Fencer Archive

From the newly posted CU docs:

Fencer
Primary Role: Close Range DoT Specialist (Damage-Over-Time via Bleeds)
Secondary Role: Close Range Crowd Control (Position Control)
Offense: Strong (4)
Defense: Weak (2)
Crowd Control: Moderate (3)

The Fencer is a lighting fast attacker who specializes in hit and run combat. While Fencers have fairly weak defenses making them less than ideal for standing toe to toe with their opponent, they will employ many abilities that help them reduce their need to stay within range of their target.

As a primary Damage Dealing profession Fencers will have damage output second only Rifleman and Swordsman, however their attack style is very different and unique. Their defensive abilities will end up being very weak ensuring they must rely on hit and run tactics. Basic Crowd Control abilities support their role as hit and run combatants making them a very potent damage dealer in combat.

Profession Mixing Tip: Because of their weak defensive skills Fencers will benefit greatly from additional defensive skills from Teras Kasi or Pikeman or a player could choose to widen their offensive arsenal by adding Swordsman abilities.

Right from high defense low offense to directly the opposite.

---

WayneBrady wrote:
Where are these new docs anyway.

---

Front page (or check the dev tracker) and here is a clicky.

---

Tlk wrote:

I am very disappointed in this, they ruined some of my favorite professions with these changes. I wanted to be a fencer for thier defensive abilities, I don't want to be a TKM. Very disappointing.

---

There are going to be plenty of reasons to stay Fencer. But as I said a while ago, many Fencers will choose other professions because of this shift in focus, and many others will choose Fencer because of this shift in focus.

Though with the exception of becomeing the weakest melee profession for Defense, we actually will feel like the elegant fast swordsmen we should have always been. And remember we get a number of swords now which will be by Developer design worth useing at higher levels. There will also be a signifigent difference among individual Fencers based on what template they choose to take, some will be Defense-Avoidance (with TKA), some will be Defense-Mitigation/Opponant Modifying (With Pikeman), Some will become really deadly with Swordsman. And each combination will have tactical advantages and disadvantages which will make play unique for each Fencer.

I personally Like the changes, though it will take some getting used to.

Message Edited by Tlk on 03-29-2005 10:59 PM

Actually everyone will get a Re-spec. What manner in which this comes I don't know except that once or as many times in a given period you will be able to respend spent SP on different templates to find out what you like and don't like without having to regrind.

Tik, for a number of reasons which I'm not going into publicly I find your post offensive and rude.

Decisions had to be made about what professions were going to perform what roles, and this was the decision which had to be made about Fencer in light of all the other changes to the game.

Just because you disagree with it does not mean everyone does, nor does it mean that I didn't listen to the community, I spend more time on these forums than dozens of you combined, just listening.

Some I agree with, some I do not, but I carry the majority of both with me when interacting with the developers. And I've been activly attempting to prepare you all for this since I found out about it in August. While trying to make sure that it ended up working as well as Fencer has.

Your right there is no profession in the docs which does what Fencer did... because Fencer didn't DO anything... we spun around in circles and basically did the same thing other melee professions did just with different attack names and slightly different stratagy.

Now we're entering a game which will actually be stratigic. Will actually require tactical thinking and support of others. Will actually allow for specialization among professions and templates which will produce both strengths and weaknesses for all professions.

And frankly while I disagree with some of what has happened with the CU... the Profession Role of Fencers I whole heartedly agree with in light of ALL the other changes.

---

Tlk wrote:

Minerunner I couldn't disagree more strongly with you than I do right now, and I am very disappointed that the fencers in the alpha team supported this at all. Did you not see the many posts in any "role" threads that were in this forum for the last 2 years (well slightly less than 2 years).

Fencers are elegant, they should kill by attrition (that is, wearing thier opponent down). They should cripple thier opponent, but they should do so in a parrying manner, not a run up stab with a blunt object and run away. That is completely lame. Where is the elegance in hit and run? We are not thieves with poison daggers and blackjacks. We are fencers, we tank by parrying and crippling. Look at the Last Samauri, a perfect example of a 1-handed fighter (well he used two hands also, but it was a light sword which is what 1-h is all about). Look at Dooku in Episode 2, again a perfect example of a 1-h fencer. Parrying!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not running!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hit and fade tactics are range tactics not melee tactics.

To finish it off, there is no profession stated in the docs that comes close to what fencer was. Fencer was a perfectly functioning profession, they ruined it to balance the game, why didn't they simply use it as the standard? I wish this information was given to me last year so I wouldn't of wasted all this money on the game. EQ2 in space, how very sad.

Edit: for typos

Message Edited by Tlk on 03-29-2005 10:59 PM

---

Have you even tested it yet?......... I love hit and run tactics myself. I often do it currently and every time ive used hit and run tactics its been both a blast and extremely successful. From what ive read about fencers changes so far it seems to me fencer will definitely not be underpowered.......almost seems like it might be overpowered. Especially since hit and run tactics will even be more successful post CU.