorbtion, high mod-defences
Fast speed
TKA are your primary tanks, but not your heavy damage fighters.
short and sweet(sorry, at work and cant get into to much detail)
Just for the sake of interaction I would like to see some kind of sparring going. Make the meditation tree actually require some kind of meditation aspect to gain xp. Of course it shouldn't be something you can macro through. It should be engaging though. The more people engaged, the higher the xp gained. It would be somewhat along the lines of the entertainer, but considering how TKA doesn't make money from meditating or sparring the xp gain should be greater than what it is now.
I would love to actually spar with another individual or perform katas with others. I can't say how really disappointed I was that TKA seemed to be completely barbaric and all combat revolved around how much damage you can inflict on some creature in the wild. Defeating creatures in the wild should be a bonus to the point that you generate greater xp faster, but it's very difficult. That alone will atone for how powerful TKA is now and somehow stop too many from looking at TKA as something that needs to be nerfed.
The Tera Kasi Artist’s role should be as stated the “tank” of the game. We should be the threat that a ranged combat profession fears if we get close enough to engage them in melee combat. The other melee professions should have a healthy respect for the TKM.
What basic combat elements should they possess?
The basic combat elements that we possess should be:
Evasion
Stealth
Melee superiority
What offensive abilities?
The offensive abilities the TKA should have are:
Speed: progression to the fastest speed of all attacks that are available to all player characters.
Disarming/ incapacitating/ posture altering strikes: once we are within melee range of an opponent, these should have wide ranges of effects at various levels depending on the skill level of the TKA and the defensive/size modifiers of the opponent.
Killing strike: this should be only attainable by Tera Kasi Masters and have such a drain on the mind pool because of the focus required that it brings said pool down to 1.
What defensive abilities?
The only defensive abilities that should be conveyed on us should be:
Speed: Once again speed, this should be against all types of attacks giving us a possibility of dodging ranged attacks but this modifier should be low, where as opponents that are attacking a TKA in melee combat should be hard pressed to land a blow against the TKA.
Practically impervious to kinetic attacks: The reasoning behind this would be that a TKA has training their body to become a weapon and has developed it to that point through vigorous mental and physical training. While this might sound like uber talk also take into perspective that TKA should have little to no protection to other types of attack.
Balance: a steady progression through ranks that is defensive bonus towards posture altering attacks.
What unique abilities?
Meditation: to strengthen/heal mind and body. This could also progress to give defensive bonuses against state effect attacks. i.e. stun,warcry,etc.
Focus: to deliver the type of attack that is being that has been chosen.
Should add what advantage or asset in-group combats?
Meat shield: As a friend of mine has so eloquently stated TKA’s provide ranged combat professions like himself the ability to concentrate on a melee combatant target without fear of said target getting close to tear them apart.
Distraction: opposing ranged combatants need to pay attention to that killing machine that is running up on them which provides the TKA’s ranged members opportunity to fire on said target once again with less concern of being hit or targeted.
How could/should they interact with other professions?
1. Soloist: Leading the lifestyle of a martial artists that tends to train a lot and being able to heal physical and mental wounds, makes them sort of an anti-social class. That being said there should still be the need to interact with other professions to bring down those uber creatures or for clothing/food/entertainment.
What interaction / dependencies should exist with other combatants?
Other ranged combatants should be absolutely terrified of getting within melee range of a TKA. On the other side of that coin TKA’s should be concerned when there is a ranged combatant that has got a bead on them. Run at them and hope you can get into range before they smack you down or run away and stay out of range.
What should be their unique role in the Galactic Civil War?
The roll I see for TKA’s is that of the Jedi police or possibly assassins for hire. The resource material that I have read says that they developed themselves to this point to insure that Jedi do not destroy more worlds in there battles against each other and that they are the one thing that Jedi Masters need to be really concerned with one on one. With that said I believe that it should be even harder to become a TKM. It is an elite class that has background as Jedi monitors/hunters. It should be even harder experience wise to attain mastery level than any of the non-Jedi combat professions.
As assassins for hire there always a good and bad side to everything. While bounty hunters are usually sanctioned by some governing authority to operate the majority of the time they would be required to attempt to bring the mark in alive. Not so with the assassin.
What defines theTeras Kasi Artistrole in combat?
Good damage and great survivability.
What basic combat elements should they possess?
Very hard to hit, the lack of weapon requiring them to avoid blows rather than parry them. They should also be able to strike quickly and accurately - this accuracy compensating to an extent for the less raw damage from the blow by hitting more vulnerable spots.
What offensive abilities?
The full range of States, fast and with decent damage. With the exception of the lesser damage in targetted attacks (maybe increase the damage of bodyhit, leghit, headhit a little) this is pretty well represented currently.
What defensive abilities?
Solid melee defence, also perhaps some dodge (as TKAs would have to dodge swords etc) - unless the other defences compensate for the lack of a dodge.
What unique abilities?
Meditate (WIth the addition of it effecting normal HAM regeneration - I heal wounds quicker than damage)...
Should add what advantage or asset in group combat?
Their tanking ability, combined with the ability to apply states and hold up a target whilst harder hitters pour fire into it with ease.
