Development Cycle Archive
Thread: IC 1-7: Combat Roles; Fencer
What defines theFencerrole in combat?
fast attacks with high defense
What basic combat elements should they possess?
defensive skills and accuracy
What offensive abilities?
fast strikes that are very acurate
What defensive abilities?
highly bouns to defenses inculding KD stun blind dizzy posture change melee defense and ranged defense
What unique abilities?
possible have more then just kentic and stun damage weapons , alos i would like to see a style that gives us a chance to grab aggro from a mob
Should add what advantage or asset in group combat?
the ablity to grab hold a mobs agro while are high defenses keep us from getting killed so quick , while others in the group dish out the majority of the damage to the mob
How could/should they interact with other professions?
they should buy foods buffs weapons from others
What interaction / dependencies should exist with other combatants?
they dont have ranged capablities so are dependant on others for pulling mobs and on others in killing ouickly
What should be their unique role in the Galactic Civil War?
hard to kill out right able to inflict high damage over a long period of time
Request For Comments:
- With skill and speed come graceful defense and offense, I think its flat out retarded that the default hit of a fencer does at max on anything about 300 damage.
- Also the HAM costs on most of the weapons are insane! With a full set of composite armor on your one-hand hit 3 is gonna cost you your life lest your buffed like a mad man.
- Now I've got no explorer skills right now, so my terrain negotiation is as lame as it gets, even the slightest hill turns me intoa crappin' snail shot with a tranquilizer. So when I'm out getting myself some fp (IMPERIALSIM OWNS YOU ALL) and I see a rebel NPC whos dark blue to me I think to myself "This should be no problem" especially with full adv composite with insane layers. At the same time that NPC along with the developer who made him and probably is controling him is thinking"HELL NO I OWN THIS GAME YOU PEICE OF CRAP!" So I end up taking a blaster shot to the face for some 175 damage while my opponent runs away up a hill thats insanely steep that he glides up effortlessly. With 3 of these punks doing all of this at the same time you can guess what the outcome is.
- Next is the BEYOND LAME FACT THAT FENCERS HAVE NO KNOCK DOWN SHOT! The reason the devs didn't give every brawler profession a KD shot as well as an automatic to-hit bonus on people weilding ranged weapons is probably because they are retarded... which is just as logical as the reason they give aTKA a higher overall deffense than a person who's weilding a 7 foot pole and has prolly been using it a lot longer than any cheap TKA punk who wanted to master something fast.
- Finally fencers should be similarly intune with they're "center of being" as TKA's. All brawlers have COB, all brawlers know that a 200+ HAM cost is not worth a little extra deffense for your health.
-Solutions-
Ok soI'vemore complaints but its late,I need to finish this.
- -Lower overall HAM costs- seriously doesn't it take more energy out of you to punch and kick some one like bruce lee on speed than to poke some one with a sword?
- -Increase default attack damage- I think I could hit some one with sword harder than with my fist
- -Give all brawler prof's terrain negotiation skills- so we can catch up to those riflemen!
- -Give fencers and heavy swordsmenknock down shots- I think I could push some one over with a light sword in my hand, or knock them over with a 60 pound hammer don't you?
- -Lower center of being HAM costs and give all brawler prof's unique abilitiessimilar meditate from TKA- maybe stuff like a move called "Awakening" where the fencer gains the ability to see incoming attacks and counter them in the best way. A TKA aims for you head to knock you over, you duck and stab him in the stomache. See where I'm going with that? A spiritual type of special ability either in or out of combat that is unique to each brawler prof
- Now I know I didn't complain about this but its not really a complaint, its just a revamping idea. I like how unarmed type things were integrated into fencing moves, but it should be even more. I think the whole jumping kick type moves are awesome, and it would be rad to see a KD dizzy shot with a spin hit to the head with the swordand another spin kick to the head for the knock over.
I've got a whole lot more Idea's for this game, and I would like to become a game developer myself. I'm only 15 but I know I've got good stuff locked inside my head, if the devs would just listen to a paying customer for once, this game would be a lot more fun.
(CHECK THE MORE GENERAL TOPICS FOR MY LITTLE SPEIL ON REVAMPING NOT ONLY BRAWLER BUT THE ENTIRE COMBAT SYSTEM!)
Don't take this post wrong should ya'll at SOE read this, I love you all for making a MMORPG thats not based in the middle ages and doesn't contain stupid magic. I also love the emense diversity of this game as it is completley different from any other game of its kind. Your awesome game developers I just think sometimes you need to play your game a little more before you go beefing up professions.
Brawler
Fencer
Teras Kasi Artist
Pikeman
Swordsmen
PS: None of the brawler professions are in the movies.
not ture. Watch the Jabba sequence in RotJ again. A vibro axe, two-handed axe, and ryyk blade are featured. Also, the guards use vibro lances to bar Luke's path when he attempts to enter the Palace. Lando is also seen masquerading as a bounty hunter while holding a vibro axe. The character who wept after Luke's defeat of the Rancor was probably a creature handler. If you watch the original trilogy on VHS you would be surprised, almost every weapon in SWG is shown at least once
I always think of zorro when i hear fencer, so speed is an issue for me..
