Pikeman Archive

When one takes into account what exactly all our state and melee/ranged defenses do, I think compromises can easily be made. I'm not saying this is how things are, but perhaps a better solution to just totally nerfing stacked defenses.

Melee/Ranged Defense

This is basically what it says. Your defense versus melee and ranged attacks. These mods gained from all professions should be stackable. They should be the determining factor into how much damage you take from the weapon being fought. If you have low melee defense and are being attacked by a polearm, let's say, you will take more damage than someone with high melee defense. The same holds true for ranged weapons and ranged defense. The reason I believe these should be stackable is because if you train yourself in the art of several modes of combat, you learn how to defend yourself better against the whole array of that weaponry. My example being that someone who knows kung-fu would not be as well equipped to defend against all types of melee combat as someone who say is a bushido master, who is trained in all forms of martial arts combat including unarmed, swords and polearms. The more skills you are trained in the better your defenses should be.

As for how this would translate into game mechanics, it would give the people who dedicate the majority of their skill points into combat professions an edge in the respect that they wouldn't take the damage of someone how only dedicates part of their skills to combat.

Defense Versus States

Much like melee/ranged defense these again should be stackable. The more you train to defend against a dizzy attack, let's say, is the less likely chance of you being put in that state. What weapon you have in your hand should make no difference when determining your defense versus a state. You have trained more in the area of state defenses than someone else and should reap the benefits of this.

Dodge/Counterattack/Block

Here is where the trouble lies. These defenses should not be stackable. Your training in dodging with a pistol should in now way have any bearing in you ability to dodge with a fencing weapon. They are two completely different areas of training and should be treated as such. These mods should have separate designations and should be only available while using the weapon trained in. Pistol dodge should be its own defense and Fencer dodge should be its own. The same holds true for block and counterattack. The training for these types of actions are trained only for the weapon they are acquired in.

This area is the one that seems to be causing the most frustration and problems in the game. Players with huge dodge numbers through stacking have become all but unhittable and have made fighting them almost impossible. If these defenses are separated the combat system will be much improved.

My Solution

Again, I feel if melee/ranged defenses, as well as state defenses are allowed to stack while removing the blocking defenses, you will see more people who are willing to master a profession in itself and not try to min/max, as the term goes. To aid in this also, the melee/ranged defenses and state defenses should be spread throughout the elite professions trees, not just delegated to one line. This will also cut down on (people like me) those who just take the defensive tree of certain elite professions to gain an advantage.

I believe this is the best way to go IMHO. People who dedicate more skill points to combat will still have an advantage while at the same time ridding the game of those who min/max just to gain near omnipotence.