How could/should they interact with other professions?
They hold up a target whilst the others kill it from safety.
What interaction / dependencies should exist with other combatants?
The limitation to kinetic damage means that against certain targets others are NEEDED (although no 100% resists....95% is enough)
What should be their unique role in the Galactic Civil War?
They should excel at indoor attacks where their lack of range isn't an issue, but in a conventional battle be much less useful.
What defines theTeras Kasi Artistrole in combat?
Teras kasi should be the fastest and hardest to hit of all melee proffesions. our role is to be the ultimate tank in combat with dodge,counterattack, and blockmods that surpass any other proffesion. we should be able to stand toe to toe with an oponent longer than any other combat proffesion and come out alive.
What basic combat elements should they possess?
In combat it should be very hard to hit a master teras kasi.teras kasihave trained every muscle in their bodies to recact in an instant and their extreme mental focus should render them highly immune to status attacks against them. TheSpeed at whicha tka can dodge anattack and retaliate should border that of force sensetives able to see the future. Their accuracy is nearly perfect and they should be able to applystatus effects and attack any part of the their targetsbodywith ease.
Offensively tka are notvery powerful. They are highly accurate butno mater how strong you are you cant match the damage of a sword or pike. tka damage range should be in-between the light-medium ranges. Knock down and dizzy should also be a emphasized attacks of the tka.
What defensive abilities?
Defensively tka should be able to take more damage than anyother melee class. A tka's body is in peak condition, every muscle is finely tuned for high speed reaction in combat rendering them very hard to hit. Training using their bare fist and feet has rendered the tka's body and bones much more resistant to damage and any direct hit to their bodies should result in minimal damage taken. Blocking, counterattacking, and dodging are also strong points of the the tka's defence. Tka should not be able to wear armor as it would only slow them down and their bodies are already as strong as the bestarmor anyway.
What unique abilities?
Meditation at the master box should allow the tka to powerboost both primary and secondary stats. also at master box the timer for force of will should be reduced reflecting their great mental focus.
Should add what advantage or asset in group combat?
In a group the tka would be the first to engage in combat with a target. while the other group members pummel it from afar with more powerful weapons. the tka should be able hold the agro toe to toe while the other more damaging ranged proffesions can attack it.
How could/should they interact with other professions?
In close range combat with a ranged oponent the tka should win hands down. if its tka verus another melee proffesion it should be more of toss up as to who would win.
What interaction / dependencies should exist with other combatants?
Tka go toe to toe with an agro which would be suicide for any other proffesion. the purpose of this is to distract the enemy so ranged attackers can attack the target more effectively. while we cant deal a lot damage we rely on the help of others to helptake down the oponent.
What should be their unique role in the Galactic Civil War?
This is difficult to determine. We are best suited for front line combat where we could single out a target and effectively remove/kill it and or disable it while others move in for the kill. im not sure of other roles we could do other than combat.
Steiner - Teras Kasi Master
An unarmed fighter, by definition, has to rely on himself, because that's what he is...unarmed! It means he can only rely himself to deal damage, and again on himself to get himself out of a jam. Specifically, a Teras Kasi should be able to deal massive amounts of damage in a very short amount of time. As evidence, in Shadows of the Empire (around page 87, i believe), Prince Xizor was shown a holo of 2 sisters, who were masters, taking out 8 well trained, and well armed stormtroopers. In the context of how Prince Xizor was shown this holo, the duration could not have been very lengthy. The assistant presesnted the affair at hand, and Xizor made a very quick decision considering how powerful the effect of the recorded holo was. Not to mention, the sisters were not even out of breath after they were done.
As stated above, it doesn't really make sense for an unarmed fighter to be able to be highly resistant, essentially a tank. Simply because, speed is a valuable asset in unarmed combat. Therefore, defense should be based on speed of dodging, and not resilience.
As such, I think it would make a lot more sense to get rid of Unarmed Toughness entirely, and instead let the other brawler classes have their own toughness. Right now, speed for the Teras Kasi profession is just fine, however the defense mods are lacking. A master only receives 62 melee defense, and the state change defense mods are extremely lacking. I definately believe that we need to be the class with the most defense modifiers if we are to carry out our class role.
That said, it also troubles me to see the Fencer class with the Dodge skill. A fencer, while they sometimes do doge (as all fighters do), do not rely on dodging as they are right now, but intead more of a mix of dodging, blocking, and counter-attacking. It makes no sense for somebody to block the swing of an axe with their bare hands, but it is completely reasonable for a sword to stop one.
What defines the Teras Kasi Artist in combat?
Teras Kasi can be considered the "Martial Arts" of the SWG world, not the end all be all of personal combat. Close range they should be properly deadly with some minor mods to ranged defensive capabilities. To say a TK artist should be a "tank" in the familiar role is wrong. A swordsman or Pikeman should be a tank, TK artists are there to deal precise "surgical" strikes, with the ability to absorb minor to moderate damage.
What basic combat elements should they posess?