Oh, IForgotMyName:
Anakin: droid engineer and artisan (he built the swoop and c3po)
Han solo could be a scout besides smuggler, he traveled yut in the wild on a ugly ostridge looking for luke
Tuskens could be riflemen
Leiahelps luke all the time, so atleast some medic/doctor skills there
Some of the clone troopers are squad leaders
That guy in Jabbas palace are a creature handler (rancor dude)
Those green guys in jabbas palace could be pikemen
Chewie is most definately a brawler with rifleman skills 
do i need to get started on politician and entertainer?
There, i found some more for you so you dont have to be so agressive and negative
Well, quick and short again:
One, I think the Fencer isn't being as defined in battle as it should. Best example I can think of is this: A 2 handed specialist is suppose to deal out massive damage but be slow. Now the 1 handed *us* is suppose to deal out critical hits very quickly. But what I see is the 2 handers basically plowing through their opponents quicker than we do. Deffinately not asking for a nerf on 2 hand here... I'm thinking we really do need faster weapons is all. Make us faster to enforce the idea that we do, indeed, deal out quick death.
Secondthing is... and I've mentioned this idea before... I really think a *disarm* opponent move should be added at the Mastery Level for this profession. It screams swashbuckling space epic to let us have this. It may be too much to ask for; but I still think it's a great idea.
The Lunatic Fringer
At the outset, i note that there are 2 ways of looking at a one handed melee profession- (1) a true "Fencer" a la Zorro, and (2) a sword and shield heavy tank (the sheild a la gungan shields in Ep1)... Personally, i find the latter more intriguing and a better combination with the other professions (oh how well it could counter the ranged professions!!)... my answers to each question are accordingly seperated by these two iterations of this profession (i.e. Fencer and Shieldbearer)...
What defines theFencerrole in combat?
The anti-melee duelist in PvP; a light tank precision striker in PvE
The ranged weapon defender in PvP; a heavy tank in PvE
What basic combat elements should they possess?
Weapons should be light and zero AP, tight damage range rapiers and etees with high accuracy
Capable of dealing moderate damage as a meleer withone handed weapons of various damage types; does not excel at damage output.
What offensive abilities?
Basic offensive abilities should include blind (as is now), and the ability to target any HAM pool due to their great precision with thier light weapons
High accuracy and high speed
Basic offense abilities should include one-hand-hits 1-3 (as is now); special attacks linked to thier shield (see below)
What defensive abilities?
Armor Penalty- increased enc for wearing armor- the fencer needs to be agile and quick to dodge and parry, armor is much more hampering to his abilities
Very good Dodge and parry abilities; adept at not getting hit as often; high melee and ranged defenses, high combat equilibrium... however, due to armor penalty, not as good at actually abosrbing damage.
Armor Bounus- decreased armor enc as skill increases- the Shieldbearer becomres more and more comfortable wearing heavy armor.
High block skill; medium ranged and melee defenses (the tanker abosrbs damage, she does not avoid it)
What unique abilities?
scatterhit as is
ability to apply bleed to any of the HAM pools
Bonus to damage when fighting other melee professions
Unique abilities tied with the shieldbearers ability to equip a shield- for example:
"Shield Bash" with dizzy effect or stun;
"Protect Other" wherein tanker can select someone within 5m of them and abosorb some incoming damage directed at that other characterusing the shield;
Various shield types that resist various kinds of damage;
"Hold Ground" wherein tanker plants shield and crouches behind it, absorbing/blocking all damage to attacks directed to her and to those behind her, etc. (This would also provide a static place for combat, giving an incentive for certain professions to crouch or go prone behind the Shieldbearer instead of running around like headless chickens, as PvP is currently played)
Should add what advantage or asset in group combat?
In group combat, the Fencer will be a precision striker, targetting the HAM pool that is weakest and applying a bleed thereto. Can act as the group's tank if needed, but much better at standing to the side and doing pin point damage to the enemies weakest area.
The ultimate heavy tank in a group setting, the Shieldbearer is capable through use of shields and armor to abosrb massive amounts of damage, but is in turn fairly weak offensively
How could/should they interact with other professions?
As the anti-meleers, swordsman, pikeman, and even the mighty TKA all fear engaging the Fencer mono-a-mono. However, the Fencer is not great against ranged professions in any special way, and has weak area-of-effect attacks compared to heavy swordsman and pikeman, thereby limiting their abilities when swarmed and needing to rely on heavier tankers or ranged support.
Very good at absorbing damage in PvE and PvP, they excel in protecting other professions, either from melee attacks or ranged attacks. They would be an integral and very desireable addition to almost any group. However, the Shieldbearer, while having an excellent and diverse array of damage types, does not have the offensive power to quickly despatch a foe.
What interaction / dependencies should exist with other combatants?
See above.
See above.
What should be their unique role in the Galactic Civil War?
Fencers are used to counter shock troops such as heavy swordsman and pikers in order to protect ranged troops, and for clearing enemy fencers to allow their ownshock troops to engage the enemy's ranged troops.
Sheildbearers are used in combat platoons to protect ranged troops from incoming fire and to proctect them from enemyshock troops, very much as seen in EP1 by the Gungans.