Knockdowns, targeted strikes, ham sub stat wounding shots without bleed, HIGH HAM cost One Strike Capability (equivalent to striking a vital pressure point), dodging and counterstrike capabilities. Melee damage mitigation would be lessened. Speed would be a special ability that drains ham as it is activated and continues until exhaustion or the TK artist deactivates the special.
What offensive abilities?
What defensive abilities?
Covered above
What unique abilities?
Disarm/Joint Immobilization - like the smuggler delay shot, prevents offensive attack for a certain time.
Meditate with different abilities - A wound is a wound, meditate should provide a buff for a time, not a cure for that wound. No matter your personal mental resolve, being poisoned, shot, chopped up, eaten, etc. leaves a mark that needs time or a doctor to heal, not a magical kneeling on the ground for 20 seconds. The buff cancels out the wound for again a timered length, then the person is forced to meditate again, each time the timer lasts shorter until the wounds are healed (A nagging wound cannot be ignored forever)
Should add what advantage or asset in group combat?
In group combat, their special strikes are more accurate as the confusion of a large battle confuses not the TK artist, whereas others should be penalized slightly.
What defines theTeras Kasi Artistrole in combat
Someon not easily hit, and hard to take down at short range. TKA have a direct knockdown and dizzy move. This makes their opponet fly to the ground and take hits as they continue to stand. They are known for being the spider where the kd move is their web. Known for having slightly higher stats, and must be deathblown as soon as possible or they are likely to stand up again. Defense Acuity is the major problem here. I dont think anyone believes this mod actually works. The combos are almost useless. They only spread damage where in real time combat with another player that would be pointless unless the combos did multipe status effects. Example would be unarmed combo 1 does stun and blind while unarmed combo 2 does stun, blind, and possibly dizzy. Those moves really have no use in PvP. I would understand if they are used to find a weakness in the ham where the more precice hitting would take over and finsh them off but most TKA I know only use the knock downs, status effects, and basic unarmed hits. they all serve a purpose directly but I justr dont see the combos doing that.
What basic combat elements should they possess?
I believe they have all they need for combat elements. If they were given a bleed or sorts, even if it was a random one, they would overpower the other melee classes unless the bleed itself was very weak even at high levels. The Center of Being ability seems to be broken still only for TKA. Acuity as I said before is also seeming to be not working correctly. As far as moves go I dont believe TKA have anything else needed. Meditation should be gained by meditation exp only. This would be done by using any attacks while powerbooseted, meditatiing bleeds away, meditatiing to increase HAM recovery rates, or recapacitating yourself. At that level though it would be pointless as force of will is the master box.
What offensive abilities?
Offensive abilities are complicated fighting against a ranged opponent. I would say TKA could gain a ranged ability via some sort of throwing weapoin similar to throwing stars. These weapons would not do any damage but they would inflict status effects. They could be the traditional stun or blind, or they could lower the mods of the opponent for a short period of time. This would be very complicated as this could be easily abused but I think if carfully thought out this could work.
What defensive abilities?
Intruduce a concept called stances. You can 2 stances: offensive or defensive. they could not be switched at will and be set on a timer. In a defensive stance move a TKA would be harder to hit, do less damage, and be less likely to be knocked down. this would of course mean center of being for TKA could not be existant. In offensive the TKA would hit like they do now, at their hardest, can be hit a bit more easily, and would be more prone to be knocked down. There would be no change to what they can do as of now. Defense would be used to survive situations gone wrong and the TKA is forced to run or face impossible odds. Offensive would be normal TKA abilities.
What unique abilities?
Som how deal with fire damage. if the TKA was able to meditate while on fire they could minimize damage fire was activly doing to them by 25% or 50%. This would not heal the fire but simply lower its power. In the end TKA can simply heal the wounds away so this would not be a huge leap. The main uniqueness TKA has is meditation. It make TKA the most resourceful melee class. I think any continuation in that direction would be good for any upgrade involving this issue.
Should add what advantage or asset in group combat?
When grouped, the TKA is expected to be a tank. If the TKA is grouped with other players the damage taken by the TKA should automaticly be lowered somehow. Not a huge ammount but enough to encourage a group to bring a TKA along as they will last longer.
How could/should they interact with other professions?
Another player plans on going on a hunt. They get doctor buffs, they get armor, and they are ready. They find a TKA who will help them "find peace" The TKA would group with the player and begin meditating. The TKA could grant a temperary ability for the player to meditate, or relax some how, thereby increasing some mods or perhaps even allowing them to recap themselves only 1 time. This could be set up to only work half the time or always work, depending on the game physics. If other players recapping themselevs would take away from the TKA uniqueness then I would say allowing the player to some how find peace of mind would perhaps allow them to preform better in their hunt. This could also be used for crafting profesisons, causing the crafter to be given an extra experimentation point do to their "sense of peace" and "complete focus". This ability of course would not last and would be ona timer.
What interaction / dependencies should exist with other combatants?
TKA is expected to be the tank of the group. if the group is fighting other npcs from GCW who can be knocked down, its usually the TKA who are the ones running to each target to knock them down and then continue to the next target. They can be a support role as well as the main shield for the group. An improvement on this area would most likely involve these points.
What should be their unique role in the Galactic Civil War?